Chu Yelin felt as though every word Chu Hongzhen uttered struck him hard as he knelt on the ground and was powerless to defend himself.

“Father, I was framed! Those are complete lies!”

“Do you mean to say they are in cahoots and planted evidence to frame you?”

Since Liu Yuanyi knew the deed was almost done, he continued fanning fire.

“Your Majesty, His Highness also gave me a name list containing names of rich merchants. County Magistrate Chen, Sir Su, and I all possess a copy. He sent assassins to kill County Magistrate Chen after he surrendered the name list to Prince Jing!”

“Yunshen, check if his name list is authentic.”

Despite knowing the documents were authentic, Chu Yunshen took Su Ming and Liu Yuanyi’s copies and compared them to his copy before handing them to Yuan Qing.

“Father, I confirm that all copies are authentic.”

Chu Yelin stared daggers at Chu Yunshen, but Chu Yunshen ignored his glares.

He was impartial and didn’t lie about it.

The power struggle between his brothers had nothing to do with him.

Chu Yelin was too preoccupied to even continue hating Chu Yunshen. Instead, he wanted to explain himself.

“Father, I know nothing about the name list!

Chu Hongzhen tossed the token in front of Chu Yelin and scolded him sternly, “Then why don’t you take a look at this?”

The token struck Chu Yein squarely on his head. It was uncertain whether Chu Hongzhen had deliberately struck Chu Yelin’s head with the token when he threw it towards him.

“Don’t tell me you are unable to even recognize your own token!”

Chu Yelin broke out in cold sweat when he heard the sarcasm in his father’s voice. He swiftly picked up the token and held it before his eyes to scrutinize it.

It was exquisitely made, and almost identical to the tokens that were issued to his residence guards.

Hang on!

“This is a forgery! Father, please believe me!”

Chu Yelin pointed at the golden embossed engravings on the token and wanted Yuan Jing to show them to his father.

Chu Jinshuo instantly looked worried and glanced at Su Ming kneeling on the ground while he contemplated, “Impossible. How was he able to tell it was fake. It was clearly…”

Before he managed to wrap his mind around it, Chu Hongzhen had already burst out asking, “Nonsense! How could the token be fake?”

“I have never used trumpet creepers on my tokens. I usually use honeysuckle on them. However, both flowers look very similar… I was framed!” explained Chu Yelin so anxiously that his pitch became increasingly high until he ended up shouting altogether, “I am an introvert and always stay out of trouble. Why would I get involved with such a bloodthirsty affair? Father, it is the truth!”

“Are you saying that the secret correspondence and the accounts you have with Sir Su were a setup?”

“Erm… The secret correspondence and those accounts are real.” Chu Yelin was keenly aware of their authenticity since he had uncovered them as a part of his investigation. However, it was impossible for him to deny his involvement, especially now that his seal had appeared on them.”

He hurriedly said, “But those were the evidence that I uncovered proving Prince Qing’s involvement with the salt embezzlement and had nothing to do with me!”

“Yelin, you had better think twice. At this point, do you still want to insist on pointing the finger at Jinshuo?”

Chu Yunshen raised his brows when he heard what his father said. Was the emperor trying to give his seventh younger brother pressure?

He watched as Chu Yelin put on a bold front and nodded.

Things were starting to get a little complicated at this stage!

Had Chu Yelin surprisingly furnished evidence of his own corruption?

Was the token he found a fake?

However, one thing was clear. Further investigation had to be conducted regarding Chu Yelin’s part in the salt embezzlement.

Even though Chu Yunshen knelt on the ground without saying a word, he knew that all it took was one more thing for Chu Yelin to fall today!

Why would Chu Hongzhen even stop to consider all the conspiracies?

All he cared about was keeping a power balance among the princes in check and Chu Yelin had been in the limelight for too long recently!

“Your Majesty, His Highness gave me a token previously to help make my work easier and it is the only one I have.”

Su Ming gritted his teeth before he retrieved the token he had been clutching at his chest. It felt as though the token was burning hot and left his chest in pain.

The moment Chu Yelin saw Su Ming’s token, he instantly turned hysterical. “That is clearly the token I gave you to…”

“Brother Yelin, do you admit you have given it to Sir Su?”

Chu Jinshuo could not pass up on the opportunity to interrupt Chu Yelin.

Now that things had come to this, it was impossible for Chu Yelin to defend himself!

Chu Yunshen contemplated in his heart, “Su Ming possessed a genuine token. It was no wonder Brother Jinshuo was able to make such good fakes.”

In that case, the assassins who attacked him and the lion cat were…

A murderous look suddenly flashed in Chu Yunshen’s eyes.

However, Chu Yunshen could only wait to settle the score, so he remained expressionless.

“Your Highness, what do you mean by that? Didn’t you give me the token so that I could give your orders to the other officials on your behalf?”

Chu Yelin could almost feel a heart attack coming on when he saw Su Ming lying blatantly.

“You lot ganged up against me! How could you do this to me?”

Chu Yelin continued to make a final desperate attempt to defend himself, but he was keenly aware of how weak his arguments were.

“Brother Yelin, now that things have come to this, you should just apologize to Father. I don’t care if you slander me, but you have to stop doing such unethical things from now on.”

Chu Jinshuo’s pretentious words made Chu Yelin burst out scolding him, “Chu Jinshuo, you are absolutely shameless!

“How dare you! You are the one who is shameless.”

At this stage, Prince Qing had clearly won with his ruse.

Chu Hongzhen’s face turned dark as he scolded his son, “Yelin, after committing such heinous crimes, how could you continue remaining unrepentant?”

Chu Yelin was unable to defend himself. Even though he wanted to say more, he did not know where to start.

That was right. All the evidence pointed at him.

There was no point trying to say more, so he knelt on the ground with his face ashen without saying a word.

“Su Ming colluded with officials and committed many crimes. Considering how filial he is, I will allow him to be executed only in the autumn. As for Liu Yuanyi, he deliberately failed to report the crime and was actively involved. Guards! Take him out to be executed this instant!”

Yuan Jing sent for men. before long, guards came up and dragged Su Ming and Liu Yuanyi away.

Su Ming watched as the emperor sentenced him to death with a knowing look as though he was expecting it.

He smiled in relief as though he was finally free.

Liu Yuanyi continued to shout. He seemed to be begging the seventh or eighth prince for mercy.

However, no one was able to make out what he was saying since the guards had gagged him.

Chu Yunshen looked at Liu Yuanyi coldly. However, he could not help feeling sorry for Su Ming when he saw him.

Chu Hongzhen sent Yuan Jing away leaving only him and his sons in the imperial study.

He looked at Chu Yelin disappointedly as he knelt on the ground and said, “Yelin, I will send you to Jin City. You have to solve the salt embezzlement case going on there before you can come back. Do you have any objection?”

Initially, Chu Yelin thought he was done for now that all evidence pointed at him considering how much their father adored Chu Jinshuo.

He could not help feeling grateful when Chu Hongzhen decided to only send him away for three months.

“I would never dare have any objection.”

Chu Hongzhen felt Chu Yunshen was useless when he turned to look at him. Other than coming up with the token, accounts, and confirming the veracity of the name list, he did not discover anything else.

His calm voice suddenly became stern.

“Yunshen, do you know what mistakes you have committed?”

“No… I don’t.”

“Don’t you?”

Chu Hongzhen waved his hand and threw the documents on his table at Chu Yunshen.

“Everyone knows about the salt embezzlement case and Chen Fu died under your watch! Was it not evident that you did a bad job?

The documents slid down Chu Yunshen’s head leaving a red mark on his face.

Chu Yunshen did not utter a word and continued kneeling motionlessly.

However, he clenched his fists so tightly under his sleeves that they gave him away.

“I admit to my errors.”

Chu Hongzhen hated Chu Yunshen’s nonchalant airs.

Since Chu Yunshen didn’t react much, Chu Hongzhen had no reason to keep harping on the subject. Instead, he waved his hand impatiently.

“You are grounded for a month. You won’t be needed at the justice department either.”

“Yes, Father.”

Chu Yunshen replied so softly that it was almost imperceptible, but Chu Hongzhen had already turned and stopped looking at him.

He perfectly suppressed the emotions flooding in his eyes and remained unperturbed on the surface.

Chu Jinshuo looked at Chu Yunshen gloatingly. At the same time, he was displeased that Chu Hongzhen had let Chu Yelin off with just a slap on the hand.

He wanted to fan the flame but promptly swallowed his words and halted when Chu Hongzhen gave him a deathly stare.

“Jinshuo, it stops now.”

Chu Jinshuo knew that Chu Hongzhen was warning him to cut it out.

He was startled by Chu Hongzhen’s reaction and terribly worried that he had caught on to his involvement.

“You are absolutely right, Father. I am partly responsible for this matter. I shouldn’t have covered up Brother Yelin’s crimes when I first caught wind of it. I should have convinced him out of it before he made the mistake.

Chu Jinshuo knelt before Chu Hongzhen and said heartbrokenly, “I would like to sell a few of my estates to help pay for the funds Brother Yelin had embezzled and be grounded for ten days.”

Chu Hongzhen looked exhausted and waved his hand. “Enough. You are all dismissed.”

After they bowed to Chu Hongzhen, Chu Yunshen and his brothers walked out of the heavily guarded palace gates side by side.

“Brother Yelin, that was quite the stunt you pulled.” Chu Jinshuo spoke mystifyingly.

After all the indignance Chu Yelin had already suffered, he was left even more infuriated. He did not hold back as he argued with Chu Jinshuo, “I can’t compare to the number of talented men you are surrounded with. I am surprised that you even got Brother Yunshen on your side this time.”

Since Chu Yunshen couldn’t be bothered talking to them, he did not retort to what Chu Yelin had said.

Chu Yelin felt that his silence was an admission, so Chu Yelin halted in his steps altogether and glared at him furiously.

“Brother Yunshen, how could you help him thwart the truth? Don’t you feel bad?”

“Brother Yelin, how could you say that? He was just doing his job.”

Chu Jinshuo deliberately wanted to make Chu Yelin think that Chu Yunshen was on his side.

He felt it was great that Chu Yelin was sent to Jin City.

After all, he would be gone for three months.

In three months, anything could happen in the capital.

Chu Yelin did not have a clue about Chu Jinshuo’s plans. Instead, he left looking livid the moment he heard what Chu Jinshuo said.

Chu Yunshen looked at Chu Jinshuo in contempt as he pulled his ruses before he walked out of the palace quickly and kept their distance from him.

Xiaowu had already been waiting at the palace gates. He pulled the horse carriage curtain aside the moment he spotted Chu Yunshen.

Chu Yunshen was already injured to begin with, then he knelt at the imperial study for a long time and was struck by some documents, so he could sense his robes were already soaked with blood.

His garments were plastered to him from the sticky blood and the horse carriage quickly reeked of blood.