Use a substitute on your wedding night to scatter the ashes of your entire family

Song Yafeng then made an example: "Your Highness the Crown Prince, the Queen, and all the adults trust you."

Gu Xingcheng said calmly: "I hope Mr. Song is worthy of this trust."

"Yes, I will investigate the case impartially."

The governor of the East Factory, Cai Junting, had a wicked smile on his face. He was a eunuch, had no offspring, and never interacted with the officials in the court. When he heard the prince mention him, he said in a shrill voice, "Yes, I will definitely assist Commander Song in handling the case."

Xie Changan was not in good spirits as he had not had a good rest for a long time. He stood up and the ministers beside him hurriedly helped him up.

He bowed again and said, "Your Highness, Queen, I dare to say that Hong Mai said those words before he died, and the imperial guards who rushed in heard them. Therefore, I suggest that Your Highness and Queen stay in your own palace for a while."

Empress Shu had a blank expression on her face: "You want to put me and the crown prince under house arrest?"

Xie Zhian hurriedly bowed his hands in fear and said, "I dare not. It is just to avoid suspicion and to give an explanation to the world. Your Majesty, please stay in Kunning Palace for the time being. If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince does not have any urgent matters, please stay in the East Palace for the time being."

Empress Shu said coldly: "What if I don't agree?"

General Chen commanded a large Northwest military camp of 300,000 soldiers. He was strong and muscular. When he stood there, the murderous aura on his body was like a mountain pressing down on everyone: "Empress, the emperor's body is still warm!"

Empress Shu was not afraid at all: "General Chen, are you convicting me of a crime?"

General Chen snorted coldly.

Empress Shu looked at the ministers in the court and smiled faintly: "I am upright and honest. Since Lord Xie and the ministers all think this is feasible, I can temporarily live in Kunning Palace during this period of time."

Concubine Chen raised a cold arc at the corner of her mouth, and revealed a hint of pride when she looked at her son.

Empress Shu, who was standing on the high steps, saw this scene, and her cold voice resounded throughout the hall: "But the prince is the crown prince of Daliang. How can you put him under house arrest?"

"What the Empress said is that the Crown Prince is the heir to the throne. Now that the Emperor has been murdered, isn't it..." Concubine Chen said as she smiled and covered her lips. The meaning of her words was very clear. If the Emperor was killed by them, the Crown Prince, as the heir to the throne, would be able to ascend the throne.

The Queen and the Crown Prince must be confined together.

The Queen ignored her and said, "Concubine Chen, until the case is fully investigated, you should not leave your Yongchun Palace unless necessary. As for the Third Prince, he should return to his Third Prince's Mansion and refuse visitors."

Concubine Chen's face darkened and she said angrily, "Why? How can you, a murderer of His Majesty, be qualified to put me and the Third Prince under house arrest? You, your Shu family, and the Crown Prince should all be executed!"

"How dare you! Chen, I speak to you kindly because I remember that you have served the emperor for many years. How dare you disobey me! Someone, take Chen down and throw her into her Yongchun Palace."

Immediately, several imperial guards with long swords on their waists came in and held Concubine Chen on the left and right.

The Imperial Guards are also divided into two factions. Those on duty outside the Council Hall today are under the command of the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards.

"Let me go, let me go! Queen, what qualifications do you have to put me under house arrest, you murderer!"

Gu Xingyuan kicked the two guards who were holding Concubine Chen away one by one. "Let's see who dares to touch my mother! Queen, you are still under suspicion, and it is only right that you and the Crown Prince are under house arrest. But why do you want to put my son and my mother under house arrest? What's the reason?"

Empress Shu slowly walked down the stairs, glanced at Concubine Chen and Gu Xingyuan with disdain, and then walked up to Xie Zhian and said, "Excuse me, Prime Minister, what did Hong Mai say before he died?"

Gu Xingyuan snorted coldly: "How come the Queen even forgot to tell her about her dog?"

Empress Shu slapped him and said, "I am talking to the Prime Minister, how dare you, a bastard, interrupt me!"

Gu Xingyuan covered his face which was hurt by the slap, with a sinister and murderous look in his eyes.

Xie Zhian: "To the Queen, Hong Mai said, 'Your Majesty, I have lived up to your trust,' and then he committed suicide."

Empress Shu walked up to Concubine Chen, raised the corners of her mouth, and slowly uttered a few words: "Your Highness."

Everyone in the hall was shocked. Yes, all the concubines in the harem who were given the title of concubine and above could be addressed as "Niangniang". There were more than a dozen people in the harem who could be addressed as "Niangniang". The queen was definitely not the only one.

Empress Shu: "Hong Maike did not mention the name of the person who ordered this palace to do this, or the Empress he was referring to was Concubine Chen Guifei, what about you?"

Concubine Chen's face changed and she said in surprise: "What nonsense are you talking about!"

Empress Shu turned to Xie Zhian again and said, "Sir Xie, is what I said correct?"

Xie Zhian had no way to respond to this, so he just said, "In this case, I suggest that all the concubines in the harem stay at home until the case is fully investigated. As for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the Queen's words make sense, after all, he is the crown prince."

Duke Shu said calmly, "Your Majesty has passed away. The Queen is the mother of the country. It is unreasonable for us, the ministers, to put the Queen under house arrest. It is the Queen's will that she asks to be confined to Kunning Palace."

Since she requested to be under house arrest on her own initiative, it is up to the Queen to decide when the house arrest will be lifted.

Xie Changan said hurriedly: "That's natural."

He never believed that it was the Queen who ordered Hong Mai to kill people.

If it was really her order, Hong Mai would never have betrayed his master and said such a thing before his death.

Empress Shu curled her lips slightly, turned around and walked up the steps. She was wearing a bright yellow queen's crown, looking dignified and majestic. The golden flying phoenix hairpin on her bun did not move at all.

She slowly turned around and faced the ministers: "Come here, invite Concubine Chen and the Third Prince back to their palaces. They are not allowed to leave the palace until the case is fully investigated."

The two imperial guards who were kicked to the ground stepped forward immediately.

Gu Xingyuan's eyes were filled with murderous intent, and he kicked away the imperial guards blocking his way: "Get out of here!"

All the ministers were present in the hall and thought that the Third Prince had gone too far.

Concubine Chen said angrily: "Since the Crown Prince is not confined, why should my Third Prince be confined in the Third Prince's Mansion?"

Empress Shu curled her lips coldly: "I am the Empress, and the Crown Prince is the Heir to the throne. And you are just a concubine, and your son is just a bastard."

"You, Shu Nanyu, don't be too proud!" Concubine Chen and the Third Prince were dragged away.

Gu Xingcheng came over to help Empress Shu: "Mother, let's go back too."

Empress Shu nodded, and as she passed by Xie Zhian, she said, "The Xie family has been the backbone of Daliang since our ancestors. I hope Lord Xie will not live up to the word 'bone'."

Xie Zhian took a step back and bowed respectfully: "The Xie family has been trusted by the ancestor emperor and the previous emperors. This old minister will not dare to do anything that will bring disgrace to our Xie family."

"In that case, Sir Xie, the heavy responsibility of Daliang will be handed over to you during this period of time."

"Yes, I will live up to the trust of the Queen and my colleagues."