After reading my mind, Daddy, why don't you smile?

"Pass on my decree. Considering the past merits of Qi Delong and his son, they will be spared from lingchi (a form of torture) and beheaded on the spot. The 100,000 troops under their command will be temporarily handed over to Deputy General Han Qi for command. The three clans of the Qi family will be executed as a warning to others. If anyone dares to commit the same offense again in the future, take this as a warning!"

After the court was dismissed, the ministers filed out of the Golden Palace.

"Alas, the Qi family is finished now. If the emperor gets angry, corpses will float a hundred steps away."

"I don't know what Qi Dongqiang was thinking. He was so bold that he tried to murder your majesty's grandson, and I heard he wanted to shoot Princess Cheng Qian. His death was well deserved!"

"I heard that today is the wedding day of that thief Qi Dongqiang. Now the wedding has become a funeral. No, in her situation, who would dare to hold a funeral for her?"

"Ah? Married? Which man married her?"

"Don't you know? He is a newly appointed official in the Ministry of Revenue. He is very handsome. It is said that he has a close relationship with Princess Chengqian and Shangguan Taishi. The marriage was arranged by Shangguan Taishi. After much difficulty in marrying off this virgin girl, she turned her kindness into enmity and kidnapped her precious daughter. No wonder Shangguan Taishi won't let her go..."

"This young official is very lucky that he has not yet married, otherwise he would have been implicated and beheaded."

"Who says it isn't?"

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Zhao Ying and Shangguan Shu were left behind. Emperor Jianxi held Shangguan Qingyue in his arms and listened to her bragging, "Oh, Yue'er is so powerful that she became the military advisor of the pig monsters?"

"Yeah, that's nothing. I even took down Daddy's flag!"

Emperor Jianxi looked at Shangguan Shu. Shangguan Shu gave a dry smile. Emperor Jianxi then laughed out loud, "Hahahahahaha, you are worthy of being my grandson!"

Emperor Jianxi enjoyed some family happiness and then began to discuss business with Zhao Ying and Shangguan Shu.

"The prince sent a secret letter saying that he had finally found Queen Xiaomin and is now on his way back. He will arrive in the capital soon."

Zhao Ying was pleasantly surprised, "Really? Is the Queen Mother really coming back?"

Emperor Jianxi nodded with a smile, "Yes, Cong'er said in the letter that he wanted your mother to write a few words, but your mother hasn't written for many years and said she has forgotten how to write."

Zhao Ying blushed when she heard this. It was all their fault...

Shangguan Shu listened at the side, curling his lips imperceptibly. He was still in a trance, and couldn't believe that Empress Xiaomin was still alive. What was even more bizarre was that Empress Xiaomin was killed by Zhao Ying and Zhao Cong with a cannon...

Apart from anything else, he felt somewhat sympathetic towards Emperor Jianxi.

Then he thought again, damn, how dare he still have the nerve to sympathize with others?

Wasn’t he dethroned by his own daughter?

We are both the same miserable fathers...

"I have called you here to discuss with you how to make the news that Queen Xiaomin is not dead known to the public!"

Queen Hyomin had announced to the public that she had passed away. Now that she has been resurrected, she must give an explanation to the people and officials.

Shangguan Shu was the most experienced in this regard. Back then, he used stories about gods and ghosts to create a scene of a spirit boy and a princess praying for blessings to win the trust of the people.

And this incident was caused by his woman, so of course he has the responsibility to help her get rid of the trouble.

Shangguan Shu reported back, apparently having already thought of a solution.

"Your Majesty, please be strict. I have been dreaming about Queen Xiaomin recently, so I want to go to the Ailing Mausoleum where Queen Xiaomin is buried to pay my respects."

"Oh?" Emperor Jianxi straightened his posture. "Runzhi, tell me what happens after the worship?"

"Before the worship, your majesty only needs to find a good monk. On the day of the worship, in front of all the civil and military officials, he should tell your majesty that your dream is a sign that Empress Xiaomin will return soon. God is grateful for the relationship between your majesty and Empress Xiaomin, so he allowed Empress Xiaomin to come back to accompany your majesty!"

"Then when should my mother appear? How should she appear?"

Shangguan Shu smiled faintly, "Don't worry, Your Highness. If Your Majesty and Your Highness don't give up, I can find someone to pretend to be Queen Xiaomin and make her fly over. Then your words will be very credible!"

Emperor Jianxi was surprised and asked, "Who can fly on the clouds?"

Zhao Ying pursed her lips and said coldly, "You don't mean the pig demon that often goes to your Zhenguo Mansion, do you?"

Shangguan Shu smiled suddenly, "That's right!"

Zhao Ying: How could you think of that!

Emperor Jianxi also suddenly remembered the pig monster in the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. He didn't care about it and was just pretending. However, he was not sure whether the pig monster could be obedient.

Emperor Jianxi asked truthfully, but Shangguan Shu looked at Shangguan Qingyue who was beside Emperor Jianxi and said with a smile, "Whether the pig demon is obedient or not, you have to ask Yue'er..."

Everyone reacted quickly and looked at Shangguan Qingyue with a smile. Shangguan Qingyue raised his chin proudly and heard Zhao Ying say, "Yue'er, just help the emperor's grandfather!"

The little guy patted his chest and said, "Let Yue'er take care of the pig demon!"

The three adults smiled when they heard this.

Emperor Jianxi said, "Then let's do as you say!"

The family of three went back.

On the way, Zhao Ying handed Shangguan Qingyue to Nanny Li and took Shangguan Shu aside to talk.

"Ying'er, what's the matter?" Shangguan Shu's tone was a little expectant, as if he was expecting her to say something to him.

Zhao Ying asked in a low voice, "Shangguan Shu, what do you think of the matter you told me last time about the Crown Prince?"

A trace of disappointment flashed across Shangguan Shu's eyes, but it was fleeting.

He said sternly, "Don't worry about this. I understand that even for your situation, the Eastern Palace cannot fall. Moreover, Empress Xiaomin has not passed away. One day, her own son will ascend the throne, and the position of the Queen Mother will be honorable enough."

"It's just..." Shangguan Shu was a little worried.

"Just what?"

"The country is back on track... Ying'er, can you really bear to see the emperor's kingdom fall into the wrong hands? After all, Zhao Cong has no blood relationship with you..."

Zhao Ying was silent for a moment, then shook his head.

Shangguan Shu understood what Zhao Ying meant in an instant, "I understand."

"Since this is what you want, I will naturally follow your wishes. Tomorrow at midnight, you can ask Shao Yihui to go to Yumang Mountain to pick them up. I will have someone send the wet nurse and child there in advance."

Zhao Ying was puzzled, "Why did it have to be Shao Yihui?"

"To be honest, after what happened with Qi Dongqiang, I'm not going to reuse him anymore. I don't trust him!"

Shangguan Shu smiled faintly, "You worry too much. Shao Yihui is not the person who doesn't distinguish between gratitude and resentment as you think. After thinking about it, I still think that it is more appropriate for Shao Yihui to be by your side."

"This matter concerns the fate of our country and society, and we cannot afford to be careless in the slightest."

Zhao Ying looked at Shangguan Shu deeply. Shangguan Shu did not avoid her gaze at all. His pair of dark eyes stared at Zhao Ying without blinking, as if he wanted to suck her in.

Finally, in his sight, Zhao Ying nodded.

Shangguan Shu smiled gently.