Hou Ye's palm heart is a black lotus

Chapter 710 is finished (First update)
"What crime have you committed?" Emperor Muwu asked in return.

Fan Chengzhuo took a deep breath. "As an elder, I have failed in my duty to properly guide my nephew! I should share the blame for his mistake! However... I hope Your Majesty will consider my loyalty over the years and investigate this matter thoroughly!"

His words were sincere.

"My nephew, though incompetent, would never dare to commit such a treasonous act! There must be some misunderstanding here, Your Majesty is wise—"

"So you're sure that the four charges against him by Miao Sheng are all lies?" Emperor Mu Wu leaned back in his chair, interrupting him casually.

Fan Chengzhu choked.

He had dealt with Miao Sheng several times. He was stubborn and ruthless. He would never have done such a thing in court without evidence.

He couldn't figure out exactly how much Miao Sheng knew.

But he doesn't have much time left. If he's any later, I'm afraid...

Fan Chengzhuo gritted his teeth, "Your Majesty, since Lord Miao has submitted a memorial, he must have heard some rumors. But those so-called evidences may not all be true. The northern border is thousands of miles away, and Lord Miao has been in the capital for a long time. It is still unknown whether someone is deliberately obstructing him..."

As he spoke, his tone was already tinged with indignation and regret.

"Zheng Baosu has led his troops in guarding the border for many years. Even if he has not achieved great merit, he has certainly worked hard. He has fought countless battles, risking his life. How can we overturn all his past achievements because of a few rumors? Who can tolerate such slander? Your Majesty, I implore you to send someone to investigate thoroughly—"

As they were talking, Fan Chengzhuo noticed that Emperor Mu Wu's expression suddenly became very subtle.

His gaze fell on Zheng Baosu, his emotions unreadable. For some reason, he suddenly let out a short, light laugh.

The laughter sounded particularly loud and jarring in the quiet hall.

Fan Chengzhuo's heart pounded, and for some reason, a strong sense of unease arose within him.

A rare look of helplessness appeared on his face.

"……His Majesty?"

Almost instinctively, he quickly glanced around and saw that Xie Anjun's face was ashen, and Zheng Baosu's face had lost all color, leaving only a pale and bleak look.

What's going on here?
Fan Chengzhuo was puzzled, but as a seasoned veteran of the officialdom, he could easily sense that something was amiss.

The next moment, Emperor Muwu's words froze him in place.

"Fan Aiqing cares deeply for his nephews and nieces, but you, his cousin, don't seem to be that close to him."

Emperor Muwu's tone was calm and composed, yet it carried an invisible pressure.

He raised his hand and tapped it gently.

"Do you know that just before you arrived, Zheng Baosu confessed that he colluded with foreign enemies to secretly sell supplies and weapons to the Wa Zhenren for huge profits?"

a bolt from the blue!

Fan Chengzhuo stood there dumbfounded, his mind going completely blank!

He admitted it... Zheng Baosu actually admitted it himself!?

He slowly turned his stiff neck in disbelief, meeting Zheng Baosu's gaze as he turned to look at him.

The moment their eyes met, Zheng Baosu was the first to guiltily look away.

He never expected Fan Chengzhuo to come!

After all the torment he had endured, his spirit had long since collapsed. There was no need for any special methods; as soon as Emperor Mu asked him, he told him everything!
If only he could stall for time...

But now—it's too late for regrets!
Fan Chengzhuo felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. At this point, what was there left for him not to understand?
Despite rushing as fast as I could, I was still too late!
The rest of the words were stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word no matter what.

Xie Anjun found this scene utterly ridiculous.

—What an idiot!
I thought he might have some tricks up his sleeve, but in the end, he didn't even know what had happened before he was sent straight to the palace!
It's a shame that Fan Chengzhuo just looked so heartbroken and righteous, little did he know that his good nephew had already blocked his way out!

Great now!

With each person giving a different explanation in front of His Majesty, even a fool would know what the consequences would be!

Xie Anjun harbored resentment in his heart.

Previously, he only thought that Fan Chengzhuo was a bit impulsive in his relationship with Zheng Baosu, but he never expected that he would do such a stupid thing!

This is completely brainless!
It's a shame that he once worked so hard to climb to the position of Minister of Justice, how did he become so stupid and dull now!

If I had known this would happen, I should have sent someone to stake out the Fan family the day before and keep a close eye on him!

Xie Anjun lowered his eyes, his mind racing.

For Fan Chengzhuo, this situation might not be entirely bad.

He had initially thought Fan Chengzhuo was there to confess his crimes, which nearly scared him out of his wits. However, now that he was certain Fan Chengzhuo had only come to save his cousin, things were much easier...

After thinking it over, Xie Anjun finally spoke up: "Your Majesty, I noticed that Lord Fan looks unwell and seems rather confused. Perhaps we should ask him to return home first and recover his health?"

Emperor Muwu, having considered all his thoughts, neither agreed nor disagreed, but simply said calmly, "Lord Fan does indeed seem to be in poor condition, as if he is seriously ill. Why hasn't a royal physician been summoned to examine him for so long?"

Xie Anjun immediately replied, "Your Majesty, I did advise Lord Fan to take care of his health before, but his illness came on so suddenly that he hadn't even had time to see the imperial physician before he became like this..."

Emperor Mu Wu's eyes were cold. "I didn't ask you."

Xie Anjun was startled!
His face turned pale and then flushed, and he quickly lowered his head to admit his mistake, "It was your humble servant who spoke too much!"

Emperor Mu Wu glanced at him without any emotion. "Judging from what you just said, it seems that the two of you have a deep friendship?"

Xie Anjun's alarm went off!
He hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty, please understand! Your humble servant and Lord Fan have only discussed articles a few times; we have no other personal relationship! Your humble servant would not dare to deceive Your Majesty, this—"

He was so nervous that he stammered a little.

Emperor Muwu remained silent, it was unclear whether he believed him or not.

Xie Anjun was filled with regret, wishing he could bite off his own tongue—at a time like this, why did he have to say anything!

Anyone who heard this would probably suspect that he had some connection with Fan Chengzhuo!

Fan Chengzhuo's arrival made the already chaotic situation even worse and threw Xie Anjun into a panic.

At this moment, Fan Chengzhuo finally came to his senses.

He secretly regretted his impulsive decision to barge in!
At the very least, find out the situation here first, and then—

Unfortunately, it's too late to say anything now.

He looked at Zheng Baosu again, his heart filled with despair.

Countless images flashed through my mind, and my ears were ringing, but in the end, only one sentence remained.

——It’s over!
Finally, Fan Chengzhuo felt a jolt in his chest and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood!