Chapter 102: The Final Victor (1)

With a smile directed at Qing Ling, Yang Zhi Lan, curious, spoke, "If that's the case, even I am intrigued. What object does Madam Lou have? Please present it so I may witness it as well."

Qing Ling stepped forward and slowly brought out the item hidden within her sleeve. Calm, composed, and neither servile nor haughty, she replied, "It is well-known that Prince Liao Yue, Bai Yi, has been granted permission by the Emperor to stay at the Xiang residence. Today, while in Prince Bai Yi's room, I unexpectedly discovered some letters, in which the matters of the Qiong Yue court were frequently mentioned. As a mere woman, I do not understand these court affairs, so I have specially requested the Emperor and the Empress Dowager to review them for their decision."

Su Ling's dark eyes flickered slightly, while Shan Yu Lan gave a soft laugh, shaking his head. Lou Xi Yan smiled faintly but said nothing, and Lou Mu Hai appeared utterly confused. The group shared a common thought: if she claims to not understand the court's affairs, then who devised this plan of feigned confusion and diversion?

Yan Hong Tian cast a covert glance at Yang Zhi Lan. Although her expression remained unchanged, her hand trembled involuntarily. Yan Hong Tian's eyes darkened, and with a cold voice, he commanded, "Present them."

The eunuch handed over several sheets of letter paper to Yan Hong Tian. He glanced over them briefly, and his expression immediately turned dark and foreboding. Throwing the papers to the side in front of the bewildered Yang Zhi Lan, Yan Hong Tian growled, "Gao Jin, summon Prince Liao Yue Bai Yi to the palace."

"Understood." Gao Jin dared not hesitate, immediately hurrying out of the imperial study.

Yan Hong Tian's face abruptly changed. Yang Zhi Lan, still in confusion, picked up the letters and scanned them quickly. She suddenly widened her eyes, staring at the calm-faced Zhuo Qing in the hall, her voice trembling as she muttered in disbelief, "This… this is impossible?!"

A burly man, wearing a large conical hat, drove the carriage with his head lowered, focused on the task at hand. Two thin black horses trotted along the quiet streets of the capital, the low-key gray-blue carriage passing unnoticed by anyone. Inside the carriage, Bai Yi leaned against the window, peering through the thin bamboo curtain, his half-closed eyes watching the full moon just emerging from the night's veil. Thinking about Zhuo Qing carrying those letters into the palace to meet Yan Hong Tian, he felt an immense sense of satisfaction. He never expected such a fortuitous gain from this visit to Qiong Yue—truly exhilarating!

His hand rested casually on the window sill, and he lightly tapped in rhythm. Feeling something concealed in his sleeve, Bai Yi retrieved it. It was a poem Zhuo Qing had written when he asked her to demonstrate feminine handwriting earlier that afternoon. Though it was just a few hastily written characters, he would not leave them in the Xiang residence.

Just as he was about to tear the paper apart, the moonlight shone through the window onto the folded paper. Bai Yi suddenly felt something was off. He opened the paper, and his face, once smiling, immediately turned cold and murderous, his eyes filled with cruel and vicious light.

"Fu Yu." His voice was icily low but seething with fury.

The man driving the carriage was startled, quickly responding, "Yes?"

"Return to Liao Yue at once!" The words were ground out between clenched teeth, each syllable dripping with rage.

Though the man was curious, he dared not ask further, nodding silently, "Yes."

Bai Yi's black eyes, filled with rage, locked onto the blank sheet of paper, his hand slowly tightening around it. His veins bulged, and only when the paper was almost crushed did he hurl it violently to the other side of the carriage. Qing Ling, how dare she scheme against him! No one could fool him like this! If they ever crossed paths again, he would make her wish she had never been born. His eyes, tinged with the redness of fury, glowed with ruthless intent. His youthful face, filled with anger and accumulated resentment, left no doubt that if there were a next time, he would act.

Back in the imperial study, the Emperor's expression shifted unpredictably, and the Empress Dowager was visibly stunned. The atmosphere was heavy and strange. Throwing the papers on the desk with force, Yang Zhi Lan glared at Zhuo Qing, her voice sharp, "I have never seen these things before, and I have no dealings with Liao Yue. Moreover, the handwriting in these letters is not mine; they are clearly forged to frame me!"

In contrast to Yang Zhi Lan's agitation, Zhuo Qing remained composed, asking, "Are you saying that because the handwriting is not yours, this proves the letters are forged?"

Yang Zhi Lan could not help but growl, "Of course!" She could not fathom why this was happening. The seal on the letters was hers, yet her seal had always been kept in the West Xiang Hall. How did they get it? And how did they obtain the Seventh Prince's seal?

Zhuo Qing nodded slowly and turned her gaze to Yan Hong Tian, coldly asking, "Then why, in the case of Xi Yan's, can this reasoning not apply? The letters produced by the rebels were not written by the Lou family either, so according to the Empress Dowager's logic, those must have been forged as well. Why, then, were these fabricated pieces of evidence enough to imprison a state official? Or is it that royal family members are above the law?"

Yan Hong Tian's expression grew even colder under Zhuo Qing's persistent questioning. Yang Zhi Lan, in panic, scolded, "Nonsense! Lou Xi Yan's crime was one of treason and usurpation, a sin that cannot be dismissed lightly!"

She was now certain that these so-called letters of collusion were forgeries made by this woman. How could she possess such ability? Was Lou Xi Yan secretly aiding her? Or was Su Ling and Shan Yu Lan also supporting them? Her gaze turned to the few men who had lowered their heads with innocent expressions. Yang Zhi Lan regretted not having drowned her back then!

Zhuo Qing nodded slowly and, feigning ignorance, asked, "I see. So the Empress Dowager is implying that treason is a grave crime, but colluding with foreign powers is not?"

"You—!" Yang Zhi Lan, pointing at Zhuo Qing, trembled with rage and was momentarily speechless.

Zhuo Qing changed tactics, turning her attention back to Yan Hong Tian and asking, "Your Majesty, Qing Ling only wishes to know whether this evidence is valid or not?"

With piercing eyes, Yan Hong Tian responded in a dangerously cold tone, "What if it is valid? What if it is not?"

The man's gaze was like needles, and just looking into his eyes drained all strength. Especially when a single word from him could decide life or death, the terror would make one kneel at his feet.

Zhuo Qing's heart tightened in fear as memories of the night when he nearly strangled her resurfaced. The sensation of almost dying, whenever remembered, would make her throat burn and her breath constrict.

After a long moment, Zhuo Qing finally composed herself and replied loudly, "If it is valid, then it would imply that the Empress Dowager might be colluding with foreign powers. If the Emperor breaks the law, he should be held to the same standards as commoners. Thus, the Empress Dowager should be imprisoned and investigated. If it is invalid, then such evidence is of no value in the Emperor's eyes, and in that case, Lou Xi Yan, despite being imprisoned on such baseless evidence, should be allowed to return home, cooperate with the investigation, and not be held unjustly in prison!"

She would not back down because she knew exactly what she was fighting for.

Yan Hong Tian raised an eyebrow. Were all women from the Qing family so unusual? Did she not fear him? Just like that woman from the palace who dared to shout at him, his amusement flickered before his eyes, which grew cold again.

Turning his gaze to the clearly uneasy Yang Zhi Lan, he coldly asked, "What is your opinion, Mother?"

Yang Zhi Lan, who had tried to defend herself, hesitated, finally lowering her head and muttering, "Everything shall be decided by the Emperor."

Turning to the man who had been silent, his lips curling into a faint smile, Yan Hong Tian gruffly asked, "What does Lord Lou think?"

With a gentle shake of his head, Lou Xi Yan remained as calm as ever, "Everything shall be decided by the Emperor." Wasn't he already in a position of awaiting judgment?

Yan Hong Tian shot Lou Xi Yan a glare before turning to Shan Yu Lan, "Shan Qing, you have been investigating the Golden Case for quite a while. What have you discovered?"

Shan Yu Lan inwardly groaned. Wasn't this case being overseen by Su Ling? Why was the Emperor asking him instead? He glanced at Su Ling, but the latter arrogantly turned his head, ignoring him. Shan Yu Lan had no choice but to step forward and report, "Your Majesty, aside from a few exchanged letters, there is no further evidence linking the Lou family to the rebels. One of the letters dates back two years, with the seal of General Lou. However, all military seals were changed a year ago, so it's highly suspicious that a

recent correspondence would feature an outdated seal. The conspiracy remains unclear."

His words raised doubts in the court, and the air grew thick with unease.