"Your Majesty, please allow me to speak. Prime Minister Xia is not a traitor. On the contrary, he is like the Sixth Prince, an undercover agent you planted. However, he did it voluntarily... But I have seen everything he has done!"

"What?"

Upon hearing this, not only was Li Shengyuan slightly taken aback, but Prime Minister Xia himself was also deeply surprised. He paused for a moment, then clicked his tongue and looked at Mi Shan.

"Yes, he is not a traitor, but a meritorious official. Isn't Your Majesty curious about how I got into this sack?"

Mi Shan clutched her bleeding shoulder wound, struggling to breathe.

"Originally, I was just passing by the Empress Dowager's palace and wanted to pay my respects, but I unexpectedly saw that Tongji had a fox in a sack. He said that he wanted to impersonate the evil concubine and come to punish the Emperor."

"Upon hearing this, Your Majesty, I realized that such an absurd excuse must be an attempt to put Your Majesty in a difficult position in court once again."

Just then, the Tongji abbot left, leaving Prime Minister Xia to guard the sack alone.

Seeing him pacing back and forth, restless and uneasy, repeatedly opening the sack to try and release the fox inside, I mustered my courage and stepped forward. Only then did I learn that the Empress Dowager had conspired with the Prince of Pingxi, Prince Heyan, and the abbot of Yunyin Temple to plot a rebellion.

"Your Majesty's safety is truly a concern, but time is of the essence and there is no time to think it over. So I had no choice but to ask Prime Minister Xia to agree to the exchange between me and the white fox."

“He let the innocent fox go and replaced it with me, thus preventing a ridiculous slander from happening.”

"Otherwise, Your Majesty, I'm afraid you would have been smeared with dirty water again."

Mi Shan recounted her story in one breath, speaking eloquently and clearly.

Although somewhat bizarre, it is flawless.

It seems that only this can explain why she is here.

Prime Minister Xia's eyes lit up, as if he had seen a glimmer of hope, and his spirits were rekindled. He hurriedly replied, "Exactly! Exactly!"

"As Consort Mi Hui said, the old minister was forced to feign cooperation due to their tyrannical power!"

"Firstly, it's because this old minister misjudged people and lacked a firm stance; secondly, he wanted to feign submission while looking for another opportunity to turn the tide!"

"Your Majesty, even if you don't believe me, that's alright. I only beg you to spare my life, considering my decades of diligent service..."

Finally, Qiao Yunsheng couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up. After all, he was facing the possibility of losing his head, but his future father-in-law was someone he was looking forward to: "Your Majesty, what Consort Mi Hui said doesn't seem to be fabricated out of thin air. It was Prime Minister Xia who brought this sack. Her appearance did indeed save the terrible situation at the time."

"In my humble opinion, Prime Minister Xia probably does have his own unavoidable difficulties."

"Hmm...that's true."

"Could it be that we have wronged him?"

The prevailing public opinion has shifted.

Li Shengyuan frowned, recalling how Qiao Yunsheng seemed quite nervous when Feng Miao swung his sword.

Now they're standing up again to speak for Xiahou Qing.

Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free.

This has always been his principle of conduct.

Seeing his silence, Mi Shan seemed to guess what he was thinking, and immediately bowed to Qiao Yunsheng despite the pain.

"I thank you, Imperial Physician Qiao, for speaking up for me. My cousin and I have been friends since childhood, and you know my character better than anyone."

Qiao Yunsheng quickly understood her meaning, cupped his hands, and stepped forward: "Your Majesty, just now Consort Mi Hui was injured, and I was in a moment of panic. As many people do not know, Consort Mi Hui and I are cousins. I was just confused because I was concerned. Please allow me to bandage Consort Mi Hui's wound and stop the bleeding."

"I see!"

The Emperor suddenly understood, and his expression instantly became less somber. "You two are actually cousins? I really didn't know that. It's understandable that you're worried about your cousin."

He also thought that his imperial physicians were involved with these rebellious officials.

"My beloved concubine's sword wound is serious. Someone, quickly help Consort Mi Hui and Imperial Physician Qiao away."

"As for Xiahou Qing, considering that you have both merits and demerits, I don't want to be remembered for exterminating all of you veterans of three dynasties."

"You will be stripped of your official position, and your family for three generations will be reduced to slavery!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Xiahou Qing prostrated himself, tears streaming down his face.

Mi Shan was helped to walk towards the back of the hall, and upon hearing these words, she was immediately relieved.

At least, he survived.

It also saved Sister Xue.

"Your Majesty, what should be done with Bian Lingchang?" someone asked, pointing to the Prince of Pingxi lying on the ground, lifeless.

It's unbelievable that he, once so powerful and influential, has ended up in such a tragic state.

Thus, it is clear that one should not overshadow one's master with one's achievements, nor should one easily become arrogant.

“This traitorous minister has repeatedly used the pretense of acting in the best interests of Great Yue to bully and oppress me. I have him torn apart by five horses, and all his clansmen have been imprisoned and will be executed at a later date.”

There was not a trace of affection in Li Shengyuan's deep eyes, only cold mockery and disgust.

For many years, he was wary of the Empress Dowager and the Prince of Pingxi, so much so that he couldn't sleep well.

Now, finally, the biggest scourge of my heart has been removed!

After the punishment, it's time to reward.

"Sixth Imperial Uncle, you have rendered meritorious service as an undercover agent. I hereby bestow upon you the title of Duke of Dingguo and entrust you with the task of assisting me in governing the country!"

"Feng Miao, you have been granted the title of Marquis. I intend to divide this Tiger Tally in two. One half will be kept by you, and the other half will be taken over by a suitable candidate from among the princes. You will lead the troops in training for the time being."

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!" Feng Miao's eyes gleamed with excitement. He knelt heavily and bowed deeply to the Emperor. With trembling hands, he excitedly took the tiger tail that the Emperor had cut in two from Xu Ninghai's hands.

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