Chapter 158 Treason

Impossible.
This is impossible!
His Highness, the Prince of Huai, still wore an expression of utter shock.
Yet those soldiers were pressing in closer with every step.
They could not simply sit back and await their doom.
With a single imperial decree, he directly ordered some of the city's garrison to confront the Imperial Guards.
Because they held a certain advantage in numbers, it was evident that these soldiers were entirely beaten back.
The commander immediately galloped back to Luojing to report the matter.
They could not comprehend why His Highness had suddenly made a move.
The Emperor was utterly astounded.
It seemed this unfilial son truly could no longer be kept alive.
To think he would resort to such a maneuver.
It was utterly sickening.
"Your Majesty, he must have been bewitched by treacherous sycophants; otherwise, how could he have suddenly risen in rebellion? Besides, the soldiers under his command barely number a thousand."
Some officials were still pleading on behalf of the Prince of Huai.
Yet the facts lay right before their eyes.
Could they still refuse to believe what they were seeing?
Every single event that had transpired here filled his heart with profound sorrow and disillusionment.
The imperial son in whom he had placed the greatest trust had actually committed such monstrous and calamitous crimes.
It was terrifying beyond measure.
"There is no need for further persuasion. The facts are already laid out here. Dispatch the Imperial Guards once more and bring the Prince of Huai back to me."
The implication behind his words was self-evident.
Even if he had to be brought back dead from Jiangcheng, it must be done.
Sure enough, forces had indeed been mobilized in the Southern Frontier.
Particularly along the borderlands, where they wreaked wanton havoc, attempting to shake the very foundations of the state.
Whether internally or externally, the entire nation was now gripped by troubles from both within and without.
This sudden upheaval exceeded all expectations.
The common people of Luojing were gripped by extreme panic.
"A major disaster has struck! I hear the people of the Southern Frontier have invaded, and they seem adept at utilizing witchcraft. Once afflicted by such sorcery, one is said to suffer a fate worse than death."
"That's a hundred thousand miles away from us, what is there to panic about?"
"What do you know? I hear some imperial prince is obsessively coveting the Supreme Throne..."
"That must be false. Their audacity would have to be boundless."
"Who is to say it isn't?"
The citizens wore faces of profound terror.
Though most did not know the origin of the matter and could only rely on guesswork, in the current climate, their primary concern was undoubtedly self-preservation.
Several officials were also walking on thin ice day and night.
Especially those who had long belonged to the Prince of Huai's faction.
Now that His Highness the Prince of Huai had suddenly committed such a foolish act, would not their own heads soon be separated from their necks?
In particular, that official named Master Zhou was currently searching everywhere for a powerful patron.
Knowing that Han Qing had always remained aloof from factional disputes, he intended to say a few flattering words to him, hoping the Emperor might thereby spare him from punishment.
"Oh my, to think my humble dwelling could ever be graced by such a rare guest?" Han Qing bantered.
He found this man's appearance utterly baffling, given how the fellow usually wore an expression of disdain toward everyone else.
Yet now he had actually come seeking a favor?
"Lord Han, you jest. My current plight is dire indeed, and I know not to whom I might turn for a solution. Therefore, I hoped you might bestow some guidance upon me?"
Master Zhou was likewise a man who clung cowardly to life and feared death.
The moment he saw the situation turning ominous, he had hurriedly declared where his true loyalties lay.
"I dare not offer you any guidance. I have only held this minor post for less than half a year; were I to guide you, would I not become a laughingstock?"
"No, no, no. Previously I was blind and failed to recognize a superior man, please do not take it to heart. In the present situation, only you can save my life, or else I fear I shall not survive the morrow."
The man appeared genuinely panicked to the point of desperation.
Han Qing had no desire to take his life; instead, he recognized that the fellow's current predicament was indeed perilous.
He could save him.
Yet where lay his own benefit in doing so?
Han Qing had never been one to engage in unprofitable transactions.
"Lord Han, rest assured! As long as you settle this matter for me, you may ask for whatever I possess."
Han Qing glanced at him sideways.
He was indeed willing to help him with this matter. Although the fellow's wits were occasionally dull, nothing he had done had ever harmed the common people.
On the contrary, he had even proposed several legal statutes beneficial to the populace.
"It is very simple. You need only lay bare and confess all your past dealings with the Prince of Huai over the years. By doing so, you will place yourself in the position of one who was coerced."
This?
He listened with a dazed expression.
Would that suffice? It somehow felt rather insecure.
"You are merely an ordinary official in the imperial court, and serving under the Prince of Huai brought you no great benefits, nor any promotion in rank. In this way, the Emperor will not suspect you!"
Oh?
Prompted by this reminder, the man before him suddenly understood.
He hurried back to his residence in a rush of belated realization and penned a letter through the night.
He even explicitly detailed his compromised predicament in the missive.
Upon reading these somewhat sincere expressions of repentance, the Emperor did not punish him, but instead allowed him to remain at his post.
"Brother Han, he used to speak to you with biting sarcasm; why did you help him resolve this difficult dilemma now?"
Lord Gao could not comprehend it.
Instead, he felt the whole affair was growing exceedingly bizarre.
"This man harbors no malicious intentions; he merely seeks to survive. Besides, I see no reason to make so many enemies. Since I am able to help him attain what he desires, why not do so?" Han Qing said nonchalantly.
A person must always carve out a path to survival for themselves, must they not?
Furthermore, the man had indeed committed no heinous crimes; his offenses had been limited to cold and sharp words spoken in passing.
Lord Gao pondered the matter carefully.
It was indeed true.
"Then how do you view the affair of the Prince of Huai?"
"There is no need for us to make a move; he will surely not be able to sit still on his own. Even if he acknowledges his wrongs this time, once he returns, he will never be allowed to live in peace."
He spoke without a moment's hesitation.
The outcome turned out almost identical to their conjecture.
The Prince of Huai directly confessed to the faults he had committed, even shifting all the blame onto the people of the Southern Frontier.
He even claimed that throughout these past few days, he had been entirely unaware that cultivating those toxic herbs would harm the common people.
He had merely witnessed the rapid economic development of the local region.
Therefore, all of this was his own misdeed, and he was willing to bear the full responsibility.
The Emperor was consumed with fury.
He directly stripped the Prince of Huai of all substantive power in his hands.
In an instant, he was reduced to an idle prince of no consequence.
This matter had thus been properly resolved.
Yet, would there be no future repercussions?