Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne Chapter 1068 - 117: Evidence of Prince Zheng’s Crimes

Prior to Prince Chu's arrival back in the capital, a staggering incident erupted that rattled the whole imperial court. The Princess of Annan charged Prince Zheng with atrocious crimes, such as slaughtering blameless civilians without mercy, abducting both women and men by force, stealing farmland from ordinary folk, looting their riches, and allowing his followers to burn, kill, and rob freely, plunging his territory's people into utter misery and ruin.

Witnesses and solid proof backed every allegation the Princess of Annan leveled at Prince Zheng, all hauled in from his own domain. Right then, numerous peasants prostrated themselves in the court, foreheads bloodied from kowtowing, begging the emperor to grant them righteous judgment.

Fear drained the strength from Prince Zheng's legs, sending him collapsing to the floor, his countenance drained of color, terror gleaming in his gaze. Duke Anyang and his heir brimmed with alarm too; they couldn't fathom how Prince Zheng's atrocities in his fief had come to light.

Kneeling amid the court, the Princess of Annan denounced Prince Zheng for poisoning her years back, robbing her of her chastity. She went on to condemn his abuse of her servants and his post-marriage intimidation. According to her, Prince Zheng chased her obsessively just to exploit her grandfather's gold mine.

Additionally, she pointed fingers at Prince Zheng and Duke Anyang Mansion for enlisting troops and crafting arms across various Annan sites. She revealed Prince Zheng's secret ties with Prince Han, who kept shipping over gold, silver jewels, and stunning women to him.

The Princess of Annan's earlier claims against Prince Zheng had already stunned the officials. Now, her intimate complaints left civil and martial officers equally appalled.

Desperate to protest his purity, Prince Zheng found no voice; panic had seized his soul completely. Were he not aware of the court setting, fright might have made him soil himself.

Duke Anyang held a sliver of composure; he dropped to his knees swiftly, yelling of foul play, rejecting any soldier mustering or arms making in Annan, and sobbing for the emperor's wise judgment.

As for Prince Zheng sprawled limp on the floor, Duke Anyang had abandoned hope in him. Right now, safeguarding himself and his household stood as Duke Anyang's top concern.

Fellow officials stole glances at the emperor's face, seeing utter tranquility without a hint of fury, which only deepened their inner terror.

The steadier the emperor's demeanor or the wider his smile, the fiercer burned his concealed rage.

Deep down, the ministers wailed: Done for! Done for! Done for!

Heads bowed one after another, necks retracted, they pictured themselves as turtles withdrawn into shells, hoping the emperor's fury would spare them afterward.

Boldly countering Duke Anyang's denial, the Princess of Annan drew a record book from her chest. She informed the emperor that besides Duke Anyang's moneymaking schemes, troop gathering, and arms production in Annan, Duke Zhen Country Mansion and Marquis Xuanping’s Mansion shared in the guilt.

At those words, Duke Zhen Xie Shi thudded to his knees in fright, quaking as he cried his blamelessness.

Marquis Xuanping echoed the act, wailing his purity and imploring the emperor's clear sight.

The Princess of Annan added that various officials had pursued dark dealings and operations in numerous Annan locations.

Suddenly, one-third of the court officials faced the Princess of Annan's indictments.

Those officials called out by the Princess of Annan paled drastically, shuddering as they knelt, vociferously decrying her lies and begging the emperor's fair ruling.

Sun Kui took the ledger from the Princess's grasp and offered it up to the emperor.

The emperor's face stayed blank as he turned the ledger's pages one after another.

Silence enveloped Zichen Hall, so profound that breaths— one's own and neighbors'—rang clear to the ministers. Naturally, the rustle of the emperor's page-turning echoed too.

Cold perspiration drenched foreheads, cheeks, necks, and spines of many officials. Sweat pooled on the floor before them.

Those singled out by the Princess of Annan now drowned in dread and hopelessness.

Prince Jing knelt in frantic worry on the ground, scalp prickling with unease. Prince Wei knelt steadily, unruffled at heart, untouched by the Princess of Annan's charges.

Officials devoted to Prince Chu looked ghostly pale too, though their fright fell short of utter panic. Vast relief washed over them for ignoring Prince Chu's suggestion to dispatch agents to Annan for trade, lest their doom mirror the accused—they shuddered at the thought.

Shock gripped Prime Minister He and Grandmaster Liu as they wondered how the Princess of Annan amassed proof on these culprits.

Grandmaster Liu shot a look at Prime Minister He, who returned it. Both minds leaped to the same figure—the one stationed distant in Swamp Prefecture, bordering Annan Country—Prince Han. None but Prince Han possessed the means to unearth these misdeeds.