In the Imperial Hall, the civil and military officials stood in two rows. Minister Li stood in the center, holding a memorial, his voice stern and resolute:
"Your Majesty, the Qintian Observatory has recently acted inappropriately. Not only have they privately reviewed forbidden texts, but there are also officials who have abandoned their posts and colluded with criminals. I request a thorough investigation into this matter!"
The officials were in an uproar. Liu Ying stood among them, her expression calm. She had anticipated that the Xu family would use Minister Li to launch an attack, but she did not expect them to do so today.
"Oh?" The Emperor's gaze was piercing. "Li Aiqing, do you have evidence?"
"Replying to Your Majesty," Minister Li unfurled the memorial, "it has been discovered that Liu Ying, the female chief of the Qintian Observatory, not only privately reviewed secret texts but also had an illicit relationship with former pacification envoy Xu Yuan, with intentions..."
" lord Li, you speak incorrectly." Liu Ying stepped forward. "As the female chief of the Qintian Observatory, reviewing texts is my duty. As for Master Xu, he was sent on official business and has no personal relationship with me."
"Is that so?" Minister Li sneered. "Then how do you explain this?" He produced a letter. "This is a correspondence between you and Xu Yuan, every word mentions secrets regarding the Tianshi Market Camp Howl. What are your true intentions?"
Liu Ying's heart sank: she had never seen this letter; it must be forged!
At that moment, Xu Yuan suddenly stepped forward. "Replying to Your Majesty, there is more to this matter."
"Oh?" The Emperor gestured for him to continue.
"There are indeed strange phenomena at the Tianshi Market Camp Howl; this is a significant issue. I implore Your Majesty to investigate carefully." Xu Yuan said as he pulled an object from his sleeve. The crowd focused their eyes and saw it was a Bronze Mirror!
Minister Li's expression changed dramatically. "You... how do you have this item?"
"This mirror was crafted by the the Yu Family twenty years ago." Xu Yuan said as he raised the mirror toward the skylight of the hall. "Please take a look, Your Majesty."
Sunlight streamed through the skylight and reflected off the mirror's surface. To everyone's astonishment, strange characters began to appear within it!
"This is..." The Emperor focused intently.
"Replying to Your Majesty, this is the Astronomical Code." Liu Ying explained. "It was left behind by Lord Xu Shu back in the day. It records a shocking conspiracy, and today is the time to reveal the truth."
"Impudent!" Minister Li shouted sharply. "How can mere Astronomical Code..."
"Why are you so anxious, lord Li?" Xu Yuan sneered. "Could it be that you know something?"
"I..."
At that moment, a young eunuch rushed in hastily. "Your Majesty! It's bad! In South City, people from the Xu family have been secretly transporting large quantities of medicinal materials, and also..."
"Shut up!" Minister Li suddenly bellowed. "These are all slanders!"
The Emperor furrowed his brow tightly. "Medicinal materials? What kind of materials?"
"Replying to Your Majesty," Liu Ying stepped forward, "they are ingredients for making Fragrant Cold Powder. This poison was used twenty years ago during the Great Fire at Xu Mansion; now the Xu family is secretly preparing again, surely with ulterior motives."
Minister Li's face turned ashen. "You... you are talking nonsense! This is clearly..."
"What is it?" Xu Yuan pressed, staring at him. " lord Li just said this is slander, and now you hesitate to speak. Do you perhaps know something?"
The atmosphere in the hall became tense. At that moment, the Empress suddenly spoke up, "I actually know a bit about this matter."
All eyes turned to the Empress as she slowly rose and took out a yellowed letter.
"This is a secret letter left by Xu Shu twenty years ago. It mentions that the Tianshi Market Camp Howl harbors secrets of the the Yu Family, and the Xu Family has come here for that very secret."
Minister Li's face turned pale. "This... this is impossible..."
" lord Li," the Emperor said in a deep voice, "I must ask you why you are so anxious about the Xu Family's affairs?"
"This..."
Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside the hall. The commander of the Imperial Guard hurried in. "Your Majesty, we have just captured a group of Xu Family assassins who were transporting weapons!"
The hall was thrown into an uproar. Minister Li's legs buckled, and he fell to his knees. "I... I know my crime..."
"Take him away!" the Emperor commanded sternly. "Interrogate him rigorously!"
As Minister Li was dragged out of the great hall, Liu Ying and Xu Yuan exchanged glances. They understood that this was just the beginning. A greater storm was yet to come.
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