He remarried after his mother's death, seized power over the world, and slept on the emperor�

Ji Chengyun felt a sudden, inexplicable panic.

He subconsciously released his grip on Su Wanqing's hand and took a step forward.

"……I……"

He wanted to explain, but found that he had no idea where to begin.

Jiang Bingning's gaze swept over Su Wanqing, who was soaking wet, and then fell back on Ji Chengyun's somewhat disheveled face.

She didn't press for details, but simply spoke calmly.

"If Your Highness is also wet, you should go back and change into clean clothes as soon as possible."

"So as not to catch a cold."

After saying that, she left without looking back.

Ji Chengyun stood frozen in place, watching Jiang Bingning's departing figure, his face full of confusion and anxiety.

Her indifferent attitude hurt him more than any questioning.

He glanced at Su Wanqing, who was still sobbing, and felt a surge of unease.

He instinctively wanted to personally escort her back to her courtyard, but when he thought of Jiang Bingning's cold eyes, he couldn't bring himself to take the step.

Finally, he turned to Chang Fu, who had followed him, and gave him instructions.

"Go and fetch a doctor, then take Miss Biao back to her room and take good care of her."

After saying that, he strode towards his own courtyard.

Su Wanqing saw all of this clearly.

She watched as Ji Chengyun sent a servant to deal with her, and watched his hurried departure.

That pitiful face turned into a dark and angry expression.

She twisted the handkerchief in her hand into pieces.

Jiang Bingning's steps were both quick and steady.

She left in such a hurry not entirely to avoid the awkwardness by the pool.

Just now, at the courtyard gate, Granny Zhang hurriedly came looking for me.

"Young lady, hurry! The Dowager Princess summons you urgently!"

Granny Zhang lowered her voice, her face unusually solemn.

"The old woman inquired quietly, and it seems something from the palace has arrived, specifically mentioning that it's related to you, young lady!"

Jiang Bingning felt a chill run down her spine.

The palace? Is it related to her?

Without a second thought, she rushed to the Dowager Empress's courtyard, only to stumble upon Ji Chengyun and Su Wanqing's "hero saves the beauty" drama on the way.

Jiang Bingning had a very deep impression of Su Wanqing.

Or rather, Jiang Bingning from her previous life had quite a few impressions of this young lady.

Back then, Jiang Yuerong often talked about it with her while she was at the Prince Xin's residence.

"Sister, you'd better stay away from that Su Wanqing! She's a shameless vixen!"

"She falls ill as soon as she arrives, cries constantly, and spends all day staring at the young master with those foxy eyes!"

"Shameless! Absolutely shameless!"

In her previous life, Su Wanqing indeed turned the Prince Xin's mansion upside down.

Relying on the Empress Dowager's favor, she openly and secretly brought soup and water to Ji Chengyun, showing concern and care, using every means at her disposal.

Jiang Yuerong regarded her as her number one rival in love, and the two fought like fighting cocks, creating countless laughs.

In the end, the Dowager Empress couldn't stand it anymore and married Su Wanqing off, which finally put an end to the matter.

Jiang Bingning clearly remembered that in her previous life, Ji Chengyun seemed to have never been interested in Su Wanqing.

But in this life...

Consort Lin, the biggest variable, is no longer here, and Jiang Yuerong is also gone. Who can say for sure?

Jiang Bingning paused slightly, then shook her head self-deprecatingly.

Who Ji Chengyun is with is none of her business.

Why think about these things?

Right now, the trouble with the Dowager Consort is the real issue she should be concerned about.

She gathered all her chaotic thoughts and quickly arrived at the courtyard of the Dowager Empress.

Before even entering the door, I could feel a wave of suppressed anger washing over me.

"Ice Condensation is here?"

The Dowager Empress's voice came from the inner room.

Jiang Bingning took a deep breath and went inside.

The atmosphere inside the room was gloomy.

The Dowager Empress sat upright in the main seat, her face ashen, the veins on the back of her hands bulging.

On the low table in front of her lay a bright yellow imperial edict.

"Come here, take a look at this." The Dowager Empress raised her chin.

Jiang Bingning stepped forward, her gaze falling on the memorial.

Leading the group were several officials from Lin Wei's faction.

Joint impeachment.

Impeach the Prince Xin's Mansion.

The memorial was extremely malicious, directly accusing the Prince Xin's mansion of "harboring Jiang Bingning, the daughter of a disgraced official of the Zhou Kingdom, harboring treacherous intentions and attempting to interfere in the internal affairs of my Northern Di!"

They even turned their criticism towards Jiang Bingning herself.

"...Using filial piety to deceive the public and gain fame, he is actually using the power of the Prince Xin's mansion to exonerate his guilty father. His intentions are despicable!"

The emperor's vermilion remark was at the end.

There was no statement of belief or disbelief, just a few simple words.

"Forward this message to the Prince's Palace, instructing him to present his defense."

That's how the ball was kicked back.

"This is outrageous!"

The Dowager Empress finally couldn't hold back and slammed her hand on the table, making the teacup vibrate.

"A bunch of despicable scoundrels who only know how to wag their tongues and talk big!"

"What do you mean by 'daughter of a disgraced official'? Your mother has already divorced the Jiang family!"

"What do you mean by using filial piety to mislead the public? Your reputation for filial piety is witnessed and passed down by the entire capital! Do they think the people are blind and deaf?!"

The Dowager Empress was so angry that her chest heaved.

"They're here for you, and also for our Prince Xin's Mansion!"

"Lin Wei! Jiang Chengxuan! What a brilliant move of working together from the inside and outside!"

Compared to the Dowager Empress's furious outburst, Jiang Bingning appeared unusually calm.

"Please calm down, Your Highness."

"They want to crush me with public opinion and bring down the Prince's Mansion, but they'll have to see if we take the bait."

"We also have pen holders."

The Dowager Empress was taken aback and looked at her.

Jiang Bingning calmly walked to the desk, picked up a sheet of plain white Xuan paper, and spread it out.

"Didn't they want us to defend ourselves?"

"Then let's have a good debate with them."

Without the slightest hesitation, she wrote with lightning speed.

"Firstly, my late mother, Lady Liu, had long ago divorced Jiang Chengxuan, the former envoy of the Zhou dynasty, with the Emperor's permission, and regained her freedom."

"Secondly: The word 'filial piety' originates from the heart and is manifested in actions. Bingning served her mother without daring to speak of filial piety, but the people of the capital were grateful and bestowed this honorary title upon her. This is what the people's hearts desire and what everyone can see."

Thirdly: Bing Ning is an orphan girl who was able to live under the protection of the Prince's Mansion. She usually stays at home and only seeks to serve her elders. How could she possibly have the power to interfere in the affairs of the court and the state?

The three arguments are all clear and logically sound.

She put down her pen and blew the ink dry.

"Your Highness, what do you think?"

The Dowager Empress looked at the powerful handwriting on the paper, her eyes gleaming with admiration.

"good!"

"Just hand it over like that!"

"I'd like to see what face those censors will have left to say after the emperor sees this!"

-----------------

The memorial was quickly submitted to the Emperor by Ji Yunhan himself.

The emperor read it, but simply kept the memorial.

Keep it in the middle and don't send it out.

This attitude itself is an attitude.

Lin Wei's faction's attack was like a punch thrown at cotton; not only did it fail to harm the Prince Xin's residence in the slightest, it also made the emperor somewhat displeased with their partisan tactics.

For a time, undercurrents were swirling in the imperial court.

Inside the Prince Xin's residence, however, all was calm.

And so, three days passed.

Just when everyone thought the matter was over, another storm suddenly broke out in the court.

This time, the one who launched the attack was another group of censors who were known for their integrity and uprightness.

The person they impeached was none other than Wang Kun's father, the Vice Minister of War, who had insulted Jiang Bingning at the tavern that day!