A Whale Falls, All Things Thrive

"So, Sun Bofu was heavily wounded, which is quite similar to how Sun Wentai met his end." Zhong Yao, after all, was well-versed in the struggles of the court. Seeing that he could not win the argument against the facts presented by Dong Zhao, he hurriedly brought up Sun Jian to steer the conversation elsewhere.

Dong Zhao was no simpleton; he was not led astray by Zhong Yao at all. He continued to toss out evidence, saying, "Sun Jian's third son, Sun Yi, possessed his father's spirit, yet he too died at the hands of assassins. Therefore, it is not that Jiangdong lacks assassins; rather, the assassins there are quite famous."

"Uh... the Sun family... one really wonders how Sun Quan will handle this..." Zhong Yao continued to look left and right, avoiding the topic.

Seeing Zhong Yao trapped in an awkward position and considering his advanced age, Cao Pi waved his hand to stop him. "Let us end it here. I have heard enough of this matter. It seems Jiangdong does indeed produce assassins, but that does not explain much. Grand Commandant, you are a strategist whom the late King relied upon; do you have anything to say?"

Jia Xu turned, bowed, and replied, "Chief Clerk Sima received great kindness from the King of Wei. To say he plotted treason is hard to believe. The Minister of Justice's analysis is not without merit, but the Minister of Works' perspective is also unique. I also suggest we verify the facts first, so as to avoid endless suspicion among everyone."

"With everyone holding different opinions, it is indeed hard to judge. Let us speak based on the facts," Cao Pi nodded, muttering to himself.

Seeing the old fox Jia Xu refusing to take a stand—truly as steady as an old dog,