Chapter 138 Please, Your Majesty, Decide

The anger on the official's face froze instantly, and his pupils contracted sharply.

Consort Zhuang was the Emperor's most favored concubine; everyone in the court knew this.

A chill ran through him, and he could barely stand. Cold sweat instantly soaked through his clothes.

However, in the midst of this suffocating silence, an untimely voice rang out.

"Hahaha, beauty, I knew I wasn't mistaken! Father, take her back quickly, I want her!"

After Jiang Huan lifted her veil, Liu Quanren was so captivated by her beauty that he didn't hear a word she said afterward.

His eyes were practically glued to Jiang Huan, filled with greed.

Jiang Huan looked at Liu Quanren with disgust.

That toad is crazy, isn't he? She already revealed her identity, yet he still wants his father to arrest her.

Did someone get their brain caught in a door?

Startled by his son's voice, the official from the Ministry of Rites snapped out of his daze and gave Liu Quanren a disapproving look.

"You bastard, shut up!"

His heart pounded, and his mind raced as he calculated.

The woman before me has an extraordinary bearing and is protected by such skilled guards. Could she really be Consort Zhuang?

But he remembered that Consort Zhuang had broken her leg and had been recuperating in the deep palace. How could she be here?

The official from the Ministry of Rites was filled with doubt and uncertainty, his eyes constantly scanning Jiang Huan and the two guards, unable to make up his mind.

Seeing this, one of his subordinates leaned close to the official in charge of the Ministry of Rites and whispered in his ear.

"My lord, things have come to this point. If she really is Consort Zhuang, you indulged your son first, and then led people to surround her. This is a crime punishable by the confiscation of your property and the extermination of your clan. But what if she is an imposter?"

He continued, "This woman is incredibly audacious, impersonating a palace concubine. Once we bring her back, whether she's real or fake will be up to you. You'll get what you want then. Even if it's discovered later and the deed is done, the Emperor, for the sake of the royal family's reputation, might not investigate a fake concubine who has lost her innocence."

These words were like the devil's whisper, stirring the nerves of the official in charge of the Ministry of Rites.

Yes, once the arrow is released, there's no turning back. Rather than waiting to die, it's better to take a gamble.

It's fake, it must be fake. How could a real imperial concubine only have two guards with her?

Moreover, Consort Zhuang was the emperor's concubine; how could she just leave the palace and wander around the streets?

The official from the Ministry of Rites revealed a fierce glint in his eyes, and his last trace of hesitation vanished completely.

"You vile woman, how dare you impersonate a palace concubine! Your crime is compounded!"

He suddenly looked up, his facial muscles contorted, and pointed at Jiang Huan, shouting sternly, "Guards! Seize her immediately and take her back to the manor for rigorous interrogation!"

"Yes!" The guards were originally servants of the Liu family, and they obeyed their master's orders without question. Upon hearing this, they had no more scruples and swarmed forward.

"Protect the Empress!" a guard shouted, his sword flashing like a silver screen.

In order to protect Jiang Huan behind him, another guard was hit several more times.

The situation took a sharp turn for the worse. Jiang Huan was trapped in a small circle behind the two people, but the circle was being rapidly compressed.

This can't go on; we must inform the Emperor.

Jiang Huan's face turned pale as she pondered how to create some commotion.

After this experience, she must learn some self-defense techniques, such as the Iron Shirt and Golden Bell Cover techniques.

If I encounter a pervert again, I'll kick him so hard his manhood is severed!

The official in charge of the Ministry of Rites had gone completely insane, his eyes bloodshot.

"Charge! Don't listen to her! All of you, charge! Anyone who obstructs us, kill them without mercy!"

The guards, even with their bare hands, were no match for the four hands, and their protective circle was difficult to maintain.

At this critical moment, a sharp shout, like a thunderclap, suddenly rang out.

"presumptuous!"

With that sound, several dark figures descended from the sky. Before the guards at the front could even see what was happening, they were sent flying backward and crashed heavily onto the stone ground.

The situation on the field reversed in an instant, and the crowd of onlookers automatically retreated, creating a path.

The newcomer was tall and imposing, the silver embroidery on his brocade robe gleaming coldly in the sunlight; it was Huo Lin.

"I only picked out a book, are these people surrounding her trying to rebel?!"

[They even dared to rob her in the street! Does she think her husband is just for show?!]

He walked up to Jiang Huan, his figure completely enveloping her and blocking out the gazes of those around him.

"How are you? Are you hurt?"

Jiang Huan shook her head slightly: "Your Majesty, don't worry, I'm fine, but..."

She paused deliberately, glancing at the Liu family father and son behind Huo Lin, a cold smile playing on her lips.

"Lord Liu, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and his son abducted palace concubines in the street and uttered outrageous words. I beg Your Majesty to do justice for me and for the people who have been oppressed by the Liu family!"

The official from the Ministry of Rites, who had just been shouting for the utmost to kill without mercy, turned pale and froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.

Huo Lin turned around, his gaze returning to the Liu family father and son, his handsome face expressionless, his eyes flashing with icy coldness.

"I just heard that you intend to arrest my Consort Zhuang and interrogate her severely?"

Huo Lin's voice was very soft, without much variation, but the chilling killing intent made everyone present shudder.

The official in charge of the Ministry of Rites felt his mind explode with a buzzing sound, and his blood instantly froze.

"Your humble servant, your humble servant..."

The official from the Ministry of Rites was sweating profusely, unable to withstand Huo Lin's imposing aura, and knelt down with a thud.

"Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life!"

His voice trembled as he slammed his forehead against the ground, making a series of thuds, and soon blood began to flow.

"It was your fault for being blind and offending Your Majesty. I know I was wrong, and I beg Your Majesty for mercy!"

Liu Quanren didn't recognize the emperor, but judging from his father's attitude, he knew who Huo Lin was.

He was trembling like a leaf, and had already collapsed to the ground, his crotch even wet.

The guards were trembling with fear; they had already thrown down their weapons and knelt on the ground.

Huo Lin looked at the group of people making a fool of themselves in front of him, his dark eyes as deep as an abyss.

"Oh, you recognized me now, but it's too late."

[I must cut off these restless hands and eyes, and then slice them into a thousand pieces.]

[Moreover, she said that the Liu family father and son were corrupt and oppressive to the people. Today, I will rid the people of this scourge and wipe them out completely.]

His cold gaze, sharp as a knife, swept over the kneeling crowd begging for mercy.

"Immediately strip Liu Wenyong of all his official positions and titles, hand him over to the three judicial departments for joint trial, investigate his crimes over the years, and punish him accordingly."

"His son, Liu Quanren, was lawless and audacious, and attempted to abduct palace concubines. He was imprisoned in the imperial prison."

"The entire Liu family is to be immediately sealed off. All those involved in the case, regardless of rank, shall be apprehended according to the law and severely punished without exception!"

"Immediately issue a nationwide notice to announce his crime, as a warning to others!"

Huo Lin's voice was like a final judgment, completely severing all avenues of survival for the Liu family father and son.

"Your Majesty is wise, and Your Majesty is benevolent."

Someone shouted first, and then a sound like a mountain roaring and a tsunami erupted in the street.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, and thank you, Your Majesty, for upholding justice for the people."

"Heaven has eyes! The wicked have finally been punished!"

The people were so moved that tears welled up in their eyes, and they all knelt down and kowtowed to express their gratitude.