After Fu Yecheng administered the antidote to his men, he was helped to a chair to sit down.
Those of Liang Shao's faction were not so fortunate.
"Prince, we stood by your side! How could you lay hands on us!"
"Prince... save me!"
"Antidote! I want the antidote!"
Liang Shao's poison was originally his last resort. With the situation urgent, he could only wound a thousand enemies while harming himself by eight hundred. Tied up as he was, how could he possibly provide an antidote? He could only watch as his own men wailed.
Seeing that pleading with him was useless, the crowd turned to Liang Chengnian above.
"Your Majesty! This subject... was wrong! I beg Your Majesty to save this old subject's life!"
"Your Majesty, spare us."
"Liang Shao, you're so... ruthless! To even attack your own people."
For a time, the main hall was filled with pleas for mercy and curses aimed at Liang Shao.
Above, Liang Chengnian rose and looked down at the crowd, saying, "You aided the tyrannical and committed all sorts of evil. Now, dying at the hands of your own master is a just retribution for your wickedness."
Liang Chengnian's eyes held no trace of pity, only endless coldness. Among these people, some had participated in the deaths of his imperial father and mother, and others had kicked him when he was down as Liang Shao pressured him step by step. He hadn't personally acted because he valued his reputation, to avoid being branded a tyrant. Saving them was absolutely out of the question!
The loyalists and neutral factions sitting in their chairs, seeing this scene, secretly rejoiced. Their gazes towards Liang Chengnian above no longer held any trace of disrespect. Their Southern Jiang Emperor seemed to have grown up, more decisive than the late Emperor.
The wailing gradually subsided, eventually falling silent. Guards quickly entered from outside the hall and dragged these people out.
The main hall instantly became much quieter. Everyone held their breath, watching the young Emperor descend the high steps, slowly walking towards Liang Shao, who was once glorious but now bound.
Liang Shao watched him calmly.
"Fourth Imperial Uncle." Liang Chengnian spoke. No one expected him to utter this address.
Liang Shao remained silent, his eyes as calm as if he were not a prisoner.
"Before I learned the truth behind my Imperial Father and Mother's deaths, I always respected you greatly."
"I even envied Liang Xuanting. He had a father like you."
"He was reckless, eager for glory, yet you paved the way for him. Such a person actually had a reputation for being wise and talented."
"After Imperial Father and Mother passed, it was you who stayed with me, held my hand, and placed me on the throne. At that time, my heart was filled with trepidation, but with you there, standing by my side, looking at you, I felt at ease."
"You personally taught me how to review memorials, taught me how to ride horses..."
"Why is it that you, such a person, are the traitor who murdered your brother and usurped power?"
"Were all the past events a lie?"
Liang Shao's face twitched. He said calmly, "This Prince merely reclaims what is rightfully his. That throne should have belonged to this Prince! It was your Imperial Grandmother who interfered, allowing your Imperial Father to gain the throne!"
"This Prince was beloved by Imperial Father. Imperial Father had intended to pass the throne to me. When he was gravely ill, he left an imperial edict, but it was altered. They thought this Prince wouldn't know, but in fact,
this Prince learned of it from Imperial Father's personal attendant long ago. It was just that at the time, this Prince's wings were not yet fully grown, and the situation was already decided, so I feigned ignorance."
"Your imperial father, that hypocrite, thought that being kind to me would compensate. Hmph! It's not that cheap!"
Liang Chengnian frowned. He had never known such hidden circumstances.
"Even if Imperial Grandmother did it, my Imperial Father and Mother did not deserve to die! Although I was young then, I knew that Imperial Father truly cared for you, his Imperial Brother, and also my Imperial Mother!"
Liang Shao lowered his gaze. He could not deny that, with the Elder Imperial Brother's weak character, altering the imperial edict truly had nothing to do with him. And the Empress had been very kind to him.
So, after their deaths, he truly felt a moment of regret and emptiness. Seeing the sole surviving descendant they left behind, he had also considered letting him remain on the throne. His teachings to him were not entirely false.
He believed he had done nothing wrong in this matter. To reclaim what was his, he had to do things against his conscience. The right and wrong in this world were not so easy to judge. Was his good Imperial Brother without fault?
Since he knew his Imperial Mother had altered the imperial edict, he still sat comfortably on that throne. He claimed to feel ashamed, but also unable to righteously eliminate his own kin.
Since he took that position, yet remained indecisive, who did he truly serve? If one were to say who was most innocent in this matter, it would only be his Imperial Sister-in-law and this nephew.
Liang Shao looked calmly at Liang Chengnian and said, "The victor is king, the vanquished is bandit. Since I've fallen into your hands, do as you please!" He looked at Liang Wei, whose mouth was gagged, and said, "However, even if I die, this Prince wants to die knowing the truth."
Liang Chengnian motioned for the guard to remove the cloth from Liang Wei's mouth.
As soon as Liang Wei could speak, he stared at Fu Yecheng and asked, "What have you done to Xiaoting!"
Upon hearing this, Liang Shao's face sank. He looked at Liang Wei and said coldly, "Tell me honestly, is Liang Xuanting truly your... child?"
He had never doubted it because he and the Princess Consort were childhood sweethearts. He didn't believe she would betray him! But once it was pointed out, he realized there were so many suspicious points! Liang Wei originally didn't have a very good relationship with him,
but after he married, Liang Wei often visited his estate. He had always thought Liang Wei's particular attention to Liang Xuanting was merely an imperial uncle's concern for a junior. But thinking back now, Liang Wei's concern for Liang Xuanting exceeded his own as a father.
Seeing Liang Shao bound and his power gone, Liang Wei no longer tried to argue.
"Yes! Xiaoting is my child!"
"Impossible!"
Liang Wei sneered, "At that time, you were always running off to the palace, neglecting your beauty. But this Prince is a compassionate man!"
"It's just a pity that I can only tell the truth now, and I won't hear Xiaoting call me 'Father' again. Do you know how much pain I felt every time he called you 'Father'?"
Everyone was speechless. In such a serious moment, they were forced to listen to a royal scandal. Liang Shao was not a good person, but Liang Wei was also shameless. He had clearly cuckolded someone, yet he made someone else raise his child for so many years. His current expression made it seem as if he was the victim.
"Silence! You adulterous couple!" Although bound, he still lunged towards Liang Wei. The guards stepped forward to restrain Liang Shao, who then sank to his knees in despair.
"Hahahaha, to think I, Liang Shao, who prided myself on my cleverness, didn't know that my own backyard had long been on fire! And I even wanted to put a wild bastard on that throne!"
Everyone sighed. If he had known he had no heir, he wouldn't have committed so many wrongs for that position. This was truly fate's cruel joke!
Liang Wei ignored everyone's gazes and only looked at Liang Chengnian, saying, "Xiaonian, Your Majesty, the one who killed your Imperial Father and Mother was Liang Shao. It has nothing to do with me and Xiaoting. Xiaoting is my child, your biological cousin! You'll release him, right?"
Liang Chengnian glanced at the pale Liang Shao, then at the eager and flattering Liang Wei. He sneered, "I will not take your and Liang Xuanting's lives, because you will have a good place to go."
Liang Wei's face immediately lit up, thinking he had finally softened.
Liang Chengnian looked at Liang Shao and said, "Liang Shao, there is kindness between us, but more so, there is hatred. Therefore, I will avenge Imperial Father and Mother!"
Liang Shao said nothing, not even raising his head.
Liang Chengnian personally took a sword and slowly walked towards Liang Shao. Liang Xuanting stood a step away from Liang Shao, one with his head lowered, the other with his head turned, not looking at each other.
With one swing of the sword, a commotion erupted in the main hall.
Jun Mo covered Su Li's eyes with one hand and said, "Our business here is done. Let's return to the inn first." Su Li nodded. Without disturbing anyone, the two quietly exited the main hall.
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