Qilin Hall.
A man dressed in a black bird robe sat upright at the desk, a beaded curtain hanging down to cover his eyes, his well-defined hands turning over the memorials.
He was the master of this empire, Ying Zheng.
He had to review 120 jin of memorials every day and handle countless important national affairs, a routine he had maintained for many years.
Zhao Gao, the head of the Imperial Carriage Office, waited respectfully to the side.
The hall was completely silent, with only the sound of turning pages of memorials audible.
A eunuch walked to the door but dared not disturb him. He gave Zhao Gao a look, and Zhao Gao quietly withdrew.
Soon, Zhao Gao returned to the palace looking nervous, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, Consort Shu requests an audience."
Ying Zheng's gaze remained fixed on the memorial, his voice extremely authoritative, "Have you forgotten the rules I set so quickly?"
Zhao Gao trembled slightly. Ying Zheng had established a rule that no one was allowed to disturb him while he was reviewing memorials, a rule that had never been broken in the past ten years.
Not to mention disturbing him, even Zhao Gao, who was always by Ying Zheng's side, usually dared not make a sound, keeping the hall absolutely quiet.
But now that the matter was of great importance, Zhao Gao dared not fail to report it, and could only bow and say, "Your humble servant dares not, but it concerns the imperial heir, and your humble servant dares not delay."
Ying Zheng's eyes flickered slightly, "Imperial heir?"
The issue of imperial heirs involves the entire Qin royal family. Even minor matters must be handled with caution, otherwise, if they get out, the impact on the Qin royal family will be significant.
After a moment's thought, Ying Zheng ordered, "Granted!"
Consort Shu slowly walked into the palace, her steps somewhat unsteady.
She wore a long white dress, her smooth black hair cascading down to her waist. Her cheeks were slightly pale, and her spring-water-like eyes were a little red and swollen, making her look like a flower that had been ravaged.
Consort Shu curtsied weakly, her voice feeble, "Your Majesty, I greet you!"
Before entering the palace, Consort Shu was a well-educated and virtuous noblewoman. She followed Ying Zheng before he unified the six kingdoms and remained faithful to him until the end. Even when Ying Zheng was in danger several times, she never wavered.
Moreover, Consort Shu and her maternal family also provided considerable assistance to Ying Zheng in unifying the six kingdoms.
Although Ying Zheng did not summon this concubine many times, he had a very good impression of her.
This is one of the reasons why Zhao Gao dared not be negligent just now.
Ying Zheng looked up and was somewhat surprised to see Consort Shu's appearance. "Why do you look like this?"
Consort Shu's eyes were cold as she said, "Your Majesty, please do justice for me! Someone in the palace wants to replace my son with a raccoon dog!"
Ying Zheng's gaze darkened.
A prince swapped with a raccoon dog?
Could such an absurd thing really happen in the palace?
If this gets out, it will be an absolute joke, enough to make the entire Qin royal family lose face.
Zhao Gao's expression also changed drastically.
What juicy gossip have I stumbled upon?
Will I be silenced because of this?
Ying Zheng's voice suddenly turned cold, "What's going on?"
Consort Shu's eyes turned cold. "Bring him up!"
Two eunuchs and Chunxia were brought in, along with a dead raccoon dog placed beside them.
Upon seeing Ying Zheng, the three men's legs went weak, and they knelt on the ground, repeatedly begging for mercy, "Your Majesty, spare our lives!"
"Your Majesty, spare my life!"
"Your Majesty, spare my life!"
Consort Shu stared coldly at the group. "These servants actually dared to try and exchange Yu'er for this dead cat. If I hadn't discovered it, I'm afraid..."
As she spoke, the chill around Consort Shu intensified.
Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng's cold gaze fell upon the group. "Who is instructing you?"
Chunxia's face stiffened, and her head slammed heavily to the ground. "This servant was just momentarily dizzy and made such a mistake. Your Majesty, please spare me!"
The two eunuchs gave similar accounts, both claiming that no one had instructed them and that they wanted to take full responsibility.
Ying Zheng snorted coldly, "No one instructed you? Are you saying you don't want to live anymore, which is why you did such an absurd thing?"
His gaze fell on the group of three, and his imperial aura pressed down on them like a boulder.
ridiculous!
How dare this servant plot against the prince, yet claim that no one instructed him?
Do they think I'm a fool?
The three servants prostrated themselves on the ground, not daring to look up at Ying Zheng, their bodies trembling uncontrollably with fear.
Ying Zheng looked at the three men and said, "They'd rather die than confess. It seems someone has something on them."
The three men's pupils trembled violently, and their fear intensified.
This emperor's insight was truly terrifying!
Although they have no spouses, they do have siblings and parents.
If it weren't for the threat to the lives of their closest relatives, why would they do something that could cost them their lives?
But they also knew that if they confessed, they and their loved ones would die!
If they don't confess, and that person keeps their promise, their loved ones still have a chance to survive.
So all three chose to remain silent.
Seeing this, Consort Shu said, "I think so too, so I arrested their entire clan!"
The three were startled, and their faces turned ashen.
A hint of surprise flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes.
Just then, a voice rang out from outside the hall, "Your Majesty! You must do justice for me, Your Majesty!"
Ying Zheng turned his head slightly, and Zhao Gao hurriedly went out to investigate the situation.
Zhao Gao quickly returned to the palace and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, Consort Li has arrived!"
Ying Zheng's eyes flickered slightly, and he waved his hand, saying, "Let her in!"
Consort Li, lifting the hem of her white skirt, swayed gracefully as she entered the palace, her face flustered like that of a startled bird.
Upon seeing Ying Zheng, Consort Li immediately knelt on the ground, "Your Majesty, you must do justice for me! This morning, while I was having my meal, Consort Shu's men broke into the palace and forcibly took away my people!"
As she spoke, she glared fiercely at Consort Shu, "This is a serious crime, Your Majesty, please punish her severely!"
Ying Zheng looked at Consort Shu, "Is this really true?"
Consort Shu remained calm. "I have arrested criminals."
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