The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 361 Exposed

Zheng Jiao was skeptical: "Repeat it."

He Wuyu blinked and repeated almost word for word what she had just said.

After she finished speaking, she leaned close to Zheng Jiao and said, "Jiao Jiao, here's your reward."

Zheng Jiao reached out and patted her head.

The emperor opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, until finally only a helpless sigh remained.

Below, Jiang Weiguo seemed to be deep in thought.

Xu Bin asked curiously, "Have you figured out who instructed Zhang Rong to poison him?"

"No, I was just wondering what Rui Rui was doing."

Upon hearing this, Xu Bin rolled his eyes: "Don't blame me for being blunt, but you should spend less time on Madam Xu... Miao."

Jiang Weiguo's face fell: "You also think she's not good enough for me?"

After Xu Ru and Miao Rui divorced, he became less and less concerned about hiding his feelings. Recently, he has heard many people around him say that Miao Rui and he are not a good match.

"No, what makes you so shameless?" Xu Bin said with a disdainful "Huh?" "Does it mean that other people think she's not good enough for you, or do you think so too?"

Jiang Weiguo said with a stern face, "What's the difference?"

"Between the two of you, there's no question of whether you're a good match or not. Madam Miao isn't stupid; she has money and servants, and she can live a carefree life on her own. Even if she really wanted a companion, she could easily find someone younger; why would she tie herself to an old man like you?"

Jiang Weiguo: ...

Am I really that bad?

"It's not that bad, but it's not that great either."

"If I remember correctly, we're best friends, right? Is it really appropriate for you to say that?"

“You’re welcome. It’s what a true friend should do,” Xu Bin patted Jiang Weiguo on the shoulder. “Besides, you and Madam Miao are both getting on in years. There’s no point in all this fuss. Madam Miao has worked so hard for the Xu family in the past few years. Let her have a more relaxed life!”

Jiang Weiguo was still somewhat unwilling, because he knew that Miao Rui was not indifferent to him.

But he's not a teenager anymore. If you think about it carefully, with the country in crisis, can he really guarantee that Miao Rui will have a better life with him than with him?

Did his actions really not bother her?

Xu Bin's words did have an impact on him, and he was somewhat stunned.

"Minister Jiang, what do you think of this matter?"

Jiang Weiguo: ...

What does he think? How does he know what he thinks?

He had no idea what had just happened.

His gaze drifted toward Xu Bin.

Xu Bin shrugged, indicating that he couldn't help.

Jiang Weiguo's face turned red, and he stammered for a long time, unable to utter a single word.

The emperor snorted.

Unable to explain, Jiang Weiguo could only lift his robe and kneel down in silence.

Zheng Xun put his hands in his pockets and quietly yawned.

It's quite unusual to see someone of Jiang Weiguo's age being so love-struck.

Does he still remember the current situation of the Great Yong Dynasty?

[What he does in private is none of my business, but he dares to linger in the Fengqin Hall for so long.]

The courtiers standing at the back had somewhat subtle expressions.

Because of the special nature of the system upgrade, the emperor practically squeezed in every official he could get into the Fengqin Hall.

These people were not visiting Fengqin Hall for the first time, nor were they hearing Zheng Xun's thoughts for the first time. Their unusual behavior stemmed from the recent rumors that were spreading like wildfire.

Zheng Xun, the emperor, and Li Xiaojun, who were positioned high above, could clearly see the unusual expressions on the faces of these officials.

The emperor's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he whispered something to Li Xiaojun.

Li Xiaojun quietly withdrew.

The emperor waited a while before signaling Jiang Weiguo to get up.

The court officials were on edge after this incident, and since nothing major happened on the screen, they became increasingly enthusiastic when discussing state affairs.

About fifteen minutes later, Li Xiao returned.

He whispered something in the emperor's ear, and the emperor's expression became inscrutable.

The courtiers also realized that something was amiss, and their discussions gradually subsided.

After Li Xiaojun finished speaking, he respectfully withdrew.

The emperor rubbed his knuckles, his gaze sweeping over the assembled courtiers below.

The Fengqin Hall grew increasingly quiet.

The emperor remained silent for a long time, watching as the bewildered ministers grew increasingly tense, many of them breaking out in a cold sweat.

The emperor suddenly chuckled: "It is said that some rumors have been circulating among you ministers recently?"

The high-ranking ministers were increasingly puzzled.

But soon, they heard a series of "thump" sounds of people kneeling down behind them.

Liao Hongsheng turned around and saw that a group of people behind him had already knelt down.

He groaned, cursing those fools for angering the emperor, and together with the remaining ministers, obediently knelt down.

The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone unfriendly: "Yuanjia, do you know what they've been spreading?"

The lower-ranking officials couldn't resist sneaking a peek at the Crown Princess.

Yes, those rumors are all related to Her Highness the Crown Princess.

They had been instructed beforehand on what they could and could not say in front of Her Highness the Crown Princess.

What the emperor had just told them to say was precisely what they couldn't say in front of the Crown Princess.

Whether the emperor was out of his mind from anger or deliberately wanted to embarrass the Crown Princess, he actually questioned her in public.

Zheng Xun pondered for a moment, then honestly replied, "Your subject does not know."

"Didn't you claim to be able to predict everything perfectly? How come your plans failed this time?"

Zheng Xun seemed completely baffled by his inexplicable anger. After hesitating for a moment, he knelt down in front of him, just like the others.

The emperor snorted coldly and looked at his ministers again: "If she won't speak, then you will."

It was quiet.

The emperor was not in a hurry. He leaned to one side, looking relaxed, as if he was determined to wait it out.

As time passed, the idle courtiers began to speculate about his thoughts.

The ministers who had witnessed the relationship between the emperor and Zheng Xun were alright; although they had their doubts, they remained composed.

Among minor officials, there are quite a few with quick wits.

Most of them have little power. Nowadays, the court is full of talented people. If they want to climb up, they either need to be exceptionally capable or they need to scheme and plot.

The emperor's anger, while a crisis for them, could also be an opportunity.

So some people couldn't help but start thinking: The Emperor seemed very angry, and publicly glared at the Crown Princess. It's obvious that he believed the rumors!

If the rumors are true, then Zheng Xun's position as the Crown Princess is in jeopardy...

Zheng Jin coldly watched those restless people, raised an eyelid, and cursed, "Idiots."

Although she didn't know what the so-called "rumors" were, Yuan Jia's position wouldn't be so easily shaken.

She turned her eyes away in disgust.

Such greedy people, even when facing a formidable enemy, no, even when the enemy is at the gates, are still preoccupied with internal strife.

But they don't even consider that if the Great Yong Dynasty is gone, what use will their power grab be?

Sure enough, a fool stepped forward.

"Your Majesty! Rumor has it that the Crown Princess knew about the leak of her inner thoughts all along, and that her inner thoughts and what the 'system' told her were only partially true. It is feared that the Crown Princess has been using her inner thoughts to seek personal gain all along!"