Chapter 203 Standoff at the City Tower

Chapter 203 Standoff at the City Tower

"If the capital of Luoyang is occupied by your rabble, the Han Dynasty will be in grave danger!"

Looking at her passionate and patriotic performance, Shen Nanzi thought she was really good at acting.

Just as he was about to speak, Zhao Zhendong rode over and stood beside Xie Chengze. "Our Prince Cheng is the legitimate grandson of the emperor. His father was the legitimate son of the late emperor. His identity can be verified."

"In order to cover up his and Cang Jue's crimes, the late emperor killed General Cheng, who helped him ascend the throne."

"It was only because General Cheng knew the truth and wanted to protect the country and uphold justice that he did not hesitate to defy the imperial power, and in the end he met a tragic end."

"Madam Cheng, who is also the daughter of General Cheng and the mother of Prince Jing, endured humiliation and hardship in order to reveal the truth. She was demoted to a concubine by the late emperor and abandoned in the harem."

"She ate leftovers, wore tattered clothes, and raised Prince Jing to adulthood."

“Prince Cheng is the legitimate grandson of the emperor, and his status is legitimate. He is not the traitor or rabble that the Second Princess Consort described.”

This matter had already spread among the people, and a great deal of evidence proved that the late emperor did indeed marry the daughter of a general before marrying the late empress.

Therefore, General Zhao is right. Prince Cheng is the legitimate grandson of the emperor, not a traitorous minister.

Xue Qingning sneered: "On the day Prince Jing ascended the throne, he already admitted to the crimes of regicide, usurpation, and alteration of the will. General Zhao, you shouldn't try to exonerate them."

"Second Imperial Consort, murdering the emperor and usurping the throne, altering the imperial edict—these are all crimes you've fabricated against Prince Jing. Outsiders may not know, but don't you Xue family members know?"

A person appeared next to Zhao Zhendong. Shen Nanzi looked and realized it was Imperial Censor Zhang.

After a moment's thought, he realized that he was there to help Prince Jing, and at this critical juncture, he was also helping Cheng'er.

She would accept anything as long as it was beneficial to Cheng'er.

Xue Qingning must be furious. She thought it was the Xue family's influence, but it was actually the Prince Jing's faction lurking around them.

Xue Qingning was indeed furious. When she saw Imperial Censor Zhang, her eyes bulged out, and she could no longer maintain her usual elegant demeanor.

If they weren't on the city wall, she would have definitely gone over and slapped Imperial Censor Zhang a few times.

This traitor has actually stood on the opposite side of the Xue family.

Imperial Censor Zhang said, "Second Imperial Consort, you secretly colluded with Prince Ding to poison Prince Jing's tea beforehand."

“When the late emperor was seriously ill, you and Xue Yubai were both by Prince Jing’s side. You took the opportunity to put poison in the incense burner in the emperor’s bedroom.”

"The late emperor was already on his deathbed, how could he withstand poison gas? His death was clearly your doing."

"You poisoned Prince Jing when he ascended the throne, and conspired with Prince Ding to frame him. It was clearly your Xue family who murdered the emperor and usurped the throne, but you threw all the blame on Prince Jing."

"Because you know that Prince Jing is the kind of person who will repay even the smallest kindness with the greatest gratitude."

"Putting it on a dead person means there's no way to verify it."

“Prince Jing repaid the kindness of your Xue family with his death, but your Xue family has gone to great lengths to exterminate him, chasing after Prince Jing’s wife and son all the way.”

"Now that they've fought back, your Xue family is still trying to smear them, mother and son."

After Imperial Censor Zhang finished speaking, Zhao Zhendong's long-suppressed anger almost burned through his internal organs.

The veins on his forehead bulged: "Don't do something you don't want others to know."

"The Xue family's misdeeds are too numerous to recount."

"After the late emperor's death, the Xue family obtained the position of Grand Commandant, but they did not pay the army for three months."

“My son Zhao Feilong returned to Luoyang to demand military pay, but you used this as an excuse to beat him up. Now he is crippled and will have to walk with crutches for the rest of his life.”

"We are a frontier army! Are we going to starve to death without pay?"

"What wrong have we, the border troops, done? What wrong have we done by following Prince Cheng's army to rebel against you?"

"You are the real culprits who have brought disaster to the country and its people!!"

All the soldiers, whether they were from the Chengwang Army or the city defense forces, were shocked by General Zhao's words.

Soldiers are most afraid that they are risking their lives, but the officials in Luoyang City don't even pay them their wages.

This was like a direct squeeze on the soldiers' lungs; everyone gripped their sword hilts tightly, wishing they could kill the Xue family members right now.

Shen Nanzi was furious when she saw Xue Qingning's confident expression.

"You said we murdered the First Princess and imprisoned the two princes."

"Have you seen it with your own eyes? The Prince of Huaiyang is waging wars and exhausting his resources. What kind of lives do the people in his fiefdom live?"

Do you know how the First Princess died?

"She was beaten to death by the people on the land granted to the Prince of Huaiyang. Why would the people kill the Grand Princess?"

"Think about it yourselves."

"As for why the two princes were imprisoned? They are young and do not know anything. I, the princess, would never kill them."

“What’s wrong with bringing them back to Luoyang and letting the people of Huaiyang determine their guilt once the court is stable?”

I see. No one said a word.

Princess Jing did not make the final decision on this matter, but took into consideration that they were still children and left them some room for maneuver.

Shen Nanzi looked at Xue Qingning: "This princess consort would like to ask the second princess consort a question: Where are the princes and grandsons of the emperor in Luoyang?"

Xue Qingning remained silent for a long time before smiling and saying, "Naturally, it's within Luoyang City."

"Keep him imprisoned in the palace!"

Shen Nanzi's words shocked everyone. The Xue family was incredibly audacious, actually using Prince Jing's influence to imprison the prince and grandson.

Shen Nanzi accused: "You have done all sorts of bad things, and you even twisted the truth about what others did. Xue Qingning, you are really crying wolf."

Xue Qingning had been cornered by them and had no choice but to change the subject.

"Xie Yan has altered the late emperor's edict. Xie Hongrui is the true ruler of this land; he is the true Son of Heaven!"

"Where is your evidence? Just your words?" Xue Qingning retorted, "Bring out the late emperor's edict. Even if it was altered, there's still an edict!"

Xue Qingning was stunned; she had burned the imperial edict herself.

Teach her how to take it.

At this moment, her hatred for Xie Yan reached its peak.

He deceived her! He made her burn Hong'er's edict with her own hands.

"Why do you think the late emperor would pass the throne to a child who is only six or seven years old?" Shen Nanzi asked.

"The late emperor felt guilty because he had personally caused the death of Xie Hongrui's father, and he wanted to make amends." This was what Xue Qingning finally realized.

Unfortunately, the late emperor was too cunning, and Xie Yan's deception caused her to miss out on Hong'er's throne.

Thinking of this, Xue Qingning was filled with hatred, as if everyone in the world owed her and Xie Hongrui something.

Shen Nanzi: "Xue Qingning, Xie Hongrui has a heart condition, so it's impossible for him to pass it on to her."

Xue Qingning felt a pang of regret, as if she had shot herself in the foot. Back then, she worried that the late emperor would take his anger out on Xie Hongrui because of Xie Yao's affair.

The reason that was just made up for them is now being mentioned by them repeatedly.

Even though she repeatedly proved it, many people still didn't believe her, thinking that the Xue family was deceiving the world in order to rise to power.

"Don't you dare to smear my Hong'er. His heart ailment has been cured."

"On the contrary, it was you who colluded with Fang Shuo and led Fang Shuo's troops to Yunhan. What are your intentions?" Xue Qingning changed the subject again and pressed Shen Nanzi for answers.

Shen Nanzi chuckled, knowing that this was what she wanted to ask: "Fang Shuo and I have a mutually beneficial relationship. We do not sell out the country, nor do we harm the people."

"And you, your Xue family colluded with the Cangjue in order to make Xie Hongrui emperor, deliberately suffering defeat after defeat, and have now lost more than fifty cities. How do you explain this?!"