The princess regretted it.

The atmosphere in the imperial study was tense to the extreme, the air piercing with a chill. The palace was filled with the overwhelming pressure of the emperor. The eunuchs serving inside and outside the palace knelt on the ground, not daring to breathe.

I saw Lord Wang, the Minister of Justice, who was originally standing and kneeling in the center of the hall, now crawling on the ground, his body shaking constantly. Beside him, several memorials were scattered in disorder.

At the head of the table, Changsun Hongze's face was livid, his brows raised, and he stared intently at Wang Zhengxing, who lay sprawled below him. His eyes were blazing with rage, as if ready to erupt. The veins on his hands, resting on the imperial desk, bulged, and his chest heaved violently with rage.

"This is absolute nonsense, Wang Zhengxing, is this how you handle cases? You deserve to die!" Changsun Hongze's angry shout echoed in the imperial study, terrifying everyone.

Lord Wang lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to breathe. Beads of sweat covered his forehead, and his clothes were soaked with cold sweat. The eunuchs inside and outside the palace were even more silent.

"Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty, please calm down!" Wang Zhengxing replied tremblingly. "Your Majesty, when I received the news, I also felt that there were many suspicious points in this matter, and I suspected that there might be something else going on. However, since this matter involves the princess, I dare not make a decision on my own. That is why I came to report to Your Majesty. I dare not implicate Her Royal Highness! Your Majesty! Please give me a chance. I will do my best to investigate this matter thoroughly and give Your Majesty a satisfactory explanation."

It turned out that after Lord Wang entered the palace, before he could finish his words, Changsun Hongze, upon hearing the rumor, flew into a rage, snatching up the memorial from the imperial desk and hurling it at him. Wang Zhengxing didn't dare dodge and was struck head-on, his forehead bleeding. It was clear that the emperor's wrath was as fierce as a storm.

Zhang Sun Hongze glared at him and gritted his teeth, saying, "Investigate! Investigate thoroughly for me! I want to see who is so bold as to bring this upon my Jin'an! Wang Zhengxing, if you can't find out! Humph!"

Changsun Jiangze's final cold snort immediately instilled in Lord Wang a strong sense of murderous intent. He trembled with fear, blood trickling down his forehead, yet he dared not raise his hand to wipe it away. He kowtowed quickly, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm down. I will do my utmost to thoroughly investigate this matter and live up to your trust. If I cannot uncover the truth, I will accept the punishment."

Changsun Hongze snorted angrily, tossed his sleeves, and sat back on the throne, his expression still terribly gloomy. The atmosphere in the imperial study was so heavy it seemed as if water could drip out. No one dared to even breathe, fearing that this anger would be directed at them.

Lord Wang lay on the ground, not daring to move. After a long while, he heard Changsun Hongze's deep voice, carrying the pressure of an emperor, coming from the front of his head: "Wang Zhengxing, I will give you this chance again. Investigate this thoroughly and thoroughly. If you slack off again, I will take your head! Do you understand?"

Upon hearing this, Lord Wang felt his clothes once again soaked with cold sweat, sticking to his body with dampness, making him feel very uncomfortable. He kowtowed hurriedly and said, "Your humble servant obeys the command of Your Majesty!"

"Why don't you go and check it out! Are you waiting for me to send you away?" Changsun Hongze's angry voice sounded again like thunder, shaking the hearts of everyone in the imperial study.

Lord Wang kowtowed quickly and shouted, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. I will check it out right away!" After that, he stood up in a panic, bowed carefully, and backed out of the imperial study.

Standing outside the imperial study, Lord Wang breathed a sigh of relief and slowly looked up at the sky. At that moment, he felt as if he had walked through the gates of hell and come back alive.

Only then did he feel the stinging pain on his forehead. He pulled a handkerchief from his bosom and gently wiped the blood from his forehead. Suddenly, from the imperial study behind him, a teacup fell to the ground and shattered. Wang Zhengxing's spine stiffened with fear, as if enveloped by an invisible chill. He felt a piercing chill on his back. He didn't dare to linger any longer. Without hesitation, he quickened his pace and hurried out of the palace.

Inside the imperial study, Changsun Hongze's brows furrowed, his face gloomy, his anger raging like a raging fire. He harbored a suspicion: Could this be a collusion between the former imperial court and the imperial harem? This was a grave taboo for those in power, and it must not be tolerated.

He slowly closed his eyes, his hands at his sides lightly gripping the handles of his chair. He pondered for a moment, then addressed the kneeling figures below him, "Everyone, rise. Fuquan, quickly go and invite the Prime Minister into the palace."

Everyone obeyed the order and stood up, each taking their place. Eunuch Fuquan arranged for two young eunuchs on duty to go forward and clean up the floor, and then hurried to the Prime Minister's Mansion.

No one noticed that a young eunuch outside the imperial study quietly walked towards the harem.