I, who disguised myself as a woman, turned out to be a queen! ?

Chapter 1234 The Empress is Terrifying When She's Angry

When Ruyu heard Xia Fengxiang call her, she immediately went to the courtyard. Since she was no longer the deputy commander, she naturally didn't wear that leather armor anymore and changed into a close-fitting outfit, which looked a bit tight, but it suited her quite well.

But Xia Fengxiang just couldn't stand it. He made you stop being the deputy commander, and now you're not even wearing your clothes properly?!
People thought you were really not going to be the deputy commander anymore.

So I immediately said, "You're so fat, and you're still wearing clothes like that. Go back to your old clothes."

Then Yan Ruyu summoned all the officials from the Dali Temple and other departments, as well as their deputies, to the Lingqi Pavilion.

Yan Ruyu felt wronged. Even though she had been bullied by His Majesty since she was a child, could you please put it another way? Everyone says I'm not fat, and I'm thinner than Sheyue.

Besides Ru Yu, Lu Cai was also called to bring Shen Yuanhao over.

It's not exactly late at night, but it's already the end of the Xu hour (7-9 PM), and we're about to enter the Hai hour (9-11 PM).

When the emperor issues a summons at this time, it must be something important, needing no further explanation.

The emperor is resting these two days, and will not be handling official business until tomorrow.

We should put aside worldly affairs and family matters, distant matters and immediate matters, and put everything else aside for now.

The officials kneeling on both sides of the passageway outside Lingqi Pavilion were naturally trembling with fear.

Everyone looked at each other, their faces filled with fear, and they were racking their brains to figure out what to say.

Inside the courtyard, Xunxia and the others arranged seats, leaving the five large boxes untouched, as they were already in the most conspicuous positions.

The first to arrive were Mu Xu and Xun Kuang. Mu Xu had drunk a few cups and smelled of alcohol.

However, when he passed through the passageway, the chief priest was also startled, wondering what kind of day it was and what so many people were doing here in the middle of the night.

especially.
The Huanglong Guards and Fengluan Guards stood beside these people, swords in hand.

Because of the presence of the two guards, even those officials who were familiar with Mu Xu and wanted to ask for his help dared not say anything and could only kneel there.

As a result, Mu Xu and Xun Kuang were no longer as casual as usual. After entering the courtyard and bowing respectfully, they looked at the boxes and began to feel puzzled.

But the emperor and empress remained silent, and naturally neither dared to ask any further questions.

The officials from the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, the Jingzhao Prefecture, and the Ministry of Personnel, just like Mu Xu, dared not say anything, only wondering what was going on.

Xia Fengxiang remained silent, simply sitting there watching them.

Even the Empress herself was standing to the side, holding a pen, seemingly unsure of what to write.

Su Chang'an only looked up when Su Ziyu and Wei Jiu arrived.

Su Ziyu was covered in sweat. He was already overweight, and he had run all the way here after learning from the palace gate that he was the last to arrive.

Even on a hot summer night, it wasn't much cooler, so after arriving at Lingqi Pavilion, Su Ziyu kept wiping away sweat after completing his greetings.

Seeing his second uncle like this, Su Chang'an said, "Please sit down."

Upon hearing this, everyone expressed their gratitude and then sat down.

just
They were all seasoned veterans of the officialdom, and they could sense that something was amiss.

Although the Empress looked at them as usual, His Majesty remained expressionless as always.

But in the past, the Empress would not have spoken; she would have simply sat to one side.

But today it is the Empress who has spoken.

Xun Kuang noticed this and lowered his head, deliberately shrinking his body.

But just as everyone sat down, Xia Fengxiang spoke up: "Did you see the officials kneeling outside?"

The people who had just sat down immediately stood up, bowed to Xia Fengxiang, and responded in unison, "Your Majesty, we have seen it."

Xia Fengxiang spoke up: "They all came to the Empress, begging her to intercede on their behalf."

Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback. What kind of situation was this? So many officials had made mistakes recently.
Su Chang'an smiled and said, "It's nothing serious. Please sit down and talk. Besides, I've had drinks prepared. I'm sorry to have disturbed your rest by calling you all here in the middle of the night."

Upon hearing the Empress's words, everyone bowed.

Then I thought about sitting down.

But he was still about to sit down.

The Emperor spoke up: "What they did was nothing more than a trivial matter; they were just helping Shen Yuanhao, whom we arrested yesterday, with his work."

What a bang!
Xun Kuang, who was at least a fourth-rank official, immediately stood up again, all looking at Xia Fengxiang with shocked expressions.

Shen Yuanhao was arrested yesterday, but everyone present knew exactly what he had done.

Do things for him
There are so many people outside, and many of them are wearing scarlet court robes, all working for Shen Yuanhao?

Is this a small matter?
Is this a small matter?

And all of this is for Shen Yuanhao?

Everyone lowered their heads, suddenly realizing why the emperor had summoned them to the palace late at night.

"Your Majesty. This..." Mu Xu hadn't drunk much to begin with, and he was already awake.

This old scholar could see it clearly: the majority of them were people transferred from other places to the capital. In other words...
Were they already under Shen Yuanhao's command when they took up their posts in other places?
Shen Yuanhao works for the King of Shu.

Some of these people were recommended by Mu Xu and others when he was a councilor.

Of course, among those people, there were also Su Wenqing, Wei Xuancheng, and many others who had recommended them.

Doesn't this just show that the seemingly repaired pool of water in the imperial court, though clear on the surface, is actually incredibly murky?
Different positions lead to different thoughts. For example, Dugu Ruyuan of the Dali Temple, Lu Qingxu, Minister of Justice, Li Endi, Vice Minister, and Luo Anxu of the Jingzhao Prefecture all kept their heads down and dared not raise their heads.

so many people
So many people!

The three government offices were there to investigate people, but they still couldn't find anything.

Although Su Ziyu had little to do with him, Wei Jiu kept his head down and dared not raise it. Since His Majesty returned to the capital, there had been quite a few incidents caused by the Ministry of Personnel's selection of officials.

And now there's still such a big one!
Looking at everyone's expressions, Su Chang'an smiled and said, "I called you all here not to blame you, so please have a seat."

Everyone looked at Su Chang'an, hesitant, because they were partly to blame for this, and there were too many of them!
It's not that I don't listen to Su Chang'an.

But the matter is like this.
How can you sit there?

Xia Fengxiang looked up at everyone and said, "The Empress invites you to sit."

Upon hearing this, even though none of the people dared to sit, they dared not stand after hearing the emperor speak like this, so they all hurriedly sat down.

Su Chang'an looked at Aunt Sun: "Aunt, tell those people outside to stay closer. The people in front are right outside the courtyard, so don't make them kneel."

Aunt Sun immediately went to take care of it.

The officials outside were very uneasy, because summoning Mu Xu and others clearly meant that they wanted to discuss how to deal with them.

But when everyone heard what Aunt Sun said, that the Empress wanted them to come to the front of the courtyard, they looked at each other and then stepped forward tremblingly.

Su Chang'an looked at them as they arrived at the door, smiled slightly, and said, "You want me to plead your case before His Majesty."

Upon hearing this, the crowd at the courtyard gate immediately knelt down.

Upon seeing this, the officials behind him also knelt down once more.

Su Chang'an continued, "Some say they were threatened by Shen Yuanhao, while others say they were set up, which is why they had no choice but to obey Shen Yuanhao." That's not right!

Inside the main hall, Mu Xu and the others looked at His Majesty, and then at the Empress.

It's as if the two people have switched places, with the empress who usually sits silently on the side now in charge.

His Majesty, who usually presided over the overall situation, said a few words and then remained silent.

Xun Kuang pursed his lips, then looked at the five large boxes, and then glanced at the officials outside, many of whom were peeking at the boxes.

Xun Kuang's heart skipped a beat.

Five boxes!

Su Chang'an said softly, "You want me to plead for you, but what have you all done?"

As soon as these words were spoken, someone outside the courtyard immediately spoke up: "Your Majesty, we did not do it voluntarily; we were all set up."

Su Chang'an countered, "So, you're right?"

Upon hearing the Empress's question, the official who had spoken paused for a moment, then began to ponder.

Su Chang'an spoke up: "Li Dayou."

"Chen is here!"

Immediately, Li Dayou rushed from outside the courtyard to the gate, but when he tried to come in, Zhou Qianhong stopped him with one hand at the gate.

Li Dayou, his head covered in sweat and feeling guilty, looked at Su Chang'an.

Su Chang'an said, "You think that woman's death has nothing to do with you?"

Li Dayou's lips were chapped as he looked at Su Chang'an. "Your Majesty, I... I didn't want her to die. She committed suicide because she couldn't think straight."

Su Chang'an said, "According to Shen Yuanhao's records, you wrote a letter to that woman, promising her that she could be your concubine, so that woman gave herself to you. But not only did you deceive her, but after your wife went to that woman's house and returned, that woman committed suicide by cutting her wrists."

Upon hearing this, Mu Xu and the others looked at Li Dayou with great surprise.

Li Dayou is known for being afraid of his wife and is very cautious in his actions, so how could something like this happen?

Li Dayou knelt on the ground, his forehead covered in even more sweat. Although he didn't kill him, he died because of him, and he couldn't escape responsibility for this matter no matter what.

In particular, he was an official in the Ministry of Rites.

If exposed, although it may be a minor offense, it will lead to disgrace and ruin, leaving one with nothing.

Su Chang'an ignored Li Dayou and instead glanced at Xiangluo and Linghua.

The two quickly took out another piece of evidence that they had stored in the box.

Su Chang'an looked at Mu Xu and the others in the hall: "These are pieces of evidence I picked up casually."

Evidence?

As everyone in the hall looked at Su Chang'an, their gazes all fell upon the five large boxes.

Xun Kuang gasped. It was indeed so—five large boxes, five pieces of incriminating evidence!
Su Chang'an looked at the letter in his hand, as well as a pair of blood-stained shoes and a rag doll in the box.

"The banquet," Su Chang'an said softly.

An official rushed to the courtyard gate and knelt down, saying, "Your subject is here."

As soon as he finished speaking, the old minister kowtowed heavily on the ground.

Su Chang'an said, "The higher-ups said that your son, after getting drunk, raped and murdered a girl who was helping her father sell cloth dolls. The girl was sixteen years old, and it happened in front of her father. Your son threw the body into the river, and the father was sent to prison. To prevent him from speaking out, they even cut out his tongue. When you found out, you immediately made your son escape back to his hometown and tried to settle the matter with money. But her father disagreed. Although you released the man, you also contacted the local government. But when the couple sold their land to go to the capital, you had them killed."

Upon hearing this, Lu Qingxu could no longer sit still and stood up, staring intently at Yan Hui.

This man is a senior official in the Ministry of Justice.

She works for the Ministry of Justice.

So, he committed such a heinous crime?
Yan Hui trembled all over, but when she looked up at Su Chang'an, she said, "Your Majesty...Your Majesty, my son didn't do that. I only found out later that the person who got my son drunk that day was arranged by Shen Yuanhao, and he deliberately led my son along the path that the father and daughter had taken, so..."

Su Chang'an looked at Yan Hui and interrupted him: "Did you kill anyone?"

"?" Yan Hui was stunned for a moment, but looking at the Empress, Yan Hui's lips moved, "We... Your Majesty, I was also framed. It was all Shen Yuanhao's doing. Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly."

At this point, Yan Hui clenched his fist: "Moreover, this old minister is fifty years old and has only one son. He was framed, and this old minister cannot send him to pay with his life. As for the couple, this old minister has tried his best to compensate them, but..."

At this point, Yan Hui kowtowed heavily, saying, "Your Majesty, I know I am guilty, but I beg you to investigate!"

Su Chang'an looked at Yan Hui: "Your son is an only child, so isn't that girl the only daughter of that couple?"

Yan Hui looked up at Su Chang'an.

Su Chang'an asked, "So, you were right to kill that couple?"

Yan swallowed hard, her lips slightly parted, but she didn't know how to speak.

Su Chang'an said, "Speak."

Su Chang'an spoke calmly.

But the moment Su Chang'an finished speaking!
Wow!
Everyone felt a cool breeze on this hot summer night.

Not only did everyone shiver, but some people saw that the ground seemed to have turned into water, but then returned to its original state.

Yan Hui looked at Su Chang'an: "Your subject."

Su Chang'an looked at Lu Qingxu: "Lord Lu."

"Your subject is here!" Lu Qingxu hurriedly stepped forward.

Su Chang'an looked at Lu Qingxu: "Is it a capital offense?"

Lu Qingxu didn't react immediately, but bowed respectfully: "According to the laws of the Great Xia Dynasty, anyone who intentionally kills another and premeditates the murder is guilty of the death penalty!"

Su Chang'an looked at Yan Hui: "Then go to hell."

boom!
Suddenly, the sword box beside Su Chang'an cracked open!

Among them, [Heartstring] flew directly towards Yan Hui, piercing through his chest and pinning him to the wall directly opposite Lingqi Pavilion.

Upon seeing this, Mu Xu and the others immediately stood up!
The officials outside the courtyard were so frightened that they quickly retreated, their faces filled with terror.

Su Chang'an said loudly, "I don't know what face you have to come to me, because no matter what the reason, you have done wrong, and in order to cover up, you have been following Shen Yuanhao's orders. In the end, you come to me to protect yourselves and ask me to plead for you."

"His Majesty is unwell, yet you don't care to come and disturb him at night, claiming you're here to see me. You're really willing to do anything to protect yourselves! Do you really think I'm easy to talk to?! But have you forgotten that I've killed quite a few people? And I do have a temper."

Su Chang'an laughed as he said this, "You've all taken lives and now you want to come to me to beg for mercy? Ha, you really don't care about any official ethics at all when it comes to protecting yourselves."

"That's fine, His Majesty isn't feeling well. Since you've come on your own, I'll take care of it. I'll even call people from the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Capital Prefecture, and have people from the Ministry of Personnel, the Imperial Academy, and the Censorate observe the proceedings. There's no need for others to interrogate you. Anyway, all the physical evidence is here. Since you think I can plead for you for your crimes, then I'll take charge of your case and we'll interrogate you right here."

At this point, Su Chang'an stood up and looked outside: "From now on, one piece of evidence, one name. Whoever's name is called, kneel down at the courtyard gate!"

hum!
As soon as he finished speaking, his heartstrings hummed, spinning on their own and inserting themselves into the very center of the courtyard.

Yan Hui's corpse then fell to the ground.

(End of this chapter)