Thorns removed

The court was silent the heavy air making it difficult to breathe. Third prince was trembling with fear. He knew that it was over for him. With the evidences and his army under Qingfeng not even the slightest possibility left for him to turn the situation or even ask for the mercy.

He just couldn't understand why one after another trouble kept coming for him. He didn't know which step was wrong leading him to his current predicament.

With heavy sigh and anger "Zhen never thought to have given birth to a son like you.. hah.. since you you have the cold heart to kill your father and brothers..Zhen also won't be emotional and lenient.

As the matter is of royal image is on the line the punishment of the prince or his maternal family will not be done in public.

Pei Lam for his cruel and evil heart is no longer to be a prince from today. His name is to be removed from the royal lineage book taking after his maternal surname.

Mu Lam along with all the males of the mu clan is to be beheaded inside the biju forest and is to be left there without a grave.

The woman and unwed ladies will be sent to serve as prostitutes for army. Young children will be sent as mine slaves.

The zhou brothers are to face the capital punishment, their wives will be sent to prostitue in army. Their children will be sent to ore mine.

For peiyuan and his wife until the matter proved shall be under house arrest.

Beside mu Lam all other are to be labeled as traitors having done treason. For mu Lam he passed away from sudden illness while his mother consort and concubines committed suicide to follow him.

The matter about prime minister shall be discussed tomorrow. Zhen hopes what should be said and held in, all present here knows well. If rumours are to flow then adding few numbers on death toll is not a big matter. End of court."

Mu Lam begged and struggled till he was dragged quite far. All the people knew that for the sake of royal image third prince cannot be pinned as a traitor. They made sure that after they left the gates of the palace they will forget about third prince matter.

Now including the neutral faction all were sure that qinwang was the victor of the throne soon to be a crown prince. They were curious for the day it would be announced. They were also curious as who the prime minister will be.

Soon the zhou brothers were brought to be beheaded their woman dragged and sent to be prostitutes, while their children were sent to mines.

The wife of zhou unable to handle the matter passed away the same night leaving peiyuan with his concubines and shu children. He knew that it won't be long that they too will die but he didn't want to be dragged and beheaded in public.

Thus he ordered for his guards to have all the people hanged till dead while he himself took out a small box which had a poison inside. Before he ate the pill he also made sure that all the servants and guards were killed.

In a single night the entire zhou clan came to a tragic end who was once the highest branch of a tree. While the mu clan was also facing the same.

All the males were taken to biju forest while women and children sent to their destination. It was Pei jin who one by one rolled the heads from the mu males only leaving mu Lam alive.