While embracing Zhao Qingshu, Zeng Yaxian subtly took the key from his body.
After more than a decade of marriage, she finally found the location of the other booklet.
Zeng Yaxian personally handed the booklet to Song Xizhi.
When Song Xizhi dismissed everyone and opened the book, he discovered that it was a collection of supernatural tales, containing all sorts of stories about demons and monsters.
The story seems to have no problems. If someone who doesn't know the truth finds this booklet on the street, they won't see anything amiss.
However, Song Xizhi still marked all the names of the people in the story, and then combined them with another account book she had copied before, and copied another account book.
When He Jingyan returned home that night, he flipped through the book of supernatural tales and said bluntly that all the names that appeared in it were those of officials in the capital who had accepted bribes, and that even their family backgrounds and personality weaknesses matched up.
Nearly a hundred government officials were involved.
Song Xizhi admired Zhao Qingshu's caution; without their meticulous investigation, they would not have been able to obtain any evidence at all.
That night, all three accounts were presented to the emperor in his study.
So the emperor dispatched the Imperial Guards to protect everyone in the palace, and also ordered the Marquis of Anding to secretly deploy all the troops in the camps to partially restrain the officials with problems in the court, while the other part of the army was distributed around the three detention centers, waiting for an opportunity to act.
Once Zhao Qingshu's men and weapons had all infiltrated the detention center, they began their operation.
Zeng Yaxian didn't know the specific date of the operation; she had known nothing since she stole the ledger.
However, rumors often circulated in the capital, saying that the emperor was seriously injured in the assassination attempt at the palace, and that his health was deteriorating day by day. He would sometimes fall into a coma and sometimes wake up, and that he was only barely holding on to attending court every day.
However, there are also rumors that the emperor's anger in dismissing Consort Liang and Princess Jingyue was to protect them, and that confining Prince Yu was to protect his life.
The public was in an uproar, but the emperor seemed completely unaware. The situation was entirely in Zhao Qingshu's favor, yet Zhao Qingshu remained very vigilant.
He seemed to sense the emperor's thoughts and the commotion in the military camp, and gradually became very busy, so much so that even Zeng Yaxian could not find him.
They were clearly aware of Zhao Qingshu's plan and had made all the necessary preparations to deal with it.
What should have been a foolproof plan turned into a situation where Zeng Yaxian felt uneasy, perhaps because she was at the center of a vortex.
Until this day, Zeng Yaxian inexplicably felt that the atmosphere in the mansion was severe and heavy. All the servants were walking hurriedly, as if they were being chased by ghosts.
She felt uneasy and couldn't fall asleep, tossing and turning in bed all night.
Until she heard a commotion of footsteps outside...
When Zeng Yaxian put on her clothes and opened the door, she saw Zhao Qingshu dressed in armor, carrying a long sword, with a solemn expression.
Behind him, flames blazed, and countless well-equipped soldiers stood together in the courtyard.
Zeng Yaxian was taken aback, then looked blankly in Zhao Qingshu's direction: "Husband, what are you doing?"
Zhao Qingshu simply smiled, his tone unusually gentle tonight: "Silly girl, I gathered the soldiers only to avenge you."
"Your Majesty is now in imminent danger. As a minister of the country and the maternal uncle of Prince Yu, I am naturally obliged to protect Your Majesty's safety and safeguard your great cause, purge the court of corrupt officials, and kill Prince Xiu and Song Xi with a single blow."
Even though Zeng Yaxian had such a suspicion, she never expected that this day would actually come. She sneered, her scalp tingling with fear: "For me? You're after His Majesty's throne, aren't you?"
"Do you know that what you're doing is a capital offense that will implicate your entire family, numbering nine generations? You may want to die, but I don't!"
“We all have family and relatives. The Zeng family’s current situation was bought with the blood and flesh of my parents. My uncle is still guarding the frontier. How can you plot a rebellion in the capital?”
"Stop now, it's impossible to succeed. Go and confess to His Majesty now, and he might spare our lives and the lives of our entire clan!"
She looked up at Zhao Qingshu in the firelight, and each word was almost squeezed out of her throat, containing Zeng Yaxian's final warning.
Zhao Qingshu just smiled and waved his hand. Several people appeared from behind the door, dressed in armor and with warm smiles on their faces.
The blood-stained longsword seemed to carry the chilling aura of the battlefield.
Upon seeing their appearance, Zeng Yaxian's eyes narrowed sharply, and she even forgot to let the tears well up in her eyes: "Uncle? Cousin?"
Looking at those faces that resembled her father so much, Zeng Yaxian felt her legs go weak, and the world spun before her eyes: "You... how did you get here?"
"Shouldn't you be guarding the frontier?"
Zhao Qingshu just smiled and said, "They will naturally come back to avenge you. They will return to the capital in secret, and no one will know. Eight thousand elite soldiers are already lying in ambush in the outskirts of the capital, while a force of fifty thousand is rushing to the capital in all kinds of weather."
"With all the spies you've taken in at your shelter, how could you possibly lose?"
Zeng Yaxian's heart clenched suddenly, and the muscles on her face began to spasm.
They thought Zhao Qingshu had made two preparations, but they didn't expect him to have a backup plan. He directly colluded with his maternal family and even secretly brought all the soldiers back from the border!
Zeng Yaxian felt her heart pounding wildly in her chest, almost vomiting. Her back was covered in cold sweat, and her vision was blurry.
She rushed forward and grasped her uncle's hand: "Uncle, uncle, you can't do this... you can't do this... My Zeng family has been loyal and virtuous for generations! If Father and Mother were alive, they would not agree to this!"
Her uncle simply smiled and looked at her: "Ya Xian, you are Lord Zhao's first wife. He is devoted to the emperor, and you cannot escape responsibility for him. How could your uncle bear to ignore you and let you suffer?"
"Don't worry, now that your parents are gone, I will take care of you like my own daughter. I will do anything for you."
Zeng Yaxian shook her head, her throat dry, tears streaming down her face: "No, that's not how it is."
"I have nothing to do with him. I can get a divorce, I can get a divorce right now. We have nothing to do with the Zhao family. Don't do something so foolish! If you stop in time, Uncle, His Majesty will forgive you... His Majesty will forgive you!"
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