The others were also frightened by his demeanor and spoke up to stop him. They weren’t ready to meet The Great Ancestor just yet!
[Haha… So it turns out the girl’s father, to curry favor with his superior, deliberately sent his illegitimate daughter to him, calling it “marrying her off”!]
[This Old Shao has slept with who knows how many young maidens in their prime. How pitiful… When it comes to matters in bed, he relies entirely on wild techniques. Hmph, his lower body is useless, so he depends on roughness, tormenting the girls half to death, and some even die from his abuse.]
[Then… then he announces to the outside that they died of illness, when in reality, they were tortured to death. This Old Shao is truly shameless. The girls were married off to him, and he doesn’t even return their dowries. Whether they bore him children or not, they were left with him. After all, those people willingly sent their daughters to his bed—they’re all ones who treat human lives as worthless!]
[Ah, I’ve been sullied. To think I’d come across such a scandalous story first thing in the morning.]
[Why has this group fallen silent? Are they still going to dismiss me from my post? Do they really think I want to work? Having to be here by five in the morning—I can’t even get up that early.]
“Ahem, Little Ji, my subject, are you willing to serve as an official?”
The Emperor suddenly spoke. Ji Yingying knelt down with her head bowed, feeling wronged and uncertain why the Emperor would ask such a question. Nevertheless, she replied, “Your subject is willing. Your subject is willing to serve as an official.”
“Oh? Then tell us, why do you wish to serve as an official?”
[No, I don’t want to. You’re forcing me. I’m timid and dare not contradict you.]
“Naturally, to establish a moral heart for Heaven and Earth, to secure a livelihood for the people, to carry on the lost teachings of past sages, and to open the way for eternal peace.”
“Excellent, excellent. ‘To establish a moral heart for Heaven and Earth, to secure a livelihood for the people.’ Very well. In that case, do any of my other subjects have anything to say?”
This question was directed at the others. Ji Yingying remained kneeling, though her knees were starting to ache—the floor was far too hard!
“Your subject has no objections!”
“Since there are no objections, all of you may rise!”
Everyone stood up, but the one who had criticized Ji Yingying most harshly had already vanished from the hall.
“Your Majesty, Chancellor Xiao…”
Just three words in, a memorial was flung down. The Emperor, enraged, declared, “Anyone who dares to exonerate Xiao Yi will be charged with the same crime.”
It had been verified that Xiao Yi was a spy for an enemy state. The thought that the highest-ranking official in the court was the greatest traitor infuriated the Emperor.
The kneeling official was struck, his forehead bleeding. He immediately prostrated himself, not daring to move, trembling all over.
The Crown Prince, standing in the hall, fixed his gaze on him and asked, “Vice Minister Lu, you spoke up for Xiao Yi, a spy for the enemy state, in the Ministry of Revenue. Could it be that you, too, are a spy for the enemy…?”
“Your subject is not! Your subject only wished to advise Your Majesty to swiftly apprehend Xiao Yi and his faction, as he… he concealed his identity so deeply.” His voice trembled with fear as he spoke.
The other ministers stared at him coldly. How dare he try to exonerate a spy for the enemy state? Those who had been on good terms with Chancellor Xiao didn’t dare to breathe too loudly, afraid of being implicated.
[What nonsense! This man clearly wanted to defend Chancellor Xiao because the Chancellor once saved his entire family. He doesn’t believe at all that Chancellor Xiao is a spy for the enemy state; instead, he resents the Emperor for not investigating thoroughly.]
【Huh~ I never expected that because of this matter, he would actually side with Chancellor Xiao, helping Chancellor Xiao against the royal family, using the Second Prince’s desire to seek revenge for Chancellor Xiao. Come, let me see how Chancellor Xiao saved him?】
【Oh~ So it turns out that one year when he returned to his hometown, Chancellor Xiao happened to be returning from an official assignment. He was robbed by bandits, and Chancellor Xiao saved him, even taking good care of him along the way. This made him view Chancellor Xiao as the moon in the sky, which is why he was willing to risk his life to protect him and even seek revenge for him.】
【He doesn’t regret any of this, even if it costs him and his entire family. So it’s because he fell in love with Xiao Yi, thinking of rescuing him and hiding him away afterward. How bold~】
“Guards, take him away.”
The officials present began trembling again, afraid of being targeted by this Fifth-Rank Inspector. They all had their own dirty secrets, and if those were exposed, their heads would not remain on their shoulders for long.
【Huh~ What’s going on now?】
“Ahem, after investigation by the Crown Prince, this person has also been identified as a spy from the enemy nation. Additionally, aside from Xiao Yuan and Madam Xiao, all members of the Xiao residence are to be sent to the Summoning Prison. It has been confirmed that Xiao Yi is an enemy spy, and Consort Xiao is also to be imprisoned in the Summoning Prison, with execution scheduled for a later date.”
As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, everyone immediately knelt down, demonstrating the Emperor’s majestic authority.
Once again, Ji Yingying was the only one left standing in the grand hall, leaving her feeling quite flustered.
After a quick glance around, she knelt down again, silently cursing to herself: 【This damn Emperor, always making people kneel without warning. I can’t even react in time. So humiliating, so unfair. But it’s fine—the Third Prince has fallen, and there’s still the Second Prince, who’s slowly poisoning him. Sooner or later, he’ll be done for anyway, just with a different method of death.】
【Host, in the future, you must not take multiple husbands or concubines. Look at this Emperor—his head has been crowned with a green hat by Consort Xiao, and it’s a green hat from an enemy nation. One after another, they keep coming.】
【Bah! He’s a man—who knows if the children he fathers are even his? Even if I were to take multiple husbands or concubines and visit brothels every day, my children would still be mine alone, definitely not the offspring of those flashy charlatans out there.】
【Besides, the Emperor has so many children, and these concubines… Wait, let me check how many people there really were in the ancient system of Three Palaces, Six Courtyards, and Seventy-Two Concubines?】
【Wow, this Emperor has quite a lot of women—a total of 108. A true Three Palaces, Six Courtyards, and Seventy-Two Concubines! The previous emperor was obsessed with war and had few offspring, so after this Emperor ascended the throne, he went crazy producing children. Look, the youngest is still in the womb. There are 18 princes and 20 princesses in total.】
【But ten of them are wearing green hats for him! And aside from the Crown Prince, who has a gentler temperament and is a decent person, the rest were born to concubines—how good could they possibly be?】
【If you ask me, those consorts shouldn’t be allowed to raise the children. Since he’s produced so many, why not establish an Imperial Academy and let the Empress teach them? The current Empress is the younger sister of the late Empress and is also a good person. What a pity no one trusts her. By the time the Emperor dies and the country is attacked by another nation, at least they wouldn’t be so foolish as to leave no descendants behind, avoiding a true extinction of the lineage.】
“What…?” The Emperor felt as if he couldn’t catch his breath and fainted on the spot.
Ten people—ten people had given him green hats. How could he ever show his face again?
“Father!”
“Your Majesty!”
“Quick, summon the imperial physicians!”
Before long, the imperial physician arrived, followed by another bout of chaos and confusion. In the end, the Emperor adjourned the court session due to his rage-induced illness.
Upon hearing that court had been dismissed, Ji Yingying turned to leave immediately. She was hungry, exhausted, and sleepy, longing to return home.
“Little Lord Ji!” someone called out just as she stepped out of the Hall of Diligent Governance. Pretending not to hear, Ji Yingying quickened her pace, but the person tapped her shoulder and repeated, “Little Lord Ji.”
“Oh, are you addressing me, my lord?” Ji Yingying had no idea who the person was, nor did she care to find out—after all, they were merely colleagues.