"Your Majesty, I have not touched a drop of wine." Xiahou Riyue flicked his sleeves and said defiantly, "It is the Empress who has been spying on me. I could no longer bear it, so I have come to inform you. I hope Your Majesty will show some self-respect!"
Jian Yang: "?"
Is this person sick?
Even the most good-tempered person cannot withstand such slander.
Her patience ran out immediately.
"Lord Xiahou, if you have hysteria, get it treated quickly. Stop scaring people. I will spare you today because of your hard work and great contributions. But if you dare to slander me like this again in the future, I will not let you off easily!"
Having been empress for so long, she could still manage to project a semblance of majesty.
Xiahou Riyue was indeed taken aback by Jian Yang's sudden burst of momentum, and for a moment he forgot what to say.
Just then, Eunuch Zhang, carrying a food box, walked to the corner of the wall. Upon seeing the two of them, he quickly took a step back.
After hesitating for a moment, he turned around and strode quickly toward the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Seeing that Xiahou Riyue still looked conflicted, Jian Yang decided that she had to cure his gullibility problem today.
"I have already made it very clear to Lord Xiahou that now that I am the Empress, I am deeply in love with the Emperor, and I have long since given up on any improper thoughts toward you. I hope you will be down-to-earth and not get lost in your fantasies."
Xiahou Riyue blushed upon hearing this.
This is absolutely outrageous!
Now he's the one who's being unreasonable and argumentative?
He felt insulted!
"Just now in the main hall, you clearly, clearly..."
Before he could finish speaking, a deep voice interrupted him.
"I wonder what you and the Empress are talking about? Could you tell me about it?"
Upon hearing this, Jian Yang and the other person's expressions changed simultaneously, and they quickly turned around and bowed to the emperor.
No need for formalities.
The emperor helped Jian Yang up and then gave Xiahou Riyue a cold look.
Jian Yang composed herself and smiled nonchalantly, "Your Majesty is joking. I just happened to run into Lord Xiahou and exchanged a few pleasantries."
Xiahou Riyue then took the opportunity to say, "Your Majesty and Empress, I will not disturb you any longer. I will take my leave."
Before leaving, he gave her a rather resentful look.
She was completely baffled by what she saw.
After Xiahou Riyue left, the emperor said with a faint smile, "This place is not far from the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Ministers come and go at any time. If someone with ulterior motives sees this, they will surely spread rumors about the Empress and Minister Xiahou."
Jian Yang glanced at him speechlessly.
"A person with a clear conscience has nothing to fear. My relationship with Lord Xiahou is completely innocent, as the sun and moon can attest."
The emperor smiled but said nothing.
Jian Yang felt a chill run down her spine from his smile, and unconsciously explained, "Your Majesty, you misunderstand. I only just had a chance encounter with Lord Xiahou."
"Let's go, I'll take you back to the palace first."
The emperor knew, of course, that there was nothing between her and Xiahou Riyue, but seeing how eagerly she was to explain to him, he felt quite pleased.
Jian Yang, fearing the emperor would accuse her of disloyalty, patiently tried to prove her innocence while inwardly cursing Xiahou Riyue to the core.
She even cursed the King of Dingbian and everything else.
If it weren't for that annoying old man, she wouldn't have run away to find some peace and quiet. And if she hadn't run away, this misunderstanding wouldn't have happened...
etc!
She suddenly realized that just now in the main hall, the Prince of Dingbian was sitting next to Xiahou Riyue.
Because she disliked the Prince of Dingbian, she often rolled her eyes at the old man.
That look, in Xiahou Riyue's eyes, became a voyeuristic glance...
The case is solved.
Jian Yang was immediately embarrassed.
In this light, one cannot blame Xiahou Riyue for being narcissistic.
The main reason is that the original owner acted too recklessly back then, causing huge psychological trauma to a promising young man, so much so that he has been unable to get over it for so many years.
Oh, what a terrible thing to do.
Jian Yang was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the emperor, who was walking ahead, suddenly stop and bumped straight into him.
The impact caused her to fall backward uncontrollably, but Zhou Jingzhi pulled her back into his arms.
"It's not even time for bed yet, and the Empress is already so eager to throw herself into my arms?"
Jian Yang gritted her teeth.
It's hard now, it's hard now, my fist is hard!
She really wanted to punch each of those narcissists so hard that even their own mothers wouldn't recognize them.
Zhang Gonggong and Lianxia, who were not far away, quickly lowered their heads and pretended that they did not exist.
After the banquet, the Prince of Dingbian was invited to the Jade Hibiscus Palace.
"Grandpa, Yu'er is so wronged!" At this moment, only the grandfather and granddaughter were present, and Yu Fei immediately rushed to Dingbian Wang's side and cried.
When the King of Dingbian saw his beloved granddaughter crying uncontrollably, he was heartbroken.
"Don't worry, Yu'er. Just be patient for a little longer. Your father will definitely not let that wicked empress off easily. I will make you pay for the suffering you've endured a hundredfold or a thousandfold!"
The grandmother and granddaughter talked for a long time before Yufei finally stopped crying and started smiling.
Morning next day.
Just as Eunuch Zhang announced, as was customary, "Speak if you have something to say, otherwise the court may adjourn," the Prince of Dingbian stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
The Prince of Dingbian rarely spoke in court and was basically just there to make a show of things, so everyone was used to it. So his sudden appearance at this moment was quite intriguing.
The emperor sat up straight and raised his voice, "What do you wish to report, my dear minister?"
The Prince of Dingbian said coldly, "Today, the world is suffering from drought. In Yunzhou, Dengzhou, Yizhou and many other places, the heat is unbearable, resulting in widespread famine and the people crying out in misery. I believe that Your Majesty should travel incognito at this time to reassure the people!"
These words caused an uproar in the imperial court.
Some people immediately stood up to object.
"Prince Dingbian, what are you really up to? Knowing the disaster is serious, you still insist on putting the Emperor in danger. I think you want to kill the Emperor!"
The Prince of Dingbian sneered, "The people are all the Emperor's subjects. How can you stand by and watch your subjects suffer? Your Majesty, do you think what I say makes sense?"
Seeing his aggressive demeanor, the emperor concealed his deep gaze and smiled in agreement, saying, "What you say is absolutely right, my dear minister. Then let it be as the Prince of Dingbian said. One day from now, I will go on an incognito tour."
The ministers immediately split into two factions.
One faction pleaded with the emperor not to risk his life and to consider the well-being of the nation; these were all acts of imperial influence.
One faction immediately praised the emperor for loving his people like his own children, showering him with all sorts of compliments; this faction consisted of the King of Dingbian's men.
Today's court assembly concluded amidst a heated debate between the two factions.
After the court session ended, the emperor summoned Zhao Ziyi.
Upon learning that the emperor was going to travel incognito to the south, Zhao Ziyi immediately became furious.
"Your Majesty, the Prince of Dingbian's actions are definitely not well-intentioned; you must not go!"
The emperor smiled bitterly and said, "Not to mention that I currently lack the power to refuse the Prince of Dingbian, if the people of the world knew that a minister had suggested that I go on an inspection tour, but I refused, how disheartened would they be?"
If the people's hearts are not at peace, then the world will be in chaos.
Whether he wanted to or not, he had to go on this incognito trip.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ziyi sighed heavily, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will do my utmost to protect your safety."
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