Chapter 311: Prince of Southern Jiang’s Accusations, Lin Beifan is the Traitor!
Upon entering the Golden Hall, Lin Beifan reported on the situation in Southern Jiang.
“After receiving Your Majesty’s decree, I immediately set out for Songjiang!”
“Leading an army of 200,000, we occupied the northern bank of Songjiang and resisted the 500,000-strong rebel army led by Prince of Southern Jiang!”
“In a span of 10 days, we finally achieved victory in this major battle! We captured 300,000 surrendered soldiers from Southern Jiang and apprehended Prince of Southern Jiang along with 32 traitors, escorting them to the capital for questioning!”
“In this battle, the court suffered less than 3,000 casualties and emerged triumphant. Your Majesty, please take note!”
“Well done, well done!” the Empress applauded.
Even though the situation in Southern Jiang was already known, hearing Lin Beifan’s report once again was still highly exhilarating.
Leading an army of 200,000 to withstand Prince of Southern Jiang’s 500,000-strong force!
What’s even more astonishing is that in just 10 days, with this army of 200,000, they captured 300,000 soldiers from Prince of Southern Jiang’s forces, wiping out the remaining 200,000 soldiers!
They even apprehended Prince of Southern Jiang and all the conspirators behind him!
Throughout the entire process, the court suffered less than 3,000 casualties, which could almost be disregarded!
The victory was stunning, absolutely magnificent!
“Minister Lin, your contributions in this battle are immeasurable. I shall surely reward you generously!” the Empress exclaimed excitedly. “You shall be promoted by one rank, becoming a first-class official of the court and retaining your position as the Prefect of the Capital, while also concurrently serving as the Principal of the Imperial Academy!”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Lin Beifan replied loudly.
“Don’t thank me too soon, there’s more!” The Empress smiled brightly. “I also grant you a noble title: Duke of Loyalty and Valor!”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Lin Beifan’s voice resonated once again.
Noble titles are reserved for those who have achieved remarkable military feats. Although they don’t necessarily come with real power, they are a tremendous honor, signifying a high status.
Currently, Lin Beifan’s official position and noble title surpass those of all civil and military officials, making him unquestionably the highest-ranking figure in the court.
Just look at their expressions—imagine how envious they must be.
Subsequently, Lin Beifan presented the military insignia and the treasured sword from the imperial armory. He stated, “Reporting to Your Majesty, Prince of Southern Jiang and his conspirators have been escorted to the capital by me. They are currently awaiting Your Majesty’s judgment outside the palace!”
The Empress proclaimed loudly, “Summon them in!”
In less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Prince of Southern Jiang and his cohorts entered the Golden Hall.
Prince of Southern Jiang looked relatively composed, although somewhat disheveled. He still maintained the dignity of a prince, not bound by shackles, dressed in a dragon robe as he strode into the Golden Hall, his gaze complex as he looked at his niece on the throne.
The others were not as fortunate. They were all tied up, their hair unkempt, their faces dirty, appearing quite pitiful.
As soon as they entered the Golden Hall, they immediately fell to their knees in supplication.
“Your Majesty, spare our lives, we know we were wrong!”
“We were coerced and enticed by Prince of Southern Jiang into doing this; it was not our intention!”
“Please, grant us a way out!”
…
The Empress glanced at them, feeling disgust. This group of people were leeches, enjoying the benefits and honors bestowed by the court without repaying it, and instead they plotted rebellion, causing turmoil in the country. Now that they were captured, they were begging for forgiveness. Where in the world could such a favorable outcome exist?
“I don’t want to see them. Drag them away and execute them immediately! As for other traitors and their families, hand them over to the Ministry of Justice for trial. They must be dealt with severely!” The Empress declared.
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Three senior court officials stepped forward to receive the order.
“Your Majesty, spare our lives, we know we were wrong!”
“Grant us a chance to live!”
…
These traitors pleaded loudly, desperate and imploring. Even Prince of Southern Jiang, standing beside, felt a pang of compassion. After all, they had followed him for over a decade and shared some degree of camaraderie. But realizing his own situation was precarious, he could only pretend not to notice.
After a moment, the court finally fell silent. The Empress, looking down from her elevated position, gazed at Prince of Southern Jiang, a sense of superiority in her expression as she smiled and said, “Uncle, did you ever think it would come to this?”
“Hmph! Might makes right. There’s not much to say.” Prince of Southern Jiang’s face turned dark.
“In that case, if you admit your guilt, matters will be much easier!” The Empress announced loudly. “Due to your treason and conspiracy against the court, Prince of Southern Jiang, your heinous crimes have warranted your demotion to commoner status!”
Prince of Southern Jiang closed his eyes in despair.
From this point on, he was no longer a prince of the court. All his past glory and wealth were no longer relevant.
“Prince of Southern Jiang, you have committed such a monstrous crime that execution would be appropriate! However, considering your relation to me, I find it hard to kill you myself. Therefore, you shall be confined to the heavenly dungeon for life! You shall never step out without my permission!”
Prince of Southern Jiang’s face turned pale.
Though his life was spared, he would have no freedom from now on.
“As for the lineage of Prince of Southern Jiang…”
The Empress’s gaze turned fierce. “They shall all be demoted to commoners and executed without exception. Not a single one shall be spared!”
Prince of Southern Jiang was overwhelmed, nearly collapsing.
The decree to execute them all meant the end of his bloodline, with no descendants left!
For any person from that era, this was an extremely difficult reality to accept.
He opened his mouth as if to persuade the Empress to show mercy, but it ended up as a sigh of helplessness and sorrow.
If it were him, he would probably eradicate the entire lineage as well to eliminate future threats.
“Uncle, are you satisfied with this punishment I’ve decreed?” the Empress asked.
“Thank you, Your Majesty… for your mercy!” Prince of Southern Jiang’s voice was filled with heartache.
“As long as you are content. Uncle, although you’ve done wrong by me, I still take into account our family ties. Rest assured in your prison cell and do not stir up trouble. I will make sure you have a peaceful retirement.”
Prince of Southern Jiang bowed and said, “Thank you, Your Majesty! However, before being imprisoned, I want to expose someone!”
The Empress was puzzled, “Uncle, who do you want to expose?”
“Him, Lin Beifan!” Prince of Southern Jiang pointed at Lin Beifan, his voice seething with killing intent. “This man is the real traitor! A demon who brings chaos to the country and harms the people! If he’s not eliminated, the consequences will be dire for Great Wu!”
The hall erupted in astonishment!
Prince of Southern Jiang, a rebel, was actually accusing Lin Beifan of being a traitor, a demon causing chaos and harm to the country!
Furthermore, he claimed that not killing him would lead to catastrophic consequences for the nation!
The Empress sneakily glanced at Lin Beifan and noticed his composed expression. She asked, “Uncle, why are you framing Lin, a respected official? Ever since he joined the court, he has made significant contributions to our nation. He’s a minister I highly regard and trust. You say he’s a traitor, causing chaos and harm to the country. I don’t believe it!”
“I dare say that I have evidence!” Prince of Southern Jiang looked at Lin Beifan and sneered. “Do you all know where I obtained the method to create the sky-flying divine artifact, the Great Air Balloon?”
“Could it be from Lin Beifan?” the Empress asked.
“That’s right, it was from this scoundrel!” Prince of Southern Jiang gritted his teeth. “This scoundrel is insatiably greedy. It wasn’t until I paid him a full five million taels of silver that he relinquished the method to create the Great Air Balloon!”
The hall erupted in shock once again!
“Prince of Southern Jiang got the method to make the sky-flying balloons from Mr. Lin?”
“No wonder we couldn’t find anything back then, despite searching high and low. Family traitors are hard to guard against!”
“Five million taels of silver, the same old greed! But, does he have the audacity to demand such money?”
“He’s always been audacious. What wouldn’t he dare?”
“That’s true!”
…
Amid the crowd’s criticism, Lin Beifan remained utterly composed.
“Besides this, there’s more!” Prince of Southern Jiang angrily pointed at Lin Beifan. “I also obtained the method to make the air cushion ship from him, which cost me six million taels of silver!”
The hall erupted in astonishment again!
“Prince of Southern Jiang got the air cushion ship method from Mr. Lin?”
“This time it’s six million taels, such greed!”
“He’s blatantly committing crimes, how dare he?”
…
Lin Beifan remained as calm as ever, neither sad nor happy.
“I also obtained around seven taels of dragon bones from him, costing a total of fifteen million taels!” Prince of Southern Jiang exclaimed angrily.
The hall erupted once more!
“Selling dragon bones and earning fifteen million taels!”
“He claimed he had no dragon bones? He’s too cunning!”
“The total of these embezzled funds adds up to twenty-six million taels!”
“He’s truly insatiably greedy!”
…
“Adding the usual bribes…” Prince of Southern Jiang spoke with hatred, “This scoundrel swindled a total of thirty million taels of silver from me! Thirty million taels of silver! It turned me from the wealthiest king to a pauper!”
The court officials were dumbfounded!
Thirty million taels of silver!!!
It was nearly a third of the national treasury!
You’re simply too greedy!
Sitting on the dragon throne, the Empress’s heart raced.
Though she already knew Lin Beifan could be greedy, it seemed she had underestimated him. He managed to suck dry the wealthiest Prince of Southern Jiang!
Such methods were unheard of!
“That’s why I say he’s a traitor, a demon causing chaos and harm to the country! He’s just too greedy, willing to do anything to benefit himself, regardless of how much he betrays Great Wu!”
“And he’s also shrewd and crafty, with profound schemes. If he’s not eliminated, chaos will inevitably arise in Great Wu, and the country will suffer!” Prince of Southern Jiang accused passionately.
The Empress fell silent for a moment, then looked at Lin Beifan with a calm expression and asked, “Minister Lin, in light of Prince of Southern Jiang’s accusations, do you have anything to say?”
Lin Beifan calmly cupped his hands and spoke righteously, “Your Majesty, this is entirely baseless! My loyalty to you is as clear as the sun and moon, and my love for Great Wu is evident to all. Since entering the court, I’ve tirelessly provided counsel, served the court diligently, and worked tirelessly to aid the people.”
“It’s because of this that, in less than two years, I rose to become the Prefect of the Capital, received a noble title bestowed by Your Majesty, and earned the title of Duke of Loyalty and Valor. All of this is recognition from Your Majesty and the court!”
The Empress nodded, “That’s true!”
“I’ve accomplished so much, all of which has been witnessed by many. It’s unjust to accuse me! However, at this moment, Prince of Southern Jiang is falsely accusing me of leaking the method to create divine artifacts and selling dragon bones…”
Lin Beifan sneered and continued, “It’s clearly a desperate counterattack, framing and slandering me, attempting to sow discord between us. This malevolent intent is obvious. Your Majesty, please see this clearly!”
Prince of Southern Jiang retorted angrily, “I knew you’d deny it. Luckily, I have evidence!”
