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

As the guests watched this scene unfold, and then looked at the stunned Xiao Jingrui, the truth was already obvious.

The dignified Marquis of Ningguo, Xie Yu, turned out to be a cuckold and a cuckold.

Xiao Jingrui stared intently at Princess Liyang, his voice trembling as he asked, "Mother, is what they said all true?"

Seeing this, Yuwen Xuan stepped forward and said firmly, "Xiao Jingrui is indeed the son of Yuwen Lin, the Prince of Southern Chu. Does Your Highness intend to keep this a secret forever?"

Princess Liyang raised her head upon hearing this, wanting to say something, but her lips trembled and she ultimately failed to utter a single word.

He simply slumped down on the mat, covered his face, and wept bitterly.

Just as a melodramatic family drama unfolded at the Ningguo Marquis's residence, Zhuque and the new puppet "Xuanwu," who had been monitoring from the outside, finally noticed the commotion.

They soon discovered that a dark shadow was moving like a ghost on the distant rooftops.

The man's figure appeared and disappeared in the moonlight, each step seemingly treading on empty air, without disturbing even a single rubble.

This kind of movement technique is definitely at the grandmaster level.

At the same time, Zhu Houcong, inside the Xiyuan Study, suddenly opened his eyes and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Through the shared vision of the puppets, he clearly "saw" the figure approaching on the moon.

"Yue Xiuzhe, you've finally shown up."

Chapter 110: Fellow Daoist, Please Stay

Yue Xiuzhe, dressed in a gray-black outfit, swiftly darted between the eaves.

As the commander of the Southern Chu Palace Guard, his status in Southern Chu was similar to that of Meng Zhi in Daliang; he was the most trusted Grand Master of Emperor Yuwen Jian.

When the marriage alliance delegation was sent to Daliang, Yuwen Jian specially assigned him to secretly accompany and protect them.

Just now, I received an urgent report from my secret guards that Prince Ling, Yuwen Xuan, had actually sent out a distress signal.

He no longer cared about hiding in the shadows, but went directly to the Ningguo Marquis's residence to rescue the people.

The thought that Prince Ling might be in danger made his eyes even colder.

His pace quickened even further, leaving only faint afterimages in his wake.

Zheng!

The next second, a bright sword light tore through the night, carrying a chilling aura as it went straight for Yue Xiuzhe's heart.

His pupils suddenly contracted, and the sword at his waist was instantly drawn.

boom!

The two sword energies collided in mid-air, unleashing a deafening roar.

The shockwave overturned tiles within a radius of several dozen feet.

Amidst the shattered porcelain, Yue Xiuzhe used the momentum to retreat more than ten feet, landing steadily on a cluster of upturned eaves.

At this moment, a night wind suddenly rose, causing Yue Xiuzhe's robes to flutter loudly.

His gaze was sharp as he scanned the two figures that slowly emerged from the shadows.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait!"

Zhu Houcong, controlling the Vermilion Bird, smiled and clasped his hands in a salute.

"I have long admired Master Yue's Cloud-Slaying Sword Technique, which is renowned throughout the world. He is ranked among the top five masters on the Langya List. I have long admired him and have come today to learn from him."

Looking at the two grandmasters opposite him, Yue Xiuzhe's muscles tensed up instantly, and his expression became extremely solemn. He dared not be careless in the slightest.

"Two against one, is that really the proper etiquette for asking for guidance?"

Upon hearing this, Xuanwu chuckled softly and waved his hand, saying, "Master Yue, rest assured, I will not intervene."

Suzaku then challenged him to a duel once again.

"Now, would you be willing to offer your guidance, Master?"

Yue Xiuzhe frowned, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the Ningguo Marquis's residence not far away.

"I apologize, but I have important matters to attend to today and cannot accompany you."

"Is it for His Highness Prince Ling?"

Suzaku suddenly asked a question in return, his smile deepening.

It's good that you're worried about Yuwen Xuan. If you don't care about their lives and are only thinking about escaping, I might not be able to kill you.

Without waiting for Yue Xiuzhe's response, he said, "Master, rest assured, as long as you are willing to move outside the city for a battle, His Highness Prince Ling will naturally be safe and sound."

Upon hearing this, Yue Xiuzhe froze, immediately recognizing the identities of the two people in front of him.

The Liang royal family threatened Yuwen Xuan's life in an attempt to force him to come out.

"Are you members of the Great Liang royal family?"

"Exactly."

Zhu Houcong frankly admitted this through Zhuque.

"The master has been lying in wait in Jinling for many days, making it quite a search for us."

Yue Xiuzhe received an affirmative answer, and seeing Zhuque's determined look, he couldn't help but snort coldly.

"Hmph, it seems this battle is unavoidable today!"

"please."

Zhuque stepped aside to make way, making an inviting gesture.

Yue Xiuzhe glanced deeply at Xuanwu, who stood motionless, and then rushed out of the city first.

Zhu Houcong naturally wouldn't abide by such a childish rule as one-on-one duels.

Yue Xiuzhe is the commander of the enemy's palace guard; this is a life-or-death struggle.

At this point, he left Xuanwu behind in order to find a scapegoat of sufficient weight to confuse the public.

Meanwhile, inside the Ningguo Marquis's residence, the drama was still unfolding.

Yuwen Nian continued, "More than twenty years ago, Marquis Xie secretly sent assassins to kill Princess Chang and my father's child, but who would have thought..."

She looked at Zhuo Dingfeng and his wife with a sorrowful gaze.

"The assassin mistook the baby for the real one, and the one he killed was actually Master Zhuo's own flesh and blood."

"what?"

Madam Zhuo suddenly crushed the teacup.

Zhuo Dingfeng, who was standing to the side, also took a step forward, his eyes fixed on Xie Yu.

"Brother Xie, is what Consort Xi said true?"

Xie Yu's expression was unpredictable, shifting between light and dark.

He had realized that the emperor must have benefited from Yuwen Nian's arrival.

In other words, the emperor must have already investigated the matter thoroughly.

At this point, there's no point in denying it anymore; they have no choice but to openly admit it.

"That's right, that's exactly what happened back then."

"Xie Yu, I'll kill you!"

Upon receiving Xie Yu's affirmative answer, Zhuo Dingfeng's eyes turned bloodshot, and the long sword in his hand emitted a dazzling cold light as he pounced on Xie Yu like a tiger.

This sword strike, unleashed in fury, extinguished all the candles in the hall with its surging energy.

Xie Yu retreated hastily, shouting sternly, "Grand Preceptor, are you going to stand by and watch as江湖草莽 (jianghu cao, a term referring to outlaws of the martial world) murder a court official?"

Upon hearing this, Xiaomeng frowned slightly, and with a flick of her whisk, a flash of silver light appeared.

The famous sword Qiu Li in his hand had already been drawn.

clang!

The clang of metal against metal echoed throughout the hall, as Zhuo Dingfeng's resentful attack was effortlessly blocked.

He felt a numbness in his hand, and his heart trembled with even greater horror.

This one move alone reveals the unfathomable depth of the Grand Preceptor's cultivation.

"Master Zhuo."

Xiaomeng said in a clear, cold voice, "The imperial court has its own laws. Lord Xie is not a member of the martial arts world. Even if he is guilty, his case should be decided by the three judicial authorities."

Upon hearing Xiaomeng's unquestionable voice, Zhuo Dingfeng's expression immediately became uncertain.

"Fine, very well, Xie Yu, we'll see!"

Finally, he glared at Xie Yu fiercely and left in anger.

As he passed by Xiao Jingrui, the old manor lord paused slightly, a complex look flashing in his eyes, before ultimately choosing to leave.

Seeing this, Yuwen Nian breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Xiao Jingrui, who was still in a daze.

"Brother, His Majesty has granted your permission to return to Southern Chu. Go back now; Father misses you dearly."

Xiao Jingrui slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with confusion and struggle.

The gratitude for more than 20 years of upbringing and the imprint of Southern Chu in his bloodline collided fiercely in his heart at this moment.

As Zhuo Dingfeng and his wife and children stepped out of the gate of the Ningguo Marquis's mansion, they saw a dark figure standing silently in the middle of the street.

The man was dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit, with a faint smile on his face, but his aura was as deep and imposing as a mountain, sending chills down one's spine.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait."

Zhuo Dingfeng's pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively shielded his wife and children behind him.

He could clearly feel the Grandmaster-level pressure emanating from the other party.

Who are you?

Zhu Houcong, controlling Xuanwu, slightly bowed and said, "Imperial Respect, Xuanwu."

Before he could finish speaking, a gilded token flew through the air.

Zhuo Dingfeng caught the token and saw that the token was decorated with dragon patterns, which was the unique mark of the Liang royal family.

"What instructions does Lord Xuanwu have?"

"I would like to ask Master Zhuo for a favor."

Xuanwu stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly.

"At this moment, another of my royal retainers is fighting Yue Xiuzhe outside the city. I hope that you, Master, can go and lend a hand."

"Brother Yue?"

Zhuo Dingfeng's expression changed drastically, and then he shook his head decisively.

"I have known Brother Yue for many years; how could I possibly do such a thing as bullying the weak with the many!"

"His Majesty has decreed that as long as the manor lord is willing to take action and admit that you killed Yue Xiuzhe..."

Zhu Houcong calmly said, "Tomorrow, you will be the new commander of the patrol battalion."

Seeing that Zhuo Dingfeng's expression remained unchanged, he spoke again.

"The court may let bygones be bygones regarding your son's accidental killing of the eunuch serving food on New Year's Eve."

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhuo suddenly gripped her husband's sleeve tightly.

Zhuo Dingfeng never expected that the imperial court would know that it was Zhuo Qingyao who did it.

Then Zhu Houcong further incited him, saying, "Given Xie Yu's rank, even if he killed your child, according to the Three Judicial Offices' sentencing guidelines, at most he would only have his rank stripped."

"But if the Master agrees to this, Xie Yu will be handed over to the Master for disposal. Whether you kill or torture him is entirely up to you."

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Dingfeng instantly recalled Xie Yu's demeanor from earlier, how he had been manipulated by Xie Yu for over twenty years, and the unjust death of his own flesh and blood…

"it is good!"

He suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with a fierce light.