My Wife is Unbeatable in the Whole World, Touch Me If You Dare!-Chapter 408 - 275 Hunter and Prey [9000 words merged into one]_5

At this moment, their hearts were filled with shock and confusion.

Why would the Emperor be here?

The students from the academy and the commoners who had come to watch did not recognize the Emperor, but seeing everyone in front of them kneel, they did not hesitate to follow suit immediately.

The Xia Emperor's gaze swept over the officials kneeling in front of the Li Mansion and said, "It's time to be at work, yet you are not at the government office. What are you doing here? The court pays you a salary not so you can wander around leisurely. Since you do not like going to the office, from now on, you won't have to."

This nonchalant remark was undoubtedly the end of their careers.

The officials knelt on the ground, shaking and not daring to respond.

The Xia Emperor went back into the Li Mansion, where a large group was already kneeling in darkness.

He sat down beside the stone table and looking at King Han and King You kneeling in front of him, he asked, "Tell me, what are you trying to accomplish?"

After exchanging a glance, in the end, it was King Han who spoke first, "Li Xuanjing has taken control of the court, acting recklessly and flouting the Law. The courtiers and the commoners have long been simmering with resentment. Today, he has even triggered unrest and protests in Chang'an. This month, it was my turn to be the Regent, so I came to the Li Mansion to investigate the situation."

Following closely, King You said, "Father Emperor, today alone, there were countless accusations against Li Xuanjing, which shows the deep resentment the courtiers and commoners have towards him. My action was also for the court, for the sake of the world..."

The Xia Emperor asked, "When you plotted against the Crown Prince years ago, was it also for the court, for the sake of the world?"

His voice was calm, but to King Han and King You, it felt like falling into an icy abyss.

King Chun, King Xin, King Xuan, and King Ji turned their heads in extreme shock to look at them.

Not far away, Wang Yue, who was kneeling at the entrance, though unable to move, had a tempest raging in his heart.

King You and King Han plotted against the Crown Prince?

How could that be?

Such a significant matter, and King Han had kept it from the Wang family!

The officials and nobles kneeling in the courtyard also showed extremely shocked expressions.

At this moment, the issues of purging the court and executing the treacherous were no longer important.

King You and King Han plotted against the Crown Prince?

How could such a thing happen!

Wasn't the Crown Prince said to have died of illness back then?

Once they realized what was happening, they were no longer shocked but only afraid.

King Han and King You had conspired to murder the Crown Prince.

Even though they were Kings, this was an unforgivable crime.

And they, today, had followed King Han and King You in this attempt to pressure the court... Would the Emperor consider them complicit with King Han and King You?

King Han and King You were already terrified, having completely forgotten about Li Xuanjing. King You said in panic, "Father Emperor, what are you talking about? How could your son conspire against the Crown Prince? Please do not be deceived by the slander of treacherous officials!"

King Han also immediately followed, saying, "Yes, Father Emperor, this must be a plot by Li Xuanjing. You must not be fooled by him!"

The Xia Emperor looked at them and said indifferently, "He Dong, Xu Zhi, Gu Wenhan, Zheng Tianxing, Wu Zongguang, Xue Xue, Zeng Yan, Sun Jin, Xie Xiaoyu, Ding Fang... What, do you need me to detail how you plotted against the Crown Prince in front of everyone present?"

King Han and King You collapsed.

"They only accused them of plotting against the Crown Prince, they still had a sliver of hope."

"But as those names were enumerated one by one, it became clear that Father Emperor had already learned everything, leaving no possibility for sophistry."

"They thought they were the hunters today, but little did they know, they were the prey."

"As King Han and King You fell, the silhouettes kneeling in the courtyard also collapsed in droves."

"It's over."

"This was the sole thought in the minds of some before they fainted."

"The Crown Prince and the various princes, though all were Father Emperor's children, meant radically different things to Your Majesty."

"The Crown Prince was the only offspring of Your Majesty and the Late Empress before ascending the throne; naturally, the feelings Your Majesty bore for him are incomparable to those for the other princes."

"Were it not so, after the Crown Prince's death, Your Majesty would not have completely indulged in despondency, neglected the court, devotedly pursued longevity, and refrained from appointing another Crown Prince."

"To plot against the Crown Prince is tantamount to treason; for King Han and King You to have the audacity to do so..."

"The princely heir of King Han, Li Qian, was also kneeling among the crowd."

"He couldn't miss witnessing the execution of Li Xuanjing."

"He did not witness Li Xuanjing's fall, but he witnessed something else."

"The Crown Prince was actually killed by a scheme concocted by Father King?"

"Forever, Father King had seemed to him a timorous and cowardly figure."

"Who would have thought that the timorous Father King could commit such a bold act?"

"At this moment, in addition to the fear of the future, he felt a newfound admiration for Father King for the first time."

"These conflicting emotions made his thoughts indescribably complex."

"Outside Li Mansion, just as everyone's knees were about to numb from kneeling, a figure holding a whisk emerged from Li Mansion and, with a high-pitched voice, loudly declared: 'King Han Li Long, King You Li Xing, having plotted against the Crown Prince, are beyond redemption, hereby stripped of their royal titles, demoted to commoners, escorted to the Ministry of Justice, to await their fate...'"

"The nobles and officials, still kneeling outside, upon hearing this, were also left utterly bewildered and shocked."

"What conspiracy against the Crown Prince? Weren't they here to execute Li Xuanjing?"

"The students from the various academies also showed confusion on their faces, clearly, they too had not anticipated this outcome."

"Even if the reigning Emperor were to appear and protect Li Xuanjing, they were willing to make their case with resolve."

"But a sudden and inexplicable charge of conspiring against the Crown Prince left everyone at a loss for what to do."

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"Then, the eunuch continued, 'Students from the academies, considering that you were misled, may leave on their own accord; everyone else shall be transferred to the Ministry of Justice to ascertain any involvement with the treason of King Han and King You before any further judgment is passed...'"

"What was originally an attendance to show numbers could now potentially become an offering of heads."

"Once at the Ministry of Justice and in the hands of Li Xuanjing, whether or not they had any tie to the treason would no longer be up to them."

"In an instant, the crowd was filled with wails of despair."

"'Injustice, this is an injustice!'"

"'When the Crown Prince died, I hadn't even come to Chang'an, how could I possibly be involved in a treason conspiracy!'"

"'I have been loyal to Your Majesty, as clear as the sky above can testify, as Heaven can bear witness!'"

"'Someone paid me to come here, I didn't know anything, nothing at all, can't I just return the money!'"

"'Your Majesty, spare my life, spare my life!'"

"..."

"Inside and outside of Li Mansion, chaos ensued."

"Everyone who was kneeling inside Li Mansion, including King Han and King You, was dragged away by the Imperial Army."

"The few Grandmasters received special attention, and their cultivation was sealed."

"The Xia Emperor looked toward the middle-aged woman and said, 'For the Royal Family's disgrace to be exposed before Sect Master Su, you must find it quite amusing.'"

"The middle-aged woman did not respond, and the Xia Emperor, turning to Li Xuanjing, said, 'Sect Master Su has visited Chang'an; see to it that she is well received on my behalf. I shall return to the palace now.'"

"Having said that, he cast one last glance at the middle-aged woman and with a single step, vanished from the spot."

"Li Nuo was taken aback by this scene, his eyes wide in amazement."

"The middle-aged woman saw his astonished expression and smiled, saying, 'It's nothing to be surprised about; all emperors of the Five Great Dynasties have great fortunes bestowed upon them; this is just a commonplace technique...'"