He knew the road he took every day to enter the palace all too well.

In the past, walking and talking with my colleagues, the distance didn't seem so far, but today it felt exceptionally long.

Shen Bochun was filled with anxiety, and his palms were constantly sweating.

His Majesty's mood has been unpredictable these days, and all officials are being extremely cautious in offering their opinions. Just the other day, Lord Pei was punished in court for saying something unreasonable, and he hasn't attended court for quite some time now. His Majesty's summons him to the palace now is surely because something bad has happened.

Uneasy throughout the journey, Shen Bochun's forehead broke out in a fine sweat upon arriving at His Majesty's palace.

"Your Majesty, Lord Shen has arrived."

Tan Yonglin stepped forward and respectfully reported.

Jiang Wang stood by the window, letting the cold wind blow on him for a while, and his expression became much clearer.

He turned around, put his hands behind his back, and walked toward the desk.

Shen Bochun entered the main hall. The palace lanterns with crane heads and tall feet stood solemnly on both sides of the hall, illuminating the hall as bright as day. Jiang Wang, dressed in a black robe with a golden dragon, stood in front of the dragon table with an imposing air. Shen Bochun stepped forward and bowed.

“Shen Qing, there’s no need for such formalities. Draft the decree.” Jiang Wang interrupted the complicated ceremony and ordered, “Minister of Rites Pei Shuqin has behaved inappropriately and is morally deficient. He is hereby dismissed.”

Before Shen Bochun could finish his bow, he was so startled that he almost twisted his back. He looked up in surprise, and after seeing Jiang Wang's expression, he quickly lowered his head even further.

Is the Pei family... doomed?

He was filled with fear and trepidation, but he only said at the grand court assembly that the empress was now without a ruler, and the concubines were disrupting the court, destroying the country and doing whatever they pleased, which was a sign of great chaos in the world. He asked His Majesty to establish an empress as soon as possible and to rectify the harem.

This led to his loss of office. Who would dare to speak frankly and honestly in the future, and devote themselves to the affairs of the nation?

Jiang Wang wasn't finished speaking, so he added, "Lord Pei has been in the capital for many years, it's time for him to go out and see the world. Why don't you go to Beiyan County as magistrate?"

Now, Shen Bochun's heart was filled with even more turmoil. Where was Beiyan County? It was an extremely cold place, with yellow sand everywhere, a world of outlaws and villains. It bordered the neighboring Yan Kingdom and was frequently plagued by war. It was such a murky place that ordinary people did not want to go. The previous magistrate of Beiyan County died in a small war, shot by a hail of arrows and killed on the spot.

Isn't this just a disguised form of exile?

"His Majesty……"

Shen Bochun looked up, feeling extremely indignant.

Pei Shuqin was, after all, his teacher, and had taken good care of him over the years. If he couldn't speak up for Pei Shuqin at this time, he would truly be unworthy of being a human being.

"Lord Pei is getting on in years, and Beiyan County is thousands of miles away. The journey is long and arduous, and I'm afraid Lord Pei's health may not be able to keep up."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang lowered his eyes and stared at Shen Bochun without saying a word, which made Shen Bochun break out in a cold sweat and dare not continue speaking.

"Your Majesty, I will now draft an edict."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang's expression softened slightly. "What I have always admired most about Shen Qing is her ability to assess the situation, know her limits, and understand when to advance and retreat."

Shen Bochun forced a smile and thanked His Majesty for the praise, then drafted the decree with trembling hands.

The imperial edict caused an uproar in Kyoto.

The Pei family was thrown into chaos in an instant.

When Madam Zhou knelt on the ground to receive the imperial decree, she fainted. The maids and servants hurriedly carried her into the house. Pei Shuqin was heartbroken and numbly saw the eunuch who delivered the decree out. Seeing this, the young eunuch winked at Pei Shuqin and said, "Lord Pei."

Pei Shuqin was in a daze. The eunuch whispered, "Lord Pei had better think about who he might have offended recently."

Upon hearing this, Pei Shuqin seemed to wake from a dream, looking at the young eunuch with astonishment.

The young eunuch had already turned and walked away. He was filled with turmoil. Who had he offended?

He never got into arguments with people, and he believed that he had never offended anyone during his years in Kyoto. The little eunuch's words just now were clearly a reminder that he had done something wrong and offended someone.

He walked back, lost in thought. Everyone in the room, young and old, looked like wilted eggplants, listless and without any spirit.

Pei Shuwan came out of her mother's room and saw that her father and all her brothers and sisters were still looking blank. Her heart ached, and she went up to her father and said, "Mother has woken up. Father, please go in and see her."

Pei Shuqin nodded, looking at her daughter who was calm and composed, and suddenly felt a sense of security as if she had found a pillar of support.

It's a pity his daughter wasn't a son; otherwise, he wouldn't have so many worries. Now, none of his sons are capable of supporting the family.

The eldest son is devoted to music, chess, calligraphy and painting and is not interested in official career. He has been in a lukewarm state for many years. His only opportunity to enter and leave the palace was to teach Princess Jiayuan the zither. The fifth son, Pei Jingtai, is still young. Although he is smart in every way, he is not yet able to support the family.

Of his daughters, his eldest daughter, Shuwan, was the most intelligent and quick-witted. He had originally thought highly of the marriage with the Shen family, but the Shen family had encountered that incident, which delayed his eldest daughter's marriage. Now, he had been demoted to guard the border in Beiyan County, and his daughters could only stay in the capital with Zhou Shi. He felt uneasy and had a feeling that a storm was brewing, but this was just a passing breeze.

Zhou's headache was getting worse. Seeing her husband's helpless expression, she knew that the situation was already decided. She couldn't help but feel sad. "What does His Majesty want to do? What has our Pei family done to deserve such punishment from His Majesty? Is Beiyan County a place we can go to and never come back to?"

Zhou was so angry that she spoke without thinking, and Pei Shuqin felt a pang of pain in his heart when he saw his wife's expression.

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