Once outside in her palace attire, she noticed that Eunuch Qi's expression was different from before; it seemed serious and wary.
He didn't show it too much, but Qiao Lian'er was able to keenly perceive it.
Eunuch Qi had always been the emperor's mouthpiece. His appearance and his words and actions represented the emperor's will. The emperor had heard rumors about this and must have been losing sleep and appetite, filled with many doubts. Eunuch Qi had seen all of this, and the master and servant were of one mind.
"Princess, the Emperor wishes to see you. Please." Eunuch Qi asked with his whisk, then, without further ado, boarded the sedan chair.
Qiao Lian'er also stepped into the carriage of the Qiao family. In the past, when she entered the palace, Eunuch Qi was very enthusiastic and lively, saying that the emperor was thinking about her lychees again and asking how she was doing. But now he was leaning against the sedan chair with his eyes closed, resting.
Qiao Lian'er remained silent.
It was late at night, and there weren't many people on the streets. The sound of the carriage wheels rolling over the ground was clearly audible.
The journey to the palace that day seemed longer than usual, and Qiao Lian'er felt a slight sense of suffocation.
Even though she had some skills and methods, in the face of imperial power, if it was to kill her, she could not live.
With the palace in sight, the palace gates, which usually seemed ordinary, appeared exceptionally majestic and solemn today, painted vermilion, like a gaping maw.
The carriage stopped outside the double palace gates, and Qiao Lian'er got off. Eunuch Qi couldn't help but glance at her.
Seeing her holding her hands and walking steadily, he wondered to himself, "Does the princess not know why the Emperor has summoned her to an audience so late?"
She remained completely calm and composed, showing remarkable composure.
It's just that we don't know if she can get through this hurdle.
No matter how much the emperor values someone, if someone violates principles, whether they actually did it or were wrongly accused, he will not let them off easily.
The former was punished by having their home ransacked and their entire family wiped out, while the latter was severely punished as a warning to others, and their skin was also peeled off.
Upon entering the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the emperor did not remain in his study as before, but instead sat on the main seat, emanating a constant pressure.
Qiao Lian'er quickly glanced at the emperor's face out of the corner of her eye. The emperor had no expression; he stared at her calmly with cold eyes.
The more this attitude is adopted by the emperor, the more terrifying it becomes.
Qiao Lian'er knelt down respectfully to pay her respects.
The emperor did not let her get up. He flicked the Buddhist prayer beads in his hand, making a rustling sound, like blood spurting from his chest.
For a moment, Qiao Lian'er thought of a saying: "Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger."
After looking at her for a while, the emperor slowly spoke: "During this time, you haven't thought of coming to see me."
“Your Majesty, something has happened in the fiefdom. I am busy dealing with it and I am afraid that Your Majesty will be upset if you hear about it. I thought that I would come to see Your Majesty after I have figured everything out and report the whole story truthfully and logically.”
Qiao Lian'er knew that at this time, no amount of trickery could be as effective as telling the truth.
The emperor is currently very suspicious; only honesty can alleviate some of his resistance.
"I want to hear it now."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Please take a look at this first."
Qiao Lian'er took out two slips of paper from her sleeve and handed them to Eunuch Qi, who then presented them to the Emperor.
The emperor glanced at it and said, "This is a formation diagram; it doesn't resemble the handwriting of your Qiao family."
"There were two soldiers who were bribed by informants from the Da Nu Kingdom in the Da Ze Kingdom to pass on the newly developed formation in exchange for money."
Qiao Lian'er demonstrated military training on the border of Da Nu Kingdom, then sealed off the camp for training, and finally captured two soldiers. Through the soldiers, he found informants and reported everything, big and small.
The emperor spoke slowly: "Since it concerns the interests of the nation, you shouldn't have kept it a secret from the beginning. Was it because you truly cared about my hardships and didn't want to trouble me, or did you have other plans?"
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