At the same time, public opinion that He Yuanzhou had secretly accepted bribes through the hands of his wife, Li, exploded in an instant.

The situation in the imperial capital of Chen Kingdom is about to change again.

The gates of several major families were heavily guarded, especially the gate of He Mansion, which was always crowded with people.

The people of Chen State, who once regarded He Yuanzhou as "the reincarnation of Justice Bao", threw rotten eggs and vegetable leaves at the gate of He's mansion and cried loudly.

"I really didn't expect it. I usually see the Supervisory Department getting rid of harm for the people and investigating many noble families and treacherous officials. Who would have thought that he would bribe privately."

Everyone was talking about it.

These days, especially with the serious internal corruption and inaction of the monarch, the people of Chen State have long been fed up with the oppression of the aristocratic families and the powerful, and their hatred of the rich is very serious.

The common people don’t care whether you are wrongfully imprisoned or sentenced for committing a crime. As long as you greedily take things that you don’t need, you are guilty of original sin.

When He Yuanzhou was escorted out of the mansion, a bunch of things were thrown at him.

He angrily shook off the vegetable leaves on his face and said, "I was wronged. I had no idea about those things in the backyard. Take me to see the emperor, and I will explain to him clearly that those things were not obtained by me."

Xiao Zhi, who was standing at the back, said, "Don't worry, you will see the emperor. Put him in the prison car."

The moment he saw the prison van, He Yuanzhou's face changed.

But he had no choice.

What surprised He Yuanzhou was that the news of his private bribery spread very quickly.

The street from He Mansion to the palace gate was bustling with people.

As lively as it was when he married Li Qiulian, it was just as lively now when he was arrested. However, this time he did not receive congratulations, but instead all kinds of abuse and flying rocks. After a while, He Yuanzhou's head was bleeding.

His heart sank and his eyes slowly closed, knowing that he had been completely tricked.

If someone hadn't planned it in advance, the people would not have known about his private bribery so quickly. He thought of a woman.

He Yuanzhou suddenly opened his eyes and saw the woman standing in the teahouse on the second floor.

She stood at the window, staring down at him in the prison van.

In an instant, He Yuanzhou was brought back to the scene when he first met Chen Qingtang.

At that time, she was sitting in a private room of the Fumanlou teahouse in Yanjing, wearing a veil hat, and reciting a poem with the literati outside.

The poem amazed everyone and remained in his mind for many years.

After she finished reciting the poem, she did not join the "battlefield" of the talented scholars, but sat in the private room and listened quietly.

She didn't come out until the crowd dispersed.

He Yuanzhou was the only scholar who did not leave. When Chen Qingtang walked out of the private room, he sat at the small square table beside the aisle, following Chen Qingtang's figure with his eyes. The breeze blew up the curtain on the woman's face, revealing a pure and elegant face, as white as jade, like a lotus emerging from water.

He Yuanzhou was moved from that moment on.

However, due to the huge difference in their social status, he had no chance to marry her.

When they meet again now, he and Chen Qingtang still have different social statuses and cannot become husband and wife.

He Yuanzhou stared at the woman above infatuatedly, letting the flying objects hit his body until he could no longer see Chen Qingtang's figure, but he was still unwilling to give up.

He was unwilling to give up. He had worked so hard and struggled for so long to get to where he is today. This was also the closest he was to Chen Qingtang. He couldn't just lose like this.

Even if we cannot be husband and wife in this life, if we can die on the same day of the same month of the same year, and be married in the underworld, then this trip will be worthwhile.

In the Xuanming Hall, all the important officials of the court are ready, waiting for He Yuanzhou.

"Your Majesty, He Yuanzhou has been taken into the palace." The imperial guards walked into the hall and reported to Gu Changning.

Gu Changning said with a sullen face, "Since you are here, then while all the noble families and ministers are here, I will try He Yuanzhou and his wife Li for taking bribes in court. I have plenty of time. If you find out, release those who are not guilty, and execute those who are guilty!"

The words "release the innocent and execute the guilty" revealed the emperor's majesty, and shocked all the ministers in the hall, making them feel heavy and uneasy.

The ministers of the State of Yan had already been mentally prepared and were accustomed to the new emperor's bold and iron-blooded tactics.

The ministers and noble families of Chen State were all on high alert, fearing that if they were not careful, the new king of Yan State would take revenge on them.

After all, these people bullied Gu Changning a lot during the ten years he was a hostage.

He Yuanzhou was brought into the hall.

He was stripped of his official uniform and knelt in the main hall, saying, "Your Majesty, I am innocent."

"I asked General Xiao to bring you into the palace just because I wanted to get to the bottom of these account books." Gu Changning picked up several thick account books on the table.

The noble families made several account books, one was sent to He Yuanzhou of the He Mansion, and the other was sent to Chen Qingtang of the Xie Mansion. Chen Qingtang then asked Xie Ci to deliver the account book to the emperor and empress.

What Gu Changning is holding now is the account book that Xie Ci sent into the palace.

He Yuanzhou looked up and said, "I have no idea about the account book. Moreover, I have just looked at the account book. The date is written on the account book. I have been investigating the case with the emperor and the ministers in Xuanming Hall these days. It is impossible for me to accept bribes privately."

Gu Changning narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "You didn't, but your wife came to see the queen."

He Yuanzhou's pupils trembled. Why would Li Qiulian go to see the queen?

and many more.

He just saw Chen Qingtang in Minglou Teahouse.

Did Chen Qingtang send Li Qiulian into the palace?

"Mrs. He said that you used her and threatened her with the lives of her mother and brother, and asked her to borrow your reputation as the Supervisory Commissioner and take the list of noble families to be confiscated to buy their lives and wealth. When the noble families learned about this, they would do whatever they wanted to Madam He. As long as Madam He went to the shops of the noble families, they could take anything they wanted without paying. This was equivalent to taking bribes."

Gu Changning spoke the last sentence in a slow and drawn out voice.

He Yuanzhou denied it in court: "Impossible, I didn't do that. I have never threatened her with the lives of her mother and brother. I can confront her face to face."

"Okay, I'll ask the Queen to bring Madam He over." Gu Changning glanced at Jiang Huai.

Jiang Huai nodded and left from the side hall.

Madam Li and Li Qingyue were brought before the Queen. Jiang Huai walked into the side hall and said to Xie Jinyun, "Queen, the Emperor asked you to take Madam He to Xuanming Hall and let Madam He confront Lord He face to face."

Xie Jinyun looked at the mother and her two children kneeling in front of her and said, "Mrs. He."

Li Qiulian shuddered and said, "Empress, I have already informed my brother and mother, and now we can go and confront He Yuanzhou."

"Okay." Xie Jinyun stood up and took Li Qiulian, her mother and her two children into the Xuanming Hall.

The ministers saluted Xie Jinyun.

Gu Changning stood up and asked Xie Jinyun to sit next to him.

Li's mother and her two children all knelt behind He Yuanzhou.

Gu Changning said: "He Yuanzhou, your wife is right behind you, you and your wife should confront each other in court and let the ministers see the truth of the matter."

After Gu Changning finished speaking, He Yuanzhou turned his head and looked at Li Qiulian, his eyes full of ferocious anger...

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