Members of the Royal Guard, they brought the men of the Ye family to the palace by escort after having received the emperor's "polite invitation", and showed them the way to a lounge just outside the throne room.
"Duke Ye, you and your sons will wait here until the emperor is ready for you. Though it shouldn't be long, ask the royal guards right outside if you need anything as they'll strongly voice against getting it yourself." Eunuch Yunfei warned as he held the lounge door for the duke and his family.
"As a military man I'll only need the daily rations assigned to me."
The men of the Ye family can understand that Eunuch Yunfei is not so subtly implying that the guards will try to kill them if they attempt to leave without permission, so they'll comply with any arrangements without complaint.
"Father!!! Little second and third, you're here too. Are you all okay?"
There was only one other person in the lounge at that was Duke Ye's eldest son, Ye Bohai, of whom is dressed in the armor he wore upon returning to the capital.
"Naturally we're fine, but what about you?" Duke Ye asked.
"I'm fine, but I am still worried about you all."
"My son, it is good to see you well despite the circumstances."
"Older brother, do you know what's going on?" Ye Yong asked as he nervously paced about the room.
"I'm afraid not. Eunuch Bai was waiting for me as soon as I walked into the palace, and he brought me here." Ye Bohai answered, Still, why are you so nervous, Little 2nd? It's not like your wife is….. ohhhh…. In that case, I must offer my congratulations. Is it a boy or a girl?"
"I don't know brother. My wife was still in the middle of childbirth."
"I hope it goes well for your wife and child then."
"Yes, well... come, let us all sit down. We're all probably going to be here for a while anyway." Ye Bingwen suggested.
Showing off his status as the head of the household, Duke Ye sits on the biggest chair in the lounge the moment Ye Bingwen suggested doing before the rest of the Ye siblings follow.
"You know what's going on, father. That wasn't a question…. you know something."
"Your ability to read people is as good as ever Little 3rd, but yes…. I know something about what's going on." Duke Ye sighed.
"Not that hard to figure out after you had second brother and I stuff our interspatial rings with tableware."
"An old subordinate of mine saw Eunuch Yunfei heading to our home, so he hurried over to inform me. He did not understand what he wanted, but I figured hiding all of that would be for the best."
"The emperor sent him?!!" Ye Bohai yelled out of shock, "Oh then our Ye family must be in trouble."
The duke initially had every intention of telling his children the truth about what Ye Wei had told him, but he decides against it to protect his grandson. No doubt if the charges against his daughter are true, his majesty will have a fly on one of this room's walls ready to report at a moment's notice.
"Darn…. I was hoping for some kind of clue to the trouble we're in."
"We can only sit here and wait to find out."
The men of the Ye family stay seated, and they do so both for a few hours and silently despite multiple temptations to chat until the moment the emperor calls for the three of them to head to the throne room.
"We are gladdened by the fact you could join us despite our sudden invitation." Wang Cao said as his voice reverberated throughout the throne room.
The throne room was as large and as lavishly decorated (in large portions of various shades of azure) that one would expect of the powerful Qin Empire. The emperor himself was sitting on his throne at the top of a large staircase, in official robes despite the time of day, and Eunuch Bai standing at his side was also as expected.
"We of the Ye family greet his majesty in all his glory." Duke Ye declared as he and his sons got on one knee just before the staircase leading to the throne.
"Do you know why we have summoned you at this hour?"
"I wouldn't dare to claim such a thing, your majesty."
"You will know soon then." Wang Cao said.
The emperor quickly glanced toward his ever-loyal eunuch before redirecting his attention back to the Ye family with a soul-piercing gaze.
"Bring in Madam Ye." Eunuch Bai ordered.
A side entrance on the east-facing side of the throne room closest to the throne itself opens up revealing a pair of palace guards each grabbing one arm of a woman in her early 20s still in her sleeping robes.
"Those robes look haphazardly thrown on. Oh dear, I hope that foolish daughter of mine was just caught in some kind of misunderstanding." Duke Ye thought.
"Older/younger sister!" the three sons of Duke Ye yelled simultaneously.
"Shut up!! The emperor hasn't granted the three of you the right to speak!" Duke Ye yelled.
Even though she was already a grown woman, Duke Ye finds himself barely able to resist the impulse to hold his daughter and protect her from the world like any doting father would for a little girl. He ultimately doesn't, as being the supreme commander of the Qin Empire's armies require him to look strong at all times.
"Father, I swear… none of it is tr-"
"Nor has his majesty granted either of you the right to speak." Eunuch Bai pointed out.
"My apologies to his majesty for failing in my duties to teach my sons properly."
"Duke Ye, there are three reasons we have called you and your sons here today with little fanfare. The first is your loyal help in overthrowing our father the previous emperor, that your son Ye Yong is our closest friend, and that we once thought Madam Ye to be like the little sister we never had." Wang Cao said as he looked like he barely suppressed the urge to scream out of anger.
"Then forgive my rudeness your majesty, but may I please ask why my family and I are being invited to the palace at such a late hour? Does it have something to do with why my daughter is being escorted by palace guards?"
"As you know we have taken guardianship over the now orphan descendants of people who have played key roles in our overthrowing of the previous emperor. Because of initially having faith in the Ye family's teachings on morality and discipline, we had entrusted Madam Ye with the duty of being both their nanny and that of the 8th prince (after having lost his mother) hoping to find the family they lost amongst each other." Wang Cao explained with barely suppressed hints of wrath in his voice, "Yet after certain events that have occurred earlier in the night, Madam Ye had revealed she had long since betrayed the trust we have shown her."
The emperor once again glances toward Eunuch Bai before returning his attention to the military family before him.
"By taking advantage of the trust his majesty had placed, Madam Ye is to be charged with the following crimes…" Eunuch Bai declared as he pulled out a large scroll from his interspatial ring, "Embezzling from the funds assigned to you from the emperor's personal treasury and from the inheritances of the orphans under your care. The abuse of the children under your care, abuse of the servants that remained loyal to their families, and the abuse of the 8th prince. Destruction of evidence and the elimination of witnesses that proved your guilt. Finally and most heinously, assisting in the assassination attempt of the 8th prince Wang Bing Long."
"What?!!!" the Ye sons yelled.
"I said to keep quiet, damn it!!!!" Duke Ye screamed.
"Father!!!! I swear that none of it is true." Madam Ye proclaimed.
"The ONLY REASON we have not ordered for you to be tortured and your tongue removed is out of courtesy of our childhood relationship." Wang Cao barked, "Unless you wish for it to happen, we suggest that you remain silent until spoken to."
"Bring in his highness the 8th prince!" Eunuch Bai ordered.
This time the closest west-facing side entrance closest to the throne opens up. While it also reveals three figures standing on the other side, the figure in the middle is being treated with respect, unlike Madam Ye. To the right was a well-groomed palace maid, to the left was Zhao Lin the royal guardsman that was escorting the emperor earlier, and the small child in the middle was the 8th prince Wang Bing Long as the three of them move to stand before the emperor.
"Umm…. scary uncle, what should…. what should I do now?" Wang Bing Long asked.
"Even if you cannot do so with grace because of your youth, walk forward at least with confidence your highness." Zhao Lin answered as he pounded his fist on his heart to show off his manliness, "After seeing the truth of your circumstances, I swear on my honor as a royal guardsman to protect you from harm."
"Now… now sir guardsman, given the circumstances you shouldn't take such a firm tone with his highness." The well-groomed maid pointed out.
"Ahem…. yes well, I trust you two haven't forgotten where you are?" Eunuch Bai asked as he purposefully coughed loudly to get some attention.
"Forgive our rudeness, your majesty!" the maid and guardsman yelled simultaneously.
The former immediately kotowed whereas the latter got on one knee (mostly because he couldn't fully kowtow in armor). Meanwhile, the 8th prince just stood there wearing azure blue colored robes strewn with lightning-bolt shaped patterns, of which (if you ignore the few visible bruises) makes him look like a mini version of the handsome man he may one day become.
"Given the informality of this evening's events, your behavior does not offend us at all." Wang Cao said before turning to face his son, "As for you my son, how are you?"
"Ummm….. thank you, kind sir, for the bath, but I'm no prince. I don't deserve these super-duper fancy clothes."
The men of the Ye family could feel a massive amount of killing intent directed towards Madam Ye appear within a split second, of whom the latter shivered in fear in response despite coming from a military family, but thankfully (at least for Madam Ye) it disappears as quickly as it had appeared.
"I am your father and you are my son." Wang Cao declared with a strict yet warm smile, "Otherwise you wouldn't be able to wear that blood jade around your neck."
"Buuut….. what if I'm not your son?" Wang Bing Long asked in a confused tone expected of a child under these circumstances.
"Then that necklace would immediately ki... no never-mind… just have faith in my ability to bring you justice. Just tell the truth about everything that has happened today, and I'll ensure that Madam Ye will be punished according to the fullest extent of the law."
"Little Bing, I know you like to play pretend as a servant but this isn't the time for that. Please tell your father about how this is all a misunderstanding." Madam Ye yelled desperately.
"SOMEONE CUT OUT THI-" Wang Cao, "No…. forgive our outburst."
"Your majesty has every right to be angry as Madam Ye had betrayed your trust." Eunuch Bai pointed out as he attempts to calm the emperor.
"Even so…. we will be impartial despite how we feel and will give Madam Ye a chance to defend herself once our 8th son has spoken."
Insert a few moments of awkward silence here.
"By that I mean you should start speaking now your highness."
"Huh? Oh… uhhhh." Wang Bing Long mumbled as he was unsure of how to respond.
"My son, take your time and speak the truth."
The problem wasn't only the fact that Wang Bing Long was nervous, but it was that he was rapidly going through all of this body's memories. Hmmm…. are you perhaps confused by the use of the words "this body"? Well, the truth is unbeknownst to everyone here; the real Wang Bing Long had long since died and the soul inhabiting his body was none other than the soul of the Japanese teen Ren Suzugamori saved by Confucius herself. The first thing that Ren can definitely remember after talking to the famous figure is falling through the night sky.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ren screamed.
And why wouldn't he? Especially when you consider the fact that Ren could feel the air literally brush up against his very soul.
"Damn loli cultist…. SCREW YOU!!!"
Then as if it was a warning shot from the heavens themselves, a bolt of lightning narrowly misses Ren within seconds of him saying that.
"No, no, no….. get away… get away… get away!!!" Ren screamed as he noticed that he was 30 seconds away from striking the roof of the large complex he'd later learn to be the Qin royal palace.
Perhaps the time Ren had before going splat was actually less than 30 seconds, but even so, he futility attempts to "swim away" from striking the roof as though he were in water while completely forgetting the fact that he's just a bodiless soul now.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!" Ren screamed the split-second before colliding with the roof of the palace.
Ren's soul was shocked into a state of unconsciousness because of the cognition of the concept falling from a great height equaling death. After being submerged in darkness for only a few seconds, Ren's eyes slowly open up.
"Oww owww oww…. first it was feeling like being hit by a truck, and now I feel like I was just beaten up in a fight." Ren thought, "Wait…. pain?"
The realization that he can feel pain makes Ren giddy enough to forget about the fact that he felt pain at all.
"Since I can feel pain, that can only mean that I'm still alive."
Before the elation passes, Ren gets back up on his own two feet and scans his surroundings.
"It looks like I'm in some dusty sto…. Ohhh sh****t."
Ren cursed because he had recognized the architectural design of the storeroom and a portion of the things being stored in it. As someone who used to live in Tokyo's China Town, there's no way he wouldn't recognize it.
"Ohhhhhh no no no…. this is a Chinese isekai world." Ren moaned, "I mean come on you damn loli cultist!!! Even if you're not familiar with it, don't you know you were playing the part of an otherworldly goddess? According to the rules, I'm supposed to be reicarnated or transmigrated into a Medieval European world and not this!!!! You said it yourself that I'm FULLY JAPANESE damn it!!!"