Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

The two greeted Yin Weiyong and then returned to their respective positions.

Xiao Xiangqing was originally unable to get up. If Nie Bing hadn't given him the holy medicine for external injuries, he wouldn't have been able to get out of bed so quickly.

The two did not have a conflict.

But they kept glancing at each other, because they both felt that the other had changed his nature and was able to be so patient.

As Lu Banban walked to the entrance of the main hall, he shouted, "Attend court!"

The civil and military officials, as well as the princes, went to court.

Xiao Dingbang sat on the throne, looking down at the people attending court with a disdainful expression.

After everyone shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

Xiao Dingbang first addressed Yin Weiyong, saying, "Prime Minister Yin, how is your recovery going? I was worried about you during the time you were sick at home. Now that you're back, I'm very pleased!"

Yin Weiyong bowed and stepped forward: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. After these days of recuperation, I have recovered considerably. Although I am not fully cured, I am able to attend court. Especially today, with the borders unstable and the court in turmoil, although I am powerless to turn the tide, I cannot simply stand by and watch!"

Xiao Dingbang nodded repeatedly upon hearing this: "Prime Minister Yin truly deserves to be called a pillar of our Xiao Kingdom! With Prime Minister Yin's words, how can we worry about the instability of the border?"

As he spoke, all the civil and military officials nodded in agreement.

"Today, my son Xiao Yang also came to court. Although I praised Yang'er in the morning court before, he was not present. I still want to praise him once more. He did not simply drive out the Turks; he achieved a great victory, annihilating 40,000 enemies and capturing 40,000! Not only that, he also resolved the rebellion of the disaster victims in the four prefectures of the northern desert!"

"Such a great victory is rare even in the history of our Xiao Kingdom. It will be recorded in great detail in the annals of future generations! With such a talent in our Xiao Kingdom, how can we not hope for its prosperity!"

Xiao Dingbang was in a great mood, praising Xiao Yang with great enthusiasm and spittle flying everywhere.

If Xiao Yang hadn't been enlightened by Xiao Ce, he might have found these words delightful.

However, now it sounds like he was put on the hot seat.

He could see that the princes around him were now looking at him with hostility.

Xiao Yang replied to Xiao Ce, "Father, such praise is too much for me. This battle was the result of the bloody fighting of the warriors of the northern desert. I did very little and dare not claim the credit for myself."

All the officials were astonished by Xiao Yang's polite words!

Because, given Xiao Yang's personality, when has he ever shirked these credits?

Xiao Xiangqing's expression was quite interesting as she listened, and she had no intention of letting him off the hook. She continued to praise him, "Look at him, the Second Prince used to be someone who never knew how to be modest. He's matured! He has the air of someone in a position of authority!"

Xiao Yang saw that Xiao Xiangqing had no intention of stopping to praise him.

Fortunately, Xiao Yang did not respond.

After speaking for a while, Xiao Dingbang changed the subject and said, "You have all heard about the Prince of Zhen's suicide, haven't you? Now, what do you all think should be done about his funeral arrangements?"

As soon as Xiao Dingbang said this, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

Seeing that no one spoke, Xiao Xiangqing thought to himself that Mr. Qianlong was truly amazing.

Just last night, I had already anticipated that the emperor would bring this up during the morning court session.

Xiao Xiangqing stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “Father, I believe that since the King of Zhen is a traitor who has committed treason, he is already a criminal and no longer the King of Zhen! It is said that even a prince who breaks the law is subject to the same punishment as a commoner! Since he is a criminal, his crime cannot be absolved simply because he committed suicide out of fear of punishment!”

"What will become of the countries that our Yumen Pass has lost because of his treason? Therefore, I believe that although he is dead, he should be beheaded and his body torn apart by five horses to warn the world!"

Xiao Dingbang nodded in satisfaction: "Eighth Brother, you're right! What do you all think?"

A group of officials who were close to Xiao Xiangqing, as well as those who were already at odds with Xiao Dingshan, all came out to echo his sentiments.

“What the Eighth Prince says is absolutely right! If people who commit heinous crimes all think of suicide to end it all, wouldn’t that be chaos? We must tell the world that death does not absolve one of their sins.”

"Your Majesty, I second that proposal. Moreover, I believe we should also confiscate the Prince Zhen's mansion and exterminate his entire family!"

An official came out and said.

Yin Weiyong, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up: "Insolence! The nine generations of the King of Zhen are all members of the royal family. Do you want to exterminate the entire royal family?"

An official who had spoken arrogantly knelt on the ground in fear: "Your Majesty, I'm wronged... I... I dare not. I demand severe punishment, for example, everyone in the Prince of Zhen's mansion, as well as his disciples and former associates, should be implicated... including... including... Prince Xiao Ce of the Northern Desert!"

This official acted cowardly, but his words were incredibly explosive.

All the civil and military officials in the court were shocked.

After he finished speaking, another official said, "Your Majesty, that's right. Xiao Ce, the King of Mobei, is a prince. According to the laws of the Great Xiao Dynasty, a prince cannot return to the capital without being summoned by the emperor. Yet, at this critical juncture, Xiao Ce has rashly returned to the capital, and it is said that he even bribed the prison guards to go and see the traitorous Prince Xiao Dingshan without permission. There must be something fishy going on!"

"Lord Wang is right. Although the traitorous Prince Xiao Dingshan committed suicide out of fear of punishment, it is said that Xiao Ce discovered his death. Is it possible that the two of them conspired? I believe we should imprison Xiao Ce and interrogate him thoroughly..."

The wind in the main hall quickly shifted from condemning the dead Xiao Dingshan to Xiao Ce.

Xiao Xiangqing, standing to the side, looked at Xiao Dingbang's expression of certainty and a smug look on her face.

This was naturally his doing, or more precisely, Mr. Qianlong's idea.

Listening to these civil officials, each one speaking with more logic than the last, Xiao Xiangqing even felt that Xiao Ce would not see the sun rise tomorrow.

He now fully understands how formidable Mr. Qianlong is.

As the saying goes, to catch a thief, you must first catch his king; Xiao Yang had Xiao Ce's guidance behind him.

Once he eliminates Xiao Ce, dealing with Xiao Yang will be a piece of cake.

Xiao Dingbang then looked at Yin Weiyong and asked, "Prime Minister Yin, what do you think?"

Yin Weiyong cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I have been ill at home for many days and have many doubts about this case. I wonder if I may ask Lord Xing Shoulu for a few questions?"

Xiao Dingbang nodded: "Of course!"

Xing Shoulu also came out from one side.

"I wonder what question Prime Minister Yin wishes to ask?"

Yin Weiyong said, "Then ask Lord Xing, from the time the Prince of Zhen was captured until his suicide, did the Prince of Zhen ever utter a single word of testimony or admit to his treason?"

Xing Shoulu shook his head: "No, the King of Zhen has never admitted it from the beginning. Moreover, the so-called evidence at present is all one-sided and lacks a complete chain of evidence, otherwise it would not have been dragged on until now."

Yin Weiyong nodded: "Then may I ask, Lord Xing, based on the evidence you have, can you prove that the Prince of Zhen is guilty of treason?"

Xing Shoulu shook his head again: "No! The King of Zhen is just accused by multiple parties, and those witness testimonies are all one side's story, so we cannot verify their authenticity."

After listening, Yin Weiyong cupped his hands and said, "Lord Xing, I have finished asking my questions."

Yin Weiyong then turned to look at Xiao Dingbang, who sat on the dragon throne with an unpleasant expression.

"Your Majesty, Lord Xing has made himself very clear. The verdict has not yet been handed down, but at this moment, some people in the court are constantly calling him a traitor and talking about being torn apart by five horses. It's truly chilling!"

Xiao Dingbang's face looked extremely grim at this moment.

He had assumed that since Yin Weiyong had come to court and Xiao Dingshan was already dead, he would definitely side with him.

Yin Weiyong had the support of many officials in the court; if he spoke, the officials would certainly support him.

Unexpectedly, ever since Xiao Dingshan was arrested, he has been trying to smooth things over and has never stated his position.

Now that Xiao Dingshan is dead, he's come out to speak up for him.

"Prime Minister Yin, according to you, the King of Zhen is innocent? If he is innocent, why did he seek death?" Xiao Dingbang's voice turned colder.

Yin Weiyong: "Your Majesty, whether the King of Zhen is guilty or not is a matter for the law and the Ministry of Justice to decide. It is not for this old minister to judge. As for the King of Zhen's suicide, this old minister is more inclined to believe that he wanted to prove his innocence with his death!"

"Therefore, I believe that if the King of Zhen is guilty, he should be punished according to the law, beheaded and displayed to the public, or even torn apart by five horses would not be too much!"

"But what if the King of Zhen is innocent? Or is someone deliberately stirring up trouble? As far as I know, those who have been accused this time are former students and friends of the King of Zhen, but why are they the only ones who have survived? I believe they may have been bribed by foreign tribes!"

"Now that the King of Zhen is dead, it is difficult to prove his guilt. Since the news of the King of Zhen's treason spread, the morale of the army has been unsettled, and many soldiers regard the King of Zhen as a role model. I think Your Majesty should stop mentioning this matter and bury him with state honors! Let this matter rest, which will also appease the army."

After listening to Yin Weiyong's words, Xiao Dingbang's gaze grew even colder.

He didn't know what had gotten into Yin Weiyong, who always liked to smooth things over, that made him so adamant in his stance.

Xiao Dingbang now regrets asking him.

However, it has already been said.

He looked at Xiao Yang and Xiao Xiangqing, along with the other princes.

Xiao Yang naturally knew the position of the King of Zhen in Xiao Ce's heart, so he could not possibly support Xiao Xiangqing and the others' actions.

However, he also knew what Siu Ting-pong wanted, and he would never be used as a pawn by Siu Ting-pong.

Then just pretend you didn't see it.

He knew that there would naturally be idiots eager to lick the emperor's boots.

Seeing this, Xiao Xiangqing stepped forward and said, "Your subject thinks this is inappropriate! Prime Minister Yin, if we follow your suggestion, wouldn't that mean Father Emperor made a mistake in arresting the Prince of Zhen? What position do you want to put Father Emperor in? To bury the Prince of Zhen with state honors is tantamount to slapping Father Emperor in the face, Prime Minister Yin. What are your intentions?"

"Are you saying this on purpose to protect your son-in-law Xiao Ce, to whitewash the King of Zhen?"

Xiao Dingbang only remembered it after being reminded by Xiao Xiangqing.

Yin Weiyong's only daughter married that good-for-nothing Xiao Ce.

He suddenly realized why Yin Weiyong was behaving so strangely.

"Prime Minister Yin, is what the Eighth Prince said true? If you don't want to protect that good-for-nothing, if you don't want to protect your daughter..."

"I assure you, no matter what crime Xiao Dingshan is convicted of, or what crime that good-for-nothing is convicted of, I will not implicate your daughter!"

Yin Weiyong scoffed, “Your Majesty, you underestimate me. I only spoke for the King of Zhen and never said a word for the King of Mobei, because I knew I had to avoid suspicion! If Your Majesty were discussing how to deal with the King of Mobei today, I certainly wouldn’t have said a word.”

"Furthermore, if the King of Zhen is guilty, I will not utter another word. However, since there is not enough evidence, he cannot be charged with treason!"

"Taking the King of Zhen to the Heavenly Prison was not an arrest, but rather an investigation, not a conviction. So how can you say it's a slap in His Majesty's face!"

"If the King of Zhen is not convicted, but is instead beheaded and dismembered by five horses, I believe it will chill the hearts of countless military officers!"

"Your Majesty, since ancient times, scholars have died for their remonstrances, and warriors have died in battle. My remonstrance today is entirely for the sake of the Xiao Kingdom's fate and prosperity. If I harbor even the slightest selfish motive, I will not die a good death!"

As soon as Yin Weiyong said this, many military generals in the court echoed his sentiments.

Before Xiao Dingbang could speak, Xiao Xiangqing said anxiously, "Lord Yin, you're right! However, I don't agree with what you said. Does his denial mean he's innocent? What if we don't have direct evidence?"

Yin Weiyong said firmly, "Then let the matter be handed over to the Chief Justice of the Department of Punishments, and let him decide! Your Highness, this has always been my opinion: if someone is guilty, they should be punished, but if someone is innocent, we cannot wrong a deceased person!"

Seeing this, Xiao Yang finally found a way to speak: "That's easy. Lao Ba, according to what you're saying, you seem to have evidence?"

Xiao Xiangqing nodded: "That's right. Originally, I didn't want to say it for the sake of the evidence's safety! However, since many people in the court actually believe that the Prince is innocent and want to bury a traitorous prince with state honors, I absolutely cannot tolerate it! Indeed, we have solid evidence. Even if Xiao Dingshan doesn't admit it, we have enough to prove him wrong!"

"I think he received this information, which is why he committed suicide out of fear of punishment! It was all to deceive blind people like Prime Minister Yin!"

Xiao Yang said calmly, "Father, that's simple. Have Eighth Prince produce the evidence. Just as Prime Minister Yin said, if he is guilty, he should be dealt with according to the law. If he is innocent, he should be buried with the highest honors! We can't just handle this matter in a muddled way."

Xiao Dingbang nodded: "Second brother is right! Eighth brother, where is your evidence?"

Xiao Xiangqing stated bluntly, "We will be arriving with the Western Regions delegation in a few more days."

Xiao Dingbang said, "In that case, let's wait and see. The second brother is right, we can't make a decision about this so carelessly."

Xiao Xiangqing continued, "Your Majesty, since we've come this far, the Northern King Xiao Ce's unauthorized return to the capital and private meeting with the rebellious king also raises suspicions of rebellion! I beg Father to investigate this thoroughly!"

Before Xiao Xiangqing could speak, Xiao Yang said to her, "Eighth Brother, you really bite the hand that feeds you! The King of Mobei didn't come back on his own; he came back with me! And Father Emperor knows about this..."