She's skilled in medicine, martial arts, and even understands animal language—the abandoned dau

Around 9 a.m. the next day, Marquis Jingyang was escorted to Chu Zhiyi by the Golden Armor Guards, and the shackles were dragged across the blue brick floor with a harsh sound.

"Gu Bin, the net of justice is vast and its meshes are wide, yet nothing escapes it. Do you think you can escape?"

Chu Zhiyi tapped her fingertips on the table, her tone full of sarcasm, "I originally intended to reduce your punishment because you cooperated with the investigation of Wang Hong, but I didn't expect you to kill the Imperial Guards in an attempt to escape."

Marquis Jingyang raised his head, his eyes filled with despair: "Your Highness, I was confused for a moment. I beg you to forgive me this time, considering that I once served the country..."

"A moment of confusion?" Chu Zhiyi slammed her hand on the table, causing the pen and inkstone on the table to jump. "Gu Bin, the crimes you have committed are countless. Do you think I don't know? The dragon robe that the Duke of Ningguo wore when he was framed was made in your Gu family's weaving workshop, wasn't it?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Bin hurriedly defended himself: "Your Highness, the murder of the Duke of Ningguo was actually orchestrated by the Duke of Xingguo and the Empress. You should go find them. I only... I only..."

"They will all get what they deserve!" Chu Zhiyi said coldly, his gaze sharp as a blade. "If it weren't for the secret assistance of your Gu family's weaving workshop, that counterfeit dragon robe wouldn't have been made at all! Guards, lock Gu Bin in the Heavenly Prison and await his fate!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than two imperial guards entered and dragged Marquis Jingyang out.

Chu Zhiyi watched their departing figures, his expression cold and stern.

Eliminating the treacherous officials in the court was only the first step in his plan. Next, he wanted to exonerate his maternal grandfather, the Duke of Ningguo, and bring back the officials from the Duke of Ningguo's faction who had been implicated to fill the vacancies in the court.

The execution of Duke Cui Chengdao of Xingguo, who was originally scheduled to be carried out today, was postponed because he was involved in two cases, the Ningguo Duke's Mansion and the Meng family, and his confession was needed to overturn the verdict.

After the truth of the two wrongful convictions is revealed, he will be made to pay for his crimes in blood.

Thinking of this, Chu Zhiyi ordered someone to bring Yuan Kai over and told him about his plan to retry the case of the Duke of Ningguo being framed.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Kai immediately knelt down and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Your Highness, rest assured, I will do my utmost to thoroughly investigate this case and clear the name of the Duke of Ningguo's family!"

Chu Zhiyi nodded: "This case has both witnesses and physical evidence. I hope the case can be overturned as soon as possible!"

Given Chu Zhiyi's current status, he could have directly ordered the exoneration of his maternal grandfather.

However, having just ascended to the position of Crown Prince, he was worried that others would accuse him of favoritism and corruption. Therefore, he wanted to openly and fairly retry the case and let everyone know that the Duke of Ningguo had been framed.

Yuan Kai accepted the order and left.

Because it was a matter personally instructed by Chu Zhiyi, Yuan Kai dared not be negligent in the slightest. After returning, he began to search for the case files and re-examined the clues of the case from beginning to end.

Once everything was ready, he announced that the case of the Duke of Ningguo's private possession of the dragon robe would be reopened for trial in the Ministry of Justice three days later.

When the Ningguo Duke's mansion was raided and the family exiled, the whole capital city knew about it. Now, when they heard that the government was going to retry the case, everyone who heard the news was shocked and said they wanted to come and watch.

Sure enough, on the day the trial began, the Ministry of Justice was packed with people early in the morning.

Yuan Kai, dressed in a scarlet robe, sat upright in the main seat. His gaze swept over Duke Xingguo Cui Chengdao and Marquis Jingyang Gu Bin, who were kneeling below the steps. He slammed the gavel down: "Bring witnesses!"

Two rows of yamen runners escorted a gaunt-looking man into the hall. This man was none other than Li Nuo, the former commander of the guards of the Duke of Ningguo's mansion.

"This humble one, Li Nuo, greets Your Excellency!"

"Li Nuo, truthfully recount how the Duke of Ningguo was framed," Yuan Kai said in a deep voice.

When Li Nuo looked up, a fierce glint flashed in his cloudy eyes as he stared intently at the Duke of Xingguo: "Three years ago, Cui Chengdao secretly found me and offered me a large sum of money to secretly hide a dragon robe in the Duke of Ningguo's study."

"I was blinded by that large sum of gold and silver, and committed this treacherous act... Please look, sir, this is the letter Cui Chengdao wrote to me back then, which I have kept all this time!"

"Nonsense!" Cui Chengdao suddenly sprang to his feet, the chains on his hands and feet rattling loudly. "You're nothing but a dog of the Duke of Ningguo's mansion, of course you'd help your former master escape punishment!"

Yuan Kai unfolded the letter presented by Li Nuo. On the yellowed Xuan paper, the vigorous handwriting was exactly the same as Xingguo Gongping's handwriting on a daily basis, and even the private seal at the end of the signature was clearly visible.

"Cui Chengdao, how do you explain the handwriting and seal on this letter?" Yuan Kai asked sharply, pushing the letter in front of Cui Chengdao.

Cui Chengdao glanced at the letter, then suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter, the sound echoing in the Ministry of Justice's hall: "Lord Yuan, such a forgery could be imitated by any accountant! If you convict me based on just one letter, wouldn't you make me a laughingstock?"

Cui Chengdao had countless crimes on his record, any one of which would have been enough to cost him his head. But he would never be willing to watch the Duke of Ningguo be exonerated.

Before Yuan Kai could respond, Marquis Jingyang, Gu Bin, suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse but each word clear: "My lord, Li Nuo's words are untrue! He was clearly bribed by the Crown Prince to deliberately frame the Duke of Xingguo!"

His words caused an uproar in the hall, with onlookers whispering and discussing among themselves.

Yuan Kai's expression hardened, and he slammed his hand on the table, shouting, "Gu Bin, stop talking nonsense! You colluded with Cui Chengdao, and that dragon robe clearly came from the Gu family's weaving workshop. I have conclusive evidence in my hands. Do you still want to confuse the issue now?"

As he spoke, he ordered the yamen runners to present the Gu family's weaving workshop's account books and records of Yun brocade transactions.

Gu Bin, however, was not afraid at all. He turned to look at Cui Chengdao, a subtle hint flashing in his eyes, and then shouted loudly, "My lord, I am willing to confess everything I know! The framing of the Duke of Ningguo was actually the late emperor's decree!"

The crowd outside the hall erupted in uproar, exclaiming, "The late emperor was actually the mastermind behind it all?"

"Why did the late emperor do this?" Questions arose one after another.

Yuan Kai's temples bulged with veins. He knew this was a conspiracy by Cui Chengdao and Gu Bin, but for a moment he didn't know how to refute it.

Seeing this, Cui Chengdao and Gu Bin were secretly pleased with themselves.

They pinned the blame on the late emperor, a dead man. If Chu Zhiyi wanted to overturn the case, he would first have to prove that the late emperor had nothing to do with it, but that was easier said than done.

Just when everyone thought that the situation was about to be controlled by Cui Chengdao and Gu Bin, Chu Zhiyi, dressed in the robes of a crown prince, strode into the hall.

He swept his gaze across the entire room, his voice booming: "How dare Cui Chengdao and Gu Bin slander the late Emperor! The late Emperor was wise and mighty, how could he do such a thing as framing a loyal and virtuous person?"

"Gu Bin, you claim this is the late emperor's decree, but do you have any evidence? If you cannot produce evidence, you are guilty of deceiving the emperor!"

Gu Bin was not afraid of Chu Zhiyi's threats. He had countless crimes on his record, and the crime of deceiving the emperor was no different.

His goal was to prevent Chu Zhiyi from overturning the verdict against the Duke of Ningguo.