My father ordered me to kill the emperor, but His Majesty bestowed a princess upon me instead.

As the carriage returned to the palace, I leaned against the side of the carriage, and the wound on my shoulder began to ache belatedly.

The wound from the stone wasn't deep.

But it's very good at reminding people: you just publicly admitted that you are the son of a traitor.

It's reasonable to feel some pain after something like this.

Xiao Lingyi sat opposite her, her eyes open.

She held the Qing Dynasty old account card in her hand.

The counterfeit license plate is in the certificate box.

The genuine card is also in the certificate box.

But she still took it out and looked at it for a long time.

The genuine amulet had a blank back, with only three characters on the front.

Settle old accounts.

An Chaogang was not there.

The absence of those four words is like the loss of a layer of bloodshed.

I whispered, "Your Highness."

She looked up.

"This card might not be a bad thing."

"I know."

"The late empress probably created it to check the accounts."

"I know."

"Later, some people used it to commit evil."

"I know that too."

She answered calmly.

It was so calm that I felt like I was being nosy.

After a while, she suddenly asked, "Shen An, when you publicly revealed your identity, did you think about the consequences?"

I thought about it carefully.

"I've thought about it halfway."

"What about your other half?"

"It wasn't in time."

She looked at me.

I added, "There were too many people and the shouting was too loud. If I had thought about it for a moment longer, I might have been hit by a stone."

Xiao Lingyi looked at the bloodstains on my shoulder, her brow furrowing slightly.

"You could have denied it."

"It can't be hidden anymore."

I leaned against the car wall, my voice a little hoarse.

"They have already written the notices, gathered the crowd, and thrown out the real cards. If I do not acknowledge them, they will do so on my behalf."

"They confessed on my behalf that I am a traitor."

"I admit it myself, and I can say a few more words."

Xiao Lingyi remained silent.

After a while, she said, "You said a lot."

"I am nervous."

"Does being nervous make you talkative?"

"I tend to talk a lot when I'm afraid of dying."

She glanced at me.

"I can tell."

That doesn't sound like a compliment.

But I've gotten used to it.

When the carriage entered the palace, the atmosphere outside Xuanzheng Hall was even more tense than before.

News of the unrest in the south of the city had already reached back.

Even worse, the news that I publicly acknowledged Shen Lie's son spread faster than a horse could catch fire.

Several officials at the palace gate looked at me as if they had seen a wolf in official robes enter a sheepfold.

I think they're overthinking it.

If I were a wolf, I wouldn't have ended up like this.

How can a wolf be chased by people to overturn tents, go down wells, put out fires, go to jail, and be hit with stones?

The emperor had returned to the Xuanzheng Hall.

Grand Secretary Wang is still alive.

This time, however, he did not kneel.

He stood at the head of the officials, his expression solemn, like an old minister who had worked tirelessly for the country to the utmost.

If Wang Fu hadn't been detained in the back, and if I hadn't had the notice Wang Fu had confessed to me in my pocket, I would have almost believed him.

Pei Shen was also there.

He stood a little further back, his eyes calm.

He glanced at me as I entered the hall.

That glance wasn't surprising.

It's like they knew I'd come back.

It's like I knew what I would bring back.

The emperor looked at me.

"What about the south of the city?"

I bowed.

"The situation is stable for now."

"Can disaster victims cause chaos?"

"Not in chaos."

"Wang Fu?"

"They've been brought here."

The emperor nodded.

"Bring it up."

When Wang Fu was dragged into the palace by the imperial guards, he was already like a lump of mud.

He had already broken down once in front of so many disaster victims in the south of the city.

Upon seeing Grand Secretary Wang, he broke down once again.

Some people are afraid of the emperor.

Some people are afraid of their masters.

Wang Fu clearly had more of the latter.

He had just knelt down when he kowtowed in the direction of Grand Secretary Wang.

"Your Excellency, save me! Your Excellency, save me!"

Grand Secretary Wang closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, all he saw was sorrow.

"Wang Fu, you have served in my household for many years, and I have never treated you poorly. Why would you collude with outsiders to tarnish the Wang family's reputation?"

Wang Fu suddenly looked up.

"Grand Secretary?"

I almost burst out laughing.

That old man is really fast.

Before Wang Fu could formally confess, he had already implicated the other party in the "collusion with outsiders" charge.

Wang Fu's face turned from white to ashen.

"Your Excellency, it was you who asked me to..."

"presumptuous."

Grand Secretary Wang's voice was not loud.

But Wang Fu was whipped, and his whole body trembled.

Grand Secretary Wang turned to the emperor and slowly knelt down.

"Your Majesty, I have failed to properly manage my household, resulting in a wicked servant being bribed to seize the Wang family's private seal, old belongings, and forge notices, thus stirring up unrest among the people of the southern city. I deserve to die ten thousand times over."

I sighed inwardly as I listened.

The word "ten thousand deaths" sounds very heavy.

But usually, people who say they would rather die a thousand times over actually hope they never die.

The emperor looked at him.

"You're saying Wang Fu was bribed?"

Grand Secretary Wang said, "Besides that, this old minister cannot think of any other reason why he would do such a rebellious thing."

I took a step forward.

"If Your Excellency cannot think of it, then I will help you think of it."

Grand Secretary Wang looked at me.

This time, his gaze was no longer fixed on the young officials.

It's about observing the enemy.

The real enemy.

"Lord Shen."

He said slowly, "I haven't even asked you yet. Since you admit to being Shen Lie's son and to having entered the capital on orders to assassinate the emperor, what right do you have to interrogate court officials in the Golden Hall?"

The air in the hall instantly tensed up at those words.

finally come.

I am a weapon that Grand Secretary Wang cannot refrain from using.

And it will definitely be used extremely ruthlessly in the Golden Hall.

I bowed.

"I am indeed the son of Shen Lie."

A low commotion arose in the hall.

Even if the news had reached the palace earlier, and I had personally confirmed it, it would still be different.

Grand Secretary Wang said coldly, "If that's the case, then you are the descendant of a traitor."

I nodded.

"Yes."

"Ordered to assassinate the emperor?"

"Yes."

"So, when you investigated the case today, who knew it wasn't just a ploy by the southwestern rebels to disrupt the capital?"

"Your Excellency's words make sense."

If Ah Liu were here, he'd probably be clutching his chest again.

Unfortunately, he wasn't there.

I continued, "Therefore, I will not speak based on my status today, but solely on my account."

I turned around and took out the notice that had been searched from Wang Fu from the document box.

"This notice states that Princess Zhaoning and I have joined forces to open granaries, gather the people, and purge the court of corrupt officials."

I took out two more account clearing tokens.

"Wang Fu threw out a genuine card in the south of the city, trying to make the disaster victims believe that Princess Zhaoning was acting on the late empress's dying wish to start a rebellion."

"A counterfeit plaque was stuffed into an old incense burner in the Princess's residence, in an attempt to prove that the Princess's residence was secretly possessing a Qingyihui plaque."

"If Grand Secretary Wang says that I am a traitor, I admit it."

I looked at him.

"But were these two plaques and the notice brought by Chen Fang or Wang Fu?"

Wang Fu immediately cried out, "It was the Grand Secretary who sent me to deliver it!"

Grand Secretary Wang said coldly, "You've been bribed to frame your master."

Wang Fu was almost devastated by the tears.

"Your Excellency! I didn't! You ordered me to retrieve the genuine token from the East Study and to spread rumors in the south of the city, saying that Shen An is Shen Lie's son, that the princess hid the Qing Dynasty's token, and that the disaster victims wanted to purge the emperor's inner circle!"

Grand Secretary Wang's gaze remained unwavering.

"Where's the evidence?"

Wang Fu was taken aback.

Grand Secretary Wang turned to the emperor.

"Your Majesty, a wicked servant was caught red-handed by Shen An carrying a forged notice. Now, in an attempt to save his life, he is trying to implicate an old minister, which is not credible."

I have to admire him.

Even now, this old man can still turn the tide.

Wang Fu's testimony was insufficient.

The people in the south of the city couldn't get enough of hearing it.

The Wang family's private seals were insufficient.

Wang Fu didn't have enough real cards either.

Because we're still one step away from each other.

The only step that could be taken from Wang Ge Lao himself.

I said, "Therefore, I request that the East Study of the Prince's Palace be searched."

Grand Secretary Wang looked at me.

"Lord Shen, I am a veteran official of three reigns, entrusted with the care of the late emperor. You, the son of a traitor, dare to search my study by relying on the accusations of a wicked servant?"

I bowed.

"Your subject dares not."

"Then step back."

"Your Majesty dares not," said the emperor.

The hall fell silent.

The emperor glanced at me.

I continued, "Wang Fu confessed that the Wang family's private seal, the genuine Qing dynasty account book, and Bai Song's old account box were all in the East Study of the Wang residence last night. If there is no evidence in the East Study, then the Grand Secretary's innocence can be cleared."

Grand Secretary Wang said calmly, "Lord Shen makes it sound so easy. Searching my study is a slap in the face to former officials."

The emperor finally spoke.

"Can't I hit him?"

Wang Ge Lao paused for a moment.

The hall was deathly silent.

The emperor's face was pale, and his voice was weak.

But those three words, when they fell, were heavier than a knife.

Grand Secretary Wang slowly kowtowed.

"This old minister dares not."

The emperor looked at Gu Xingzhi.

"search."

Gu Xingzhi accepted the order.

Grand Secretary Wang suddenly said, "Your Majesty."

The emperor looked at him.

Grand Secretary Wang looked up, his face full of age and weariness.

"If the search yields nothing, this old minister requests Your Majesty to arrest Shen An in the palace."

An uproar erupted in the hall.

Xiao Lingyi's eyes suddenly turned cold.

Grand Secretary Wang continued, "Shen An is Shen Lie's son. He came to the capital on orders to assassinate the emperor. Now, under the guise of investigating a case, he is disrupting the Six Ministries, opening granaries to gather people, forcing the Vice Minister of Revenue to commit suicide, and falsely accusing former officials who were appointed by the late emperor. If the East Study of the Prince's Mansion has no evidence, it is enough to prove that he is using the case to cause chaos."

He turned to me.

"Lord Shen, do you dare to make the bet?"

I looked at him.

For a moment, I felt a little heavy-hearted.

It's not that I'm afraid of gambling.

He was too daring to gamble.

The fact that he dared to use the East Study of the Prince's Mansion as a trap suggests that it may already be empty.

Or there might be an even bigger pit there.

Xiao Lingyi said coldly, "Grand Secretary Wang, you're using Shen An's identity to suppress the case because you're guilty."

Wang Ge Lao bowed to her.

"Your Highness's protection of her husband is understandable."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lingyi's face instantly turned cold.

Many officials in the hall lowered their heads, as if afraid of hearing things they shouldn't have.

My heart has grown cold.

This old man not only wants to bite me, but he also wants to make trouble for our newlywed relationship.

Protecting her husband.

excusable.

In court parlance, it means Princess Zhaoning favored her traitorous husband.

I took a step forward.

"I gamble."

Xiao Lingyi looked at me.

The emperor also looked at me.

I said, "If the East Study of the Prince's Mansion is found nothing, I am willing to be imprisoned and await trial."

Wang Gelao's eyes flickered slightly.

"Just pending trial?"

"If Your Excellency wishes for me to commit suicide on the spot, I'm afraid that won't do."

I smiled.

"I cherish my life."

The tense atmosphere in the hall was made somewhat strange by this sentence.

Grand Secretary Wang looked at me coldly.

The emperor said, "Granted."

Gu Xingzhi left the palace.

The hardest part is waiting.

No one spoke in the hall.

Grand Secretary Wang stood very steadily.

Xiao Lingyi stood beside me, and she was very steady.

Only the injury on my shoulder is getting more and more painful.

I looked down and saw that the blood had seeped out again.

Xiao Lingyi saw this and whispered, "Hold on."

I replied in a low voice, "I will do my best."

Grand Secretary Wang suddenly looked at me.

"Lord Shen, I am very curious."

"Please speak, Your Excellency."

"If your father, Shen Lieruo, knew that you held the Emperor's golden token today, publicly confessed your crimes, and comforted the disaster victims on behalf of the court, what would he think?"

I thought about it.

"They might want to break my legs."

Someone in the hall coughed suddenly.

Grand Secretary Wang frowned.

I continued, "But I am also very curious."

"Oh?"

"If the Grand Secretary were to meet the late Emperor, would he tell him that over the years you've included disaster victims in the merit book, changed the late Empress's 'Cleansing Accounts' plaque to the 'Cleansing Accounts Association' plaque, and turned the regency mandate into 'Guardian Funds'?"

Grand Secretary Wang's face finally darkened.

"Sharp-tongued and quick-witted."

"I still have tent tips."

"The accounts can be falsified."

"People die too."

I looked at him.

"But with so many dead people, there will always be one who isn't quite dead."

Grand Secretary Wang fell silent.

Half an hour later, Gu Xingzhi returned.

When he returned, he had no account box in his hand.

My heart sank.

A faint glint flashed in Grand Secretary Wang's eyes.

Gu Xing went to the main hall and bowed.

"Your Majesty, the hidden cabinet in the east study of the Prince's residence has been opened."

The emperor asked, "Has anything been gained?"

Gu Xingzhi remained silent for a moment.

This moment is very brief.

But my heart has already sunk halfway.

"The old tent of Bai Song has not been seen."

Grand Secretary Wang closed his eyes, as if he were heartbroken, yet also relieved.

He slowly turned to me.

"Lord Shen."

The atmosphere in the hall instantly became tense.

Xiao Lingyi took a step forward.

I raised my hand to stop him.

"Commander Gu said he had not seen the old accounts."

I looked at Gu Xingzhi.

"It's not that we gained nothing."

Wang Ge Lao's expression changed.

Gu Xingzhi raised his hand.

The guards presented several items.

The first item was an empty black wooden box with a white cover.

There was no account book in the box.

There is a white character engraved on the bottom of the box.

The second item is a private seal belonging to the Wang family.

The third item was a piece of paper that was burned to half its original size.

Only three words remained on the paper:

The royal tent comes out.

The fourth item is a small piece of orchid-patterned seal clay.

I looked at the clump of sealant and smiled slowly.

Bai Song's old account is indeed no longer there.

But Grand Secretary Wang knew that the imperial tent had already been set out.

Moreover, a message concerning the imperial tent had just been burned in the East Study.

I looked at Grand Secretary Wang.

"Your Excellency, there are no old accounts in the East Study."

"But there are empty boxes."

"It bears the Wang family's private seal."

"Three words appeared from the imperial tent."

"And there's also orchid-patterned clay seal."

I took a step closer to him.

"I would like to ask a question."

"How did you know, Grand Secretary, that His Majesty's imperial tent had already been opened?"

Grand Secretary Wang's expression finally changed.

Wang Song paused for only a moment before kneeling firmly again.

"This old minister does not know."

Again, I don't know.

Before I could speak, the Emperor said first, "Wang Song shall remain in the palace for the time being and shall not leave the forbidden area. The East Study and the East and West Courtyards of the Prince's residence shall be sealed off."

Wang Song looked up: "Your Majesty, are you going to imprison this old minister based on these few broken items?"

The emperor looked at him.

"As long as you know, the imperial tent has already been opened."

No one spoke in the hall anymore.

The emperor looked at me again.

"The East Study only proves that you knew. To arrest you, we still need to check if you've been receiving money this year."

Bai Zhi has already secretly dismantled the Yi tent at the Censorate.

I bowed and said, "Your subject understands."

Wang Song could be said to be trying to stabilize the court by addressing the old crime committed eleven years ago.

If he takes the grain meant for the disaster victims in Jiangbei this year, then no loyal old minister will be able to stop him.