Chapter 467: Implicating the Mu Family
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
At this time, someone exclaimed, “Isn’t this the token of Minister Mu’s residence?”
At this time, Consort Mu and her father, Mu Zhongwei, had already turned pale.
Mu Zhongwei hurried over and kneeled down, kowtowing as he explained, “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I’ve been wronged. I don’t know why my token was with the assassins!”
Feng Yili looked down at Mu Zhongwei and asked icily, “Minister Mu, are you sure you have nothing to do with the assassins?”
Feng Yili’s aura was oppressive, making it difficult for people to breathe.
Mu Zhongwei broke out in cold sweat. The corners of his lips twitched as he said with great difficulty, “O-of course! Why would I want to harm the heir of the King of Youshan?”
At this time, Consort Mu chimed in in a shrill voice, “That’s right! There’s no enmity between our Mu family and the King of Youshan’s Residence. Why would we harm the King of Youshan’s Residence? I wonder where the Prince Regent found our Mu family’s token to frame us?”
Despite her words, Consort Mu’s eyes darted everywhere when she spoke. After all, that matter really had something to do with the Mu family.
Back then, Chu Zai saw the King of Youshan’s Residence as a thorn in his side so he wanted to kill Li Cheng’an. However, he wanted to look like a wise ruler to the commoners, so he could not attack Li Cheng’an openly. Hence, he took advantage of the disaster in Yuzhou to incite the people and made things difficult for the King of Youshan’s Residence. He planned to lure Li Cheng’an to the disaster area to kill Li Cheng’an. However, he could not mobilize too many imperial soldiers so he asked for Mu Zhongwei’s help. That was how the token had fallen into Feng Yili’s hand.
‘No matter what, we absolutely can’t admit it!’
Feng Yili sneered. “Is that so? From what I know, there are no more than five tokens in the Mu family. They are only taken out for important matters.”
Then, Feng Yili brought a pill out before he continued to say, “Although this assassin became mute due to poison, this pill can let him speak again.”
‘Is the pill so magical?’
Everyone looked over curiously.
Under everyone’s watchful gaze, Feng Yili stuffed the pill into the assassin’s mouth.
Not long after that, the assassin coughed out a mouthful of dark blood.
Jiang Ying questioned, “Tell me, who ordered you to assassinate the King of
Youshan?”
At the same time, Feng Yili used his inner energy to transmit his voice to the assassin so that only the assassin could hear him.
“Do you think if you don’t say anything, your wife and children will be fine?”
‘What?’
The assassin’s eyes widened in fear as he stared at Feng Yili.
Feng Yili continued to say, using his inner energy, “The courtyard with the osmanthus tree in the east of the city. Your two sons are quite sensible.”
The assassin trembled violently. Then, he hurriedly said, “I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you everything. I’m an imperial guard. I only listen to my master’s order.
‘His master? Isn’t that the… Emperor?’ ‘This matter is too messy. What’s going on?’
Many people looked at Chu Zai furtively.
Chu Zai’s expression darkened again. There was a storm brewing in his eyes. He shot a look at the guard next to him, wanting the guard to kill the assassin.
However, before the guard had a chance to act, Feng Yili asked again, “Who is your master? Are you sure that the Emperor personally gave the order?”
‘What does he mean?’
The assassin was confused by Feng Yili’s words. Then, he suddenly saw Feng Yili casually raising the Mu family’s token. With that, he gritted his teeth and said, “Although I’m an imperial guard, there are many imperial guards in the imperial city. Many of us don’t have the right to see the Emperor at all. It was Lord Mu who came to see us and told us that the Emperor wanted us to kill you.”
‘What?’
‘It was Minister Mu who passed on the Emperor’s order?’
Everyone was extremely surprised.
Mu Zhongwei bellowed with a ferocious expression, “Preposterous! How’s that possible? I haven’t even seen you before. How could I have given you any order?”
“What’s this?” Feng Yili asked as he suddenly grabbed a bag from the assassin’s body. Then, he opened it, revealing a piece of gold with a unique shape.
Someone exclaimed in shock, “Isn’t that the gold that was bestowed to the
Seventh Prince by the Emperor?!”
Last year, during Chu Yuemu’s birthday, Chu Zai favored Consort Mu a lot. As such, Chu Zai asked people to carve a whole box full of small gold figurines of Chu Yuemu’s zodiac animal. At that time, many people sighed, saying that the Emperor really doted on Consort Mu and Chu Yuemu a lot.
“Why do you have this?” Feng Yili asked.
The assassin was confused. He had never seen the gold figurine before after all. However, he quickly realized that Feng Yili had placed it on him. He reacted quickly and said, “Lord Mu bestowed it to me.”
“Impossible! How dare you slander me? I’m going to kill you!”
Mu Zhongwei was angry and anxious. He wanted to rush over and strangle the assassin to death.
Chu Ruishi kicked Mu Zhongwei’s chest and berated, “I’m still here. Mu
Zhongwei, do you also want to silence me?”
‘IN-no, no, Emperor Emeritus. I don’t know why this person has the gold figurine on him! He’s trying to frame me!” Mu Zhongwei said as he kowtowed frantically.
Chu Yuemu understood the gravity of the situation. He rushed over and explained, “That’s right, Imperial Grandfather. He must have stolen it from me!”
However, at this moment, one of Chu Ruishi’s secret guards came over from the main hall and reported, “Emperor Emeritus, I found these things on the corpses.”
In the next moment, another Mu family’s token and a few gold figurines were presented before everyone’s eyes.
The entire place was silent, and the atmosphere was very heavy.
“Mu Zhongwei, what else do you have to quibble about? Not only did you try to assassinate the Emperor, but you also tried to assassinate Feng Yili. You must have also assassinated Li Cheng’an back then!”
Chu Ruishi kicked Mu Zhongwei fiercely again.
Mu Zhongwei was in so much pain that he almost fainted. However, he tried his best to hold on. He cried and pleaded, “Emperor Emeritus, please spare my life, please spare my life! I really didn’t do anything! I’m innocent!”
“Innocent? We have witnesses and evidence! How can you be innocent?” Chu Ruishi asked furiously. He was so angry that his heart ached. He really wished he could kill Mu Zhongwei now.
Suddenly, Chu Ruishi turned to look at Chu Yuemu, who was in a very sorry state. He asked icily, “I heard that your imperial Father bestowed the gold figurines to you, and Mu Zhongwei is also your maternal grandfather. Tell me, did you turn a blind eye to this matter and fail to report it, or do you also have a hand in this matter?”
Consort Mu and Mu Zhongwei’s heads buzzed when they heard these words. They naturally heard the meaning hidden behind the words.
Mu Zhongwei hurriedly kowtowed and took responsibility for everything.
“No, no, Emperor Emeritus. The Seventh Prince doesn’t know anything. It’s all my fault! I was muddle-headed and faked the Emperor’s order to kill the Prince Regent! I was ambitious and killed the heir of the former King of Youshan with the intention of seizing military power. A-as for the Emperor, I tried to assassinate him to hide the truth…”
Blood drained from Consort Mu’s face immediately, and a terrified expression appeared on her face. She no longer dared to plead for mercy. If this matter only involved her father, it would mean the demise of the Mu family. However, if it also involved Chu Yuemu, it would be over for all of them.
Chu Ruishi suppressed his anger as he turned to Chu Zai and asked, “Emperor, what do you think of this matter? Do you think the culprit is from the Mu family or someone else?”