Dream of the Red Chamber: After being exiled, I went on a killing spree in Liaodong.

But as she stroked her swollen cheek with her fingertips, a cold glint appeared in her eyes.

The grand court assembly is just around the corner, and her brother, Prince Teng, has rendered meritorious service and is about to be ennobled.

At that time, she would definitely bring her brother into the manor to support her!

"Once my brother has secured his position..."

She sneered inwardly, "I'm going to slap Jia Yi a hundred and eighty times. I'll consider it a loss if I miss even one!"

The following day, Jia Yi was quite carefree, spending half a day chatting and playing with Yingchun and the other young ladies in the Rongguo Mansion, stealing a moment of leisure from his busy life.

He got up before dawn the next day.

Today is the day of the grand court assembly, the day the main event begins.

Yuanyang helped him change into the flying fish robe—a python-patterned brocade robe that only marquises were qualified to wear, with gold thread embroidery and silver fish with outstretched wings gleaming coldly, making the young man's figure stand tall and straight like a pine tree.

The guards stood in formation, their sword sheaths scraping against the bluestone slabs with a soft sound.

Jia Yi stepped out, boarded the carriage in the morning mist, and drove away from Ningrong Street.

In a dilapidated courtyard on a street corner, Jiao Da leaned on his cane, gazing at the gate of Ningguo Mansion with a face full of sorrow.

"My lord..." he murmured, "the family fortune you risked your life to build is about to be squandered by Jia Zhen and his son!"

"Our Rongguo Mansion has produced Jia Yi, when will the Ningguo Mansion produce a pillar of support?"

Meanwhile, a somber atmosphere pervaded the area outside the palace gates.

As soon as Jia Yi got out of the car, he saw Niu Jizong pacing back and forth at the door like an ant on a hot pan, his face pale.

"Yi-ge'er! It's all over, it's all over!"

He grabbed Jia Yi's arm, his voice trembling, "This time we're really done for!"

"Um?"

Jia Yi raised an eyebrow. "Uncle, what happened?"

"Look over there—"

Niu Jizong pointed at the civil officials, his hand trembling, "Those censors, they're like wolves that have smelled blood! They're going to impeach people, and they're going to impeach them to death!"

Jia Yi followed the gaze and felt a chill run down his spine.

Hundreds of imperial censors gathered under the corridor, all dressed neatly, their sleeves bulging with memorials, their eyes sharp, waiting for the palace gates to open so they could unleash a massive storm!

The most important matters concerning the court lately have been the war in Liaodong.

Anyone with eyes can see that this wave is aimed at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion!

"Uncle, don't panic."

A smile crept across Jia Yi's lips, but a sly glint flashed in his eyes. "We'll see how I stir up this mess then."

He planned to continue playing dumb, taking advantage of the chaos to protect the person unseen.

But Niu Jizong shook his head and smiled bitterly, not believing it at all.

"Brother Yi... if I fall from my horse today..."

He lowered his voice, "For the sake of our past relationship, please look after my family a little."

In his view, this calamity was inescapable.

Not far away, the nobles and dignitaries, including Shui Rong, also frowned.

The civil service has made a huge fuss this time; it seems they're serious about taking action.

Whether the Zhenguo Mansion can withstand the pressure is anyone's guess.

But they never expected—

The real target of this storm was not Niu Jizong at all.

Instead, it was Wang Ziteng standing at the edge of the crowd, with a beaming smile on his face.

The Xun Gui Circle, which had been unintentionally tricked by Grandmother Jia and trampled on by Prince Teng, was already seething with hatred.

Now, they are pooling their connections and secretly conspiring with officials to bring down Prince Teng!

More importantly, Wang Ziteng has been playing both sides for years, switching back and forth between the retired emperor and Emperor Yuankang, which has long angered the two powerful ministers, Zhao Youting and Wu Cien.

—Use the Liaodong incident as a pretext to launch an attack!

Ideally, a single, fatal blow would eliminate any future threat!

That's why we have this tense situation today.

At this moment, Wang Ziteng was completely unaware.

Standing in the morning light, a smile played on his lips, as if victory was assured.

Little did they know, the butcher's knife was already hanging over their necks, just one stroke away from falling.

They naively thought that this time they would at least get a title and bring glory to their ancestors.

Mark Chao glanced at Wang Ziteng's silly grin, his lips twitched, and he sneered inwardly.

This kind of scum dares to bet on both sides? He'll probably die without even knowing how he died!

The palace gates swung open with a roar, heavy footsteps echoing on the bluestone steps. Niu Jizong led Jia Yi through the gates, his palms already damp with cold sweat, his legs trembling.

Not long after, Emperor Yuankang arrived at the main hall.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The officials bowed their heads, and the sound of their voices shook the heavens.

"My beloved subjects, rise."

Emperor Yuankang sat upright on the dragon throne, his tone as calm as a deep pool, without a ripple.

But the next instant, a sharp sound shattered the silence—

"Your Majesty! Your subject has submitted a memorial regarding Prince Teng, the military governor of the capital garrison!"

A young imperial censor suddenly stepped forward, his voice sharp and resolute, "In this bloody battle in Liaodong, 80,000 soldiers perished in the yellow sands. The capital garrison's command was flawed and its operations chaotic; the blame lies with Prince Teng! I implore Your Majesty to severely punish him as a warning to others!"

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

Wang Ziteng was stunned on the spot, his head buzzing.

What's going on??

Shouldn't the blame be placed on Niu Jizong? He's the frontline commander! I'm just a logistics figurehead at best...

Before he could even catch his breath and prepare to "clarify," the second impeachment came immediately.

Then came the third, the fourth...

In just a few breaths, dozens of censors stepped forward one after another, and memorials were thrown at Prince Teng like snowflakes.

Officials turned their attention to him, a murderous intent lurking beneath the surface.

Wang Ziteng stood in the center of the hall, his legs weak, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, feeling as if he had been thrown into an ice cave.

He finally realized what was happening—

This isn't accountability, this is a trap! Someone wants him dead!

"I...are guilty!"

He knelt down with a thud, his knees hitting the gold bricks with a dull thud, but his eyes swept frantically across the four kings and eight dukes, as well as those noble old friends he had once "taken care of".

But nobody even glanced at him.

It was as if he were just a dead dog, and even a glance from Shi She was too dirty to look at.

Despair washed over me like a tidal wave.

What happened to the victory celebration banquet we were supposed to have today? What happened to our plan to boast about our achievements and share the spoils?

How did I suddenly become public enemy number one?

Sweat trickled down his temples, forming a water stain on the ground, dripping like a death knell.

Emperor Yuankang looked down at him coldly, his eyes devoid of sorrow or joy.

Over the years, what has Wang Ziteng done to the Beijing Garrison? At least it could be used to fight a battle before, but now? Even a paper frame is more solid than that!

If it weren't for Jia Yi's heroic efforts to turn the tide, the Later Jin cavalry would have already breached Shanhaiguan Pass and entered the Central Plains after that battle!

"Guards!" Emperor Yuankang finally spoke, his voice not loud, but it silenced the entire hall.

"Take Prince Teng to the imperial prison and await further orders."

He was not immediately convicted, nor was his title stripped on the spot.

After all... Wang Ziteng recently got on the good side of the retired emperor.

Emperor Yuankang did not want to break off relations now.

But the necessary measures still need to be taken; the superficial formalities can be dealt with privately later.

"Your Majesty... I am innocent!"

Before he could finish speaking, two burly generals rushed up and roughly stuffed a wad of cloth into his mouth.

"Waaaaah—!!"

Wang Ziteng struggled, his eyes bloodshot, and he roared like a wild beast, but he was dragged out of the main hall step by step, his back view as disheveled as a stray dog.

Jia Yi and Niu Jizong exchanged a glance, their understanding unspoken.

Niu Jizong let out a long sigh of relief, almost collapsing to the ground—

Wang Ziteng took all the blame.