The next day coincided with the grand court assembly.
The Emperor sat solemnly on the Dragon Throne as Secretary Wang presented the memorial from Duke An and read it aloud before the court.
The originally solemn and quiet grand assembly was disturbed, akin to a drop of water splashing into hot oil, with the reading of this admission of guilt by Duke An.
Officials who had previously submitted memorials impeaching Duke An emerged to denounce him. The original Grand Empress Dowager's Faction remained silent, with no one stepping forward to defend Duke An.
The once mighty vessel of the Zheng Family was now leaking with a gaping hole, cold river water continually pouring in. It barely remained afloat for now, but sinking seemed inevitable.
It was solely the Grand Empress Dowager Zheng who had fiercely protected the Zheng Family. Otherwise, the Zheng Family would have long been dragged to the execution grounds, leading to a massacre and the confiscation of their entire estate.
