"Where is this traitor...?" Xu Zhenguan snapped out of his thoughts, restrained his emotions, temporarily suppressing the emotions between a man and a woman.
"He is at the residence currently, shall I bring him here?"
"Very well."
Zhao Douan stood up and left the room. After a while, the door was pushed open again, and he stepped into the study holding a handle attached to a large box.
In the Empress's odd gaze, he opened the rivet-studded box, revealing Grandmaster Zhuang, curled up inside, tied up and a "Sleeping Charm" pressed against his forehead.
Zhao Douan pulled Zhuang Xiaocheng out of the box, tossed him onto the floor, and casually tore off the Yellow Paper Talisman from his forehead, sneering:
"We're here. Wake up, Zhuang Xiaocheng, open your eyes and see who stands before you."
Zhuang Xiaocheng's eyelashes fluttered, slowly opening his eyelids, revealing a bewildered expression.
The haggard old Confucian first surveyed the surroundings, struggled to sit up, and then recognized the authoritative, white-clad Empress seated behind the desk.
"Third Prince..."
Zhuang Xiaocheng's pupils constricted, his heart shook, and a fleeting panic flashed across his aged face.
However, perhaps due to his repeated rehearsals on the way back to the Capital, after a brief panic, he quickly calmed down, forced a bitter smile:
"Long time no see. The Third Prince, who was once not inferior in learning to other Princes, has certainly changed greatly."
Xu Zhenguan withdrew his gaze from outside the room, first glanced at Zhao Douan, then focused on the former minister, now kneeling on the carpet, appearing much older than his memories.
Perhaps calling him 'teacher' is more appropriate.
The duty of a 'Grand Tutor' was to educate the Princes, and Zhuang Xiaocheng, along with Dong Xuan, were mentors to the Third Imperial Princess. However, at the time, Zhuang Xiaocheng openly favored the Crown Prince while secretly becoming increasingly close with the Second Prince, Xu Jianwen.
As for the former Third Imperial Princess, though he admired her academic talent, he never devoted himself too much due to her gender.
Especially as Xu Zhenguan grew older, when the late Emperor repeatedly attempted to marry her off, Xu Zhenguan firmly refused. Adhering to the ancestral rule that any royal family member who achieved cultivation could remain unmarried, she chose solitude, leading to a growing discord with the late Emperor, causing Zhuang Xiaocheng to distance himself from her further.
Unexpectedly, it later evolved into the enmity of today.
"The Grand Tutor has indeed aged a lot," Xu Zhenguan remarked with complicated emotions, rather than erupting in anger.
Zhuang Xiaocheng forced a self-deprecating smile:
"Working tirelessly in the Martial World is far from the leisure of teaching in the palace back then."
Xu Zhenguan mocked:
"The Grand Tutor's toil was devising ways to oppose me, fabricating history, smearing my reputation, whitewashing Xu Jianwen's rebellion, and misleading people. Engaging in such inhumane acts certainly qualifies as grueling work."
Zhuang Xiaocheng remained silent.
The room fell into a hush, and just when Zhao Douan couldn't resist speaking, Zhuang Xiaocheng finally sighed and said: "To the victor go the spoils. If a few curses from Your Majesty can alleviate grievances, I am willing to bear them."
Zhao Douan laughed derisively, sneering:
"A few curses... What, do you think cursing a few times can equate to Kuangfu Society's crimes against Yu Country's river and mountains? Or do you still think you are in the right?
Heh, I'm a martial artist by birth, not well-versed in books, nor a Confucian scholar, yet I know that Confucian Saints never taught the future generation to conspire and usurp. Much less to disguise greed and pursuit of higher power as some lofty 'Great Justice'!"
Zhuang Xiaocheng closed his eyes and calmly said:
"I am but a sacrificial lamb at your mercy; all my bloodline has been severed three years ago, leaving only a wandering ghost in this world. Your Majesty may kill or flay as you please."
An attitude wholly resigned to 'to the victor go the spoils; dispose as you see fit.'
Seeing him like this, Xu Zhenguan suddenly lost interest and waved her hand dismissively.
The encounter after three years held no shocking revelations, only clear-cut stances and irreconcilable resolve.
Zhao Douan slapped the Yellow Paper Talisman back onto him, sealing Zhuang Xiaocheng again and thrusting him back into the box.
Having done all this, he glanced at the silent Zhenbao staring at the bookshelf and tentatively asked:
"Your Majesty, should we send this traitor to the Imperial Prison for a severe interrogation?"
Xu Zhenguan remained silent for a long time, finally suppressing the tumultuous emotions within, sighing softly: "You already have a plan, don't you?"
Zhao Douan made a sound of acknowledgment, and said:
"I believe that given Zhuang Xiaocheng's resilience, interrogation might yield little. Perhaps after his death, we might attempt to probe with magic, though knowing this old dog's cunning, he likely has prepared...
Therefore, I think the greatest value of this traitor lies in his identity as a leader, rather than anything else.
It would be best to create a spectacle in the Capital, and according to the law, execute him publicly to deter the nation... However, more importantly, is to use his death as an opportunity to try to overturn the slander and fabricated rumors about the Xuanmen Coup.
The Xuanmen Coup has two narrative versions.
First, the official version, closest to truth, which depicts Xu Jianwen's rebellion and the Third Imperial Princess quelling it.
Though some details are embellished, it remains largely true.
Second, the unofficial history spread by Kuangfu Society, claiming that it was Xu Zhenguan who rebelled, with Second Prince Jian Wen being the one thwarted and killed... it's blatant fabrication.
But under Kuangfu Society's relentless smear campaign, the latter version spread wider, which is a key reason for questioning the legitimacy of the Empress's regime beyond the Capital.
"How do you plan to clear the truth?" the Empress curiously asked.
Zhao Douan shook his head and replied: