Dressed as cannon fodder and vowing to kick the heroine’s head off

Queen Yunxi sat on the high seat, her beautiful eyes slightly lowered, quietly gazing at the people kneeling below. She gently held a cup of fragrant tea in her hand, sipping the tea gracefully and slowly, but she never asked everyone to stand up.

As time passed, the people in the Imperial Household Department became more and more uneasy and anxious.

Their knees, which had been in contact with the cold, hard ground for a long time, had begun to tremble slightly, as if they would not be able to support the weight of their bodies at any time.

Beads of sweat oozed out of everyone's forehead, and they secretly prayed in their hearts that the queen would speak as soon as possible to end this suffocating silence.

However, the queen seemed completely unmoved, still leisurely savoring the fragrance of tea. Her beautiful face showed no emotion at all, making it impossible to guess her true thoughts.

At this time, Yang Shanming, the minister in charge of the Imperial Household Department, closed his eyes and groaned in his heart.

He knew very well that although he had a clear conscience in this incident and everything he did was for the sake of the emperor and the entire country, he owed something to the queen.

Now facing the Queen's questioning, it would be difficult to escape easily. This storm is probably inevitable.

Finally, a gust of cold wind blew past, and the queen's cold and majestic voice came from above: "Do you know the sin you have committed?"

The sound was like frost in winter, making people shudder.

Yang Shanming, kneeling on the ground, was trembling slightly, his forehead pressed tightly against the cold ground, not daring to raise his head to look directly into the Queen's eyes.

He said in an almost humble tone: "Your Majesty, please calm down. This is all my fault. Please punish me."

His attitude of admitting his mistake seemed very sincere.

Yun Xi's eyes became colder and colder. She stared at Yang Shanming and asked, "What mistake did you make?"

Yang Shanming took a deep breath and then slowly replied:

“Your Majesty, as an official of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, I should be conscientious and prudent in my duties.

However, because of my momentary confusion, I actually acted on my own and became self-righteous. Without receiving the clear instructions from the emperor, I rashly ordered a large-scale construction and purchased various materials at will..."

Having said this, Yang Shanming paused for a moment, secretly observing the changes in the queen's expression.

Xiaoqing and the nanny who were standing by saw all this and felt a surge of anger in their hearts.

They could all hear that even though Yang Shanming kept saying it was his fault, in fact he didn't take the queen seriously at all.

From beginning to end, the only person he mentioned was His Majesty the Emperor.

It seemed as if as long as the emperor could be forgiven and understood, nothing else mattered.

Although he was apologizing, there was arrogance in his tone. This arrogant and rude attitude made them feel extremely disgusted.

"Sir Yang, don't you know? The emperor has now handed over all affairs of the palace to the Empress!" The nanny standing by could no longer suppress her dissatisfaction and questioned in a stern tone.

Yang Shanming bowed his head and apologized: "Your Majesty, please calm down! I really know nothing about this matter! I hope Your Majesty will not blame me."

Looking at his fearful and respectful appearance, it seemed as if he really knew nothing about this matter.

However, Yun Xi knew very well that this guy was just quibbling!

She clenched her teeth tightly and grinded her back teeth secretly.

What a stubborn guy! How could His Majesty hide such an important matter from the Ministry of Internal Affairs? It is simply absurd!

Thinking of this, Yun Xi's already gloomy expression became even more like dark clouds, as if a storm could come at any time.

Her beautiful eyes were now flashing with blazing anger, like two balls of angry flames, as if they were going to completely devour the person in front of her.

She suddenly raised her voice, revealing an irresistible majesty, and asked:

"I am very curious. Has Lord Yang always acted like this? He dared to buy what he wanted without permission from above, and made decisions on all matters recklessly. He even squandered money without any scruples, and he didn't take His Majesty and me seriously at all."

As she said this, Yun Xi's tone gradually became more and more severe, which made people feel fearful.

After hearing these words, Yang Shanming, who was kneeling on the ground, trembled involuntarily. Then he made a "click" sound and knocked his head heavily. The sound of his forehead hitting the ground was clearly audible.

His face was filled with panic, and he quickly explained:

"Your Majesty, you are very observant! I have always followed the rules and served the court wholeheartedly. I would never dare to cross the line!

Regarding the selection of concubines, it was indeed the eunuchs in the palace who came to me to convey the emperor's order. I did not think much about it at the time and subconsciously thought that this must be the emperor's order, so I acted in a hurry!

I hope the Queen will be wise!"

This guy is obviously a veteran!

Yun Xi tried hard to control the rage in her heart. She knew she couldn't act impulsively at this moment and had to focus on the most pressing matter at hand.

The rest can be left for later!

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to make her voice sound calm:

"Everyone, you have been working hard for His Majesty in recent days. Not only have you put in a lot of effort, but you have also spent a lot of money.

His Majesty is kindhearted and knows how difficult it is for you all, so he specially ordered me to come and take over the subsequent matters.

Please report to me everything you have done and all your expenses. Please tell me the truth and don't hide anything!"

She did not directly reveal that the content of the talent show had changed, because she wanted to take this opportunity to observe the performance of these ministers.

See how many of them are honest, trustworthy, and law-abiding; at the same time, you can take the opportunity to help Xiao Chenyi eradicate the corrupt and disloyal people hidden in the court.

In this way, we can ensure that the "draft" work goes smoothly and eliminate hidden dangers for the country, killing two birds with one stone.

The ministers kneeling below were ecstatic.

Ah? Did the Emperor acquiesce? The Empress couldn't change her authority and agreed to the selection?

It's a celebration for everyone!

Since the emperor and the queen have agreed, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and show your face in front of the queen!

Maybe your future wealth and glory depends on today!

In an instant, everyone rushed to report as if they were injected with chicken blood.

"Your Majesty, our Ministry of Internal Affairs has been working non-stop these past few days on the selection of concubines and has done a lot of work.

Considering that this is the emperor's first selection, it must be grand. We spent about three thousand taels of silver to prepare the venue and layout for the selection, not including other valuable furnishings. "A gray-haired minister knelt on the ground and said tremblingly.

My knees hurt so much, but when I think about all the money I’ve spent, it’s all worth it!

Yang Shanming's mouth twitched: Three thousand taels? What if I'm not here?

Never mind, he wants to trick the queen, I am happy to play dumb. I will wait until this guy gets the benefits, then I will share them with him.