Chapter 414: Great Transformation

Upon hearing the announcement, "An imperial decree has arrived!", everyone in the courtyard turned towards the main gate, murmuring among themselves:

"Why would an imperial decree arrive at this particular moment?"

"Are you foolish? Master Sang is a confidant of the Emperor and Empress, so an imperial decree to congratulate his son's marriage is not surprising. Miss Zheng might even be directly granted the title of a titled lady."

"Tsk tsk, although the Zheng family has always been a prominent family in Brightmoon City, they are, after all, merchants with little social standing. This truly is a case of a sparrow transforming into a phoenix on a branch."

"What's the use of envy? If you're capable, you should also give birth to a beautiful daughter like Miss Zheng; then you might also have a chance to change your social class."

…

Hearing the whispers around him, Sang Qian was both surprised and delighted. "Father, the Emperor actually sent someone to congratulate us! This is an enormous surprise!"

Sang Hong didn't reply. Instead, his expression turned grave. From his understanding of the Emperor, his son's wedding wasn't significant enough to warrant such a grand gesture.

An imperial decree arriving at this moment was truly unpredictable, whether it brought good or ill fortune.

Soon, a troop of warriors filed in from outside. Each warrior appeared tall and robust, their eyes exuding an air of lofty confidence. Clearly, their constant presence in the capital had instilled in them a natural sense of superiority upon arriving in Brightmoon City.

The warriors neatly fanned out into two rows. Then, an elderly man in a python robe slowly walked in, holding a bright yellow scroll high in one hand.

The old man's hair was white, yet he didn't appear frail; instead, he seemed full of vigor.

His sharp gaze swept across the entire courtyard. A jolt went through Zu An's heart—the oppressive aura this man exuded was even stronger than Liu Yao's!

"It's a Prince!" Xie Daoyun, beside him, gasped softly, clearly having recognized his identity from the python robe he wore.

"A Prince?" Zu An's eyes narrowed. In this world, merely having royal blood wasn't enough to be granted a princely title; that was just a prerequisite. One also had to reach the Grandmaster realm to be officially enfeoffed as a Prince.

A Grandmaster!

He wondered who was stronger or weaker compared to Old Man Mi and Wei Dan.

The main reason was that the gap in cultivation between him and those individuals was too vast; they could all crush him anyway, so he couldn't discern their individual differences.

"Prince Liang!" Sang Hong hastily stepped forward to greet him. As fellow officials in the capital, he naturally recognized the man.

Prince Liang, Zhao Yi, was the present Emperor's uncle, the eldest and most respected figure in the imperial family.

After recognizing him, Sang Hong's unease grew stronger. He knew himself well; even for his own grand wedding, it would be impossible to invite Prince Liang to bestow honors, let alone for his son's marriage.

Prince Liang, Zhao Yi, nodded at him in acknowledgment, then announced in a clear voice, "Sang Hong, Governor of Linchuan Commandery, and Sang Qian, Commander of Brightmoon City's River Defense Camp, receive the imperial decree!"

"Long live our Emperor, long long live!" Sang Hong and Sang Qian were startled and quickly knelt to receive the decree.

With a cold expression, Prince Liang unrolled the imperial decree and read aloud: "By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees… The Sang father and son, having gravely betrayed Our trust, fabricated evidence to slander local officials and esteemed court ministers, thereby causing instability in the imperial court. Therefore, their official positions are hereby stripped, and they shall be escorted back to the capital for legal prosecution forthwith. By Imperial Order!"

Zu An didn't understand some of the obscure phrases in the middle of the decree, but he grasped the most crucial sentence. A faint smile involuntarily appeared on his face. His wife, Chu Yan, was indeed reliable; a new decree had arrived so quickly! He had been worried it might take a few more days, by which time Zheng Dan would have already married Sang Qian, and that would have ruined everything.

At this moment, others also understood the content of the imperial decree, and the scene instantly erupted in an uproar.

What's going on?!

Weren't the Sang father and son trusted confidants of the Emperor? One moment everyone thought they had boundless futures, and the next they were dismissed from their posts and subjected to investigation?

The most shocked of all was Sang Qian. He had been smiling, expecting some imperial reward, and looking forward to bragging about it to his circle later. Who knew that such terrible news awaited him instead?

The stark contrast instantly stunned him. "No, this is impossible! It must be fake, fake!"

By the end, he could no longer control his emotions and roared with all his might.

Prince Liang's face darkened, and he said displeased, "What? Are you implying that this Prince is falsely issuing an imperial decree?"

"No, that's not what I mean, but…" Sang Qian's thoughts were in complete disarray. "We just rendered a great service to the Emperor, so why are we being punished like this? There must be some misunderstanding, yes, there must be a misunderstanding!"

Prince Liang sneered, "Are you questioning the Emperor's judgment?"

Sang Qian tried to speak further but was stopped by his father. Sang Hong spoke, asking, "From the very beginning, I had an ominous premonition, and I never thought it would actually come true. But I am also deeply puzzled. Where did I go wrong? What exactly went amiss?"

Prince Liang chuckled, "Master Sang will understand the specifics once he arrives in the capital."

Sang Hong secretly fumed. Normally, as fellow court officials, such a small favor would be granted. Prince Liang was clearly kicking him when he was down!

He suddenly recalled an old case in the capital involving Prince Liang's household servants, where he had upheld justice impartially and not shown the Prince any special favor. He must have offended him back then. Now that the Prince had an opportunity, wouldn't he seize it for revenge?

The Emperor knew perfectly well that Prince Liang and I were at odds, yet he still sent him. Had I, Sang Hong, become a discarded pawn?

Watching Sang Hong's expression shift between gloom and despair, Prince Liang scoffed, then waved his hand. "Apprehend all relevant individuals!"

No sooner had he spoken than a group of fierce, wolf-like guards charged towards the Sang family.

Hearing the commotion, Sang Hong finally snapped out of his daze and said with a bitter smile, "Today is my unworthy son's joyous day. Could you allow them to complete the final ritual before proceeding?"

"Young Master Sang is married?" Prince Liang looked at Zheng Dan, not far away. Dressed in a vibrant and beautiful wedding gown, she was clearly the bride. He thought to himself, 'This bride has a good figure; Sang Hong certainly knows how to choose a daughter-in-law.' He then added, "Since they are already married, she is now a member of the Sang family. According to the imperial decree, she shall be taken away with them."

Upon hearing this, Sang Hong felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over his head. Even the newly wedded bride was to be arrested? Was this the prelude to the extermination of their entire clan?

He knew the Emperor had always been harsh and ungenerous. For years, Sang Hong had been a knife in the Emperor's hand, specifically helping him with matters that were inconvenient for the Emperor to handle directly.

Although he had become a completely isolated minister, he believed he had been unfailingly loyal to the Emperor. Furthermore, many troublesome issues still required his involvement. He was confident that he could at least enjoy prestige for several more decades. As for a time when he would no longer be useful, that was a problem for the future.

But he never imagined this day would come so quickly.

As he felt like he had plunged into an ice cellar, the Zheng family was even more terrified. They had believed they were clinging to a powerful patron, eagerly awaiting their impending rise to prominence. Who knew that what arrived first was disaster for their clan?

Zheng Yutang hastily stepped forward and said, "Your Royal Highness, we are wronged! We had no part in the Sang family's conspiracy from beginning to end. Indeed, we were completely unaware. Furthermore, our marriage alliance was forced upon us by the Sang family, leveraging their power. Strictly speaking, we are also victims!"

Sang Hong seemed utterly distraught, as if he hadn't heard. Sang Qian, however, flew into a rage. "Bastard! Who was it who begged to form a marriage alliance with our Sang family back then? And now you dare to say such things?!"

Zheng Yutang quickly pleaded, "Everyone, look! By rights, I am his elder, yet he speaks to me so disrespectfully. You can imagine how unequal our daily interactions were. The Sang family coerced us with their power; how could our Zheng family possibly refuse? We beg Your Royal Highness to preside over justice!"

At his words, the surrounding guests all exchanged strange looks. The Zheng family had been boasting about their marriage alliance with the Sang family to everyone they met these past few days. From the family head down to the gatekeeper, which member of the Zheng family hadn't been beaming with joy?

Of course, while everyone felt contempt, they also understood that with the Sang family's sudden collapse, no one wanted to be associated with them anymore, putting themselves in the Zheng family's shoes.

"Enough!" Prince Liang snorted, clearly too lazy to bother with the details. "Regardless, since the wedding rituals have been completed, she is now a member of the Sang family. Take her back to the capital along with them. As for the specific punishment, the Grand Minister of Justice and the Censorate will decide when the time comes."

Hearing this conclusion, the Zheng family members all turned pale. If it were just Zheng Dan alone, that might be manageable. But they feared the Sang family's crimes were too severe, and if their entire clan were to be exterminated later, their Zheng family would also be implicated.

However, against a dignified Prince, a Grandmaster-level expert, what means of resistance did the mere Zheng family possess?

Several soldiers ran towards Zheng Dan, holding shackles, intending to bind her.