Witnesses in the Hall?

What does His Majesty mean by this?!

The ministers in the hall were utterly baffled.

It was true that the Jiangzuo Prince held a noble status, but in order to conceal his ambitions, he usually acted like a pleasure-seeker, staying away from the center of power. His presence in the imperial capital wasn't very strong.

Therefore, the ministers hadn't expected such a wealthy idler to cause any trouble. They simply assumed that Jiang Chen was unhappy with the memorial from the Zhenhai Regional Commander proposing a marriage alliance, and that was why he was dealing with the Jiangzuo Prince.

Just as everyone was filled with suspicion, a middle-aged man with half an arm missing was escorted into the hall.

His refined and honest appearance drew several gasps.

"Hiss, isn't this the divine physician from beyond the realm? How did he become like this?"

"Could it be that the divine physician's injuries are related to the Jiangzuo Prince? If that's the case, I must seek justice for the divine physician!"

"Exactly! My wife just had the divine physician examine her pulse a few days ago, and he cured her chronic illness. If he was harmed by the Jiangzuo Prince, I will definitely lend a hand!"

The ministers' discussions caused Jiang Chen, who was seated at the head of the hall, to glare coldly.

This fellow had only been in the capital for a few days and had already made contact with so many important officials. He couldn't believe there was no conspiracy!

Fortunately, it was discovered early, so a great disaster had been averted.

Jiang Chen pondered with a grim expression and said in a cold voice, "Divine physician from beyond the realm? It seems that you esteemed ministers have been greatly deceived!"

"Chacai, confess yourself. Tell us all the dirty things you've done over the years, so that my ministers can hear it."

"And judge whether I should clean house and deal with the Jiangzuo Prince and his accomplices!"

Called by name, the Gu Master leader trembled and immediately knelt down. Amidst the astonished and uncertain gazes of everyone in the hall, he slowly recounted the events.

From colluding with the Fire Worship Sect to the poison that had made its way into the palace, to the murders in the imperial capital, and the privately raised army in the subordinate cities... he followed Jiang Chen's hints perfectly, placing all the blame on the Jiangzuo Prince.

He resolutely identified him as the mastermind!

During the process, the ministers' expressions changed constantly—confusion, shock, anger, hatred... Their impression of the Jiangzuo Prince completely changed, filled with wariness.

There was also some worry.

Especially those officials who had consulted Chacai or had dealings with the Jiangzuo Prince. The expressions on their faces were even more colorful, alternating between green and purple, as if they wished they could tear the two men into pieces to vent their hatred.

Just as the atmosphere was gradually solidifying, the Marquis of Chengen, who was standing in the midst of the nobility and never stood out in court meetings, stepped forward.

He memorialized, "Your Majesty, the foreign bandits are always cunning. You must not convict the Jiangzuo Prince based solely on his one-sided account!"

"Otherwise, wouldn't you be chilling the hearts of the imperial family and the feudal princes throughout the land?"

The Marquis of Chengen was the elder brother of Consort Lü. He was of average intelligence, and his position in court was also ordinary. Even his title was barely obtained through his sister's favor and efforts.

Such a low-key person was now standing out of line, publicly contradicting him, the emperor. He didn't believe there was nothing fishy about it!

His eyes narrowed slightly, Jiang Chen said calmly, "Marquis of Chengen, this Chacai is a foreigner who only arrived in the imperial capital a few days ago. There's no reason for him to frame the Jiangzuo Prince."

"Moreover, I personally supervised last night's interrogation... Are you questioning me?"

Startled by Jiang Chen's unkind tone, the Marquis of Chengen paused for a moment before stubbornly saying, "But Your Majesty, convicting someone requires evidence."

"This bandit keeps accusing the Jiangzuo Prince of treason, but he hasn't provided any evidence. He can't even say where the army is hidden. How can such a full-of-holes statement be convincing?"

"Furthermore, this person is also a missionary of the Fire Worship Sect. This evil cult has repeatedly opposed our Great Wei, inciting border residents to make trouble. This humble subject suspects that this incident is entirely their conspiracy!"

"They want to sow discord between Your Majesty and the Jiangzuo Prince, and cause internal strife in our Great Wei!"

As soon as these words came out, the ministers around him showed some agreement.

Rather than believing that the wealthy idler, Jiangzuo Prince, who never revealed his true colors, was actually a rebellious traitor, they were more willing to believe that it was all a conspiracy of the Fire Worship Sect.

After all, the Jiangzuo Prince's status was not ordinary, and many courtiers had some sort of vested interest with him. Naturally, they didn't want things to develop to the worst possible outcome.

They spoke one after another, "Your Majesty, Marquis Chengen's words are reasonable. The matter of the Jiangzuo Prince is of great importance and requires a thorough investigation!"

"This humble subject agrees. If the Jiangzuo Prince is dealt with rashly, it may cause unrest among the feudal princes in various places, and the Great Wei's state may fall into turmoil!"

Prime Minister Pei didn't side with the courtiers this time, and instead said in a compromising manner, "Your Majesty, now that you have already detained the person in your hands, can the subsequent handling be delayed?"

"No matter what, the Jiangzuo Prince is still a prince and your own uncle. Even if you want to deal with him, you should wait for a joint trial by the Three Departments and conduct a thorough investigation before making a decision."

"Acting hastily would be inappropriate!"

Jiang Chen wasn't surprised by their reaction and didn't say anything.

He simply rested his elbow on the dragon throne, expressionlessly overlooking the ministers below, as if they were ants.

His indifferent and oppressive gaze caused the courtiers to gradually quiet down, afraid to make any more noise.

The emperor's majesty was like an abyss, unfathomable and unassailable.

Just as the hall had completely fallen into silence, a joyous shout broke the oppressive atmosphere!

"Report!!!"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, General Xu has already captured the rebel's private soldiers, killing thousands of enemies. All the survivors have surrendered."

"During the clearing of the battlefield, a large number of prohibited military supplies were found hidden in the villages, such as the Great Yellow Crossbows and Modao!" (horse-splitting swords)

"When this humble servant came to report the news, General Xu was already reorganizing his troops and is expected to return to the capital tomorrow morning to report on his duties."

Jiang Chen had been waiting for this victory. Upon receiving the definitive news, he immediately stood up and said, "You have all heard it, haven't you?"

"Based on the information provided by Chacai, Xu Changqing has already eliminated all the hidden private soldiers and confiscated many restricted weapons."

"With the testimony of witnesses and the evidence of material objects, what reason do you have to stop me?"

Hearing this, the Marquis of Chengen's forehead was covered in sweat as he racked his brains for a countermeasure. The other ministers also looked thoughtful.

Maintaining a private army and possessing forbidden weapons were both capital crimes that could result in the execution of the entire clan. Not to mention the emperor's anger, even the ministers couldn't help but frown upon hearing the news.

Too arrogant, too reckless!

After a moment of silence, order gradually returned to the Golden Luan Hall.

The officials who had originally stepped forward to plead for the Jiangzuo Prince silently retreated back into the ranks, leaving only the Marquis of Chengen, who was still persisting.

He stubbornly argued, "Your Majesty, this humble subject believes that the evidence is still insufficient."

"To condemn a prince to death based solely on an army of unknown origin and this so-called 'witness' is difficult to convince the public!"

Jiang Chen's face instantly froze.

If his opposition earlier could be considered somewhat reasonable, the Marquis of Chengen was now just being deliberately obstructive!