"I slipped and got covered in dirt, so I had Qinghe help me back to change. I just got back and heard all this commotion. What happened that's causing such panic? And where is Minister Qian?"

Minister Qian...

The courtiers in the courtyard all felt somewhat uneasy.

Several senior ministers who still held some hope for the young empress advised, "Your Majesty, you should go back and rest. Leave the matters here... these matters to us. They are too dirty for Your Majesty to concern yourself with."

"What's the matter that makes you all so troubled?"

As if in response to her words, the next instant, a loud shout rang out in the palace: "You unfilial son! What's wrong with you! Get up now!"

"Do you know where you are? This is the palace! How dare you be so disrespectful and unruly in the palace!"

"You beast, you wicked son, you scoundrel! You actually slept with a lustful young male servant—you, you'll make your father die of anger!"

"Get up!"

The palace has been built for a long time, and even though the old palace has been repaired several times, it cannot block out much sound. At least the people standing in the courtyard can hear it clearly.

"A male prostitute? A male servant? The son of Minister Qian?!" The young empress was clearly shocked, exclaiming instinctively, "Men and men can do that too?!"

"Of course... No, now is not the time to discuss this! Your Majesty, please return first. These matters can be left to the Ministry of Justice and the Western Depot!"

The veteran officials felt a chill run down their spines.

Although they didn't like the little empress, she was the last of the royal bloodline, and she was so young that they had watched her grow up.

In their eyes, although she was not a qualified emperor, she was no different from their little granddaughter.

How could such filthy things be brought up and offend the Queen's eyes?

Tong Su said, "It's not impossible for me to leave, but what should we do with these people who are causing chaos in the palace?"

The crowd fell silent for a moment, but countless eyes turned to look at Yun Zong.

Yun Zong wore a cold, mocking smile and was about to speak when a shrill voice suddenly rang out from the crowd:

"As Your Excellency just said, according to Vice Minister Liu of the Ministry of Justice, the punishment will range from exile to death by flogging. Everything will be handled according to the rules, and there will be absolutely no favoritism!"

"who?!"

Yun Zong suddenly turned around.

The ministers were completely bewildered. Whoever Yun Zong looked at would frantically shake their heads and wave their hands—the words were obviously not spoken by them, but by someone from who-knows-where mimicking them in a high-pitched voice, maliciously hiding among them to frame others.

Everyone knows this is a calculated move, a trap set for Yun Zong to fall into:

Although Qian Derong was a good-for-nothing playboy, he was born to Qian Shangshu's cousin and was Qian Shangshu's most beloved son. Whenever something related to Qian Derong came up, Qian Shangshu would be so overwhelmed with love for his son that he would even lose his mind.

Yun Zong is having a terrible headache:

If he punishes Qian Derong, it will surely incur the wrath of Minister Qian;

But if he were to protect Qian Derong, he would not let him off easily, as he had just made a harsh statement.

"We'll discuss this later," Yun Zong mumbled, trying to gloss over the matter. "It's getting late, so why don't you all go back and rest? How sincere we are, Qian De..."

"No, you can't punish my son. What kind of mistake is this? You can't punish him!"

Before he could finish speaking, Minister Qian came out from inside the door. After listening to half of it, he immediately started shouting!

"Lord Qian, your son's behavior this time has truly gone too far. Punishment is necessary to appease public anger—"

"I don't care, you can't punish my son! He just slept with a few male servants, what kind of licentious behavior is that? Why should he be punished? I don't agree!"