Peach Blossom.

"I am Shen Yan, the Queen of Chengzong, and Shen Hui, the Queen of Xiaozong." Shen Yan stood upright and stared at Chen Ji carefully, but could not help but smile again:

"Your Majesty asked Minister Chen to perform this act today, isn't it just to let the world know that Princess Si Rong's biological mother not only served two brothers alone, but was also a murderer! How can the princess become the queen when her biological mother has a bad reputation? In this way, Your Majesty can push your beloved Tao Ye to the position of queen."

"I cooperated with you to finish singing this play. Is the emperor satisfied?" Shen Yan smiled with her eyes curved, and the sarcasm in her smile became more and more obvious.

For a moment, all kinds of emotions intertwined, and Si Rong didn't know whether to look at Shen Yan or Chen Ji.

"I don't understand what you are saying." Chen Ji turned his back, as if he didn't dare to face Si Rong's gaze.

Secretary Chen came between Chen Ji and Shen Yan and smiled at Shen Yan: "Boss Shen, you were invited here today as a suspect. If you are sure of the crime you committed, please sign it."

"That's not possible." Shen Yan smiled faintly and shook her head slightly.

Secretary Chen had to ask: "Why not?"

Shen Yan smiled and said, "I would like to ask you, sir, when you convict me according to the law, are you following the law from 20 years ago or the law today?"

Secretary Chen thought about it for a while, but couldn't give an answer immediately.

"Twenty years ago, today's laws had not yet been formulated. I think you cannot convict an old case according to today's laws. But if we follow the laws of twenty years ago, the court has changed. Will the laws of twenty years ago still be valid?" After saying this, Shen Yan couldn't help but cover her face and laughed.

Secretary Chen said coldly: "Regardless of the new or old laws, killing someone means paying with one's life is human nature."

Shen Yan's expression remained the same as before, and she said softly, "Whether it is the new or old laws, it is said that those above the third rank cannot be sentenced lightly, and life and death must be decided by the emperor himself. I am the mother-in-law of the current emperor, so I cannot be considered below the third rank, right?"

Secretary Chen had no choice but to shut up.

"If you want someone to be notorious and spread widely, what's the murder of a Taifu's wife and daughter?" Shen Yan smiled and turned her face towards Chen Ji, walking closer and closer: "Why don't we look at the murder of Emperor Xiaozong of the previous dynasty... I have witnesses and evidence in my hands! The interrogation will definitely be much more shocking than this, right?"

Chen Ji and Shen Yan looked at each other, feeling extremely angry but unable to show it on their faces.

Suddenly, Shen Yan reached out and lifted up Chen Ji's bangs, pretending to be surprised and asked, "Hey, why are there two little centipedes on the emperor's head?"

Chen Ji dodged quickly, but Chen Liang, Chen Chong, Chen Mi, Chen Wei, Chen Xin, Shang Yun and others all glanced at Chen Ji's forehead, showing surprise to varying degrees.

With a clang, Chen Ji drew his sword from its sheath.

With another bang, Si Rong flew over and kicked the sword in Chen Ji's hand away.

"You knew she was my biological mother, yet you still dared to draw your sword?" Si Rong glared at Chen Ji and rebuked him harshly.

Chen Ji looked at Si Rong without saying anything, but he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

He hated the two scars on his forehead. The shape of the scars was so disgusting that even he felt sick when he saw it in the mirror. Those scars were given to him by Shen Yan, but he was humiliated by Shen Yan in public. How could he let it go?

"Shen Yan, the eldest daughter of Grand Tutor Shen Meng, pretended to be the legitimate daughter Shen Hui, deceived her superiors and subordinates, and was disrespectful to me many times. I pardon her death sentence out of consideration for her being my mother-in-law. From today on, she is confined to the Shen family's inner house and is not allowed to leave without my permission. All her property will be confiscated, and Meixiang Pavilion will be sealed up. All the men and women under Meixiang Pavilion will be taken into the palace as slaves."

"Congratulations, Your Majesty. We were unable to demolish the Meixiang Pavilion last time, but we finally did this time." Shen Yan smiled and made a congratulatory gesture towards Chen Ji.

Si Rong looked at Shen Yan and asked coldly, "How can you laugh?"

When Shen Yan heard Si Rong's voice, she gradually stopped smiling. She turned around and looked at Si Rong, lowering her head unnaturally. She explained with a guilty tone, "I just want you to see the true face of your husband. He is not worthy of your attachment. I hope you will leave him and find another good match."

"I don't even know whether my biological mother is dead or alive, so how could I care about what my husband looks like?" Si Rong stared at Shen Yan with a smile on her face but tears welling up in her eyes.

Such eyes, such tears, such questions, instantly pierced Shen Yan's heart like a sharp sword. Shen Yan's eyes were filled with tears unconsciously, but she didn't know what to say: "I'm sorry... Rong'er..."

"Don't call me that! You don't deserve it!" Si Rong couldn't help but roar, but the sudden increase in volume caused her chest to ache.

She didn't want to see anyone here anymore, so she turned and ran down the mountain.

"Rong'er..." Chen Ji saw it and raised his foot to leave.

"emperor!"

Chen Ji turned around and saw that the person who called him was Chen Chong.

Chen Chong walked over and bowed to Chen Ji. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. Now that things have come to this, I have to ask you a question. Do you really want to deny Princess Si Rong the right to be the empress because of Shen's misconduct today?"

Chen Ji did not answer, but his face darkened.

Asking this kind of question at this time is really irrelevant.

Secretary Chen acted like a peacemaker. He walked a few steps to Chen Chong's side and said with a smile, "Master, I think it would be better to discuss this important matter in the hall during the morning court session."

"I think you can still handle interrogations easily even if you leave the government office." Chen Chong said a few words, leaving Secretary Chen speechless.

Chen Chong bowed to Chen Ji again, without even looking at Chen Ji's expression, and just asked, "Your Majesty, I am anxious and cannot wait until tomorrow morning. Please give me an answer now."

"What if I don't want to answer now?" Chen Ji didn't look Chen Chong in the eye, and his tone was extremely arrogant.

Chen Chong seemed to have a fire burning in her chest, and she didn't even care about the etiquette between the emperor and his subjects: "Your Majesty, do you not want to answer? Or do you dare not answer?"

Chen Ji stared at Chen Chong in astonishment.

Chen Chong looked at Chen Ji and said confidently, "As everyone knows, Princess Si Rong has been separated from her biological mother since she was young, and her moral character has not been influenced by Shen Shi at all. If the emperor uses Shen Shi's faults as an excuse to replace the Empress, not only me, but also the people of the world will not accept it."

Secretary Chen smiled and continued, "Master, I'm afraid that people in the world may not think the same way as you do. How can everyone know that the princess was separated from her mother when she was young?"

"Don't call me 'mentor', I don't have a student like you!" Chen Chong turned around and pointed at Chen Mi, scolding him harshly: "You deliberately damaged Princess Si Rong's reputation in order to cover up the scandal of a brothel girl! Let me tell you, no matter how much a princess's reputation is affected, she is still a princess, and no matter how much a singing girl is praised, she is still a singing girl!"

"Prince Ding is wrong. The nobler one's birth is, the less one can tolerate any stigma." Secretary Chen continued with a smile.

Chen Chong sneered and said calmly: "For someone with such a bad reputation, she will never be noble! Even if she wears a phoenix crown, she is still a lowly person!"

"How dare you!" Chen Ji's face suddenly turned pale, and he suddenly roared: "Who allowed you to say that about her?"

"There are many people who belittle Tao behind the emperor's back. The only difference between me and them is that I said it to his face! Today, I am not the only one who wants to ask for an answer. Who among my colleagues present does not want to ask for an answer? The left prime minister and General Shang are more anxious than me!" Chen Chong walked back to Chen Liang without changing his expression: "Left prime minister, why don't you say anything?"

Seeing what happened today, Chen Liang was already in a state of confusion, but when he looked up and saw the anger on Chen Ji's face that was about to explode, how could he dare to say anything?

"What did you say when you asked me to sign the memorial that day?" Chen Chong looked at Chen Liang and asked word by word, "Didn't you say that the emperor has been doing more and more willful things since he ascended the throne? He willfully reformed the official system, dismantled and rebuilt the army, and now he wants to replace the empress based on his own preferences! Tao was born in a humble family and deceived the emperor. She will definitely become a disaster for the Chen State in the future. Isn't this what you said?"

"Prince Ding..." Chen Liang was so nervous that he didn't know what to do. He could only whisper: "Stop talking..."

"Why don't you tell me? You and I have both been through life and death, and have followed the old Lord for decades. It's not easy to see the vast mountains and rivers we have today! If you don't stop me, do you really want to watch the State of Chen fall into the hands of a woman?"

The sky was drizzling and small raindrops began to fall.

Chen Liang frowned. When he mentioned the old county lord, he felt mixed emotions, but he didn't know how to start.

"Say it! The old duke's spirit in heaven is watching us!" Chen Chong urged. A flash of lightning flashed across the sky, and the rumbling thunder was getting closer and closer.

Chen Ji also looked at Chen Liang, and saw the sweat on Chen Liang's temples mixed with the raindrops as big as beans, passing by the corners of Chen Liang's eyes and falling down.

Chen Jiqing knew that those were not tears, but he deliberately asked: "Uncle, if you have something to say, just say it. Why are you crying?"

"I..." Chen Liang stammered. Looking at Chen Ji, Chen Chong, and other officials and civilians present, it seemed so difficult for him to speak.

Gradually, tears seemed to well up in Chen Liang's eyes. He lowered his head and answered Chen Ji's words: "Old minister... Old minister has become obsessed with growing vegetables in recent years, so... I reclaimed a piece of wasteland in the backyard..."

At this point, Chen Liang raised his head, tears welled up in his eyes, and his expression was so distressed: "I work diligently every day, but the weeds keep growing faster than the vegetables!"

After saying this, Chen Liang couldn't help but cover his face and burst into tears.

Chen Ji could no longer bear it, and slashed his sword between Chen Liang and Chen Chong, and asked sternly: "Who is the weed and who is the vegetable?"

Chen Liang didn't answer, but just shook his head with tears in his eyes.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, soaking everyone. The wind blew through the branches, making a rustling sound. The king and his ministers stood facing each other, and no one held an umbrella.

"Stop making indirect accusations here!" Chen Ji sneered, and the tip of his sword passed in front of Chen Liang, Chen Chong, Shang Yun and everyone else, and said righteously: "You want an answer, right? I will tell you clearly today that I want to make Tao Ye the queen! Don't talk to me about fame or the country! There is no other reason for me to make her the queen, it's just because I like her! The woman I love the most must be married in a formal way! Since it is a formal marriage, she must be the queen!"

"I don't agree!" Chen Chong also roared loudly.

The heavy rain had soaked them all, and their clothes were sticking to them, but they all stood straight, solemn and dignified.

Chen Ji wiped the rain off his face with one hand to make his vision clearer. He pointed his sword at Chen Chong and said with disdain: "If you don't agree, what can you do?"

Chen Chong lost her mind in an instant, drew the sword at her waist, turned around and stabbed Chen Mi in the chest.

Secretary Chen shouted, and Chen Liang, Chen Xin, Chen Wei, Shang Yun, Shen Meng, Shen Yan and others were all startled.

"A treacherous villain!"

Chen Chong roared, and then the sword was taken back. Blood spurted out and was washed red by the rain.

Chen Ji gnashed his teeth and gave an order: "Prince Ding actually killed someone blatantly in front of me, arrest him!"

Zhao Bi received the order and rushed over with his guards and controlled Chen Chong.

"Your Majesty, either execute me, or I will oppose to the end!" Chen Chong had his arms held by the guards, but he was still eager to roar at Chen Ji.

"I will never accept any threats!" Chen Ji closed the scabbard, turned his back, and slowly left the group of people.