Fifty Imperial Guards entered the storeroom, each emerging with a large quantity of weapons.
"Your Majesty, Prince Chen has hidden weapons in his storeroom, intending to rebel!"
Qi Yanzhou immediately denied it.
"Your Majesty, I have not. These weapons are not mine!"
The emperor wanted to appear stern, but the corners of his mouth kept twitching upward.
He snorted coldly, "The weapons were found in your storeroom, and you say they aren't yours? Who would believe that?"
Qin Zheng very much wanted to speak up for Qi Yanzhou, but remembering his son's warning, he kept his mouth shut.
Qi Yanzhou looked at Ye Chutang, his gaze as cold as icy blades.
"Why did you hide weapons in the dowry chests to frame me for rebellion?"
Displaying discord was also part of their plan.
Ye Chutang hastily shook her head. "I did not. My dowry was stolen long ago by the 'Ghost Thief.' The ones delivered here were prepared by Ye Jingchuan. I know nothing about this."
"Without a whisper of news, you just say they were stolen?"
"Does Your Highness remember when we left the Minister's Mansion, Ye Anling deliberately caused a scene? She wanted to tell everyone that the Minister's Mansion had been cleaned out by the 'Ghost Thief,' that my one hundred and twenty-eight crates of dowry were all worthless junk, but Ye Jingchuan stopped her."
After speaking, Ye Chutang looked at the emperor.
"Your Majesty, although my dowry was shabby, it absolutely would not contain weapons!"
The emperor nodded in agreement.
"You are right. Minister Ye is a civil official. Even if he intended to frame Prince Chen, he couldn't obtain weapons."
"Your Majesty is wise!"
Qi Yanzhou knelt on one knee. "I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly..."
Before he could finish, he was interrupted by an Imperial Guard carrying weapons.
"Your Majesty, the weapons were not found in the dowry chests. Prince Chen hid them beneath scrolls of calligraphy and paintings. They were covered in dust, clearly having been stored there for a long time."
With that, he handed a dust-covered bow to the emperor.
The emperor touched the bow's limb, his fingertips coated with dust.
"Prince Chen, what more do you have to say?"
Qi Yanzhou's face turned deathly pale as he dropped to both knees.
"I have been wronged! I beg Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate the matter of these weapons!"
"I shall grant your wish. Investigate thoroughly!"
The emperor looked at the Commander of the Imperial Guards and roared, "Search the Tangzhou Courtyard! Search the entire Prince Chen's Manor!"
"Your servant obeys the decree!"
"Wait, summon the officers of the Capital Garrison. Surround Prince Chen's Manor. Not even a fly is to be let out!"
"This humble official obeys!"
After the Commander of the Imperial Guards left, the emperor, with a stern face, ordered the Imperial Guards to search the Tangzhou Courtyard.
Before long, letters hidden in the roof beams were found.
A secret chamber was also discovered, but the Imperial Guards could not find the mechanism to enter.
The emperor could not conceal his delight.
After receiving the letters, he didn't even look at them before handing them to Qin Zheng.
"Let everyone see what is written in these letters, so none can say I have wronged Prince Chen!"
Having said that, he kicked Qi Yanzhou.
"Go and open the secret chamber!"
Qi Yanzhou stood up, glaring furiously at Ye Chutang.
"Why are there letters in the bridal chamber? You placed them there, didn't you?"
"I have no idea what Prince Chen is talking about."
"What a fine 'no idea'!"
Qi Yanzhou gritted his teeth, looking as if he wished to devour Ye Chutang whole.
"Your Majesty, those letters are not mine. I harbor no rebellious intent!"
The emperor curled his lips in mockery. "I only believe in evidence, Prince Chen. Now go and open the chamber."
After Qi Yanzhou was pushed and shoved by the Imperial Guards into the bridal chamber, several ministers had already finished reading the letters in their hands.
Their eyes held shock and confusion as they continued passing the letters around.
Soon, everyone had read them.
Qin Zheng collected the letters and presented them to the emperor.
The emperor accepted them, then happily tapped them against his palm.
"My esteemed ministers, tell me, what is written in these letters?"
Qin Zheng, as the Prime Minister, led the response. "Your Majesty, these letters are evidence of Minister Ye colluding with the Crown Prince and the Second Prince."
Hearing this, the emperor's expression instantly froze.
"What did you say?"
Without waiting for Qin Zheng to answer, he immediately opened the letters in his hand and read them carefully.
Upon confirming they were correspondence between Ye Jingchuan and his two sons, he glared at Ye Chutang.
Impulsively, he immediately demanded, "What is the meaning of these letters?"
Ye Chutang, of course, would not admit to having switched the letters or to placing them in the bridal chamber.
She looked at the emperor with an innocent expression.
"I have never seen these letters and have no idea how they got there."
Just as the emperor began to suspect he had been tricked by Ye Chutang, the Imperial Guards who had gone to the secret chamber returned carrying a voodoo doll.
"Your Majesty, Prince Chen's rebellious intent is now plain for all to see!"
Qi Yanzhou, who followed behind, let out a light laugh.
"Ye Chutang, you attacked from three fronts, seeking to put me to death. Why?"
Ye Chutang looked at Qi Yanzhou, whose acting skills were now in full bloom, and secretly gave him a thumbs-up.
She bit her lip, looking wounded. "I did not!"
The Minister of Justice was the emperor's man.
Seeing the emperor's birth date written on the voodoo doll, his face changed dramatically.
"Prince Chen, how vicious your scheme is, to actually curse His Majesty!"
"This voodoo doll was found in your secret chamber. What does it have to do with Miss Ye?"
"You hoard so many weapons, use witchcraft to harm His Majesty, and still claim you do not wish to rebel!"
Qi Yanzhou insisted he was being framed.
"Your Majesty, the House of Prince Chen has been loyal and patriotic for generations, a loyalty that heaven and earth can witness. If I wished to rebel, I would not have returned to the capital alone from the Southern Borders."
The emperor looked at Qi Yanzhou with scorn and sneered.
"The time for rebellion has not yet come. Naturally, you wouldn't dare bring troops into the capital!"
"I was merely poor at judging character. I am not guilty!"
"Whether you are guilty or not is not for me to decide alone. The evidence will decide, and the officials will decide!"
After speaking, the emperor ordered the Imperial Guards.
"Leave fifty men to continue searching the Tangzhou Courtyard. The rest, return with me to the front courtyard."
With the evidence now conclusive, he intended to convict Qi Yanzhou of treason before all the officials and have the entire Qi family executed!
As for the letters proving Ye Jingchuan's factionalism, he would settle that score later.
Seeing the situation had become so serious, Qin Zheng wanted to speak for Qi Yanzhou but was stopped by a look from the prince himself.
He could only return to the front courtyard with the emperor, filled with anxiety.
By now, the entire Prince Chen's Manor was surrounded by Imperial Guards.
All the manor's servants were locked in the inner courtyard.
The Qi family members were herded into a corner of the main hall by the Imperial Guards and kept under close watch.
The officials and their families were frightened by the commotion, keeping their heads bowed, not daring to look around, their hearts filled with dread.
"Judging by this display, His Majesty has found the treasonous letters. Prince Chen's Manor is finished."
"I don't believe Prince Chen would commit treason. Even if there are letters, he was framed."
"What do you think Prince Chen's Manor is? A place where anyone can come in and plant treasonous letters?"
"Normally, there's no opportunity. But today is Prince Chen's wedding. There are many people, and many loopholes to exploit."
"You might as well say outright that the one who framed Prince Chen is Ye Chutang."
As the officials buzzed with discussion, the Capital Garrison officers arrived.
They replaced the Imperial Guards outside the manor.
The Imperial Guards poured into the manor and began a thorough search of the entire Prince Chen's Manor.
Only the Old Prince, Concubine Chen, and Qi Yanzhou himself knew of the plan to request exile.
The others were badly frightened by the large-scale search conducted by the Imperial Guards.
"My lord, will Prince Chen's Manor be alright?"
Before the Old Prince could answer, the emperor's party returned to the front courtyard.
Qi Yanzhou, held by the arms by two Imperial Guards, was brought into the main hall in a disheveled and restrained manner.
Seeing this scene, the hearts of the Qi family sank into an icy abyss, their faces deathly pale.
Subsequently, a large quantity of weapons was thrown down in front of the main hall.
Looking at the weapons piled up like a small hill, the guests widened their eyes in shock.
Even those who had previously sided with Qi Yanzhou could no longer claim he harbored no rebellious intent.
The Old Prince was skilled at acting; tears instantly welled up in his eyes.
He fell to his knees with a thud before the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, please see clearly, the Qi family has absolutely no intention of rebellion. These weapons do not belong to the Chen Prince's estate!"
The Emperor looked at the tear-streaked Old Prince Chen and threw the voodoo doll in his hand at the prince's feet.
"Open your dog eyes and look! What is this?"
Guests standing nearby immediately craned their necks to look at the floor.
What the Emperor had thrown was a human-shaped wooden doll.
The doll was clothed in bright yellow robes, and a slip of paper inscribed with a birth date was pierced all over with long needles.
Someone exclaimed, "Voodoo sorcery!"
"This birth date... it's the Emperor's. Does Prince Chen truly intend to rebel?"
"Privately hoarding weapons, letters of treason, and now voodoo curses—his intentions are as clear as day!"
The Old Prince slumped on the ground, his voice trembling as he asked Qi Yanzhou.
"Zhou'er, what is the meaning of this?"
"Father, none of these things belong to the Chen Prince's estate. Someone is framing us."
The Emperor's face darkened, and he snorted coldly.
"The weapons were found in your storehouse, the voodoo doll in your secret chamber. Your excuses are useless!"
After speaking, he looked at the full courtyard of guests and asked, "Prince Chen conspires against the sovereign, intending rebellion. How do you all think he should be dealt with?"
Qi Yanzhou immediately brought up the matter of the treasonous letters.
"Your Majesty, the reason the Chen Prince's estate was thoroughly searched was because a maidservant from the Minister's Mansion's dowry claimed to have seen treasonous letters belonging to your subject. Yet what was found instead was evidence of Minister Ye colluding with the Crown Prince and the Second Prince. This clearly shows Minister Ye attempted to frame me but placed the wrong letters."
The officials also felt today's events were orchestrated by Ye Jingchuan.
Otherwise, it was too much of a coincidence!
Of course, they were also well aware that Ye Jingchuan dared to do this under the Emperor's orders.
Thus, everyone remained silent, watching the drama unfold to avoid getting burned themselves.
Both the Crown Prince and the Second Prince were attending the wedding banquet. Hearing Qi Yanzhou's words, their expressions changed slightly.
In their hearts, they cursed Ye Jingchuan to the heavens.
That scoundrel! Not only was he two-faced, but he actually left evidence behind!
They hurried to the Emperor's side. "Father, we have done no such thing!"
Qi Yanzhou: "Several ministers who went to the Tangzhou Courtyard earlier have seen the letters, and Your Majesty has seen them as well. There is no room for the Crown Prince and the Second Prince to deny it."
The Crown Prince had a sudden idea and said, "Prince Chen, surely after you learned the treasonous letters were exposed, you immediately had someone forge letters about forming cliques and then turned the tables on us!"
The Prime Minister, Qin Zheng, interjected.
"The dowry maidservant said the letters were in the storehouse, yet these letters were found in the bridal chamber. Moreover, the handwriting on the letters is undoubtedly that of the Crown Prince and the Second Prince. There can be no mistake."
He wasn't siding with Prince Chen, merely stating the facts.
The Crown Prince and the Second Prince didn't know what evidence Ye Jingchuan had kept of their dealings. Faced with Qin Zheng's pressing questions, they grew flustered.
"The Prime Minister is a civil official. Don't you know handwriting can be forged?"
"As the head of the civil officials, I can naturally distinguish..."
The Emperor only wanted to exterminate the Qi family and wished to avoid complications. He immediately interrupted Qin Zheng.
"Prime Minister Qin, I will investigate the matter of the Crown Prince and the Second Prince forming cliques. Today, we first resolve the issue of Prince Chen's rebellion!"
Qin Zheng bowed. "Your subject obeys the command."
Then, he looked at Qi Yanzhou and demanded, "Your Highness claims the weapons and the voodoo doll are frames by Minister Ye. Do you have any evidence?"
Naturally, Qi Yanzhou could produce no evidence.
"Evidence requires the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review to investigate!"
The Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review snorted coldly. "The evidence is conclusive. What more is there to investigate?"
Ye Chutang, who had been silent until now, spoke up.
"The quantity and source of the weapons must be investigated, the fabric of the voodoo doll must be investigated, and the missing treasonous letters must also continue to be searched for."
As soon as she finished speaking, Concubine Chen said loudly, "Your Majesty, the fabric on this doll is reserved for dragon robes, found only within the palace!"
Having said that, she picked up the voodoo doll and handed it to the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, this fabric is identical to the dragon robe you wear. The one who truly wishes you harm is someone within the palace who has access to dragon robes!"
The weaving technique for dragon robes was complex, achievable only with special looms within the palace.
The Emperor looked at the fabric identical to that of his dragon robe, the veins at his temples throbbing with rage.
That fool Ye Jingchuan actually used dragon robe fabric for a voodoo doll? Was he afraid people wouldn't know Prince Chen was being framed?
Wait, how would Ye Jingchuan have fabric used for dragon robes?
He thought of all the garments stolen from the Needlework Bureau and ground out two words through clenched teeth.
"Ghost Thief!"
His voice wasn't loud, but those gathered around the Emperor heard it.
The Old Prince, who had been slumped on the ground, regained a spark in his eyes and immediately rose to kneel properly.
"Your Majesty is wise! The 'Ghost Thief' can go anywhere, do anything. He must have placed the weapons and the voodoo doll in Zhou'er's courtyard to frame him!"
The Emperor hadn't expected his well-laid plan to devolve like this. He was so angry his chest hurt.
Fortunately, he had instructed Ye Jingchuan to place over ten thousand weapons in the dowry chests.
Even without the treasonous letters and the voodoo sorcery, that alone was enough to have the Chen Prince's estate confiscated and the family executed!
"These weapons are covered in dust, clearly having been stored in the warehouse for a long time. Don't think pushing the blame onto the 'Ghost Thief' will work."
Qi Yanzhou looked at the pile of weapons and said, "Your Majesty, these weapons number at most three thousand. Even if everyone in the Chen Prince's estate were masters, we could not defeat the Imperial Guards and the palace's elite fighters."
The Emperor kicked the pile of weapons with his foot.
"Does Prince Chen have no idea how many weapons he actually hid?"
He said to the Commander of the Imperial Guards, "Bring all the weapons here. Let's see how Prince Chen tries to wriggle out of this!"
The Commander of the Imperial Guards leaned close to the Emperor's ear and whispered, "Your Majesty, this is all of them."
Impossible!
The Emperor almost shouted those two words.
"Are you certain? Was the search thorough?"
Could the weapons have been stolen by the "Ghost Thief"?
"This is all from the storehouse. Whether weapons are hidden elsewhere in the Chen Prince's estate, your subject does not know."
The Emperor's gaze fell on Qi Yanzhou, growing increasingly convinced that the "Ghost Thief" was one of his men.
The treasonous letters were switched, the voodoo doll was altered, and the rebel weapons were fewer!
At that moment, more Imperial Guards brought another batch of weapons.
They clattered noisily as they were thrown to the ground.
A look of satisfaction appeared on the Emperor's face. "Prince Chen, what do you have to say for yourself now?"
