I just want to be a princess, no, you want to be a queen

Chapter 198 Questioning in the Court

As the dawn broke, Lu Mingyang woke up early for the first time and put on the crown for Chu Mingzheng to go to court. "Your Highness, isn't it a bad idea for us to frame Concubine Song like this?"

She was in her pajamas and her movements were a little clumsy.

Chu Mingzheng held her jade-white fingers and asked, "Little girl, you can't bear it anymore?"

"Not entirely, it's just..." Lu Mingyang felt uncomfortable: "What's the difference between us and bad people?"

"It's not a fair trial, the emperor knows it all, so we can't say we're wronging her."

"But……"

"No buts!" Chu Mingzheng hugged the thinly dressed girl and sighed, "If everything in this world can be solved by doing good deeds, who would do bad things? When we do things, we should stick to our original intentions."

When the bell rang, civil and military officials filed in, shouting "Long live the emperor!"

After the routine was completed, the Minister of the Dali Temple came out and handed over the confession signed by the Marquis of Chengyang himself.

"Your Majesty, the Marquis of Chengyang has confessed to murdering her husband. She was dissatisfied with the Earl of Zhongxin favoring his concubine over his wife, and she also believed the rumor that the Earl of Zhongxin was going to demote his wife to a concubine and marry someone else. When she saw that she had given birth to a son, she was enraged and killed the Earl of Zhongxin."

Such a reason was reasonable and logical. A burst of sighs erupted in the court.

The emperor looked at her, a faint smile on his face. "Since the evidence is irrefutable, considering that the entire family of the Chengyang Marquis's family died for their country, I will reward her with an intact body."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Amidst the bowing and shouting of all the civil and military officials, Shen Yan held high his tablet, stood in the center like a ghost, and said in a loud voice: "Your Majesty, I, Shen Yan, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Justice, have evidence to prove that the Marquis of Chengyang did not kill her husband out of jealousy."

He pulled out the evidence from his pocket and said aloud, "Lord Zhongxin colluded with Sun Hai, the military logistics officer, to destroy bows, arrows, swords, and guns, and also attacked Marquis Chengyang..."

The emperor said sternly, "Present the evidence, and I will examine it myself."

The evidence was just a piece of paper stating the facts, listing in detail the factual doubts about the late Marquis of Chengyang from the time he went to war to the time he died in battle. There was no physical evidence, let alone any witness testimony.

After reading it, the emperor had the evidence handed over to the Dali Temple Minister, forcing a stiff smile. "There are some doubts here. Mr. Shen, please hand the evidence to the Dali Temple Minister. The case of the Marquis of Zhongxin collaborating with the enemy is under close investigation by the Dali Temple. As for the case of the Marquis of Chengyang murdering her husband, since the Marquis of Chengyang has confessed himself, let's close the case."

Since the evidence could not be destroyed, the emperor promptly found a crime for Chen Hong.

"Your Majesty!" Shen Yan suggested loudly, "Thirty-six hundred and fifty-one soldiers were sent to the Yanmen Pass, thirty-five hundred and nineteen skeletons were recovered, and one hundred and thirty-two are missing. Among them, there may be survivors. Your Majesty, please make it known to the world. This is the fastest way to restore the truth behind the Yanmen Pass."

The emperor's suppressed anger gradually rose: "I have said that the Dali Temple will conduct a secret investigation. There is no need to discuss this matter further."

"Your Majesty, please make it known to the world." Shen Yan still insisted.

The emperor said angrily, "You are asking me to announce it to the world based on a few names of people whose authenticity is unknown and a few coincidental conjectures. This is simply nonsense."

"That's right," no one in the court believed it. "Lord Zhongxin is the son-in-law of the former Marquis of Chengyang. How could he be collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country?"

"Why won't Your Majesty announce it to the world?"

Shen Yan's voice drowned out the others' clamor, and he stared at the emperor sitting high on the dragon throne, suppressing his fear. He asked loudly, "Or is it that Your Majesty is the mastermind behind the Earl of Zhongxin's actions?"

It was like a thunderclap exploding.

Everyone knelt, leaving only the man in blue standing alone. Shen Yan pulled out his petition again, this time a stack of papers. He handed them to the ministers one by one.

But who dares to answer?

Papers scattered all over the sky. Shen Yan looked up at the sky and laughed: "My Lords, look at this! Our Majesty bribed ministers and murdered loyal officials, leading to the tragic death of 30,000 soldiers outside Yanmen Pass and the defeat of the marriage alliance. This is truly an absurd act that has never been seen before in history. It is a shame for our Great Sheng."

Chu Mingzheng stood up and said, "Where are the Yulin Guards? Hurry and drag this lunatic out."

"Wait, let him speak." The emperor's face turned pale, but he was still trying to hold on. The historian was beside him. If he was kicked out at this time, how would history write about him, and how would the people of the world view him?

"Your Majesty, please issue an edict of apology and confess your sins to the world." Shen Yan knelt down, kowtowed, kowtowed again, then straightened his back and said threateningly: "If Your Majesty does not wish, I will have no choice but to write it for you."

The emperor laughed. "You keep saying that I ordered the Earl of Zhongxin to kill the former Marquis of Chengyang. What evidence do you have?"

Shen Yan said: "Since it is not, please let your majesty know and hold a public trial for this case."

Emperor: "I have already ordered the Dali Temple to conduct a thorough investigation. What else do you want?"

Shen Yan: "Your Majesty, please announce this to the world and hold a public trial."

Emperor: "How about I let you take charge of the investigation?"

Shen Yan: "Your Majesty, please announce this to the world and hold a public trial."

"..."

No matter what the emperor said, Shen Yan was like a puppet, repeating the same words over and over again. The emperor couldn't stand it anymore and left in anger.

Eunuch Su's shrill voice rang out: "Withdraw from the court!"

Shen Yan laughed wildly: "I have studied for ten years, writing with my pen. All I ask is to write the people's opinions for you, and not to deceive the people. If I can't do that, what's the use of this hand?"

After saying that, Shen Yan ran to the historian's desk, raised the inkstone, took two steps back, and smashed it hard on his right hand that was pressing on the beam.

Bones and flesh were shattered, and blood and ink splattered.

The emperor turned around and panicked: "Hurry up and call the imperial physician. Don't let him die here."

The immense pain blurred Shen Yan's eyes, but he still managed to speak out his last words: "Your Majesty, please announce to the world that this case should be tried publicly."

The sound echoed throughout Hanyuan Hall, lingering for a long time. A five-fingered handprint was clearly imprinted on the red-lacquered beam.

……

Shen Yan's home

Shen Yan leaned on the bed, like a puppet with a lost soul. Leng Lingfeng sat beside him to check his injuries, and Chu Mingzheng stood in front of the bed.

Lu Mingyang stormed in, kicked Shen Yan on the leg, and angrily said, "Why the hell don't you crash to death in Hanyuan Hall so that your name will be recorded in history."

"My life is still useful."

A half-dead muttering. Lu Mingyang didn't hear, tears streaming down his face. Chu Mingzheng's face was not looking good either. He hugged Lu Mingyang and wiped away the tears.

After Shen Yan's disturbance, it became difficult for Lu Mingze to come out. No matter how convincing the evidence was, it would be hard for the emperor to believe him.

Lu Mingyang raised his head and choked up, "I, I...how is he?"

Originally, Lu Mingze was going to show up today.

Chu Mingzheng nodded silently: "Don't worry, I've sent someone to notify them."

Leng Lingfeng bandaged Shen Yan and stood up, saying, "His tendons and bones are all broken. I can only preserve his appearance."

These words were not much different from what the imperial physicians in the palace said. Chu Mingzheng did not hold out much hope and said, "The one who treated Shen Yan today was your uncle."

Leng Lingfeng was puzzled: "How could he be willing to go to the palace?"

Chu Mingzheng also found it strange, but he didn't have the mind to think about Concubine Song's intention in arranging Pharmacist Ge to be the imperial physician. He looked at Shen Yan again: "Where is the evidence?"

He really underestimated him. He could find out the truth in just a few days.