latelenovela Chapter 628: Cutting off the tail to survive
Chapter 628: Cutting off the tail to survive
The bearded rebel general was shocked all over, and just as he shouted a few words in defense, his beard was pulled off by the imperial guards.
The face of the Duke of Zhenguo was revealed.
The beard was stuck too tightly to him, and when it was pulled off forcibly, the Duke of Zhenguo howled in pain.
Several pieces of skin were torn, revealing bloodstains.
Add to that his blackened skin, painted wrinkles, and the scratches left from being held hostage, and this face is ugly and miserable.
There is no trace of the usual royal demeanor.
"Your Majesty, I was coerced by Zhao Mei! He arrested my family and relatives and forced me to rebel, but I didn't listen to him at all. I was just pretending. In fact, I came to protect Your Majesty!
I couldn't find you anywhere in the camp just now, and I was so anxious I wanted to cry. I was so worried that something had happened to you in the chaotic enemy forces! If it weren't for Noble Consort Zhao stopping me, I might have found you and protected you long ago, or I might have found a way to turn the situation around, Your Majesty!
Your Majesty, please understand. I have been blessed by the Emperor for generations, and I have a daughter as my empress. What reason do I have to rebel? I am forced to do all this, and I want to penetrate the enemy ranks to find the person behind this. Otherwise, if I do not agree to these traitors, they will not only kill my own people, but I am afraid they will also find other important officials to rebel against, making it difficult to prevent them. It would be better to let me feed the tiger myself, and then take advantage of the opportunity. Perhaps I can even eliminate them and eliminate their root and eliminate future troubles for Your Majesty!
Heaven can bear witness to my loyalty to Your Majesty! Heaven can bear witness to my loyalty to Your Majesty!
Although the Duke of Zhenguo was covered in wounds and extremely weak, he spoke many words in one breath, his voice full of emotion and tears streaming down his face.
Very touching.
If it were an ordinary person, he would probably be fooled by her.
Unfortunately, none of the people present are easy to deal with.
The emperor watched the Duke of Zhenguo's plea coldly, and when he finished, he raised his head with a sneer in his eyes.
Soon, several people who were also tied up were brought into the tent by the imperial guards.
"Daddy, help me!"
"Uncle, save me! Save me!"
"Wow, wow, wow, I don't want to die. I'm still young. I haven't committed any crime. Why are you arresting me?"
The oldest of them is not even twenty years old, and the youngest is still a child.
They are all direct descendants of the Yan family.
She started crying when she saw the Duke of Zhenguo.
Very noisy.
The emperor frowned slightly, and the imperial guards drew their knives, scolded them, and beat them, quickly making them silent.
"Lord Yan, are these your family members captured by Zhao Mei? I helped you rescue them."
The Duke of Zhenguo's face had already changed drastically when he saw those young men. Now, after hearing the emperor's words, he tried his best to hold on.
He kowtowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace! Without your help, these children would be in danger!"
The emperor smiled faintly. "Then I ask you, how is it that the traitor Zhao Mei, whom you speak of, has been dead for at least two days, his head and body already separated? The heat in the capital has left his body hidden in the swill room in the barracks' back kitchen, already stinking and on the verge of decay. How did such a rotting corpse manage to capture a member of your family and force you to lead your troops to attack my camp tonight?"
"Your Majesty, this... this is impossible, right? Zhao Mei... he..."
The Duke of Zhenguo stuttered and could not answer.
It was indeed beyond his expectation that Zhao Mei's body was found.
Queen Yan couldn't help it.
I also knew it was time for me to speak out.
So he took a step forward, his face filled with grief and anger.
"Duke Zhenguo! Father! How could you be so foolish! His Majesty has entrusted you with important tasks and treated you well. Is this your way of showing loyalty and serving the emperor? Now that you've been exposed, why are you still trying to make excuses? His Majesty has known about it for a long time! Confess your crime quickly. His Majesty may spare your body with grace. Do you really want to implicate the entire family before you give up? Look at these children. Do you want to make the Yan family extinct? How will you face our ancestors in the afterlife?"
Queen Yan burst into tears, even more grief-stricken than when the Duke of Zhenguo had just made his plea.
She was indeed grieving.
I am heartbroken that my biological father is sure to die. We have been father and daughter for more than 20 years, and now we are about to be separated by death.
She was saddened that her father secretly sent away all the family members before the rebellion, but left her with the emperor, abandoning her once again.
Even though I had been assassinated in front of my father a long time ago, it still hurts every time I experience it.
What's even more sad is that from now on, she is truly alone and no longer has any family to rely on.
She couldn't express the pain she was in, and could only shed tears for a few moments by angrily denouncing the Duke of Zhenguo for his infidelity. It was just a false cry.
"Your Majesty, I truly did not commit treason. Your Majesty has not yet convicted me of any crime, yet Your Majesty keeps accusing me of treason. This is simply an attempt to sow discord between the monarch and his subjects!"
The Duke of Zhenguo refused to admit his crime, which made Queen Yan feel sad and angry, but also secretly relieved.
His confrontation with her could actually reduce His Majesty's suspicion of her.
Queen Yan turned around and knelt before the emperor.
Tears rained down.
Please ask the emperor to punish her for not disciplining her family properly.
"I feel ashamed of my life, Your Majesty. I would rather die than repay Your Majesty's kindness. I cannot accompany Your Majesty in this life, but if I am blessed in the next life, I will serve Your Majesty as a slave for the rest of my life!"
She kowtows.
He stood up and rushed towards the imperial guards, trying to grab the knife and commit suicide.
"Your Majesty, no!"
Fei Wan stepped forward in time and held her back.
Tearfully, I advised her not to be impulsive.
"Your Majesty has not punished the Queen. If the Queen commits suicide, wouldn't that be a betrayal of His Majesty's kindness?"
Queen Yan cried silently, her whole body shaking with sobs.
Fei Wan held him tightly.
"Queen, please get up."
The emperor's voice was cold and deep.
At this time, a notice came from outside: "Princess Qinghe requests an audience with His Majesty!"
The emperor ordered to see.
Princess Qinghe brought her two sons, each of whom tied himself up, into the big tent.
"I am late! I only discovered tonight that the Duke of Zhenguo was plotting treason, and I hurried out of the capital to report the news, but it was too late. I know I am guilty, so I have brought my two sons to plead guilty and leave for your Majesty to decide! I am ashamed to be married to the Duke of Zhenguo, and I have already signed a divorce letter, severing all ties with him. Even if I die, I swear to be a loyal soul of the imperial Xiao family, not a rebellious ghost of the Yan family!"
His two sons declared that they would no longer use the surname Yan and would not associate with the rebels.
Princess Qinghe said that she had ordered her personal guards to arrest six of the Duke of Zhenguo's closest associates who had been left at the palace and were tying them up outside to await their fate. These individuals had already been tried and admitted to participating in the Duke of Zhenguo's treason, and could serve as witnesses to convict him.
The canthus of Zhenguo Gong's eyes is cracked.
"Bitch, how dare you slander our prince!"
Princess Qinghe knelt down, stretched out her legs, and kicked him hard.
"Shameless traitor, how dare you speak so rudely! This princess wishes she could eat your flesh and blood and send you to the eighteenth level of hell with her own hands!"
She was not acting, she really wanted to kill the Duke of Zhenguo.
Treason will bring harm to children.
The child she gave birth to with great difficulty will have a difficult future because of him as a father.
Princess Qinghe kicked again and again, her anger overflowing.
Fei Wan glanced at the emperor's expression.
Knowing that Queen Yan is safe.
Princess Qinghe's move was brilliant.
Cut off the tail to survive and protect yourself.
Fei Wan began to think that as long as she and Queen Yan worked harder, Queen Yan would not only be safe, but she would also be able to take over the power and manpower left behind by the Duke of Zhenguo!