Rebirth: Pampered by the Lord-Chapter 1947: It Was All a Misunderstanding
Soon, over a dozen men in black, covered in blood from being beaten, were brought in by Long Rui’s subordinates.
These men in black had disheveled hair, faces full of blood, and their clothes were torn in places. They walked with a limp, looking miserable.
Among them were some who were blinded, stumbling as they walked.
When the Prime Minister saw them, his face changed dramatically. These men in black were all his subordinates. He never dreamed that Long Rui would bring them to Taihe Hall.
"Kneel down."
The guard fiercely kicked the knee of the man in black.
"Thud." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
The men in black all knelt on the ground.
In fact, without the guards’ kick, inside Taihe Hall, not only was it splendid and magnificent, but also heavily guarded, as the saying goes, guards every five steps, sentries every three.
With so many civil and military officials standing in the center of the hall to pay obeisance to the Emperor, the men in black had long been so frightened that their legs weakened. Their knees naturally fell to the ground, and the kick from the guards only added to their pain.
The Emperor furrowed his brows and asked, "Who are those kneeling below?"
Long Rui coldly replied, "Reporting to the Emperor, they are the men in black who attacked the War Prince’s Mansion that night. According to their confession, the Prime Minister is the mastermind behind it. I beseech the Emperor to deliver justice for me."
Although Long Rui spoke of beseeching, his tone was extremely arrogant, not at all like someone begging. The Emperor gritted his teeth in anger, yet could do nothing about him. Looking at the situation, not only could he not deal with the War Prince, but he might also have to help him confront the Prime Minister.
At this moment, the Emperor felt a blockage in his heart. With both The Petition of the People and several living witnesses, if he continued to favor the Prime Minister, his imperial authority would be gone, and the common people would scorn him.
Thus, the Emperor had no choice but to pin his hopes on the men in black, hoping they wouldn’t admit the Prime Minister to be the mastermind.
"Listen carefully, prisoners below, I have questions for you. You must answer truthfully. If there is any injustice or anyone has coerced you, speak out, and I will ensure your safety."
This segment from the Emperor was full of implied meaning, suggesting that if the War Prince had coerced them into falsely incriminating the Prime Minister, now was the time to speak, and he would stand by them.
The men in black looked at each other in panic, failing to understand the Emperor’s meaning.
"Spare us, Your Majesty; we acted under orders. The attack on the War Prince’s Mansion was all under the instructions of the Prime Minister. We had no choice but to comply. We plead for mercy, spare our lives!"
The Prime Minister heard with his own ears the words of betrayal from his subordinates, and his face turned pale. These subordinates were meticulously selected by him, rigorously trained to become his lethal weapons. He originally believed they were loyal and wouldn’t easily betray him, but he was one move short. Truly, success and failure both due to Xiao He.
The Prime Minister felt as though he wanted to cry but had no tears.
The Emperor’s face changed slightly, thinking to himself, how could the Prime Minister’s subordinates have no backbone whatsoever, being scared by the War Prince to the point of betraying their master, truly useless.
The Emperor looked at the Prime Minister and asked, "Prime Minister, step forward and take a good look. Are these men yours?"
"Yes."
Having navigated the Imperial Court for decades, the Prime Minister, despite being frightened, appeared very calm on the surface and didn’t seem unnerved by these witnesses.
He stepped forward, circled the men in black several times, and after carefully examining them, said, "Reporting to the Emperor, I do not recognize them."
