Shen Shiqing's idea was actually very simple. She wanted to try to find a "scapegoat" for Chen Shouzhang, and it would be much easier to find one among the sycophants.

But she didn't expect that she would find a familiar face among those "scapegoats" the next day.

"Your Excellency, Xie Wenyuan, please see Your Majesty."

Shen Shiqing said nothing.

Seeing her always arrogant "father-in-law" kneeling on the ground, she couldn't think of what she should say for a moment.

Xie Wenyuan knelt on the ground wearing brand-new court clothes and did not dare to move.

He only heard a big eunuch asking above him: "You wrote this memorial that you think Chen Shouzhang deceived the world and stole his reputation?"

"Yes, he is a minor official! As an official of the imperial court, Chen Shouzhang should..."

The person in charge of asking the question glanced at "Emperor Zhao De"'s face and reminded him lightly:

"Uncle Xie, in front of the Emperor, if I don't ask you, please don't say anything."

Xie Wenyuan quickly shut his mouth.

Since he was dismissed from his official position by the late emperor ten years ago, he has become an embarrassing person in the capital who "cannot be seen without invitation". He obviously has a title, but the last time he met the emperor was at His Majesty's enthronement ceremony. At that ceremony, As an earl, he was relegated to a corner.

Because he had no actual position and could only hold on to the title left by his ancestors to support him, Ning'an Prince's Mansion was ranked at the bottom among the nobles of Yanjing, even worse than some of the new generals' mansions.

Year after year, he waited for an opportunity, waiting for an opportunity that would allow him to revive the Ning'an residence. He thought he could use Shen Shao's daughter to connect with Shen Shao's old colleagues, but he didn't expect Shen's daughter was simply stupid. Apart from writing and drawing, she only read books. She didn't even learn half of her father's intelligence, let alone socialize with others. Instead, he wasted several years. In the past few years, eunuch Zhang He was so powerful that he was privately called the "Emperor Tiger". He wanted to join him, but before he could find a way out, Zhang Wan was beheaded by His Majesty. He had no choice but to find another way. Last year, His Majesty conquered Western University. Victory, he suddenly understood, if he wanted to win the eyes of His Majesty, he still had to rely on military merit to establish his career. It happened that his brother-in-law Feng Youqi had made military achievements, and he also hoped that the other party could support him.

It was just a matter of changing a wife for his second son. In Xie Wenyuan's eyes, this matter was simply not worth mentioning.

Of course, Xie Wenyuan will not only count on Feng Youqi's path. No one like him wants to go up. The best thing to do is to figure out His Majesty's thoughts.

This time Chen Shouzhang presented the memorial, His Majesty was furious. He thought for a long time at home and felt that Chen Shouzhang would definitely die. But the most wonderful thing about this timing was not only that, no civil servants in the court from the cabinet level down wanted Chen Shouzhang to die. He wanted to persuade His Majesty to be a benevolent king. At this time, he submitted a petition to kill Chen Shouzhang, so that he could show his difference and win His Majesty's favor.

Sure enough, less than two days after the memorial was handed over, he thanked Wenyuan and got the chance to meet the saint again exactly ten years later!

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Xie Wenyuan tightened his dry throat and waited for His Majesty to ask questions. He immediately expressed his loyalty.

Everyone in the court wants Chen Shouzhang to live. As long as he agrees with His Majesty, Chen Shouzhang must die! It’s not just Chen Shouzhang. As long as the former glory of Ning’an Mansion can be restored, whoever Your Majesty wants to die will be killed by His Majesty. knife!

In just a few breaths, it seemed like countless years had passed. The young emperor sitting behind the case suddenly let out a chuckle:

"Your memorial says that Chen Shouzhang's crime of deceiving the world and stealing his name is deceiving the emperor. How did he deceive the emperor?"

"Yes, His Majesty's Northern Expedition and Western Conquests have been successful for a long time, which is the great luck of Yong Dynasty. As a fellow magistrate of Dengzhou Prefecture, Chen Shouzhang actually made unreasonable comments on military and state affairs. He was just trying to gain fame. But in this way, His Majesty was placed in a dangerous position. Where? He actually harmed His Majesty’s prestige in order to seek his own false reputation, and his heart is worthy of death..."

Xie Wenyuan spoke impassionedly to the smooth stone bricks of Chaohua Garden for a while, wishing he could dig out His Majesty's heart and let him know how loyal he is.

There was a soft sound of water leaking, and then there was the sound of putting down the pen.

Xie Wenyuan stopped suddenly.

He remembered again what the eunuch Yiji said just now. He couldn't say anything the emperor didn't ask.

Behind the desk, Shen Shiqing stood up.

After entering this body for a few days, she gradually got used to looking down at others and looking at the tops of their heads.

"Xie Wenyuan."

"I'm here."

"Just now, which foot did you enter the palace door first?"

Xie Wenyuan was stunned. After thinking for a moment, he lowered his head and said, "My lord, you probably entered the palace gate with your left foot first."

"Really?" Emperor Zhaode, who was known to be moody, slowly walked around the table with his hands behind his back, "You have to think clearly, if you say something wrong, you are deceiving the emperor."

Lowering her head slightly, Shen Shiqing playfully repeated what Xie Wenyuan said: "His heart can be punished."

Uncontrollably, Xie Wenyuan's body began to tremble.

Cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Chen...Chen...maybe it's the right foot."

"If you really have the right foot, your last sentence is to deceive the emperor. His heart is worthy of death."

Shen Shiqing's eyes glanced at Xie Wenyuan's trembling arms, and he almost fell to the ground.

For no reason, Shen Shiqing thought of the annual New Year banquet in Ning'an House. No matter how stretched it was, the slow-cooked squirrel meat in Ning'an House's family banquet was indispensable. At the end of the year, Datong squirrel was served in Yanjing. It can be sold for hundreds of taels of silver each. Ning'an Bofu will use a huge soup bowl to put the slow-cooked soup in it, and the aroma will be strong.

In fact, there is only one yellow rat inside, and as the head of the family, Xie Wenyuan always enjoys it alone.

Because of her filial piety, Shen Shiqing only attended the annual banquet in the second year after marrying Ning'an Bo. That year, Ning'an Bo's three-year-old son made a fuss about eating the yellow squirrel, and he was smiling just now. Xie Wenyuan, who was saying auspicious words, suddenly changed his expression and asked his servants to take his grandson away from the annual banquet.

"You can only take it if I give it. If I don't give it, everything in this house is mine. You can't take it. Do you understand?"

Before that, Shen Shiqing's impression of Xie Wenyuan was mostly gentle and polite. That was the first time she saw him so "majestic".

Sixteen-year-old Shen Shiqing still had a naive inquisitive mind. She thought for a long time and couldn't figure out why Xie Wenyuan lost his temper with her three-year-old grandson just for a bite to eat.

Twenty-two-year-old Shen Shiqing already understood.

Because Xie Wenyuan could do it, he did it. Others were unable to resist or refute. This is power.

Just like at this moment, Xie Wenyuan is no better than a three-year-old child in front of the imperial power.

"Your Majesty, I..." Xie Wenyuan tried hard to keep his thighs from shaking, but his inner clothes were already soaked in such a short period of time.

"I don't remember!"

"Since you don't remember, aren't you deceiving me with the two sentences above? Do you have two heads for me to chop off? Do you have two hearts for me to kill?"

The fragrance of sweet-scented osmanthus filled the Chaohua Garden. Looking up at the high, blue sky outside the door, Shen Shiqing couldn't help but take a deep breath.

She learned something more.

There is no greater authority in the world than being the emperor.

"Chen, Chen..." Xie Wenyuan couldn't breathe, his vision went dark, and he fainted on the ground.

Shen Shiqing watched him being dragged down indifferently. She was just asking him from a more authoritative position. This self-proclaimed Ning Anbo was really worse than a three-year-old child.

Using the flesh and blood of others as a way to advance to the next level, and using other people's lives to show that you are unworthy, Xie Wenyuan did this seven years ago, but Shen Shao was already dead at that time, and Chen Shouzhang is still alive now. It's his turn His own wealth and life were being threatened, and he really had no integrity at all.

Such a person, used as a scapegoat for Chen Shouzhang, would definitely not be qualified in the eyes of Emperor Zhaode.

Shen Shiqing shook her head in disappointment:

"Ning'an Bo Xie Wenyuan failed to behave before the emperor, so he was imprisoned and asked to be questioned by Dali Temple, and he was replaced by another one."

Yiji looked at the cold expression on his prince's face, and while going to visit him, he secretly noted in his mind that he had just stepped out of the palace door, using his right foot first.


Chapter completed!