Ye Qingxue said, "This humble woman does not know what crime she has committed."
"You don't know?" The emperor's anger intensified. "You yourself have done something, and you don't even know it?"
Ye Qingxue remained kneeling on the ground, silently indicating that she truly did not know.
The emperor asked, "Is it true that you forced your mother to hang herself, and even helped her?"
Ye Qingxue: "Your Majesty, this is indeed true."
The emperor thought that her calm demeanor and her claim of not knowing what crime she had committed would surely lead her to deny forcing her birth mother to hang herself, but she actually confessed.
"That's your mother. It's one thing for you to be unfilial as her child, but you even drove her to hang herself. Ye Qingxue, how vicious you are!"
The emperor then asked, "Did you cut off Ye Xiaowei's arm and set fire to his courtyard?"
Ye Qingxue replied, "It was I who did it."
The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly. In the less than ten hours since last night, he had truly begun to look at Ye Qingxue with newfound respect.
At first I thought she was all talk and no action, then I thought she was just as capable as any man, and now I think she's heartless and treacherous.
Because she had no respect in her heart, she was fearless and could even call for the killing of her own mother and her closest uncle!
The emperor seemed heartbroken, his eyes suddenly reddening, and he choked out, "As the daughter of the Marquis of Loyalty and Valor, and having just made great contributions, I have high hopes for you. How could you disappoint me like this?"
To Ye Qingxue's surprise, the emperor actually wiped away a tear.
Are these tears shed for her?
No wonder it is widely rumored that he is a benevolent monarch.
The emperor slowly sat back in his chair, looking down at Ye Qingxue with the gaze of someone looking at an uncultured wild beast, as if he could drag her out and behead her as soon as her crime was confirmed.
When he spoke again, his voice was much calmer and colder: "I heard that a couple of days ago you had a disagreement with your younger sister at home. When the old nanny next to your sister tried to persuade you, you killed that old nanny. Do you admit to this?"
Ye Qingxue: "I admit it."
She admitted it! She actually admitted it!
The emperor stayed up very late last night because of Wei Jingtong's corruption. When he got up early this morning, he learned that Lord Min was outside requesting an audience, saying that he had something important to discuss and had been waiting all night. He immediately summoned him.
Unexpectedly, Lord Min came because of the reward Ye Qingxue received last night. He said Ye Qingxue was unworthy of it and revealed everything Ye Qingxue had done after returning to the Marquis's mansion.
The emperor initially didn't believe it; it was simply a fantasy. No matter how ruthless Ye Qingxue was, she couldn't possibly have murdered her mother and uncle.
Ye Qingxue saved the entire population of Qingfeng Town, as well as Princess Rongqing! She was the one who spoke of restoring a peaceful and prosperous Great Zhou Dynasty to its people! How could she commit such a heinous act?
However, Lord Min is a relative of the Marquis's family, and unless he truly understands the affairs of the Marquis's household, he would never dare to speak recklessly.
Moreover, Lord Min said, "I should not bring such matters of the inner quarters to Your Majesty's attention, but Ye Qingxue is so vicious, and her deeds are too numerous to count. It is hard to guarantee that they will not be spread. And Your Majesty has rewarded her. Wouldn't that tarnish Your Majesty's illustrious reputation?"
That makes sense.
The emperor closed his eyes, and when he opened them again a few breaths later, the pain in his eyes was gone, replaced by murderous intent.
He leaned forward slightly, staring intently down at Ye Qingxue: "Since you admit to all three things, do you now acknowledge your guilt?"
"Forcing his mother to hang herself is the greatest act of filial impiety! Cutting off his second uncle's arm and burning down his courtyard are also acts of filial impiety! He beats and kills the nanny who serves his own sister without any mercy!"
"Ye Qingxue, you are outrageous and your crimes are heinous and deserving of the death penalty. Do you plead guilty now?"
The emperor's power was fully unleashed, and the powerful pressure pressed directly against Ye Qingxue's face, almost making her unable to breathe.
At this moment, Ye Qingxue gained a deeper understanding of the emperor before her.
He might actually cry when an ant is stepped on, but that doesn't stop him from personally crushing the ant to death.
For a fleeting moment, Ye Qingxue wanted to tell the emperor all the evil deeds of the Marquis's mansion, so that the emperor would know that everything the people of the Marquis's mansion had suffered was their just punishment.
But what happens after she finishes speaking? Will the emperor believe her? Even Lady Zhou, who has lived in the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion for many years, doesn't believe that Lady Min is doing evil in every way. How could the emperor, who is in charge of all affairs of the country, believe her one-sided story when she can't provide any evidence?
The Emperor believed so easily about Wei Jingtong's embezzlement and her saving Princess Rongqing, not because of her powerful words, but because Pan Yuanzhou and the Prince Yu and his wife had already spoken on her behalf before she entered the palace.
An accusation without evidence is a frame-up!
It's useless to her and will only push her into a disadvantageous situation.
"Your Majesty, although I did all these things, I do not believe I am guilty. They are the ones who are truly guilty. Heaven has not taken them, so I had no choice but to do it myself."
The emperor's anger surged again: "What did you say? Raise your head, look me in the eyes, and say it again."
Ye Qingxue's long, thick eyelashes trembled a few times, as if she had made up her mind. Suddenly, she raised her eyes and met the emperor's gaze.
Her eyes were like glaciers, clear and cold, yet incredibly resilient.
The emperor roared, "You say you won't confess? Do you think that just because I gave you a reward last night, you can act recklessly in front of me? Since I could give away the reward last night, I can take it back!"
Hearing this, Huaifu trembled and quickly leaned close to the emperor's ear, whispering, "Your Majesty, the news of your reward to Miss Ye last night has spread throughout the capital. Everyone is praising your wisdom."
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