CHAPTER 38: THE ASHES OF AMBITION
The Imperial Court had never felt so quiet.
Hundreds of officials stood beneath the high stone walls, but not a single voice could be heard. The usual whispers, the careful conversations, and the quiet deals made between powerful men had all disappeared.
Everyone was watching one person.
Wei Jingshan.
The man who had spent years walking through these halls with his head held high now stood alone in the center of the court.
The same people who once praised him avoided his eyes.
The same officials who once called him wise now looked at him like a stranger.
Jingshan noticed.
A small smile appeared on his face.
Not a smile of fear.
A smile of disbelief.
"So this is how it is," he said quietly.
The guards beside him remained silent.
Jingshan lifted his chin.
"People truly are forgetful. Years of service can disappear because of a few accusations."
Minghe stood among the officials holding the evidence scrolls.
His expression remained calm.
"Not accusations."
Jingshan turned toward him.
"Proof."
A servant stepped forward and placed the first document before the Emperor.
The ledger.
The record of stolen money.
The hidden payments.
The secret meetings.
The names of those who worked with Jingshan.
One by one, his crimes were revealed.
The room became colder with every word.
"These records prove that Wei Jingshan used his position to steal from the Wei household."
Another scroll was opened.
"These documents prove that military information regarding the northern defenses was sold to foreign powers."
A murmur spread through the court.
Even those who expected corruption never expected betrayal of this level.
Jingshan's expression changed slightly.
Only slightly.
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Then he laughed.
A low, bitter sound.
"So that is what this is about."
Everyone looked at him.
He looked toward the throne.
"I protected this family for decades. I built influence. I created opportunities. I carried burdens nobody else wanted."
His eyes moved toward Zhanyuan.
"You think you became powerful alone?"
Zhanyuan stood silently.
Jingshan smiled.
"I shaped you."
The words hung in the air.
"I guided you. I protected this family when others were too weak to act."
Mingzhu's eyes narrowed.
"By betraying them?"
Jingshan looked at her.
"You never understood."
His voice became colder.
"The world is not kind. The weak lose. The people who hesitate are forgotten."
He looked back at the Emperor.
"I did what was necessary."
Minghe stepped forward.
"No."
The single word stopped him.
"You did what benefited you."
Jingshan's face hardened.
Minghe continued.
"You keep saying you protected the family. But protection does not require betrayal. Loyalty does not require selling innocent lives."
Silence filled the court.
"You did not sacrifice yourself for others."
Minghe's voice became sharper.
"You sacrificed others for yourself."
For the first time, anger flashed across Jingshan's face.
But it disappeared quickly.
A man like him did not believe he was wrong.
Not even now.
The Emperor finally spoke.
"Wei Jingshan."
The entire court lowered their heads.
"Your crimes have been proven."
Jingshan looked upward.
"You are stripped of your title."
A pause.
"Your wealth will be taken."
Another pause.
"Your name will be removed from the official records."
The words struck harder than any weapon.
Jingshan's fingers tightened.
The Emperor continued.
"History will not remember you as a loyal servant."
The court became silent.
"You will be remembered as a traitor."
For a moment, something ugly crossed Jingshan's face.
Not regret.
Not shame.
Only hatred.
He hated that people refused to see his greatness.
He hated that the world had chosen another story.
---
The prison was cold.
Stone walls surrounded Wei Jingshan.
The powerful man who once controlled servants, officials, and enemies now sat alone on the floor.
The door opened.
Zhanyuan entered.
Jingshan looked up.
A smile appeared.
"I knew you would come."
Zhanyuan said nothing.
"You still want answers."
"No."
That surprised Jingshan.
"Then why are you here?"
Zhanyuan looked at the man who had once been like family.
"I came to say goodbye."
Jingshan laughed.
"Goodbye?"
The smile grew.
"You still cannot accept it, can you?"
Zhanyuan's eyes remained calm.
"Accept what?"
"That I was right."
The room became silent.
Jingshan leaned against the wall.
"You think I lost because I was evil. You are wrong."
He pointed at Zhanyuan.
"I lost because I was surrounded by fools who could not understand what was needed."
Zhanyuan stared at him.
Even now.
Even at the end.
He still blamed everyone else.
"You caused pain to people who trusted you."
Jingshan shrugged.
"Pain is the price of power."
"Douhua died because of your choices."
A brief silence passed.
Then Jingshan looked away.
"She made her choice."
Zhanyuan's hand tightened.
There it was.
The truth.
The man would never change.
Not because he could not.
Because he refused.
"You really believe you did nothing wrong."
Jingshan smiled.
"I believe history will understand me one day."
Zhanyuan looked at him for a long moment.
Then he turned away.
"No."
Jingshan watched him leave.
"No?"
Zhanyuan stopped at the doorway.
"History will remember you."
A pause.
"But not the way you wanted."
The door closed.
---
The final order came three days later.
Wei Jingshan died without apology.
Without confession.
Without asking for forgiveness.
Until the end, he held onto the same belief that had destroyed him.
He was not the villain.
He was the only person who understood the world.
That was his final mistake.
The Wei estate did not celebrate his death.
There was no joy.
Only silence.
A painful chapter had ended.
Zhanyuan stood beneath the old trees in the courtyard.
Mingzhu stood beside him.
For years, this place had carried secrets.
Lies.
Betrayals.
Now, for the first time, it felt peaceful.
"He never regretted it," Mingzhu said softly.
Zhanyuan looked toward the sky.
"No."
A quiet breath left him.
"Maybe that was his greatest punishment."
Mingzhu looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because everyone else was able to heal."
Zhanyuan took her hand.
"But he stayed trapped in the same place forever."
The wind moved gently through the courtyard.
The serpent was gone.
Not because someone became crueler.
Not because revenge consumed them.
But because truth had finally reached the light.
And the Wei family could finally move forward.