son, don't mess around

In the lobby.

When Chen Hongsheng turned around, a young figure appeared in his sight, walking out of the crowd.

When his eyes fell on the face of this young figure, Chen Hongsheng's face suddenly changed as if he understood everything in an instant.

He stared at the young figure in his sight, his eyes full of disbelief!
At the same time, countless eyes were focused on this young man in the government office. He was about twenty years old, with a delicate appearance, dressed in brocade and gorgeous clothes, and looked a little nervous.

But his eyes were fixed on Chen Hongsheng in front of him, and a hint of sharpness and determination flashed in his unnoticed eyes.

"Who is he? Why did Chen Hongsheng's face change when he saw him?!"

"I know him. His name is Chen Xu. He is a member of the Chen family's side branch. I have seen him following Chen Hongsheng before."

"Hiss...what's going on? Why did someone from the Chen family stand up?!"

"Something's wrong, something's very wrong!"

"..."

The people gathered around were talking about it, not understanding what was going on!

However, some people still noticed something was wrong. Especially some children from aristocratic families, when they saw Chen Xu stand up and saw Chen Hongsheng's face suddenly change, they immediately thought something was wrong.

It's over!

There was a lot of noisy discussion in the lobby.

"It's you?!"

Chen Hongsheng had a gloomy expression and stared at Chen Xu coldly.

At this moment, if his eyes could kill, Chen Xu would have been cut into pieces by him!

Chen Hongsheng never expected that the person who betrayed him would be Chen Xu, the nephew whom he trusted quite a lot!

When Junru was arrested, Chen Hongsheng realized that there was a traitor. But he always suspected that someone inside the Chen family had leaked the information, and suspected that it was the old guys in the Chen family who were secretly behind it!

It's not that he didn't suspect Chen Xu, but Chen Xu had always been so good at disguising himself in front of him! His nephew had always presented himself as a harmless person!

Chen Hongsheng had also investigated secretly. His nephew did have some other ideas when he approached him, but in Chen Hongsheng's eyes, it was nothing. There were many people in the Chen family who wanted to take over his position as the head of the family. His son Chen Junru was a hopeless person with limited ability.

Therefore, Chen Hongsheng had considered training this nephew as his heir.

But Chen Hongsheng would never have thought that this nephew whom he trusted so much would actually betray him!

Betrayed the Chen family?!

At this moment, when Chen Xu stood up, Chen Hongsheng already understood everything!
It's him!

That night, he took Chen Xu to meet Chen Junru! It was also him who betrayed Junru's whereabouts to Lin Jiangnian!
At this moment, even the calmest Chen Hongsheng couldn't help but become angry and resentful. His eyes were like sharp blades, coldly cutting into Chen Xu.

Facing Chen Hongsheng's questioning and angry eyes, Chen Xu felt as if a sharp blade was piercing his back. The hairs on his body almost stood up, and he was enveloped by a bone-chilling chill.

He looked a little frightened and looked away slightly, not daring to look Chen Hongsheng in the eye!
Even though he had made up his mind to betray his uncle, Chen Hongsheng's prestige had left a deep impression on him over the years.

Chen Xuqiang held on, took a deep breath, gritted his teeth and said, "Uncle, I know you love my cousin Junru and don't want to see him beheaded. But you should never do such a treasonous act as robbing a prisoner!"

"The evidence is solid, but you are still lying and denying it. Although I know that what you did today is extremely treasonous, I don't want to watch you get yourself into trouble and get deeper and deeper!"

"Uncle, if you do this, you will only drag the Chen family into the abyss. Uncle, don't make the same mistake again..."

Chen Xu's words exploded in the crowd like a cannonball! No one expected that Chen Xu would suddenly stand up at this time and testify against Chen Hongsheng!

Isn't this Chen Xu a member of the Chen family? !

Doesn’t he have a very good relationship with Chen Hongsheng?

Why would he stand up at this time and testify against Chen Hongsheng? !
Internal strife in the Chen family?!

Everyone was stunned. If someone else had come forward to testify, perhaps it would not have been so convincing. But the person who came forward was a member of the Chen family, and even the nephew who had a very good relationship with Chen Hongsheng in the past!

The persuasiveness of the words coming out of his mouth is self-evident!

At this moment, Chen Xu looked heartbroken, unable to bear to see his elders making mistakes again and again and choosing to sacrifice their own relatives for the sake of justice, which also aroused the sympathy of many people.

Yes!

Look, even the children of the Chen family have come out to testify against their own family members. How could this be false?

Just destroy relatives!

Well done to Chen Xu!

For a moment, there was chaos inside and outside the lobby.

In front of the hall, Ouyang Zhen, who finally reacted, was delighted. He quickly realized that the young man who suddenly appeared in front of him was probably the backup plan prepared by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!
Ouyang Zhen immediately slammed the gavel and asked, "Who is in the hall?!"

Chen Xu turned around, bowed his head, and said respectfully: "My Lord, I am Chen Xu, a member of the Chen family!"

Ouyang Zhen glanced at Chen Hongsheng, who had an ugly face and angry eyes: "Who is Chen Hongsheng to you?"

"It's Caomin's uncle!"

Ouyang Zhen narrowed his eyes and asked in a perfunctory tone, "You just said that the people who robbed the execution ground that day were secretly instigated by Chen Hongsheng? Do you have any evidence?!"

"Your Excellency, this is what my uncle told me personally. It is absolutely true. I am willing to swear on my life!"

Chen Xu's face was slightly pale, but his tone was extremely firm. After a pause, he glanced at Chen Hongsheng, who was standing beside him with murderous eyes, and a hint of coldness flashed across his eyes: "It was my uncle who instructed others to impersonate the Tianshen Sect to kidnap Junru's cousin, intending to replace him with a fake..."

"Three days ago, my uncle secretly left the city with me and went outside the city to meet my cousin Junru. My uncle also secretly planned to arrange for my cousin Junru to escape from Linjiang City..."

In the lobby.

Chen Xu narrated what happened that day word by word.

Every time he said something, Chen Hongsheng's face darkened. When he finished speaking, Chen Hongsheng's expression was completely filled with gloom.

The people around were also in an uproar after hearing this!
The truth is out?!
Was it really done by Chen Hongsheng?
What Chen Xu said was exactly the same as what the government investigated, and the details matched perfectly!
This means that the truth is out!
Everyone was in an uproar, and many people in the crowd changed their expressions. Especially some of the Chen family members, they were even more confused!
By the time I realized what was happening, I was furious.

Chen Junru, who had been confused all the time, became angry when he heard that Chen Xu was reporting and accusing his father!

"Chen Xu, what are you doing?!"

"Are you crazy? Do you know what you are doing?!"

"Nonsense, you are absolutely crazy... How dare you talk nonsense, you little beast, you are looking for death!"

"..."

Facing Chen Junru's angry face, Chen Xu gradually calmed down.

Now that he has come to this point, there is no turning back. The only option before him is to "abandon the dark and join the light".

He looked down at Chen Junru, who was in such a miserable state, like a stray dog, and felt extremely happy in his heart!

Once upon a time, Chen Junru in front of him was arrogant and did not take him seriously at all, let alone treat him as a human being!
In the eyes of others, he, Chen Junru's cousin, is just a dog of Chen Junru!

It's just a dog that comes when called and goes when dismissed!

And now?

Instead, Chen Junru became a dog!

A stray dog ​​waiting to die!

Chen Xu sneered: "There is not a single word of falsehood in what I said. If you think what I said is wrong, just show me the evidence!"

Chen Junru was so angry that he was shaking all over. His face was filled with anger and fear. He stared at Chen Xu and cursed repeatedly: "Nonsense! Nonsense, beast, you little beast... I should have killed you at the beginning... beast!" Chen Xu's eyes flashed with a hint of coldness: "Cousin, when have you ever treated me as your cousin? That night three days ago, how you spoke rudely to me, have you forgotten?"

"you you……"

Chen Junru pointed at him with a trembling hand: "You, are you seeking revenge?!"

"No, I'm just stating the facts. You were indeed kidnapped by Uncle Chen, and it has nothing to do with the Heavenly God Cult! Didn't Uncle also want to send you away from Linjiang City three days ago?!"

"Uncle, are you right?!"

When he said this, Chen Xu finally raised his head and looked at Chen Hongsheng in front of him.

His eyes were no longer evasive, although there was still a hint of panic in them. But at this moment, he no longer had much fear!
At this moment, Chen Hongsheng, who was shocked and angry at the beginning, gradually calmed down. He stared at Chen Xu and said in a cold voice: "I still misjudged you!"

"Uncle, you never misjudged me!"

Chen Xu showed a hint of sarcasm on his face: "From the beginning, uncle probably didn't choose me, right?"

"When were you bribed by him?"

Chen Hongsheng questioned in a deep voice.

"Uncle, you're overthinking it. I've never been bribed by anyone!"

Chen Xu sneered: "If uncle hadn't done such a stupid thing, how could something like this happen today?"

"This is all uncle's own fault!"

"I just don't want my uncle to make the same mistake again and again, dragging the entire Chen family down into an irreparable situation."

Chen Hongsheng was silent. He stared at Chen Xu, as if he wanted to ask something.

But then, he realized something from Chen Xu's extremely scorching gaze, which also contained a bit of hidden resentment.

He saw resentment!
I also saw ambition!

"He promised to help you take my seat?"

A trace of panic flashed across Chen Xu's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

He didn't answer.

But Chen Hongsheng already had the answer. His eyes gradually deepened, and countless emotions flashed through his eyes. In the end, he calmed down!

Chen Xu, who was originally filled with the pleasure of revenge, felt a little uneasy again.

He didn't know why Chen Hongsheng looked at him like that, very calmly... so calmly that it made Chen Xu inexplicably feel fear.

He originally thought that Chen Hongsheng would continue to be angry and refute!

But he didn't.

But the more this happened, the more uneasy Chen Xu became!
……

In front of the hall, after hearing all this, Ouyang Zhen was ecstatic!
Real hammer!

This is already confirmed!
He suppressed his ecstasy, looked at Chen Hongsheng in the hall, and asked in a low voice: "Chen Hongsheng, now that there are witnesses and evidence, what else do you have to say?!"

Chen Hongsheng stood in the lobby, his expression calm: "Indeed, I did it."

Calm tone!
As soon as these words came out, a stone stirred up a thousand waves!

Admit it? !

There was an uproar all around!

Even Ouyang Zhen didn't expect that Chen Hongsheng would admit it so straightforwardly! Although the evidence was irrefutable, this admission also meant... Chen Hongsheng was finished!

Even Chen Junru's expression changed. Even he knew the seriousness of the matter!
"Dad, Dad, what did you say? You, you..."

He looked terrified and trembling, then he realized something and looked at Chen Xu angrily: "You are talking nonsense, you are slandering my father, you are slandering me!"

Chen Xu just watched the scene coldly, without saying a word, sneering in his heart.

He felt extremely happy when he saw Chen Junru's miserable condition now!

At this moment, the people from various families in the crowd could no longer sit still after seeing this scene.

"Quick, go back and report to the master!"

"Chen Hongsheng has pleaded guilty. This is bad news..."

"..."

"Since you plead guilty, it will be easy!"

In front of the hall, Ouyang Zhen slammed the gavel and shouted, "I hereby declare that this case is now closed!"

"Chen Junru robbed women and hired someone to kill people. His crimes are extremely serious. He was sentenced to death a few days ago. Now the original sentence is upheld. He will be beheaded outside the West City Gate in three days!"

"As for Chen Hongsheng, as the head of the Chen family, you ignored the laws of our Daning Dynasty and ordered others to rob the execution ground. The circumstances are serious and your crime is unforgivable... I remember that you have made many contributions to the people of Linjiang City over the years, so I will deal with you at my discretion. However, the death penalty can be exempted, but the punishment of life imprisonment cannot be exempted..."

"I hereby declare that most of your Chen family's assets will be confiscated, Chen Hongsheng's household registration will be revoked, and he will be exiled to southern Xinjiang!"

The government's verdict came as a surprise to many people!
Many people thought that the feud between the Prince Lin's Mansion and the Chen family had reached this point, and prisoner robbing was a capital crime, so the Prince Lin's Mansion would definitely kill Chen Hongsheng without mercy!

But unexpectedly, Chen Hongsheng was still alive?
Many people are puzzled!
Even Ouyang Zhen was a little confused. This was a great opportunity to get rid of Chen Hongsheng and the Chen family. Why did His Royal Highness the Crown Prince want to spare his life?
However, it was the arrangement of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince after all. Although Ouyang Zhen was puzzled, he did not dare to disobey.

However, some people with ulterior motives discerned the deeper meaning of this verdict.

The reason why Chen Hongsheng was not killed was probably because the Lin Wang Mansion wanted to prevent the noble families from getting too emotional. As for removing his household registration and exiling him to southern Xinjiang... such a punishment was not much better than dying directly!

Where is Southern Xinjiang?
If the head of the dignified Chen family was exiled to that kind of place, it goes without saying what would happen to him!

After hearing the verdict, Chen Hongsheng's expression changed, then returned to normal, as if he had already anticipated such an outcome.

When Chen Junru heard that he was going to be beheaded in three days, his face suddenly changed and he almost fainted.

"Dad, Dad, save me..."

Chen Junru looked at his father in panic, however, even Chen Hongsheng was powerless this time. He looked at Chen Junru in silence for a long time.

No words!
There was a deep sigh in his eyes.

As if anticipating something bad, Chen Junru's pupils shrank suddenly: "Dad, Dad, you, say something..."

He wanted to say something but was dragged away by the bailiffs.

And his eyes were full of complete despair!
Chen Hongsheng looked at this scene with a sad expression.

Perhaps, he had already known that Chen Junru could not be saved.

He withdrew his gaze and caught a glimpse of Chen Xu on the other side out of the corner of his eye.

At this moment, Chen Xu's eyes were very complicated.

Chen Hongsheng looked at him quietly for a long time, and finally said, "You can do whatever you want!"

Chen Xu stood there, thinking back to Chen Hongsheng's meaningful look. For some reason, he felt his back getting even colder!
Take care of yourself? !
Uncle, what does this mean?
Chen Xu couldn't think of an answer. When he turned around, he saw many members of the Chen family staring at him angrily.

Those pairs of eyes seemed to be staring at a traitor!
At this moment, Chen Xu suddenly realized something... He seemed to have become a traitor and public enemy of the Chen family!

...(End of chapter)