Who put the yellow robe on me?

At this moment, Prime Minister He slowly spoke, his voice steady and powerful, like a heavy hammer, breaking the oppressive silence in the hall.

"Sir Yang," Prime Minister He said, his gaze as sharp as a torch, staring directly at Yang Zhengming. His tone was filled with an unquestionable majesty. "As I said earlier, the Sixteenth Prince was not the mastermind behind the Thirteenth Princess's kidnapping. The person the Thirteenth Princess and the Imperial Guards saw at the time wasn't the Sixteenth Prince, but someone else."

Yang Zhengming took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice steady. "Prime Minister He, I also feel that something is fishy. However, Cao Shouku insisted that it was the Sixteenth Prince who kidnapped the Thirteenth Princess. His confession and the secret letter corroborate each other, making it difficult to ignore."

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister He frowned slightly, a trace of deep thought flashing in his eyes. He slowly raised his head and glanced at everyone in the hall, as if searching for some hidden truth.

His voice remained steady, yet with a hint of unquestionable firmness: "Lord Yang, Cao Shouku's confession is certainly important, but it would be too hasty to conclude that the Sixteenth Prince is guilty based solely on his one-sided statement. Moreover, it has been confirmed that the person the Thirteenth Princess and the Imperial Guard saw was not the Sixteenth Prince."

Yang Zhengming's expression changed slightly. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only whispered, "Prime Minister He is absolutely right, but I am only acting according to the evidence. Cao Shouku's confession and secret letter do indeed make us doubt the Sixteenth Prince's innocence."

Emperor Liang frowned slightly, weighing his options in his mind. He knew this matter was of grave importance; if mishandled, it could potentially cause unrest in the court. His gaze shifted between Prime Minister He and Yang Zhengming, as if weighing their words.

"Lord Yang," Emperor Liang finally spoke, his voice low and commanding, "where is Cao Shouku now?"

Yang Zhengming bowed and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, Cao Shouku has been taken to the Dali Temple dungeon and is awaiting his fate."

Emperor Liang nodded, his tone icy: "Pass on my order, immediately bring Cao Shouku into the palace, I want to interrogate him personally!"

"Yes!" Yang Zhengming took the order and retreated. The atmosphere in the hall became more solemn.

Jiang Chen stood aside, feeling a little uneasy. He knew that Cao Shouku's confession and secret letter had undoubtedly put him in the spotlight.

If Emperor Liang believed Cao Shouku's confession, his situation would be extremely dangerous. He took a deep breath, suppressed his anxiety, and looked at Emperor Liang with a firm gaze, as if waiting for an opportunity to defend himself.

A moment later, Cao Shouku was taken into the palace.

His clothes were disheveled, his face was pale, and his eyes were filled with fear and despair. As soon as he saw Emperor Liang, he fell to his knees, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty! I know I am wrong! Please spare my life!"

Emperor Liang stared at Cao Shouku coldly, his tone icy: "Cao Shouku, do you admit your guilt?"

Cao Shouku kowtowed repeatedly, his voice tinged with tears: "I know I'm wrong! I know I'm wrong! Please spare my life, Your Majesty!"

Emperor Liang snorted coldly, his eyes as sharp as a knife: "You confessed that the Sixteenth Prince was the mastermind, but do you have any evidence?"

Cao Shouku hurriedly pulled out a secret letter from his bosom and presented it with both hands: "Your Majesty, this is a secret letter between me and the Sixteenth Prince. The letter details what the Sixteenth Prince asked me to do."

Jiang Chen's face turned pale in an instant, and a trace of panic flashed in his eyes.

He hurriedly took a step forward, his voice filled with urgency: "Father! This is a false accusation! I have never colluded with Cao Shouku! This must be someone deliberately framing me in an attempt to sow discord!"

Emperor Liang frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. He turned to look at Yang Zhengming and said in a cold tone, "Yang Zhengming, have you checked the secret letter that Cao Shouku gave you?"

Yang Zhengming paused for a moment, then replied, "The handwriting has been submitted to the Censorate for comparison. While there are similarities, it cannot be fully confirmed."

"Unable to confirm?" Zhong Xiaodan frowned, a hint of doubt in his voice, "So, it's impossible to prove that this letter was indeed written by His Highness the Sixteenth Prince?"

Yang Zhengming's expression changed slightly, then he said seriously, "But this letter was indeed found in the tax treasury, and Cao Shouku himself admitted to having had dealings with His Highness the Sixteenth Prince. The two complement each other, isn't that enough evidence?"

Jiang Chen sneered, looking directly at Yang Zhengming, and said slowly, "If Cao Shouku had pointed out the Ninth Prince instead of me today, would Lord Yang also convict the Ninth Prince for the same reason?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Yang Zhengming's expression froze, and the Ninth Prince Jiang Yu's face also darkened instantly.

Emperor Liang frowned slightly, apparently beginning to weigh the pros and cons.

"Your Majesty, I think there are still doubts about this matter." Prime Minister He's voice was low and powerful, like a heavy hammer, breaking the oppressive silence in the hall.

Emperor Liang narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Prime Minister He, please speak."

Prime Minister He bowed slightly and spoke slowly, "This case is of grave importance. It concerns the safety of the prince and the foundation of the Liang Empire. I believe that it is unfair to convict the Sixteenth Prince based solely on a letter whose handwriting cannot be verified."

As soon as these words came out, many ministers nodded, clearly agreeing with Prime Minister He's words. The atmosphere in the hall eased slightly, but it was still full of tension and oppression.

Prime Minister He continued, "Cao Shouku is already on death row. His confession is now difficult to verify. And who wrote this letter? Was it deliberately framed? This matter still needs to be thoroughly investigated."

Emperor Liang nodded slightly, seeming to agree with Prime Minister He's opinion. His gaze shifted between Prime Minister He and Yang Zhengming, weighing the pros and cons in his mind. He knew this matter was of grave importance; if handled improperly, it could potentially cause unrest in the court.

"Prime Minister He is absolutely right," the Liang Emperor said slowly, his voice low and commanding. "This matter truly requires a thorough investigation. Yang Zhengming, immediately send someone to re-examine the handwriting of the secret letter and make sure to verify its source."

Yang Zhengming bowed and said respectfully, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Emperor Liang turned his gaze to Cao Shouku, his tone icy: "Cao Shouku, kidnapping the Thirteenth Princess is a capital crime. Do you plead guilty?"

Cao Shouku's body trembled violently, as if an invisible force had seized his heart. His fingers clenched the corner of his clothes tightly, and his knuckles turned white from excessive force.

He took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice steady: "Your Majesty, I have another letter, but...but..."

His voice became lower and lower, as if hesitating about something, and his eyes flickered, as if he was weighing whether to hand over the letter.

Emperor Liang's brow furrowed even deeper, clearly displeased with Cao Shouku's hesitation. His fingers stopped tapping, his gaze sharp as a knife. "But what? What letter?"

Cao Shouku's body trembled even more violently, like a trapped animal cornered. With trembling fingers, he fished out a letter from his bosom and presented it with trembling hands, "Your Majesty! This letter... even I, a humble servant, find it too absurd..."

There was a hint of crying in his voice, as if there was some terrible secret hidden in the letter that he didn't dare show to others easily.