Father and Son Confrontation, The Crown Prince Submits to Justice

Chapter 49: Father and Son Confrontation, Crown Prince Submits to Justice Outside the Imperial Study.

Heavy footsteps approached from a distance.

Chen Zhan pushed open the palace doors, and two Royal Forest Guard soldiers escorted Su Mingyuan inside.

Su Mingyuan knelt on the golden brick floor, head bowed, not daring to look directly at the person behind the Dragon Desk.

Chen Zhan cupped his fists in salute.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has been brought."

Su Gan did not look at him, merely waved his hand.

"All of you, withdraw. Without my decree, no one is to approach within a hundred paces of the Imperial Study."

Chen Zhan and the two soldiers bowed and exited the hall, closing the doors behind them.

Only the father and son remained in the vast Imperial Study.

It was so quiet one could hear the crackling of the candle flames.

Su Gan sat on the Dragon Throne, looking down at Su Mingyuan kneeling on the floor.

He said nothing, only watched.

His gaze was as cold and unfathomable as a frozen lake in winter.

Su Mingyuan knelt on the ground, feeling as if a great mountain pressed down on him.

Fine beads of cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and the back of his robes was soaked through.

The father and son remained in silence, neither speaking first.

After a long while.

Su Gan finally spoke, his voice calm and unruffled.

"Lift your head."

Su Mingyuan trembled and slowly raised his head.

He met Su Gan's icy eyes, and the last shred of hope within him began to crumble.

He had never seen his Father Emperor look at him like this.

It wasn't anger, nor disappointment, but a complete and utter coldness.

As if looking at a stranger, a condemned prisoner beyond redemption...

Su Gan picked up the secret letters, account books, entry records, and the scorched brocade box from the Dragon Desk, one by one.

His movements were slow, so slow that Su Mingyuan could clearly see each item.

When Su Mingyuan saw the familiar handwriting on the secret letters, the record of two million Spirit Crystals in the account book.

When he saw the words "Eastern Palace carriage" on the entry record, and the brocade box bearing his own seal.

His pupils contracted sharply, and his blood ran cold in an instant. The evidence was like sharp knives piercing his heart.

Su Gan's voice remained calm, but every word was as if tempered with ice.

"Ming Yuan, Mingyuan, Eastern Palace Crown Prince, the Crown Prince of the current dynasty."

"Do you have anything else to say?"

Su Mingyuan opened his mouth, his mind racing.

He wanted to say the evidence was forged, that someone was framing him, that it was a stratagem by the Holy Demon God Sect to sow discord.

But when he saw Su Gan's icy eyes, all words caught in his throat.

He knew he was completely finished.

The evidence was so conclusive that even he could not find a single flaw.

He had written those secret letters himself, and he remembered every transaction recorded in the account book clearly.

The entry record used an Eastern Palace carriage, driven by his Steward Eunuch.

The Five-Clawed Golden Dragon wax seal on that brocade box was the only one in the entire Great Yu Dynasty that he alone could use.

He had clearly sent people to destroy all the evidence and silence all witnesses.

Why was it still discovered? Why?!

Was it Xiao Qianjun? No, if Xiao Qianjun could have found out, he would have discovered it during the last Major Investigation.

It was Lin Changqing—it must be that Prince Wu'an!

If he hadn't interfered, the Nationwide Purge wouldn't have been rolled out so quickly.

If he hadn't acted personally, the confidential documents from those dens in Yong Province wouldn't have been seized.

If not for him, how could he have ended up in this state!

A strong sense of hatred surged within Su Mingyuan, but it was quickly drowned out by a deeper despair.

What was the use of hatred? At this point, it was all too late.

A wry smile flickered across his face.

The smile twisted, eventually devolving into hysterical laughter.

"Hahahahaha—!"

His laughter echoed through the empty Imperial Study, shrill and mad.

"Since things have come to this, Your Son has nothing left to hide."

He raised his head.

The look in his eyes as he gazed at Su Gan was no longer one of reverence, but of a desperate, reckless madness.

"Father Emperor asks why?"

"Fine, Your Son will tell Father Emperor why!"

He propped himself up with his hands on the ground, his voice hoarse and agitated.

"How many years have I been Crown Prince? From the day I was appointed, a full one hundred and three years!"

"One hundred and three years! Your Son went from a teenage boy to a middle-aged man with streaks of white in his hair!"

"Father Emperor, you are a Seventh-Rank Grandmaster, with a lifespan of at least three to four hundred years!"

"If you remain on the throne, how much longer must Your Son wait?"

"Fifty years? A hundred years? Or even longer?"

His voice grew louder and louder, his eyes bloodshot.

"Father Emperor, do you know what those ministers in court say about me behind my back?"

"They appear respectful to my face, but behind my back, they all call me the 'Old Crown Prince'!"

"After over a hundred years as Crown Prince, my temples have turned white, yet this position is still nowhere in sight!"

"Your Son cannot wait any longer! Your Son truly cannot wait any longer!"

Su Mingyuan trembled all over, his voice so hoarse it sounded as if it were being squeezed from the depths of his throat.

"Your Son wants to be Emperor! Your Son wants to be Emperor so badly!"

"He dreams of it!"

"Your Son has waited for you for over a hundred years and doesn't want to wait anymore!"

"Father Emperor, you had best remain on that throne until you die, and pass it to no one!"

Su Gan abruptly stood up.

His chest heaved violently, veins bulging on his forehead.

The calm on his face was finally shattered, replaced by a towering rage.

He raised his hand and slapped Su Mingyuan hard across the face.

"Slap!"

The crisp sound of the slap exploded in the Imperial Study.

Su Mingyuan was sent tumbling to the ground by the blow, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

Half his face swelled up, but he stubbornly lifted his head, looking at his Father Emperor.

Su Gan's finger, pointing at his nose, trembled.

His voice was hoarse and low, each word squeezed from between his teeth.

"Beast! You are worse than a beast! How could I have sired such a treacherous wretch!"

"Do you think this position is easy to hold? Do you think I don't want to abdicate? Do you think I don't want to focus on my cultivation, break through to Great Grandmaster, even aim for Martial Saint, and become the foundation of our Great Yu Dynasty?"

"If I were truly greedy for this position, I would have long ago abandoned everything else and only cared for myself, just like you!"

"But I didn't! What have I been working tirelessly for all these years?"

He slammed his palm down on the Dragon Desk.

The teacup jumped and fell to the ground.

"I have been cleaning up all the mess in the court, eradicating all the cancerous growths like the Holy Demon God Sect!"

"Once these troubles are resolved, and the empire is stable, and the court is clear, I will naturally hand over a clean empire to you!"

"At that time, you will inherit a prosperous era, not a mess riddled with internal and external troubles!"

His eyes reddened slightly, his voice filled with heartbreak.

"Do you think I don't know the ministers in court oppose the purge of the Demon Cult? Do you think I don't know the front lines are short on military funds, and the purge is a drain on resources?"

"I have disregarded all opposition, even using my private treasury, to completely eradicate the Demon Cult!"

"For what? For paving the way for you! For ensuring you have fewer troubles and less resistance when you ascend the throne!"

"But what about you? What have you done?"

He pointed at the scattered Secret Letters and Account Books, his voice suddenly rising.

"You colluded with the Demon Cult in secret! You sold state secrets! I eliminated the Demon Cult for you outside, yet you acted as an informant for them behind my back!"

"You truly are my good son!"

Su Mingyuan knelt on the ground, listening to every word from his Father Emperor.

His lips trembled, and his eyes reddened.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but not a single word came out.

So, Father Emperor had been paving the way for him all along.

So, Father Emperor had forcefully cleared out the Demon Cult against all opposition to remove obstacles for him.

So, Father Emperor had long planned to abdicate, leaving him a clean empire to inherit.

And what about him?

While Father Emperor was desperately eradicating the Demon Cult, he had been acting as an informant for them behind his back.

While the soldiers on the front lines fought valiantly in a sea of blood, he had been drinking and indulging in pleasure in the Eastern Palace, waiting to continue being emperor after the Demon Realm descended.

Su Mingyuan closed his eyes, and two lines of tears traced paths down his cheeks.

"Your Son... admits his guilt."

He kowtowed deeply, his forehead pressing against the golden brick floor.

"Your Son's crimes are unforgivable, and I have nothing to say."

His voice was hoarse and calm, devoid of the hysteria from before, filled only with a complete and desperate remorse.

"Your Son is willing to bear all consequences."

Su Gan watched him, silent for a long time, and the Imperial Study fell into a deathly silence once more.

After a long while.

Su Gan slowly sat back on the dragon throne.

His face was utterly exhausted, and he looked as if he had aged considerably in an instant.

He looked at Su Mingyuan kneeling on the ground, his eyes no longer holding anger, but an indescribable sorrow.

"Guards."

His voice was hoarse and low.

The palace doors were pushed open, and Chen Zhan strode in, kneeling on one knee.

"Your humble servant is here!"

Su Gan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened them again, his eyes had regained their former coldness.

"Seal the Crown Prince Su Mingyuan's cultivation, and escort him to the Ministry of Justice Prison to await judgment."

Chen Zhan cupped his fist with a blank expression.

"Your humble servant obeys!"

He walked up to Su Mingyuan and struck out several streams of Spiritual Power, sealing the other's meridians.

Su Mingyuan offered no resistance, allowing Chen Zhan to seal his cultivation.

He glanced at Su Gan one last time, his lips moving.

He seemed to want to say "Father Emperor, take care," but ultimately, the words did not escape.

Chen Zhan escorted Su Mingyuan out of the Imperial Study, and the doors closed again.

Only Su Gan remained alone in the Imperial Study.

He slumped onto the dragon throne, as if all his strength had been drained.

He reached up and rubbed his temples, his fingers trembling slightly.

He had issued decrees for a Nationwide Purge of the Demon Cult, and decrees to execute the families of officials who colluded with the Demon Cult.

He thought he had been ruthless enough, that this would completely eradicate the Demon Cult and restore a bright and clear future to the Great Yu.

But he had never imagined that the greatest traitor would come from his own side, that it would be his own son, connected by blood!

He had personally sent officials colluding with the Demon Cult to the execution grounds, and now it was his son's turn.

How should he deal with him?

According to the law, the Crown Prince colluding with the Demon Cult should be executed, along with his entire clan.

But could he execute his own clan?

Of course not.

But if he did not punish severely, how could he silence the world?

How could he explain himself to the soldiers fighting valiantly on the front lines? How could he explain himself to the Demon Suppression Guard members who sacrificed their lives due to the Demon Cult's betrayals?

Su Gan closed his eyes, not opening them for a long time.

Several days later.

Although Su Gan had ordered the news to be suppressed with all his might, the fact that the Eastern Palace was surrounded by the Royal Forest Guard and the Crown Prince was thrown into the Ministry of Justice Prison still spread throughout the Capital City.

The common folk chattered endlessly, with all sorts of wild speculations flying about.

Some said the Crown Prince was arrested for colluding with the Demon Cult.

Some said the Crown Prince was suppressed for plotting rebellion.

Others still said this was His Majesty paving the way for Prince Wu'an, preparing to depose the Crown Prince and make Prince Wu'an the heir apparent.

There were all sorts of rumors, each more outrageous than the last.

But no matter what was being said outside, the true insiders all chose to remain silent.

And during these few days, Su Gan had barely slept.

He sat alone in the Imperial Study for an entire night, seeing no one and allowing no one to disturb him.

The next morning, he invited the Sixth Ancestor, Su Tianheng, into the palace, and the two of them had a private discussion in the Imperial Study for over two hours.

No one knew what they talked about.

But when the Sixth Ancestor emerged from the Imperial Study, his expression was equally grave and terrifying.

Afterward.

Su Gan ordered the Minister of Justice, the Minister of the Grand Court of Revision, and the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate to be summoned to the palace.

The chief officials of the Three Judicial Offices gathered in the Imperial Study, the atmosphere as heavy as a court session.

Finally.

After several days of repeated deliberation and consideration, Su Gan made the final disposition for the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince Su Mingyuan was deposed, stripped of all titles and noble ranks, and demoted to commoner status.

Considering he had once been the heir apparent, his life was spared, and he was exiled to Jiao Province, forbidden to return to the Capital City for the rest of his life.

Eastern Palace officials and advisors who were found to have colluded with the Demon Cult would be immediately executed and their entire clans exterminated upon verification.

Those innocent would be released after review and resettled.

All the civil and military officials could see that with this disposition, His Majesty had made a difficult choice between law and kinship.

By law, the Crown Prince, who colluded with the Demon Cult, deserved to die.

But His Majesty had ultimately spared his life.

This was already clemency beyond the bounds of the law.

As for Su Gan, deposing the Crown Prince was an explanation he, as emperor, had to give to the world.

Spared his life, it was the last bit of paternal kindness he could offer his son.

The moment the Imperial Edict was issued, all the officials in the hall knelt.

No one dared to voice any objection.

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