Chapter 689: Palace Debate! (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
The two thin sheets of paper seemed to fall on the ground as if they weighed one thousand jun, instantly capturing the attention of the people within the hall. A soft jeer could faintly be heard, and some people already seemed able to see how Li Heng would end up.
Li Heng said nothing. After remaining quiet for a few moments, he kneeled on the ground and picked up the papers.
These were two letters. One of them was from a Great Tang border general, the Fort Inspector General Zhang Yang of Beiting. Anyone with an understanding of the borders of the Great Tang would know that the Great Tang's north had a very long border.
Although the entire north belonged to the Beiting Protectorate, under the command of Vice Protector-General An Sishun, the Beiting Protectorate had also established many forts on the extensive border, with important generals holding them down.
These generals would normally not be under the command of Beiting, and were only responsible for defending their own areas and sending information to the Beiting Protectorate. Once something happened, the Beiting Protectorate would immediately send out reinforcements.
In this aspect, these forts were actually their own miniature courts, with their own independent politics and militaries.
For this reason, the generals in charge of these military forts had a great deal of influence. In addition, the importance of the areas they guarded meant that these generals were also quite powerful. They were all titled generals at the minimum. These two traits meant that all the princes of the palace wished to draw them close.
This Zhang Yang was this kind of border general.
This letter seemed very ordinary, and it discussed a few battles on the border. But in various places, Zhang Yang described his admiration and willingness to follow a certain prince.
Li Heng was quiet for a few moments and then turned to the second letter. But the moment he saw it, his pupils constricted and his complexion paled.
”Unfilial son, is that letter your handwriting?”
The Sage Emperor's voice came from the upper reaches of the hall like a peal of thunder.
Li Heng straightened his body and calmly said, ”It truly does appear very similar to this son's writing.”
”Hmph, Fifth Brother, you're truly very stubborn. You still dare to argue in front of Imperial Father. Can you not even recognize your own handwriting?”
Third Prince Li Ju sneered and took two steps forward, his face filled with disdain.
”Fifth Prince, just confess. While it's true that forming factions and colluding with officials and generals of the court is a serious crime, lying in front of His Majesty carries the charge of deceiving the sovereign, a much heavier crime. Why does Your Highness insist on deceiving yourself and deceiving others by keeping up this resistance?”
The Third Prince's teacher, Yao Zongping, also spoke up at this time.
”Why should this Li Heng have to admit to something he did not do?” Li Heng sternly said.
”Your Highness, the evidence confirms without a doubt that you were exchanging letters and colluding with the Fort Inspector General Zhang Yang. Even your objections are useless. Zhang Yang has already been stripped of his rank and is currently being sent back to the capital. Your Highness should stop with the denials… In truth, His Majesty is still giving you a chance!”
Grand Tutor Chen Yong shook his head, his face filled with disappointment.
A gentleman did not treat their words lightly, and even though princes had committed offenses in the past, the majority of the time, they had admitted their wrongs, allowing the Sage Emperor to lighten the punishment. No one had ever been as confrontational as the Fifth Prince.
And this was certainly no wise course of action.
He originally still had a good impression of the newly-ascendant Fifth Prince, but even that last shred of optimism was now gone.
”There is no need for Grand Tutor to say any more. We shall handle this.”
The Sage Emperor's voice was devoid of emotion.
”Unfilial son, these letters serve as unimpeachable evidence of your crime of colluding with a border general and attempting to form a faction. Since you are not willing to confess, then We will not force you. We ordered someone to search your study for this list of names. Do you recognize the handwriting?”
Thwish! A third sheet of paper cut through the air like a knife as it flew toward Li Heng.
Li Heng extended both hands and took the letter. In an instant, that mighty energy carrying the letter along vanished into nothing.
Li Heng lowered his head and saw that the paper was covered in names. This was the same list of officials that he had given to Wang Chong to review.
”Zuo Honglin, Su Guosheng, Qi Haiqing, Wei Shaoyou, Cui Yi, Lu Jianjin, Li Han, and even Wei Lan and Wei Zhi of the Wei Clan… Unfilial son, just what are you up to?”
With these last words, the Sage Emperor thumped a palm down. For a moment, the entire hall quaked. All the princes and teachers, even the Grand Tutor and Grand Preceptor, paled and fell silent.
After spending so many years at the Sage Emperor's side, the Grand Tutor and Grand Preceptor were both well aware that in this situation, the Sage Emperor was truly furious.
If Fifth Prince Li Heng maintained his denial and remained insensible to reason, then what awaited him was a punishment far more severe than the one for forming factions.
Fifth Prince Li Heng might not only end up being imprisoned. His future prospects would all be ruined, and he might not even be able to live as a normal commoner. Even his teacher and his servants could be punished.
In the worst situation, Li Heng might not even be able to keep his life.
And all this depended on Li Heng's next few words.
”Imperial Father, this son knows that no matter what I say, you will not believe it, and if Imperial Father says that this list was found in my study, then this son knows that this must be true.”
Li Heng's voice rang out in everyone's ears.
”But this son can confess to Imperial Father that this list was not written by your son. I do not know who is framing your son, nor how they entered my study and placed this list within. However, no matter how much thought they put into it, all the safeguards they had planned, even the wisest sage pondering a matter one thousand times can still make a single mistake and leave behind a flaw.”
”Oh?”