Ch.436 Another Three Complaints (1)After hearing his three accusations, the Emperor did not show any expression and only nodded.
Seeing this, the man said, unwilling to give up, “Your Majesty! All three are capital offenses! I hope Your Majesty will show clarity in this matter!”
Gong Cheng glanced at him and turned to Gong Yimo.
“Do you have anything to say?”
Gong Yimo smiled. “Naturally.”
She glanced over at that man with a slight mocking look.
“Firearms were used outside of the city because a boulder there that served as rockery was about to collapse. In fear of hurting those under it, I blew it up. It was no surprise that the people embraced me out of gratefulness and their curiosity about the firearms. I did not cause any injuries and the people embraced me by their own will. Naturally, I caused no disturbance of order.”
“Those are baseless words!” The old minister snorted disdainfully.
“As for killing the Princess of Zhaoqing.”
At her words, the Empress Dowager appeared sorrowful, but then her face was filled with hatred!
Gong Yimo smiled.
“As for killing the Princess of Zhaoqing, I do not admit to that. Is the Princess of Zhaoqing not a respectable character? We have no grudges with each other, so why would I kill her?”
“Nonsense!” The Empress Dowager couldn"t stand it any longer. She looked at her with dark eyes and said, “You dare say you did not kill her? You dare say Yan"er"s life did not end in your hands?!”
Gong Yimo raised a brow at her and suddenly slapped her head, saying as if she had a sudden realization.
“Your Highness, you"re not talking about the leader of that group of a.s.sa.s.sins, are you?”
She had the most innocent and surprised expression on her face. Looking at the Emperor, she said, “Speaking of which, Your Majesty, you need to pay more attention to the city"s law and order! I encountered several groups of a.s.sa.s.sins on my way to the palace and I almost got killed!”
Gong Yimo looked at Gong Jue and smiled. “Fortunately, I met the King of Qi who happened to be leading the royal guards on a practice drill and saved me. Otherwise, I would have died on the road!”
“Nonsense! That was Yan"er! You killed her by your own hand! Do you dare deny that?!”
Gong Yimo"s cold gaze suddenly fell on her and her lips curved into a faint smile.
“Oh…You"re talking about that person I killed!"
The Empress Dowager sneered. “You finally remembered?”
Gong Yimo nodded. “I do.” She tilted her head and shrugged. “But this is all just a misunderstanding! How could I have known that the a.s.sa.s.sin who tried to kill me was the Princess of Zhaoqing? What have I ever done to her?”
The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the armrest and said resentfully, “Excuses! You clearly knew that that was Yan"er! You also stole the body! Bring it out, now!”
That was what pained her the most. The palace people have only brought news of Yan"er"s death, but they never brought back her body. It definitely must have fallen into Gong Yimo"s hands!
“Yan"er?” Gong Yimo raised her brows and looked to Gong Jue. Gong Jue nodded as well, which made her unable to hold back from laughing.
“That a.s.sa.s.sin did not tell me she was the Princess of Zhaoqing. If she did, how would I dare to kill someone from the royal family?”
Hearing this, a look of amus.e.m.e.nt emerged in Gong Jue"s eyes. He invited Eunuch Chang Xi to come forward to pa.s.s on a message to the Emperor.
Gong Yimo also smiled from this. “Moreover…even the King of Qi did not recognize the Princess of Zhaoqing, much less I!”
Gong Jue then came in at the appropriate time, “Father Emperor, the a.s.sa.s.sin"s body is here. Would His Majesty with to see it?”
Gong Cheng glanced at the Empress Dowager. For a moment, she had forgotten to refute or accept, so when they saw someone carrying over a rack from outside. However, the one on top of it was a stranger, which caused the Empress Dowager to hesitate, thinking that Gong Jue had gotten the wrong person!
At the right moment, Gong Yimo said, “This person also has an accomplice! If her accomplices had not shot out those arrows to hurt innocent bystanders before escaping themselves without any care for her, I would not have taken her life for revenge. Empress Dowager…I bear no hatred without cause. You have the wrong person!”