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Xie Yunce frowned, looked at the sword in the old soldier's hand, and asked in a deep voice: "How can you prove that this sword belongs to my father?"

The old soldier slowly spoke: "Back then, the Duke made great achievements in a battle, and this sword was given to him by the enemy monarch as a tribute. The Duke's name is engraved on the hilt, and the sword has always been with the Duke and has never left his body. Now that the Duke has passed away, this sword has become a witness to his life."

Xie Yunce was shocked when he heard this. He took the sword and carefully checked the words on the hilt. It was indeed his father's handwriting. His eyes became complicated, angry and sad.

The other children of the Ningguo Mansion also gathered around. Xie Huiyi couldn't help crying out loud: "How could my father betray the country? He has always fought for the Western Wei Dynasty, how could he betray the Western Wei Dynasty?"

Xie Yunlin clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with anger: "If my father really suffered such an injustice, we must seek justice for him!"

Xie Yunce felt a pang of pain when he heard this. His father had always been loyal to the Western Wei Dynasty and would never betray the country. He turned to his other brothers and sisters and said in a deep voice, "We must clear our father's name and give him a clean name!"

The old soldier became more and more excited, his fists clenched, and his eyes flashed with anger. He stared at everyone in Ningguo Mansion, his voice trembling but full of power:

"What qualifications do you have to cry? You have already squandered the glory of the Ningguo Mansion. Your father, the Ningguo Duke, is a traitor! He betrayed the Western Wei, betrayed the people, and betrayed his beliefs!"

The other children of the Ningguo Mansion were stunned and looked at each other. Some of them showed angry expressions, while others looked panicked.

Xie Yunchen, the eldest son of Ningguo Mansion, stood up and tried to calm the storm. He took a deep breath and said in a calm tone:

"Old soldier, please calm down. We understand how you feel, but please don't vent your emotions in Ningguo Mansion. Everyone in Ningguo Mansion respects your father, and we believe he has his own difficulties."

The old soldier glared at Xie Yunchen and sneered, "Hardship? What hardship does he have? To betray the Western Wei is to betray everything! Are you, the so-called children, like your father, spineless and without faith?"

Xie Yunchen tried to calm the situation, but was hit in the face by a rotten vegetable leaf, causing even greater chaos.

Gu Zhiyi's eyes were sharp as she scanned the surroundings coldly. Her voice was as cold as ice and snow: "Surround everyone and don't let any of them go. Especially that old soldier. He dared to act wildly in front of the Ningguo Mansion. He must be severely punished."

The guards responded in unison and quickly surrounded the troublemakers. Gu Zhiyi turned his head and looked at the old soldier, with an unquestionable firmness in his tone: "You think you can use this incident to discredit the Ningguo Mansion, I tell you, you have the wrong idea."

The old soldier turned pale and trembled as he tried to explain himself, but Gu Zhiyi didn't give him a chance.

She walked up to the old soldier and said coldly, "Do you think that no one knows about this and you can frame the Ningguo Mansion at will? You are wrong. I am here today and will not allow you to talk nonsense!"

The old soldier turned pale and said in a trembling voice: "Gu Zhiyi, you...you are just a second wife, what qualifications do you have to control me?"

Gu Zhiyi glanced at him with disdain. She spoke slowly, "Qualifications? Although I, Gu Zhiyi, am the second wife, I am also the wife of the Duke. I know the Duke's character very well. He has devoted his life to the country and the people. He would never do what you accuse him of. Today, I want to clear his name in front of everyone!"

There were people in the crowd whispering, but Gu Zhiyi ignored them. She turned and walked towards Nanny Yang, asking softly, "Nanny, can you tell me the truth about the Duke's death? Also, why did the Emperor suddenly issue an order? What secret is behind this?"

Nanny Yang had a complicated expression. After hesitating for a moment, she slowly told the truth: "Madam, before the Duke passed away, he secretly sent me to investigate the Emperor's intentions. After much investigation, I finally learned that the Emperor did this to appease the army and wait for the right opportunity. But before the Duke died, he seemed to have noticed something wrong."

Gu Zhiyi frowned, she knew that what Yang Ma said was true, and she felt more and more uneasy. She pondered for a moment and asked, "The imperial edict was only issued to the old Duke and the old lady, and has nothing to do with me. What does this mean?"

Nanny Yang sighed, "Madam, this is probably a test from the Emperor. He knows that the Duke has just passed away and the palace is in chaos, so he deliberately didn't issue an order to you to see how you would respond. If you respond appropriately, the Emperor might reconsider his attitude towards the Ningguo Mansion."

After hearing this, Gu Zhiyi suddenly became clear-headed. At this moment, she had to show a firm attitude in order to make the emperor reconsider the Ningguo Mansion. She took a deep breath, turned to face the crowd, and said loudly: "Everyone, I, Gu Zhiyi, swear here that there is no such thing in the Ningguo Mansion! If anyone dares to slander the Duke's Mansion again, I will make her regret it!"

There was an uproar in the crowd, and someone couldn't help shouting, "Gu Zhiyi, you are just a woman, how dare you speak like that?"

Gu Zhiyi sneered: "Although I am a woman, I understand the injustice of the Duke. If anyone dares to slander him again, I will let him know how powerful the Ningguo Mansion is!"

Xie Yunce took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice calm: "Mother, I heard that father died in the war. Is it true? How did he die?"

Gu Zhiyi raised her head and looked into Xie Yunce's eyes. She was silent for a moment. This question was a difficult problem that she could not avoid. She slowly said, "Yunce, your father did die in the war, but he was not a traitor."

Xie Yunce frowned and looked at Gu Zhiyi in confusion: "Mother, why do you say that? How did father die? Please tell me the truth!"

Gu Zhiyi took a deep breath, a trace of pain flashed in her eyes. She slowly said: "Yunce, your father, Duke Ning, was a brave general. He had always fought to defend our country and protect the people. That day, the enemy attacked in large numbers, and the situation was critical. In order to protect the people of the city, your father was willing to sacrifice himself and personally led the army to attack."

A trace of surprise flashed in Xie Yunce's eyes. He didn't expect that his father died fighting to save the people. He asked in confusion: "Then why do some people say that my father is a traitor?"

Gu Zhiyi's eyes flashed with anger: "That's because the enemy deliberately spread rumors that your father was a traitor in order to undermine our morale. They wanted to create internal conflicts among us so that they could break through our city. But I know that your father is definitely not that kind of person. He sacrificed his precious life for the Western Wei Dynasty and for the people."

Gu Zhiyi stood outside the Ningguo Mansion, her eyes firm and her voice clear and powerful, like a stream of clear water, penetrating the hearts of everyone present. She continued to analyze the situation, gradually uncovering the truth that the old soldier had framed the Duke of Ningguo for treason.