Cao Meng spoke quickly, and his words sounded like they had been prepared long ago.

Cheng Qitian looked at He Sheng, his eyes turning cold.

"He Sheng, you are so brave!"

Cheng Qitian's voice and expression were stern, like thunderclaps out of the blue, making the eardrums of everyone present buzz.

Seeing He Sheng about to speak, Zhao Sheng quickly took the initiative and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down! I, Zhao Sheng, have come to investigate this place on the orders of His Majesty."

His tone was neither humble nor arrogant, but with a hint of barely perceptible nervousness.

After all, in the eyes of some people, there is a world of difference between the emperor's oral instructions and the clear imperial edict.

Cheng Qitian raised his thick eyebrows, and his hawk-like gaze fell on Zhao Sheng, with a scrutinizing look: "Your Majesty's order? How come I don't know?"

Zhao Sheng, neither humble nor arrogant, bowed and said, "I am indeed following the orders of Your Majesty, but I never expected to discover that the Minister of Revenue, Qian Youliang, is gathering rebels here and plotting treason!"

"The incident happened suddenly, and His Majesty is worried about the safety of the people in the capital, so he ordered us to investigate first. The imperial edict will arrive shortly."

Zhao Sheng explained with gritted teeth, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead.

He paused, pointed at Qian Youliang, who was being held captive by He Sheng's soldiers, and continued, "Your Highness, please look! Hiding in this dilapidated temple are the rebels of the Changsheng Sect, and the Minister of Revenue, Qian Youliang, is among them!"

"Master Qian is a disciple of Prime Minister Qi. This matter..."

Zhao Sheng paused deliberately, glanced at Cheng Qitian meaningfully, and swallowed the rest of his words.

These words not only explained the reason for their appearance here, but also implicitly pointed the finger at Qi Daokun, and even hinted at the alliance between Cheng Qitian and Qi Daokun. It can be said that it killed three birds with one stone.

Qian Youliang's face turned pale and he looked at Cheng Qitian in horror, as if begging for his protection.