How can you rule the world if I'm just a substitute for you?

Just then, Emperor Qian spoke in a deep voice: "Gao Zhong, Wei Hu said that the 300,000 dan of official grain was deposited in his private residence under the pretext of repairing the official granary. Is this true?"

Before Gao Zhong could even respond, the Third Prince Lin Fu stepped forward and said sternly, "Gao Zhong! The evidence against Grand Tutor Shen is irrefutable; you can't deny it. Now that you're before His Majesty, you'd better confess and submit to the law. Tell us everything—who instigated it, and who conspired with them!"

While he was saying he wanted to recruit accomplices, his eyes kept glancing at Wei Hu, his words carrying a strong implication.

Gao Chong knelt on the ground and instantly understood what the Third Prince meant.

Gao Chong kowtowed to the ground, his voice trembling but each word clear: "Your Majesty, it is not so! Marquis Wei Hu was not deceived by me at all. He did not falsely accuse Grand Tutor Shen of embezzling government grain. He was my accomplice! He personally arranged for the 300,000 dan of government grain to be transported into the Wei family manor. He also agreed with me that once the storm had passed, the grain would be sold, and the proceeds would be split 50/50 with me!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Hu suddenly looked up, his eyes red, and stood up abruptly, pointing at Gao Zhong: "Gao Zhong! You're slandering me! It was clearly you..."

"Wei Hu!"

A sharp shout suddenly rang out, and Duke Qin Lie stepped forward, his gaze as sharp as knives fixed on him, his tone carrying undisguised authority, "Now that things have come to this, the evidence of falsely accusing Grand Tutor Shen and embezzling official grain is irrefutable. You should honestly confess your crimes and stop spouting nonsense and implicating others! You surely understand the principle of leniency for those who confess, don't you?"

The last phrase, "confess and you will be treated leniently," was emphasized heavily. It was ostensibly a warning, but in reality, it was a blatant threat.

Wei Hu stiffened, swallowing back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Looking into Qin Lie's icy gaze, and then glancing at the Third Prince Lin Fu, whose eyes were lowered and whose face was expressionless, his heart instantly turned cold.

He then fully realized that from the very beginning, he had been a pawn pushed out to take the blame.

Just then, Lin Xuan spoke calmly: "Father, I think what Marquis Wei said makes sense. He shouldn't be Gao Zhong's accomplice, but rather he was deceived by Gao Zhong."

As soon as Lin Xuan finished speaking, the Taihe Hall fell silent.

All six pairs of eyes fell on the Crown Prince. Everyone in the court knew that Wei Hu was a trusted confidant of the Duke of Zhenguo, and also the Third Prince's right-hand man.

The Crown Prince nearly died at the Wei residence tonight. Logically, we should be relentlessly pursuing him, so why are we instead making excuses for him?

Wei Hu froze on the spot, staring blankly at Lin Xuan, almost thinking he had misheard.

Just now in the mansion, he had ordered that this person's head be taken, and the other party actually turned around and spoke up for him?

Emperor Qian, seated on the dragon throne, lightly tapped the armrest with his fingertips, stared at Lin Xuan for a moment, and then suddenly chuckled softly.

He had originally intended to use this case to see the duel between the two, but he didn't expect Lin Xuan to take this step. Things are getting more and more interesting.

The Third Prince Lin Fu's expression changed slightly, and a terrible thought suddenly popped into his mind. Lin Xuan was able to accurately find out about the Wei family's hidden grain, and tonight he spoke up for Wei Hu against his usual behavior. Could it be that Wei Hu had secretly betrayed them and sided with the Crown Prince?

Qin Lie frowned, his gaze towards Wei Hu now filled with scrutiny and coldness.

Lin Xuan remained calm and stepped forward to continue, "Father, when I visited the Wei residence last night, I examined it carefully. The grain was still piled up in the granary untouched, with no signs of being sold or transferred."

The Wei family has been a military family for generations. If they truly intended to embezzle government grain, they would never have openly stored 300,000 dan of stolen goods in their private granary. Your subject believes that Lord Wei must have been misled by Gao Zhong's words and failed to verify the information, thus being deceived.

Emperor Qian raised his eyes and swept them over the six ministers below the steps, speaking calmly: "My dear ministers, what do you think of what the Crown Prince said?"

The hall fell silent instantly. The six ministers looked at each other, none of them daring to step forward and answer.

The Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Rites, who had always maintained a neutral stance, felt that the current situation was too strange. Wei Hu was clearly a confidant of the Third Prince, yet the Third Prince himself had not spoken up to defend him. On the contrary, the Crown Prince took the initiative to exonerate him. No one could figure out the depth of the situation, and the more they said, the more mistakes they would make. So they simply decided to wait and see.

Although the three officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Personnel belong to the Third Prince's faction, it was clear just now that the Third Prince and the Duke of Zhenguo had decided to sacrifice the pawn to save the king, and had already abandoned Wei Hu.

Their attempts to defend themselves now are not only useless, but will likely backfire.

Moreover, no one could understand why the Crown Prince would speak up for Wei Hu out of character. Unable to figure out his intentions, they dared not speak rashly, each determined to avoid making mistakes by speaking too much, and thus remained silent.

The hall remained silent for a long time before Fu Youde, the Minister of Revenue, stepped forward, bowed, and mumbled, "Your Majesty, I believe that His Highness the Crown Prince has considered all the details. This matter is entirely up to Your Majesty's decision."

With a single, innocuous sentence, the decision-making power was once again returned to Emperor Qian.

Emperor Qian nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd below the steps before finally settling on Gao Zhong. His tone turned cold: "In that case, the case is clear. Gao Zhong, the Vice Minister of Revenue, has committed embezzlement and framed an official of the court. The evidence is conclusive. He is sentenced to immediate execution, his property confiscated, and his family exiled three thousand li away."

He paused, then looked at Wei Hu: "Marquis Wei Hu, for neglecting to inspect and secretly storing official grain in his private residence, has committed a dereliction of duty. He shall be fined three years' salary, stripped of his power as a patrol officer in the capital region, and ordered to reflect on his mistakes in seclusion for three months."

Upon hearing the verdict, some people breathed a sigh of relief, while others were filled with surprise and doubt.

Wei Hu was stunned for a few seconds before he reacted and hurriedly kowtowed: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness!" His back was already covered in cold sweat, but he completely believed his daughter's words. Wei Lingxi said she could protect the Wei family and she really did it.

The Third Prince Lin Fu and Qin Lie exchanged a glance, both seeing doubt in each other's eyes.

The Crown Prince took the initiative to defuse the situation, and the Emperor gently put it down. It seemed as if Wei Hu had already made a deal with the Crown Prince, and the thorn in their hearts had been completely planted.

Emperor Qian hesitated for a moment, then glanced at the Third Prince Lin Fu before turning to Wei Hu and slowly speaking, "I remember that your eldest daughter, Wei Lingxi, is engaged to the Third Prince?"

Wei Hu was taken aback, completely unprepared for the emperor to suddenly bring up his children's marriage. He quickly bowed his head and replied, "Your Majesty, this is indeed the case."

"Since the Wei family has violated the law, this marriage should not be discussed further." Emperor Qian's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. "Do you have any objections to the Wei family dissolving the engagement with the third son?"

After these words were spoken, the hall fell silent once more.

Wei Hu was taken aback for a moment, then quickly kowtowed: "Your Majesty, I... will leave everything to Your Majesty's decision."

He quickly considered the matter in his mind. It was certainly a pity to break off the engagement, but compared to the execution of his entire family and the destruction of his clan, this price was nothing.

Emperor Qian then looked at the Third Prince, Lin Fu: "Third Prince, Wei Hu has committed a crime, and I have no choice but to punish him. This engagement is dissolved, and I will find you a more suitable marriage in the future. Do you have any objections?"

Lin Fu's mind was in turmoil, and he couldn't figure out his father's intentions at all.

But when his father spoke, how could he dare to utter a single word of dissent? He could only bow and reply, "Your subject will obey Your Majesty's arrangements." However, his hand, hidden in his sleeve, was already clenched tightly.

Emperor Qian nodded slightly, and just when everyone thought the matter was over, he changed the subject and looked at Lin Xuan.

"Since the eldest daughter of the Wei family has dissolved her engagement with the third son," he looked at Lin Xuan, his tone calm yet firm, "the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace now only has the Crown Princess, and the position of concubine is still vacant. I will bestow another marriage upon you, and give you Wei Lingxi as your concubine. What do you say?"