Chapter 423: Chapter 423: Expose
Ye Heng looked as if he had heard some kind of joke.
"Why else? It’s obviously because Huo Yucheng has something you want!"
The words were blunt, and everyone knew exactly what Huo Yucheng’s greatest asset was—military power!
Unlike generals like Duke Dingbei, Shen Youyan, and the National Guardian General, Feng Cheng, who had conquered the realm alongside the Grand Ancestor and Grand Emperor in their early years, Huo Yucheng was a man who had truly climbed the ranks from a common soldier, step by step, on the back of his military achievements.
He came from a humble background but was blessed with prodigious strength, mastering exceptional martial arts in his youth.
What was even rarer was that he was a born general.
After decades of fighting on the battlefield, he already held immense power and commanded great authority.
Xiao Chengxuan was a Prince. To say he didn’t want the highest position—not even a ghost would believe that.
It was only natural for him to try and win over various factions to bolster his own power.
His intentions exposed, Xiao Chengxuan instantly became agitated. "Ye Heng! Don’t you dare judge a gentleman by your own petty standards!"
"My petty standards?" Ye Heng’s cracked, pale lips twisted into a mocking sneer. His gaze swept slowly over the crowd, deliberately lingering on Jiang Zhao Yuan for a long moment before he spoke in a sinister tone, "You were born into nobility, with powerful backing, so you originally had nothing to worry about. But ever since the Third Prince first distinguished himself with military merit on the border, have you had a single peaceful night’s sleep!?"
Faint gasps could be heard from the crowd.
’He’s insane!’
’Ye Heng has truly gone mad! To dare say such a thing out loud!’
Xiao Chengxuan’s circumstances were indeed uniquely advantageous. His mother was a favored consort, his maternal grandfather was the Chief Cabinet Minister, Jiang Zhao Yuan, and he himself was exceptionally talented, skilled in both scholarly and martial pursuits.
The Emperor did not have many sons, which made him stand out all the more.
This was also why His Majesty held him in high regard.
Many had tacitly assumed that the position of Crown Prince would be his and his alone.
But unexpectedly, the Third Prince, Xiao Chengqi, had suddenly emerged as a contender.
Initially, no one thought he could pose any threat to Xiao Chengxuan. But as time went on, he grew ever more valiant in his battles on the border, and his prestige within the army soared.
How could Xiao Chengxuan not be worried?
Although he had the support of his maternal grandfather’s faction, they were all civil servants.
If Xiao Chengqi truly decided to contend for the throne, he might not be without a chance of winning!
Therefore, Xiao Chengxuan was desperate.
He set his sights on Huo Yucheng, wanting to bring the general over to his side.
After all, among the notable military generals in the court today, only Huo Yucheng had shown no allegiance to any faction, making him the one Xiao Chengxuan could try to win over.
But he never expected Huo Yucheng to be so unyielding.
No matter how he tried to persuade him, using all manner of threats and temptations, Huo Yucheng never wavered, absolutely refusing to step into these muddy waters.
It was hardly surprising that Xiao Chengxuan had come to hate him for it.
Hearing just a few words, it wasn’t difficult for the crowd to understand the cause and effect.
It was just that no one dared to lay it all out in the open so bluntly.
Especially not in front of Emperor Muwu!
Fraternal strife among the Royal Family was not uncommon.
But to have it brought out into the open like this was too disgraceful.
Emperor Muwu’s expression was so dark it looked like it could drip water.
But Ye Heng didn’t care.
’His life was one he had clawed back from the grave anyway; what else did he have to fear?’
Xiao Chengxuan struggled to compose himself.
"My third brother earned his merits through his own efforts. As his elder brother, I have no time for anything but happiness and pride. How could I possibly be afraid?"
He took a deep breath.
"I do indeed hold great admiration for Huo Yucheng and have tried several times to befriend him. But he is a man of integrity who never associates too closely with powerful and noble officials. Aside from the farewell banquet I held for him the night before he left the Capital City, we had no further contact! Ultimately, this is hardly a major issue. How could it, coming from your mouth, be something that would warrant me scheming to cruelly slaughter his entire family?!"
"Ye Heng, to slander me like this is simply too malicious! Your intentions are truly sinister!"
Hearing this, the onlookers couldn’t help but secretly exchange glances.
’What Xiao Chengxuan is saying... doesn’t seem entirely unreasonable, does it?’
’No matter how you look at it, he’s the Prince with the best chance of inheriting the throne. Even if he couldn’t win Huo Yucheng over right away, there seems to be no need to have the man killed.’
’Why bother?’
’What great benefit would it bring him?’
Seeing that the crowd was finally wavering, Xiao Chengxuan felt his confidence grow.
He tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You, on the other hand, have either been deluded by someone or you resent me for not pleading for you before His Majesty, and are now acting out of deliberate revenge!"
That didn’t seem impossible either.
Ye Heng had been promoted time and again by Xiao Chengxuan, yet when his house was ransacked and he was exiled, Xiao Chengxuan hadn’t said a single word for him from beginning to end.
It was not out of the question that he held a grudge over it.
Being berated like this by Xiao Chengxuan, Ye Heng felt a surge of fury. His face flushed red, and his breathing grew ragged.
He seemed to want to surge forward, but with his crippled, powerless legs, he couldn’t move even half a step. Instead, his body swayed, and he nearly fell to the ground.
Seeing him in such a pathetic state, Xiao Chengxuan finally felt a sliver of satisfaction.
"I see, you’re blaming me for the deaths of your wife and child, are you? Blaming me for not protecting them? How laughable! The entire Capital City knows that it was your precious daughter who killed her own mother! Her end—one corpse, two lives—was exactly what she deserved!"
"Ye Heng, you can’t blame anyone else! If you must blame someone, blame yourself!"
Xiao Chengxuan grew more and more worked up as he spoke, his final sentence an undisguised, scathing condemnation.
Shen Yanchuan’s gaze shifted slightly, and he gave him a faint glance.
’For Xiao Chengxuan to be so openly emotional in front of His Majesty and all the officials, it was clear his composure had shattered.’
’Ye Heng’s appearance was, without a doubt, a sudden and crushing blow to him.’
’And the accusations just now had thrown him into a panic.’
’But Xiao Chengxuan was Xiao Chengxuan, after all. Even under these circumstances, he could still refute the claims with such conviction.’
’At first listen, it even sounded quite reasonable.’
’What a pity...’
Shen Yanchuan lifted his gaze slightly, glancing at the figure in bright yellow seated high above.
Emperor Muwu still had not spoken, merely watching everything unfold with a cold gaze.
In those aged yet still sharp, even overly indifferent eyes, no emotion could be discerned.
Everyone knew he was enraged, but no one knew what he would decide.
Shen Yanchuan lowered his gaze, recalling the file that had been sitting quietly on a corner of the desk in the Imperial Study Room.
He raised his eyebrows slightly.
’Today, there must be a resolution.’
Shen Yanchuan tilted his head and said lightly, "Prince Qi is not wrong. Mrs. Gao’s case has long been closed. In the end, it was you who committed a grave error, leading to your exile and the ransacking of your home, which implicated your wife and child. If they hadn’t been forced into a desperate situation, they would not have fallen to such a state."
A flash of astonishment crossed Xiao Chengxuan’s mind.
’Why is Shen Yanchuan suddenly speaking up for me?’
But the next moment, before he could think it through, he heard Ye Heng bite out hatefully:
"And of course, Prince Qi is to blame for it all!"
"If he hadn’t secretly ordered me to, why would I have murdered my own brother!?"
Xiao Chengxuan’s head snapped up, only to be met with a pair of venomous eyes!
A bizarre smile appeared on Ye Heng’s face, but there was not a hint of mirth in his eyes.
"If I hadn’t listened to him and killed my elder brother, none of this would have ever happened!"
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