"General Pei."

A deep voice sounded from the hall.

Pei Jingheng immediately stood up, gestured to the secret guards lurking in the Imperial Guards, and then slowly entered the Golden Palace.

Xiao Yuchen sat upright on the dragon throne, with Fu Yu not beside him.

Fu Yu has always been with him, so why didn't he show up?

Pei Jingheng had no time to be surprised. As soon as he finished paying his respects, the imperial guards held down his arms and forced him to kneel in front of the hall.

"His Majesty!"

"General Pei, do you think I never saw through you from the beginning to the end?"

Pei Jingheng was stunned.

"I am terrified. I don't know what I have done wrong to anger Your Majesty!"

"I don't know what I did wrong..."

Xiao Yuchen sneered and savored these words.

Everything that happens in Kunning Palace will be heard by Xiao Yuchen.

Although he didn't have a system, he was as all-powerful as an emperor, so it was easy for him to find out who made a small box of cakes.

"Don't think I don't know that you've repeatedly tried to attract the Queen's attention."

"How dare you dream of my woman!"

Sweat dripped down Pei Jingheng's forehead, but his expression did not change much.

He held onto a glimmer of hope that Xiao Yuchen just thought he was in love with Fu Yu and didn't notice any other clues.

"How dare you have any inappropriate thoughts about the Empress? I just..."

"He just wants to murder me through the Queen."

Xiao Yuchen added nonchalantly.

Pei Jingheng's eyes widened in horror, "Your humble servant... Your humble servant absolutely did not..."

Before he could finish his words, a head rolled to his feet.

He was the one who planted the spy in the Imperial Guard.

The scarlet eyes stared at Pei Jingheng.

Xiao Yuchen supported his chin with one hand meaningfully, as if he was watching a trapped beast making its last futile struggle.

Pei Jingheng sneered at himself and said calmly, "Your Majesty is incompetent and unjust. He kills innocent people indiscriminately, is suspicious and cruel, and kills without blinking an eye."

"With an emperor like you, the Le Dynasty will only become a hell on earth with devastating suffering and the people in dire straits."

"For the sake of the empire and the people of the Le Dynasty, I had no choice but to do this..."

"Oh."

Xiao Yuchen frowned sarcastically, "Is it for the people, or for your own selfish desires?"

He waved his hand, and the envoy from the Western Regions immediately took out the account book and threw it in front of Pei Jingheng.

"General Pei, you have been embezzling military funds, lying about military intelligence, and embezzling military pay. You also signed a treaty with the Second Prince. If anyone plots rebellion against the people of the Western Regions, you will label them a spy and execute them in secret."

"In return, the Second Prince will lead his troops to harass the border from time to time, engaging in a fake war with you, deceiving the superiors and the subordinates. Am I wrong?"

"The account book contains the details of every transaction between you and the Second Prince."

The Western Regions envoy bowed to Xiao Yuchen and said, "All the city-states in the Western Regions are loyal to His Majesty, as the sun and the moon bear witness to. It is you, a bunch of traitors, who are confusing the public."

Pei Jingheng struggled to get up, but Cheng Ling drew his sword, pressed it against the back of his neck, and stepped on him to the ground.

"Pei Jingheng, do you admit your guilt?"

"I have done nothing wrong. I just want to take back what belongs to me!"

Pei Jingheng raised his eyes fiercely, with only irrational anger in his eyes.

"What do you want?"

A mocking smile appeared on Xiao Yuchen's noble face.

"Did you really believe the rumors?"

Xiao Yuchen stood up with his hands behind his back and said slowly, "Mother, Queen Mother, please stop hiding behind us. Come and see what poor General Pei looks like after you've tricked him."

Empress Dowager Yu came out under the 'hostage' of two guards.

In order to check and balance Xiao Yuchen, Empress Dowager Yu spread the rumor that the late emperor had gone on a secret visit and gave birth to a prince with a common woman.

After Xiao Yuchen ascended the throne, he often traveled among the people for no reason, seemingly looking for the illegitimate daughter who might threaten his throne.

Both of them were using this fictitious child to test each other. Whether they succeeded in fooling each other was another matter, but they succeeded in fooling Pei Jingheng, who had been adopted by the Pei family since childhood.

Master Pei was unable to have children. One day, when he was leaving court, he found a baby boy at the foot of the imperial city.