Yusui Chang'an

Chapter 1326 Requesting to Leave Beijing
The scorching air penetrated into Chu Chengyao's lungs with his breath, and the panic in his heart was like the arrival of winter. After only flipping through a few pages, Chu Chengyao already had cold sweat on his temples.

He bit his tongue hard, using the pain to force himself to calm down, and glanced sideways at Qin Zongliang who was kneeling beside him. The familiar scene made Chu Chengyao extremely angry.

Last time, they knelt here as well, and Qin Zongliang won. In the same place, he was tricked by Qin Zongliang twice, twice!
Qin Zongliang seemed to sense something, and he looked at Chu Chengyao with a sidelong glance. Just like last time, his eyes were full of contempt as if he were an ant, which made Chu Chengyao almost vomit blood. He kowtowed to the abbot decisively:

"Father, please be wise. I am innocent! I don't know where the evidence was fabricated by the prince Qin, and I don't know how to prove my innocence. I beg you to investigate!"

Facing the emperor's accountability and the public's condemnation, Chu Chengyao just cried out for injustice and denied any evidence.

Hearing the Crown Prince, the King of Qin, and the ministers condemning him in anger, Chu Chengyao kowtowed three times, tears streaming down his face in grievance:
"Father, I am only following your orders and have never had the intention to seize power. Otherwise, I would not have chosen a princess without a family background. I should have learned from my elder brother and third brother and chosen someone with a family background or military power as my helper.

I don't know how I have offended my two brothers, but you want to accuse me of such a capital crime. I have no way to defend myself, and I am heartbroken to see my brothers killing each other.

I am willing to go to my fiefdom and will never return to the capital without being summoned! I only ask that Father, in consideration of Xue'er's impending birth, allow me to leave the capital after the grandson is one month old so as to avoid the bumpy journey and injuring the grandson."

After saying this, Chu Chengyao kowtowed to the Crown Prince and the King of Qin, not caring about his face at all, as if he had been persecuted to the point of despair and could only bow down and be humble to save his life:

"I beg His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin to spare my family of three for the sake of my unborn nephew."

The court officials began to whisper again, and Qi Quan and a dozen other officials stood up anxiously to speak for Chu Chengyao.

He talked about Chu Chengyao's various political achievements, and also said that the Crown Prince and the King of Qin had joined forces to frame their brothers, forcing Chu Chengyao, who worked diligently, to have no way to survive.

Minister of Revenue Han Qingru's eyes flickered as he followed Qi Quan and the others to review the matter. The prince's expression became even darker when he saw Minister of Rites Yuan Dao also stand up to support Chu Chengyao:
It would have been fine if the second brother's people just helped to speak up, but his people actually came out to help!

When Chu Chengyao finished speaking, Master Yao quickly looked at the emperor's gloomy face and thought carefully in his heart:

This boy is cunning. Although he asked to leave his fiefdom, it meant giving up the throne. But if he stayed, based on the current evidence, his life might be in danger. He retreated to advance, and he was so humble, which made him look like a slander by the prince and his men.

By the way, he mentioned the two men's wives, not only specifically mentioning that the King of Qin had military power, but also mentioned his granddaughter, which made him have an even worse impression of the Crown Prince when he returned to the court.

But... Zhangzhou borders Yeliang. Will the emperor agree to let this ambitious son be given a fiefdom?
Hearing Han Qingru and Yuan Dao pleading for Chu Chengyao, Master Yao instinctively sensed something was wrong:
At this critical juncture, if the emperor knew that even the prince's people were on the side of the King of Jin, wouldn't that make the situation even worse? Were these two people too concerned or did they have other intentions...

He turned his head and looked at Lin Yanqing. The two of them understood each other tacitly. Hearing the emperor's question, they both looked at Gu Hongzhang.

"Lord Gu, these two incidents involve your grandchildren. You are the victim of both. What do you think?"