At the morning court, a group of imperial censors stood up and unanimously accused Mu Wanqing of treason and demanded that her property be confiscated and her family be exterminated.

This time, the court officials were surprisingly unanimous.

The emperor sat high up, taking in every move of these people, and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

These people thought they were smart and united together just to retaliate against Mu Wanqing.

Why? Because she affected their interests, the interests on which their lives depended.

"Your Majesty, the waterwheel is a treasure of the country and a secret. Mu Wanqing was blinded by greed and sold the waterwheel privately. This is treason. Killing her will not appease the people's anger."

"Your Majesty, Mu Wanqing has failed your high hopes and betrayed the interests of the country. She deserves to be killed."

"Your Majesty, please punish Mu Wanqing severely."

"Your Majesty, please punish Mu Wanqing severely."

Everyone spoke in unison, sharing the same hatred for the enemy. Those who didn't know would have thought that Mu Wanqing had dug up their ancestral graves.

The eyes of several princes flickered and their expressions were strange.

The emperor looked at the princes calmly, "What do you think?"

The third prince was the first to speak, "You all are right, Mu Wanqing's crime is unforgivable, and she deserves to die a hundred times."

The fourth prince also agreed, "Father, so many people are attacking Mu Wanqing, it is obvious that she is not a good person."

The fifth prince was even more excited, "Father, I would like to be the imperial envoy to go to Xiliang to capture Mu Wanqing. Please grant me permission."

The emperor did not comment, "Prime Minister, what do you say?"

Mu Wanqing was targeted on such a large scale just because she asked to become a female official.

This really stirred up a hornet's nest.

The king's eyes were majestic, and seemed to contain a hint of disappointment. The Prime Minister's heart tightened. Was he suspicious of him?

He turned his words around a few times, "Your Majesty, I beg the emperor to give Princess Qingping a chance to defend herself."

Since Mu Wanqing has no chance anyway, it’s better to say something nice to gain some favorability points.

A strange light flashed in the emperor's eyes. "The Prime Minister is indeed kind. Now that Princess Qingping's letter is here, I know that there are such loyal people in the world. I am very relieved to have such loyal ministers in the Great Qi Dynasty."

The whole place was silent. What? Loyalty? Right?

"Your Majesty, I wonder if you could show the letter to everyone."

The emperor waved his hand and the eunuch handed over the letter.

The Prime Minister was the first to take the letter. He quickly unfolded it and read it. As line after line of words came into his eyes, his expression became more and more solemn.

Mu Wanqing described the entire process in the letter in a relaxed tone, which was so vivid that it seemed as if she was actually there.

She emphasized a few points in the letter. She would not sell the waterwheel drawings, only the finished product. However, it would take time to decipher the finished product and it would not be achieved overnight.

Selling water trucks is also for the sake of border security, to prevent them from thinking about killing, arson and stealing secret recipes every day, which is annoying.

She did not keep a single cent of the money she earned from the sale, but donated it all to the Xiliang army, and donated it in the name of the emperor. All her glory and splendor was given by the king, and this was a small thing she did for the king to show her loyalty.

Finally, she said that if the ministers in the court made trouble, she asked the emperor to protect them.

The Prime Minister's gaze fell on this line of words, his eyes were extremely deep, "Mu Wanqing, Mu Wanqing, this woman's mind is unfathomable."

One thing leads to another, and today's events were predicted in advance.

She had expected to be reported, but she still did it. What does it mean? Loyal and brave, not afraid of rumors, and devoted to the court.

She is so wise and righteous, but these civil and military officials are hypocritical, selfish, jealous of others' achievements and abilities, and intolerant of others.

In comparison, they have all become clowns who only know how to attack others and are too selfish.

After such a comparison, who will the emperor lean towards?

Once or twice, over time, protecting him became a habit, and she made her presence felt in front of the king.

It’s terrifying when you think about it!

He passed the letter silently, and those who read it felt as if they had been slapped in the face, feeling ashamed and angry.

An imperial censor evaded the question dryly, "This... is just her one-sided statement..."

The emperor waved his hand again, "Here is Marshal Du's memorial."

Well, this time it is Du Shuai’s memorial that is being watched. When the two are compared, the truth emerges.

The third prince's eyes lit up. Du Shuai was the prince's uncle and his greatest support. All the princes wanted to bring Du Shuai down.

"Coach Du is protecting her. The two of them are in cahoots and betraying the country...ah."

The ornament hit him accurately on the chest, and he cried out in pain but didn't dare to say anything.

The emperor withdrew his hand, his face full of impatience, "You are so stupid, I can't believe you are my own flesh and blood."

The Third Prince's face changed drastically, "Father."

The emperor sneered, "Not convinced? If you can also make cement, water trucks, and cotton, and benefit the people of the area, and donate 2 million taels of military expenses, I will also protect you."

"It's a pity that you are just an idiot. You only know how to form cliques and fight for power and profit overtly or covertly all day long. You have never done a good thing for the country and the people."

How could this country be handed over to such a person? Don't even think about it.

The Third Prince's face lost all color. After hearing these words, he could almost imagine his men abandoning him one after another.

A fool who has the stamp of approval from the king is destined to never ascend to the throne.

The other princes were secretly delighted and began to add insult to injury.

The emperor looked at his sons fighting each other with disappointment in his eyes. "How about this, I will give you a chance. I will give each of you a farm for a year. Whoever has the most harvests and the most inventions will be granted one thing by me."

The princes were dumbfounded, right?

"The premise is that you cannot take advantage of the people's wealth. If you cheat, you will be disqualified. When the time comes, hand in your account books for the year and let the people of the world see the fruits of your labor. I want to see you working in the fields."

Instead of engaging in intrigue and making trouble, it is better to send them all to work on the farm.

Princes: ...to die.

"Father, we don't know how to do that."

"Who is born with the talent?" The emperor actually wanted to temper their temperaments, but if they could achieve some results, they would naturally be valued.

I can't ascend to the throne, but it's okay to be a prince who does practical things.

Which emperor would be wary of a brother who could bring wealth to the country?

"If Princess Qingping can do it, why can't you do it? Are you dumber than her? More stupid than her? More brainless than her? Don't forget, you are the princes of the Great Qi Dynasty."

The princes were so angry that their teeth were itching. It was Mu Wanqing again! How annoying!

The emperor also scolded those who came forward to report the incident, calling them good-for-nothings and attacking without conducting a thorough investigation. It was truly shameful for a group of grown men to attack a county lady who had made great contributions to the country.

He also took the opportunity to get angry and removed several troublemakers from their official positions.

A while ago, everyone was in a state of panic, fearing that they would be affected.

The prince watched the whole process from the sidelines with a faint smile on his face. Although Mu Wanqing is no longer in the martial arts world, her legend still exists in the world.

She has such a strong presence.

His eyes fell on the Prime Minister and he smiled slightly. The Prime Minister was not unrelated to this wave of siege on Mu Wanqing.

Apart from them father and son, he was the only one who knew Mu Wanqing's ambitions.

He did this even though he knew he would be suspected. I can only say that he is too selfish.

Well, given my father's personality, he won't be able to serve as Prime Minister for more than a few years. Once a suitable successor is found, he will let him step down.

The prince suddenly felt that someone was looking at him. He looked up quickly and found the target accurately. It was the Prince of Jin.

It was this strange expression again, like exploration, like inexplicable excitement, and also a kind of arrogance that I was the only one sober while the whole world was drunk.

I've looked at him like this more than once. What does it mean?

The Prince of Jin smiled at him calmly, then turned his eyes away naturally.

The prince frowned slightly. Why did this person become so weird? It made people feel uncomfortable.

The Prince of Jin snorted in his heart and counted the days silently. It was almost New Year's Eve, and then the prince would be completely finished.

Wait! Wait until the prince is poisoned and dies, and the princes fight each other, then his chance will come.

Soon, the emperor received the second letter from Mu Wanqing, who first reported on her current situation and then praised her.

The emperor was very happy. He slowly picked up the cup and continued to read. How could Mu Wanqing have such good vision? Smart people are different.

Finally, Mu Wanqing directly made a request to the emperor, asking for the right to decide on her own marriage and not being forced into an arranged marriage.

"Puchi." The emperor spat out the tea.

"Father." The prince was startled and hurried forward to check.

The emperor threw the letter to him with a strange look on his face, "Look at the last two lines."

The prince was confused. Whose letter was it? But after taking a few glances, he knew it was from Mu Wanqing.

He recited to himself, "I don't want to be a widower forever, so please, Your Majesty, agree to my request. I don't want to get married within five years."

Constantly widowed? Is that what he meant? The prince's mouth twitched, "How dare she tell you everything? Isn't she afraid that you will chop her up?"

The emperor raised his lips slightly, with a hint of pride, "She said that hiding something from the emperor and father is disrespectful, so she doesn't tell the truth to anyone else in the world, but only to me."

Crown Prince: ...Will your wise and powerful father believe such lies?

Emperor: Why don’t you believe it? He believes it.

In other words, Mu Wanqing did not rely on anyone, but only expressed her loyalty to the emperor and chose the biggest golden thigh to hug.

Of course, most people can’t have her. Mu Wanqing is smart and capable, and has made many achievements. Who would refuse such a person?

The prince hesitated for a moment, "Then will you agree to her?"

The emperor stroked his chest which was soaked by tea, "Why not? If possible, I hope she will never get married."

Although the words are cruel and ruthless, this is how you maximize your interests.

A very smart person like Mu Wanqing would bring tremendous help no matter which family she married into. She might even bring about a wave of turmoil and change the existing court situation.

She cannot be won over by any force, but she also looks down on ordinary people.

The prince thought of his cousin and felt sorry for him. Du Shaoxuan often wrote to him, so he could naturally understand his thoughts clearly.

"In fact, I think she and my cousin are quite suitable. They are both straightforward and pure-hearted people. They both want the right to decide their own marriage."

The emperor shook his head slightly. If Mu Wanqing had been more careful, this would not have happened.

"Forcing Mu Wanqing will only bring about fatal disaster, so let nature take its course."

Although he trusted Du Shuai and his son, he did not want the Du family to become too powerful and overshadow their master.

He hoped that the ruler and his subjects would live in harmony during his lifetime, rather than facing each other with swords at some point.

Every monarch has suspicion. It is lonely at the top. The ninth king calls himself "I" and means "a lonely and widower".

Blindly being generous and trusting will not keep your throne secure; this is the mentality of an emperor.

The prince's eyes flashed. Could it be that Mu Wanqing had already guessed his father's thoughts? That was too evil.

No, that shouldn't be the case. They have never met, and my father has never written her a letter, so there is no way to guess.

"You really don't want to consider letting her become an official?"

The emperor said calmly, "Let's wait until the cotton comes out next year to see the effect. If it is really as she said, we will naturally establish a Kapok Promotion Department. She is the best choice."

All the information about Muqian is in her hands, and she donated two million taels at a time. Her ability to make money is quite impressive. She is also clear-headed and knows what is important and what is not. She is only loyal to the king. Why not use such a loyal minister?

This is a good knife.

The prince was sincerely convinced, "Father is wise."

When Mu Wanqing received the emperor's handwritten edict allowing her to decide her own marriage, she couldn't help but smile. Everything was under her control.

Madam Mu was extremely conflicted. This child was so bold and dared to do anything.

She poked her daughter's forehead unhappily, "You're still laughing? Is this really a good thing?"

Mu Wanqing narrowed her eyes in a smile. Of course it was a good thing. She expressed her loyalty, hinted that she would not side with any side, would not form an alliance through marriage, and also demonstrated her abilities in all aspects. The emperor was completely reassured about her.

Well, she is about to become an official, and the opportunity to display her talents has finally come.