Dapeng's Time Travel Life

Chapter 15 Breaking the Dilemma

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the air seemed to freeze, and everyone's gaze shifted back and forth between Zhang Peng and the minister. Zhang Peng stood upright, kneeling on the ground, yet still maintaining the majesty of a warrior, his gaze firmly meeting the Emperor's.

"Your Majesty, I humbly request a thorough investigation into this matter to prove my innocence." Zhang Peng's voice was steady and powerful, echoing in the empty hall.

The minister, however, persisted, stepping forward and pulling out a so-called "evidence" from his sleeve, which he presented to the emperor: "Your Majesty, this is a secret letter from Zhang Peng disobeying military orders, with his own handwritten instructions on it. The evidence is irrefutable."

The Emperor received the secret letter, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. Zhang Peng was startled; he had never seen this letter before and knew it was a forgery used to frame him. At this moment, the atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly oppressive, and the ministers all fell silent, fearing they would be drawn into this storm.

At the critical moment, Xia Lijuan suddenly appeared outside the palace, loudly requesting an audience. The Emperor was slightly taken aback, then gestured for her to enter. Dressed in plain clothes, Xia Lijuan remained calm and composed. Upon entering the palace, she first performed a deep bow to the Emperor.

"I, Xia Lijuan, beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly. Prince has absolutely no intention of rebelling." Xia Lijuan's clear voice broke the deathly silence in the hall.

The minister snorted coldly: "You are nothing but a woman, do not speak nonsense here and disturb His Majesty's hearing."

Xia Lijuan, however, remained fearless, looking directly into the minister's eyes: "Your Excellency is so eager to convict him, is it because you have something to hide?" With that, she took out a letter from her bosom, "This is something I obtained by chance. It records the letters between Your Excellency and the enemy army in secret. Your Excellency is framing the Prince in order to cover up your own crimes."

The minister's face changed drastically, and he became furious and embarrassed: "You...you're slandering me!"

The Emperor's gaze shifted from the letter in Xia Lijuan's hand to the minister's flustered face, and he had already formed a judgment in his mind. He ordered someone to bring the two letters forward for him to carefully compare and examine.

"How dare you!" The Emperor slammed his hand on the dragon throne, glaring at the minister. "The handwriting on this letter is exactly the same as the one on the secret letter. It is clear that you have fabricated evidence to frame a loyal official."

The minister knelt down with a thud, cold sweat pouring down his face, and desperately kowtowed, begging for mercy: "Your Majesty, spare my life! I was confused for a moment and blinded by jealousy."

The weight on Zhang Peng's heart finally lifted, and he once again kowtowed to thank the emperor: "Your Majesty is wise, and I am willing to give my life to serve the court."

The Emperor waved his hand, looking weary: "Let this matter rest. Zhang Peng, I know you are devoted to the court. As for your resignation, I will consider it further."

As they left the palace, Zhang Peng and Xia Lijuan exchanged a smile. Although the crisis had been temporarily averted, they both knew that the struggles within the court were never-ending.

Upon returning to the Prince's residence, Zhang Peng began investigating the details of the ministers' collusion with the enemy army, hoping to eradicate this undercurrent completely. He secretly contacted his trusted confidants in the army to gather evidence, while also plotting how to completely break free from the constraints of the court and live the life he longed for.

During this time, Zhang Peng and Xia Lijuan's feelings for each other deepened. They strolled together in the courtyard, reminiscing about their shared life and death on the battlefield and dreaming about their future life.

However, the peaceful life did not last long. Soon after, news of war arrived from the border, and the enemy seemed poised to invade again. The Emperor urgently summoned his ministers to discuss countermeasures. Zhang Peng knew that he might have to go to the battlefield again, and this time, his choice would be even more difficult.