Accidentally dressed as an empress

Late at night, in the Neishi Mansion Yamen, after Gu Zezhi's men finished their shift, Li Xian walked up to Li Ying, "Auntie," Li Xian called softly.

Li Ying turned her head away and didn't look at her. She said, "Who is your aunt? I am not your aunt."

Li Xian said gently, "Aunt, I know you have resentment in your heart. I am doing this for the Li family."

"Don't try that on me. Do you take me for a fool?" Li Ying glared at her.

Li Xian sighed and pulled out a stack of visiting cards from his sleeve. "Aunt, this is the list of noble families the concierge gave us. Please present it to His Majesty. If we want to protect the Li family, we have no choice but to report to His Majesty that other noble families are involved in this matter and ask you to place officials there."

Li Xian continued to persuade her, "Aunt, just say that I deliberately set a trap for you, hoping to eliminate the chronic disease in the court for Your Majesty."

Li Ying looked a little bewildered. He took the stack of visiting cards and said to Li Xian, "Gu Zezhi can see through my lies in one go."

"Gu Zezhi also has no evidence to prove that this is not your intention."

"But, what you said... is it feasible? Will His Majesty believe my one-sided statement..." Li Ying hesitated.

Li Xian interrupted her, "If we want to save the Li family, this is the only way." What her aunt did gave others a handle, and this was the only solution she could think of.

Li Ying hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "Okay, let's do as you say. Let's give out more people and implicate everyone. The law doesn't punish everyone. Her Majesty can't punish everyone in the court, civil and military."

Li Xian didn't know whether she was right or wrong. After this incident, how should she continue to enforce the law impartially?

..............................

It was just dawn, and people hadn't fully woken up yet. However, thick smoke and flames billowed from a government office in Lingyun City, shattering the morning tranquility.

The people around were awakened from their sleep, "Oh no! The Supreme Court is on fire!"

People hurriedly drew water from the well and rushed to the government office to put out the fire.

Heat waves rolled in, the air was filled with the smell of burning, and red flames devoured everything, dyeing the Supreme Court Office the same golden red as the morning glow.

In this way, time passed minute by minute, and the fire was finally suppressed. The smoke gradually dissipated, revealing ruins on the ground. The bark of the two ancient trees was also burnt into charcoal.

At exactly 1 a.m., the sun rose and hung in the east when the fire in the Supreme Court was finally put out.

When Gu Zezhi heard his subordinates report this, people had already arrived at the Nei Shi Mansion. He wanted to take Li Ying away and bring her into the palace.

Li Xian looked tired from staying up all night. He looked at Gu Zezhi and said, "Master Gu, please."

"Lord Li should have heard that the Supreme Court caught fire and the case files were burned." Gu Zezhi said to Li Xian.

"Why did it suddenly catch fire?"

Li Xian had a paralyzed face, but at this moment his eyes widened slightly, and his surprised expression did not seem fake.

Gu Zezhi was silent for a long time, then looked at Li Xian deeply and said meaningfully, "This fire is really at the perfect time."

Li Xian frowned and fell into thought.

Could it be that my mother had someone set fire to the Imperial Court? In this way, my mother would have burned down the entire corruption investigation, regardless of whether it was a false or injustice case, and put an end to it all, leaving no evidence.

This is simply a case of trying to cover up one's own mistake!

Li Xian exhaled a breath of foul air and couldn't help but wonder, can she still protect the Li family?

At the exact time of Si, Gu Zezhi brought Li Ying into the palace. Aunt Fang led him to the study in Yunji Palace, where His Majesty was reviewing bamboo slips.

Entering the study, the two of them came to the desk of His Majesty. Li Ying suddenly knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I, Li Ying, pay my respects to you."

Just as Gu Zezhi was about to speak, Li Ying spoke up, "Your Majesty has ordered me to compile a list of official vacancies. Many aristocratic families are looking to fill them. This is the list I have compiled. Please review it, Your Majesty."

Good heavens, Gu Zezhi discovered that he had been severely tricked by the old and young foxes of the Li family.

Aunt Fang took the stack of visiting cards and presented them to Yun Se's desk.

Li Ying was obviously avoiding the main point. Yun Se had already read Gu Zezhi's report, so how could she be easily deceived by her words?

Yun Se was concentrating on reading the bamboo slips, not even glancing at Li Ying. He said, "Yes, you have made meritorious service while serving your sentence."

Gu Zezhi knelt and said, "Your Majesty, the Supreme Court investigated the case in a rough and crude manner, forcing confessions under torture. Many officials are crying out for justice."

He paused, "Just this morning, there was a fire in the Supreme Court."

Gu Zezhi glanced at Li Ying who was kneeling on the ground. He couldn't handle the fox in front of him, but could he not handle the fox that was losing its composure and showing its tail?

Yun Se raised his eyes and said in a cold voice, "Who is so bold as to burn down the Supreme Court? Is there someone with a guilty conscience?"

Sweat began to form on Li Ying's forehead.

Yun Se said, "Gu Zezhi, go and investigate this matter thoroughly."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Yun Se slowly rolled up the bamboo slips and said, "Li Ying and Li Min will be dismissed from their posts first. Once the facts are clarified, their sentences will be determined. The noble families who intended to buy official positions will be exiled from Lingyun City."

Li Ying suddenly lost his temper, his body tilted and he fell to the ground.

...............................

(The following is a reader request, a day with Her Majesty, and does not affect the plot.)

At the beginning of the Mao hour (five in the morning), Yun Se opened her eyes and woke up on the bed in Juanshu Palace. Yi Yuan was still sleeping beside her. Yun Se stroked her lower abdomen and leaned over to kiss Yi Yuan.

Yun Se got up from the bed, asked for water to wash up, and then a group of servants came into the bedroom to change her clothes.

Yunse closed her eyes and opened her arms. The servants carefully put her clothes on, but they were still clumsy. She had to talk to Aunt Fang and ask them to transfer the more delicate and steady servants to help her dress.

Yun Se, wearing a neat robe, walked to the open space for practicing martial arts to practice a set of boxing and sword skills.

After sweating a little, Yunse returned to Juanshu Palace to take a bath and change her clothes.

On days when she has an early morning court session, her morning exercise time will be much shorter. The early morning court session is from Mao Shi Zheng (6:00 AM) to Si Shi (9:00 AM).

At the beginning of the Si hour (nine o'clock in the morning), it was time for breakfast. Yi Yuan also got up and ate with her.

Yi Yuan liked to serve her food, but he ate very little himself. She asked him to sit down and eat more, saying that he was so thin that it was uncomfortable to hug him.

Yi Yuan shook his head and said, "Thinness is the most beautiful thing for a man. If I get fat, His Majesty will definitely not like me anymore."

Yun Se took a piece of braised mutton with chopsticks and handed it to his bowl, saying, "How could that be? Be good, eat more meat. Eating meat won't make you fat."

Yi Yuan held the bowl of rice and secretly curled up the corners of his mouth.

After breakfast, Yi Yuan came over and curiously touched her belly through her clothes, asking her, "Your Majesty, why can't you see anything?"

Silly, it’s still early in the month, of course I can’t see it.

There was no morning court, so she went to the study in Yunji Palace to review the bamboo slips. After lunch at noon, Aunt Fang also brought her some medicinal food to help her with her pregnancy. She picked up the pottery cup and drank it in one gulp.

In the afternoon, I continued to review the bamboo slips.

She asked officials to focus on important matters when reporting to the emperor and to use concise and clear words.

She had no patience for playing around with them. If anyone dared to play around with her, she would drag them out and make them run ten laps around the palace gate and the city wall.

After reviewing the bamboo slips for the day, Yun Se would read some books left by the previous emperor in her study. Even if she couldn't concentrate, when the civil servants showed off their knowledge and tried to confuse her, she had to understand, otherwise she would be led by them.

Sometimes, after finishing her government affairs and reading early in the afternoon, she would return to Juanshu Hall to do some leisure activities. After she had Yi Yuan, she would ask Yi Yuan to play chess with her.

After dinner at 6pm, Yunse listened to Aunt Fang's report on some important matters. At 8pm, Yunse returned to the bedroom to rest and go to bed early and get up early.