It was to be expected that Liu Hong would be punished.
Xiao Jinghong was not surprised by this outcome. What surprised her was that the Holy Emperor had issued a decree of punishment based solely on a single memorial from her grandfather. It seemed far too direct.
According to the laws of the Imperial Court, convicting a Second-Grade Officer required an investigation by an imperial envoy, a trial by the Nine Ministers, and a final ruling by the Holy Emperor. None of these steps could be skipped. Furthermore, Liu Hong had committed the severe crime of treason and colluding with the enemy. At the very least, they needed to figure out who his accomplices were and whether he had any remaining factions.
