Chapter 143: Who Killed Him?

Amid the clamor and murmurs of the crowd, only one person had gone deathly pale: Hua Rong, seated nearby.

Her eyes remained fixed on the corpse, and an indescribable terror swept over her once more from the depths of her mind.

“It’s him!”

Yesterday’s memory was still as fresh as new. Even in that boundless darkness, beneath nothing more than a sliver of pallid moonlight, she had memorized the man’s features with perfect clarity. Even if he were reduced to ashes, she would still recognize him.

Hua Rong clenched her teeth slightly, her whole body feeling ill at ease.

Jun Yeli, on the other hand, forced himself to remain calm. “This is one of your people. How did he end up like this?”

Judging by his features, he did not even look like a man from the Central Plains.

An ominous premonition crept over him.

Jun Yeli steadied his thoughts, yet he could not shake the feeling that something was wrong.

“Why did he end up like this? Shouldn’t you be the ones answering that question?”

The envoy was arrogant and overbearing. Now that he had turned directly toward Jun Yeli, emboldened by the little justification he possessed, he became even more brazen.

Seeing his contemptuous expression, the others did not dare speak loudly. After all, a foreigner had died on their territory, and they would inevitably bear some responsibility.

Moreover, the two nations had always maintained friendly relations. This matter could not be handled carelessly.

After a moment of silence, Jun Yeli still found the accusation incomprehensible. “What exactly do you mean? Are you suggesting that I secretly harmed one of your people?”

There was no reason for him to do such a thing. He had no desire to set a war in motion so soon.

At this, the envoy gave a cold laugh. “It may have nothing to do with you personally, but we found this!”

The man lifted a token, and Jun Yeli stared at it in shock. Wasn’t that the special token he had once given Hua Rong, allowing her unrestricted entry and exit from the palace? How had it ended up in this man’s hands?

Could it be…

Jun Yeli’s gaze shifted toward Hua Rong, his expression filled with disbelief. He tentatively searched her for the token, but found nothing.

Hua Rong was equally stunned. “No wonder I couldn’t find it. So it was in his hands!”

The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward, but the envoy refused to let the matter drop.

“Your Majesty, this token belongs to you, does it not? I simply do not know whom you bestowed it upon. It seems that, while committing the crime, she carelessly dropped it at the scene!”

As he delivered those forceful words, the envoy’s eyes swept over everyone present.

The consorts sat speechless. None of them had known that Hua Rong had received such a token as a reward. Only Hua Yue understood the truth, and a subtle smile curled at the corners of her lips.

Jun Yeli remained silent, unsure how to respond. Surely he could not simply expose Hua Rong?

“What is it, Your Majesty? Are you unwilling to admit it? If she killed someone, then she should have the courage to take responsibility. If this matter is not resolved properly, I fear there will be no peace left between our two nations. I urge Your Majesty to think carefully before acting!”

It was an unmistakable warning, leaving no room for retreat. No wonder the envoy had been so arrogant earlier—he clearly believed he held all the cards.

The moment Hua Rong heard the mention of war, her heart leaped into her throat once more.

“This is over. If the two nations go to war and countless people die, won’t I become a great criminal?”

She gritted her teeth. Hua Rong had never killed anyone in her life, but if no one claimed the token now, the imperial family would never be able to clear its name.

After taking a deep breath, Hua Rong finally forced herself to speak.

“This token was bestowed upon me by His Majesty. I merely left the palace to visit my family. Who could have known that, halfway there, this ruffian would attempt to molest me? Fortunately, someone intervened and rescued me.”

Hua Rong rose to her feet. As soon as she spoke, nearly every gaze in the room turned toward her.

Jun Yeli almost fell from his seat. He could not help but rebuke her in a low, furious voice. “Who told you to speak? Stop spouting nonsense!”

This matter was no small issue. Even if Hua Rong had not directly killed the foreign envoy, by admitting this much, she had made it impossible to wash away the stain.

“Your Majesty need not worry. I have a clear conscience. I have never killed anyone. Someone merely came to my aid and accidentally killed him.”

“Heh. What an impressive clear conscience—to kill someone and still sound so righteous! Do you even know whom you killed? You claim he molested you? What utter absurdity!”

The envoy insisted that Hua Rong was the murderer, leaving everyone utterly exasperated.

“I have already said that I did not kill him. If you insist on framing me, what am I supposed to do? If a woman is being molested, is she not even allowed to resist?”

Hua Rong glared coldly at him. She truly had no intention of bearing the blame for this today.

But the other side had produced evidence first and then resorted to sophistry, leaving her no room to defend herself. Instead, they declared with utter conviction:

“The man you killed was incapable of fathering children. How could he possibly have attempted to molest you?”

The moment those words fell, the entire hall erupted in shock.

Hua Rong was dumbfounded. She still remembered the lustful look on that man’s face; he had been the very picture of depravity. And they claimed he was incapable of fathering children?

“Don’t joke with me! Do you really think a woman would use her chastity to deceive you?”

The more she spoke, the angrier she became. Hua Rong’s chest rose and fell, and she genuinely felt like slapping the envoy across the face—but she could not.

The envoy, however, remained utterly unmoved and continued his unreasonable argument.

“If Your Highness does not believe us, you may come over and verify it yourself!”

“You…”

The insult was complete, and the accusation equally vicious. Hua Rong was rendered speechless.

Jun Yeli’s expression darkened. He glanced at Hua Rong, his feelings complicated, then roared furiously, “Enough! Stop arguing. You are actually bringing up such matters concerning a dead man in open court. Envoy, you show not the slightest regard for his dignity!”

They were clearly using the dead man’s identity as an excuse to cause trouble. Yet they had deliberately directed their accusations at Hua Rong. Wasn’t this simply an attempt to humiliate him?

Once everyone present had finally fallen silent, Jun Yeli drew a deep breath and looked toward the envoys.

“Tell me. What is it that you want?”

“It’s very simple. Naturally, we want this woman to pay with her life. And to compensate us for our losses, you must cede a city to us!”

What audacity. The moment he opened his mouth, he demanded the impossible, showing not the slightest courtesy.

Jun Yeli glared coldly at him. He might have been willing to consider the second demand, but they wanted Hua Rong’s life. Had they even asked his permission?

“She is merely a woman. Your envoy is a powerful, imposing man. How could a woman possibly have harmed you? There must be more to this matter. It requires careful investigation.”

With a few perfunctory words, Jun Yeli dismissed the group, then left with Hua Rong.