After the wrong flirtation, I became the villain's favorite

Xie Yunji said these words in a calm tone, as if he was talking about something ordinary.

The secret guards were used to it.

Actually, he and Xie Yunji are not of the same generation. Xie Yunji is already 27 years old, while he is only 17.

When he took over from his predecessor as Xie Yunji's secret guard, Xie Yunji had already become the calm and reserved person he is today, and he had never seen him be cruel and ruthless.

But his predecessors had repeatedly warned him about the young master's cruelty and coldness.

The young master has a good family background and has inherited the true teachings of a martial arts master, so he is qualified to be feared.

It's just that when he was with the Young Master, he had restrained his edge and abandoned the frivolity and absolute evil that could be seen through at a glance.

But this doesn't mean that he is not really scary.

For example, he actually issued such an order again after many years, digging up other people's graves and letting wild dogs and hungry dogs do the digging.

Even if that person is a prince, what can the emperor do about stray dogs?!

He bowed his head, "Yes, sir."

"Oh, by the way, Xie Tan, you don't need to look for him anymore." Xie Yunji said again, and was silent for a moment, "Let's stop here."

"Yes." The secret guard said, and then he thought of something and said hesitantly, "The other thing you ordered, sir, is still not clear. The Qi Wang Rebellion involved many people. I have checked many places and found that Minister Song Qing was indeed involved, but the amount was not much, only 20,000 taels of silver. If you want to find someone to take the blame or re-investigate the case, it is... unlikely."

Xie Yunji frowned. This was indeed a bit irritating. How could she erase her father's name from the history books?

Twenty thousand taels is not even enough to achieve what the King of Qi is planning. It is nothing more than being indistinguishable from the rest.

But such a small thing of passive clinging destroyed her family and dragged her into the abyss.

Xie Yunji remembered that the Qi Wang case happened when he was the top scorer in high school.

The King of Qi and the Emperor were brothers from the same mother, so after the Emperor ascended the throne, he dealt with his old ministers and former brothers, but was particularly lenient to his younger brother.

He was granted Yunzhou, the best and richest land in Dazhao, as his fiefdom, with no taxes or harsh policies, and he would receive a salary as soon as he gave birth to a child.

The line of King Qi was also very fertile. Within a few years, Yunzhou was filled with various direct descendants and side branches, and was completely supported by the imperial court.

It is said that the floor tiles in the Prince of Qi's palace are all made of pure gold.

The emperor's indulgence of his brother day after day eventually fostered his ambition.

We are brothers from the same mother, why can he become emperor but I can’t?

The King of Qi gathered his staff and powerful ministers in an attempt to usurp the throne.

The emperor condoned it silently and finally destroyed it in one fell swoop.

When the King of Qi was about to die, he realized that when his brother was rampant in Yunjing and stirring up trouble, he was still acting like a spoiled child in his wet nurse's arms and asking for milk.

Just because he had never seen him being cruel and ruthless didn't mean he was really a benevolent emperor.

How can an emperor be merciful?

The emperor has always been cruel, especially towards brothers who intend to rebel, but during the years he has been emperor, he has become more and more afraid of the pens of historians.

When he was young, he had a strong murderous intent and killed many people who should not have been killed. Now he is old and has only this younger brother left. If he also dies at his hands, I wonder how future generations will judge him?

At that time, the emperor was in the Golden Palace, looking at Xie Yunji, who was wearing the red robe of the top scholar, with eyes as sharp as a hawk, but his voice was ordinary, as if he was asking about a trivial matter: "I heard that Mr. Xie was a top scholar and a learned man. Mr. Xie, do you think that I should consider the relationship between brothers or pay more attention to the rule between the monarch and his subjects?"

These words echoed in the empty hall like thunder from a clear sky.

It was very quiet and all the officials dared not make a sound, for fear that such a problem would fall upon them.

The emperor stared at Xie Yunji, as if he wanted to see through his eyes and see his inner thoughts.

Xie Yunji raised his head calmly, looked at the man who held the power of the world, and said slowly: "Your Majesty, I think that the relationship between brothers is important, but as the king of a country, you are the father of the people of the world. You should put your country and the people first. His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi is your majesty's brother, but he is also a sinner of Dazhao. Those who intend to rebel should be severely punished and the law should be upheld."

The emperor nodded, his expression relaxed, and he showed satisfaction with Xie Yunji's answer.

However, he did not make a decision immediately, but continued to stare at Xie Yunji, as if he wanted to dig out more from him.

Xie Yunji understood that this was a test from the emperor and also a manifestation of trust in him.

Only by passing this test can one gain the emperor's recognition and become a true subject.

So he straightened his back and stood in the hall neither humble nor arrogant.

"Then Mr. Xie, do you think that those involved in the Prince of Qi case should be severely punished?" the emperor asked again.

Xie Yunji cupped his hands and said, "All the people of Dazhao, whether they are princes, nobles or common people, should abide by the Dazhao Law. They should be punished according to the law."

The emperor laughed.

The emperor simply wanted to use him to say what he wanted to do. Emperors have been like this since ancient times, which is why they have so many favorites.

After the direct line of the King of Qi was eliminated, the taxation of Yunzhou was relaxed a lot. Originally, the emperor did not pay taxes to Yunzhou, but the King of Qi himself made up many harsh taxes, and the people of Yunzhou had long been suffering.

Once the King of Qi fell, the national treasury became much more abundant.

The emperor was very satisfied, as if he had eliminated a major threat. The little brotherly love he had for his brothers had long faded away with time.

All officials and relatives involved were implicated. Song Nihuan's family was not spared in this flood, with the male members exiled and the female members sent to the Jiaofang Division.

After Xie Yunji learned about this, he didn't take it to heart.

It was not until he saw Song Nihuan in plain clothes at the Jiaofangsi that a ripple arose in his heart.

This woman... is Xie Tan’s lover.

It turned out that Xie Tan's anxiety and depression these days were all because of her.

At that time, Xie Yunji was not as calm as he is now. As a young boy, he was radical, overly self-respecting, and had contempt for life. He never stopped suppressing Xie Tan.

It was too easy to prevent Xie Tan from finding Song Nihuan.

He didn't even need to do it, his subordinates knew that considering his disrespect for Xie Tan, humiliating Xie Tan was the best way to please him.

In this way, Xie Tan and Song Nihuan were separated in Yunjing for three years.

No one can find anyone.

Xie Yunji pressed his forehead together, trying his best to control the surging memories in his mind, and an unspeakable regret welled up in his heart.

If you say it was an unintentional mistake, it’s not.

At that time, he had just won the top spot in the imperial examination. He was full of vigor and vitality, and his heart was full of ideals and ambitions. He was loyal as the sun and the moon, and was both clean and upright.

He had no lover at that time. In the days when he was torn apart by loneliness and jealousy, he became cold and ruthless, wantonly releasing his malice towards this world.

At that time...he didn't have her yet.

He regretted what he had done and felt bitter in his heart.

If that's the case, let's do our best to make up for it.

Xie Yunji stared at the silver hairpin in her hand, the same one she had inserted into that person.

He said to the young secret guard who was bowing his head, "Go, find the people who were involved with the Song family. I want to know the whole story."