Ji Xiaolan: Kill Qianlong at the beginning

As the night deepened, the flickering candlelight cast mottled light and shadows in the hall.

The two of them had been sitting opposite each other without knowing when, and the atmosphere was so solemn that it seemed as if water could be squeezed out of it.

Heshen slammed the table so hard that the teacup trembled, and said sternly: "As long as I am here, Chuntao can only marry Ade and cannot marry anyone else."

There was a cold flash in his eyes, and his chin was slightly raised, with unquestionable majesty.

Mo Li's eyes darkened, his knuckles clenched until they turned white, and he said coldly, "Don't even think about it."

His voice was not loud, but every word was as cold as ice, revealing a bone-chilling chill.

He Shen sneered, tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, and said slowly: "You can't stop me."

There was a hint of sarcasm on the corner of his mouth, as if he had already won.

Mo Li was extremely angry. He slammed his palm on the table, making the teacup clink. He gritted his teeth and said, "If I can't protect Chun Tao, I'm not Mo Li."

There was anger in his eyes and the veins on his forehead were throbbing slightly.

He Shen was not to be outdone. He also slammed the table and stood up, sneering: "If Chun Tao doesn't enter the He family, I am not He Shen."

He stood up suddenly, picked up the tea bowl, and knocked the lid against the rim of the bowl repeatedly, making a crisp "ding ding" sound. Then he shouted loudly: "Show the guest out."

Mo Li stood up angrily and was about to leave when he suddenly heard steady footsteps coming from outside the door.

The Emperor walked in with his hands behind his back, his eyebrows slightly raised, and said with a smile: "What are you two arguing about?"

Mo Li's expression froze, and he quickly bowed and saluted, saying respectfully, "I didn't know the emperor was coming, and I'm sorry for not coming to greet you."

His movements were extremely fast, but he still couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes.

He Shen also quickly suppressed his anger, bowed deeply, and whispered, "I hope the emperor will forgive me."

His voice had returned to normal, as if the tension had never happened.

Emperor Gai Zhang approached slowly, his eyes wandering between the two, and said lightly: "You two are so loud, it seems like you are arguing. What are you arguing about?"

Although his tone was light, it contained a sense of pressure.

Mo Li leaned forward slightly and waved his hands quickly, saying, "Your Majesty, we... Your Majesty has misunderstood..."

His voice was a little flustered, and his fingertips unconsciously stroked his cuffs.

He Shen rolled his eyes and immediately replied, "We are... Your Majesty, we are discussing some family matters."

His smile was just right, as if he was really just chatting about trivial matters.

Mo Li also quickly agreed: "Yes, family matters."

His tone was a little stiff, and he was obviously not good at concealing it.

The Emperor chuckled softly, walked slowly to the main seat and sat down, casually throwing his folding fan onto the coffee table with a soft "pa" sound, and said meaningfully: "Let's discuss some family matters. If you two can be so attentive to the important affairs of the court, I can rest assured."

Mo Li lowered his head slightly and asked tentatively, "I wonder what important matter has the Emperor come to the He Mansion so late at night?"

He glanced at Emperor Gai Zhang secretly, as if trying to guess the emperor's intention.

Emperor Gai Zhang sighed, rubbed his brows tiredly, and said, "What else could it be?"

He Shen, who was standing by, saw this and immediately stepped forward, saying with a flattering smile, "Mo Li, you're asking even though you already know the answer. The Emperor must be here because of Xiu Mei."

There was a glint of cunning in his eyes, and it was obvious that he had already made a plan.

Mo Li's heart tightened, and he quickly asked, "Your Majesty, hasn't Xiumei been found yet?"

His voice trembled slightly, and his fingers unconsciously clenched the corner of his clothes.

Emperor Gai Zhang leaned back in his chair, his expression solemn: "The Nine-Gate Admiral searched the entire capital, but couldn't find this person."

His tone was filled with impatience, and it was obvious that he had been troubled by this matter for a long time.

He Shen's eyes rolled, and he suddenly smiled and said, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, there is only one person in this world who can find Xiumei."

Emperor Gai Zhang raised his eyes and asked, "Who is it?"

He Shen raised his hand and pointed at Mo Li, saying meaningfully, "Of course it's Mo Li, the most talented man in the world."

Mo Li cursed inwardly. He naturally knew where Xiumei was, but now was not the time to hand her over. He could only feign helplessness and said, "Your Majesty, I am truly powerless in this matter."

He Shen's smile deepened, and he said slowly, "Your Majesty, Xiumei and Mo Li have a special relationship. Xiumei and Xiaoyue are like sisters, and she and Mo Chou are even like master and disciple. How could Xiumei bear to leave all three of them?"

Emperor Gai Zhang pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "That makes sense."

Then he stared at Mo Li with sharp eyes, pointed at him and said, "Mo Li, where did you hide Xiu Mei?"

Mo Li frowned and quickly defended himself: "Your Majesty, this is just one side of my statement."

His voice was a little hurried, and he obviously didn't want to be labeled with this accusation.

He Shen pretended to sigh, shook his head and smiled, "Your Majesty, the person who tied the bell must be the one to untie it. This matter still needs to be handled by Lord Mo."

Emperor Gai Zhang thought about it for a moment and felt that it made sense, so he said in a deep voice: "Mo Li, accept the order."

Mo Li's heart sank, and he had no choice but to lower his head and pretend to listen attentively.

Emperor Gai Zhang continued, "I give you three days to hand over Xiumei, otherwise..."

Heshen immediately leaned close to Emperor Gai Zhang's ear and whispered a few words.

Mo Li couldn't help but lean forward slightly, trying to eavesdrop, but he caught nothing.

After listening to this, Emperor Gai Zhang nodded and said, "Yes."

Then his eyes turned cold, and he said slowly: "If you can't hand over Xiumei within three days, I will marry Chuntao to Fengshen Yinde."

Mo Li was horrified and cried out in a choked voice, "Ah? Your Majesty, you can't listen to Heshen, Your Majesty..."

Before he could finish his words, Heshen interrupted him loudly: "Mo Li, why don't you obey my order?"

Mo Li's face turned ashen, his heart churning with resentment and anger, but he had no choice but to slowly kneel down and grit his teeth, saying, "Your Majesty... I accept your command and thank you."

His voice was low, as if every word weighed a thousand pounds.