I was to be executed by Zhu Yuanzhang, and Empress Ma smashed Zhu Yuanzhang's jade seal.

The brothers Zhan Hui and Zhan Tong exchanged a glance, both seeing deep worry in each other's eyes.

They knew things were serious.

The emperor was blinded by rage and refused to listen to any advice.

Meanwhile, another, even more explosive piece of news began to quietly circulate among officials.

"Have you heard? Her Majesty the Empress stayed up all night in Kunning Palace, maintaining control of the six palaces, and secretly sent people to investigate the clues in the Prince of Ying's armor case, refusing to let the matter be concluded hastily!"

"Is it true? Her Majesty the Empress is known for her wisdom and impartiality. With her secretly investigating, His Highness the Prince might still have a chance!"

"No wonder the capital was peaceful and the harem was orderly last night; it was the Empress who kept things under control!"

The officials discussed amongst themselves, feeling somewhat relieved.

With the entire court at a loss, only Empress Ma remained steadfast in the rear, secretly plotting and becoming the only variable and hope.

Kunning Palace.

When Zhu Biao rushed into the hall, he saw that the lights were neat and orderly, and the atmosphere was solemn and quiet, without any sign of chaos.

Empress Ma sat regally on her phoenix throne, dressed elegantly, with a composed expression and clear, calm eyes. She was carefully reviewing the court's public opinion and clues from the old case of the Prince of Ying's residence, which had been collected by the palace servants, displaying the grandeur of a queen mother.

"Mother!"

Zhu Biao stepped forward quickly, bowed, and looked anxious.

Empress Ma put down the file in her hand, looked up at him, and said in a calm and steady tone, "Biao'er, you've come."

"Mother, now all the officials in the court are advising against this, but Father is resolute in his decision and insists on sentencing Fifth Brother to death for treason. The situation is extremely precarious!"

Zhu Biao looked anxious. "I have offered my advice several times, but to no avail. How can we break this deadlock?"

Empress Ma raised her hand slightly, gesturing for him to sit down. Without the slightest sign of panic or sorrow, she slowly spoke: "The greatest taboo for a ruler is to be biased and suspicious; the greatest taboo for a crown prince is to be passive and blindly obedient. Your father was too obsessed, single-mindedly clearing obstacles for you, but he disrupted the overall situation of the country and misjudged the good and evil in people's hearts."

She was well-versed in the overall situation, and every word she spoke hit the nail on the head: "I'm stabilizing the palace, preventing chaos, and avoiding giving others leverage, all for the sake of the people. Biao'er, you must be practical. You absolutely cannot let the people suffer because of the Zhu family's private affairs. How many dynasties in history have suffered because of royal matters, causing immense suffering to the people?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao suddenly realized his mistake and felt immense admiration.

The Empress Dowager appeared calm and composed, but in reality, she was strategizing and planning carefully before acting, which was far more astute than engaging in impulsive arguments.

"Your Majesty is wise and far-sighted. I was just being shallow and impatient. I will keep in mind the teachings behind the scenes and will never let the people be disturbed because of the Zhu family."

Zhu Biao bowed and apologized.

"You are kind and benevolent, and you also possess the skills of a ruler to maintain balance and a broad perspective. You are a virtuous princess."

Empress Ma's gaze was solemn as she earnestly warned, "Your father killed the fifth prince ostensibly to pave the way for you, but in reality, he was pushing you into a desperate situation. Today he eliminates your meritorious brother, and tomorrow he will eliminate your loyal ministers. In the long run, you will be abandoned by everyone and isolated without any help. You may seem to hold the position of crown prince, but in reality, you are sitting on a precarious wall."

"Your subject understands!"

Zhu Biao's expression was solemn. "My fifth brother is unparalleled in loyalty and bravery, a pillar of the Ming Dynasty, and certainly not a threat! I absolutely cannot stand by and watch him die unjustly, nor can I become the crown prince who harms his own brothers and chills the hearts of all!"

"It's good that you've come to this understanding."

Empress Ma's eyes revealed approval. "Pleading is useless now, and arguing is pointless. The only way is to use their strength against them and prioritize the greater good over personal interests. You are the Crown Prince, and your attitude will be the weathervane of the court and the future of the Ming Dynasty's laws and the hearts of the people."

She looked at Zhu Biao, her words resolute and decisive: "You shall return to court immediately and publicly declare your stance, in the name of the Crown Prince, to defend the Prince of Ying's innocence. State frankly that this case is riddled with doubts and lacks sufficient evidence, and earnestly request Father to convene a joint trial of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers for a thorough and open investigation! You need not force the emperor to abdicate, nor do you need to harm yourself. Simply uphold your principles, adhere to brotherly loyalty and the justice of the court, and use the righteous path of the Crown Prince to counteract the emperor's selfish desires!"

"Only in this way can we stabilize the hearts of the people in the court and the soldiers in the army, and force your father to let go of his obsession, face the injustice, and buy time for the fifth prince to clear his name and turn the tide!"

Zhu Biao suddenly understood, all the confusion in his heart disappeared, and what replaced it was an unprecedented determination.

"Your Majesty's teachings will be heeded!"

He knelt solemnly and kowtowed, his expression grave. "Your subject will uphold justice and protect my fifth brother, and will never allow Father to mistakenly kill loyal officials or harm his own brothers!"

"Go."

Empress Ma nodded slightly, her expression calm and resolute. "Keep your composure, stay calm, act according to the rules, and argue your case based on reason. The situation can eventually be reversed."

Zhu Biao stood up solemnly, bowed respectfully, and then resolutely turned and left, his steps firm, without the slightest hesitation or confusion.

Watching her son's composed and resolute back, Empress Ma sat upright on her phoenix throne, her expression calm and undisturbed.

She never gambled with her life or disrupted the situation; instead, she controlled the overall picture with a strategic vision and broke through deadly situations with wisdom. This was the confidence and magnanimity of a great Ming Dynasty empress.

Northern Garrison Command.

The Imperial Guard's prison.

This place is even more sinister and terrifying than the Heavenly Prison, with an air perpetually thick, irresistible stench of blood.

The walls were covered with all sorts of gruesome torture instruments.

Jiang Huan, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was pacing anxiously back and forth in the main hall.

His forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat.

When the King of England was imprisoned, the court was in an uproar. Officials pleaded for his life, the Queen secretly investigated, and the Crown Prince insisted on protecting him.

These events, one after another, weighed on him like mountains, making it hard for him to breathe.

He was merely a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the emperor's henchman.

But now, he feels like he's being roasted over a fire.

The emperor's order was for him to make the case of the King of England's rebellion irrefutable within three days.

A truly ironclad case requires not only physical evidence, but also…

Witness testimony.

A middle-aged man dressed as a butler in the uniform of the British Royal Palace was dragged in by two captains and thrown on the ground.

He was covered in wounds and on the verge of death, clearly having been tortured.

"Lord Jiang... Lord Jiang..."

The steward's voice was weak, "Your Highness is innocent... those armors, I... I really don't know where they came from..."

Jiang Huan looked at him, a hint of pity flashing in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by ruthlessness.

"Wang Fu, I'll ask you one last time."

Jiang Huan walked up to him, squatted down, and lowered his voice to a whisper, "Those five hundred suits of armor, were they secretly made by the Prince of Ying in preparation for a rebellion?"

"No...it really isn't..."

Wang Fu shook his head desperately, tears mingling with blood.

"Think carefully before you answer."

Jiang Huan's voice was like a venomous snake, full of temptation and threat, "Do you still have a wife and children at home, and an eighty-year-old mother? If you don't confess, they will be executed along with you."

"You...you can't!"

Upon hearing about his family, Wang Fu became agitated, exclaiming, "The punishment should not extend to family members! His Majesty himself said this!"

"His Majesty did say that."

Jiang Huan sneered, "But treason is a heinous crime that punishes nine generations of one's family! Do you think you can protect them by taking the blame all by yourself? You're too naive!"

"If you sign here now and admit that the King of England ordered it, I can assure you that you are merely an accomplice and your crime does not warrant death. I can also petition His Majesty to pardon your family and exile them three thousand miles away, at least giving them a chance to live."

"If you don't confess, your Wang family line will truly end!"

Jiang Huan's words were like a sharp knife, piercing deeply into Wang Fu's heart.

He looked at Jiang Huan's expressionless face and felt a chill in his heart.

He knew he had no other choice.

He was just a lowly steward; how could he possibly outmaneuver the emperor's henchmen?

He closed his eyes, and two streams of tears slid down his cheeks.

"Okay... I confess... I sign it..."

He used his last bit of strength to utter those words.

A smile finally appeared on Jiang Huan's face.

He stood up and winked at the captain next to him.

The captain immediately brought over a pre-written statement and a box of ink.

Wang Fu's hands trembled as he looked at the document that read, "Instigated by Prince Zhu Muying, a conspiracy to rebel has been hatched."

He pressed his bright red fingerprint on his confession.

"very good."

Jiang Huan nodded in satisfaction. "Take him away and keep a close watch on him. Find a doctor to treat his wounds. Remember, he cannot die before he is executed at the Meridian Gate."

"yes!"

The captain dragged the unconscious Wang Fu away.

Jiang Huan picked up the "ironclad evidence" and breathed a long sigh of relief.

With this confession, we can finally give His Majesty an explanation.

With both physical evidence and witness testimony, the King's treason case is now considered a done deal.

As for what the truth is, it's no longer important.

The important thing is that the emperor needs this result.

He was just about to take his confession to Zhu Yuanzhang when a trusted captain rushed in from outside, looking flustered.

"Sir, something terrible has happened! There's been an accident!"

"What's wrong now?"

Jiang Huan's heart jumped again.

"Something terrible has happened outside!"

The captain, panting heavily, said, "A rumor has spread from somewhere, and now every restaurant and teahouse in the capital is talking about one thing!"

"What is it?"

"Everyone's saying...everyone's saying His Highness the Prince was framed! Those five hundred suits of armor...it was His Majesty who deliberately framed him to pave the way for the Crown Prince!"

"What?!"

The confession in Jiang Huan's hand fell to the ground with a thud.

He grabbed the captain by the collar, his eyes wide as saucers: "Where did this message come from?!"

"It's said to have come from Deyunlou! This noon, an old man was shouting loudly in the restaurant, claiming to be a jailer from the Imperial Prison, and that he personally heard His Highness the Prince of Ying crying out for justice in prison, and also said... and also said..."

"What else are you saying? Speak up!"

Jiang Huan was so anxious he was about to explode.

"He also said that His Highness the King of England requested His Majesty to grant him an opportunity to confront the officials face to face! If he cannot produce evidence that he has been wronged, he is not only willing to die, but also willing to donate all the rewards he has received over the years, totaling 300,000 taels of gold and 5 million taels of silver, to the national treasury to fund the military!"

"Furthermore, he said he knew who was framing him, and that person was... was His Highness the Crown Prince!"

boom!

Jiang Huan's mind went blank with a buzzing sound.

It’s over.

It's all over.

This news was even more devastating than the Empress's control of the harem, the Crown Prince's strong defense, and the officials' pleas for mercy!

The stability of the harem and the remonstrances in the court are both controllable domestic and political affairs.

But now, this matter has been exposed to the whole world!

The King of England has been wronged!