Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

The following morning, at the King's Palace.

Wang Xuance and Ban Dingyuan led a platoon of soldiers and proudly strode into the main hall.

However, the two of them looked a little gloomy, unlike their "sunny and cheerful" faces yesterday.

Upon seeing this, Li Ren'ai's eyelids twitched, and he felt a sense of unease.

But he still tried his best to keep his composure and forced a kingly smile at the two of them.

But Ban Dingyuan clearly didn't give him a smile; instead, he directly pulled out a secret letter from his pocket.

Upon seeing the secret letter, Li Ren'ai and Cui Mingji, who were not far away, were stunned for a moment, and then felt their hearts race.

Bad thing!

Li Ren'ai and Cui Mingji secretly groaned, but they still forced themselves to pretend that it was none of their business.

“Last night at midnight, the guards at the West Gate came to my residence and said that someone had trespassed through the West Gate and had been arrested. They found this secret letter of treason on his person.”

Ban Dingyuan glanced around at the ministers.

The small royal palace could only accommodate about twenty officials kneeling.

Now, when they saw Dingyuan's sharp yet slightly mocking gaze at work, they couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines and shrank back in unison.

Finally, Ban Dingyuan threw the secret letter in front of Li Ren'ai and sneered, "Your Majesty, you are the king of Taiji Kingdom, how could you betray your own people?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ren'ai immediately denied it: "No, this wasn't written by me, it wasn't written by me."

Ban Dingyuan: "If it wasn't written by the king, then who was? Do you know what will happen to the people of Taiji if this secret letter reaches Gao Zang (the king of Goguryeo, who calls himself Shenwu Taihuang)? Do you really care about the lives of the people of Taiji? Are you really worthy to be the king of Taiji?"

In an instant, Li Ren'ai broke out in a cold sweat. Looking at the blood-stained letter in front of him, he couldn't help but glance in Cui Mingji's direction.

Cui Mingji was already terrified, but he was only holding on with a sliver of hope to avoid giving himself away.

Meeting Li Ren'ai's gaze, he simply shook his head indifferently.

Li Ren'ai hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please be discerning. This really wasn't written by me."

Wang Xuance: "If you didn't write it, then why is your royal seal on it?"

Li Ren'ai trembled, continuing to argue, "This is a forgery, it must be a forgery! Please, both angels, believe me!"

"I would never do such a thing! Please, you absolutely must believe me!"

He was so overwhelmed by the aura of a great power emanating from Ban Dingyuan and Wang Xuance that he could hardly breathe, and even knelt down before them.

Ban Dingyuan and Wang Xuance exchanged a glance, then Wang Xuance leaned down and said, "So, in other words, the King was unaware of this matter, and someone is using the King's name to try and disrupt the situation?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ren'ai seemed to have grasped a lifeline and hurriedly nodded in response: "Yes, that must be it. Someone is definitely trying to frame me. Please, Your Majesty, investigate thoroughly."

Ban Dingyuan narrowed his eyes: "Is that so? Wang, you're not lying to us?"

"No, absolutely not! How could I, the King, deceive an angel!"

"Bring him up!"

Ban Dingyuan shouted, and two Chu soldiers outside the hall escorted a man whose arms and legs were broken and who was covered in blood into the hall.

After the man was thrown into the main hall, all the ministers inside looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Who is this person?"

Jin Zizai was somewhat confused.

Ban Dingyuan walked to the man's side and then lightly kicked him twice.

"This man, named Park Se-ryeon, was also one of those who broke into the West Gate last night. He has some backbone; no matter how we interrogate him, he refuses to reveal who the mastermind is, so..."

"It's State Councilor Choi!"

As a result, before Ban Dingyuan could finish speaking, Park Se-ryeon used all her strength to confess who had instigated it.

"It was all orchestrated by State Councilor Choi!"

Upon hearing this, Ban Dingyuan immediately leaned down and asked, "Then why didn't you say so last night?"

Upon hearing this, Park Se-ryeong was on the verge of tears.

Last night, he was shot and wounded while trying to break through the west gate, and was arrested and interrogated.

As a result, the interrogator from Taiji Kingdom gagged himself and then proceeded to whip him mercilessly.

He wanted to confess but couldn't, and could only endure the torture all night.

"Choi Yi-jong! Do you have anything to explain?"

Cui Mingji's face turned ashen, and he hurriedly braced himself against the low table in front of him to prevent himself from falling.

He tried three times before finally managing to stand up and reply, "That's slander! I would never do such a thing!"

Park Se-ryeong: "It was the State Councilor who did it. Last night he brought me to the palace, met the king, and then told me to take the royal letter to Wandu City to ask for help."

Ban Dingyuan: "Are you telling the truth?"

"Really, I am a guest in State Councilor Choi's home."

Cui Mingji felt as if all his strength had been drained away, and he collapsed to the ground.

Inside the palace, the stoves burned brightly, while outside, wind and snow raged.

But Cui Mingji's back was already soaked with sweat.

"Take him away and interrogate him thoroughly."

With a wave of his hand, Ban Dingyuan led Cui Mingji and Park Se-ryeon away with the soldiers.

"My lord, my lord..."

As Cui Mingji's cries for help faded into the distance, Li Ren'ai couldn't help but burst into tears.

"king……"

Just then, Wang Xuance's voice rang in my ears.

He looked up and met those sinister eyes.

"Your Majesty, why do you rebel? How can you face your people if you do this?"

"No, it wasn't me, it really wasn't me!"

Li Ren'ai was so frightened that he begged for mercy repeatedly.

A look of disdain flashed in Wang Xuance's eyes: "If there is nothing, then why did Your Majesty shed tears? Are you shedding tears for Cui Mingji, that Goguryeo spy?"

"No, no, I was just wondering why my subject would do such a foolish thing."

"I hope so."

Wang Xuance left with a meaningful look, then got up and left the main hall with Ban Dingyuan.

Li Ren'ai did not feel any relief after Wang Xuance and Ban Dingyuan left; instead, she was enveloped by a deeper fear.

Now, his only hope is that Cui Mingji will take all the blame and not expose him.

"Mingji, my survival depends entirely on you. I hope you can keep your mouth shut and show the spirit of a man from Taiji Kingdom. Please, please!"

He kept repeating to himself and occasionally praying, betting all his wealth on Cui Mingji's loyalty to him.

And Cui Mingji did not disappoint Li Renai's trust. Faced with the severe interrogation by Ban Dingyuan and Wang Xuance, he really did not say a single word...

He simply asked Ban Dingyuan for paper, ink, and brush, and wrote down everything he knew on it. He truly is the most trustworthy person in the Taiji Kingdom.

That night, Ban Dingyuan led his troops into the palace and dragged Li Ren'ai and his beloved concubine off the bed.

"Your Majesty, you have betrayed the people of Taiji Kingdom, and you are utterly disappointing. Now, you and your family are about to face annihilation because of your foolishness. Come with me!"

Without giving Li Ren'ai any chance to explain, Ban Dingyuan dragged him away.

Just then, the concubine, out of fear, knelt down before Ban Dingyuan: "Angel, please spare me! The king's mistake has nothing to do with us!"

Ban Dingyuan frowned: "Wang has broken the law, and as his wife, you should also be punished. Take him away!"

Just as the soldiers were about to rush up and drag her away, the princess suddenly made an unexpected move.

"Angel, please forgive me!"

"what you do!"

But then the princess hugged Ban Dingyuan tightly, kissing and touching him, clinging to him.