After Rebirth, She Becomes the Revenge Queen-Chapter 422 - 312: The Emperor is Incompetent! (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Chapter 422: Chapter 312: The Emperor is Incompetent! (Seeking Monthly Votes)
The four characters "Baiyu Lane" erupted like a thunderclap above Zhang Shicheng’s head!
He was indeed correct, it was truly about this case!
Who the hell did Yang Zhan kill to cause such significant imperial attention?
Zhang Shicheng felt a rush in his guts, his mouth suddenly filled with a metallic tang, causing him to jerk noticeably, then he looked upward with wide eyes, "Your Majesty, it has been too long, I can’t remember anything anymore!"
Prince Rong and his son were dead, so everything should have been resolved, yet Zhang Shicheng was left alive, turning him into the sole target!
Clearly, Prince Rong and his son were the main culprits, and now that they were dead, if the Emperor demanded justice, wouldn’t he look toward their entire family instead?
Who would have thought that Prince Rong’s Mansion was such a big pit!
"How can you not remember clearly?" Pei Zhan said, "The last time at Baihe Temple, when you were being chased by the ’ghost’ on the mountain, this was not what you said.
You said Yang Zhan, the heir of Prince Rong, killed someone at Baiyu Lane and called you over to clean up the mess overnight. So, you obediently cleaned up the bloody scene for him, and secretly brought people to search for the murder weapon around the lane.
These details, you remembered very clearly!
How long has it been since then? How can you not remember now? Is it true forgetfulness or are you deliberately trying to deceive the Emperor?"
Hearing this, Zhang Shicheng’s face contorted in distortion, he looked up at Pei Zhan with a hoarse voice and said, "How do you know about this?... How could you know?!"
"Audacious!" Pei Zhan shouted, "Still trying to evade the Emperor’s question?!"
Zhang Shicheng, in abject fear, turned his eyes to the Emperor, whose face was dark with rage, swallowed hard, and started kowtowing, "Have mercy, Your Majesty! Although I assisted in the aftermath, I knew nothing! Whatever orders Prince Rong gave, I followed, but I did not partake in murder! Have mercy!"
From behind, Zhang Huan also fell to his knees, begging for mercy: "Your Majesty, Your Grace! This little bastard acted under Prince Rong’s command!
It’s my fault for not disciplining him properly; I swear I’ll break his legs when I get back to ensure he never dares misstep again!"
Of course, Zhang Huan knew about what Zhang Shicheng did. How could he, as the father, not know his son’s sensibility? He noticed something was wrong shortly after the incident, but in his view, it wasn’t a life-threatening issue—just the killing of two people. Even if Zhang Shicheng had killed them himself, the Zhang Family could shield him.
Thus, he hadn’t paid it much mind over the years.
He continued to enjoy all the benefits that Prince Rong’s Mansion provided to the Zhang Family.
Who would have expected, after several years, this was suddenly being raised by the Emperor?
Knowing full well that Prince Rong and his son committed murder, and Zhang Shicheng helped conceal it, which was duly punishable by law.
Nevertheless, since no victims publicly accused or sought justice after their deaths, they shouldn’t have been important figures, right?
The Emperor was likely using this issue merely as a pretext to weaken Prince Rong’s faction, wasn’t he?
The Zhang Family’s power wasn’t substantial enough to warrant an execution sentence over this!
"Do you still want to take him back?!"
Just as Zhang Huan began his plea, the Emperor slammed the table! A cup, half-full of tea, rattled and splashed liquid across the table on which it sat.
"Prince Rong killed the Crown Prince, and your Zhang Family knew about it without ing, still hoping to take him back?
Guards! Drag out Zhang Huan and his son and flog them with twenty strokes!"
With these words from the Emperor, everyone aside from Pei Zhan in the hall was shocked!
Not just from the Emperor’s furious outburst, but more so from his mention of the "Crown Prince"!
Xu Yin quickly exchanged a glance with the Crown Prince, before holding his breath and focusing intently.
The members of the Imperial Censorate and the Dali Temple were as tense as tightened kites!
"The Crown Prince?!"
Voices erupted simultaneously in the hall, with Zhang Shicheng screaming at the top of his lungs!
"Your Majesty, did you say that Prince Rong and his son killed the Crown Prince? Wasn’t the Crown Prince already... gone?!"
As a close minister who had often conversed freely with the Emperor, Zhang Huan now found himself unable to utter a complete sentence!
This was a bolt from the blue!
He understood perfectly the importance of the Crown Prince to the Emperor and Empress!
He had personally witnessed the doting affection the Emperor showed toward the Crown Prince back then!
All along, the Emperor hadn’t given up the search?