Chapter 40: Atone with Death

"The reason I slandered Lord Gu is because our family business suffered a devastating blow due to Lord Gu's tax investigation back then. My father harbored resentment, and so did I. Consumed by hatred, I wanted to use Feng Yueyang to exact revenge on Lord Gu..."

Pausing for a moment, Dong Yufeng continued his explanation.

"As for His Highness the Crown Prince, your humble servant was well aware of the relationship between Lord Gu and the Crown Prince. I worried that with such a familial tie, even if Lord Gu were punished, he might eventually return to the imperial court under the Crown Prince's patronage."

"Then my revenge would have been nothing more than a joke! That was why I wanted to drag the Crown Prince down into the mud along the way... Once Lord Gu lost his backing, my revenge would be complete."

Dong Yufeng's tone was laden with remorse.

"Your humble servant knows he is guilty and dares not beg Your Majesty for mercy. However, none of my family members knew anything about my schemes. I beseech Your Majesty to show mercy, spare my family, and let me die alone as punishment!"

With a resounding thud, he struck his head heavily against the floor once again.

Feng Yueyang stared at Dong Yufeng in shock, wanting to say something, but Gu Zirui was faster, letting out a cold snort.

"Dong Yufeng, trying to take the fall for the true mastermind? I'm afraid it won't be that easy!"

Dong Yufeng's tone was resolute.

"Lord Gu, I am the one who wanted to take revenge on you. I am the true culprit. I know you can never forgive me, but what is done is done. A man should bear the consequences of his own actions. I beg Lord Gu not to vent your anger on my family!"

Ling Muxuan breathed a slight sigh of relief. Seeing that Ling Yuzhao and Gu Zirui had no intention of letting Dong Yufeng off lightly, he gave two dry coughs and looked over.

Dong Yufeng instinctively raised his head and immediately caught the gaze of Prince Xuan, his heart skipping a beat...

Things had reached this point; there was no turning back.

"Your humble servant deserves to die!"

Dong Yufeng suddenly stood up and shouted.

"Guard the Emperor! Guard the Emperor!"

As if frightened by Dong Yufeng's sudden movement, Ling Muxuan hastily rushed toward the Great Chu Emperor, shielding him with his own body.

Ling Yuzhao and Gu Zirui also frowned. Just as they were about to move, Dong Yufeng had already risen—not charging toward the Great Chu Emperor, but dashing straight for a nearby pillar.

Moving with astonishing speed and before anyone could react, he smashed his head against the pillar with a loud crash, and then slid slowly to the ground as blood poured out profusely.

Dong Yufeng had actually committed suicide in broad daylight!

"Outrageous! Insolent wretch!"

Startled, the Great Chu Emperor pointed at Dong Yufeng and cursed furiously.

Ling Muxuan quickly offered reassurance: "Your Majesty is safe. This villain could never harm Your Majesty."

Gu Zirui gritted his teeth, stepped forward quickly, and knelt down to check Dong Yufeng's condition. Confirming the worst, his expression turned gloomy as he looked up at Ling Yuzhao.

"He's dead!"

Ling Yuzhao's eyes flickered slightly.

Gu Zirui stood up, turned to the Great Chu Emperor, and spoke with indignation.

"Your Majesty! Dong Yufeng did this on purpose. He was merely shielding the real mastermind. I implore Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate this matter and ensure the person behind the scenes does not escape justice!"

Prince Xuan said coldly, "Gu Zirui, what do you mean by that? Dong Yufeng has already confessed, and now he is dead. Yet you still want to pursue the investigation? Could it be that you actually believed Feng Yueyang's nonsense and suspect I was the one behind it?"

"What? Is every misfortune today going to be pinned on me? When have I ever offended you?"

Gu Zirui smiled faintly.

"Your Highness Prince Xuan, your humble servant hasn't said a thing. I merely requested that Your Majesty order a thorough investigation. There are far too many suspicious points in this case. If we fail to uncover the truth, vital clues will surely be missed."

Pausing briefly, Gu Zirui continued, unfazed and resolute.

"Your humble servant is reluctant to voice these suspicions, but before Prince Xuan arrived, Dong Yufeng was actually on the verge of confessing everything. Yet the moment Prince Xuan stepped into the Imperial Study, Dong Yufeng suddenly clamped his mouth shut."

"Then he immediately changed his tune and took full responsibility for every crime. Doesn't Your Highness Prince Xuan find all this to be a bit too coincidental?"

Glancing down at Dong Yufeng's lifeless body, Gu Zirui laid out his analysis logically.

"Furthermore, my suspicions are not based solely on Dong Yufeng's abnormal behavior, but also on his background. He is merely the son of a merchant; how could he possibly possess the capability to orchestrate such an elaborate plot?"

"Even forged account books and letters could be fabricated, and he somehow managed to sneak into Prince Xuan's banquet. As far as this official knows, only the sons and daughters of the capital's nobility were permitted to attend that banquet, and security checks were conducted at every entrance. How did these individuals manage to slip in?"

"If it were just one person, it might be excused as an oversight by the guards, but all of them made it inside... Therefore, what Feng Yueyang said may very well be the truth."

Prince Xuan's face turned livid with rage.

"You are blatantly accusing me! Gu Zirui, don't think that because you've achieved a few merits you can act lawless. You have no right to demand that His Majesty investigate me!"

"Enough!"

The Great Chu Emperor's face darkened as he slammed his hand down on the desk with a roar.

Everyone instantly reined in their words.

Yet Ling Muxuan remained aggrieved. "Your Majesty! Lord Gu is targeting me so relentlessly, this subject is unconvinced!"

The Great Chu Emperor patted Prince Xuan on the shoulder, looked down at the dead Dong Yufeng, and said, "What is there to argue about? That villain Dong Yufeng was utterly audacious; he engineered the entire plot himself. Forging a few account books and letters is hardly difficult."

"Isn't he wealthy? With money, one can always hire others to do the work. How could someone as brilliant as Lord Gu be fooled by such petty tricks? This scoundrel was clearly trying to drive a wedge between my two sons."

Without waiting for Gu Zirui to reply, the Great Chu Emperor turned to Ling Yuzhao and asked, "Crown Prince, you have remained silent this whole time. Regardless of what you are thinking, you must give me a definitive answer now. Do you believe the words of a vile criminal, or the words of your own flesh and blood?"

Gu Zirui felt a deep sense of injustice.

It was one thing for His Majesty to habitually favor Prince Xuan, but this matter concerned the Crown Prince's reputation.

Although no catastrophic disaster had occurred because Dong Yufeng and his accomplices were apprehended in time, what if they hadn't been caught?

The one standing trial today would have been the Crown Prince!

Yet His Majesty turned a blind eye to the defamation the Crown Prince had nearly suffered, protecting Prince Xuan so openly. It was truly disheartening!

However, Gu Zirui dared not voice these thoughts aloud; he could only harbor his grievances on behalf of the Crown Prince in silence.

Ling Yuzhao bowed to the Great Chu Emperor. Instead of answering the question, he suddenly said, "Father Emperor, the jade thumb ring you gave me has shattered."

The Great Chu Emperor was momentarily stunned, then looked inquiringly at Prince Xuan.

Prince Xuan immediately explained, "Father Emperor, Dong Yufeng and his audacious accomplices smashed the Crown Prince's jade thumb ring during the banquet—the very one you bestowed upon Your Imperial Eldest Brother."

Realization dawned on the Great Chu Emperor, and he said with a helpless sigh, "It's merely a jade thumb ring. Since it was accidentally broken, I shall simply gift you another. You must never let outsiders sow discord and affect the bond between brothers!"

With that, he directly removed the emerald thumb ring from his own finger and handed it to Eunuch Yu. "You, take this to the Crown Prince!"

Eunuch Yu held the emerald thumb ring in both hands, descended the steps, and respectfully presented it before Ling Yuzhao. "Crown Prince."

Ling Yuzhao stared expressionlessly at the emerald thumb ring for a long time.

Standing nearby, Gu Zirui felt a pang of grievance on the Crown Prince's behalf just watching.

Yet he could say nothing at all.