The prince is fierce: Who dares to steal my woman?

These words immediately caused an uproar in the hall, with the officials whispering and discussing among themselves.

Xiao Jinyan's heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself, "Damn it! This is bad! I was drinking and discussing important matters with Liu Xiyu in the manor, how did Wei Wuji find out? It seems he has planted spies in Liu Xiyu's manor!"

However, there's no need to panic too much, because Wei Wuji just said "seemingly harboring rebellious intentions," which suggests he doesn't yet have concrete evidence. Under these circumstances, rashly impeaching him in court seems out of character for the old fox Wei Wuji. Could it be that the old fox has become impulsive because of Wei Kui's matter?

As for Wei Wuji, he couldn't possibly mention Wei Kui's matter in court. Because, given Liu Kun's personality, even if Xiao Jinyan beat Wei Kui into an idiot, or even killed Wei Kui, Liu Kun would most likely try to smooth things over and let it go.

If you want to bring down Xiao Jinyan through Liu Kun, you can only accuse him of treason; embezzlement won't work.

Liu Kun frowned, turned his gaze to Xiao Jinyan who stood calmly to the side, and asked seriously, "Xiao Jinyan, what explanation do you have for this?"

Xiao Jinyan seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world, and burst into laughter. His laughter echoed in the hall, carrying a hint of unruliness and boldness: "Your Majesty, this humble subject is plotting a rebellion? Hahaha... What a joke! This humble subject is devoted to serving the country, how could I possibly plot a rebellion? I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly and not let treacherous villains succeed."

Liu Kun exuded majesty, his gaze sharp as he stared directly at Xiao Jinyan, speaking each word with unwavering authority: "Xiao Jinyan, you better behave yourself and answer me properly. What exactly is going on between you and Princess Heyang?"

Xiao Jinyan trembled slightly, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. He took a deep breath, his voice tinged with helplessness: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, Your Majesty, Princess Heyang and I..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Liu Kun's sudden roar.

"What exactly happened between you and Princess Heyang?" Liu Kun's voice echoed in the hall like a thunderclap, shaking everyone to their core. "Are you plotting something, intending to rebel? Speak now!"

Xiao Jinyan's heart tightened, and his face turned as pale as paper. He knew that his answer at this moment would determine his life or death, so he could only downplay the seriousness of the matter.

So he gritted his teeth, finally mustered his courage, and said solemnly, "Your humble servant deserves death. I did have an affair with the princess, and we... slept together."

These words immediately caused an uproar in the hall, with discussions rising like a surging tide. The ministers looked at each other, some shocked, some indignant, and most incredulous.

Liu Kun's face grew even darker. He gritted his teeth and asked, word by word, "Xiao Jinyan, is your relationship with the princess just an affair?"

Xiao Jinyan's voice was low and desperate: "Your Majesty, I have only had an affair with the princess. If this has damaged the reputation of the royal family, I am willing to accept the punishment without complaint. But if you say that I intended to rebel, that is pure fabrication. I hope Your Majesty will investigate carefully and not believe the slander."

Damage to the royal family's reputation was of no concern to Liu Kun. He issued a decree in the harem, forbidding concubines and palace maids from wearing clothes, and indulged in debauchery all day long. An emperor like this, who had no shame whatsoever, could he possibly care about his reputation?

Moreover, Liu Xiyu is also known as a harlot. Rumors say she has more than 300 male lovers. Does she still have a reputation?

Liu Kun's eyes flickered uncertainly, and he frowned slightly, seemingly harboring some doubts about Xiao Jinyan's words.

"Duke of Qin," Xiao Jinyan said slowly, his voice deep and powerful, "Two days ago, at Mianyue Pavilion, your son Wei Kui openly flirted with my lover Yang Rong. In that moment, consumed by rage, I lost control and threw a punch. After calming down, I was filled with remorse and unease. I wonder how Wei Kui's injuries are now, and whether he is alright?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Wuji's face instantly turned ashen. His eyes widened in fury, as if he wanted to devour Xiao Jinyan alive: "Xiao Jinyan, stop spouting these irrelevant old grievances! I didn't come here today to listen to your sophistry about Wei Kui!"

Seeing this, Liu Kun quickly interjected, trying to understand the whole story: "Duke Qin, please calm down. Wei Kui was punched by Xiao Jinyan, what happened?"

Wei Wuji, however, was relentless. He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and turned to the emperor on the dragon throne, his tone carrying an undeniable authority: "Your Majesty, let's set aside Wei Kui's matter for now and focus solely on the matter of Xiao Jinyan and Princess Heyang's treacherous plot. My spies in the princess's residence recently reported that Xiao Jinyan and Princess Heyang were drinking and whispering late one night, their conversation involving sensitive terms such as 'saving the nation' and 'the grand plan is about to succeed.' This matter is of utmost importance; if it is not investigated promptly, it may endanger our great land!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinyan felt a chill run down her spine. She thought to herself, "Damn it, Wei Wuji, you old bastard, you really did plant a spy in the princess's residence. Luckily, that spy wasn't too close to me and Liu Xiyu at the time, so the person didn't hear our conversation too clearly. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"

As for Wei Wuji, he didn't want to mention Wei Kui's matter at all, because once Wei Kui's matter was brought to the forefront, his accusation against Xiao Jinyan for treason would turn his selflessness into selfishness...

Liu Kun's gaze was piercing, fixed on Xiao Jinyan's slightly confused yet still resolute face, and he said sternly, "Xiao Jinyan, what exactly do you have to say for yourself?"

Xiao Jinyan bowed slightly, his expression showing a mixture of innocence and helplessness: "Your Majesty, I am truly wronged. That day, I was merely at Princess Heyang's residence, and after drinking a few extra cups of wine, I casually mentioned a few words about snake spirits and big chickens to the princess, hoping to add some spice to the occasion. However, I never expected that these unintentional words would be used to falsely accuse me of plotting something wicked. This was truly beyond my expectations."

Upon hearing this, Liu Kun frowned, seemingly weighing the truth or falsehood of Xiao Jinyan's words. He thought to himself, "The nation...shooting...essence...what? Grand plan, big...cock...?"

Holy crap, Xiao Jinyan, you slut, you actually managed to sleep with my beautiful imperial sister! You're really lucky with women!

However, Liu Kun wasn't jealous at all; on the contrary, he felt that Xiao Jinyan shared some similar interests. After all, he wasn't jealous of Liu Xiyu having over three hundred male lovers, so why would he be jealous of Xiao Jinyan?

At this moment, Xiao Jinyan turned his gaze to Wei Wuji, who was standing to the side with a solemn expression, and said with a hint of concern, "Duke of Qin, is the Crown Prince Wei really alright? I am really worried. After all, the situation was chaotic at the time, and although I did not mean to, I am still worried that I may have unintentionally hurt the Crown Prince Wei."