The Slender Waist-Chapter 655 - 472 Evidence of Treason

Feng Yun had a night full of dreams, perhaps because the dreams were too chaotic. When the day broke and she awoke, she discovered that Pei Jue was sleeping by her side and experienced a brief moment of disorientation, unsure of which night it was.

"Why is the General sleeping here?"

It had been a while since she last addressed Pei Jue as General.

Pei Jue looked at her face, surprised.

"If I don’t sleep here, should I sleep on the ground?"

Feng Yun suddenly became fully alert, realizing where she was.

This was in her current life, in the Pei Residence of West Capital City.

She took a breath, showing a slight smile. Her soft hair brushed against her rosy cheeks. She looked at him with half-closed eyes, sleepy yet with a kind of righteous laziness.

"Doesn’t the King usually start practicing his skills early? Why the laziness today?"

Pei Jue turned to her and wrapped his arms around her slender waist, unable to resist pinching the soft flesh that was caught between his fingers.

"An hour of spring evening is worth a thousand gold coins... one hour, two hours, three hours... this one hour won’t make a difference."

Pfft! Feng Yun couldn’t take the ticklish sensation and sat up, laughing as she kicked him.

"Aren’t you getting up? Don’t you have to go to the palace and be punished today?"

Her foot was still in the air when a large hand suddenly reached out, grabbing her with a bit of force. She was then pinned down on the bed by an arm, as his tall figure loomed over her.

Feng Yun yelped, her heart almost leaping out of her throat.

"You scared me."

Pei Jue pinned her down on the bed firmly, his dark eyes burning intensely.

"Don’t you want to be punished? If I don’t punish you, who dares to?"

Feng Yun saw his refreshed appearance and glared at him fiercely, "Stop fooling around, it’s almost time."

"No rush," Pei Jue said, gazing down at the delicate beauty in his arms.

A fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose, the round and firm body pressed against him was visually enthralling.

The fire in his dark eyes grew stronger and livelier, meeting Feng Yun’s watery gaze, they slowly softened, resembling a glowing flame meeting a fog-covered lake. Even their breaths became moist.

"Don’t..." Feng Yun clung tightly to his back, her voice hoarse from dryness.

His warm breath permeated through the thin layer of cloth, sticky and hard, seemingly ready to split her apart fiercely in the next moment.

Feng Yun’s body tensed up, like a string plucked at will in his hands, trembling, emitting a captivating tune under the continuous strokes...

The window lattices bore the icy edges from the cold winter night of the first month of the year.

Yet inside the room was bright with the warmth of spring, their intertwined shadows gradually blurring in the morning light...

The two of them got up, washed, dressed, and then proceeded to the palace, indeed running late.

Inside the Golden Throne Hall, there was a silence as heavy as death.

The officials waited in mute anticipation.

On the vermilion steps, the Dragon Throne looked overly grand, making the small figure of Yuan Shangyi seem all the more frail.

Behind the Dragon Throne, a curtain fell quietly, with the Empress Dowager seated behind it, overseeing the state affairs.

"Prince of Yonghuai has arrived——"

The high-pitched voice of the eunuch resonated from outside the hall, as if carrying the wind and an echo, unintentionally causing the officials to breathe a sigh of relief.

Today, the Empress Dowager had summoned the officials to discuss state matters, but when the time came, the Prince of Yonghuai was nowhere in sight.

Without the Prince of Yonghuai, what was there to discuss?

With the Empress Dowager and the Emperor seated above, even if the officials had some ideas, they could only hold their breath, waiting in agony.

Fortunately, the Prince of Yonghuai eventually arrived, albeit late.

As the doors to the grand hall opened, it seemed as though a shadow swept across suddenly, causing all present to look up in mild surprise.

The Prince of Yonghuai did not come to the hall alone.

He had brought the Princess with him.

It was an ancient rule that women did not enter the grand hall.

Even the Empress Dowager, when presiding over court from behind the screen, had to be concealed by curtains. The Princess of Yonghuai’s bold move was clearly an overstep.

The officials exchanged glances.

All looked at their peers, hoping someone would stand up...

However, the great hall was as silent as the grave.

As the regent, Pei Jue endowed with the nine bestowments, was allowed to be armed with his sword. When seeing the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, he didn’t need to kneel.

So he walked in with an air of grandeur, the Biyong Sword at his waist gleaming with a cold luster, intimidating people from looking directly at it.

Everyone knew of the sword that had been stained with countless amounts of blood; everyone knew this man who had killed numerous people...

Yet the Princess of Yonghuai at his side possessed a gentle appearance and a graceful posture. Walking beside him, she appeared elegant and composed, as if she could captivate all the attention on her own.

"This subject Pei Jue greets Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager."

Feng Yun also followed suit with her greetings, using the formal address of a subject.

"This subject Feng Yun greets Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager."

Only then did the officials react, realizing that this lady of the Feng Family indeed held an official position. Although she was the Chief Historian of the Royal Mansion, she was personally appointed by the Emperor and received a salary from the Imperial Court.

The officials hesitated for a moment, then followed the couple in bowing down and chanting long live wishes.

"My subjects, rise," said Yuan Shangyi, lifting his sleeve, his eyes involuntarily tracing Feng Yun.

Feng Yun responded with a glance and pulled at the corner of her mouth, but she did not smile.

Yet Yuan Shangyi did smile.

The Young Emperor always had a stern face during court sessions, trying to appear grown-up, so the officials rarely saw the Emperor smile with such happiness and couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

"Regent Pei, why did you bring your respected wife into the hall?"

The voice of the Empress Dowager came from behind the curtain, a bit feeble, sounding as if she lacked vigor and carried a hint of timidity.

Pei Jue said, "Thanks to His Majesty’s grace, my wife assumed the position of Chief Historian of the Royal Mansion. Having heard of the accusations against her with suspicions of conspiracy, I have come to the hall to set the record straight."

The officials were in an uproar.

The Empress Dowager’s face changed too.

When the memorial arrived in her hands the previous day, she summoned Pei Jue to the palace and showed it to him in private. In fact, she wanted to probe his stance to see how he would react before deciding how to deal with the Princess.

Pei Jue had said that he would give her an explanation.

Empress Dowager had not expected it to be this kind of explanation.

"Why must you do this, Minister Pei..." the Empress Dowager spoke with hesitation.

Pei Jue said, "There are no secrets that cannot be told, Your Majesty."

The Empress Dowager’s chest tightened.

Behind the curtain, she could see His Majesty, the Prince of Yonghuai, very clearly.

Distant and haughty, looking down upon others with contempt—he stood below, yet his presence surpassed all the court officials, including her and the Young Emperor on the Dragon Throne before her.

The Empress Dowager grew somewhat frightened.

Being a person of timid nature, she felt chilled to the bone under Pei Jue’s cold gaze, even with the curtain providing a shield.

She began to regret it as soon as it started.

Why did she listen to Xu Yong...

"Prince of Yonghuai..." the Empress Dowager sounded even weaker, her palm slightly clenched, a light sweat breaking out on her forehead. After calming her nerves, she continued, "This matter lacks clear evidence, we must wait for the Imperial Cavalry Division to investigate..."

Pei Jue said, "Your Highness stated yesterday that the evidence was conclusive."

He pressed her relentlessly, giving the Empress Dowager no chance to breathe. Did he truly wish to see the Princess prosecuted in the great hall?

The officials were shocked.

The Empress Dowager’s face turned pale.

After a long moment, she weakly commanded, "Xu Yong, read out."

Xu Yong had not expected Pei Jue to directly bring the Princess to the Golden Throne Hall, exposing the matter in front of all the courtiers.

He cleared his throat.

"Xinyi County Governor Chen Jue and Andu County Commandant Liang Huanzhang submitted a petition to His Majesty, claiming that the Princess of Yonghuai, from the Feng Family, harbors disloyal intentions, sweet-talking with honeyed words, feigning affection and attempting to deceive the Prince of Yonghuai, and drag down His Majesty..."

With each word he spoke, the expressions of the officials in the hall shifted.

How dared Chen Jue and Liang Huanzhang do such a thing?

Liang Huanzhang was a person promoted by Ao Zheng.

Many cast sideways glances at Ao Zheng.

Ao Zheng’s expression was the ugliest of all.

Having formerly belonged to the Censorate, he understood the law.

Although ministers are allowed to present accusations based on rumor, without needing to produce tangible evidence—a privilege reserved for censors—what gave these two such audacity...

Besides, the accusation was against the Princess of Yonghuai.

Was that not tantamount to impeaching the Prince of Yonghuai?

"Gentlemen," Ao Zheng bowed to the upper seats and then turned to look at the courtiers,

"To my knowledge, Liang Huanzhang has had issues with the Princess of Yonghuai in Andu County. This is a slanderous fabrication for the sake of revenge. It should not be trusted."

He was clearly stating his position,

cutting ties with Liang Huanzhang completely.

But with such an opportunity, there were those who would fan the flames.

"Then, what about the Governor of Xinyi County? Could it be because the Princess of Yonghuai had a feud with the Grand Princess?"

Ao Zheng gave an embarrassed smile,

"That question should be directed to the Governor of Xinyi County. When submitting an impeachment petition, do you have solid evidence?"

Pei Jue’s gaze swept over the Dragon Throne and lingered on the Young Emperor who was clenching the fabric of his robe so tightly he seemed on the verge of tears. Pei Jue spoke indifferently,

"The Empress Dowager said there is evidence."

In a trial at the Golden Throne Hall, since there was evidence, it naturally had to be presented.

Everyone was waiting,

waiting for the Empress Dowager to speak.

"Xu Yong," the Empress Dowager took a deep breath before finally speaking, "present the evidence."

"Yes."

There was a deathly silence in the great hall.

Xu Yong clapped his hands, and a eunuch came forward with a tray,

walking towards the platform.

"Here is a letter written by the Princess of Yonghuai to Qi Jun."

There was an uproar.

All eyes fell on Pei Jue and Feng Yun.

The affair between Xiao Cheng and Feng Yun was known to everyone in the great hall...

What was the Prince of Yonghuai’s intention in forcing the Empress Dowager to present a letter suggesting an affair between the Princess and Xiao Cheng before everyone?

People were puzzled.

Pei Jue’s face was expressionless.

Feng Yun smiled, "What is this letter that I apparently know nothing about?"

Xu Yong gave a discreet signal, "Let the Prince of Yonghuai review it."

In full view of the crowd, the small eunuch bowed and slowly approached Pei Jue, hands raised above his head.

"Your Grace."

Pei Jue calmly accepted it.

As soon as it was in his hands, Feng Yun’s face changed.

It was her handwriting.

And it was a letter she wrote to Xiao Cheng.

But there was one discrepancy...

This letter written to Xiao Cheng was penned before the fall of Andu City.

At that time, she had not yet been reborn, but had already learned that Feng Jingteng intended to present her to Pei Jue and was selecting beauties in the city to accompany her in the surrender...