The queen is sober in the world, and she is winning every step of the palace fight.

The emperor was so angry that he laughed.

"Oh, then according to you, after I think it over, what should I do?"

Lu Guinian confidently replied, clasping his hands and bowing, "Your Majesty, I believe that, according to the Empress Dowager's previous advice, it would be appropriate to send Consort Zhao out of the palace and settle down accordingly. She has been blessed with great favor for so many days. From now on, she will be accompanied by the ancient Buddha and pray for the blessings of Daliang day and night. This is her good fortune!"

"Your Majesty, after sending Concubine Zhao away, please treat the other concubines equally and refrain from favoring any one person over the other. Ministers should not speak rashly about matters concerning the harem, but matters concerning the king's inner chambers also concern the nation and the family. Your Majesty, please restrain yourself, uphold propriety, and prioritize the greater good!"

The emperor saw that the veins on his forehead were bulging.

He pursed his lips, as if he wanted to curse, but he forced himself to hold it back.

A nearby court official fanned the flames, pretending to offer counsel: "Your Majesty, please calm down. Lord Lu is just like that. He speaks his mind freely. Your Majesty is very tolerant, so please don't take it personally. Furthermore, Lord Lu has toiled day and night on the Jiangnan work-for-relief initiative, fulfilling his duty of supervising all officials, and even finding time to offer advice and counsel on matters concerning the harem. He is truly a good minister!"

However, it confirmed Lu Guinian's arrogance in being dissatisfied with his favorite concubine and forcing the king to abandon his beloved concubine.

It also implies that he is meddling in everything and overreaching.

The emperor said sarcastically, "Yes, Lord Lu, you are truly a good minister!"

Concubine Qing coughed weakly twice to bring the topic back.

She whispered, "I'm sorry to have overstepped my bounds. Since Your Majesty is discussing Concubine Zhao and the events of last night with the others, why don't you please rest for a moment and suspend the discussion? First, review the records of the Palace Justice Department's interrogation last night. Once Your Majesty has made a decision on the next steps, I can inform them."

The emperor then ordered the interrogation records to be taken.

He sneered, "Have you found out what illegal things Concubine Zhao has done?"

Imperial Concubine Qing took the thick stack of records from the palace maid. They included the interrogations of Fei Wan, Imperial Concubine Yue, and all the palace maids. They were densely packed with neat, small characters, and each sheet was filled to the brim.

As she handed the papers to the emperor, she replied, "Apart from the confession of the palace maid, we haven't found any other coherent confessions, nor any witnesses or physical evidence. The Palace Justice Department is still investigating."

Without making a sound, Concubine Qing placed the piece of paper recording the conversation between Fei Wan and Concubine Yue on top.

The font on this piece of paper was slightly larger, with wider spacing, making it more comfortable to read. After the emperor quickly flipped through it, he naturally picked up the paper and read it.

"...possessing the virtues of a concubine. But this is not enough, because we are not ordinary women, but the emperor's women. Our hearts should be like your majesty's, filled with the nine provinces and mountains and rivers, and our eyes should see the suffering of all living beings..."

These words were the first to catch the emperor's eye.

He was shocked.

Thinking of Zhaoqing's gentle and delicate appearance, I really didn't expect that she would have such insight.

And then she said, "Jealousy and anger...honor and glory...are all fleeting. What matters most is that we can help His Majesty settle down in the palace, help him become a wise ruler, and ensure peace and prosperity for our country, Daliang..."

This moved the emperor even more.

She couldn't help but think of that time when he took her to the side hall to look at the map of mountains and rivers and talked with her about his life ambitions.

It turns out that Zhaoqing remembered it all in her heart!

Even when he was imprisoned, he never forgot her and appealed to Concubine Yue's feelings and reason.

Most women in the palace had two or even more faces. The emperor, who had grown up in the inner palace, knew them all. So he knew that even if they entered the Palace Administration Office, the concubines would still act out their roles.

However, even if Zhaoqing was really acting, the words she said were something that other concubines in the palace could not say!

Besides, she is not good at acting!

At this moment, the emperor felt a little guilty.

It was just because of some things these days that he became wary of Fei Wan.

However, Fei Wan is still so innocent and still thinking about him.

"Lu Guinian, look for yourself!"

The emperor threw the record directly in Lu Guinian's face.

Lu Guinian pulled the paper away from his face, stretched out his hand and glanced through it, unable to help showing a look of astonishment.

His brows furrowed in confusion.

It was as if I had seen something unbelievable.

Seeing his surprised expression, the emperor seemed to feel very happy.

Zhao Qing's profound understanding of justice is the best response to Lu Guinian's memorial!

"Lord Lu, what do you think?"

The emperor leaned back on the Coiled Dragon Chair with a smile on his face, his expression and posture very relaxed.

Wait and see the turtle get humiliated.

Lu Guinian frowned and pondered for a moment, then spoke cautiously, "Your Majesty, if Concubine Zhao truly means what she says, it would be a blessing for the harem and for Daliang. But I'm afraid..."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid she's deliberately using sweet words to deceive His Majesty."

The emperor looked displeased.

This Lu Guinian is really stubborn!

His arrogance was very useful in dealing with those old guys in the court, but when it came to dealing with Zhao Qing... he was really just bored.

Has the matter in Jiangnan been settled? Has he finished all the important work? But he keeps staring at my harem!

Concubine Qing observed the expressions and spoke at the right time.

Explain to Lu Guinian on behalf of the emperor.

"This lady is probably unaware of the rules of the Palace Administration Office. During interrogations, the recorder is always present, but once outside the interrogation area, any conversation recorded is a secret. This is the rule of the torture chamber; it's not easily shared with others. Concubine Zhao was unaware of this. So when she spoke these words to Concubine Yue, she had no idea they would be recorded and relayed to the emperor. Perhaps these words were exactly what she was thinking."

Several court officials nearby were very curious about what was written on the paper.

What did Concubine Zhao say?

But Lu Guinian returned the paper to the imperial desk without showing it to them.

But then Lu Guinian said, "What Concubine Qing said makes sense. However, we still have to wait for the results of the investigation. It's not appropriate to jump to conclusions at this time."

Concubine Qing nodded, coughed a few times, and said weakly, "Your Excellency, please be cautious. That's right. Concubine Zhao is currently being tortured in the torture chamber. The Empress Dowager has personally issued an imperial decree ordering a thorough investigation. They will definitely get to the bottom of this matter and give an explanation to Your Majesty and the innocent heir apparent. However, until the matter is fully clarified, I ask that you refrain from discussing it with others."

"I understand." Lu Guinian bowed.

The others also bowed and promised to keep secret what they heard and saw today and not to talk about the affairs of the palace.

However, the emperor's face darkened.

"Concubine Zhao was tortured? When did it happen?"