Chapter 631: The Truth About the Tranquility Amulet
Chapter 631: The Truth About the Tranquility Amulet
A glint of suspicion flashed in his eyes, followed by a hint of disbelief.
He examined the Tranquility Amulet meticulously, not missing a single detail.
Lu Yuan observed his expression closely, thinking that the item given by the Retired Emperor truly had something to do with the Qin Wang Mansion.
For a moment, he had doubted the authenticity of the item.
He had thought the Retired Emperor's goal was to deal with the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion.
The massacres at the Shang General's Residence and the Chu Wang Mansion were both linked to the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion.
The Retired Emperor's hatred for the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion was no less than his own or Meng Qianqian's.
To lure him into confronting the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, the cunning old fox might have fabricated a false token to push him into the open.
After much deliberation, he had refrained from presenting this dubious token.
Now that the score was settled and he no longer feared the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion using it against him, he decided it was safe to try it with his grandfather.
From the results of this test, the Tranquility Amulet seemed to be a genuine token?
The Liang Emperor frowned and asked, "Where did you get this item?"
"It was given to me by the Retired Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty."
Lu Yuan answered truthfully, "He asked me to bring this token to meet an old acquaintance at the Qin Wang Mansion."
"An old acquaintance? Your great-grandfather?"
The Liang Emperor murmured.
Though he and the Retired Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty were of the same generation, they had no interaction. It was his father who had traveled to the Great Zhou Dynasty in his youth.
"Did the Retired Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty mention who this item belonged to?"
He inquired.
Lu Yuan shook his head. "No, Grandfather, is it truly from the Qin Wang Mansion?"
The Liang Emperor tightened his grip on the Tranquility Amulet. "Yes."
---
After Hu Lie's defeat, the calls for dealing with the Hu family grew louder. In the court, some ministers defended the Hu family, while others impeached them, and the arguments were incessant.
In the past, the Liang Emperor would have quelled the opposition, but this time, he closed the court for three days and entrusted the investigation to the Crown Prince.
Everyone had expected the Crown Prince to be gentle and benevolent, but to their surprise, his methods were ruthless and decisive, making the entire court speechless.
He uprooted the problem at its source, showing no mercy, and everyone saw a younger version of the Liang Emperor.
Who said Prince Jin was the son who best inherited the Liang Emperor’s true teachings?
Clearly, the Crown Prince was the one!
Though Hu Lie was dead, the crimes of him and the Hu family were numerous and heinous.
The Crown Prince presented the gathered evidence in court, and the three judicial offices conducted a thorough review, intent on dismantling the Hu family.
Hu Lie's head was taken by Han Qi of the Black Armor Army, acting first and reporting later.
In the Hu family's hearts, the Liang Emperor would never be so heartless toward them.
They had hoped the Emperor would reject the Crown Prince's memorandum, but they only received the imperial edict to exterminate the Hu family.
The Hu family was utterly panicked.
In the Diligent Governance Hall.
The Liang Emperor was reviewing the Crown Prince's memorandum when Xiao Dezi reported that members of the Hu family were seeking an audience.
The Liang Emperor casually flipped through a memorandum. "Do not see them."
Xiao Dezi glanced at Yu Gong Gong for help.
Yu Gong Gong's eyes flickered, and he lightly rebuked, "His Majesty has already said he will not see the Hu family. Who is so lacking in judgment?"
Xiao Dezi hurriedly said, "It's an elder from the Hu family, who says... he changed Your Majesty's diapers when you were a child."
His voice trailed off; such a disrespectful claim, the Hu family dared to say, but he dared not repeat it.
Yu Gong Gong subtly looked at the Liang Emperor.
The Liang Emperor closed the memorandum. "Bring him in."
The Hu Clan Elder was led to the imperial presence.
He was a few years older than the Liang Emperor, already in his twilight years, and needed to be supported by his descendants to walk.
If it weren't for the life and death of the entire Hu family, he wouldn't have gone through such trouble.
"Your humble servant..."
He was about to bow to the Liang Emperor.
The Liang Emperor glanced at the frail Hu Clan Elder and instructed his descendants, "You may leave."
The two did not hesitate and obediently left.
The elder was truly pitiful, unable to take care of himself, yet he was brought here to try to save the family.
Yu Gong Gong stood by his side.
He took two shaky steps and finally knelt down with great difficulty. "Your Majesty... the Hu family is guilty!"
The Liang Emperor coldly snorted. "If you know you are guilty, accept your punishment."
The Hu Clan Elder was taken aback by the Liang Emperor's cold words.
"Your Majesty!"
The Liang Emperor ignored him.
Yu Gong Gong poured a cup of hot tea for the Liang Emperor.
The Hu Clan Elder asked in anguish, "Your Majesty, are you truly going to treat the Hu family this way? The Hu family is the Empress Dowager's maternal clan! How can the Empress Dowager rest in peace in the Nine Springs if you do this?"
The Liang Emperor coldly asked, "Is it my mother who cannot rest in peace, or are you Hu family members afraid of death?"
The Hu Clan Elder was speechless for a moment before he managed to speak. "Your Majesty, the Late Emperor decreed that the Hu family should never be touched. Are you going to defy the Late Emperor's command?"
He laughed bitterly, as if remembering something. "Since Your Majesty met Huang Changsun, your personality has changed. I didn't believe it before, but now I see it's true. I wonder what kind of love potion Huang Changsun gave you to make you turn against your own maternal grandfather!"
The Liang Emperor looked at him calmly. "Is Hu Sheng truly my maternal grandfather?"
Hu Sheng, the father of the Empress Dowager.
The Hu Clan Elder met the Liang Emperor's sharp gaze and felt a jolt in his heart.
The Liang Emperor flipped through the memorandum. "I will definitely eradicate the Hu family. Whether I spare a few heads depends on how much you know."
The Hu Clan Elder said, "But someone is spreading lies to Your Majesty—"
Before he could finish, the Liang Emperor took out the Tranquility Amulet given to him by Lu Yuan.
Yu Gong Gong took the Tranquility Amulet and handed it to the Hu Clan Elder.
The Hu Clan Elder was confused.
Then Yu Gong Gong produced another one.
The Hu Clan Elder's face changed.
Yu Gong Gong advised meaningfully, "Elder, it's better to confess and avoid unnecessary suffering."
The Hu Clan Elder fell to the ground, his thoughts drifting back to many years ago. At that time, he was just a child, not yet ten years old.
At his age, he should have forgotten his childhood, and he indeed hadn't thought about it for many years.
But when it was mentioned, he realized how vividly he remembered those moments.
The first time he went to the Qin Wang Mansion with his father, he saw Prince Qin Heir returning on horseback, with a woman in simple clothes sitting behind him.
"Mother, she's a fairy!"
He pointed at the woman.
His mother covered his mouth. "Shh, don't say such things."
Later, he learned from his parents' conversations that Prince Qin Heir had married a common woman while quelling a rebellion in the south.
But the Qin King disapproved of the marriage.
He had already promised to marry the Hu family's daughter.
A common woman was far less valuable than the Hu family's heiress.
After that, he visited the Qin Wang Mansion a few more times but never saw that woman again.
Rumors said she had disappeared.
Another rumor said that Prince Qin Heir had quarreled with his father over her and left the Southwest, not returning for two years. (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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