Read Novel Full Chapter 2409: Hope
Chapter 2409: Hope
Unexpectedly, no one had anticipated this outcome.
Despite the many years that had passed, Shao Yunduan had continued to treat her with such regard. He even brought her into the city when he attacked the capital, and it seemed likely that she would become the Empress once he ascended the throne.
How absurd!
In the end, she was the one who had taken the position of power.
Shao Yunduan turned to the Fourth Prince. “You should understand better than anyone how things have come to this. It’s too late and pointless for you to say anything now.”
The Fourth Prince was left in stunned silence.
The Right Assistant Minister of Rites could not hold back any longer. “Lord Shao, the Great Qin Empire has been generous to you. The late Emperor and the late Crown Prince supported you. How can you bear to betray the Great Qin Empire? If the late Emperor and the late Crown Prince were watching from heaven, they would be heartbroken! If you recognize your mistake now, not only would it benefit the Great Qin Empire, but it would also bring you personal fortune!”
“Lord Shao, you are well-read and wise. Surely you wouldn’t want to be remembered as a notorious traitor, would you?”
The Right Assistant Minister of Rites grew increasingly fervent, speaking as if Shao Yunduan should be begging for forgiveness and pleading with the Fourth Prince.
Even the Fourth Prince subconsciously straightened his back, his confidence visibly boosted by the words of the Right Assistant Minister of Rites.
The Empress Dowager and the Empress exchanged heated glances, their frustration evident. It was unclear what they truly hoped for, but their intentions seemed muddled.
“Heh!” Ding Xiang let out a scornful laugh. Her eyes gleamed with derision as she taunted, “I can hardly listen to this any longer! You call this shamelessness? It’s nothing more than exploiting your seniority. Who do you think you are? How can you spew such twisted notions of right and wrong without even a hint of embarrassment? Aren’t you afraid of making a fool of yourself?”
The Right Assistant Minister of Rites was enraged. He glared at Ding Xiang and snapped, “And who might you be to speak so freely before me?”
Meng Wanfu scowled and interjected sharply, “Watch your tongue, old man! Show some respect! Do you really want me to beat you so badly you’ll be crying for your mother and searching for your teeth all over the ground?”
The soldiers who knew Meng Wanfu and Ding Xiang found the exchange amusing, while the Right Assistant Minister of Rites fumed with indignation. “You—”
He turned a sharp look at Shao Yunduan. “Lord Shao, are you going to allow such disrespectful behavior to continue?”
Shao Yunduan said calmly, “It seems someone here is being rather presumptuous. An eye for an eye sounds fair to me.”
The Right Assistant Minister of Rites was momentarily speechless.
Qiao Xuan couldn’t help but chuckle. It was rare for her husband to mock someone so publicly, and the old man’s ridiculous remarks made it even more amusing.
Ding Xiang laughed openly. “So, it’s only acceptable for you to twist the truth while no one else is allowed to set it straight? How impressive of you! Where does your confidence come from, to be so unreasonable?”
Ding Xiang continued to voice her grievances, from Shao Yunduan’s unjust expulsion from the capital to the mysterious deaths of the late Emperor and Crown Prince, to the underhanded tactics of the princes. She sneered and challenged, “How can you be so brazen? If Lord Shao had been any weaker, you would have ensured his death. Now, you blame Lord Shao for your own despicable actions! It’s shameful to blame him for what you brought upon yourselves!”