Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 157 The Survival Guide of Fools

Jiu Que frowned upon seeing this.

"Don't blame everything on others. If it weren't for your own lack of self-control causing all these consequences, how could you possibly blame others? I know you mean it's much easier to blame others than yourself, but in this situation, you still want to blame others, which is just too self-deceptive. In short, I will take over this matter, and the truth will come out in its own way. There's no need to lie to yourself like this."

"I……"

He winked at Jiu Que, signaling him to leave first. Only after watching the other man's figure disappear did Jiu Que breathe a sigh of relief. There are some people in this world who are adept at blaming others for their own mistakes, and they are exceptionally perceptive, knowing exactly where others' weaknesses lie. Even with him interacting so openly with Wei Yuan and the others, Jiu Que was worried that he might be up to something.

Zhao Gou had already completely abandoned all pride, thinking this would give him a glimmer of hope. He never expected that even after losing so much face, that heartless woman would remain completely indifferent. Are there truly people in this world who don't care about the rights and wrongs of others? Anyone with even a shred of conscience wouldn't ignore his tragic past, would they?
It's a pity Zhao Gou's actions were purely based on overactive imagination. Now that Jiu Que knows the truth, it's already a testament to her exceptional self-control that she didn't punch him twice, let alone help them. There are so many people in this world worth helping; why abandon others to help these criminals?

After realizing his desperate pleas were ineffective, Zhao Gou's eyes lit up, and he thought of unorthodox methods. Since this woman was so heartless, refusing to help no matter how much he begged, why should he go to the capital with her? Someone like him wouldn't have a good ending even if he returned to the capital. On the contrary, he would be despised by the world. What was the point?
This female imperial envoy's mistake was daring to be so arrogant on someone else's territory. Even a broken boat has three pounds of nails. Even if he was a useless subordinate, Yancheng was a place he had cultivated for many years. Even the real Prince of Binyang didn't know how many backup plans he had, let alone this imposter. Over the years, they had been wary of each other, never revealing their true strength. It was all for this moment!

However, before Zhao Gou could take any action, he heard the stubborn woman speak casually.

"Although I hate to admit it, you were right about something you said before: the first to report is meritorious and their punishment will be reduced accordingly. The more detailed the information you provide, the more you will be rewarded. With merits and demerits offsetting each other, you might actually be spared your life. However, the evidence you have provided so far is still too little. As for this fake prince, I believe you know more about him than General Zhao. If you can forgive and forget and tell him everything, His Majesty might be magnanimous and spare your life."

The fake prince sneered, completely disbelieving Jiu Que's words. He wanted to say that he was well-versed in the laws of the Great Jing Dynasty and had never seen such a clause. But when he opened his mouth, he found himself speechless. Looking at the woman before him with a hint of regret in her eyes, the fake prince realized with horror that he had become a traitor. And what was even more despairing was that the fool who had been lured in was completely unaware that the other party was simply lying.

Sure enough, the next moment, Zhao Gou hurriedly spoke.

"No, Your Excellency, I certainly know more details than he does! For example, I know which prince in the court he is colluding with, and I have evidence of their collusion. After all, Yancheng is the richest city in the world in salt production, and the money from the smuggling of salt doesn't stay in Yancheng; instead, it flows like water to the residence of a prince in the capital. Isn't that evidence of their collusion with the prince to usurp the throne?"

"Oh? Is that so? I only suspected they were colluding with the prince, but I didn't know they were actually doing so. Hmm..."

Zhao Gou looked at Jiu Que with longing, and the next moment he heard an affirmative answer from the other party.

“If what you say is true, this is certainly a significant clue. However, a few words from you are not enough to convict him, after all, the other party is a prince.” Zhao Gou wholeheartedly agreed, after all, that was the emperor's own son! If there wasn't substantial evidence to definitively convict him, he really wouldn't dare to step forward and confess. He wouldn't have dared before, but now that his life was about to end, what wouldn't he confess to save his life? Sure enough, Zhao Gou then proceeded to confess, like a flowing stream, about the transactions between Yancheng and the prince's residence in the capital over the years.

"In the fake prince's study, there's a white jade beauty vase. The quality of that jade, along with the masterful carving, is beyond what Yancheng could produce. It was a gift from the prince to reward his loyalty. I noticed that vase, which clearly exceeded the standard, and was curious. I even investigated it privately. There's a royal kiln seal on the bottom. Each piece from the royal kiln has a unique number. If you don't believe me, you can contact the royal kiln to find out who that jade vase was originally intended for. Wouldn't that make everything clear?"

Zhao Gou then recited the bottle's number in a very detailed and convincing manner, making it believable. Jiu Que stroked his chin, lost in thought.

"What you said makes sense."

Seeing his chance of survival within reach, Zhao Gou was overjoyed. He immediately pulled out several pieces of evidence from the corners of his memory, proving the fake prince's collusion with the princes of the capital, and recounted them bit by bit, making the fake prince's face turn deathly pale. Having spent the past few years with Zhao Gou, he had always known he was a fool, but he hadn't expected this fool to have so many ulterior motives. Unfortunately, he used all his cunning on his own people. Did this fool not understand the principle of shared prosperity and shared ruin?

Oh well, anyway, he and he weren't really related by blood, and the other man must hate him to the core, otherwise he wouldn't have secretly collected so much evidence. But what the fake prince was curious about was that since the other man hated him so much, how come he had lived a smooth and successful life in Yancheng all these years with his help, and he hadn't seen him complain about it.

Indeed, in this world, only power is the most seductive.

"...Sir, this is all I know. Do you think these clues are useful?"

"Hmm...of course it's useful. Alright, General Zhao, please calm down for now. I will report everything that has happened here to His Majesty and see how His Majesty handles it. At that time, I will mention your merits, and how to reduce your sentence will depend on your performance during this period."

"Yes, yes, yes! What you say is very true, sir. I will certainly behave myself and not cause trouble for others."

Seeing Zhao Gou bow and scrape as he retreated, Jiu Que rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Why hasn't Brother Wei Yuan returned yet? She's still waiting for Xie Mingchen to rescue the Prince of Binyang!

(End of this chapter)