The Remnant's Trick Exposed the Crown Prince-This Time, the Eastern Palace Really Knelt Its Knees Through

Chen Dehai laid out the items beside the imperial desk one by one.

The white porcelain plate contained remnants of pine resin ash, mixed with lumps of unburnt black material. The acrid smell overpowered the incense in the hall, seeping into the throat, leaving a bitter taste on the back of the tongue.

The Ministry of Punishments transfer documents from the Ministry of Justice, found inside the gray-awning cart, were spread out to the side. The printing was faint, and the edges of the paper were stained with wet mud, clearly indicating that they had been through dirty alleys.

A fragment of the waist plaque from Hall of Proper Beauty is placed in the center.

Finally, there was half of an old seal from the previous dynasty.

As soon as the old seal appeared, the Minister of the Imperial Clan Court swallowed hard, and his eyelids drooped slightly.

The emperor saw it.

"You recognize me?"

The Minister of the Imperial Clan Court bowed, his sleeves pressed against the gold bricks, not daring to raise his head.

"Your Majesty, I need to examine the old records. This seal is incomplete, but the patterns still bear the resemblance to the old system of the Xiao Clan of the previous dynasty."

Xiao Jinghan touched his knee with his fingers.

The iron chain scraped against the floor tiles, making a dull thud.

He immediately pulled his hands back onto his knees.

The emperor turned his head.

"What about the prison?"

The General of the Jinwu Guard clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Your Majesty, there is indeed pine resin in the storeroom on the west side of the imperial prison."

He paused, his voice hoarse from the smoke.

"The jailer said that someone brought in old tableware, scrap wood, and wax-sealed miscellaneous items yesterday evening, claiming it was from an old warehouse cleared out before the birthday banquet."

The prince looked up.

Who sent it?

The General of the Jinwu Guard glanced at him.

" Jail Officer Wei signed for it."

The prince's palms were sweating.

Jail Officer Wei.

The staff had mentioned this name.

Cannot be recognized.

He pressed his hands on his knees, his fingers digging into his clothes, his throat tightening.

"Father, with the Crown Prince confined to his Eastern Palace, it's not difficult for his subordinates to use Eastern Palace name to get things done. We must thoroughly investigate who Jail Officer Wei has taken money from."

The emperor did not respond.

"Documents from the Ministry of Punishments."

The Minister of Ministry of Punishments crawled half a step on his knees, picked up the fake document, glanced at it, and his face drained of color.

"Your Majesty, the format of this document is taken from the old style used by the Ministry of Punishments for transferring prisoners. However, it is not printed with the official seal, and the paper is also incorrect. The paper currently used by the Ministry of Punishments has a finer edge."

The emperor asked, "Can outsiders obtain the old style?"

Sweat beaded on the forehead of the Minister of Ministry of Punishments.

I dare not deceive the emperor.

But to be honest, both the Ministry of Punishments and the Imperial Clan Court will be investigated.

He held the document even higher.

"It's in the old case files. If someone accesses the old files, they can copy it."

The emperor stared at him.

Who can transfer it?

The Minister of Ministry of Punishments's lips moved slightly.

The hall was filled with the smells of medicine, burning, and incense; after a while, the smell made one feel tightness in the chest.

"Officials from the Ministry of Punishments can be transferred, and when the Imperial Clan Court is ordered to re-examine the criminal records of the previous dynasty, they can also borrow supplementary files of old cases. In addition, during the preliminary review of the amnesty register, a copy will be made."

The crown prince received it quickly.

"Father, this matter involves old files from the Ministry of Punishments and may not be related to the Eastern Palace."

"Did I give you permission to speak?"

The prince pressed his forehead against the ground.

"Your subject acknowledges his guilt."

No one spoke again in the hall.

The candlelight was dimmed by the wind seeping through the crack in the door, and the lamplight flickered against the imperial desk.

The prince's knees were completely numb, but he dared not move.

The emperor's gaze fell on Gu Moran.

"Third brother."

Gu Moran forward and knelt down even faster than the Crown Prince.

"Your subject is here."

The emperor looked at him.

"You just heard Xiao Jinghan say that the Eastern Palace released him so that he could kill Lady Liu first, and then you. What do you think?"

Gu Moran glanced up at Xiao Jinghan, then lowered her head again.

"Father, I dare not look at him."

The emperor's brow furrowed inwards.

"Speak properly to me."

"Father, I truly dare not."

Gu Moran pressed his forehead to the ground.

"Your subject went to the pharmacy to pick something up for Shen Ling'er, and happened to run into this man swinging his iron chains outside the prison. He almost destroyed my carriage. Just looking at him now makes my legs cramp."

Xiao Jinghan stared at him, his lips moving slightly.

What the hell are you spouting?

You don't dare?

During the fight, you shouted the loudest slogans than anyone else!

Gu Moran continued, "Your Majesty, I am also puzzled. Lady Liu stays in the Prince's residence, not bothering anyone. If these remnants are truly acting on the orders of the Eastern Palace, why did they target her first?"

The Crown Prince looked up and shouted, " Gu Moran, stop trying to pin this on the Eastern Palace!"

Gu Moran shrank back.

"Brother, I haven't finished speaking, why are you in such a hurry?"

The emperor looked at the crown prince.

The prince felt a tightness in his chest, and his fingers were cold from being soaked in sweat.

That bastard Gu Moran, he claims to be scared, but every word he says hits you right in the heart.

Gu Moran kept her head down.

"Your subject only thought of one thing. A few days ago, when my second brother presented the elixir, Chu Tianxing discovered the old wax. Today, the prison was flooded, and there was wax there as well."

He paused for a moment, then frowned.

"Your Majesty, I'm not very bright. How can wax have so many uses?"

The Crown Prince felt a tightness in his chest as Gu Mochen's face flashed through his mind.

Upon hearing this, the emperor thought of his good-for-nothing second son, and his expression darkened further.

"Third Prince, I'm asking you, Xiao Jinghan, are you spouting nonsense about elixirs?"

Gu Moran hurriedly kowtowed.

"Your subject was wrong. Your subject was just afraid. This thing called wax keeps popping up around me lately. Hearing about it so often gives me the creeps."

Looking at him like this, Xiao Jinghan recalled the fight at the alley entrance, and his anger rose in his chest.

" Prince Yi truly afraid?"

Gu Moran turned to look at him.

"Shut up! You say you killed Lady Liu first, and then killed me? You truly look down on me, you scoundrel!"

Xiao Jinghan looked at him, suppressing his anger.

Now is not the time for empty talk.

This guy's got a sharp tongue; I'm afraid I'm no match for him.

The most urgent task is to kill the Crown Prince.

"The prisoners have something to say!"

The iron chain dragged along the floor tiles, making a dull thud.

The emperor's gaze also fell upon that direction.

"Speak seriously from beginning to end."

Xiao Jinghan bent down.

"The people in the Eastern Palace say that Lady Liu can confuse Prince Yi's heart."

Gu Moran's nonchalant expression vanished.

No one spoke.

The emperor's finger stopped at the edge of the dragon pattern.

What else did the people from the Eastern Palace say?

Xiao Jinghan pressed his forehead to the ground.

"They also said, kill Lady Liu, kill Prince Yi, and then kill the Second Prince."

Gu Moran lowered his head, a flicker of emotion in his eyes.

Holy crap, how come there's another second one?

The prince looked up, his mind not yet processing the words, which were already on the tip of his tongue.

"I never allowed you to harm my second brother!"

After saying that, he froze on the spot.

It's awesome!

The emperor looked at him.

A moment later, the emperor leaned back on his dragon throne, his face frighteningly grim.

"So, the second child's name wasn't in your plans."

The prince's throat tightened, and he desperately tried to explain.

"Father, I acted rashly in a moment of panic after hearing him implicate the Eastern Palace Prince."

He then kowtowed.

one time.

Another one.

His forehead struck the gold brick with a loud thud, causing several ministers in the hall to lower their eyes.

The emperor ignored him.

Someone hurried in from outside the palace gate and knelt by the door.

"Your Majesty, Jail Officer Wei Chu's confession have been delivered."

Chen Dehai stepped forward, took it, and presented it to the imperial desk.

The emperor opened the book and read two lines, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged.

"Read."

Chen Dehai read from the confession, " Jail Officer Wei confessed that yesterday at Shenshi (3-5 PM), he entered the side gate of Hall of Proper Beauty, saw an Eastern Palace eunuch, received two hundred taels of silver, and was transferred to the western alley of the Imperial Prison for a change of garrison as instructed."

He took a breath, the pages rustling softly in his hands.

"There's also old wax, pine oil stored in the storeroom, and a gray-roofed cart waiting in a side alley."

The prince's shoulders and back were tense.

The emperor raised his eyes and looked at him.

Chen Dehai continued reading, " Jail Officer Wei said that he did not see His Highness the Crown Prince in person, but only recognized the messenger eunuch as a former servant of the Hall of Proper Beauty."

The prince looked up.

"Father! He himself said he hasn't seen me!"

The emperor placed the confession on the table.

The paper was pressed into a crease.

"Without seeing you, everything is clean?"

The prince's knees went weak, but he dared not stagger.

He pressed his forehead to the ground, his throat sore from straining.

"Your subject truly has never been to the imperial prison."

The emperor stared at him for a long time.

The candle flame had shortened.

Finally, the emperor spoke, "Issue an imperial decree: the Jinwu Guard shall remain sealed off, and all eunuchs and staff members of the Eastern Palace Study and the Hall of Proper Beauty shall not be allowed to leave."

The prince's throat tightened, and he couldn't utter a single word.

The Emperor then said, "Investigate Jail Officer Wei and his accomplices. The Ministry of Punishments shall temporarily suspend the list of those granted amnesty. The Imperial Clan Court shall re-examine the former members of the Xiao Clan from the previous dynasty."

The Minister of the Imperial Clan Court and the Minister of Ministry of Punishments kowtowed simultaneously.

"I obey the decree."

The crown prince breathed a sigh of relief.

His father did not depose him.

As long as he's not crippled, he can still turn things around.

Before he could catch his breath, the emperor looked at him and uttered two words.

"Kneel properly."

The prince straightened his back immediately.

Gu Moran stood with his eyes lowered at the side of the hall.

This time, the Eastern Palace is doomed.

The next moment, the emperor looked at the old seal on the table.

Xiao Jinghan.

Xiao Jinghan kowtowed.

"The prisoner is here."

Once the emperor spoke, no one in the hall dared to breathe again.

What are you planning to do with it?