I play the role of Jiajing in Zongwu: What crime have I committed?

Yan Que suddenly raised his hand, stopping Nihuang from finishing her sentence.

He wanted to verify the truth of the matter himself.

"Come with me."

He then turned around, leaped onto his horse, and galloped away.

Without a second thought, Nihuang immediately spurred her horse and followed.

One after the other, the two fine horses shot off like arrows from a bow, heading straight for the valley outside the city.

"Whoa!"

Upon arriving at their destination, Yan Que dismounted with almost frantic speed, drawing his sword with a clang.

boom!

A sharp sword aura slashed towards the ground.

In an instant, dust flew everywhere.

Immediately afterwards, Yan Que acted as if he had gone mad, constantly waving his long sword.

Sword energies exploded in the valley, kicking up clouds of dust.

boom! boom! boom!

With each loud bang, deep craters were blasted into the ground.

When the smoke and dust cleared, the pit revealed a series of corpses that had begun to decompose.

Yan Que stared intently, and his mind exploded.

The long sword slipped from his hand and fell to the ground with a clatter.

He then staggered into the pit and knelt down beside a corpse.

Trembling fingers traced the body's clothes.

This is a garment unique to Suzhou embroidery brocade, and the subtle patterns of the Yan family mansion can still be faintly seen on it.

"It was...it was them, the people I sent to destroy the gunpowder..."

"Hahaha, I see..."

The next second, Yan Que looked up at the sky and laughed bitterly, his laughter filled with endless pain.

He finally understood that the explosion was caused by the black fire he had smuggled into Beijing.

His son and sister died indirectly at his own hands.

This also confirms that everything Nihuang said was true!

"Brother Lin Xie, Xiao Shu... I'm so sorry... I deserve to die!"

Yan Que suddenly let out a heart-wrenching wail and fell heavily forward.

boom!

With a dull thud, his forehead slammed hard against the stone, instantly tearing his skin and flesh.

He trembled as he raised his head, letting the blood blur his vision.

In a daze, I seemed to see Xiao Shu being tortured on a rack again.

There were also images of me personally branding him with a hot iron, leaving scorch marks on his body.

These scenes were like sharp knives stabbing into his heart.

"What...what have I done..."

"I deserve to die! I deserve to die!"

Yan Que howled in pain, then began to whip himself wildly.

The crisp sound of the slap was particularly jarring in the silent valley.

Soon, blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, but he still didn't stop, as if only in this way could he slightly alleviate the torment in his heart.

"puff!"

Finally, he could no longer hold on, and a mouthful of blood suddenly spurted from his mouth.

"My lord!"

Nihuang exclaimed in surprise and tried to step forward to help him up.

Yan Que suddenly raised his hand to stop him. He slowly raised his head, his face covered in a mixture of blood and tears.

All that remained in his eyes was endless regret and despair.

"I must save Xiao Shu... I'll go right now... to atone for my sins..."

Yan Que seemed to have all his life drained away in an instant.

As Nihuang watched his departing figure on horseback, she sighed inwardly.

She knew that Yan Que's heart was dead and he couldn't go on living.

"Summon Marquis Yan to an audience!"

The eunuch's high-pitched voice echoed outside the study.

Yan Que, distraught, stepped into the hall. His robes were still stained with the mud from the valley, and the bloodstains on his forehead had congealed, making him look particularly ferocious.

Zhu Houcong was reviewing memorials at his desk when he heard the sound and quickly got up, still clutching the secret report in his hand.

"Yan Qing, look at this secret report from Southern Chu, it almost made me laugh to death."

He spoke with great excitement and animated gestures.

"If we operate properly this time, we will surely be able to achieve our goal in one fell swoop and take over Southern Chu."

"This time, you must help me devise a good plan..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Houcong suddenly looked up and saw Yan Que's appearance.

"Yan Qing! What's wrong?"

Zhu Houcong asked in confusion.

Yan Que swayed and fell heavily to his knees with a thud, his forehead pressed against the cold gold brick.

"Your Majesty, I orchestrated the bombing myself. I deserve to die. I beg Your Majesty to grant me death."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houcong's face instantly darkened.

He stared intently at Yan Que, who was kneeling on the ground, his heart filled with turmoil.

At this critical juncture, Yan Que would actually reveal himself. Could it be that Mei Changsu's predicament is about to change again?

Zhu Houcong took a deep breath, suppressing the surging anger in his heart, and forced a stiff smile onto his lips.

"My dear subject! My dear subject!"

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

He reached out to help Yan Que up, his voice deliberately softening.

"What does this case have to do with you? We are as close as brothers, and I trust you. Don't make such jokes again."

After helping Yan Que up, Zhu Houcong smiled with satisfaction and said, "I have heard that there was a wise minister named Gou Huo in ancient times who had the talent of a king's advisor."

"And your appearance is remarkably similar to that of Gou Huo, as described in the book, by a factor of nine."

"Therefore, I have always felt that you are a minister whom Heaven has bestowed upon me as a worthy advisor to the king!"

He gripped Yan Que's arm tightly.

"In this era of great strife, if our Great Liang does not want to be annexed by other countries, we must take over Southern Chu and stabilize our rear."

"This time, you must lend me a hand..."

However, Yan Que's eyes remained empty and lifeless, ignoring Zhu Houcong's earnest expectations.

After Zhu Houcong finished speaking, he slowly pushed Zhu Houcong's hand away.

"Your Majesty, I have committed a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of my family... I only beg for a swift death."

"you!!"

Zhu Houcong's face turned completely dark.

"I gave you a chance, but you didn't use it!"

He said in an icy tone, "Fine, then tell me, what exactly happened in this case!"

Chapter 96 A mute, a fool

Yan Que then recounted the entire story of smuggling black fire into the capital, even taking the blame for the Money Gang's assassination attempt on the royal family.

Each of his words struck Zhu Houcong like a heavy hammer, making Zhu Houcong's face grow increasingly grim.

After Yan Que finished speaking, Zhu Houcong took a deep breath, slowly squatted down, and looked at Yan Que, who was kneeling on the ground, at eye level.

He reached out and pressed down on Yan Que's shoulder, his voice low and deep, "Even if what you say is true, I have decided to let bygones be bygones, after all, Yu Jin also perished in this disaster."

"As long as you continue to plan for the affairs of Southern Chu for me, I can pretend that this mere bombing never happened."

As he spoke, he handed the secret letter from Southern Chu to Yan Que.

"This matter ends here. Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know. You remain my trusted advisor."

Zhu Houcong said in an unyielding tone, "You no longer need to concern yourself with this case. I will send you to Southern Chu..."

"His Majesty."

Yan Que interrupted calmly, his eyes as still as a stagnant lake.

"Before I arrived, I had already sent the confession to the Ministry of Justice. Prince Yu and the other ministers must already know the truth."

He slowly raised his head and met Zhu Houcong's eyes.

"I cannot allow innocent people to be wronged; I would only disappoint Your Majesty's expectations."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houcong's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Words are missing."

He suddenly stood up and growled, each word distinct and deliberate.

"Why didn't you come to me to apologize first, instead of handing your confession directly to the Ministry of Justice? Do you even respect me?"

Yan Que, kneeling on the ground, remained calm and silent throughout.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Houcong's expression turned completely cold.

"After saying all that, you just want to save Mei Changsu's life, don't you?"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed at Yan Que.

"One is mute, the other is an idiot."

"These two are still covering for each other here. Do they really think I'm someone to be trifled with?"

"Your subject dares not!"

"You don't dare?"

Zhu Houcong laughed in anger. He took a deep breath, bent down, and the rest of his words were almost squeezed out between his teeth.

"As the saying goes, things shouldn't happen more than three times. I've already given you two chances. Now tell me, why did you risk your life to protect Mei Changsu?"

"As long as you tell the truth, I can still forgive and forget."

Yan Que slowly raised his blood-stained face and looked directly at Zhu Houcong.

"Your Majesty, I do not know what you are saying. I only wish for a swift death."

"Very well, very well indeed! I have given you three chances today, three times!"

"Among all the officials in this court, who has ever received such leniency from me?"

Zhu Houcong's voice suddenly rose in pitch, echoing in the empty hall.