Chapter 172: The Heart of Rebellion Revealed

The warehouse was filled with fifty guards from the Imperial Forest Army, each carrying a large number of weapons.

“Your Majesty, the Prince of Chen has hidden weapons in the warehouse, intending to rebel!”

Qi Yanzhou immediately denied the accusation.

“Your Majesty, I have not! These weapons are not mine!”

The Emperor tried to appear serious, but his lips couldn’t help but curl upwards.

He snorted coldly, “The weapons were found in your warehouse, and you say they aren’t yours? Who would believe that?”

Qin Zheng wanted to speak up for Qi Yanzhou, but remembering his son’s warning, he closed his mouth.

Qi Yanzhou glanced at Ye Chutang, his eyes cold as ice.

“Why did you hide my dowry chest, and why did you frame me for rebellion?”

The tension between them was also part of their plan.

Ye Chutang quickly shook her head, “I didn’t! My dowry was stolen by the ‘Ghost Thief,’ and what you see here was prepared by Ye Jingchuan. I know nothing about it.”

“Not a hint of suspicion, and you say it was stolen just like that?”

“Do you still remember when we left the Shangshu Mansion, how Ye Anling caused a ruckus? She wanted everyone to know that the Shangshu Mansion was completely looted by the ‘Ghost Thief,’ and that my dowry, all one hundred and eighteen loads, was just junk. But Ye Jingchuan stopped her.”

After speaking, Ye Chutang looked at the Emperor.

“Your Majesty, although my dowry is humble, there is definitely no weapon inside!”

The Emperor nodded approvingly.

“You’re right. Ye Shangshu is a civil official. Even if he wanted to frame the Prince of Chen, he wouldn’t have been able to get his hands on any weapons.”

“Your Majesty is wise!”

Qi Yanzhou knelt on one knee, “Please investigate thoroughly, Your Majesty…”

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by the Imperial Forest Army holding weapons.

“Your Majesty, the weapons were not found in the dowry chest, but hidden under some paintings. They were covered in dust, which shows they’ve been there for a long time.”

The soldier handed the Emperor a dusty bow and arrow.

The Emperor ran his fingers over the bow, his fingertips covered in dust.

“Prince of Chen, do you have anything to say?”

Qi Yanzhou’s face turned pale, and he knelt on the ground.

“I am innocent! Please, Your Majesty, investigate the weapons thoroughly!”

“As you wish,” the Emperor said coldly. “Investigate!”

The Emperor looked at the captain of the Imperial Forest Army and shouted angrily, “Search the Tangzhou Courtyard! Search the Prince of Chen’s residence!”

“We will obey the order!”

“Wait, call the people from the military office. Surround the Prince of Chen’s residence. Not a fly is to escape!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

After the captain left, the Emperor’s face darkened, and he ordered the Imperial Forest Army to search Tangzhou Courtyard.

Soon, letters were found hidden in the beams of a room.

A secret chamber was also discovered, but the Imperial Forest Army couldn’t find the mechanism to open it.

The Emperor’s joy was hard to hide from his face.

He took the letters and, without reading them, handed them over to Qin Zheng.

“Everyone, take a look at what’s written in these letters. Don’t say I’ve wronged the Prince of Chen!”

With that, he kicked Qi Yanzhou’s foot.

“Open the secret chamber!”

Qi Yanzhou stood up, angrily glaring at Ye Chutang.

“Why are there letters in the wedding room? Did you put them there?”

“I don’t know what the Prince of Chen is saying,” Ye Chutang replied, shaking her head.

“Such ignorance!”

Qi Yanzhou gritted his teeth, wishing he could tear Ye Chutang apart.

“Your Majesty, the letters are not mine. I have no intention of rebelling!”

The Emperor smiled mockingly, his lips curling upward. “I only believe in evidence. Prince of Chen, open the secret chamber.”

Pushed into the wedding room by the Imperial Forest Army, a few ministers had already read the letters.

Their faces were full of shock and confusion, and they passed the letters around.

Soon, they all finished reading.

Qin Zheng carefully put the letters away and handed them to the Emperor.

The Emperor received them, in a good mood, and slapped the palm of his hand with the letters.

“Minister Qin, tell me, what do these letters say?”

Qin Zheng, the Chancellor, spoke first, “Your Majesty, these letters are evidence that Ye Shangshu conspired with the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince.”

Upon hearing this, the Emperor’s expression immediately froze.

“What did you say?”

Before Qin Zheng could answer, the Emperor quickly opened the letter and read it carefully.

Upon confirming that the letters were indeed proof of Ye Jingchuan’s collusion with his two sons, the Emperor shot a furious glare at Ye Chutang.

He impulsively asked, “How did these letters get here?”

Of course, Ye Chutang wouldn’t admit to switching the letters or placing them in the wedding room.

She looked at the Emperor with an innocent face.

“I’ve never seen these letters, I don’t know how they got there.”

As the Emperor began to suspect that Ye Chutang had set him up, the Imperial Forest Army brought out a voodoo doll from the secret chamber.

“Your Majesty, the Prince of Chen’s intention to rebel is evident!”

Behind them, Qi Yanzhou let out a light laugh.

“Ye Chutang, you used three methods to try to kill me, why?”

Ye Chutang looked at Qi Yanzhou, whose acting skills were on full display, and secretly gave him a thumbs-up.

She bit her lip, her face showing hurt. “I didn’t!”

The Minister of Justice, a man loyal to the Emperor, changed his expression drastically when he saw the voodoo doll with the Emperor’s birthdate written on it.

“Prince of Chen, how malicious! You even cursed the Emperor!”

“The voodoo doll was found in your secret chamber, how is it related to Miss Ye?”

“You’ve secretly hidden so many weapons and used voodoo to harm the Emperor, and still say you don’t want to rebel!”

Qi Yanzhou adamantly denied he was being framed.

“Your Majesty, my family has been loyal for generations. If I wanted to rebel, I wouldn’t have come to the capital alone from Nanyang.”

The Emperor mocked him with a cold smile.

“You haven’t rebelled yet because the time is not right, so you naturally don’t dare to bring an army into the capital!”

“I only failed to judge people properly, I am innocent!”

“Whether you are guilty or not, I decide, not you! Evidence speaks louder, and the officials will decide!”

After saying that, the Emperor ordered the Imperial Forest Army.

“Leave fifty men to continue searching Tangzhou Courtyard, the rest follow me to the front courtyard.”

With the evidence now clear, he intended to officially declare Qi Yanzhou guilty of rebellion in front of the officials, and to have the entire Qi family executed!

As for the letters implicating Ye Jingchuan, that would be dealt with later.

Qin Zheng, seeing how serious the situation had become, wanted to speak up for Qi Yanzhou but was silenced with a look.

He had no choice but to follow the Emperor to the front courtyard, feeling uneasy.