The next morning, as soon as a sliver of gray-blue light appeared on the horizon and the earth was still shrouded in deep darkness, the officials of various prefectures had already washed up, changed into their official robes, and were riding in carriages to the palace to attend the morning court session.

Upon arriving at the palace, after standing for a while, a young eunuch announced, "His Majesty has arrived!"

The emperor, dressed in a black robe with red trim, embroidered with unicorns, dragons and phoenixes in various colors, and wearing a crown with twelve colorful tassels, came out from the back hall, strode to the dragon throne, and sat down. The majesty of the emperor instantly spread.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" The ministers knelt down in unison and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

"My beloved ministers, rise." The Emperor gestured forward with his hand.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The ministers stood up, holding the jade court tablet in one hand and lifting the front of their court robes with the other.

"My esteemed ministers, please speak freely if you have any matters to report," the Emperor said.

"Your Majesty, in the case of Yun Qingbi, the evidence is conclusive, yet the Court of Judicial Review has not yet reached a verdict. I suspect that the Court of Judicial Review is covering up the crime," a minister stepped forward and said.

"I ordered Jiang Yunqi to carefully investigate the case of Yun Qingbi." The Emperor glanced at the official; if he remembered correctly, this man was from the Liang family.

"Your Majesty, the evidence in the Yun Qingbi case is conclusive, with no doubts whatsoever. Moreover, this matter has had a terrible impact, and the people are now questioning the character of our Northern Yin rulers and ministers. If we do not resolve the case soon and restore the innocence of that poor courtesan, it will likely dishearten the people," the official said indignantly.

"I second that proposal."

"I second that proposal."

"I second that proposal."

...

Almost all the ministers seconded the motion. Although Yun Qingbi had always had a good reputation in the court, the case had been investigated so far and the evidence was indeed conclusive with no doubts. And the people were indeed talking about it a lot.

"Yun Qingbi has been a diligent and conscientious official for the past few years, and his conduct is commendable. However, this case has suddenly arisen, and I believe there may be a case of injustice." The Emperor looked at the ministers below and his tone softened.

“Your Majesty, you yourself said it’s possible. We can’t just cover it up because of speculation,” the official said stubbornly.

The emperor narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself, "If you weren't an official who speaks out, and I couldn't punish you for your words, I would really like to slap you to death, you clueless idiot."

In truth, the Emperor knew that it wasn't that this person lacked discernment, but rather that he intentionally wanted to destroy the Yun family.

"His Highness the Prince of Beihan has arrived, and Princess Rongchang has arrived," a young eunuch announced loudly from outside the hall.

As soon as he finished speaking, Jun Molin walked in with Yun Qingran.

Jun Molin, dressed in a black robe, was handsome and dashing, exuding a kingly aura no less than that of the emperor, like a god from heaven, whose majesty was inviolable.

Yun Qingran wore a white gauze dress, looking elegant and refined, with a beauty that could topple kingdoms and cities. She was like a fairy descended from the heavens, with unparalleled grace and beauty beyond compare.

The two walked together into the magnificent hall, and everyone present turned to watch, a visual feast that was impossible to look away from.

"Father." Jun Molin led Yun Qingran to the middle of the hall and stopped, bowing respectfully to the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, this humble woman greets you." Yun Qingran gracefully curtsied to the Emperor.

"Get up." The Emperor's eyes softened with affection when he saw the two of them.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Jun Molin stood up directly, while Yun Qingran thanked the Emperor before standing up as well.

"Ranran, your journey to Nan Chu was arduous. I know everything that happened on the way and in the capital of Nan Chu. You did a great job, and I will reward you handsomely." The Emperor looked at Yun Qingran with a smile.

Yingyu had told him everything that had happened on the road, and he was thoroughly enjoying it. Ranran was truly a talented person.

"By the way, if you want to hear it, I'll have someone tell you," the Emperor said to his ministers with great interest, showing his strong desire to share.

The ministers exchanged glances, seeing how happy the Emperor was. Princess Rongchang had done many gratifying things for Southern Chu by being ordered to escort the bride.

“Princess Rongchang, it’s court time now. Isn’t it inappropriate for you to be here?” the minister said to Yun Qingran in a dismissive tone.

"Why can't I come?" Yun Qingran asked him in return.

"Attending court is a man's business. What kind of man are you, a woman, to come here?" The minister looked at Yun Qingran with disdain.

"Which law stipulates that women cannot come to court? Lord Li, judging from your appearance, you seem to have a strong aversion to women, which is not right. After all, you were born of a woman, and the kindness of your mother in raising you is greater than heaven. Your aversion to women is unfilial." Yun Qingran looked at the minister with a smile, her tone gentle and persuasive.

"You..." Lord Li could not refute, so he could only shut his mouth in anger.

The Emperor was overjoyed at the sight. If he could, he would really like Yun Qingran to help him deal with these old fogies.

These old fogies, relying on their positions as censors, or on their seemingly correct but actually wrong theories, constantly pressure me, and I find it incredibly annoying.

"Your Majesty, I have come today to seek justice for my elder brother and my father. My elder brother has been wronged." Yun Qingran knelt down and kowtowed to the Emperor.

"What injustice have you suffered?" the Emperor asked. He already knew that the couple had come to the morning court session because of the matter concerning Yunxiao and his son.

“Your Majesty, my father is upright and honest, and it is impossible for him to be corrupt or accept bribes. My elder brother is even more virtuous and would never go to a brothel or kill a prostitute,” Yun Qingran said succinctly.

"Hehe, you say Yunxiao and Yun Qingbi are innocent, what evidence do you have? If it's all the same story, then what's the point of having laws?" Lord Li said leisurely.

Jun Molin glanced at Lord Li, his gaze gleaming with a chilling light. Lord Li shivered, swallowed hard, and dared not utter another word.

Although the Emperor is ruthless, he values ​​his reputation and is relatively lenient towards censors and veteran officials. The Prince of Beihan is different; he shows no respect to censors or veteran officials, not even to the Emperor himself. Offending him will only lead to dire consequences.

“I only returned because of my father Yunxiao, who was wronged, and I haven’t found the evidence yet. But my elder brother, I have evidence to prove that the courtesan’s death has nothing to do with her,” Yun Qingran said.

"Ranran, what evidence do you have?" the Emperor asked.

"Your Majesty, the Dali Temple's investigation has concluded that the courtesan died on her bed, caused by excessive sexual intercourse, and she also has many wounds on her body, is that correct?" Yun Qingran asked the Emperor.

"Yes," the Emperor said.

"What if I can prove that my elder brother is still a virgin?" Yun Qingran then asked.

The entire room fell silent upon hearing Yun Qingran's words. Prove her virginity? Could that even be proven?

This is a bit beyond ordinary thinking; to put it simply, it's a bit abnormal, but the logic doesn't seem wrong.

“If your elder brother is still a virgin, then that woman’s death naturally has nothing to do with him,” the Emperor replied.