To divorce his wife, the top scholar preferred being cuckolded to wearing a red hat.

Everyone assumed that Madam You, having risked her life to enter the palace, must have some solid evidence. It turns out she was dismissed a month ago and no longer works for the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce.

You Susu did not expect the other party to turn against her.

Before entering the palace, he had clearly promised that he would stick to his word and would not go back on his word.

The Emperor was furious: "You are full of lies and intend to frame a meritorious official. Take him away and execute him."

Madam You's body trembled.

“Madam You, Steward Zhou’s evidence here is insufficient to prove that our Chamber of Commerce is guilty. Is there any other evidence? If so, please present it. His Majesty and the Prince’s time is precious. You cannot waste His Majesty’s and the nobles’ time here for your own selfish reasons.”

Manager Zhou turned against them directly, so the evidence she prepared later was useless.

“I have some evidence here that says Miss Su colluded with the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce. Once the epidemic in Qingzhou is over, the Chamber of Commerce will give Miss Su a large sum of money.”

"Send it up."

"This prescription is the one used during the Qingzhou epidemic. Several medicinal herbs are optional, but Miss Su added them to make more money. These precious herbs account for more than half of the prescription cost. The Kyushu Chamber of Commerce promised her that they would settle the payment with Miss Su separately once the epidemic is over."

Ling Fei scoffed, "Having failed to bite the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce, now they're biting Miss Su. Madam You, who exactly are you? Your skin is truly thick."

“I know her,” Su Sihai stepped forward. “She is Fu Jingsheng’s mistress.”

“I can’t be considered his mistress; I can only say he’s the man I keep.” You Susu denied her status as his mistress: “But my reporting of the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce has nothing to do with him.”

"Your Majesty, the evidence of Fu Jingsheng's collusion with Western Qi is still not clear. I did not expect that a witness would come to us so quickly. While investigating Fu Jingsheng's case, I discovered that he had a mistress, and this mistress's identity is not simple. Three years ago, she was an orphan who married a wealthy merchant. Two years ago, the wealthy merchant suddenly fell ill, and Madam You took over all his businesses."

I have always been suspicious of her true identity. After following her for several days, I discovered that she has maintained contact with the Western Qi and has many capable people under her command. Upon investigation, I found that this Lady You is actually an informant planted in our Southern Li by Princess Zhou Wenjun of Western Qi.”

Madam You originally intended to use today's events to ruin the reputation of the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce, making it impossible for them to establish themselves in the capital. Little did she expect that they had already thoroughly investigated her.

As Xiao Zhan testified, You Susu's face grew paler and paler.

"Madam You, have I said anything wrong?"

"No, you are framing me. I am from Nanli, not Xiqi. Prince Zhan, as you just said, baseless accusations without evidence are not convincing. What evidence do you have to prove that I am from Xiqi?"

"Did I just say that you were from Western Qi? I only said that you contacted people from Western Qi under the guise of a merchant and became Zhou Wenjun's spy. When did I say that you were from Western Qi? Madam You, isn't this just a case of 'protesting too much' and admitting your guilt without being asked?"

You Susu: "..."

"This woman's words are utterly rude. One minute she's saying the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce is problematic, the next she's saying Miss Su's prescription is flawed—it's ridiculous! Our Imperial Hospital has thoroughly examined Miss Su's prescription; it's perfect. Those precious medicinal herbs are only used because some of them have cooling properties; those herbs are meant to nourish the body. That's why the patients recover so quickly after taking the medicine." Physician Hu couldn't stand it anymore and stood up to speak for Su Mingyue.

He's the most qualified to speak on the Qingzhou epidemic. If Miss Su has problems, then everyone in Qingzhou City has problems.

"Guards, throw Madam You into prison for her inappropriate words and suspected collusion with Western Qi. This matter is of great importance and will be entrusted to the Crown Prince."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will certainly investigate this matter thoroughly."

Upon hearing the Emperor's words, Lady You collapsed to the ground, allowing the imperial guards to drag her out.

She didn't want to take this step, but she had orders from above and had no choice but to.

You Susu was taken away.

"This Madam You is ridiculous. She has no evidence at all, yet she dares to come to the palace to slander the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce and Miss Su. Fortunately, Miss Su is upright and honest."

"With fame comes trouble. That Madam You must be holding a grudge against her for not delivering the supplies to Qingzhou City and not earning any money this time."

"Your Majesty, I have evidence to prove that Madam You failed to join the Chamber of Commerce before, and then tried to join again through the Qingzhou epidemic. She tried to lure us into buying her medicines with cheap ones, but when we found out the quality was poor, we didn't use her medicines and rejected her application to join. She is jealous of the Chamber of Commerce and is trying to ruin our Chamber of Commerce on this day." Ling Fei presented some evidence to the Emperor.

"I see." The Emperor read through the entire document. "If you fail to join, the association will be destroyed. This is indeed the style of Western Qi. It seems that Western Qi has also set its sights on the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce and wants to send people in. Fortunately, you all have sharp eyes and saw through their trick immediately."

“Your Majesty, I also have account books here. They record every transaction between me and the Kyushu Merchants Association. At first, they refused to accept the money, saying that the people of Qingzhou were in trouble and they should support them. But the amount was indeed huge, so I insisted on paying. In addition, ordinary merchants could not gather the medicinal materials in a short time, so I handed over this task to the Merchants Association.”

"I just discovered that the Chamber of Commerce is supplying us at cost price, without making a single penny in between. They've also covered all the expenses for manpower, transportation, and medication for our staff. This is truly a righteous act, and we should commend them."

"The medicinal herbs that the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce sent were all top-quality, and even the supplies were of the highest quality; there was no substandard stuff. If there had been even the slightest problem with the Chamber of Commerce's medicinal herbs, the epidemic wouldn't have been dealt with so smoothly," Physician Hu stepped forward again.

As an actual participant, it's natural to be angry when you see others fabricating stories out of thin air.

"In this outbreak in Qingzhou City, His Majesty has been the most wise, and the person we should thank the most is His Majesty. We are all His Majesty's subjects, and it is our duty to share His Majesty's burdens," Xiao Zhan said from below when the Emperor did not speak.

As soon as he started, everyone knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" repeatedly praising his wisdom and wishing him a long and prosperous reign.

The Emperor told everyone to rise, saying that what had just happened was just a minor incident and that they shouldn't let it affect their mood.

Soon after, the court musicians appeared.

Musicians strummed their instruments, and dancers performed graceful dances to celebrate the success of the banquet.

Su Mingyue felt too stuffy at the banquet and secretly came out for some fresh air.

You Susu entered the palace with the intention of bringing her down or pinning some crime on her, but she failed.

Given You Susu's personality, she probably wouldn't take this step; it's just that someone else couldn't wait any longer.