Understanding what Qi Rong was trying to convey, the emperor instantly darkened his expression. His eyes, as sharp as blades, stared intently at Qi Rong.
"I'd like to know what important matter kept you from coming to the palace to see me and made you delay until this morning?!"
Facing the emperor's cold interrogation, Qi Rong slightly raised his eyebrows and replied with a calm look on his face.
"Replying to Your Majesty, your younger brother took a concubine yesterday, so it took some time."
The emperor originally thought he would get a more reasonable answer. But upon hearing Qi Rong's reply, his eyes widened in shock, and he immediately flew into a rage.
"What? You forgot to come to the palace just because you took a concubine? Do you still have me in your eyes?!"
Furious, the emperor slapped the dragon throne heavily with his palm and stood up. Looking down from above at Qi Rong's calm face.
Under the emperor's thunderous rage, there was not a hint of fear on Qi Rong's face, and his body remained as straight as ever. Seeing Qi Rong so calm and composed, the emperor's face darkened, and he squeezed out a sentence through his gritted teeth.
"Do you think I dare not chop off your head?!"
Although it seemed like a question, there was an obvious threat in his words.
"How could that be? Your younger brother has never thought so. Because your younger brother believes that Your Majesty wouldn't be willing to chop off his head!"
Hearing this, the emperor's expression softened a bit. However, after hearing the second half of Qi Rong's sentence, his face darkened again.
"Why do you think so?"
Gazing at Qi Rong's confident look, Qi Hong narrowed his eyes. He wanted to know what could make Qi Rong so fearless.
"Since ancient times, even heroes have a hard time resisting the temptation of beauty. Your younger brother is no exception. So, to ask for Your Majesty's forgiveness, your younger brother went to prepare a gift for Your Majesty before dawn."
As he spoke, Qi Rong showed a sly smile, raised his hand, and shook the burden in his hand.
The emperor frowned, staring at the burden in Qi Rong's hand with a puzzled look in his eyes.
For a moment, he couldn't figure out what Qi Rong was up to. And it seemed that he had never truly seen through this younger brother in front of him.
"Since it's a gift for me, open it and let's take a look in public!"
He wanted to see if Qi Rong was just being mysterious.
If so, he was definitely not that easy to fool!
Even though Qi Rong was his most capable sword at present, he would still punish him in front of all the civil and military officials as a warning to others!
"Yes, I will obey Your Majesty's order."
Qi Rong lowered his head and curved his lips. He put the burden on the ground and then slowly opened it.
"Ah! It's a human head!"
The civil and military officials who had been staring at Qi Rong's burden just a moment ago were shocked to see a human head. They immediately took several steps back in fear, their faces pale with horror, and gasped in shock!
The sudden appearance of a bloody human head in the Fengtian Hall where the emperor held the morning court made the civil and military officials avoid it one after another. But when someone recognized the face of the human head, there was another exclamation.
"It's the national teacher, Qiu Daoji!!"
My goodness! The national teacher had been killed!
Who had the audacity to commit murder under the emperor's nose, and moreover, the one killed was the national teacher personally appointed by the emperor?!
Questions flashed through everyone's minds quickly. But the next moment, they all stared at Qi Rong, who looked arrogant and calm.
The answer in their hearts was already obvious:
Looking at the entire capital and even the entire Liuguo, besides King Xian Qi Rong, who else would have such audacity?!
"Qi Rong! Tell me carefully what's going on here?!"
The emperor, Qi Hong, had just sat down on the dragon throne. Seeing Qiu Daoji's head in the burden, he immediately got up in a rage. He walked heavily towards Qi Rong, his narrow eyes filled with blazing killing intent!
He had only been informed before the morning court today that the national teacher, Qiu Daoji, had been killed in the Shenque Palace. He immediately ordered people to arrest the real culprit at all costs and cut him into pieces!
Who would have thought that the culprit he had ordered people to search for high and low would come openly to his Fengtian Hall, and even be so arrogant as to present Qiu Daoji's head directly in front of him and all the civil and military officials!
"If you can't give me a convincing reason, you won't be able to walk out of the palace alive today!"
The emperor's eyes were gloomy, and he already had the intention to kill Qi Rong!
Seeing the emperor's furious appearance, the civil and military officials were as silent as cicadas in winter. But no one dared to say a word for Qi Rong.
On the contrary, they had long been annoyed by Qi Rong's overbearing way of doing things. Many of them had also suffered setbacks in front of Qi Rong.
In their opinion, it was already a miracle that Qi Rong, who was so arrogant and notorious, had survived until now!
Facing the emperor's rage, Qi Rong calmly clasped his fists and bowed.
"Since your younger brother killed Qiu Daoji, it's naturally because this man deserved to die! And the reason why your younger brother rushed back to the capital without asking Your Majesty's permission this time was also to get rid of a traitor for Your Majesty, because his existence has blinded and deafened Your Majesty!"
"Even such a big event as your younger brother taking Yun Xi, the daughter of Yun Sheng, as a concubine was known to almost half of the capital. But Your Majesty didn't hear a single word about it! Doesn't this already explain the problem?!"
As soon as Qi Rong said this, the emperor's face changed suddenly, and even the officials in the court were shocked.
King Xian had actually married Yun Sheng's eldest daughter, the Princess Yongning, yesterday? No, he had taken her as a concubine?!
Yun Sheng was currently imprisoned in the imperial prison on the charge of colluding with the enemy and betraying the country, and his fate was still unknown. And his second daughter had poisoned the crown prince and was now in the death row!
People were now avoiding the Prime Minister's Mansion like the plague. But King Xian had taken Yun Sheng's daughter as a concubine at this moment. What was he up to?
Didn't he worry that the emperor would punish him along with the others in a fit of anger?!
This was really hard to understand! But what was even more unbelievable to the officials was that the emperor didn't know anything about this!
This simply didn't make sense!!
The officials were shocked and couldn't help but look at each other. They carefully glanced at the emperor's face, which was so gloomy that it seemed to drip water.
Although he was shocked that Qi Rong had taken Yun Xi as a concubine, and that Yun Xi, as the Princess Yongning, had actually agreed?
He felt a little pity in his heart, but he cared more about another thing:
That was, his Jinyiwei and even the intelligence mechanism he had deployed in the capital had completely lost their effectiveness!
His power had been quietly usurped!
If this continued, his throne would also be silently snatched away!!
As the emperor, being above all others, it seemed that all the officials in the court were submissive to him and sang his praises endlessly. But this had gradually made him lose his vigilance.
Unexpectedly, it was Qi Rong who had sounded the alarm for him at this critical moment, making him suddenly see the light!
Thinking of this, the emperor, Qi Hong, stared at Qi Rong with deep and profound eyes, gradually calming down his anger.
He sat back on the dragon throne, looking at Qi Rong. His expression was gloomy and serious as he said,
"Seventh brother, tell me the reason why you killed Qiu Daoji."
As he spoke, the emperor's eyes turned cold. He swept across the officials present and slowly added,
"And, I want to know everything else you know!"