Phoenix Cries Return to Court

Li Zhong's face was deathly pale, and he was trembling like a leaf. He lowered his head and dared not meet Fu Yanzhi's gaze.

When the officials were criticizing the Crown Prince, he was the most active one, constantly fanning the flames and making his claims so convincing that he almost accused Fu Chen of being the murderer. Now that the truth has come out and with the Junior Grand Secretary and Imperial Physician Zhang vouching for him, he is already terrified, fearing that Emperor Sheng will hold him accountable.

"Judge Zhang," Fu Yanzhi said in a deep voice, "take the Third Prince away for treatment first."

Judge Zhang bowed and accepted the order. Not daring to delay for even a moment, he led his men to carefully lift Fu Jie onto the stretcher and hurriedly left.

Fu Yanzhi pondered for a moment, then looked at the culprit, his eyes filled with suppressed anger. "Commander Li, just now when the officials were discussing the matter, you repeatedly fanned the flames, insisting that the Crown Prince had murdered the Third Prince. What is your intention in maliciously slandering the Crown Prince like this?"

He paused, his tone suddenly turning cold, "Could it be that you are the one who secretly plotted and framed the Crown Prince?"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhong's pupils dilated, and he knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly. His voice trembled as he cried out, "Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me! I didn't! I absolutely did not frame His Highness the Crown Prince! My loyalty to Your Majesty is unwavering, heaven and earth can bear witness. My words just now were merely a moment of panic, that's why I uttered those muddled things. But I truly did it for Your Majesty's sake, for the sake of the royal family's reputation! I beg Your Majesty, spare me! I beg Your Majesty, spare me!"

He kept kowtowing, murmuring "Your Majesty, spare my life." Tears streamed down his face, and he was no longer the imposing figure he usually was as the commander of the guards. All that remained was an ugly display of cowardice and fear.

The officials present looked at him with disdain and began to discuss his inconsistent behavior, calling him a sycophant and opportunist.

Fu Yanzhi snorted coldly, his anger surging, but he also understood that this meticulous plan could not have been completed by him alone, and now was not the best time to investigate it further.

Thinking of this, he looked at the person in front of him, and the sharp look in his eyes made Li Zhong shudder again.

"For the sake of your many years of service, I will spare your life for now, but you will not escape punishment!"

"By imperial decree, Li Zhong is removed from his post as Commander of the Imperial Guards and given fifteen strokes of the cane as punishment! If this happens again, he will be executed without mercy!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for sparing my life! Thank you, Your Majesty, for sparing my life!" Upon hearing this, Li Zhong hurriedly kowtowed to express his gratitude. He was already extremely fortunate to have his life spared.

Two guards quickly stepped forward, one on each side, and lifted Li Zhong up. Just as they were about to drag him away, Fu Yanzhi's narrow phoenix eyes darkened, and a sharp glint swept across the eunuch Wang standing beside him. The eunuch Wang understood, cleared his throat, and said loudly, "Stop!"

"Where do you intend to take this man for execution? Since he has so blatantly wronged the Crown Prince, distorting the truth and confusing the public, this caning will be carried out right here and now, in front of all the officials and the hunting party, so that everyone can see the consequences of slandering the Crown Prince and deceiving His Majesty!"

These words caused an uproar, which quickly turned into a deathly silence. Everyone knew perfectly well that Eunuch Wang's meaning was Fu Yanzhi's meaning.

The guards quickly stepped forward and pinned Li Zhong to the ground. The executioner, holding a thick jujube wood staff, raised it high and brought it down hard at the eunuch Wang's signal, thus beginning the execution.

A heavy thud of a cane striking the ground rang out, followed by Li Zhong's agonizing roar. The jujube wood cane was incredibly powerful, and with each strike, Li Zhong's cries grew hoarse and weak. He gripped the ground tightly with his fingers, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. Soon, blood soaked through his clothes, slowly dripping down and forming a pool of blood beneath him—a horrifying sight. His consciousness gradually faded, leaving only the pain that penetrated to his very bones.

The room was silent, the atmosphere was extremely cold. The ministers who had been jumping the loudest just now were now red-faced and trembling, their hearts in their throats, fearing they would be next.

"Fifteen!" As the executioner's loud count ended, Li Zhong could no longer hold on. His head lolled to the side, and he completely lost consciousness. Two guards quickly stepped forward and dragged the half-dead Li Zhong away.

Fu Yanzhi coldly surveyed the crowd, then his expression suddenly changed, and he said gently, "Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, I hope that all of you will refrain from spreading rumors. If I find out that anyone is deliberately spreading rumors and confusing the public, I will not let them off lightly."

Upon hearing this, everyone present felt as if they had been granted a pardon and hurriedly and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, we obey!"

"The hunt continues," Emperor Sheng announced loudly. With that, he cracked his whip and led his men hastily into the forest on horseback.

……

As the sun set and the hunt ended, Fu Chen returned to his tent.

As soon as she entered the tent, she felt completely exhausted and, with the help of Eunuch Zhou, she staggered toward the bed.

His face was pale, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably. He felt a dull pain in his heart, and his mind was filled with memories of what had just happened at the hunting grounds.

The accusations from the officials, the emperor's suspicion, his own despair, Shen Jueyan's courageous act, and the testimony of Judge Zhang—every scene left him with lingering fear.

"Your Highness, please drink some water and rest to catch your breath." Eunuch Zhou had heard a little about what happened today, and seeing his master in this state, he felt even more distressed. He quickly turned around, walked to the table, picked up the white porcelain teapot, poured a cup of warm tea, and brought it to Fu Chen.

Fu Chen took the white jade cup, but his hands trembled uncontrollably, spilling a lot of tea onto his clothes. He was completely unaware of this, just staring blankly into space, as if he had lost his soul.

The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became. If Shen Jueyan hadn't arrived in time, if Judge Zhang hadn't stepped forward, if that testimony had come a moment later, what would his fate have been today?

His heart clenched again, and an indescribable sense of grievance welled up inside him. He had never thought of hurting his younger brother, nor had he ever thought of rebelling. So why would someone frame him like this, trying to push him into an abyss of no return?

Just as he was feeling uneasy and his thoughts were in disarray, he heard hurried footsteps outside the tent, and Zhou Gonggong's slightly surprised voice came from his ear, "Your Highness, Lady Wen has arrived."

Fu Chen's heart stirred, and he suddenly raised his head, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

Lin Xi, dressed as a maid, hurried in. Seeing her grandson's distracted state, she felt a pang of heartache. "Your Highness, are you alright?"

She slowly stepped forward, walked to Fu Chen's side, took out her handkerchief, and carefully wiped away the tea stains that had just been spilled on him. Looking at the gentle and kind eyes of the person before him, all of Fu Chen's strength and pretense completely collapsed at this moment.

He could no longer hold back. He reached out and hugged Lin Xihe tightly, nestling in her arms. The emotions he had suppressed for so long finally burst forth, and he burst into tears.