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Chapter 156 Beating the Drum to Appeal to the Emperor
royal palace.

If you have something to report, please do so; otherwise, leave the court.

The officials had just finished their court session and were leisurely strolling out of the main hall, discussing the day's affairs in twos and threes.

A peaceful atmosphere.

Suddenly, a rapid and powerful drumbeat pierced through the towering palace walls and the glazed tiles reflecting golden light, entering the main hall.

Everyone stopped in their tracks, exchanging bewildered glances, not understanding what had happened.

Someone finally spoke up first: "It's the Dengwen Drum! Someone has sounded the Dengwen Drum!"

This immediately reminded everyone: "It really is the petition drum outside the palace; someone wants to file a complaint with the emperor!"

"Who? Who is so bold? How many years has it been since anyone dared to touch this petition drum? Could it be that there is urgent intelligence?"

When the drum for petitioning is sounded, it either indicates an urgent military situation or a tremendous injustice.

Even in the dead of night, the emperor would get up to attend court.

At the same time, Imperial Guards rushed in, heading straight for the main hall.

One official couldn't help but ask, "What's going on? Who beat the petition drum?"

The Imperial Guards kept moving, their voices carrying from afar: "Princess Heya!"

Princess Heya of the Duke's Mansion?
This immediately caused an uproar.

Some time ago, Princess Heya caused quite a stir in the capital. Rumors about her were almost constant, providing plenty of fodder for conversation.

Lately, it has been said that she has left the capital and is no longer at the Duke's mansion; no one knows where she has gone.

Why did you go straight to the palace and cause such a commotion as soon as you got back?

Who is she going to sue?

Could it be Master Liang?

But we can't alert the Emperor; the Court of Judicial Review can handle the case. After all, the Drum of Appeal is no joke; one must endure thirty strokes of the cane before the interrogation.

No one dared to leave; everyone wanted to see what was going on.

The Imperial Guards soon came out and summoned Liang Jiang to come in for an audience.

It seems the emperor, who had just dismissed court, has returned.

Amidst everyone's expectant gazes, Liang Jiang, looking travel-worn, strode in.

Her face was solemn, her head held high, her eyes fixed straight ahead, as if she were shouldering some important mission, one that no one dared to disrespect.

Her skin bore the marks of wind and sun, her lips were dry and chapped, and her hair was disheveled; she had clearly traveled a long way and rushed back in a hurry.

It seems this is not a domestic matter of the Duke's mansion, but something serious has happened.

He went straight into the main hall, knelt down to pay his respects to the emperor.

The emperor sat upright on the dragon throne, his face ashen.

"Princess Heya, I heard that you just beat the petition drum, and had a grievance to report?"

Liang Jiang's voice trembled slightly with excitement, yet every word she uttered was powerful and resounding:
"Your Majesty, I, Liang Jiang, wish to file a complaint against the mighty General Tong Shouliang. Two years ago, during the Battle of the Great Rift Valley of Xiliang, he colluded with the Xiliang general Huyan Chao to frame my father for treason and refused to send troops, which led to my father and thousands of vanguard soldiers dying tragically in the Great Rift Valley, sacrificing their lives for their country."

Upon hearing this, a gasp of surprise rippled through the crowd outside the hall, but quickly subsided.

The emperor immediately frowned deeply and asked in a deep voice, "How dare you! Do you know what the crime is if you falsely accuse a high-ranking official of the court?"

Liang Jiang raised her head high, completely fearless: "Your Majesty, I know. That's why I went to Xiliang a few days ago to seek confirmation from Huyan Chao, the Xiliang general at the time, about the truth of what happened two years ago."

Huyan Chao confessed to the conspiracy with Tong Shouliang during the Battle of the Great Rift Valley and was ordered by the King of Xiliang to be executed on the spot.

"Here I have a secret letter from the King of Xiliang to Your Majesty, which clearly states the truth of the battle years ago. Please take a look."

Liang Jiang raised both hands above her head, and Eunuch Lin stepped forward, his hands trembling as he took the secret letter. He then turned and solemnly presented it to the emperor.

The emperor tore open the sealed envelope, took out the secret letter, and glanced at it. He looked Liang Jiang up and down in astonishment, his face filled with disbelief. "Is this really true?"

“Every word I have said is true. Huyan Chao himself has also admitted it to me in person.”

"To seek justice for Liangguo, you actually went to Xiliang alone and personally killed Huyan Chao, the fiercest general of Xiliang?"

Liang Jiang nodded, admitting without hesitation: "Your Majesty, yes."

The emperor's expression darkened further, and anger swept across his face, gathering in his eyes before suddenly erupting.

"He colluded with Xiliang, murdered our Duke, and used this to gain military merit. Tong Shouliang is incredibly audacious! Guards, arrest Tong Shouliang and bring him to the palace! I want to interrogate him personally!"

At his command, someone immediately went out to deliver the imperial decree.

The officials outside the hall immediately erupted in discussion.

"The one who colluded with Xiliang back then was actually General Tong?! How is that possible?"

“Princess Heya has all the evidence, so this matter is almost certain. For the past two years, there has been much controversy about whether the Duke of Liang has betrayed the country. Many soldiers have said that there is something fishy going on. Today, the truth has finally come out.”

"Don't believe everything you hear. What good would colluding with Xiliang do for General Tong?"

"Need I say more? The Duke of Liang is incredibly brave. As long as the Duke of Liang is around, Tong Shouliang will never have a chance to rise to prominence. Look at him, ever since the Duke of Liang died in battle, he has risen through the ranks and now holds great power. Who wouldn't be wary of him?"

These words are very convincing. A group of hindsight experts speak with absolute certainty, and before any trial has even taken place, they seem to have already exonerated the Duke of Liang.

"No wonder I haven't seen Princess Heya these past few days. It turns out she left the capital and went to Xiliang?"

"The journey to Xiliang is a long one, a long and arduous one, fraught with dangers and harsh conditions. For a frail woman to have such courage, one can only imagine how many hardships she must have endured along the way."

"She actually managed to kill the fiercest general of Xiliang in the enemy country all by herself. She is truly a rising star, no less than the Duke of Liang back then."

"Not only that, she also gained the approval of the King of Xiliang, who personally wrote a secret letter to testify for her. This Princess Heya is truly remarkable."

……

Liang Jiang knelt in the main hall, listening to the discussions of the officials outside, and was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

The emperor pursed his sharp, thin lips, gazing at the slender figure kneeling at his feet. His eyes darkened, but his voice became much calmer.

“Princess Heya, this trip to Xiliang must have been extremely dangerous, right? How could you, a mere woman, possibly wield such influence in Xiliang, intervene in their court, and persuade the King of Xiliang to willingly write this secret edict to prove the Duke of Liang's innocence?”

Liang Jiang did not hide anything: "Your Majesty, this matter was not within my power; it was the Prince of Pingxi who secretly assisted me."

"Oh? My brother has also gone to Xiliang?" The emperor asked in surprise. "Wasn't he supposed to be returning to Weixi to fetch Consort Xie back to the capital?"

Liang Jiang followed the story they had agreed on: "On my way to Xiliang, I happened to meet Your Highness. After learning the truth about the Battle of the Great Rift Valley, Your Highness immediately changed his route to Xiliang and went with me."

"Where is he now?"

“We were ambushed again at Shili Pavilion outside the city. I escaped and entered the palace first under the protection of the Prince.”

"He dares to assassinate even a prince! Tong Shouliang is simply too arrogant!"

The emperor immediately dispatched his guards to meet her, and then asked Liang Jiang, "How did you know the truth about what happened back then?"

"It was General Shanyu, the father of Shanyu Ye, the general who died in battle in Xiliang, who first discovered the truth. Unfortunately, the witness was silenced on the spot by Huyan Chao, so there was nothing that could be done. So he secretly sent someone to deliver a message to me, hoping that I could have some evidence."

"I have no evidence and dare not speak out. I can only go to Xiliang myself to investigate the situation."

Liang Jiang remained calm and composed, handling the situation with ease. Following Gu Xizhi's instructions, she concealed her brilliance and didn't reveal much.

The emperor nodded repeatedly: "Then you were able to bring Huyan Chao to justice in Xiliang, which must have been with the help of this Chanyu Beixiong?"

Liang Jiang readily admitted: "Yes. It was all a scheme devised by Chanyu Beixiong, and Liang Jiang merely assisted from the sidelines."

The emperor waved his hand: "You, a young woman, dared to risk your life alone and go through countless hardships to clear your father's name. For your courage alone, I will temporarily spare you the punishment of beating the drum to appeal to the emperor. Get up."

Galangal got up.

The emperor then asked about her killing of Huyan Chao in Xiliang. Liang Jiang glossed over the details, not daring to boast.

(End of this chapter)