Although Qu Qingran was his concubine, the emperor knew exactly what kind of person she was. If Qu Qingran had really wanted to frame Qu Qingxi, then it wouldn't be unreasonable.

Moreover, Qu Qingran couldn't answer any of the questions Qu Qingxi raised, nor did she refute them. It's obvious who is lying about this.

"Qu Qingran, what exactly happened that day?" The Emperor shifted his anger to Qu Qingran. After all, it was Qu Qingran who said that Qu Qingxi had plotted to frame her and herself after the incident. The Emperor was eager to find out who was behind that night. Qu Qingran spoke sincerely at the time, and with the Emperor's own investigation, he also felt that he needed to question Qu Qingxi thoroughly.

"Your Majesty, it's not like that. I really did meet Qu Qingxi. I dare not lie." Qu Qingran hurriedly knelt down. Right now, only the Emperor could stand up for her, so she could only place all her hopes on him.

"Then why don't you answer the question Princess Nanqing asked?" The Emperor looked coldly at the person on the ground. This woman, who had been so indecent before, openly having an affair in the palace, would not have been willing to take on this promiscuous woman, Qu Qingran, if it weren't for the Prime Minister.

Entering the palace with Qu Qingran means that as an emperor, he will have to wear this green hat for the rest of his life, which will become a stain on his record that he can never wash away.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..." Qu Qingran stammered for a long time but still couldn't say anything.

Looking at the helpless Qu Qingran, and then at the calm and composed Qu Qingxi on the other side, the two daughters of the prime minister were behaving in completely different ways.

Qu Qingxi had been kneeling since she entered, without the slightest fear on her face. Even after kneeling for so long, she showed no dissatisfaction, which shows that Qu Qingxi was definitely not as inferior and timid as rumored.

Is it that Qu Qingxi is hiding her true nature too well, or is there a problem with Prime Minister Qu Lianhai's parenting style?

The daughter left to fend for herself was well-mannered, spoke with reason and evidence, and even seemed to have good fortune. On the other hand, the daughter she raised herself was spoiled, rude, and illiterate.

However, today's events also made the Emperor realize something: Qu Qingxi is not as insignificant as everyone says. Looking at the two of them now, it's clear who has won and who has lost.

The Emperor stared intently at Qu Qingxi, his eyes deep and unfathomable. This Qu Qingxi was no ordinary person; it seemed his investigation had been flawed.

At this moment, Laifu walked in and said, "Your Majesty, the Prince requests an audience."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor gave Qu Qingxi another deep look, then nodded, "Let him in."

Qu Qingxi's face remained completely calm. No matter how you look at it, she had won today's events. Yet the Emperor wouldn't let her get up, as if he were testing her or warning her. What was he planning to do?

As soon as He Liufeng entered the room, he saw Qu Qingxi kneeling on the ground with her back straight, but her head was slightly lowered, so he could not see the expression on her face.

"Your Majesty." He Liufeng gave a simple bow to the Emperor.

"Liufeng, get up." The Emperor waved his hand.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." He Liufeng stood aside, looking at the person kneeling on the ground, then turned to the Emperor. "Your Majesty, I wonder what mistake Qingxi has made that requires Your Majesty to come and ask in person?"

When Qu Qingran heard that He Liufeng was coming, her eyes lit up instantly, then dimmed again. Now that she was the emperor's concubine and He Liufeng's sister-in-law, there was no possibility between her and He Liufeng.

But she couldn't help but steal glances at He Liufeng. He Liufeng was tall and handsome. Then she looked at the Emperor. Although the two were brothers and the Emperor was not short, he was old and had a beard, wrinkles, and a big belly.

How could she compare to He Liufeng, who was in his early twenties? Qu Qingran hated Qu Qingxi to death. If it weren't for Qu Qingxi, she would have been He Liufeng's princess long ago.

No, it wasn't just Qu Qingxi, but also her father and mother. They knew perfectly well that they liked the prince, yet they insisted on having Qu Qingxi marry him as a bride to bring him good luck. They claimed to dote on her, but in everything they did, they favored Qu Qingxi.

Also, last time, she had begged her father for so long to plead with the emperor, even though she didn't even dare to ask for the position of the prince's principal wife, only a concubine. Her father had agreed on the surface, saying he would talk to the emperor about it.

But nothing ever came of it. Her father was just lying to her; he must not have told the Emperor about it. That's why things have turned out this way. She is now the Emperor's woman and can never marry the prince.

Qu Qingran was lost in thought, completely unaware that the Emperor's expression was growing increasingly grim and his gaze increasingly cold as he stared at her.

Even knowing that Qu Qingran had liked He Liufeng before, and that Qu Qingran only wanted to marry He Liufeng, now that Qu Qingran had become his concubine, she still dared to flirt with He Liufeng in front of him. She was simply audacious!

The Emperor was furious, but with Qu Qingxi and He Liufeng present, he couldn't openly reprimand Qu Qingran for her infidelity. He was even more convinced that Qu Qingran was jealous of Qu Qingxi and that's why she accused Qu Qingxi of plotting against them.

Qu Qingran had no idea that her unintentional action would make the Emperor believe Qu Qingxi.

Even if Qu Qingxi had some cleverness, this was the palace. How could a woman like Qu Qingxi possibly have that kind of ability? On the contrary, Qu Lianhai had quite a few spies in the palace. Otherwise, how could Qu Qingran have so easily led He Liufeng and Qu Qingxi to the artificial hill? Qu Lianhai's reach was too far; he even dared to place people in the palace. The Emperor made a mental note of Qu Lianhai's actions.

Seeing He Liufeng's obviously displeased expression, the Emperor slowly said, "Consort Shu said that on the night of the welcoming banquet for the Zhou Kingdom's envoy, Princess Nanqing had met with Consort Shu. Afterwards, some things happened in the palace, and she felt that this matter was related to Princess Nanqing, so she asked her to come and ask about the situation at that time."

"Even if Your Majesty wants to ask Qingxi some questions, must you make her kneel on the ground the whole time?" He Liufeng retorted.

"I was so angry that I overlooked this. Princess Consort of Nanqing, please get up." The Emperor smiled leisurely, as if he had just noticed that Qu Qingxi had been kneeling on the ground.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Qu Qingxi said before slowly standing up.

Qu Qingran remained kneeling on the ground, but the Emperor did not tell her to get up.

He Liufeng glanced at Qu Qingxi with a hint of worry, unaware of how long she had been kneeling before he arrived.