Yuqiongyin

Wei Ming came out of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion with a solemn expression on his face. He sensed a hint of something unusual, an undercurrent surging beneath the surface of loyalty.

The current situation is likely to explode at any time.

The attendants around her followed carefully. Just now, the Queen once again rejected the Emperor's request to let her return to the palace.

When he reached the gate of the Duke Zhenguo's Mansion and was about to board the dragon chariot, he heard the sound of hurried horse hooves approaching from afar.

The dust raised by horse hooves filled the air. Wei Ming frowned slightly. He could recognize the owner of the horse hooves sound.

That’s right, it was the Duke of Zhenguo—Xie Feisi.

Xie Feisi was still wearing his armor, obviously having just returned from the military camp.

His face was weathered by battles on the battlefield, but his eyes were still as sharp as an eagle's.

The moment Xie Feisi saw Wei Ming, he slowly pulled the reins, and the horse neighed loudly, raising its front hooves high.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. I never thought that you would come!" Xie Feisi did not dismount, and his voice was still loud.

Wei Ming looked at the Duke of Zhenguo in front of him, and a complicated look flashed in his eyes.

"Duke Zhenguo, you are not in good health right now, so you'd better not go to such a difficult place as the military camp."

Wei Ming spoke slowly. His tone sounded quite calm, but if one listened carefully, one could detect a hint of anger hidden in it.

At this moment, the air around seemed to have solidified, so heavy that it was almost impossible to breathe.

The servants standing by were silent as a mouse, not daring to even breathe.

They knew that the confrontation between the emperor and his subjects that was taking place at this moment was related to the fate of the entire dynasty.

In this solemn atmosphere, a hearty laugh suddenly rang out: "Hahahahaha!"

Xie Feisi waved his hands quickly, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. However, as the commander of the Xie Family Army, how can I slack off because of my own minor illness? The Xie Family Army cannot slack off, otherwise how can we defend the western border and resist foreign invasions?"

Wei Ming looked at Xie Feisi and was silent for a moment.

He knew that Xie Feisi had a very high prestige in the army, and if he was dealt with rashly, it might cause instability in the military morale.

But the current situation does not allow him to stay in the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion.

The queen has given birth to a prince, and with the support of the Xie family and the Jiang family, sooner or later, the country will fall into the hands of the Xie family.

"Well, the queen is still weak, you can go and take a look." After saying that, Wei Ming turned around and boarded the dragon chariot.

The dragon chariot started slowly, and the emperor's figure gradually disappeared from Xie Feisi's sight.

Xie Feisi rode on the horse with a straight posture, looking in the direction where the dragon chariot was leaving, and he already had a plan in his mind.

He had to be more cautious, as he knew very well that in this vortex of power, any carelessness would lead to eternal damnation.

*

The Great Wei Dynasty attached great importance to etiquette and had extremely strict requirements on the code of conduct for the royal family.

As the mistress of the harem, the queen's every move is under the watchful eyes of everyone.

The child she was conceived should have been born in the palace, under the strictest protection and surveillance. This has been the tradition and rule for thousands of years.

However, when the shocking news that the queen had given birth to a child outside the palace spread, it was like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, instantly causing a thousand waves, and the entire dynasty was shaken by this sudden change.

This was a huge challenge to the dignity of the royal family and caused shock and dissatisfaction throughout the court. The queen's act of giving birth to a child outside the palace made people question whether the child was truly the emperor's bloodline.

After all, in feudal dynasties, the purity of the royal bloodline is of vital importance, as it is related to the succession to the throne and the stability of the dynasty.

The people were whispering in the streets and the court was in an uproar.

Doubts flooded like a surging tide, and people speculated whether the child was really the emperor's bloodline.

Those ministers with ulterior motives seized this opportunity to make impassioned speeches in memorials and demand a thorough investigation of the matter.

But looking at Wei Ming's expression, he obviously knew about this. After all, he had just returned from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.

Moreover, Xie Chenning had cleverly spread the news long before this, and her actions were like an undercurrent, quietly changing the situation.

The news said that the queen had no choice but to leave the palace to give birth to a child.

In the harem, there were many conspiracies and intrigues. The queen was framed again and again, and those dark hands even targeted the fetus in the queen's belly.

In order to preserve this precious bloodline, the queen had to resort to this desperate measure and leave the harem which seemed safe but was actually full of dangers.

Moreover, the queen's father, the Duke of Zhenguo, had made great military achievements and enjoyed a very high reputation among the people and was highly respected.

He made great contributions to the expansion of the dynasty, and his reputation was so high that many people had to be cautious when judging the affairs of the queen.

The common people were full of love for the Duke of Zhenguo. They were willing to believe that the Duke of Zhenguo's daughter, the Queen, would not do anything that would bring disgrace to the family or harm the dynasty.

In their hearts, the family of the Duke of Zhenguo were models of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism. The queen's experience was more like being harmed by a villain, and leaving the palace to give birth to a child was a helpless act.

The common people expressed sympathy for the queen's plight.

In their eyes, the queen is no longer the high and unreachable master of the harem, but a poor mother who will do anything for her children.

Various forces in the palace were also ready to make moves at this time.

Some ministers expressed their understanding of the queen's behavior. Considering the cruelty of the harem struggle, they believed that the queen's choice was a helpless one.

Moreover, the status and influence of the Duke of Zhenguo in the court also made them dare not easily convict the queen.

These ministers were well aware that the Duke of Zhenguo commanded a large number of troops and had a very high prestige in the army. If the situation was not handled properly, it might cause dissatisfaction among the army and affect the stability of the dynasty.

Those forces that have always been at odds with the Duke of Zhenguo tried to use this opportunity to completely overthrow the Xie family of the Duke of Zhenguo.

They united in the court, using royal dignity and traditional etiquette as an excuse, believing that the queen's behavior had violated the bottom line of the royal family. If she was not severely punished, there would be no rules in the harem in the future.

This was used to put pressure on the emperor, who was determined to severely punish the queen and even implicate the Duke of Zhenguo.

However, Wei Ming's mind was as clear as a mirror. He knew very well that the reason why the queen left the palace was because of the queen mother.

The fact that the Queen Mother had repeatedly attempted to murder the royal heir was an even bigger scandal, and Wei Ming would never let anyone know even a little bit about it.

If this matter were made public, how would the royal family maintain its dignity? Where would the ancestral etiquette and laws be?

But on the other hand, if the evil deeds of the Queen Mother were not made known to the world, in terms of the royal dignity and established rules alone, the Queen's act of leaving the palace without permission would constitute a crime of great disrespect, which must not be tolerated without punishment.

Wei Ming was also caught in a dilemma. On the one hand, he had to maintain the reputation and dignity of the royal family, but on the other hand, he couldn't bear to impose heavy punishment on the innocent queen...