The ministers, who had been full of curiosity, all stopped in their tracks, looking embarrassed. Not everyone was as shameless as Yun Zong, who dared to approach the sound.
Some elderly officials turned ashen-faced, stamping their feet and shouting, "The world is going to the dogs! How can such filthy things be done in the palace?!"
"Who dares to be so audacious as to violate palace etiquette? What is their punishment?!"
"I've really made a fool of myself in front of the Marquis of Zhenbei..."
Minister Qian shouted, "This kind of thing must be severely punished! Your Majesty, this matter should be reported to His Majesty. No matter who those people in the palace are, they must be severely punished as a warning to others!"
Yun Zong nodded in satisfaction and looked at the assembled ministers: "What do you all think?"
"Minister Qian is right."
"This is what I mean."
"Why don't we ask His Majesty? By the way, where has His Majesty gone?"
Minister Qian gave a cold laugh and sneered, "No matter where His Majesty is, it is the people in the palace who will be punished. What does it matter whether His Majesty is there or not? Or do you think that if the offender has a special status, seeing His Majesty will help him get away with it?"
"Minister Qian, your words are utterly malicious! I never mentioned the issue of acquittal. Doing such things in the palace deserves severe punishment. According to the law, the lightest punishment is exile, and the heaviest is death by beating. How could I possibly protect him? Your Majesty, I am innocent!"
Amidst the clamor, Yun Zong raised her hand, her soft voice now slightly high-pitched: "We should act according to the law, why argue? What Vice Minister Liu said earlier makes sense. At best, they will be exiled; at worst, they will be beaten to death. We should just follow the rules."
"Your Majesty is wise!"
The brief argument finally came to a conclusion, and everyone reached a consensus. Minister Qian, eager to make a name for himself, rushed to the front and led his men to kick open the main hall!
"What kind of madman dares to act so presumptuously within the palace?! He dares to provoke me... I..."
When the door opened, the scene inside stunned Minister Qian and his guards.
After a moment of stunned silence, Minister Qian suddenly roared like a madman, "You bastard—"
Minister Qian's roar was so furious that it nearly shook the palace roof. It was remarkable that such a shrill scream could erupt from his not-so-strong body, startling Yun Zong and the court officials.
Yun Zong was still thinking to himself, "When did Lao Qian become such a good actor?"
If he hadn't known that the person in the palace was the young empress, just looking at Old Qian's expression, a mixture of grief, hatred, and disbelief, he would have almost thought that the person having an affair with a woman was Old Qian's own son...
Thinking of this, Yun Zong also put on a puzzled and worried look, and led the courtiers over: "What exactly happened?"
Minister Qian never imagined he would encounter such a thing in his life. He stood dumbfounded at the door until the crowd surged in noisily. Only then did he come to his senses. He shouted again, turned around, and rushed into the hall, intending to close the door.
It was closed, but not shut.
A foot was kicking through the crack in the door, preventing him from closing it.
"What's going on, Minister Qian? Why are you closing the door in such a hurry?" A young Northwest Army officer, full of curiosity, impatiently blocked the door and peeked inside. "What's wrong? Why are you yelling so fiercely? Let me see too—my goodness!"
He quickly covered his mouth, looking innocent and surprised, and awkwardly exclaimed, "Are you people from Beijing really this good at having fun?!"
"Shut up!"
Minister Qian's face contorted in a rage. He shoved him aside and slammed the door shut. But the young general's brief obstruction was enough for most of the assembled officials to see what was happening inside.
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