HLnovel Chapter 865 The thief cries "stop thief!"
Chapter 865 The thief cries "stop thief!"
During his time stationed on the border, he, as the commander-in-chief, abandoned his post without authorization.
Upon receiving a request for assistance from Chenzhou, they refused to provide support.
These two crimes alone are enough to warrant the death penalty for Duke Xiao.
But this is just the beginning.
Rong Xin clenched her fingers, suppressing the hatred in her heart, and spoke again.
"Have you all heard this clearly? Duke Xiao admits that he abandoned his post while stationed in Jinzhou, and that when the Jinzhou army received a plea for help, none of them went to Chenzhou to provide support, ultimately leading to the death of my brother Rong Che in Chenzhou. Duke Xiao's dereliction of duty, disobeying military orders, and delaying military operations are unforgivable crimes. My brother died defending the people of Chenzhou, so how can Duke Xiao accuse him of treason?"
Rong Xin's gaze swept over the people in the court, examining them inch by inch, before she questioned them.
"To die for one's country, how can that be considered treason?"
Each of those eight words struck a chord in the hearts of all the officials. Rong Xin was already swaying precariously after she finished speaking.
No one dared to respond to that.
Zong Que glanced at Lu Yangyang.
Lu Yangyang walked to Rong Xin's side, supported the swaying Rong Xin, and asked Duke Xiao,
"Lord Xiao, I am not a court official, nor do I understand your rules of judgment, but I am very curious, and I am also curious on behalf of the people of the world. You reported that General Rong colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, colluding with Northern Yan, which led to the defeat. If he had already colluded, why did Northern Yan still want to put him to death? As far as I know, he defended Chenzhou for ten days and ten nights, fought to the death, and after his death, his body was desecrated by the enemy, and his head was hung on the city gate for the enemy to enjoy. The Yan army hates him to the bone. Who colluded with him? And what did he want by colluding with the Yan army? What did he want? Did he want to die a quick death? This question is not only mine, but also the question of the people of the whole world. Lord Xiao, could you please answer my questions?"
Lu Yangyang's words were like a series of resounding slaps to Duke Xiao's face.
Duke Xiao didn't even care how a woman like Lu Yangyang, who shouldn't be in the court, dared to question him. He instinctively retorted, "I was merely reporting the truth about the defeat at Chenzhou, where soldiers and civilians perished. General Rong's northern expedition was a highly confidential military operation, yet it was leaked to the Yan army, leading to the siege of Chenzhou. If it wasn't General Rong, who else could have leaked such confidential information? Furthermore, the charge of treason was proven when the Imperial Guards found letters between General Rong and Northern Yan in Duke Rong's study. How can I be framing him?"
Duke Xiao turned to face the emperor and said, “I hope Your Majesty will see the truth. I have never falsely accused General Rong in the slightest.”
"Really? Where are the letters that were found?" Lu Yangyang asked.
Duke Xiao angrily retorted, "How would I know?"
Lu Yangyang deliberately glanced at the two boxes on the ground.
The letters, which are important "evidence," should theoretically be kept in the files of the Dali Temple. However, the Dali Temple has brought up two empty boxes to deceive people, and there are no letters to be found.
Duke Xiao's face darkened.
Seeing that Rong Xin had calmed down, Lu Yangyang silently released her and stepped back.
Rong Xin pointed at Duke Xiao and sneered, "The thief cries 'Stop thief!'"
“Absurd!” Duke Xiao retorted in a deep voice.
"Father, Duke Xiao is indeed guilty of dereliction of duty, but we cannot smear him with every accusation. He only reported the defeat at Chenzhou truthfully. What does the evidence found later at Duke Rong's residence have to do with him?" The Third Prince finally came to his senses and hurriedly stepped forward to defend Duke Xiao. He then looked at Rong Xin and said, "What evidence does Consort Rong have to accuse Duke Xiao? Don't make baseless accusations in court!"
Rong Xin looked at the Third Prince as if she had swallowed a fly, "The Third Prince is indeed polite. I am just an abandoned woman who died violently in the palace. I am not worthy of being addressed as the Third Prince."
Lu Yangyang lowered her eyes slightly. If it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, she would have liked to dissect the Third Prince's brain to see if his head had been squeezed. Everyone present knew that the Duke of Rong's sister was His Majesty's former Consort Rong. However, Consort Rong died by self-immolation in the palace, and now the last person who wanted to mention this matter was His Majesty. The one who would bring up the identity of his aunt would definitely be His Majesty.
As expected, the emperor, who had remained mostly silent, coldly rebuked him.
"Third Prince, is it your turn to jump around like this?"
The Third Prince then realized he had misspoke and hurriedly lowered his head. He had been so preoccupied with his troubles that he had overlooked Consort Rong's identity, a wound that his father did not want to mention.
After reprimanding the Third Prince, the Emperor looked at Rong Xin.
"evidence."
Rong Xin bowed and said, “I have not seen the letters of the Duke of Rong’s treason, but I have seen someone who can identify the Duke of Xiao as the Left Wise King of Northern Yan. I beg Your Majesty to grant me permission to ask for a witness, Changshan.”
Upon hearing this unfamiliar yet familiar name, Duke Xiao's eyelids twitched violently.
The emperor had already spoken, "Granted."
Changshan was quickly brought in by the Imperial Guards.