She accidentally flirted with the villain and was fiercely criticized as the regent for forcibly mar

Grandma Honghua stepped forward and took his pulse: "He's exhausted and asleep."

Xin Yang pointed to the bloodstains that Jiang Ruining had just vomited: "Then why is there still blood being vomited?"

Grandma Honghua: "There's still some poison in her body, she'll have to vomit it out slowly. Take the medicine and keep it warm, she can drink it after she wakes up."

Everyone stared at her expression. When they saw that she didn't sigh or look like she was facing a great enemy, and when she finally let out a breath she had been holding, they all instinctively reached for something to hold onto. In their tension, their blood rushed to their heads, and they felt really dizzy!

They exchanged a glance and chuckled softly, "That was really scary!"

……

Beijing.

The residence of the Minister of Rites, Wen Jia.

Minister Wen alighted from the sedan chair and chatted with his favored son-in-law as they walked into the palace. He was deep in thought and did not notice the strange expressions on the faces of the guards at the gate. He had barely stepped inside when a loud bang came from behind him.

It's the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground or cracking.

Minister Wen's brow twitched. He turned around and saw that the plaque in front of the door had been taken down and casually thrown on the ground, cracked in the middle, with the gilded character "Li" split in two.

Before he could even utter a rebuke, his cold and stern face hardened, and he was kicked in the back of the knee, his knee slamming heavily onto the bluestone slab. The pain made him gasp for breath, and he didn't recover for a long time.

The next second, their hands were tied behind their backs, and the sound of the shackles clicking as they were locked rang in their ears. The father-in-law and son-in-law were pressed down firmly on the steps in front of the hall, unable to struggle!

Fearful cries, accompanied by the clanging of chains, came from the veranda.

They were members of the Wen family.

No one was angry or cursing because the one who kept babbling had already been slit across the throat.

After finally recovering from the excruciating pain, Minister Wen saw his wife, children, and elderly parents being stripped of their fine clothes, their hairpins and ornaments torn off, and their hands and feet shackled, looking like they were about to be imprisoned. How could he possibly maintain his noble and dignified image?

Anger surged to his head: "Insolence! This is the residence of a high-ranking official! Who gave you the audacity to run wild in my residence?!"

"Minister Wen has quite the airs of an official!"

A languid tone, tinged with a hint of wicked sneer, drifted from the front hall.

Minister Wen was startled; he knew that voice all too well!

Looking up, I saw a noble figure sitting imposingly in the main seat of the hall, holding a teacup in his hand. The scalding steam rose and swayed on the surface of the tea, enveloping his face, but it still couldn't hide the powerful aura and... ferocity surrounding him!

It's the Regent!

A flicker of panic flashed deep within the cunning eyes as he realized his meticulously planned betrayal had been exposed. A chill ran down his spine, and cold sweat broke out, instantly soaking his clothes.

But clinging to a sliver of hope, he feigned ignorance, his face a mask of suppressed grievance: "Your Highness! I have been loyal to you ever since you were made Crown Prince. What is the meaning of this?"

Xiao Che's leisurely tone carried a chilling undertone: "I only trusted you somewhat because you've served me for so many years, but you chose to betray my trust. You should have known this would be your fate!"

"For the sake of your past merits, I, the King, have come personally today to escort you to prison!"

Minister Wen felt as if an invisible hand had suddenly seized his heart. His soaked undergarment clung tightly to his body like a long chain wrapped around his chest, tightening and tightening until he could barely breathe: "What makes you say that, Your Highness?"

Shi An took out a jade pendant from his sleeve and held it in his hand: "Minister Wen, what do you think this means?"

When Minister Wen saw the jade pendant, a sharp thought immediately arose in his mind.

I understand... As expected, nothing can be hidden from the prince!

"I was forced into this situation! I am nearly fifty years old and have only one son. My son is quite successful. He passed the imperial examination at the age of twenty-two and served as a Jinshi. During his time in the countryside, he focused on the people's livelihood, worked to strengthen and enrich the people, and performed his duties diligently."

"Unexpectedly, the Cui faction harbored malicious intentions, scheming to exploit the people's livelihoods. In his desperation, he fell into their trap and committed the crime of confiscating his property and exterminating his clan. They used the lives of hundreds of members of the Wen clan as leverage to force me to assassinate the prince and frame the Minister of the Imperial Clan."

The Imperial Clan Court Minister, one of the Nine Ministers, was in charge of matters concerning the imperial family. He did not wield much real power in the court, but he enjoyed extremely high prestige within the imperial family.

The reason why the regent retained the title of Crown Prince Huide was because he mediated between them. His goal was to ensure that even if the young emperor had an heir, he would not be able to rightfully become the successor to the throne!

If he is eliminated, the regent's title of crown prince will likely be revoked soon.

At that time, the regent will not be "taking back" the throne, but rather plotting to usurp it, which will be illegitimate and unjust!

Minister Wen looked down on Cui Shengan, despising him and his cronies for only seeking power and wealth for themselves.

"If it were just me, with only this one household, I would simply die! But I have no right to decide the fate of the entire clan, young and old. I am truly... forced into this situation!"

Betrayal was not my intention.

But as long as the betrayal goes undetected, the Wen family is like a knife, silently pressed against the Regent's back, ready to kill him at the crucial moment and thus gain great merit before the new master.

Not only will the Wen family escape confiscation of their property and extermination, but they will also be granted titles and high-ranking positions!

Faced with these two choices, anyone would have made the same decision as him.

Xiao Che's cold laugh was filled with unparalleled disgust: "So you're saying you were forced into this situation!"

"If your son has truly been framed, just find a way to let me know, and I'll cooperate with you in staging a defection, and secretly find evidence of your son's treachery!"

Minister Wen's eyes, which were filled with injustice, suddenly changed, as if frozen.

Xiao Che's tone was icy: "If you and your son were truly loyal, why would I abandon you?"

"It's not that you lacked a chance, nor were you truly forced into it; rather, you knew I trusted you, and you were confident enough to succeed in the assassination so you could claim a great achievement before your new master!"

"Wen Yunliang, you've been by my side for eleven years. You should understand better than anyone that as long as I have the power to protect you and your son, you should also understand that what I despise most is a hypocrite like you!"

The dark thoughts deep in Wen Shangshu's heart were exposed, and fine cracks appeared on his cunning face, which quickly spread in all directions. Finally, unable to withstand the heavy pressure of a wisp of stuffy wind, he collapsed into fragments all over the ground and completely collapsed.

Xiao Che stood up, walked to his side, and smiled faintly: "Your son has chosen a new master for you. It's a pity that your new master couldn't see your abilities."

What new master?

Wen Yunliang was momentarily bewildered.

But having spent thirty years navigating the treacherous waters of the court, he quickly grasped the meaning behind those words.

The son was not accidentally tricked by the Cui family, but deliberately tricked in order to force him to rebel against the regent!

Because his son knew that his father valued him as his only son above all else and dared not take any risks. He would definitely betray him for his sake. He also knew that Cui Shengan had his own trusted group, and even if he defected, he would not become a key figure. He would not be willing to accept that.

But the betrayal has already begun. At that point, the son won't even need much persuasion. Just tell him to switch allegiance to the new master, and he'll have earned merit by following the emperor's lead...

He really is his good son; he guessed his thoughts perfectly!

But he failed to focus the Regent's thoughts and methods on the most important aspects of his actions!