The prince is fierce: Who dares to steal my woman?

Seeing this, Xiao Jinyan gave a bitter smile and continued, "Your Majesty is intelligent and wise. Since ascending the throne, you have worked diligently to govern the country, bringing peace and prosperity to our nation. Your Majesty and I are of one mind, and I am utterly loyal to you without any disloyalty. Your Majesty, consider this: if I truly had any intention of treason, why would I have stepped forward to support Your Majesty's ascension to the throne?"

Xiao Jin's words were so sincere, every single one seemed to come from the bottom of his heart, which moved everyone present.

Upon hearing this, Liu Kun's expression became complex. He slowly stood up, stepped down from the dragon throne, and walked step by step toward Xiao Jinyan, each step appearing exceptionally heavy: "I am naturally aware of Minister Xiao's loyalty. You are not only my trusted minister, but also my savior. Otherwise, after my ascension to the throne, how could I have disregarded the criticisms of my ministers and resolutely appointed you as a Marquis of Ten Thousand Households and appointed you as the Commander of the Central Army?"

As Liu Kun spoke, his gaze inadvertently lingered on Xiao Jinyan's court robes, on which a lifelike tiger was embroidered on the front.

Xiao Jinyan's voice was low, carrying a hint of barely perceptible sorrow: "It's just a pity that the world is cold and indifferent, and human relationships are as thin as paper. Now that Your Majesty has donned the dragon robe and firmly sat on the throne, has Your Majesty begun to fear the military power in my hands, that my merits are too great and threaten the emperor? Could it be that we are about to witness the tragedy of 'the birds are all gone, the bow is put away; the rabbit is dead, the dog is cooked'?"

Liu Kun quickly replied, "My dear minister, you are mistaken. I had no such intention."

Xiao Jinyan gave a bitter smile: "Your Majesty, if the ruler commands the subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die. If one day Your Majesty wishes to take my head, I will gladly offer my neck for execution without a word."

Liu Kun then said, "Minister Xiao, what are you saying? How could I possibly want your life?"

Xiao Jinyan sneered and said, "Does Your Majesty know that I, a dignified commander of the Central Guard, have been unjustly humiliated by a mere lieutenant? And now, Your Majesty, without even asking why, intends to throw me into prison. How could those petty clerks let such a golden opportunity pass by, to torture me into confessing in order to gain merit? In that case, wouldn't I be doomed?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Kun frowned slightly: "As the Commander of the Central Army, you have made outstanding contributions. How could I easily believe slander and arbitrarily punish you? There must be a misunderstanding in this matter. I will definitely investigate it thoroughly and give you justice."

Xiao Jinyan's voice was filled with determination and sorrow: "Your Majesty, I am willing to die, but I would rather be shattered to pieces than be tortured by those jailers and petty officials in that dark and damp dungeon, nor bear the false name of treason, to be cursed by future generations and remembered with infamy for ten thousand years. Rather than that, I would rather die right here in this hall, by crashing into a pillar, and achieve the reputation of a loyal and heroic subject."

Upon hearing this, Liu Kun's expression changed drastically, a look of reluctance and urgency flashing in his eyes. He rushed towards Xiao Jinyan, his robes fluttering, and repeatedly said, "My dear minister, please do not kill yourself! Absolutely not!"

Xiao Jinyan cried out, "Your Majesty, please take care of your health. I am about to depart, and I fear I will no longer be able to stay by your side and serve you faithfully. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years and may your empire be forever secure."

Having said that, he resolutely turned around, his steps heavy and firm, and ran towards a thick pillar in the main hall...

Seeing this, Liu Kun was extremely anxious. Almost instantly, he rushed to Xiao Jinyan's side, stretched out his strong hand, and tightly grasped Xiao Jinyan's shoulder as he was about to crash into the pillar. He cried out urgently and affectionately, "My dear minister, please don't abandon me! You are the pillar of the country, and I cannot live without you!"

Xiao Jinyan was stopped by this sudden force. His body trembled slightly, and tears welled up in his eyes instantly. He cried out, his voice filled with endless despair and helplessness: "Your Majesty, I have suffered so much injustice. I am like a withered tree. Just let me die."

Seeing this, Liu Kun was filled with even greater grief. He tightly grasped Xiao Jinyan's arm, his voice full of pleading and reluctance: "My dear minister, please don't be like this. I know you are loyal and devoted. I forgive you, I forgive you!"

"Your humble servant thanks Your Majesty for your great favor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Upon seeing this, Xiao Jinyan quickly kowtowed to express his gratitude for the Emperor's grace.

Liu Kun slowly reached out and helped Xiao Jinyan up, saying gently, "My dear minister, you may rise."

Seeing this, Wei Wuji quickly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Xiao Jin said that this villain is treacherous and cunning, with a silver tongue, and is used to distorting the truth. Your Majesty must not be deceived by his sweet words and forget his serious crime of disobeying imperial orders!"

Xue Wenyi followed suit, echoing, "Indeed, Your Majesty, the law of the land is as firm as a mountain. How can we easily forgive Xiao Jinyan just because of his sophistry?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Kun frowned, his gaze shifting between the ministers, his expression showing considerable difficulty.

Just then, Xiao Jinyan straightened his back and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, you have just spoken and pardoned this humble subject. A ruler's word is law."

Liu Kun's gaze lingered on Xiao Jinyan's resolute eyes for a moment, and finally, he sighed softly, as if he had made a decision.

At this critical moment, a clear and firm voice suddenly broke the silence.

"Your Majesty, although Xiao Jinyan has rendered meritorious service in supporting the emperor's ascension, merit is merit and demerit is demerit. His arbitrary execution of a court general is undoubtedly a blatant violation of the law. If Your Majesty turns a blind eye to such behavior and fails to punish him severely, it may lead meritorious officials and nobles to mistakenly believe that as long as they have made great contributions, they can be above the law and act arbitrarily. This will result in an arrogant atmosphere prevailing in the court, and the country will cease to be a country!"

These words caused an uproar in the hall, and everyone's eyes were focused on the speaker—the Imperial Censor Cui Zhu, who was dressed in a crisp official robe and had a stern face.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Jinyan felt a headache coming on. It was like trying to solve one problem only to have another pop up – who was it? Cui Zhu!

This Cui Zhu is none other than a member of the princeling faction on the list He Qiongying gave to Xiao Jinyan, who has not yet been discovered by Liu Kun. Perhaps Xiao Jinyan is unaware that Cui Zhu's sudden appearance at this time is at the behest of Liu Xiyu.

Isn't this like the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple? Cui Zhu, why did you jump in and meddle? There's no other way but to sacrifice the pawn to save the king...

Xiao Jinyan then curled a cold smile and said seriously, "Imperial Censor Cui, you are mistaken. Perhaps you have ulterior motives and want to take this opportunity to settle personal scores?"

Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell into a brief silence once again. Everyone held their breath, and the atmosphere was so tense it was almost suffocating.

Liu Kun frowned, his gaze shifting back and forth between Xiao Jinyan and Cui Zhu, clearly surprised by this sudden argument.

“Minister Xiao,” Liu Kun said in a deep voice, “what do you mean by that? You may speak frankly.”

Xiao Jinyan bowed slightly and looked directly at Liu Kun: "Your Majesty, as far as I know, this Imperial Censor Cui once had a close relationship with the Crown Prince, a fact known to few. His eagerness to impeach me today is probably not out of a desire to uphold the law, but because I supported Your Majesty during the palace coup, which has made him resentful."