ASTRP -Chapter 236 Deciding to Clear Their Names

“Stripping him and beating him with a board in public would be a tremendous humiliation for the Dingyuan General.”

The usually silent Xiao Jingan slowly rubbed the rim of his cup. “Do you think the Dingyuan General would rebel because of this?”

Everyone turned to look at him. Feng Jinyu asked, “My lord, do you think he would?”

“No.”

He answered bluntly.

“However… I think we can take another approach. One that’s safer than dealing with the emperor directly, and can still shake the Dingyuan General’s resolve.”

Feng Jinyu immediately understood.

“You mean…”

Very soon, the Dingyuan General’s daughter was kidnapped.

His military seal was also stolen.

In an instant, the Dingyuan General could barely stand.

All four of his trusted commanders were also captured.

He collapsed onto the ground.

“This must be the emperor… it can only be the emperor!”

“I’ve been loyal all my life… my daughter is gone… my subordinates are gone… my seal is gone… I have nothing left.”

“Take my life then… I have nothing anyway…”

He struck his own leg in despair.

But then another thought arose—since he had nothing left, he might as well die together with his daughter.

At least in death, he could face his late wife with dignity.

“You took my seal, kidnapped my daughter, and abducted my subordinates—this is stripping me of my command. Since I’m going to die anyway, I refuse to die so humbly!”

The Dingyuan General personally grabbed his sword. Without the seal, he could not mobilize troops, but there were still some who were willing to follow him.

Later, at a hillside outside the city, he found his daughter in torn, dirty clothes.

She was on the verge of crying herself unconscious, her eyes still blindfolded with black cloth.

When he touched her, she screamed in fear, her body trembling uncontrollably.

“It’s father… it’s father!”

“Good child, don’t cry…”

The Dingyuan General gently patted her shoulder.

“Father… it was the emperor! It was the emperor!”

“They said it was the emperor’s orders!”

The young girl cried uncontrollably.

“They were going to take me into the palace… they even had eunuchs come to examine my body…”

“It’s all the palace’s methods! Mother… mother! I’m so scared…”

“Don’t be afraid… don’t be afraid, father is here…”

The girl said she would rather die than be defiled by that old emperor.

With that, she suddenly turned and threw herself off a cliff.

The General saw her legs broken from the fall. Fortunately, there was a pile of grass below that kept her from dying.

“Father, I don’t want to serve the emperor!”

“Please, I don’t want to!”

“If we’re going to die, let’s die together… I want to die with you!”

“I don’t want to be a concubine…”

The Dingyuan General quickly held her head.

“Yes… if we die, we die together!”

“Father will not let you go to the emperor!”

In truth, all of this had been arranged by Xiao Jingan under Feng Jinyu’s plan.

He had lived in the imperial court for years—he knew palace rules and methods of manipulation too well.

He could imitate them perfectly.

Even Feng Jinyu had learned much from him; it was easy to put into practice.

The girl’s “escape” and fall were calculated in advance by Xiao Jingan.

The military seal was still in Xi Liyue’s hands, and the general’s four subordinates were taken to Xi Liyue’s residence, creating the illusion that they were being tortured in the palace.

Everything had to feel real.

In the carriage, the Prince Consort wiped his hands with a handkerchief.

“This Dingyuan General’s military command ability is even better than my father’s. He truly values his subordinates.”

He explained that although he himself was not exceptional in martial strength, he was highly skilled in strategy and coordination.

Unlike the Anren General, who emphasized individual combat ability, the Dingyuan General’s troops were much better suited for battles like those in Qing Mountain Country.

“This is also why I was able to obtain the seal… because the Anren General himself isn’t strong in martial arts…”

As he spoke, he even felt a little guilty.

Xi Liyue quickly comforted him.

“We’re doing this to protect the Dingyuan General. If we let the emperor handle it, his daughter would truly be gone, and so would his subordinates.”

The Prince Consort shook his head.

“As a prince, I can somewhat understand his feelings.”

“There is nothing more painful for a military man than losing faith in his country.”

If it were just a woman, it might still be bearable—she could marry, live a family life.

But a general of his rank, with merit but never overreaching, was rare.

If the emperor had even a shred of humanity, he should never have targeted his daughter.

Xi Liyue reached out and patted his head.

“My lord, I’ve noticed ever since you became my consort, your emotions have become richer.”

The Prince Consort swatted her hand away.

“My emotions have always been rich. Don’t flatter yourself.”

But in truth, he had also noticed his own change.

Because of Xi Liyue, his heart had softened considerably.

Later, Xi Liyue appeared before the Dingyuan General.

She had originally wanted Xiao Jingan to meet him as well, but he said it was better that the General not know of his existence yet.

The simpler things were, the better.

When the Dingyuan General saw Xi Liyue, he was so shocked he could barely speak. He immediately knelt on one knee.

Xi Liyue felt, for the first time, that she might be more suited to acting on a stage than being a princess.

“General… I am not dead.”

She explained everything about the fire incident, the emperor’s scheme, and the emperor’s physical condition. The Dingyuan General was left deeply shaken.

Holding the military seal, Xi Liyue spoke respectfully and sincerely.

“This… I return it to you.”

She said she had managed to recover the seal, but could not stop the emperor’s men from taking his subordinates into the palace.

However, she had already rescued them—though they were in miserable condition, all with injuries.

There was nothing she could do; the appearance of abuse had to be convincing.

The Dingyuan General had only his daughter and his subordinates. He was not greedy for wealth or women. Only such a man could be driven to rebel.

“The emperor has killed brother after brother. Whether this throne truly belongs to him is questionable.”

“But I cannot watch such a loyal general be destroyed.”

Xi Liyue explained that the Anren General’s stationing in Arora Country was only a temporary measure—not a real invasion.

“Exactly… it must not be attacked!” the Dingyuan General quickly said.

“The people of Arora Country are not to be underestimated, and the border civilians have finally begun living peacefully. If war breaks out, everything will be ruined!”

He analyzed that Arora Country respected strength. To them, Xi Qing Country was already the stronger side.

Submission was enough—no need for war.

After speaking for a long while, the Dingyuan General suddenly slumped to the ground.

“The throne… perhaps it was never truly his…”

“Hmm?”

He said that back then, the late emperor had urgently summoned both the Anren and Dingyuan Generals…