On the first day of October, Li Rong got up early in the morning, dressed carefully, and went to the palace.

When she went out, the sky was still gray and the cold wind blew across the entire Huajing, blowing into Li Rong's face when she opened the curtains.

Li Rong raised her head and looked towards the towering palace gate. Her gaze lingered on the high roof for a moment, and then she heard Jinglan whisper beside her, "Your Highness, it's time to enter the palace."

Li Rong retracted her gaze, smiled lightly, put her hand on Jinglan's hand, stepped on the stool and got off the carriage.

When she walked towards the main hall, the morning court was about to begin, and Concubine Rou's people had already petitioned to confirm the specific date for this year's execution.

In order to comply with the seasons, Daxia only executed prisoners in winter. Li Rong executed so many people last year, and all the disputes happened to be resolved in winter. But now Concubine Rou has imprisoned some, exiled some, demoted some, but has not killed anyone. She has postponed all the executions until winter.

Now that October has just arrived, Concubine Rou's people are eager to ask for a specific execution time. Everyone understands that Concubine Rou's intention is not to kill people, but to give a warning.

"Asking about the time of execution, it is customary for the Qintianjian to calculate it," Shangguan Xu was not used to Concubine Rou's domineering attitude, so he spoke directly and scolded the officials who reported the matter, "When did we need to discuss it in the court? You have been in the court for many years, do you not know the rules?"

Shangguan Xu was the left prime minister after all. When he spoke, the officials below naturally did not dare to say anything. Seeing this scene, Concubine Rou glared at the officials kneeling on the ground and said with a smile: "Shangguan, what you said is wrong. After all, the times are different now. There are many people to be dealt with this year. If a specific time is not determined, it will be delayed again and again until the end." Concubine Rou sneered, "Who knows whether the execution can be carried out?"

Concubine Rou was hinting that the noble family was secretly working behind the scenes to rescue people. The Imperial Secretary Shangguan Minzhi said coldly, "Why can't the execution be carried out? What do you mean by different times now? The court has always been the court, and your Majesty has always been your Majesty. The only difference now is that there are women in the harem interfering in government affairs, hens crowing at dawn, and causing chaos in the court."

"Shangguan Minzhi," Upon hearing this, Concubine Rou immediately shouted, "What do you mean?!"

Shangguan Minzhi looked over coldly and said, "My lady, I am only fulfilling my duty as a historian."

"You said I was a hen crowing at dawn?"

Concubine Rou was so angry at Shangguan Minzhi that she started laughing: "Then why didn't you say anything when Princess Pingle was in the court? It's just because she is a princess of your Shangguan family!"

"The princess is a princess of the royal family," Shangguan Minzhi said without looking away, "The Shangguan family cannot have a princess. Xiao, please understand the difference between the royal family and the aristocratic family. Don't cross it out of ignorance."

Concubine Rou wanted to reply subconsciously, but when she saw the officials guarding the historical platform behind Shangguan Minzhi, she held back her words for a moment.

Why did she have to argue with the people of Zushitai?

This group of people have been stirring up trouble and engaging in verbal battles in the court for decades, and none of them are good people. In the past, Shangguan Minzhi also scolded Doctor Yushi all the way. In recent years, he has rarely spoken because of his status, but it does not mean that his mouth is without fangs.

Concubine Rou endured it, she smiled, and said in a gentle voice: "Shangguan Lord can only pick up these words to make a fuss. We are also women, and His Highness Pingle is the head of the Inspection Department, so why can't I do it?"

"At least my sister didn't make so many false and wrongful cases." Li Chuan said in a calm voice, "Why are the ministers dissatisfied? Doesn't Concubine Rou reflect on herself?"

"She is in cahoots with you, so you naturally won't say bad things about them," Concubine Rou said in a cold tone, "Your Highness the Crown Prince said that I handled false cases. Do you have any evidence? If not, then you..."

"I have!"

Before Concubine Rou finished her words, a clear female voice came from the door. Pei Wenxuan turned his head immediately and saw a woman walking against the light in front of the hall and entering the hall.

Li Ming frowned as he saw Li Rong walking into the hall holding a scroll.

Everyone stared at her. She walked forward through the crowd and then calmly stopped in front of Li Ming. She bowed deeply and said respectfully, "I am your son, and I have seen you. Long live your father."

"What are you doing here?"

Li Ming opened his mouth subconsciously, but as soon as he finished speaking, he realized that his question was wrong.

No matter why Li Rong came, now that she appeared in the hall, she was out of his control.

He shouldn't have let her appear here, so he immediately said: "Without being summoned, you..."

"I, your son, come here to seek justice for myself, the court officials, and all the poor students in the world from the current Chief of the Inspection Department, Concubine Xiao Rou!"

Li Rong raised her voice abruptly without waiting for Li Ming to finish. Each word she spoke was sonorous and powerful, and every word landed with a resounding sound.

As he spoke, Li Rong raised the scroll in his hand and said, "Your Majesty, please make the decision for us."

Concubine Rou looked at Li Rong and suddenly became a little panicked, but she did not show it on her face. She pretended to be calm and stared at Li Rong.

Li Rong's words left Li Ming speechless. Li Ming looked at Li Rong coldly. After a long while, he spoke up and reminded her, "Pingle, you should rest in the mansion now."

"Father," Li Rong was not afraid of Li Ming's warning and said calmly, "Please invite the person who complained to me into the palace."

"You know I'm your father, and you still dare to teach me how to do things?"

"Your Majesty," Shangguan Xu said calmly, "Since Your Highness has sued Concubine Rou, Your Majesty, as a wise ruler, should first pay attention to this unjust case."

"Your Majesty, please summon the people involved in this case with Concubine Rou into the palace."

Most of the court officials spoke in unison. Li Ming stared at these officials who were forcing him. He clenched his fists and finally could only reply, "Announce."

After he finished speaking, officials related to the Shangguan family who were imprisoned by Concubine Rou entered the palace one after another. At the same time, some people from the Inspection Department came in with Shangguan Ya.

After they all settled down, Concubine Rou laughed and said, "The people who are making the complaint are those who have been found guilty?"

As she spoke, Concubine Rou slowly scanned Shangguan's people and said, "Pingle, Shangguan was really brave enough to frame and abuse her power for her people in order to save their lives."

"Your Majesty, do you think someone is framing you?" Li Rong smiled when she heard this. "Then," Li Rong moved aside and made way for the person kneeling behind her. "What about this person?"

After Li Rong stepped aside, a young man raised his head. The young man was square-faced and his eyes fell on Concubine Rou's face with a hint of anger in his eyes.

Concubine Rou looked at the young man, somewhat bewildered: "Who is this?"

"I am Chen Houzhao," the young man knelt on the ground and said loudly, "I am a candidate for the Qingcheng Examination in Yuzhou last year."

After hearing Chen Houzhao's name, Concubine Rou's face suddenly changed. After a moment, she hurriedly asked, "So it's you? I have been looking for you everywhere in the palace but couldn't find you. Are you here today because of someone's coercion?"

Concubine Rou took the initiative and tried to attribute everything Chen Houzhao said to Li Rong's coercion.

When Chen Houzhao heard her words, he laughed sarcastically: "Madam, what can I be threatened by? Even if someone can force me here, can they force your cousin Xiao Shunwen to take my place in the Spring Examination?"

Li Ming's face changed slightly. He looked at Concubine Rou calmly. Concubine Rou pretended to be calm and said, "When I was investigating the case in the Department of Science before, I couldn't find any trace of you. If you have any grievances, why didn't you file a complaint earlier? Why did you come here today and tell these unfounded stories?"

"No reason?" Chen Houzhao was suddenly agitated. "Do you know how I studied so hard for more than 20 years? Do you know how many clothes my mother washed and how many times she damaged her eyes to support my studies? My family's hopes depended on me, and Xiao Shunwen and Xiao Pingzhang, that bastard, stole my identity, my test papers, and my more than 20 years! How dare you tell me today that no reason?!"

"Master Chen, you don't have to get excited first," Concubine Rou saw that Chen Houzhao was so angry that he could not control himself, and hurriedly comforted him, "I just want to confirm the facts, you don't have to worry about it. If there is really an injustice, why do you have to make such a fuss? You just need to speak frankly, and I will never show favoritism and will definitely give you justice!"

"Justice?" Chen Houzhao sneered, "The justice you want to give me is to have people gather information about me and hunt me down, hoping that I will never come back to life, so that this case will never come up again?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?!"

"Don't you know what you have done? You lied that I died of illness in Huajing and threatened my mother with my brother's future, so that my mother would not come to Huajing to continue investigating my case. The letter in which you promised to recommend my brother as someone else's aide is still here," Chen Houzhao pulled out a piece of letter paper from his sleeve, "Are you still trying to make excuses?"

"I know," Concubine Rou turned to look at Li Ming when she heard this, "Your Majesty, they want to frame me. The evidence they used today is all fabricated. They are all trying to harm me! Chen Houzhao disappeared after he filed a complaint in Pingle. If I wanted to harm him, why would I have to track down his whereabouts and argue with Pingle?"

"Your Majesty," Pei Wenxuan spoke slowly. Everyone looked at him, and then they saw Pei Wenxuan stepping out from the crowd of ministers and said respectfully, "I think that Concubine Rou is wrongly accused."

Hearing Pei Wenxuan speak for her, Concubine Rou immediately looked at Pei Wenxuan with hope. Pei Wenxuan analyzed and spoke: "Since His Royal Highness Prince Su took over the position of the Supervisory Office to investigate and handle cases, Concubine Rou has assisted him in seeking justice for hundreds of students and enforcing the law impartially, which is praised by the world. How could he bend the law for personal gain and protect his blood relatives? I think this case needs to be reviewed further, and innocent people should not be wrongly accused."

"Yes," Concubine Rou followed Pei Wenxuan's words, looked at Li Ming, and said seriously, "Your Majesty, how much effort have I put into the imperial examination? How could I betray your Majesty's trust just to protect a few distant relatives?"

Li Ming said nothing, he looked up at Li Rong.

Li Rong was kneeling on the ground. Although she was kneeling, her whole body was straight and she was looking at him with clear eyes, without any humility that a person kneeling on the ground should have.

"Then I will let Your Majesty see the third group of people who filed the complaint."

As Li Rong spoke, she placed the scroll on the ground. She raised her hand and let the scroll roll to the side. The long scroll spread out, revealing names that were both familiar and unfamiliar.

"The third group of people who filed complaints are the victims of the cases investigated by Concubine Rou. Concubine Rou said that she spent a lot of effort on this case and handled it impartially. Then I would like to ask Concubine Rou, since you enforce the law impartially," the scroll finally stopped, covering half the width of the hall. Li Rong looked up at Concubine Rou, "then why did you use the threat of losing the qualification to participate in the Spring Examination to persuade these students to give up filing complaints?"

"Let the substitute go unpunished, and just give these students the places they should have taken in the Spring Examination," Li Rong said with a hint of sarcasm in her smile. "Is this what the Queen said, to be impartial and enforce the law?"

Concubine Rou was speechless for a moment. She looked at the name on the scroll in shock. Li Ming stared at the name on the scroll and clenched his fists.

Li Rong looked at the two people in the hall and kowtowed slowly: "Your Majesty, Concubine Rou was corrupt and accepted bribes, bent the law for personal gain, deliberately murdered people, and framed loyal officials. I also ask Your Majesty to arrest Concubine Rou and investigate her thoroughly, and punish her according to the law!"