Zhang Zhou's body trembled violently, and he hesitated before speaking: "I have heard that the county princess is doing business in the capital and is very wealthy. She is also on good terms with the scholars. If she is just an ordinary woman, she may not have any other intentions."

"But if she is the general's wife, then her intentions are despicable."

"Oh?" The Emperor seemed to suddenly become interested.

He then pressed on, "Then tell me, how can this heart be so despicable?"

Hearing the Emperor's tone, Zhang Zhou suddenly understood the Emperor's meaning.

He spoke frankly and directly: "Naturally, it's because I'm hoarding money with ulterior motives."

"Insolence!" The Emperor suddenly snorted coldly.

The teacup in my hand fell heavily to the ground.

Zhang Zhou was trembling uncontrollably, his head bowed, not daring to say another word.

"That's General Shen, how dare you speak of him so casually?" The Emperor questioned him with a displeased expression.

"Your subject is guilty." Zhang Zhou hurriedly knelt down on the ground.

A long silence fell inside the carriage.

It was only after a long time that the Emperor's voice rang out again.

"Since you, Zhang Aiqing, believe that General Shen has ulterior motives, then I would like to trouble you to find evidence of his treachery."

He lowered his voice and, without waiting for a reply, spoke again: "I believe that with Minister Zhang's abilities, he should be able to accomplish it quickly and will definitely not disappoint me, right?"

Zhang Zhou suddenly jolted awake, realizing what was happening.

He spoke calmly, "Your Majesty, I will certainly not disappoint you. Please rest assured."

The emperor smiled and waved his hand, saying, "You may leave."

Once everyone had left, his expression turned cold again, and his eyes grew even uglier.

If he is truly being manipulated by this couple, then he shouldn't blame them for being ruthless towards him.

It is said that husband and wife are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly away separately.

He wanted to see what choice Qu Jingyun would make next.

Qu Jingyun and her daughter Shen Yue stayed in the suburbs for several days, enjoying the surrounding scenery.

But this peaceful atmosphere was soon shattered by a sudden piece of bad news.

"Madam, something terrible has happened! General Shen has been imprisoned, and the old master has been implicated as well."

"What?" Qu Jingyun's expression changed drastically.

Seeing Xiao Liu's agitated expression, he quickly said, "Calm down and speak slowly."

Xiao Liu nodded, calmed himself down, and then relayed the messages he had just received.

"Just last night, someone claimed that General Shen was embezzling, and ordered Zhang Zhou, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, to search the area. Sure enough, they found relevant evidence. The Emperor was furious and imprisoned General Shen."

"Someone accused the old man of using his status as General Shen to cheat people out of money and bully others, and he was arrested as well."

Qu Jingyun's face grew increasingly grim.

How did things turn out like this in just a few days?

He decisively gave the order: "We must return to the capital immediately."

As Shen Yunting's eldest son, Shen Song was also implicated and imprisoned.

Fortunately, Qu Jingyun had already divorced and took Shen Cong and Shen Yue with her; otherwise, the two of them might have been implicated as well.

Qu Jingyun rushed to the palace to meet the emperor immediately.

She knelt on the ground and said frankly, "Your Majesty, General Shen could never have embezzled funds. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly."

"I also want to believe General Shen, but the evidence is conclusive, and there's nothing I can do." The Emperor looked troubled.

After letting out a long sigh, he looked at Qu Jingyun in front of him.

He suddenly spoke up: "I never expected that the county princess was so sincere and devoted, still thinking of General Shen even after the divorce."

"General Shen is wholeheartedly devoted to the people and has fought on the battlefield for many years without any selfish motives. Even though Jingyun is no longer his wife, she naturally trusts his character, not to mention that this matter involves Jingyun's father."

"He would never do such a thing. I urge Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate this matter and not disappoint the loyal ministers and generals."

Qu Jingyun's words contained a hint of resentment.

She never imagined that even now, the Emperor still hasn't completely let down his guard against Shen Yunting.

It's incredible that they were able to achieve this level of skill.

"With witnesses and physical evidence, even if I wanted to believe General Shen and protect him, the entire court would not agree."

The Emperor's face turned cold as he subtly observed Qu Jingyun before him, a faint smile suddenly appearing on his lips.

He said, "However, if General Shen is willing to hand over all the embezzled silver to the national treasury, I believe the ministers will have no further objections."

"But he can't keep military power in General Shen's hands, lest it be difficult to win over the people."

"I wonder if General Shen is willing to agree to this?"

Qu Jingyun was so angry that she laughed, forcibly suppressing the anger in her heart.

She said in a low voice, "This humble woman is willing to go and see General Shen to persuade him to make a decision."

The Emperor gave her a deep look and remained silent.

It's impossible to guess what he was thinking at that moment.

Qu Jingyun didn't know how much time had passed before she heard the person above make a sound.

"good."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Qu Jingyun expressed her gratitude and then turned to leave.

The person behind her stared at her retreating figure for a long time, unable to come to their senses.

Qu Jingyun did not rush to see Shen Yunting, but went to see the old man first.

Seeing the other person's disheveled appearance in the prison, her anger immediately dissipated.

Upon seeing Qu Jingyun, the old man rushed over without hesitation.

She spoke urgently, "I didn't do anything. How could I have the guts to do such a thing? It was Qi Yun'er. She framed me."

The old man's eyes were red and he was about to cry.

It's Qi Yun'er again!

Qu Jingyun's eyes were full of coldness as she looked up at the old man.

"Explain to me what happened."

"Qi Mingyue said she was bullied and threatened to become his concubine. She said the other party was a spoiled brat. That's why I went to find him under the guise of being a general. But I didn't expect that it was Qi Mingyue who provoked him."

"For Qi Mingyue's sake, I went to the General's Mansion to ask General Shen for help, but I didn't expect that General Shen would be falsely accused of embezzlement for some reason, and I was also arrested."

Upon seeing Qu Jingyun, the old man finally calmed down a bit, a bitter smile appearing on his lips.

He continued, "After I was arrested, Qi Yun'er and Qi Mingyue shifted all the blame onto me and then disappeared."

"Not only that, but someone came to me and asked me to testify that General Shen had indeed embezzled funds."

"I have served as an official for decades. Even if I am old now, I am not stupid enough to agree to something that any discerning person can see is a setup."

After finishing everything, the old man looked at Qu Jingyun with anticipation.

“This must be a deliberate attempt to frame General Shen. Even though you are divorced, you must find a way to save him. He cannot be harmed.”

Unexpectedly, Qu Jingyun could only manage a bitter smile after hearing these words.

He countered with an ambiguous question: "But do you think anyone would be so audacious as to frame him at this critical juncture?"

"Who would dare?"