Chapter 106: You’re Qualified!
The resounding cry of “Princess Yongjia” stunned all the Imperial Guards present!
These days, news of Princess Yongjia’s murder three years ago, followed by multiple court officials being accused and implicated, had naturally spread among the Imperial Guards within the palace confines!
But no one had imagined that Princess Yongjia, the very victim, was still alive!
Now, the Grand Tutor not only claimed that Princess Yongjia was alive, but that she was this very fierce woman who had charged through the assassins!
Everyone stared in shock for a moment, until someone led by clanging their sword to the ground, then the crowd followed by dropping their weapons and kneeling to shout, “Greetings, Princess!”
This cry was exceptionally loud, resounding enough to definitively confirm Yue Tang’s identity!
The dignified Censor-in-Chief dead by the Grand Tutor’s hand—is this just as simple as someone dying? In any dynasty, this would be an earth-shaking event for the Imperial Court!
Currently, the Chu Family remains a crucial pillar maintaining balance in the Imperial Court.
If this pillar collapses, the Imperial Court will surely face massive upheaval. As the Chu Family patriarch, how could he not hold someone accountable?
Earlier, seeing the Grand Tutor kill the Censor-in-Chief, they had worried about being implicated in a deadly disaster, but with the reason the Grand Tutor gave next, they had absolutely no need to worry!
To protect the Princess, with the Grand Tutor as witness, everything was perfectly justified!
They had come to rescue Princess Yongjia—how could they not make this momentum grander? How could they not do everything possible to let the world hear?
Yue Tang looked ahead at Mu Chang, seeing him stand tall with righteous indignation, short of pasting “loyalty and righteousness” on his face!
“Mu thief!” Wei Zhang and Dou Yun, following closely behind, rushed over and, upon seeing the scene, gripped their sword hilts and charged furiously at Mu Chang! “You still dare to spout nonsense here? You are the mastermind behind the Princess’s murder!”
Yue Tang pulled them back! “Don’t be impulsive!”
In that instant as they lunged forward, the Imperial Guards behind Mu Chang surged forward with a clatter, almost instinctively blocking the two with lightning speed!
Seeing this formation, Wei Zhang and the other instinctively lowered their blades and swords.
Compared to this Princess from the fallen Prince’s Mansion whom no one knew well, the current Grand Tutor who had nurtured the Emperor was clearly more worthy of the Imperial Guards’ protection!
With the Imperial Guards blocking in front, if the two dared to act, it would give them ready ammunition—even if it didn’t bring death, it would surely cause trouble for Yue Tang.
Yue Tang had yet to appear before the world, not to mention how cunning and deserving of death Mu Chang truly was; she had only just emerged, and if her people struck first at the Imperial Guards, wouldn’t the blame fall on Yue Tang’s head?
She hadn’t even left yet, and her reputation would plummet first.
Realizing this, the two immediately retreated half a step behind Yue Tang.
Mu Chang looked at them and smiled: “Mastermind? How could you have such a misunderstanding about me?
“How could I, Mu Chang, be the mastermind?
“Three years ago when the incident occurred, I was still escorting the Second Prince to the capital; at that time, the Second Prince had just escaped danger, and I cared for him without leaving his side—where would I find the ability to split myself and participate in murdering the Princess? And what evidence is there to prove I am the mastermind?”
He looked at Yue Tang with mild eyes: “Princess, isn’t that right?”
Hearing the provocation in his words, wrath rose again in Wei Zhang’s downcast eyes.
Yue Tang glanced back at him, then swept her gaze from Mu Chang’s face to Chu Ying’s corpse with its bulging eyes, stepped forward, grabbed Chu Ying’s chin, looked left and right, then stopped and stared intently.
A sword through the chest—he was definitely dead beyond doubt.
Chu Ying had mobilized the Imperial Guards to drag Mu Chang down; as long as the Imperial Guards struck lethally, tonight’s game would still be theirs together. Unfortunately, Chu Ying could only go this far; resorting to such desperate risk today showed it was the limit of his ability to turn the tide.
In other words, if Mu Chang had any leverage in the Chu Family’s hands back then, Chu Ying would have used it long ago!
Chu Ying’s corpse already proved that from the moment Mu Chang personally arrived, he had lost.
It also sufficiently proved that Mu Chang’s current arrogance was the result of coming prepared! On this trip, he was merely pushing the boat along to clean up his last loose ends—how could he let them catch any leverage on him?
She grabbed Chu Ying’s collar with one hand and tossed him back toward Wei Zhang and the other.
With everyone’s attention on their verbal clash, the Imperial Guard leader suddenly saw this and hurriedly drew his sword to step forward: “This is the court-designated fugitive for murdering the Princess; we should take him back to report to the Emperor—please return the corpse, Princess!”
Chu Ying’s corpse was their proof for apprehending criminals, so of course they had to take it back—how could they hand it to this Princess who had lost all her backing? Moreover, with how rude this Princess was to the Grand Tutor, if they were enemies, they must stand on the right side.
Yue Tang looked at them and sneered: “Are you blocking me for the Grand Tutor, or for the Emperor?”
Blocking for the Grand Tutor meant the Grand Tutor had something to hide. And what they said about protecting her would be pure nonsense!
Blocking for the Emperor—the Emperor might not even acknowledge it! This was his elder cousin by blood; regardless of private closeness, on the surface he must show an attitude, or how could he win over the people? What kind of benevolent ruler would he be?
The other steeled himself and said: “This is an Imperial Court matter—please forgive us, Princess!”
“An Imperial Court matter?!”
Just as the leader was about to order men to snatch back the corpse, Yan Bei’s voice came from behind Yue Tang. This voice was not only loud but carried a chill that made everyone’s hair stand on end!
The Imperial Guard leader’s knees buckled as he knelt: “Your Highness, I was just worried the Princess lacked manpower…”
“Shut up!”
Yan Bei kicked him in the chest: “What Imperial Court matter? Isn’t the Princess of the imperial clan? Chu Ying didn’t kill her? Doesn’t she have the right to accuse for herself?
“This Prince sees your thieving heart as punishable!
“Remove your armor immediately, take off your sword, and hand over your token!
“From now on, you are no longer with the Imperial Guard!
“Escort him to the yamen for interrogation!”
Tonight’s events—even if their Imperial Guards weren’t directly involved nearby, they knew some details; this man could not be let go!
Wei Zhang and Dou Yun understood the deeper meaning and without a word personally stepped up to seize him.
For Mu Chang, this man absolutely could not be taken away!
He stepped forward: “They were just following procedure; even if they slightly offended the Princess, it was due to duty—why fly into such rage, Your Highness?”
Yan Bei said: “As Bureau of Military Affairs Chancellor, this Prince is exercising his power—does the Grand Tutor intend to interfere?”
The Imperial Guard also fell under the Bureau of Military Affairs; absent the Emperor’s personal decree tonight, by normal procedure, they needed Yan Bei’s approval and tiger tally to mobilize.
The dignified Prince Jingyang helping Yue Tang so relentlessly was beyond Mu Chang’s expectations. He frowned and looked toward Yue Tang.
Yue Tang met his gaze: “The Grand Tutor was far in Jiangling; by the time you returned to the capital, Princess Yongjia was already dead—who told you I am Princess Yongjia?
“What evidence do you have that Princess Yongjia was definitely in danger here tonight? And on what basis do you claim the Chu Family was chasing Princess Yongjia?
“Did Chu Ying tell you?”
She was tall, standing beside the lanky Mu Chang, reaching his earlobe.
This close gaze with Mu Chang made even him involuntarily contract his pupils.
With Chu Ying identified as the killer, he naturally wouldn’t be foolish enough to tell outsiders his purpose. Now with Mu Chang here and having killed Chu Ying first, admitting Chu Ying told him would mean admitting his own suspicion!
But if he said it wasn’t Chu Ying, how could he round out his story?
Mu Chang stared at her for a moment: “So you mean you are not Princess Yongjia? I got it wrong? Princess Yongjia is someone else?”
At this, he smiled faintly: “If I, Mu Chang, got it wrong, and you are not Princess Yongjia, then who are you?
“Why are you here in this guise? Did you just charge at me in fury, mistaking me—who captured the Princess’s killer—for an enemy?
“If so, then you should surrender and come with me to the Three Judicial Offices to explain clearly!”
Not only was this Yue Tang’s first clash with him, so was Yan Bei’s.
Hearing this, his gaze immediately turned burning.
The old thief’s intent was clear: if Yue Tang denied it even once, he could immediately take her down as a bandit with full justification!
In the past, Yue Tang had led them to kill their way up so smoothly, even taking down the Chu Family quickly—beyond the ready clues, much credit went to them hiding in the shadows against enemies in the open, naturally holding the advantage.
Now, this old Mu thief was forcing her back into the Princess identity, putting her in the open too!
After all, with the household registration file already in Yue Tang’s hands, the Chu Family’s elaborate failure to kill her meant preventing her appearance and quietly killing her as a commoner was now utterly impossible!
With this premise, wouldn’t putting her in the open be more advantageous for him?
Though Yue Tang did plan to return to Prince Duan’s Mansion after taking down the Chu Family, and admitting now was just going with the flow, this old thief was truly detestable!
Yue Tang retorted: “Since you have no evidence to insist I am or aren’t Princess Yongjia, aren’t you afraid of mistakenly killing her by claiming to rescue her?
“Then who can prove for you that the Princess didn’t die by your hand?
“Who can prove you didn’t send men against the Princess tonight?”
Mu Chang remained unruffled: “The Chu Family’s crimes from three years ago, with witnesses and physical evidence already at the Supreme Court, and now Chu Ying taken on the spot—the Chu Family is unforgivable!
“Is there any doubt about this?
“Besides, what reason would I have to strike at the Princess?
“As for evidence,” he slowly turned to his attendants behind: “Our people should be arriving soon—go to the alley entrance to meet them.”
Having those present prove his innocence in this case was no different from a drowning man proving he didn’t jump in the river. Mu Chang might not have left leverage, but how could he prove he wasn’t the killer?
At this point, Yue Tang knew taking him down at once was impossible.
The old thief was far in Jiangling, leaving no trace of participating in tonight’s ambush; his crime was another one!
But even without evidence of his involvement tonight, it didn’t mean he had no suspicion.
Yet now he claimed to have witnesses!
Who could vouch for him?
“Report to the Grand Tutor! The Emperor has alighted ahead, only half a street away!”
At this cry of “Emperor,” Yue Tang’s expression froze, and even Yan Bei glanced at her.
“The Emperor arrives! Quickly welcome him, welcome him!”
At that moment, several people arrived at the alley entrance, stopped, and shouted loudly!
Yue Tang abruptly walked a few steps toward the alley entrance and saw two lines of men with lanterns approaching from either side, followed by two columns of knife-wielding guards, then two elderly eunuchs, finally ushering out a graceful youth in a vermilion dragon robe!
His pace was swift, almost jogging; reaching ahead of the guards, he spotted Yue Tang at once, then held his breath and turned to Mu Chang: “Grand Tutor, my elder cousin…”
“Welcome the Emperor!”
Everyone knelt and shouted long live. But the Emperor merely raised his hand to them, his gaze not shifting an inch!
“Your Majesty, before you is Princess Yongjia!”
Mu Chang strode before him and proclaimed loudly.
The Emperor turned his gaze back to Yue Tang’s face; his suppressed emotions clearly released as he stepped to within half a pace and called, “Elder Sister?!”
Seeing this face, Yue Tang too involuntarily tightened her throat.
He had the slanting long brows shared by Yue Family men, and beneath those brows, eyes shimmering with light; in this instant of looking over, tears already glistened!
Yan Bei frowned and stepped forward: “Why has the Emperor suddenly come here?”
The Emperor wiped a tear from his eye: “Before dark, I received the Grand Tutor’s personal letter saying he had likely found my elder cousin’s whereabouts, asking me to wait in the palace for news and notify me immediately if there was any lead.
“And half an hour ago, I really got it!
“Xu Jing came personally to tell me that this wretch Chu Ying had sent men chasing Elder Sister, but fortunately the Grand Tutor foresaw and brought Imperial Guards, mercifully capturing the treacherous thief Chu Ying!”
The young Emperor said this with a gasp, took Yue Tang’s hand: “I still remember as a child in the palace, clinging to Elder Sister; Mother Empress often said we must love each other dearly, and I remember Elder Sister sharing half the pomelo Father Emperor rewarded me—does Elder Sister still remember me?”
Yue Tang exhaled softly.
She nodded and said: “Thanks to Your Majesty’s favor, this subject remembers every bit.
“However, won’t Your Majesty verify before calling me Elder Sister?”
“No need!” The Emperor shook his head. “The Grand Tutor has identified you, so I trust it absolutely can’t be wrong! You are my elder cousin! We can follow procedure later upon returning to the palace!”
In these blurted words, every character revealed absolute trust in Mu Chang, the current Grand Tutor!
Yue Tang was silent for a moment, then looked at Mu Chang: “Grand Tutor, your methods are brilliant.”
Mu Chang turned his head: “Facing the fearsome Princess Yongjia, how could I dare not be cautious?
“Well? Princess, are you still unsatisfied with my sincerity tonight?”
Yue Tang withdrew her gaze, looking at the Emperor still gazing eagerly at her: “Satisfied.
“You qualify!”
