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"I dare not presume, Your Majesty. It seems Your Majesty has been misled by others. My loyalty to Your Majesty is unwavering, and my sincerity to friends absolute. I have never wronged my friends or the great Jin Dynasty. I implore Your Majesty to investigate the matter and restore my honor," Lin Junsheng hastily replied.
"A fine display of eloquence, indeed. It seems you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin," the young emperor remarked with a tsk.
At that moment, Yuan Ming, who had been standing to the side, suddenly revealed a smile and stepped forward.
Upon seeing this, both the Eighth Prince and Lin Junsheng's eyes flickered, and the national advisor, sitting nearby, picked up his teacup and took a light sip.
"Lin Junsheng, you claim innocence? Eighth Prince, you claim injustice? Then take a look at this," Yuan Ming said, pulling a blue orb from his sleeve.
It was the magical artifact belonging to Ma Xingkong that could record images and scenes.
Yuan Ming tossed the orb into the air and cast a spell into it.
A bright blue light shot out from the orb, spinning and transforming into a blue water screen, on which appeared the recorded meeting between the Eighth Prince's heir and Lin Junsheng.
Their conversation was clear and audible, falling into the ears of all the court officials present.
"Don't worry. You're now a disciple of Changchun Temple, and he has no evidence. The fact that Yuan Ming is alive is your oversight. The Emperor has already granted your request, and the National Teacher has taken you as a disciple against tradition. You've entered Changchun Temple, that will only protect you for so long. Yuan Ming is still your problem to deal with."
The evidence was clear for all to see.
Lin Junsheng's eyes bulged in disbelief. He never imagined that the scene of his meeting with the Eighth Prince's heir would be revealed here.
"Lin Junsheng, now that things have come to this, what else do you have to say?" the young emperor asked with a cold smile.
"I, I…"
No matter how eloquent he was, he was powerless in the face of such evidence.
"And what about you, Eighth Uncle?" the young emperor then turned to the Eighth Prince.
The latter's pale face showed a look of despair, and he suddenly spoke up, "Your Majesty, this is all the doing of my rebellious son, acting without my knowledge."
His words caused an uproar in the court.
Everyone was shocked by the Eighth Prince's shamelessness. To save himself, he was willing to push all the blame onto his own son.
"Your Majesty, for the sake of the Jin Dynasty's future, I have fought on battlefields all my life, dedicating myself to the country. I have but one son, and yet, to my bewilderment, he has been targeted by the Eighth Prince. I truly do not understand what wrong I have committed," General Yuan, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke.
His few words moved all the civil and military officials in the court.
Military men like him, especially those who fought on the front lines, usually had their families in the capital, making them akin to hostages—a means for the court to maintain balance.
They had never questioned this, but Yuan Ming's situation made them realize that their own children could also be targeted for unknown reasons one day, and they were suddenly filled with compassion.
"Your Majesty, please punish the Eighth Prince severely and give justice to General Yuan's family," a military official stepped forward and said with a salute.
Following him, seven or eight others stepped out in succession.
"Your Majesty, please punish the Eighth Prince and execute Lin Junsheng," the civil officials also spoke out.
For a moment, the entire court was filled with calls for execution.
The Eighth Prince was now thoroughly panicked and looked pleadingly at the national advisor.
Lin Junsheng's composure completely vanished, and he too looked to the national advisor for help.
He had agreed to the Eighth Prince's proposal to deal with Yuan Ming because it meant he could enter Changchun Temple for cultivation and become a disciple of the national advisor, Yu Hu Daoist. This not only meant he could safely embark on the path of cultivation but also implied the national advisor's support, making the national advisor his greatest backing in the future.
"Your Majesty," Yu Hu Daoist sighed as he set down his teacup.
The young emperor looked at him but said nothing, though a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, since the matter is clear, please make a decision soon, so as not to delay the succession ceremony," Yu Hu Daoist said.
But before the young emperor could speak, Yu Hu Daoist continued:
"The Eighth Prince is an important minister and a royal relative. I implore Your Majesty to consider the ties of blood and his years of service, and spare his life. As for Lin Junsheng, since he has become my disciple, I ask Your Majesty to save face for me and let me deal with him."
With just a few casual words, he sought to save the two men.
However, the civil and military officials in the court dared not argue, for although the national advisor never involved himself in worldly affairs, his cultivation was unfathomable, and he was the invisible spokesperson for Changchun Temple in the court. Anyone who spoke had to weigh his words carefully. Everyone turned to look at the young emperor's grandfather, who remained impassive.
"Your Majesty…" General Yuan began with furrowed brows.
But before he could finish, the young emperor gestured for him to stop speaking.
General Yuan's expression froze, filled with disappointment.
The others sighed inwardly, feeling that the matter would be settled thus.
"National advisor, the Eighth Prince and Lin Junsheng conspired to kill an envoy, and the victim is the son of a general of our dynasty, my study companion. Such a grave crime cannot be forgiven. According to my will, they must be executed. If we cannot uphold justice, then I am unworthy as an emperor. I need to be more diligent and govern better, not retire to cultivate. How could I qualify to enter Changchun Temple for cultivation?" To everyone's surprise, the young emperor's words were like a thunderclap.
All were shocked.
They had not expected the young emperor to go to such lengths for Yuan Ming.
He was using his retirement for cultivation as leverage against the national advisor.
The startled King Qing now only wished to quickly eliminate his Eighth Uncle. As for Lin Junsheng, it didn't matter if he was cut to pieces.
The old emperor, who had been watching the drama unfold, frowned upon hearing that the young emperor was willing to give up cultivation.
"Tianming, the succession is a matter of national importance. It is not to be taken lightly."
"Grandfather, if this matter is not handled properly, it is the law of the land that becomes a joke. I can step down, but can the law?" the young emperor retorted.
The old emperor frowned and turned to the national advisor, "Brother Yu Hu, although you are the national advisor, your duty is to guide the new emperor in his cultivation, not to meddle in worldly affairs. Don't forget, Lin Junsheng has only just become your disciple and is not yet officially recorded in the Changchun Temple registry."
His implication was that Lin Junsheng was not yet a formal disciple of Changchun Temple and should be subject to the jurisdiction of the Jin Dynasty, not under his protection.
The old emperor didn't care much about these worldly matters—who lived or died. What he cared about was whether his talented grandson could enter Changchun Temple for cultivation as soon as possible.
The national advisor opened his mouth to speak but ultimately closed it under the old emperor's stern gaze.
This meant that no one else would speak up for Lin Junsheng and the Eighth Prince, sealing their fate.
The last glimmer of hope in Lin Junsheng's eyes extinguished, and he slumped to the ground.
"Seize the Eighth Prince and Lin Junsheng for execution at a later date," the young emperor ordered in a low voice, and immediately, soldiers stepped forward to apprehend the two men.
The Eighth Prince's face showed terror, and he began to speak but fell silent after exchanging a glance with the national advisor.
Lin Junsheng, now soulless, fell into a daze. But as his arms were restrained again, he suddenly became hysterical.
With a burst of strength, he broke free from the two men holding him and roared with indignation:
"Your Majesty, I have been wronged. I was misled by the Eighth Prince because someone else was pulling the strings behind the scenes, and that person is the nationa—"
Just as the word "national advisor" was about to slip out, everyone was shocked.
The Eighth Prince looked at Lin Junsheng as if he were a madman, while Yuan Ming, the person involved, remained the most composed.
At that moment, everyone felt a surge of heat rise in the hall.
Whoosh!
A fiery orb whistled out, striking Lin Junsheng's chest before he could utter his mad words.
In an instant, the fireball exploded with a bang.
Lin Junsheng's body burst into flames and turned to ash.
The powerful blast knocked over the nearby officials, causing chaos in the hall, and the soldiers stationed outside rushed in with drawn swords.
"Silencing a witness?" was the first thought that crossed everyone's minds.
They turned their gaze to the national advisor, only to find him calmly sipping tea, showing no sign of attack.
It was then that they were surprised to discover that the one who had cast the explosive spell was none other than the young emperor, Liu Tianming.
"The audacity of this traitor! I have already made a just decision, yet he dared to slander. He deserved death," the young emperor bellowed.
As he spoke, he couldn't help but glance at Yuan Ming beside him, and seeing that Yuan Ming remained calm and unaffected, the young emperor was reassured.
Yuan Ming actually understood the young emperor's predicament. The handling of Lin Junsheng and the Eighth Prince at today's succession ceremony was something they had agreed upon beforehand, but that was as far as it went. No matter how it was viewed, Yuan Ming's power was not enough to make the national advisor pay a price. The national advisor's reputation, cultivation, the backing of Changchun Temple, and even his influence in the court were all far beyond Yuan Ming's reach.
"This matter is settled. Continue with the succession ceremony," the young emperor declared, effectively putting an end to the drama. Attendants immediately came forward to clean up the mess in the hall.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, as the storm seemed to have finally passed.
"Your Majesty, I have something to say," Yuan Ming's voice suddenly rose at that moment.
It was then that everyone realized that throughout the entire conflict, Yuan Ming, the victim, had hardly spoken at all, his presence so minimal that they had almost forgotten he was the unfortunate target.
So when he finally spoke, everyone's attention immediately focused on him.
The young emperor's expression changed slightly, and General Yuan also furrowed his brows with some anxiety.
The two of them were the ones in the hall who knew Yuan Ming best, so they immediately guessed what Yuan Ming was about to do.