"I earnestly request Your Majesty to arrest Concubine Rou and conduct a thorough investigation, and bring her to justice according to the law."

"I earnestly request that Your Majesty arrest Concubine Rou, conduct a thorough investigation, and bring her to justice."

"Your Majesty, I earnestly request that Concubine Rou be detained and thoroughly investigated, and that she be punished according to the law!"

As soon as Li Rong finished speaking, officials immediately knelt down and spoke one after another.

From the noble families that Concubine Rou had offended to ordinary poor students.

Li Ming looked at the officials kneeling on the ground, from noble and humble families, civil and military officials of the Manchu court, and only Su Rongqing and Pei Wenxuan were left standing.

Pei Wenxuan glanced at Su Rongqing, who looked away indifferently. After their eyes met in mid-air for a moment, he asked Li Ming to speak slowly: "My dear Su and my dear Pei, why don't you kneel?"

Hearing this, Su Minzhi and Pei Lixian both raised their heads and looked at the two people standing there.

After a brief standoff with the elders, they both knelt down and said, "I second your motion. I earnestly request that Your Majesty arrest Concubine Rou and conduct a thorough investigation, and punish her according to the law."

Li Ming listened to these words, he looked at the civil and military officials in the court quietly, after a long time, he chuckled and said: "Okay."

His eyes fell on Li Rong: "Very good."

"You all forced me to do this," Li Ming raised his hand, pointed at everyone, and suddenly pushed everything on the table to the ground: "You all forced me to do this!"

"Father," Li Rong said calmly, "We are not forcing you. If Concubine Rou had not done these things, no one could do anything to her. But since Concubine Rou has done it, you should know that the law is long and narrow, and nothing can escape it." Li Rong raised her eyes and looked at Concubine Rou standing next to Li Ming, "Sooner or later, this day will come."

"You are the emperor, your majesty," Li Rong raised his hands and placed them on his knees, then stood up. "You are connected to the people, and you should set an example, not be partial to others, and not bend the law. I know that you favor Concubine Rou, but the imperial examinations are your life's work. Do you really want to destroy the justice that these hundreds of loyal students deserve, destroy the Great Xia Dynasty, and destroy your reputation in history books for the sake of a woman? If you still favor her today, how will my Li ancestors see you, how will the court officials see you, how will the people of the world see you, and how will the history books write about you thousands of years later?"

"Your Majesty," Li Rong did not call him 'father'. She was like a civil official who was ready to die for his advice. "I am a son and a minister. I cannot watch you bear this name that will be cursed for eternity. Please enforce the law impartially," Li Rong knelt on one knee and raised her hand in front of him. "Immediately detain him in prison for strict investigation!"

Li Ming did not speak. He clenched his fists tightly. Fu Lai looked at the court officials, then at Li Ming, and said with some concern: "Your Majesty..."

Hearing Fulai's call, Li Ming looked at the man who had grown up with him. He saw the worry in Fulai's eyes. After a long time, he finally closed his eyes and said, "Someone come."

"Your Majesty?!" Concubine Rou turned her head and looked at Li Ming, shocked, "You don't believe me?"

"Someone come!" Li Ming didn't dare to look at Concubine Rou, and shouted, "Take Concubine Rou away and send her to prison. This case is..."

"Your Majesty," Wang Houmin suddenly spoke, "Your Highness Pingle founded the Inspection Office and made great contributions, but was framed by Concubine Rou, who said that Your Highness murdered student Chen Houzhao. Now that Chen Houzhao is alive, Your Highness Pingle has been vindicated. Not to mention being rewarded, you should not be punished either. I ask Your Highness Pingle to return to the Inspection Office and thoroughly investigate Concubine Rou's case!"

Wang Houmin spoke and the whole audience fell silent.

Li Ming glanced at everyone and asked, "You all mean this?"

"I have no objection." Everyone answered in unison. Li Ming smiled and said, "Good, I have a good daughter."

Li Ming raised his hands and clapped his hands: "Very good, very smart."

After hearing what Li Ming said, Li Rong knelt on the ground and bowed, "Thank you, father."

Li Ming felt a severe headache as he listened to Li Rong's words. He forced himself to stand up and said, "Since you have all made up your mind, what else do you need me to do? Let's leave the court."

As he spoke, Li Ming walked down the stairs.

His head started to hurt badly, and Fulai hurried forward to support Li Ming.

Walking down from the platform, Li Ming stopped when he and Li Rong passed each other.

He raised his eyes to look at Li Rong, and Li Rong looked back at him without showing any weakness.

She saw the beads of sweat on Li Ming's forehead, and also saw the cold yet somewhat sad look in the father's eyes.

She was silent for a long time, and finally took a step back: "Your Highness, I respectfully bid you farewell."

Li Ming closed his eyes, chuckled, shook his head, and walked out.

Li Rong and Li Chuan looked at Li Ming's back together. He was trying his best to support himself. Everyone could see that he wanted to walk more gracefully without losing his imperial dignity.

But he couldn't do it.

He is old.

The illness gnawed at his body and will. No matter how hard he tried, he was already an old man defeated by time.

Pei Wenxuan glanced over and saw that Li Rong and Li Chuan both had a hint of sadness in their eyes, mixed with an unspeakable sorrow hidden deep inside.

But Li Chuan was young after all, and all his emotions were exposed more vividly, while Li Rong's eyes were like a pool of stagnant water, without a single ripple.

But it was because of Li Chuan's presence that Pei Wenxuan, as if revealing all her inner thoughts to others, clearly realized that at this moment, Li Rong, as a son, would have all the disappointment, sadness, and pity she would have.

Li Ming's figure disappeared in front of the imperial gate.

Li Rong finally came to her senses. She looked up at Concubine Rou on the platform and said coldly, "Someone, take down the criminal Xiao Rou!"

The soldier heard what Li Rong said and trotted forward. When he was about to touch Concubine Rou, Concubine Rou shouted, "Don't touch me!"

After finishing speaking, Concubine Rou flicked her sleeves, stepped forward, and said coldly: "I can walk by myself."

Knowing that the situation was hopeless, Concubine Rou did not put up much resistance. She was surrounded by soldiers and taken away.

After Concubine Rou left, Li Rong thanked the court officials one by one. When they finally came to Su Rongqing, there was no one left in the hall. Li Rong looked at him, put his hands in front of him, smiled and said, "I thought Lord Su would not help me."

Su Rongqing didn't say anything. He bowed and then left in silence.

"It's not too late to turn back now."

Li Rong suddenly reminded him. Su Rongqing had his back to Li Rong. He stood for a moment and said in a low voice, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. Rongqing appreciates it."

After Su Rongqing finished speaking, he walked away.

Pei Wenxuan walked behind Li Rong and said calmly, "Your Highness is very generous."

Li Rong turned around and smiled: "If I can avoid being an enemy, I still don't want to be an enemy."

"You don't mind if I kill you?"

"I am more tolerant of four types of people." Li Rong tapped her palms with a small fan and walked out with Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan looked over and heard Li Rong smile, "Rich, powerful, talented, and beautiful."

"Then you must be extremely tolerant towards Su Rongqing." Pei Wenxuan smiled, but Li Rong could hear some displeasure in his tone.

Li Rong squinted at him and poked him with her fan: "No matter how tolerant I am, I can't be as tolerant as I am to you."

"Oh?" Pei Wenxuan turned to look at her, "In your heart, he can be compared with me?"

"Tsk," Li Rong waved her hands, "It's no fun if you do that."

Pei Wenxuan smiled, and he and Li Rong walked down the stairs together.

The two people were very close to each other. Under their feet was a vast plain, and in front of them was a towering palace gate. Li Rong held a fan in one hand, and Pei Wenxuan held a tablet in the other. The two of them tacitly freed their hands from each other, and while their clothes were rubbing against each other, Pei Wenxuan gently held her hand.

"Li Rong," Pei Wenxuan said softly, "I have always been with you."

Li Rong turned to look at him. Pei Wenxuan saw the doubt in her eyes. He turned to look at her and said lightly: "I have always loved you."

Li Rong showed a look of disgust: "Oh, disgusting."

Pei Wenxuan didn't say anything. He looked at the smile melting in her eyes, smiling widely.

Li Rong understood that this was Pei Wenxuan's consolation.

If a person walks on a dark road for a long time without someone to help him, he will no longer be able to see the light.

She slowly calmed down her expression and said softly, "I thought you would think I'm happy."

"How come?"

"I am in your heart," the wind gently brushed Li Rong's hair, "haven't I always been a woman who covets power? Now that Concubine Rou is in custody, you should be happy."

"But are you happy?" Pei Wenxuan asked her directly. Li Rong paused for a moment, then she said slowly, "What's there to be happy about when people fight against each other?"

"Maybe I would have felt happy before," Li Rong looked into the distance as the two of them left the palace together, "but after going through so many things, I feel that killing someone like Concubine Rou is not a good thing. What should be really good is that there is no one like Concubine Rou."

"I'm not much more noble than Concubine Rou," Li Rong smiled bitterly, "I'm just from a better family than her."

"Your Highness, please have mercy on her. This is out of your own kindness," Pei Wenxuan nodded gently. "Most people in this world suffer. Only a small number of people can do evil."

"If everyone uses their miserable origins as an excuse to do evil, then there will be no more reason to restrain people's hearts in this world. Your Highness," Pei Wenxuan looked up at her and said seriously, "the contempt for evil is the praise for good."

"But am I kind?" Li Rong thought it was a little ridiculous.

“You can be good.”

Pei Wenxuan replied calmly: "The goodness of holding a sword."

The wind blew from far away, making the hems of clothes rustle. The palms of the two people holding each other were the only warmth in this cold.

At this time, Concubine Rou had already arrived in Yu's study.

Li Ming had someone bring Concubine Rou to the study room. As soon as Concubine Rou entered the room, she saw Li Ming lying on the couch. His headache seemed to have come back, and his face turned pale. Fulai knelt beside him and rubbed his head. When he heard Concubine Rou coming in, Li Ming raised his eyes reluctantly and saw the woman he had doted on for most of his life kneeling quietly in front of him.

"Come here."

Li Ming looked at Concubine Rou and raised his hand, then waved at her and spoke weakly.

Concubine Rou followed his orders and moved forward. As soon as she stopped in front of the couch, Li Ming raised his hand and slapped her without warning, knocking her to the ground, "Bitch!"

Li Ming shouted, "You are a hopeless piece of rotten clay, a bastard from a pigsty! Have you never seen money?"

Li Ming had a severe headache, and the more he got angry, the more irritated he became. Looking at the woman lying on the ground, he panted softly, "I spent so much effort to put you in this position. I told you so many times not to have any contact with anyone except the family I gave you. Look at the good things you have done now..."

Li Ming pointed at Concubine Rou and trembled as he spoke: "Just for such a small amount of money, just for such a small amount of silver, you have ruined half of my life's work! Xiao Rou," Li Ming gritted his teeth, "you are courting death!"