The Sickly Regent Prince Who Was Abandoned as a Substitute Bride

Chapter 615

Zhao Xuan, riding a lean horse and dressed in plain clothes, with only two bodyguards behind him, had just passed through the tall city gate when he was stopped by a squad of heavily armored Imperial Guards. The leading captain, sword drawn, stood on his horse and shouted expressionlessly, "Is the one who comes here Zhao Xuan, the Northwest General?"

“Indeed.” Zhao Xuan reined in his horse, his gaze calmly sweeping over the surrounding soldiers. The civilians coming and going at the city gate were startled by the spectacle and retreated hastily, whispering amongst themselves like a tidal wave—“Is this General Zhao, the one who won the battle?” “I heard he’s plotting a rebellion…” “No way, my nephew is under his command, he says he’s a good man…”

Before Zhao Xuan could speak, Wang Xian's voice came from behind the Imperial Guard: "General Zhao, you have quite the airs, making me wait outside the capital for three days." He stepped forward slowly, holding up the bright yellow imperial edict, "By order of the Emperor, investigate the case of General Zhao Xuan of the Northwest, who is suspected of abusing his power and plotting rebellion. He has been arrested and imprisoned in the Imperial Prison, pending a joint trial by the Three Judicial Offices before further judgment!"

"Treason?" Zhao Xuan dismounted and stared directly at Wang Xian. "On what grounds does Imperial Censor Wang convict me? Is it based on the heads of the Xiongnu I beheaded, or on the blood shed by my brothers?"

"On what grounds?" Wang Xian sneered, waving his hand to signal the Imperial Guards to step forward. "On the grounds of Grand Tutor Zhou's report in court, and on the evidence of your privately accepting surrendered soldiers and opening granaries! Zhao Xuan, do you think you can do whatever you want just because the Northwest is far from the emperor's reach? Now that we're in the capital, let's see how you try to deny it!"

The iron chains of the Imperial Guards clattered to the ground, their icy touch instantly wrapping around Zhao Xuan's wrist. His personal guards behind him glared angrily, about to draw their swords, but Zhao Xuan sternly stopped them: "Step back!" He looked at Wang Xian, his eyes devoid of anger, only as calm as an icy lake. "I'll go with you, but remember—the innocent will remain innocent, the guilty will remain guilty; the truth will eventually come out."

The stone steps of the prison were steep and slippery, and the air was thick with the lingering smell of mildew and blood. Zhao Xuan was pushed into a cell at the back, where iron chains were firmly locked to iron rings on the wall, making a dull thud. He looked around; the walls were covered with moss, and there was a pile of moldy straw in the corner. Several large rats, startled by the footsteps, scurried into the darkness, making rustling noises.

“General…” the old jailer suddenly spoke in a low voice, handing over a clean straw mat. “My son served under you and died in battle at Yumen Pass last year. He said… it was worth it to fight alongside you.”

Zhao Xuan was taken aback. As he took the straw mat, his fingertips touched the other person's rough palm, and he suddenly felt a warmth in his heart. He sat down on the haystack, the iron chains rattling softly with his movements, but his gaze was fixed on the sky outside through the narrow iron window. The sky, cut into squares, was now dotted with a few white clouds, much like a flock of sheep on the northwestern grasslands.

Just as he closed his eyes in deep thought, the soft sound of a key turning came from outside the iron gate. Qin Feng's personal guard slipped in, quickly pulled out a roll of oiled paper from his pocket, and whispered, "General, this is a secret report just delivered by Commander Qin. It says that Zhou Chongli is secretly contacting officials from the Three Departments, preparing to submit 'evidence' during the joint trial to prove that you are secretly colluding with the Xiongnu."

Zhao Xuan unfolded the oiled paper, on which Qin Feng's sloppy handwriting recorded in detail Zhou Chongli's recent activities—how he bribed a former soldier in Zhao Xuan's army, how he forged letters with the Xiongnu king, and even which official had accepted his bribes.

"Zhou Chongli, what a cunning schemer!" Zhao Xuan chuckled softly, his knuckles white as he gripped the oiled paper between his fingers. He had initially thought the other party would only use baseless accusations, but he hadn't expected them to dare fabricate evidence of treason. They were trying to kill him.

"General, Commander Qin asked if we should..." The guard made a throat-slitting gesture, a ruthless glint in his eyes.

“No need.” Zhao Xuan lit the oiled paper over the oil lamp, watching the flame lick the writing until it turned to ashes before slowly saying, “Killing him would only give others grounds for criticism. Tell Qin Feng to proceed according to the original plan, and have the undercover agents keep a close eye on those officials who accepted bribes, and secretly send their incriminating evidence to the Eastern Palace.”

The guard was taken aback: "The Eastern Palace? His Highness the Crown Prince's side..."

“The Crown Prince has always disliked Zhou Chongli’s ways,” Zhao Xuan said, his eyes brightening as he gazed at the flickering lamplight. “He will help me.”

Three days later, the morning court session began. The atmosphere inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony was even more frigid than the winter chill. Crown Prince Li Jin, dressed in a python robe, stood on the left side of the steps, his face ashen as he stared at Zhou Chongli opposite him: "Grand Tutor Zhou claims that General Zhao is colluding with the enemy. Does he have any solid evidence? That so-called letter is illegible, the seal is blurry, it's clearly a forgery!"

“Your Highness is mistaken,” Zhou Chongli said slowly, stroking his white beard and bowing. “Zhao Xuan has been in the Northwest for a long time and has close ties with the Xiongnu. It is hard to guarantee that he has no ulterior motives. Moreover, the evidence that he privately accepted surrendered soldiers and opened granaries is irrefutable. If he is not severely punished, it will be difficult to convince the people!”

"Winning over the masses?" Li Jin suddenly raised his voice, causing the bronze crane in the hall to sway slightly. "To truly win over the masses is to chill the hearts of the soldiers on the border! While Zhao Xuan was fighting a bloody battle at Yumen Pass, Grand Tutor Zhou was enjoying wealth and honor in the capital; while Zhao Xuan's brothers were sacrificing their lives for the country, Grand Tutor Zhou was scheming to frame loyal officials! May I ask, Grand Tutor, is this what you call 'winning over the masses'?"

"You..." Zhou Chongli choked, his face turning red. His followers immediately chimed in, "How could His Highness the Crown Prince contradict the Grand Tutor for the sake of a border general?" "Zhao Xuan's treasonous intentions are obvious. The Crown Prince's strong protection of him could it be..."

"What?!" Li Jin glared at the crowd. "Do you intend to frame me as well?"

The Emperor, sitting on the dragon throne, frowned as he looked at the two opposing factions below. Suddenly, he slammed his hand heavily on the dragon table: "Enough! The three judicial departments will jointly decide the case tomorrow. At that time, summon Zhao Xuan to the court and have him explain himself clearly in front of all the civil and military officials!"

When the news reached the prison, Zhao Xuan was teasing a small mouse that had crawled out of a crack in the wall with a blade of grass. Upon hearing the guard's report, he suddenly stood up, the iron chains clanging. Sunlight streamed through the iron bars onto his face, revealing a clear scar—a mark left ten years ago when he guarded Yanmen Pass, now gleaming like a medal in the dim light.

"Understood." He straightened his prison clothes and suddenly smiled at the jailer, "Please tell Imperial Censor Wang that I will give him a 'surprise' when he goes to court tomorrow."

The jailer stood frozen, watching Zhao Xuan sit down again, his back still straight. Suddenly, he felt as if the darkness in the prison had been somewhat dispelled by that figure. He had a vague feeling that a cataclysmic storm was about to break out in the court tomorrow. And at the center of this storm, the seemingly imprisoned general might have already laid out his plan to break the deadlock.

Before dawn the next day, the bronze crane incense burner in the Hall of Supreme Harmony was already burning with the richest ambergris, but the wisps of smoke could not dispel the stagnant, iron-like chill within the hall. Civil and military officials lined up on both sides according to their rank, the jade belts of their court robes gleaming coldly in the morning light, and no one dared to raise their heads easily—today's court assembly was unusual, for in the open space in front of the throne stood a figure dressed in ochre prison clothes.

That was Zhao Xuan. Yesterday, he was clad in golden armor, guarding the northern frontier—the General Who Protects the Nation. Now, though his hair was disheveled and his prison clothes were covered in dust, his back stood straighter than the ornamental columns outside the palace. His jawline was taut, and when his gaze swept over the assembled officials below, there was not a trace of the fear of a prisoner, but rather a cold, insightful glimpse into the world. Standing opposite him was Zhou Chongli, dressed in a crimson python robe, his white beard meticulously combed, but the white knuckles of his fingers gripping his court tablet betrayed his inner unease.

“Your Majesty,” Zhou Chongli stepped forward first, his aged voice echoing in the hall, “I have a memorial to present! General Zhao Xuan, the Protector of the Nation, is colluding with the Northern Barbarians and intends to overthrow our dynasty. I have found irrefutable evidence!” After speaking, he raised his hand to signal two eunuchs to quickly step forward with a sandalwood box. When they opened it, several yellowed letters were revealed inside.

Zhou Chongli picked up the letter and read it aloud word by word: "'The Khan of the Northern Barbarians writes to you personally, saying that when the autumn is high and the horses are fat, Xuan is willing to be an inside agent to share the Central Plains with you...' Your Majesty, look, this is the secret letter between Zhao Xuan and the Northern Barbarians! There are also border guards who witnessed him meeting with the Northern Barbarian envoys late at night!"

A collective gasp filled the hall. Several officials on good terms with Zhou Chongli immediately echoed, "Your Majesty, Zhao Xuan harbors wolfish ambitions and should be executed!" "He must not be let off lightly!"

Zhao Xuan suddenly chuckled softly. The laugh wasn't loud, but it was like a block of ice thrown into boiling oil, instantly silencing the surrounding chatter. "Grand Tutor Zhou's 'ironclad evidence' is utterly laughable." He slowly raised his hand and pulled a neatly folded stack of paper from his prison uniform pocket. Due to the slightly large movement, a newly added scar was revealed on the collar of his prison uniform—a scar left from the battle with the Northern Di last month.

"Gentlemen, you may wish to take a look at these." Zhao Xuan handed the scroll to the eunuch. "These are the accounts of Grand Tutor Zhou's residence from last winter solstice to the present."

The eunuch unfurled the scroll, revealing neat and legible handwriting. Each stroke recorded entries such as "sent one hundred taels of gold to the Vice Minister of Revenue," "gifted an ancient jade to the Minister of Rites," and even "rewarded a border scout with fifty taels of silver and instructed him to give false testimony." At the very end, it was clearly recorded that "bribed a surrendered Northern Barbarian soldier to forge a letter, and received one thousand taels of silver."

"Grand Tutor Zhou," Zhao Xuan's voice suddenly turned stern, "you said these officials took bribes from you and cooperated with you to fabricate evidence, is that correct?"

Zhou Chongli's face drained of all color in an instant. He staggered back half a step, pointing at Zhao Xuan and angrily shouting, "You...you fabricated this! You're spouting nonsense!"

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall. Qin Feng, the commander of the Imperial Guards, entered with four men dressed as soldiers. The men were all deathly pale, and as soon as their knees touched the ground, they kowtowed repeatedly, crying, "Your Majesty, spare our lives! It was Grand Tutor Zhou who forced us!"

The leading soldier sobbed, "He gave me fifty taels of silver and told me to lie and say I saw the general secretly meeting with the envoy from the Northern Barbarians. He also said that if I didn't comply, he would kill my whole family..." Another soldier added, "Those letters were also fake! He found a scholar with similar handwriting to forge them!"

The testimony struck like a thunderbolt, causing an uproar in the hall. Officials who had just echoed Zhou Chongli shrank back, and several senior ministers stroked their beards and sighed, their eyes filled with disdain as they looked at Zhou Chongli.

"Father!" Crown Prince Li Jin suddenly stepped forward, his black robe sleeves trembling with excitement. "General Zhao has guarded the northern frontier for three years, fighting in more than twenty battles, large and small. His body is covered in more scars than medals! Last year, when the Northern Barbarians besieged the city, it was he who led three hundred personal guards to break through the enemy lines and save Yanmen Pass! How could such a loyal and virtuous man collude with the enemy? It is clearly Zhou Chongli who is jealous of talent and fears that General Zhao's achievements will overshadow the emperor, so he devised this vicious scheme!"

As soon as Li Jin finished speaking, the Minister of Revenue stepped forward to second his opinion: "Your Majesty, General Zhao, during his time guarding the border, repeatedly distributed the imperial rewards to his soldiers, while he himself only had a few acres of meager land. He is truly an honest, loyal, and courageous minister!"

The emperor on the throne had remained silent until now, when he finally slowly raised his hand. His gaze was piercing, first sweeping over Zhou Chongli, whose face was ashen, and then landing on Zhao Xuan—the spirit that the prison uniform could not conceal reminded him of Zhao Xuan's father twenty years ago, the old general who had also died on the battlefield.

"Bang!" The Emperor slammed his fist on the dragon throne, the vermilion tabletop resounding with a deafening crash, and the hall fell silent instantly. "Zhou Chongli!" His voice cracked with thunderous fury, "As Grand Tutor, instead of serving the country and ensuring its peace, you frame loyal officials! Your heart is deserving of death! Immediately strip him of all his official positions, imprison him in the imperial jail, confiscate his property, and thoroughly investigate his associates!"

Zhou Chongli collapsed to the ground and was dragged away by the guards. He was still shouting "injustice" incoherently, but his voice grew fainter and fainter until it was finally cut off by the palace gate.

The Emperor turned to Zhao Xuan, his tone softening considerably: "General Zhao, I'm sorry you've been wronged." He paused, then announced loudly: "Zhao Xuan's loyalty is beyond question. Effective immediately, he is reinstated to his original position, granted the title of Duke of Zhenguo, and awarded a thousand taels of gold and a hundred bolts of brocade!"

Zhao Xuan lifted the hem of his prison uniform, knelt solemnly, and kowtowed. His forehead touched the ground with a steady and powerful movement. "Your Majesty, I thank you for your wise judgment! I have only one wish in this life: to protect the land of my Great Yin and ensure the well-being of its people!"

Just then, a ray of morning sun pierced through the clouds, over the eaves of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and streamed in through the carved glazed tiles. The golden light fell on Zhao Xuan's dusty prison clothes, as if coating him with a layer of armor. Outside the hall, morning dew dripped from the eaves, tapping on the white marble railings, the crisp sound seeming to announce the end of this turmoil.

As Zhao Xuan rose, he saw the Crown Prince below the steps cast an approving glance at him, and several senior officials also bowed in greeting. He knew that this covert battle, mixed with lust and intrigue, was not truly over, but at least for this moment, the sunlight illuminated every corner of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and justice had finally pierced through the layers of gloom.

After the court session ended, Zhao Xuan was about to turn and leave when he suddenly heard a shout from behind: "General Zhao, please wait." He stopped and turned around to see Crown Prince Li Jin walking towards him with a smile on his face.

Li Jin walked up to Zhao Xuan, cupped his hands, and said, "It is thanks to your exceptional wisdom, General, that Zhou Chongli's conspiracy was exposed. If you hadn't seen through his trick in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"

Zhao Xuan quickly bowed and humbly replied, "Your Highness is too kind. This is what I should do. Serving the country loyally is the duty of every subject."

Li Jin smiled and nodded, then continued, "I have witnessed your achievements, General, and I will reward you handsomely in the future. However, I have another matter I would like to ask you."