At this moment, Xu Qingqing and Xie Zisu's expressions were frozen on their faces, as if they had been struck by lightning.
They had been expecting praise and rewards from the emperor, but they did not expect to be accused of "deceiving the emperor" instead.
The two men knelt on the ground, at a loss, as if they had fallen into an abyss.
Xu Qingqing's face was as pale as paper. She took the poetry collection with trembling hands and flipped through it page by page.
Her eyes gradually changed from initial confusion to horror, and she couldn't believe her eyes.
These poems were clearly written based on her memory after she traveled through time. How could they appear in Song Jiao's collection of poems?
Could it be that Song Jiao was also a time traveler? This thought flashed through her mind, but she immediately rejected it.
It's impossible. If Song Jiao was also a time traveler, she should have known all my plans long ago. How could she give me the chance to succeed?
Xu Qingqing felt a chill rising from the soles of her feet, and she realized that she had fallen into a huge conspiracy.
All her actions seemed to be under Song Jiao's control, and this feeling made her feel extremely scared and helpless.
Xie Zisu had completely collapsed.
He opened the poetry collection in front of him with trembling hands, and the more he read, the more frightened he became.
He discovered that all the poems he was selling were written by Song Jiao.
Even the poem Xu Qingqing wrote just last night was on the list.
At this moment, he finally understood how serious a mistake he had made. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, begging, "Your Majesty, please spare my life. This was all arranged by Xu Qingqing."
Song Jiao sat aside, leisurely eating melon seeds and cracking the shells.
There was a playful smile on her face, as if she was watching a wonderful play.
She had known for a long time that Xu Qingqing and Xie Zisu would end up like this, because all of this was part of her plan.
The emperor stared coldly at Xu Qingqing and Xie Zisu who were kneeling on the ground, his eyes revealing deep disappointment and anger.
For him, flood control is a matter of great importance to the country and the people, and the lives of tens of millions of people. How could he tolerate any negligence or trifling?
But these two people are actually acting in such a matter?
He raised his hand slightly, signaling the eunuch beside him to take the two men away for strict interrogation.
As the father-in-law's shrill voice rang out, Xu Qingqing and Xie Zisu were dragged away, their faces filled with fear and despair.
Xie Youan looked at his son and Xu Qingqing being taken away, still not understanding what had happened. But he still shouted, "Your Majesty, wait a minute."
The emperor took a deep breath, trying to calm his anger. "Thank you, my dear minister, but do you have anything to say?"
He turned his gaze towards Xie Youan and Song Jiao standing in the hall, and said with a hint of inquiry, "Stand up."
"I heard that there's been a lot of buzz about the General's Mansion recently. Is this true?"
Upon hearing this, Song Jiao immediately stepped forward, bowed, and said righteously: "Your Majesty, this is true. Xie Youan once promised Your Majesty that he would never let me down in the future. However, when we were at the border, he had already secretly had an affair with someone else and betrayed his oath to me." Her voice was firm and powerful, as if she wanted to pour out all the grievances and unwillingness.
"Since you can't do it, why bother pretending to be so affectionate?" Song Jiao continued, a hint of sarcasm and disappointment flashing in her eyes. "I only ask the emperor to make the decision for me and give me justice."
The emperor frowned slightly as he listened to Song Jiao's story.
He looked at Xie Youan with questioning and probing eyes.
Xie Youan stood there with a complicated and solemn expression.
He took a deep breath and spoke slowly, "Your Majesty, it has been normal for men to have three wives and four concubines since ancient times. The reason I agreed to Song Tangxue's firm promise was because she was truly worthy of it. Her wisdom, talent, and deep affection made me feel that I had found a partner who could walk shoulder to shoulder with me. She allowed me to join the battlefield without any worries."
He paused, as if gathering his thoughts and emotions, then continued, "But Your Majesty, you also know that over the years, the battles on the border have been won and lost, and every victory has been hard-won. And Xu Qingqing, despite her humble background, has used her wisdom and talent to improve many weapons and tactics. It is precisely because of her help that the border has become more stable, and our army can face the enemy with greater confidence. Although she did not directly fight in the battlefield, her contributions cannot be ignored."
At this point, Xie Youan's eyes flashed with a pleading look: "Your Majesty, please spare Xu Qingqing's life for the sake of her dedication to the frontier. Although she made mistakes, her talent and ability are rare. I believe that as long as she is given a chance, she will be able to make greater contributions to the country."
Finally, he glanced at Xie Zisu who was kneeling beside him, his eyes full of disappointment and anger.
He said coldly, "As for this rebellious son, since he has made such a serious mistake, he should be held accountable for his actions. I have nothing more to say, I only ask that the Emperor handle this matter fairly."
The emperor frowned slightly as he listened to Xie Youan's story.
He knew that Xie Youan was right, the frontier war did require all kinds of talents, and Xu Qingqing's talent and ability were indeed rare.
But this time the incident was too big and has aroused public outrage.
It would be difficult for him to easily let Xu Qingqing and Xie Zisu off.
He pondered for a moment and then said, "I will consider this matter carefully."
Song Jiao stood aside and witnessed all this. She sneered and couldn't help but sigh in her heart that this was really a large-scale double standard scene.
Xie Youan has completely different attitudes when facing his son and the woman, and he is showing double standards on the spot. Isn't this a poke in Xie Zisu's lungs?
Xie Zisu was so shocked by Xie Youan's words that he took a step back. He stared at his father with wide eyes in disbelief. "Daddy, I'm your child, and you treat me like this?"
His eyes were filled with astonishment and disappointment, as if he was meeting this person for the first time.
He thought his father would stand on his side and speak for him, but he didn't expect his father to be so cold-blooded and ruthless.
Xie Youan didn't care about his son's reaction. He said coldly: "After all, your mother didn't teach you well, so you can act so recklessly! In this case, you should pay the price for your choice!" As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Zisu's expression became ferocious.
Xie Zisuo couldn't accept this fact. He stood up suddenly with a fierce light flashing in his eyes.
A dagger appeared in his hand at some point, and he stabbed Xie Youan in the heart without hesitation.
Once, twice, three times, he seemed to have lost his mind and kept stabbing until Xie Youan lay on the bed motionless.
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