She wanted to dig a hole in the ground and crawl into it, but she also wanted to leave immediately. However, He Lie did not move, and stood in his original position like a green pine.
"..." Empress Dowager Yuan's face became even uglier. She stood there stiffly, not knowing whether to walk or sit, in a dilemma.
“Pah.”
The door of the small house that had been closed for a long time was finally opened from the inside.
Qin Hexin walked out from inside. There was a smile on his face, which was inconspicuous in the crowd. The smile was both pleasant and cold. The two red moles on one side of his cheek were bright and eye-catching.
No, it's blood.
Several girls quickly realized this, turned pale, and quickly looked away.
Qin He walked towards Chu Yi with a clear goal in mind. Wherever he passed, people quickly and automatically made way for him. However, most people avoided him as much as possible. Many people deliberately turned their eyes away, but could not help but secretly glanced at him out of the corner of their eyes.
Someone accidentally made eye contact with Qin He and was so scared that he gasped. Qin He's slender eyes were as deep as an abyss and as cold as ice.
If Qin He was still a human being before entering the small house, he now looked like a devil from the eighteenth level of hell.
Humans and evil spirits are not creatures from the same world.
Amidst the shocked and frightened gazes, Qin He walked slowly to Chu Yi, bowed gracefully and said, "Your Highness, the interrogation is over."
Even though his shrill voice was deliberately softened, it was still filled with an uncomfortable gloom.
When Qin He bowed, many people noticed that his fingers were also stained with blood.
He had an ordinary face, but his hands were very beautiful. Each finger was as slender as jade, like a masterpiece carved by a master sculptor. The bright red blood on his fingers was so eye-catching.
"I've confessed." Qin He's face showed a malicious smile, which looked even weirder with the blood stains on his cheek. "It's Li Han, Eunuch Li."
Everyone's eyes turned to an old eunuch with white hair and beard, holding a whisk in his hand, standing beside Empress Dowager Yuan, and he was Li Han, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department.
Li Han's face was pale, with deep wrinkles on his forehead and at the corners of his eyes. The whisk in his hand trembled violently several times.
Qin He continued, "Your Highness, it was Li Han who specially selected this pleasure boat, and ordered the Internal Affairs Bureau to arrange carefully selected screens and chairs beside the dilapidated guardrail."
As he spoke, everyone looked at the screen placed next to the guardrail. They saw nine lifelike golden dragons embroidered on the five screens, sparkling in the sun.
Anyone could tell at a glance that the seat next to the screen was the imperial throne. Naturally, no one except the emperor dared to sit there.
Then, Qin He turned his cold gaze to the broken guardrail. His eyes were cold and vicious, like a poisonous snake with its fangs exposed and hissing.
"This pleasure boat was a tribute from the Yuan family." Qin He said slowly, his shrill voice sounding like it was poisoned.
This painted boat was a birthday gift presented by the Yuan family in Yangzhou during the Wanshou Festival last year.
Chu Yi turned around slightly, his sleeves flying up like a cloud of ever-changing things, and he also looked at the broken guardrail and sighed, "If that's the case, then let's take down Yuan Zhe."
His tone was slow, neither light nor heavy, yet full of intimidation.
The others were all shocked when they heard this.
That’s Yuan Zhe.
Although he is a commoner and has no official position, he is the next head of the Yuan family and the backbone of the future court.
The Queen Mother is a member of the Yuan family.
Prince Kang has Yuan family blood.
With the full support of the late emperor over the past twenty years, the Yuan family has risen step by step, and now, it has become the leader among all the aristocratic families.
If Yuan Zhe was really arrested and convicted, it would be tantamount to the emperor publicly provoking the Yuan family and even other aristocratic families, which would inevitably cause an uproar.
The atmosphere froze in an instant.
This gorgeous pleasure boat suddenly seemed to turn into a vast glacier, extremely cold and gloomy.
At Chu Yi's command, the Jinyiwei around him drew out their Embroidered Spring Swords, the blades flashing with cold light, and they rushed forward like tigers aiming at their prey.
There was a faint salty smell in the air, lingering around everyone's noses and could not be shaken off.
"Stop..." Empress Dowager Yuan's eyes were filled with panic and her face turned pale. She wanted to shout at them to stop.
“Pah!”
Two loud claps of high five interrupted the words of Empress Dowager Yuan and immediately attracted all the attention around.
The person applauding was Fengyang.
As soon as Empress Dowager Yuan's eyes met Fengyang, she felt her throat tighten and ache, and she couldn't utter the rest of the words. Her usual arrogant spirit was almost shattered.
Empress Dowager Yuan seemed to be frozen, unable to move at all.
"This play is good." Fengyang said casually with a faint expression.
These four simple words were profound and brought everyone back to life, and the atmosphere changed again.
Feng Yang shot a fierce look at Yuan Zhe, and said sharply: "The Yuan family is very bold to offer such defective products as tribute."
Yuan Zhe reluctantly looked at Feng Yang, using all his strength to avoid being completely crushed by the other party's momentum. His heart suddenly sank to the bottom.
He is a smart man and naturally realizes the crisis.
The eldest prince Chu Yi did not intend to kill Prince Kang and the Queen Mother. From the very beginning, his target was himself.
It’s the Yuan family.
Their Yuan family is the biggest backer behind King Kang, and has long been a thorn in the eyes of the eldest prince. The eldest prince has long wanted to overthrow the Yuan family, and today he is just seizing the opportunity to make trouble.
Yuan Zhe quickly weighed the pros and cons and made a decision in a very short time.
He is a member of the Yuan family, so naturally he has to put the interests of the family first.
Yuan Zhe was flexible and he immediately stood up from the armchair, lifted his robe with his right hand, and knelt down firmly.
This kneeling showed a noble spirit and the character of a noble family.
"Your Majesty, the Yuan family was careless and actually offered such inferior products. It was the Yuan family's negligence. As the mother's family of the Queen Mother, the Yuan family should be more cautious in their actions."
Yuan Zhe admitted the mistake on behalf of the Yuan family without saying a word, and looked up at the emperor and Chu Yi in front of him.
There was an obvious implication in his words, that someone might be framing the Yuan family.
The sword points at the emperor.
Even when kneeling on the deck, Yuan Zhe's spine remained straight, revealing a dignified demeanor.
This kneeling actually gave the noble families present a backbone.
Yuan Zhe admitted his mistake so quickly that even Prince Kang Chuyou didn't have time to react.
(End of this chapter)
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