The Evil Emperor's Favorite: The Sickly and Poisonous Concubine Goes Crazy

Su Jingmo and Qi Nanfeng hadn't seen each other for a long time. They chatted while eating, and it took them a full hour to finish the meal. If they didn't finish soon, she would be so sleepy that she would die listening to them talking.

After the meal, Mu Xi and Qi Nanfeng left together. Gu Yan'an went to the Imperial Camp, and Su Jingmo took Su Jingning back to the mansion.

Late at night, Ling Wang Mansion

Mu Ling sat alone in the study, looking at the military newspaper on the desk with a dim look in his eyes.

He had been dormant for several years, because his mother was born in a humble family, he was inferior to others since he was young, and was bullied everywhere. Over the years, he hid his incompetence and pretended to be stupid, deceiving everyone, and survived in the palace where people were eaten without leaving bones. Everyone thought he was a weak and incompetent person, and now a prince of Beiyang could bully him. If he endured it any longer, I am afraid that no one would remember that there was a Ling Wang in the Great Zhou.

Mu Ling lowered his eyes and glanced at the military newspaper, his eyes were vicious and ruthless.

Zhenguogong Mansion, if you are unwilling to be used by this king, then don't blame this king for stepping on you. The military power of the Su family can only fall into his own hands in the end.

The next day, in the Golden Palace of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Emperor of Zhou sat on the throne. Today was the day of the new year, and the various departments had a lot of affairs piled up, so the court meeting was shorter as usual. Seeing that the ministers had no more advice, the Emperor of Zhou prepared to adjourn the court.

Just as Eunuch Sheng was about to dismiss the court, a voice came from below.

"Father, I have something to report to you."

Mu Ling was wearing a red court robe, standing at the end of the crowd of princes attending the court. When he spoke, everyone was a little surprised, as Prince Ling was always taciturn and rarely gave advice at court meetings.

"What's the matter?" Emperor Zhou was also surprised.

"I, your son, would like to report the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion for deceiving the emperor and plotting evil!" Mu Ling stepped forward and knelt down. He spoke in a loud voice, and reported the matter over his head.

The Duke of Zhenguo, who was standing at the head of the military commanders, heard what Mu Ling said, his eyes became stern, and the iron-blooded aura of a veteran on the battlefield pressed towards Mu Ling.

"The Duke of Zhenguo Mansion is loyal to His Majesty. Why does His Royal Highness Prince Ling slander the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion so much?"

Emperor Zhou glanced at Mu Ling who was kneeling on the ground, and signaled Sheng Fu to hand over the thing in Mu Ling's hand.

"Father, this is the military report of the battle between Great Zhou and Northern Yan in the northern border three years ago. It would have taken only half a month to win that battle, but Duke Zhenguo Su Bo, in order to maintain the Su family's honor and favor, deliberately delayed the battle and raised the troops, dragging the battle that should have taken only half a month to half a year, consuming the financial and military resources of Great Zhou. He concealed the matter afterwards and coerced the military reporter to pass on false military reports, deceiving the emperor and deceiving his superiors. He deserves death." Mu Ling took a look at the horrified expression of the Duke Zhenguo, and was more certain that the Duke Zhenguo was panicking. He continued to speak out the contents of the military report loudly, which immediately caused important officials in the court to talk about it.

"Where did you get this military report?" Emperor Zhou quickly finished reading the military report and asked Mu Ling while holding it.

"It was the adopted daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo, Chen Ruofu, who discovered this. She didn't want to be in cahoots with the people in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, so she stole the military report and gave it to me. I knew this matter was of great importance, so I sent someone to find the military records of that year, and investigated the matter in detail. I also compared it with the wars with Northern Yan in previous years, and found that the war three years ago didn't even take half a year. The Duke of Zhenguo used war to gain merit, and his intentions were not right."

"Duke Zhenguo, what do you think about this matter?" Emperor Zhou did not ask Mu Ling any more questions, but asked General Sheng Fu to show the report to the Duke Zhenguo.

The Duke of Zhenguo took the military report, opened it and read it carefully. The report was written in great detail, and the handwriting was exactly the same as the one he presented to His Majesty that year. He lowered his head, with suspicion flashing in his eyes.

“Your Majesty, the Duke of Zhenguo is loyal and dedicated to protecting the country and its people, and has never done anything to deceive the emperor.” The Duke of Zhenguo looked calm, saluted to the Emperor of Zhou, and then looked at Mu Ling with an imposing manner.

"As for the military report from Prince Ling, I find it very strange. Not to mention that I had already presented the military report to Your Majesty, even if I really forged it, why didn't I clean up the traces of the forged report, but kept a real one in the mansion, waiting for people to find out that I was deceiving the emperor."

After hearing this, Mu Ling sneered and asked the Duke of Zhenguo:

"The Duke of Zhenguo is thoughtful. He may have kept the real military report for future use. In the battle three years ago, the Northern Border Army was several times larger than the Yan Army. Why would it take half a year?"

"Prince Ling, do you know that it was already winter when the war with Northern Yan broke out that year?" The Duke of Zhenguo did not refute Mu Ling, but asked him a question.

"so what?"

"The Yan army was strong, and it was the snowy season in the northern border. The soldiers of the Great Zhou were not as good at fighting in the snow as the Yan army. That year, the team transporting military supplies had problems and was delayed for several days. The heavy snow blocked them from entering the battlefield, and the supply of military supplies was difficult. The soldiers in the northern border saved money, went hungry and suffered from the cold. They fought hard with the Yan army for several months before they survived the snowy season and saved the northern border of the Great Zhou."

"Your Highness, have you ever been to the battlefield in the northern border in person? Have you ever seen the battle three years ago? How hard was it for the soldiers of the Great Zhou to fight?" The Duke of Zhenguo looked at Mu Ling and asked him two questions with every word he said.

Mu Ling was a little confused by the question, but he quickly calmed down.

"This is just your one-sided statement. You were the commander-in-chief of the Northern Army back then. Military orders are as heavy as a mountain. The northern border is a long and arduous place. It is not difficult for you to hide something from your father."

"Father, I am not slandering the Mansion of the Duke of Zhenguo. I have a military clerk from that time as a witness. Everything I said is true. I am definitely not slandering the Mansion of the Duke of Zhenguo." He leaned over to Emperor Zhou and said. He had checked the military clerk and his handwriting was exactly the same as that on the military report. There was no way he could be wrong.

"Where is that military officer now?" Emperor Zhou asked coldly as he looked at the ministers who were discussing the matter, without expressing his attitude.

"Just wait outside the palace gate." Mu Ling knew that the Duke of Zhenguo would definitely argue, so he had already asked the military officer to wait outside the palace.

"Send someone to bring him here." Emperor Zhou said to Sheng Fu who was standing aside.

Soon, Shengfu hurried back to the Golden Palace.

"Your Majesty, there is no one waiting outside the palace gate."

Emperor Zhou looked solemnly at Mu Ling, "Prince Ling, what's going on? Explain it to me."

Mu Ling's face suddenly turned grim. How could it be possible? He had spent so much effort to find that military clerk. He was afraid that he might run away, so he specially sent someone to watch over him. How could he disappear?

"Eunuch Sheng, you can see clearly, how come there is no one here?"

Sheng Fu looked at Mu Ling with a puzzled look on his face: "Your Highness Prince Ling, the guards at the palace gate came to report that no one is waiting at the palace gate, not even your guards are here."

"How could this happen?" Mu Ling's face suddenly turned pale, and he suddenly realized that he had been tricked.

After a long silence, the Duke of Zhenguo bowed to Emperor Zhou and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, I don't know where His Royal Highness Prince Ling got this military report, but this military report definitely did not come from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. And the adopted daughter of the Su family, Chen Ruofu, whom His Royal Highness Prince Ling mentioned, did not leave home on her own. She was expelled from the Su family because she turned her kindness against her will and murdered her elder sister."

He looked at Mu Ling coldly again, his expression icy.

"As for the military officer that Your Highness Prince Ling mentioned, I would like to ask Your Highness Prince Ling, is that military officer's name Li Liang?"

"Yes." Mu Ling said calmly.

"That's right. This military report has absolutely nothing to do with the Zhenguo Mansion. Someone is maliciously framing the Zhenguo Mansion. Your Majesty, the military secretary Li Liang of the Northern Border Army was injured in the northern border and died of illness shortly after the army returned to the capital. Where did Your Highness Prince Ling find the military report?" The Zhenguo Duke had a gloomy expression and looked at Mu Ling as if he was looking at a joke.

"If Your Highness Prince Ling does not believe what I say, the Prince of Beiyang also knows about this matter. The Prince of Beiyang was also on the battlefield in the northern border back then." The Duke of Zhenguo turned and looked at Gu Yan'an, who was wearing a purple official uniform and standing indifferently among the ministers not far behind him.

When Gu Yan'an heard the Duke of Zhenguo mention him, his handsome eyebrows raised. He walked out from the military officers and bowed to His Majesty, his voice cold and indifferent.

"I was indeed at the Northern Border Battlefield that year, and what the Duke of Zhenguo said is true. As for what His Royal Highness Prince Ling said about the Duke of Zhenguo being lazy and greedy for merit and spreading false military reports, this is the first time I have heard of it. Also, the military clerk was injured by a secret sentry who infiltrated the Great Zhou army camp, and it was Princess Xuyang and I who saved him. Three years ago, not only was I at the Northern Border Battlefield, but Princess Xuyang was also there."

Emperor Zhou seemed to remember something, and his expression became even gloomier as he looked at Mu Ling.

"I almost forgot that Xi'er seemed to have been to the Northern Territory three years ago. Prince Ling, how do you explain this?"

"Your son..." Mu Ling was now extremely confused. He opened his mouth but could not say anything.

He suddenly remembered that the military clerk he was looking for was not currently serving in the court, but he did have a record of resigning due to illness three years ago. He found the military clerk in his hometown, and he said that he fled back to his hometown because he was forced and threatened by the Duke of Zhenguo. He had witnesses and evidence, so he chose to present the military report at the court meeting today.

"Your Majesty, I have served the Great Zhou all my life, working diligently and protecting the territory and people of the Great Zhou. Today, I was accused by His Royal Highness Prince Ling of deceiving the emperor and forging military reports. Your Majesty, this is a capital crime! Please help me!" The Duke of Zhenguo knelt straight, his voice sonorous and angry. Prince Ling bullied Ningning, but he hadn't found him yet, but he bumped into him.

"Duke Zhenguo, stop slandering me! I have no grudge against you, why would I frame you?" Big beads of sweat rolled down Mu Ling's temples, he was shocked and scared.

"No grudges? Your Majesty, I didn't want to mention this, but His Royal Highness Prince Ling is going too far! I have a daughter who has suffered from colds since she was young and is weak and sickly. My family has raised her like a baby, and she is still alive today. But for some reason, my daughter won the favor of His Royal Highness Prince Ling. But my daughter is still young and has suffered from a weak disease since she was young. I didn't want her to marry so early, so I rejected His Royal Highness Prince Ling. Who knew that His Royal Highness Prince Ling held a grudge. On the day of the palace banquet, if it weren't for the rescue of Prince Beiyang, my daughter would have been humiliated by His Royal Highness Prince Ling!"

"Your Majesty, please make a decision for this old minister!" The Duke of Zhenguo looked angry and pretended to try to rub his eyes.

The more Emperor Zhou listened, the gloomier his expression became. He had never expected that Prince Ling would do such a dirty thing.

"Prince Ling! You are so bold! You are narrow-minded and frame the court officials. I am so disappointed!"

"Your Majesty! I am innocent and have been deceived. It was Chen Ruofu who forged this military report! The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion severed ties with her. She held a grudge and deliberately used me to avenge her. I was only thinking about the Great Zhou, so I was deceived and used by her! Please, Your Majesty, forgive me!" Mu Ling knelt on the ground, his body shaking with fear.

"Being deceived and used! Mu Ling, do you know what a crime the Duke of Zhenguo will be if I believe you today? Forging military reports is punishable by death. You are trying to take the Duke of Zhenguo's life!" Emperor Zhou was furious and threw the memorial in his hand at Mu Ling's head.

"Duke Zhenguo, please stand up. I will give you justice in this matter." Emperor Zhou looked at the Duke Zhenguo who was kneeling beside him.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The Duke of Zhenguo looked at Mu Ling who was kneeling on the ground and stood up.