The Imperial Study.
The Holy Emperor had just finished offering incense at the ancestral hall when Eunuch Wang hurriedly called him back.
Sitting on the dragon throne, looking at the two kneeling on the ground, the Holy Emperor's brows furrowed slightly with displeasure.
"What is it that's urging me to return?"
"Your Majesty." Prime Minister Jiang first bowed to the Holy Emperor, then presented the document in his arms to Eunuch Wang.
"This is a spy left behind by the envoy, which I have secretly investigated over the past two weeks with considerable effort. I originally intended to present it to you after the imperial examinations."
The Holy Emperor took the document from Eunuch Wang's hand.
"Today, my assistant Yuan Shuo secretly informed Prince Jia of these secret documents of mine."
"Your Majesty believes this matter is of great importance. As long as spies remain in our country, it poses a potential crisis to both the people and the Holy Kingdom."
"I urge Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate this matter. If the spies discover that their whereabouts have been exposed, they will surely move to another location, making it even more difficult for us to find them."
The Holy Emperor glanced at Yuan Shuo kneeling on the ground and recalled the transformation that Prince Kang had undergone in recent days.
"As the Prime Minister's close aide, what are your intentions in informing Prince Jia about this matter?"
Of course, Prince Jia should replace the Prime Minister.
[In this way, you'll have more and more treacherous people around you, making it incredibly easy for them to kill you.]
Lin Wanwan sat in the toy basket specially made for her by the Holy Emperor, leaning against the railing in dissatisfaction.
"You bastard!"
When the Holy Emperor heard Lin Wanwan's heartfelt words, his heart skipped a beat.
A petty person?
Kill him?
He remembered that last time in the main hall, the fake crown prince had controlled Junli and tried to kill him, thinking that if he killed the fake crown prince, everything would be resolved.
It seems there's someone even more powerful behind him who wants him dead.
"Leaking court secrets is an unforgivable crime, punishable by death."
"Guards, drag him away and execute him."
"yes."
Eunuch Wang immediately turned and went out, summoning several imperial guards to imprison Yuan Shuo.
Yuan Shuo's head throbbed, and he looked at the Holy Emperor in horror.
"Your Majesty, please have mercy! Your Majesty, I will never dare to do it again."
"Your Majesty, it was Prince Jia who forced me to do this. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly."
The Holy Emperor raised his hand, and the guards released him.
"Tell me, why did Prince Jia do this?"
"If you tell the truth, I may consider whether to give you a way out."
Yuan Shuo knelt down on the ground with a thud and kowtowed heavily.
"Your Majesty, it is Prince Jia. He said that as long as I listen to him, he will guarantee me a life of wealth and honor."
"Your humble servant was momentarily bewitched and listened to his words."
"Wealth and honor?" The Holy Emperor looked at the somewhat angry Prime Minister Jiang and frowned, saying, "Following Prime Minister Jiang, does that mean there's no chance of ever rising to prominence in governance?"
Yuan Shuo raised his head, not daring to look at Prime Minister Jiang.
Prime Minister Jiang roared, "When have I ever treated you badly? How dare you harm me like this?"
Prince Jia was an adopted son of a collateral branch of the Xiao family. Since the collateral branch had no heirs, they adopted one from outside the family in order to compete for the throne.
When the Holy Land first became the Crown Prince, he was one of the most active contenders.
This is a closely guarded secret.
This person actually dared to associate with Prince Jia, who harbored rebellious intentions.
"Prime Minister Jiang treats me very well, but... Prime Minister Jiang is mentally unhealthy. He only hires divorced people for his assistant positions."
"This humble official..." he gritted his teeth, "I had no choice but to conceal my marriage in order to seize this position."
"But after taking this position, I found myself with nothing to do. I suspect he did it on purpose, wanting me to be his assistant for life..."
"Absurd!" Prime Minister Jiang cursed angrily. "Yuan Shuo, this has always been the case for my assistant. Having nothing to do doesn't mean having nothing to do!"
"You don't take the initiative to learn from me, so why should I, a very busy person, come to you? Tell me, what you know now, wasn't it all taught to you by me?"
"You ungrateful wretch!!"
Yuan Shuo angrily retorted, "Who said that? Prince Jia said you should take the initiative to teach me, but you didn't, and you expect me to be your slave for life?!"
“Prince Jia is different. Every time I bring a document to him, he reads it carefully and then gives me some pointers.”
"In my opinion, he is more suitable than you..."
"Bang!" Prime Minister Jiang grabbed a cup and, in a fit of anger, smashed it directly onto Yuan Shuo's body.
"Very well, you don't think I'm teaching you what I, your legitimate superior, am teaching you. That ambitious Prince Jia gave you a hint, and you're grateful and even leak my secrets."
Yuan Shuo was already angry, and now that Prime Minister Jiang had smashed it like that, he was even more furious.
"Prime Minister Jiang, you—"
"Shut up, all of you!" The Holy Emperor's voice carried a hint of anger.
Only then did the two suppress their anger and look at the Holy Emperor.
"Your Majesty, I was blind to have chosen such a person as my assistant. I do not want him!"
"No, Prime Minister Jiang, I entered this official position through the imperial examination. You have no right to do this!"
Prime Minister Jiang ignored Yuan Shuo and bowed to the Holy Emperor, saying:
"Your Majesty, the imperial examination tests knowledge but not character. If one has moral problems, even if one is the top scholar, one has no right to hold any official position."
"As an official of the imperial court, one should keep all matters of the court confidential."
“Yuan Shuo abused his official position for personal gain, leaked secrets, and was morally corrupt. I do not know how many secrets have been leaked to Prince Jia.”
"To put it mildly, it's domestic thief; to put it more seriously, it's treason—"
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