Jing Ziyue and Zhang Zhuhe, though a hundred times unwilling, had to admit that You Rong was speaking the truth.
After about fifteen minutes of silence, Jing Ziyue spoke first, "What do you want us to do?"
You Rong narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp. "It's very simple. I want you to tell me everything, truthfully, about the evidence Lin Chenrui used to frame my father for colluding with foreign enemies and rebellion, and to accompany me to the Emperor to expose all of Lin Chenrui's crimes!"
Upon hearing this, Jing Ziyue and Zhang Zhuhe fell silent again.
Jing Ziyue looked very hesitant. Nangong Jie couldn't stand it any longer. He directly threw his sword on the table and said angrily, "If you are willing to cooperate today, there is still a chance to live. Otherwise... before we even leave this mansion, Lin Chenrui will take your lives, and I, this commander, will kill you immediately!"
Jing Ziyue and Zhang Zhuhe's faces turned very grim.
Zhang Zhuhe gritted his teeth and said, "If we go to the Emperor to expose what the Second Prince has done, will the Emperor let us off? We'll still be as good as dead!"
You Rong seized the moment to speak, "As long as you are willing to tell the truth and provide evidence to bring down Lin Chenrui, I can guarantee that your lives will be spared!" Su Dan Novel Network
Zhang Zhuhe and Jing Ziyue exchanged glances. After a moment of hesitation, they had no other choice. Although they didn't quite trust You Rong, they knew Lin Chenrui too well and realized that apart from taking a risk with You Rong, they had no other option.
Zhang Zhuhe said in a deep voice, "Back then, Lin Chenrui tried to win over the Great General, hoping he would help him seize the position of Crown Prince. The Great General refused. He then offered a greater temptation, saying that if the Great General used the You family army to help him force the Emperor's abdication, he would bestow upon the Great General the title of Regent, making him second only to the Emperor in Dongli.
Zhang Zhuhe paused, his gaze drifting, as if recalling the scene at that time.
"The Great General naturally refused and told Lin Chenrui righteously that he would only be loyal to the Emperor his entire life. He also advised Lin Chenrui to give up his rebellious thoughts as soon as possible, otherwise, the spears and swords of the You family army would be pointed at him. He then unceremoniously kicked Lin Chenrui out of his mansion. The Great General was kind-hearted and did not report this matter to the Emperor, perhaps believing that after warning Lin Chenrui, he would abandon such thoughts."
Zhang Zhuhe let out a long sigh and continued, "Lin Chenrui was furious to the point of madness at that time. Embarrassed and enraged, he tried every means to make things difficult for the Great General. So, he found me."
You Rong clenched his fists, his face cold and stern. "So... you agreed to help him frame my father, didn't you?!"
Zhang Zhuhe knitted his brows and nodded in silence.
You Rong's expression turned even colder. "And then? How did you frame my father?!"
Zhang Zhuhe said, "As the Deputy General of the You family army, I naturally had frequent access to the Great General's letters. Lin Chenrui ordered me to steal these letters. He took them to a scholar who was skilled at imitating handwriting, and had him imitate the Great General's handwriting until he had completely mastered it. Then, he forged letters of collusion between the Great General and foreign enemies. I was then deliberately injured, and I went to the Emperor to report that the Great General was colluding with foreign enemies and plotting rebellion..."
At this point, Zhang Zhuhe's voice became weak and filled with remorse. "As for what happened afterwards, you already know. It's my fault. I was blinded by the power and status that Lin Chenrui offered, and I betrayed the Great General. The Great General had always treated me so well..."
Faced with Zhang Zhuhe's remorse, You Rong felt only sarcasm.
If not for today, when he was pushed to desperation, where would his so-called remorse come from!
Nangong Jie's anger surged to his head. He furiously grabbed Zhang Zhuhe by the collar and punched him hard in the face.
"You son of a bitch! You Jiang treated you with all his heart! He trusted you so much! Promoted you! And you did this to him! How could you face him!"
Zhang Zhuhe's face was bruised and swollen. He gritted his teeth tightly, enduring Nangong Jie's blows without a sound.
You Rong took a deep breath, suppressing the turbulent emotions in his chest, and stepped forward to stop Nangong Jie. "Uncle Nangong, please calm down. Everything he has done will be paid for!"
Only then did Nangong Jie violently push Zhang Zhuhe away and stand aside with a grim expression.
You Rong turned his gaze to Jing Ziyue, who was frowning tightly. "And you? You presided over my father's rebellion case. What did Lin Chenrui have you do?"
Jing Ziyue chose not to conceal anything and truthfully said, "Lin Chenrui ordered me to expedite the trial and reach a verdict quickly. The only outcome was to condemn You Jiang, and have all over a hundred members of the You family executed. I... followed Lin Chenrui's instructions, deliberately ignored the doubts in the case, and quickly reached a verdict. Then... Lin Chenrui helped me become the Minister of Justice..."
You Rong's fists tightened, the sound of his knuckles cracking from the force.
Nangong Jie was furious. He kicked the stool in front of him, sending it flying. The stool hit the wall and shattered on the ground into splinters. He, a proud man of eight feet, now had red eyes.
"You sons of bitches! For your own selfish desires, you harmed him! Do you know he was a Great General who fought on the battlefield, killed countless enemies, and achieved glorious military exploits! He should have been a hero to the people of Dongli! Yet you slandered him as a traitor colluding with foreign enemies and plotting rebellion!"
You Rong's eyes also felt sore.
His father had once said that if he died, it would be on the battlefield defending the country. Who would have thought he would be framed and meet his end on the execution ground!
You Rong closed his eyes heavily, forcing himself to suppress the raging emotions in his heart and calm down. He opened his eyes and continued, "Do you have any actual evidence to prove everything you just said?"
Jing Ziyue shook his head. "No."
You Rong's heart sank. With only witnesses but no physical evidence, it would be difficult to convict Lin Chenrui.
Just then, Zhang Zhuhe said, "I do... I kept a part of it in mind. It's hidden in a box in my study at my residence. It contains letters exchanged between Lin Chenrui and me. Some of them are in Lin Chenrui's own handwriting. If they are presented to the Emperor, they can definitely be used as evidence to convict Lin Chenrui."
You Rong's pupils constricted. "Are you telling the truth?!"
"Of course it's true, but..." Zhang Zhuhe frowned. "Lin Chenrui wants to kill me. He must have found out that I was rescued. He will surely be sending people everywhere to find me. My residence must be heavily guarded by his men. How easy is it to retrieve those letters exchanged with him!"
Nangong Jie said without hesitation, "I'll go!"
You Rong stopped Nangong Jie. "Uncle Nangong, give me some men, and I will personally go to Zhang Zhuhe's residence."
"No! It's too dangerous. I'll go!"
"Uncle Nangong, don't worry, I'll be fine. Let's split up. You take Zhang Zhuhe and Jin Ziyue to the palace. I'll go and retrieve the evidence, and then we'll immediately report Lin Chenrui's crimes to the Emperor!"
Nangong Jie hesitated for a moment, but ultimately couldn't resist You Rong's persistence. He nodded in agreement, and they parted ways.