Chapter 723: Chapter 724: Fulfillment

"Your Majesty, Marquis Zhongyong has fainted." Eunuch Li glanced at the figure lying on the ground and asked in a low voice.

Emperor Muwu’s tone was impassive. "Xie Anjun colluded with the enemy and committed treason. The evidence is conclusive. Drag him out and execute him immediately!"

Everyone was shocked.

Even Xiao Jiayi was startled, looking up in disbelief.

After everything that had just happened, anyone could see that Xie Anjun couldn’t clear his name. With Xiao Jiayi’s testimony, his fate was set in stone.

But no one had expected Emperor Muwu to be so decisive!

The Eldest Princess also frowned and spoke with some hesitation, "There is naturally no issue with Your Majesty punishing him. However, isn’t this a bit too fast? The evidence..."

"Several people have accused him one after another, and even the woman who shared his bed for many years has stood up to testify. Is that not enough?" Emperor Muwu retorted.

Hearing this, the Eldest Princess knew his mind was made up. She nodded slightly and said no more.

’It wasn’t really surprising. From the moment the Imperial Army stormed the Duke Zhongyong Mansion today, Emperor Muwu’s intentions were crystal clear.’

Sure enough, Emperor Muwu continued in a cold voice, "Such outrageous and lawless behavior... He even angered his own father to death. If Xie Pei’s spirit is watching from the heavens, he would surely be ashamed to have such a son."

With these words, everyone understood that the blame for Xie Pei’s death was being placed squarely on Xie Anjun’s head.

And Xie Anjun... was undoubtedly doomed!

As he spoke, Emperor Muwu’s gaze turned to Xie Anbai, his expression softening slightly.

"An Bai, I know you have nothing to do with these matters and will not take my anger out on you. Regardless, I must still give your father an accounting."

With Xie Anjun causing such a massive scandal, the Xie Family was definitely beyond saving.

But Emperor Muwu would not wipe them out completely.

For one, Xie Anbai was indeed innocent. For another... Xie Pei had, after all, rendered distinguished service in the past. If his entire family were to be executed, what would the world say?

Xie Anbai understood all of this perfectly.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the roiling emotions in his chest, and slowly kowtowed.

"...Thank you for your magnanimity, Your Majesty. But I have one more request, and I implore Your Majesty to grant it."

Emperor Muwu nodded. "Speak freely."

Xie Anbai’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Word by word, he said,

"I want to witness the execution."

He didn’t say whose, but everyone knew the answer.

Emperor Muwu’s gaze lingered on him and Xie Anjun for a moment.

There had been no brotherly affection left between them for a long time. Especially after Xie Pei’s death, Xie Anjun had wanted nothing more than to see Xie Anbai utterly destroyed.

Now that the tables had turned, it was only natural that Xie Anbai would want to watch Xie Anjun die with his own eyes.

Emperor Muwu readily agreed.

"You may."

Xie Anjun was dragged out. Xie Anbai also rose, bowed, and turned to follow.

As they passed each other, Xiao Jiayi looked up and took one last look at Xie Anjun.

The face, once handsome and familiar in her memory, now had its eyes squeezed shut. His complexion was ashen, his lips chapped and pale.

On that face, she could still almost see the image of him from moments ago, screaming himself hoarse and twisting his words in a desperate defense.

He had become a completely different person.

Xiao Jiayi’s eyes were wide open, her entire body numb and stiff. For some reason, a single tear suddenly fell.

The next moment, she kowtowed to Emperor Muwu again, her hoarse voice catching with a slight sob.

"Father Emperor, I know my sins are grave. I am unworthy of being your daughter and unworthy of calling you Father Emperor. But... Lin’er is, after all, your grandson. Your blood flows in his veins. I beg you—do not take out my transgressions on him!"

She bit her lip so hard that crimson blood began to well up.

"This is my only wish in this life. As for everything else... I will accept my punishment!"

The Eldest Princess felt a vague sense of unease. Her brow furrowed. "Jia Yi—"

Before she could finish, Xiao Jiayi, who had been kneeling, suddenly shot to her feet and rushed toward a nearby pillar!

Emperor Muwu shouted in a deep voice, "Stop her—"

BANG—!

With a dull thud, all other sounds came to a sudden halt.

A spray of crimson blossomed like a plum flower on the pillar, and the faint scent of blood began to spread.

Xiao Jiayi’s body went completely limp. She slid down slowly, finally collapsing weakly onto the floor.

Her forehead and cheeks were covered in warm blood, but she was no longer breathing.

The great hall fell deathly silent.

No one had expected Xiao Jiayi to make such an extreme choice!

"She..." The Eldest Princess’s brow was knitted tightly. In the end, she just shook her head. "So be it."

’Perhaps Xiao Jiayi had already decided on this outcome the moment she stepped in here today.’

Surprisingly, the first to move was Ye Chutang.

She stepped forward, came to Xiao Jiayi’s side, and placed a hand on her neck, her eyes lowered.

A moment later, she withdrew her hand.

"Princess Huan Ning has passed away. Your Majesty, Eldest Princess... my condolences."

’Though they had been enemies in the past, they had, in a way, cooperated during this final period.’

Ye Chutang paused, then finally reached out and helped close Xiao Jiayi’s eyes.

Those eyes—crimson, furious, and indignant, yet also filled with deep sorrow and despair—could finally close forever.

’Regardless of the past, without her fanning the flames today, this whole affair would likely have dragged on for much longer.’

Emperor Muwu felt a tightness in his chest, as if he couldn’t breathe.

In truth, even he couldn’t quite put a name to his emotions at that moment.

Given what happened with Xiao Chengxuan and Jiang Qingmei, he refused to believe Xiao Jiayi was completely ignorant of their deeds.

But now, having witnessed her kill herself by running into a pillar, seeing the bloody scene and her face rapidly lose its last trace of color, he found it difficult to remain calm.

She was, after all, the daughter he had once genuinely doted on.

Emperor Muwu leaned back in his chair, suddenly feeling a tidal wave of exhaustion wash over him, threatening to swallow him whole.

He felt too weary to even lift a finger.

Seeing him like this, the Eldest Princess couldn’t help but worry.

"Your Majesty?"

Emperor Muwu’s health had been poor recently; he was only getting by on the medicine Ye Chutang provided.

Today, he had personally interrogated Zheng Baosu, which then implicated Fan Chengzhuo and Xie Anjun, and now he had just watched Xiao Jiayi kill herself right before his eyes...

Who could endure all that?

Eunuch Li also noticed his discomfort and hurried forward. "The hour is late. Would Your Majesty like to go and rest?"

Emperor Muwu didn’t speak, merely looking ahead.

Zheng Baosu and Fan Chengzhuo had not yet been dealt with. And there was still Zhao Zhe.

Sensing his gaze, Zheng Baosu instantly shivered.

"Y-Your Majesty..."

He wanted to beg for mercy, but no words would come out.

Even a fool would know that after committing such a crime, there was no possibility of survival!

However, Emperor Muwu’s gaze did not linger on him for long before shifting to Fan Chengzhuo.

Fan Chengzhuo’s body stiffened.

To this point, Fan Chengzhuo had held fast to his story that he had acted alone, under no one’s orders.

"Since you are so loyal."

Emperor Muwu said gravely,

"Then, I shall grant you your wish."

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