I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

It's a new day. The sun shines through the clouds onto the magnificent palace. The golden glazed tiles shine brightly, as if foreshadowing that this will be an extraordinary day.

The atmosphere in the court was solemn and depressing. The emperor sat high on the dragon throne, looking majestically at the ministers below.

The prince stood aside with a serious look on his face. He also had a premonition that there might be a disturbance in the court today.

The ministers lined up in order of rank, all with solemn expressions. Chen Jue was dressed in court robes, with an upright posture and a firm and clear look in his eyes.

He knew in his heart that ever since he had a grudge with King Zhao at King Zhao's banquet last time, King Zhao would definitely not let it go and would definitely look for an opportunity to cause trouble for him today.

King Zhao stood in the front row, his eyes drifting towards Chen Jue from time to time, the corners of his mouth slightly raised with a barely perceptible sneer.

He had already figured out how to make Chen Jue look bad in the court today, in order to undermine his prestige and show his power to everyone.

The court meeting began, and the ministers reported various government affairs. At this time, King Zhao suddenly took a step forward, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report. Recently, I heard that the Dali Temple seemed to have some inappropriateness in handling some cases. I think it is necessary to investigate to ensure judicial fairness."

Chen Jue's heart trembled, he knew that King Zhao had finally started to attack.

But he was not flustered at all. He took a step forward and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, the Dali Temple has always handled cases with a fair and rigorous attitude, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. I don't know what the King of Zhao is talking about. Please explain it clearly."

"Chen Jue, please don't be so stubborn. As far as I know, in Minister Wang's case, there are many doubts in the Dali Temple's investigation process, and the evidence collection is not sufficient. Isn't this a dereliction of duty?"

Chen Jue responded calmly, "Your Highness, Prince Zhao, everything must be based on evidence. I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the public if you accuse the Dali Temple of dereliction of duty without any evidence. The Dali Temple strictly follows the laws and procedures when handling every case, and every link is recorded in detail. If you have any questions, I can submit the relevant case files at any time for your Majesty and the ministers to review together."

The emperor frowned slightly and said, "Prince Zhao, since you have raised doubts, do you have any concrete evidence?"

King Zhao took the lead. He strode forward with a file in his hand and a confident look on his face.

"Your Majesty, regarding Minister Chen's case, I have important evidence to present."

As he spoke, he handed the file to the eunuch beside him, who then presented it to the emperor. Prince Zhao glanced at Chen Jue with a slight smile on his face.

"According to my investigation, Minister Chen's case is not as simple as it seems. There are many inside stories involved. When Chen Jue handled the case, he was obviously biased. His behavior is questionable."

Chen Jue heard this and remained calm. He took a step forward, saluted and said, "Your Majesty, when handling the case of Minister Chen, I have always adhered to the principles of fairness and justice, and have never been partial. What is the basis for what King Zhao said?"

His eyes were clear and firm, and he looked straight at the emperor, not shaken at all by King Zhao's accusations.

The emperor flipped open the file, frowned slightly, looked at Chen Jue and said, "Chen Jue, how do you explain the evidence presented by King Zhao?"

Chen Jue replied calmly: "Your Majesty, I do not know the authenticity of what the King of Zhao presented. But in the case of Minister Chen, every step was carried out in accordance with the law. I have detailed records and evidence to prove my innocence."

As he spoke, he also took out a stack of papers from his sleeve and said, "Your Majesty, this is a detailed record of the case and the testimony of relevant witnesses, which is enough to prove that I was fair and impartial in handling this case."

King Zhao sneered, "Chen Jue, your so-called evidence is probably forged to cover up the truth. As far as I know, you have a close relationship with Minister Chen in private, and there is no guarantee that you will not abuse your power for his sake."

King Zhao's eyes were full of malice as he stared at Chen Jue closely.

Chen Jue remained calm and retorted, "Your Highness, Prince Zhao, you are making groundless speculations and malicious slander. Minister Chen and I are just colleagues. When handling cases, I only follow facts and laws. But you, Prince Zhao, are so eager to put the blame on me. I wonder what your intention is?"

Chen Jue met King Zhao's gaze without flinching, his eyes revealing determination and confidence.

At this time, the officials in the court began to whisper and discuss. Some officials who supported King Zhao nodded and agreed with what King Zhao said, casting doubtful eyes on Chen Jue; while some officials who usually respected Chen Jue showed worry on their faces, expecting Chen Jue to give a strong rebuttal.

The prince frowned slightly when he saw this and said, "Father, I think Chen Jue has always been law-abiding and has a good reputation in handling cases. We cannot doubt Chen Jue based on the one-sided statement of the King of Zhao. We should carefully examine the evidence of both sides."

The prince's words were firm and powerful, buying Chen Jue some breathing space.

The emperor nodded and said, "Your Highness is right. King Zhao, do you have any other evidence?"

Prince Zhao seemed to have been prepared. He took out another letter and said, "Your Majesty, this is a key letter. It was found in Minister Chen's home. It clearly mentioned some secret exchanges between him and Chen Jue."

King Zhao proudly raised the letter in his hand, with a hint of cunning in his eyes.

Chen Jue was startled, but he quickly calmed down and carefully observed the letter. "Your Majesty, the origin of this letter is unknown and it is very likely a forgery. I have never had any secret dealings with Minister Chen. This is obviously a deliberate frame-up."

Chen Jue's eyes revealed anger and determination. He knew that this was a trap set by King Zhao, but he would never give in easily.

King Zhao laughed loudly. "Chen Jue, you are at a loss for words now. The handwriting on this letter is very similar to yours. How do you explain it?"

Chen Jue approached the letter, took a closer look, and said, "Your Majesty, although the handwriting looks similar, a careful examination will reveal many flaws. Someone deliberately imitated my handwriting in an attempt to frame me. Moreover, it is absurd to conclude that I have colluded with Minister Chen based on just one letter."

Chen Jue's tone was firm. He turned to face the officials and said, "My dear colleagues, I, Chen Jue, have been an official in the court for many years. I have always been conscientious and have never done anything that violates my conscience or the law. The King of Zhao must have had an ulterior motive to frame me today."

Some upright officials began to express their support for Chen Jue, saying, "Your Majesty, we all know what kind of person Lord Chen Jue is. There may be other hidden secrets in this matter, and we should investigate it in depth."

Seeing that the situation was not favorable, the King of Zhao's face turned gloomy. He gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, even if there are doubts about this letter, some key evidence in the case of Minister Chen disappeared, and it was Chen Jue who was in charge of the case. Isn't this something he did deliberately to cover up the truth?"

Chen Jue sneered, "Your Highness, Prince Zhao, you are just trying to find a pretext to accuse me. The evidence has disappeared, maybe someone is secretly trying to frame me. In the process of handling this case, I have always strictly followed the procedures and never violated any rules. I suspect that you, Prince Zhao, deliberately created these incidents in order to bring me down and undermine the justice and stability of the court."

Chen Jue's eyes were filled with anger and questioning as he looked straight at King Zhao.

The emperor was also lost in thought at this time. He looked at the evidence in his hand, then at Chen Jue and Prince Zhao, and was unable to make a decision for a moment. "This matter is of great importance, and we cannot draw conclusions lightly. Chen Jue, Prince Zhao, you each go back and carefully organize the evidence, and continue to hear this case in the court tomorrow."