Princess, she is the one who facilitated the extradition.

The Hall of State Affairs.

Li Deshun arrived with Shen Feiwan and the lychee tree.

"Your Majesty, this old servant did indeed find a lychee tree in the Duke of Yue's mansion. Madam Shen also admitted that she had taken the tree from Da Shan."

Da Shan nodded in agreement, "This is the tree I want to give to His Majesty."

The Duke of Yue waited for a long time, and finally his sister arrived. He hurriedly said, "Little sister, they are talking nonsense and wronging their brother."

Explain to His Majesty that your brother was unaware that the tree was intended as a gift to him, and he certainly did not instruct you to kill someone and seize it.

The Gu family father and son were so vicious that they framed him, saying that he wanted to steal things from the emperor.

That fool clearly never mentioned giving it to the Emperor. Now that my sister is here, she will surely help him clarify things.

After all, her younger sister wasn't doing well in her husband's family and needed her older brother to rely on.

Shen Feiwan bowed respectfully, but upon hearing this, she didn't even glance at him. She spoke clearly, "This humble woman is guilty. I shouldn't have been cowardly in the face of my elder brother's pressure and poisoned Gu Sanlang to steal the tree."

"Shen Feiwan?"

The Duke of Yue stiffened, anger surging in his eyes. "You conspired with them to frame me?"

"Brother."

Shen Feiwan looked up and advised him, "This is the palace, in front of His Majesty. Lying in front of His Majesty is deceiving the emperor."

If you want me to cover up some minor things for you, I will not refuse. But His Majesty is wise and insightful. How can your tricks fool His Majesty?

My sister advised you before that you shouldn't steal His Majesty's things, but you didn't listen. Now that this has happened, you should confess the truth.

The Duke of Zhenguo stared intently at her, his eyes filled with both anger and suspicion.

What benefit would Shen Feiwan gain from helping outsiders harm him? If the Shen family falls, wouldn't her situation in her husband's family become even more difficult?

Before he could figure it out, Shen Feiwan spoke up again to plead for him.

"Your Majesty, it was Mother who wanted to eat lychees and specifically asked for a lychee tree. My elder brother was also suppressed by filial piety, which is why he dared to covet your things."

"I implore Your Majesty, in consideration of your elder brother's filial piety, to spare his life."

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Yue flew into a rage.

"Nonsense! This matter has nothing to do with Mother. It's clear that you wanted to please Mother, which is why you harbored malicious intentions to kill and steal the tree."

He hurriedly turned to the emperor and kowtowed repeatedly, "Your Majesty, the matter of the lychee tree was all done by Shen Feiwan alone."

"I was not involved from beginning to end. I didn't speak up before out of consideration for our sibling relationship and couldn't bear to expose her. But she is stubborn and distorts the truth, so I can no longer cover for her."

He even dared to drag his mother into this. Since Shen Feiwan is so heartless, he shouldn't blame him for being unjust.

"Brother."

Shen Feiwan looked at the Duke of Yue with a hint of disgust.

"In this world, the one person I will never flatter is the Yang family. She killed my birth mother. How could I take another's life to please my mother's killer?"

If my brother wants to frame me, he should at least make his excuse more plausible. He shouldn't assume everyone else is stupid just because he's not thinking clearly himself.

Da Shan nodded vigorously, "I knew he was treating the Emperor like a fool, what audacity!"

The Duke of Yue was shocked by Shen Feiwan's words, "What? Your birth mother?"

"You and your mother are a loving and filial couple, with no barriers between you. How could you not know that I am not your mother's child?"

Shen Feiwan dug her fingers into her palms, concealing the hatred in her eyes, and looked respectfully at the emperor.

"Your Majesty, my brother's words are all excuses. A simple investigation will reveal the truth about my background. It was indeed my brother who forced me to take the tree."

My sister-in-law will deal with the servants who were present that night; today she must bite this beast to death.

Seeing her resolute words, the Duke of Yue realized that what Shen Feiwan said was true; she was not her mother's biological daughter, otherwise she would not have dared to have someone investigate.

My father had only three women in his life: his mother, Lianmi, and Aunt Xue, the birth mother of his two older sisters.

Before his death, my father sent Aunt Xue back to her hometown to live with my eldest sister, and she is still alive and well to this day.

If Shen Feiwan says that her mother's killer is her child, then she is very likely Lianmi's child, since Lianmi died at the hands of him and her mother.

If that's the case, then Shen Feiwan's actions today were to avenge Lian Mi.

She was very good at hiding it; I was careless.

Now he only hopes that his mother can hide the account book well, so that it's just about the lychee tree and he can find a way to get out of this mess.

Just as the Duke of Yue was encouraging himself, he heard a eunuch announce that Shen Ze had entered the palace with the Crown Prince, carrying the real account books.

As soon as he entered the hall, Li Deshun hurriedly took the account book from the Crown Prince and presented it to the Emperor.

After reading it, the emperor was furious and questioned the Duke of Yue, "What other excuses do you have?"

"Innocent."

The Duke of Yue felt a chill run down his spine and panicked. "This must be a deliberate fabrication to frame me. Your Majesty, please be wise. I am truly innocent."

His mother cared about him so much, she would never let this account book fall into the hands of others, it must be fake, it must be fake.

"This account book was obtained by me from my grandmother,"

Shen Ze knelt down, his expression solemn. "It is indeed my father's handwriting. After seeing what is recorded, I am filled with fear and dare not conceal or cover it up."

"The traitor."

The Duke of Yue gritted his teeth and angrily rebuked, "Even you betray your own people and collude with outsiders to harm me."

"I have also asked myself how to choose between filial piety and loyalty."

Shen Ze looked at the Duke of Yue and said, "Only with a country can there be a family. Father, your sins are grave. I cannot follow your example of blind filial piety. Therefore, I can only choose loyalty and righteousness."

"You're not doing this for loyalty and righteousness, you're doing it for titles, you're doing it for your own selfish desires."

The Duke of Yue, his breathing erratic, demanded, "What did you do to your grandmother? Did you hurt her?"

Otherwise, how did this unfilial son obtain the account books?

"Grandma is doing well at home."

With just this one sentence, Shen Ze stopped arguing and admitted that his father did indeed have his own selfish motives.

Gui Yao spoke up at the right moment, "Your Majesty, please forgive me, but I have not yet found the souls of those who died in the battle thirteen years ago."

But I personally witnessed Lady Yang produce this account book, and the Duke of Yue vehemently denied it. Perhaps we should invite Lady Yang over and ask her if this account book is truly authentic?

She looked at the Duke of Yue, "What does Your Excellency think?"

"it is good."

The Duke of Yue agreed without hesitation. His mother was the person who loved him most in the world and would definitely speak up for him.

Originally, there were account books, and the corresponding battle armor could be used to imprison the Duke of Yue and then subject him to severe interrogation.

However, many of the officials in the Three Departments belonged to the faction of the Duke of Zhenguo, and these account books also implicated several important officials from the Duke of Zhenguo's faction.

They will definitely try to sabotage things, and the process will be time-consuming and laborious. The daughter's suggestion must mean she has a better idea.

The emperor nodded, "Bring Lady Yang along."

When the Yilong Guards arrived at the Duke of Yue's mansion, Madam Yang had just woken up. Her account books had been stolen, and she was at a loss as to how to escape.

Upon learning of the emperor's summons, she felt that heaven had given her hope again, so she went to the council hall, where the emperor asked if the account book was genuine.

She hurriedly replied, "This account book was entrusted to me by the Duke for safekeeping. I trust him and have never opened it to look at it."

Today, upon learning of the armor incident, I remembered this ledger. I took it out and looked at it, only to discover that this rebellious son had committed such a heinous act.

"I was just about to present the account books to Your Majesty, begging you to punish the fallen soldiers fairly and give them justice, when Shen Ze knocked me unconscious and stole the account books."

You little bastard, trying to steal her credit? No way!

"Your Majesty, please forgive me."

Shen Ze explained, "My grandmother kept threatening to commit suicide last night. When I saw her rushing out, I mistakenly thought she was having suicidal thoughts, so I knocked her unconscious. It was not an intentional delay in gathering evidence."

Ms. Yang was speechless. She had indeed attempted suicide last night because she was afraid her son would find her shameful.

She never expected that Shen Ze would have a handle on her, but that doesn't matter. What matters is letting the Emperor know her stance.

Just as he was about to speak, Gui Yao asked, "Does the old lady mean that these account books are genuine, and that the Duke of Yue did indeed embezzle the money intended for the manufacture of armor?"

"Yes."

Yang replied firmly and without the slightest hesitation, "I beg Your Majesty to punish him severely."

From beginning to end, she never once looked at the Duke of Yue.

"Mother?"

The Duke of Yue's face turned ashen, his expression one of disbelief. "You were coerced, weren't you?"

He trusted his mother so much, how could she betray him?

"There's no need for coercion. Anyone with a conscience wouldn't hide it for you."

With a righteous expression, Madam Yang said, "Although I do not know what you did back then, I remember that thirteen years ago, you suddenly became rich and squandered your wealth. At that time, I thought it was your father who gave you the family property, so I did not think much of it."

If I had known earlier that you had committed such a heinous crime, I would have personally dragged you before His Majesty to confess, and I would never have treated you as my own son.

"What does Mother mean by that?"

The Duke of Yue was heartbroken; how could he not be his mother's child anymore?

Didn't my mother say that she had a difficult time giving birth to him and barely escaped death?

To distance herself from the situation, Yang disregarded everything else, saying, "You are not my biological son, and I will never have a son of your low character who brings disaster to the country and the people."

"impossible……"

The Duke of Yue fell to the ground. Yang's betrayal was fatal. "Mother, you must have had your reasons..."

"You are indeed not Yang's son."

Gui Yao said, "Yang had an affair with an actress before marriage, which caused her to miscarry and damage her health, making her unable to conceive. You and Shen Feiwan were both born to Aunt Lianmi, but were taken away by Yang and raised under her care."

The claim that she asked the concubine for lychees is all a fabrication by Madam Yang. The truth is that she led people to injure Lianmi and steal the lychees. The old Duke punished her because he saw her arrogance, not because Lianmi complained.

"Duke of Yue, all these years you have lived in Yang's lies, and listened to her instigation to burn your own mother alive. Today's end is your retribution."

Gui Yao glanced at Madam Yang and continued to sow discord, "You too, having taken someone else's child into your own family, why not raise him properly instead of leading him to commit all sorts of evil deeds, causing him to end up like this?"

"You're lying, I didn't."

Yang panicked, wondering why Gui Yao was suddenly targeting her and knew so much about the inside story. "His evil deeds are due to his inherently bad nature; they have nothing to do with me."

"No."

The heartbroken Duke of Yue said, "She's right. It's all your fault. You've deceived me so much."

"Your Majesty, if I reveal the secrets of the black market and the Yang Clan's evil magic used against Princess Baozhu, I will atone for my crime."

The Duke of Yue looked at the emperor, "Your Majesty, could you spare my life?"