At the sight, every civil and military official and imperial relative felt a chill in their hearts. Even those at odds with that prince heard alarm bells ringing within.
There was no sign of towering fury on the emperor's face, only calm tinged with disappointment at iron that would not become steel.
"Lin Xiu, tell us what crimes he committed."
"Yes!"
Having the man taken into custody before asking the Heaven-Bearing Prefect to read out his crimes essentially meant the verdict had already been decided.
Even so, many officials received a tremendous shock when they heard Lin Xiu read the charges.
Lin Xiu took out the statement of charges he had brought with him, unfolded it, and read it aloud before the assembled civil and military officials.
"Fifth Prince Xiang Yuyuan bribed an imperial physician and used threats and inducements to make him poison the emperor's medicine."
What?
Horror appeared on many faces. Quite a few officials exchanged looks, each seeing the disbelief on the other's face. He had actually dared to poison the emperor's medicine?
"The poison came from foreign lands. Though slow to act, it clung to the bones and penetrated the marrow, vicious in the extreme. Fortunately, the living master physician Hu Kuangming came to the capital and stabilized His Majesty's condition. Yet the criminals grew so brazen that they even sought to eliminate the master physician..."
As Lin Xiu read, many who had known nothing of the matter finally realized what had happened. Some shuddered at the narrow escape, while many others were furious.
The charges were not merely read inside the Golden Hall. Guards outside relayed them to the outer assembly, including the names and offices of all the accomplices.
Throughout the process, whenever Lin Xiu read a name, Imperial Guards immediately entered the ranks