Disguised as a man, she became the biggest villain in the book.

Chapter 273 The Real Xue Huaiyu

Zheng Luoqi was brought before Zhang Zhiyuan by the guards. He was tall and slender, wearing a blue robe, and looked dashing.

"Lord Zheng, you've come at the perfect time! I happen to have some important matters to discuss with you!"

After Zhang Zhiyuan finished speaking, he pointed to the chair next to him, indicating that he should sit down.

Zheng Luoqi didn't stand on ceremony with him, sat down directly in the chair, and said:

"This man in black tonight is definitely not the last one! Someone probably doesn't want this case to continue!"

"Oh?" Zhang Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow and smiled, "So you don't want this case to be investigated further?"

"This case has now been handed over to you, Commander Zhang, to investigate. In your opinion, is the force behind this matter connected to certain people in the court?"

Zhang Zhiyuan chuckled, picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip of tea, and a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes.

"Lord Zheng's words have piqued my curiosity. Whom do you suspect?"

He put down his teacup and tapped his fingers lightly on the table, making a soft sound.

Zheng Luoqi's gaze fell on the steaming cup of tea on the table. The clear tea reflected his equally amused expression.

"Governor Zhang, I'm sure you know exactly what to do!"

"All I want is a confession. As for how I obtained this confession..."

Zheng Luoqi's lips curled up slightly, revealing an enigmatic smile that seemed to hint at something.

Seeing this, Zhang Zhiyuan smiled knowingly. He pointed to the tea on the table and said softly, "Have some tea, come, Lord Zheng, let's have some tea first and then chat."

Zheng Luoqi waved her hand and declined, saying, "No, I've already explained everything, so I won't bother you any longer."

"As for my father, I will naturally put in a good word for you." With that, he stood up and prepared to leave.

Seeing this, Zhang Zhiyuan quickly got up and personally escorted Zheng Luoqi to the door.

.........

The night was as dark as ink, and the moonlight shone on the stone-paved streets of the capital of the Great Xia Kingdom, giving them a cold, sharp glow.

Inside the Prime Minister's Mansion

Zheng Luoqi stood by the window of the attic, her fingertips gently caressing the earring engraved with a dragon head, her eyes deep and unfathomable.

"My lord, there's news from the palace. The Emperor has been found, but he's still unconscious!" Bo Yu lowered his voice, standing behind him, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

Zheng Luoqi did not answer immediately; his gaze remained fixed on the earring.

Zheng Luoqi's fingers slowly caressed the metal hoop of the earring.

His brows furrowed slightly, and a dark, unreadable emotion flashed in his eyes.

"Is he really unconscious?" Zheng Luoqi murmured softly.

Boyu stood behind him and nodded solemnly.

"Your Majesty, although the Emperor has been found, he remains unconscious, and the Empress has not yet taken any further action!"

“Xue Huaiyu… ah,” he murmured softly, his voice almost drowned out by the night wind.

"My lord, now that the Emperor has been found, what do you think should be done about this matter?" Boyu stepped forward and asked tentatively.

Zheng Luoqi's fingertips left the earring, and he turned his gaze back. He turned his back to Boyu and said, "Chen Tongyu won't sit idly by and wait for his death. He might be searching everywhere for information about the Prime Minister's residence right now."

"Haven't there been a group of people inquiring about the Pregnancy Estate outside the city lately? Someone will make a move!"

"Maybe someone wants us to fight like dogs!"

"Let's wait a little longer! Some people will get impatient. When the second group of people who are gathering information appears, come back and report to me immediately!"

"Yes!" Boyu accepted the order and withdrew.

..........

The next day

morning

Zheng Yuxiang is now eligible to attend court.

Zheng Yuxiang had been confined to his home due to an order issued by the fake emperor.

But now that he knows the order was issued by the fake emperor, he no longer needs to heed the ban.

"My lords, I'm sure you're all very worried about the Emperor's safety. The criminal from last night has already confessed."

"This was secretly orchestrated by the Chen family and the Empress. Their aim was to poison the Emperor and attempt to usurp the throne!"

Zhang Zhiyuan said with righteous indignation, and at the same time quickly took out a confession signed by Shan Yan from his pocket and showed it to everyone.

This confession specifically noted the Empress's crimes of deliberately poisoning the Emperor and conspiring with the Chen family and martial arts figures to usurp the throne.

In this case, even if Xue Huaiyu manages to wake up by chance, he probably won't be able to protect the Chen family.

After all, treason is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family.

"You're spouting nonsense!" Upon seeing this, Chen Tongyu trembled with rage and cursed uncontrollably.

“Lord Chen, the evidence is overwhelming. Do you still intend to deny it?” Zheng Luoqi chimed in from the side.

"Guards! Seize this treacherous and rebellious traitor at once!" Zheng Yuxiang ordered.

Several guards rushed aggressively towards Chen Tongyu.

"Wait!"

Chen Tongyu raised his hand to stop the guard's actions.

He knew that the Zheng family father and son would use torture to extract a confession; it was a tactic they always used.

"Hold your hand, I have something to say."

"Now that he's awake, why not let him confront me in court? That way, everyone can see whether it was I who ordered him to do this!"

"Who knows if your so-called confession is forged! I don't accept it!"

Chen Tongyu didn't think this confession proved anything. As long as the emperor wasn't around, he wouldn't admit to the confession, and no one could do anything about it!

Just then, Zhang Zhiyuan, who had been standing silently to the side, suddenly spoke up: "Last night, after confessing his crimes and accepting punishment, that thief committed suicide out of fear of punishment!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Tongyu was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha..." His laughter sounded particularly abrupt in the quiet hall.

"He died right after writing his confession, what a coincidence!"

"In other words, there's no way to prove this now, so you can make up whatever you want!"

"I will absolutely not accept this confession! Unless His Majesty is present, you will not be able to convict me!"

Chen Tongyu's tone was firm and showed no sign of backing down, clearly indicating his determination to fight the Zheng family father and son to the end.

"Chen Tongyu, don't be so stubborn!" Zhang Zhiyuan shouted sternly.

Chen Tongyu completely disregarded Zhang Zhiyuan. He glanced at Zhang Zhiyuan and sneered, "Zhang Zhiyuan, who do you think you are! How dare you speak to me like that?"

Zhang Zhiyuan was speechless.

Zheng Yuxiang snorted coldly and ordered in a deep voice, "Since he likes to cause trouble so much, let's lock him up in jail for a while. We can deal with him after the Emperor wakes up!"

The guards approached Chen Tongyu menacingly.

Upon seeing this, Chen Tongyu was terrified. He struggled desperately, trying to break free from the guards' restraints.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Chen Tongyu roared angrily. "I am the Imperial Censor, a first-rank official. How dare you lackeys be so insolent!"

Just as Chen Tongyu was feeling desperate, a eunuch rushed in, his face full of anxiety.

"His Majesty...His Majesty has woken up!" the eunuch shouted breathlessly.