"Facing He Lanmin's sudden betrayal, Ji Yu and Ji Rui felt as if they had fallen into an abyss of disbelief, staring at He Lanmin in incredulity.
"He Lanmin, you..." Ji Yu shouted. Hadn't they agreed on everything this morning? How could He Lanmin suddenly turn against them?
He Lanmin had always wanted to marry him. There must be a reason for this sudden betrayal.
Ji Young Master, I'm sorry. I couldn't agree to what you discussed this morning. He Lanmin could only apologize to Ji Yu in her heart. After all, outside the palace, she had nothing to counter Ji Yu with. The only thing she could rely on was the secret held by her father.
Upon hearing this, the Empress's face turned pale. Was there still any room for maneuver now? No, the Empress understood this clearly in her heart.
"Ji Young Master, do you have anything else to say now?" Su Zimo asked coldly, wearing a smile that seemed calm and indifferent, but sent shivers down one's spine.
"Your Majesty, assassins truly entered my residence last night..."
"Do you still want to claim that the assassin was Su Qi, Duke Zhen?" Emperor Haoyue shouted in anger, his face filled with rage, making the Empress even more afraid to speak up for her father.
However, fortunes can change. She wouldn't let Su Zimo's family get away with it.
Despite her unwillingness, the Empress had no options at the moment.
The Empress clenched her teeth, furious yet helpless, and knelt before Emperor Haoyue.
"Your Majesty, I, your humble servant, am incapable. I have let such an ugly incident happen to the Ji family." She glanced at Ji Yu and Ji Rui, who were dumbfoundedly looking at her.
"Yu'er, Rui'er, confess now!" With He Lanmin's betrayal and the lack of stronger evidence from her father's side, the only way to reduce the Emperor's anger was for them to admit their guilt.
"Sister...!" Ji Rui looked at the Empress with a face full of grievance and helplessness. Was her entire life as Ji Rui completely ruined?
Then she raised her gaze, her icy eyes fixed on Su Zimo and Su Qi. Those eyes were filled with poisonous needles, as if she wanted to dismember Su Zimo a thousand times over.
Su Zimo, I, Ji Rui, swear to the heavens that I will make sure you meet a miserable end!
Su Zimo fearlessly stared back at her. After committing such shameless acts and boldly entering the palace to seek the Emperor's judgement, did she really think the palace was for the Ji family? Fortunately, Emperor Haoyue was a wise ruler; otherwise, it would be Qi'er who suffered today.
Ji Rui's stiff body knelt straight to the ground. "Your Majesty, Ji Rui was ignorant and was drugged. Without any antidote, she ended up being with her brother. Regarding last night's events, Ji Rui has nothing to say."
Ji Yu, with a lifeless face, also knelt down.
"Your Majesty, Ji Yu also acknowledges his mistake."
Their kneeling shocked Emperor Haoyue.
He speculated that this matter had some connection to Su Qi to some extent, but what he didn't expect was the Empress, who always had a sense of propriety, actively taking the blame for the Ji family. This was something she had never done in front of him.
"Alright, since you admit your mistakes, there is hope for redemption."
The Empress's body tensed again upon hearing Mu Yunxuan's voice. What more did Mu Yunxuan want? She, as the Queen Mother, had already stooped to such a level.
However, she didn't understand Mu Yunxuan enough. Mu Yunxuan was not someone who cared about others' opinions. The only people he cared about were Su Zimo and his son.
Father is truly great! Su Qi raised his eyes, smiling gently. In that smile, there was comfort and gratitude. It was good to have a powerful father!"
"Xuan'er, now that they have admitted their mistakes and it hasn't affected Qi'er, let's minimize this matter and resolve it peacefully," Emperor Haoyue said, his expression complex as he tightened his grip on the armrest of the dragon throne.
After a while, Mu Yunxuan remained silent, but Emperor Haoyue's eyes darkened. Cloud City was already invincible, and now there was another Mingyue Villa. It seemed like it was all just one big family. The current situation made him uneasy, and he couldn't ignore the fact that Cloud City and Mingyue Villa, once united, posed a threat to the imperial family of Haoyue.
"Xuan'er, please give your uncle some face," Emperor Haoyue said with a slight movement of his body.
Mu Yunxuan raised his eyes, squinting at Emperor Haoyue, instantly understanding his thoughts.
It wasn't just Mu Yunxuan who noticed it; Su Zimo also saw through it.
The worries of the emperor were not something that Su Zimo, Su Zimo, should be concerned about. Would confessing their guilt resolve everything? They were too naive.
"Your Majesty, I remember that when my other son and Ji Hong fought in the arena, we signed a document personally attested by Your Majesty, authorizing Mingyue Villa to carry out tasks assigned by the Duke Zhen's Residence. However, now the Duke Zhen's Residence not only failed to abide by the agreement, but also falsely accused my son. Isn't the Duke Zhen's Residence shooting itself in the foot?" Su Zimo said sharply, understanding that the emperor's worries were not in line with her own.
Emperor Haoyue's gaze turned icy as he stared at Su Zimo. How could Su Zimo be so ignorant?
"What answer would satisfy Miss Su?" Emperor Haoyue's face darkened slightly. Those who knew Emperor Haoyue understood that he was now angry.
Upon hearing that, Ji Yaotian regretted it. If it weren't for the sake of saving Hong'er's life, he would never have signed that binding agreement that would have tied him for life. Even if he did sign it, he had long since forgotten about it.
"What kind of answer would satisfy you?" Su Zimo's beautiful face revealed a faint smile. This smile was not only beautiful, but it also exuded a silent coldness. Annoying others was what Su Zimo loved the most. Only by annoying them could she achieve her goals.
Pausing for a moment, she continued in a soft voice, "What answer would be most satisfying? I believe Your Majesty will give me a fair answer." Su Zimo redirected the conversation. Her goal was simple: if Ji Yaotian and Ji Rui were not easily let off this time, then next time she would be even more ruthless.
Emperor Haoyue clenched the armrest of the dragon throne tightly, his eyes turning frosty.
But Su Zimo met Emperor Haoyue's gaze fearlessly. One act of concession could lead her to a calamity.
The atmosphere instantly became tense and oppressive.
Ji Yaotian, Ji Rui, the Empress, and Duke Zhen didn't even dare to lift their heads.
Mu Yunxuan stood silently, occasionally smiling as he looked at Su Zimo. She was his woman, and no matter how much trouble she caused, he would always be there to support her.
"Ji Rui, for committing an ethical violation, you shall be sent to the nunnery for one year to atone for your sins. Without my permission, you shall not return to the capital."
Ji Rui's lips twitched slightly as she responded, "Your Majesty, I thank you for granting me a pardon. I will sincerely repent in the nunnery."
There was a hint of pain and helplessness in Ji Rui's eyes, but there was no trace of gratitude, let alone remorse.
Perhaps after a year, this matter would gradually be forgotten by people. By then, it wouldn't be too late for her to come back for revenge. Moreover, she could make good use of this year to cultivate her skills.
The Empress turned and glanced at her sister. She suddenly realized that her sister had grown up and understood how to adapt to the situation.
"I will personally arrange for someone to accompany you there."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Ji Rui respectfully thanked Emperor Haoyue.
"Ji Yaotian, I won't say much to you. Not only did you harm your own sister, but you also went against your own blood. I am truly disappointed in you. You no longer need to go to the Dan Ge; reflect on your actions well in the Duke Zhen's Residence."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Ji Yaotian clenched his fists. This punishment was already the lightest, as Emperor Haoyue always considered the relationship between Duke Zhen and the Crown Prince. Ji Yaotian had correctly guessed that Emperor Haoyue would not do anything to them when he came today.
"Miss Su, are you satisfied with my answer?" Emperor Haoyue's gaze, unreserved and authoritative, conveyed neither explanation nor inquiry.
Mu Yunxuan and Mu Yunhan were both stunned and wore expressions of incredulity.
What is Emperor Haoyue doing...?
However, he added again, "If Miss Su is not satisfied, she can propose her own satisfactory answer."
This time, his words were even more casual than before.
A faint smile formed at the corner of Su Zimo's lips. "Your Majesty, I am very satisfied with your answer."
In contrast, Emperor Haoyue was momentarily stunned by her response. He was also somewhat astonished deep inside. He had already dealt with the punishment leniently, yet this Su Zimo, who was just obstinate moments ago, was now satisfied with his answer. Such a woman was truly unfathomable to men.
Mu Yunxuan raised his eyes slightly and looked at her.
At this moment, she lowered her gaze, appearing extremely obedient and gentle.
Obedient? Gentle? These two words were perhaps only things that Mu Yunxuan could think of.
In the eyes of others, she was stubborn, even excessively so.
A faint crease formed between Emperor Haoyue's eyebrows.
When the Empress raised her gaze, she caught a glimpse of the fleeting change in Emperor Haoyue's expression. She was slightly startled, but excitement hid beneath the surface. Pondering, perhaps she could come up with a better way to deal with Su Zimo.
"Miss Su, I admire your magnanimity," the Empress said.
"Now that everything has been resolved, you may all return! I am a bit tired and will go rest for a while." Emperor Haoyue glanced at Su Zimo once again, stood up, and with the assistance of Minister Qin, left. In his opinion, living with a woman like Su Zimo was the most exhausting for a man.
After Emperor Haoyue and the others left, the Empress stood up, looking at Su Zimo with surprise and a touch of excitement. She pondered that perhaps she could find a better way to deal with Su Zimo.
"Miss Su, today's incident was a misunderstanding. In order to make amends to Yu'er and Rui'er, I invite you to attend the palace banquet during the Qinguo Festival. Let the three children come as well!"
The Empress had a friendly expression, but in Su Zimo's ears, it was the beginning of another conspiracy.
"Since it is a personal invitation from the Empress, I have no reason to decline."
"Then I thank Miss Su for gracing us with your presence." Come on! I'll make you regret it when the time comes, Su Zimo. I will reclaim everything you owe the Ji family from you.
Su Zimo crouched down, picked up Su Qi, and said, "Let's go back."
Mu Yunxuan and Mu Yunhan said nothing and quietly followed behind Su Zimo as they left.
Helan Min realized that if she stayed behind, Ji Yu would definitely not spare her, so she followed Su Zimo and the others as they left.
Watching their figures, the Empress raised an eyebrow slightly, her eyes filled with malice.
Mu Yunxuan had never paid attention to women before. He didn't like women getting close to him. Many women tried their best to please him, using all their tenderness, but they couldn't even earn a glance from him.
However, just now, Mu Yunxuan only had Su Zimo in his eyes. Could she make good use of this?
Among all the princes, only Chen'er was most favored by the Emperor. She must ensure that Chen'er ascended the throne smoothly.
"Wu'er, we've once again lost terribly today," Ji Yaotian said wearily, looking at Ji Rui and Ji Yu.
"Father, there's no need to be too anxious. It's inconvenient to speak here in the palace. Yu'er was too impulsive today. There must be a reason behind Helan Min's sudden betrayal."
"That damn bitch, she spoke well this morning!" Ji Yu gritted his teeth.
"Yu'er, have you found out who spread the news? How could you be so reckless in your actions without considering the consequences?" The Empress looked at her brother with anger in her eyes. Her brother had always been close to her heart, and over the years, he had helped her a lot, suppressing Concubine Yao. Why did he become so confused when it came to the matter involving Su Zimo and her son?
"Sister, Yu'er investigated thoroughly. We had people secretly monitoring, but the other party was too cunning. By the time the news spread everywhere, Yu'er still couldn't figure out who revealed last night's incident."
The one most furious was Ji Yu. He was played around without even catching a glimpse of the other party's back.