Chapter 361 - 127: Retrial_4
Jiang Li watched coldly, her mind clear. Feng Yutang knew he could not escape death, so by bluntly admitting all faults as his own, he hoped for a quicker end. If he implicated Princess Yongning, he feared not only a worse death for himself but the annihilation of all his concubines and offspring.
Of course, Feng Yutang was not a man of great love, preferring to sacrifice the individual for the greater good. It was simply that in his view, the fear of Princess Yongning’s power was even greater than the fear of the Emperor, thus leading him to make such a decision.
"Lord Zhou," Prince Cheng spoke leisurely, "All the records are noted in the case files. Feng Yutang’s guilt is undeniable, with solid evidence. However, the charges against Xue Huaiyuan have already been reviewed before. In the case of corruption involving Xue Huaiyuan, all the silver taels were found in his residence, along with the account books and witnesses to testify, both human and material evidence is present. Just because Feng Yutang is guilty, it doesn’t prove Xue Huaiyuan’s innocence. Evidence must be respected, and in front of His Majesty, you can’t just extract confessions through torture. Please don’t waste time any longer."
To say such a thing in front of Emperor Hongxiao was exceedingly impolite. Although during court discussion, all ministers are allowed to speak, Prince Cheng’s stance clearly showed a bias towards Feng Yutang.
The other ministers didn’t understand, thinking perhaps that Prince Cheng was only stirring up trouble or disliked the Jiang Family. As it happened, it was Miss Jiang the Second from the Jiang Family who brought up the case against the Xue Family, hence his aggressive approach. Yet to Emperor Hongxiao’s ears, these words had a different implication.
Ye Shijie’s report involved Yongning, and if it weren’t for Prince Cheng’s actions today, Emperor Hongxiao might have suspected a misunderstanding. However, with Prince Cheng’s behavior, he could instantly confirm that the matter was related to Yongning, and it was no falsehood. Prince Cheng’s attitude clearly indicated he was aware of the case’s details.