Chapter 167: The Fox And The Wolf Tighten Their Net

Xiao Zai felt like he'd been waiting his whole life for this moment. The irate look on his father's face was the sweetest sight.

The King got up from the throne and pointed an accusing finger at Chu Yun. "How dare you? Guards, arrest him at once."

The guards stationed inside the throne room faltered for only a moment, after all, this was a sort of official hearing, was it not? But their indecision didn't last long before they were moving towards Chu Yun with their weapons at the ready.

Chu Yun barely moved, standing still in the middle of the room.

A wizened voice sounded from behind the throne. "Don't. I want to hear what he has to say."

The King whipped around with a start, looking at the Queen Dowager, now sitting at her usual seat behind the beaded curtain. A servant served the queen a cup of tea from which she took a dainty sip.

"Her Royal Highness can't expect this court to hear this charlatan's vile slander?" The King's tone sounded pleading, almost mellow, as it always did when he addressed the Queen Dowager.

The Queen took another calm sip of her tea. "Why not? If baseless slander is all he has to say, then let him speak." She leaned towards the curtain hiding her from view. "Maybe it will be entertaining for us all."

With an annoyed grunt the King sat back down on the throne, sweeping his large golden sleeves over the armrests. The guards stood down.

Chu Yun had mentioned to him that his father's only weakness was the Queen Mother. That hers was the only approval he had ever wanted, but had been denied all his life.

Maybe if his father hadn't been so unspeakably cruel, Xiao Zai would find it in himself to pity him.

As it stood, he couldn't wait to see him fall.

The King waved reluctantly for Chu Yun to go on.

Chu Yun addressed the gathered ministers. "As your excellencies all know, the late Prince Xiao Yao was accused of treason, and sentenced to death for that crime." He paused only briefly to let his words sink in before saying, "We've found in the late Prince's estate correspondence that he received where it's clear that he knew he was about to be framed for something, and began making arrangements."

He took a stack of yellowed, water-damaged letters from the inside of his pockets and handed it to Xiao Zai who passed it along towards the nearest minister.

The most important letter of all they wouldn't find among the stack.

"We didn't find specific information about how exactly he was incriminated--"

The King let out a snort. "Which is the same as saying you have nothing."

He relaxed visibly into his throne, balancing his bent elbow on the armrest, and his cheek on his closed fist.

Xiao Zai met his superior smirk with one of his own.

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On the one hand, Chu Yun wished they'd had the time to find the definite proof they needed to incriminate the King of forging Xiao Yao's treason attempt -- however, they only needed to plant doubt in the ministers and official's minds. 

The contract, and Chu Ming's quiet presence, were incriminating enough, but the letters proved that the King had been suspected of treason, years before Chu Yun and Xiao Zai could even dream of wrongfully framing him. Most of them detailed several occurrences where the senders, who used pseudonyms or signed off anonymously, detailed they had heard or seen the Xiao An's plans to get rid of his brother.

Even the most septic among them had to ask themselves why the late Prince had been warned his life was in danger by so many people, and gave every sign of preparing himself for the worst.

Who would forge that kind of correspondence? Which would only be relevant decades after the fact -- too late to save Xiao Yao's life?

But Chu Yun wanted all doubt erased from their minds. 

He turned to Xiao Yuan. "His royal highness has suffered recent setbacks, isn't that so?"

Xiao Yuan nodded, with unusual dignity. "My life has been riddled with tragedies, as of late."

"Could his Royal Highness ask for Concubine Peng to join us here?" Chu Yun said, pacing with his hands folded behind his back. "The issue of her miscarriage, and the late Princess Consort's death hasn't been fully resolved."

Xiao Yuan nodded and whispered a few words into the ear of the servant standing next to him, who left the hall at once.

The King raised one hand towards Chu Yun with a mocking laugh. "How are we letting this fox, a foreigner, a stranger, give orders in the seat of the Zui rulers? In this hallowed hall?"

Several ministers exchanged looks among themselves, agreeing with the King's sentiment. This was somewhat vexing for them, even if they needed to get to the bottom of the issue.

"He's speaking in the condition of my husband," Xiao Zai said, meeting his father's cold eyes. "He is too a member of the royal house of Zui, and has been so from the moment we got married. In this same palace."

The King was gearing up for more arguing, but the Queen Dowager cleared her throat, interrupting him. "I'm curious to hear what young Concubine Peng has to say. I suggest we wait for her."

Chu Yun bowed in deference to the Queen Dowager's wisdom. Fuming, the King slammed his fist down on the armrest of the throne.

Chu Yun had expected him to put up more of a fight, but he was easily cowed by the Queen Dowager's words. Perhaps there was more there than a desire to please her. He had to know he was fighting for the throne, for his life, even.

An uncomfortable silence descended over the hall as everyone waited for Concubine Peng's arrival.

At last, the hall's doors flew open again, and Peng Rui walked in, escorted by a servant. She was just as richly dressed as Chu Yun remembered, but her skin looked thinner, sallow somehow.

Her dimmed gaze lit up the moment it fell on the King in his throne.

She sprinted towards the dais and threw herself at the bottom of the stairs.

"Peng Rui asks his Majesty for mercy, this villain and the Second Prince are trying to frame her for the murder of the Princess Consort," she turned her tear-streaked face up towards the King. "Peng Rui would never do that, Peng Rui would never do something outside of his Majesty's orders."

Chu Yun coughed into his fist to hide his smile.

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