"Your Majesty, this humble woman is Tao Xiangqing, daughter of Tao Zhixing."
Tao Xiangqing answered truthfully.
"You have quite a lot of courage, daring to face the Emperor as the daughter of a criminal. Do you not know this is walking into a trap?"
The Emperor glared at Tao Xiangqing.
"Your Majesty, my father Tao Zhixing was truly wronged. I have sufficient evidence to prove my father's innocence."
Despite the risk of beheading, Tao Xiangqing stated her case before the Emperor.
"Your father's case was thoroughly investigated by my order years ago, with irrefutable evidence. Where did you obtain your evidence?"
The Emperor's solemn face turned chilling at Tao Xiangqing's words, sending a shiver down the spine.
"Your Majesty, this humble woman truly possesses evidence of Lin Zhenfei framing my father back then." Tao Xiangqing repeated.
"Father, Tao Xiangqing does indeed have evidence proving Tao Zhixing's case," Jun Mohan added his support.
"Cold King, do you know Tao Zhixing's case has been on record for over a decade? If you wish to overturn it, you must find enough evidence, or I will punish you both severely," the Emperor said sternly to the Cold King from his superior seat.
"Father, your daughter-in-law also pleads with you to examine the evidence Tao has in her possession."
At this moment, Leng Ruoli provided Jun Mohan with a crucial assist.
"You two are truly infuriating me!"
The Emperor's anger flared, his face swelling as if struck by thunder, his round eyes seeming to bulge out.
"Father, Li'er knows you are a magnanimous, astute, and benevolent emperor."
Sensing the Emperor's anger, Leng Ruoli immediately showered him with praise.
The Emperor was amused to the point of laughter by Leng Ruoli's words.
This Leng Ruoli was truly a clever girl. He felt like spanking her, but then worried the Empress Dowager would cause trouble.
After much thought, he still...
"Eunuch Li, present the evidence Tao spoke of."
Finally, the Emperor said helplessly.
As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, Tao Xiangqing was so excited she almost jumped.
She immediately took out two account books and several letters from her sleeves and handed them to Eunuch Li.
Eunuch Li, after carefully checking the items for any poison, quickly presented them to the Emperor.
Knowing the Emperor had agreed to reinvestigate Tao Zhixing's case, the Cold King and his wife exchanged a knowing smile.
In truth, the Emperor's anger had not yet subsided, but upon seeing the pile of letters and account books presented by Eunuch Li, he became curious.
He couldn't resist picking up a letter and reading it carefully. Then, he read another, his expression gradually darkening. Afterward, he forced himself to finish reading the two account books on the table, suppressing his anger.
"Lin Zhenfei, that traitor, colluded with Fei Pang to embezzle and sell official salt, framing Tao Zhixing. After all these years, no one discovered the deception..."
The Emperor was instantly enraged, his eyebrows twitching as if making noise, his tiger-like eyes flashing with killing intent.
"Tao, rise. I will clear your father's name from the injustice of the past," the Emperor said, looking at Tao Xiangqing.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Upon hearing the Emperor's words, Tao Xiangqing slowly stood up from the ground, unable to hold back her tears.
Seeing Tao's state, Leng Ruoli felt pity, gently patting her shoulder. She then took two tissues from her sleeve and handed them to Tao to dry her tears.
"Don't worry, the Emperor is a wise ruler. He will prove your father's innocence."
Leng Ruoli whispered to comfort her.
Hearing this, Tao Xiangqing sniffled and replied tearfully, "Cold King's Consort, Your Highness Cold King, thank you both so much for allowing me to come to the palace and meet His Majesty."
"It was mainly thanks to yourself. My husband and I merely offered some assistance," Leng Ruoli said with a slight smile.
At the same time, the Emperor wrote an imperial decree with utmost speed.
"Eunuch Li, take this imperial decree to Fei Pang's residence and summon him to the palace immediately."
"Jian Feng, personally go to the prison and escort Lin Zhenfei here to see me."
The Emperor issued two imperial decrees at once.
After a long while, Jian Feng escorted Lin Zhenfei from the prison to the Emperor.
Upon entering the hall, he saw Tao's presence in the palace and was stunned for a moment.
Lin Zhenfei, having been imprisoned by the Emperor for less than a day, was now gaunt and stripped of his former high-spirited demeanor.
At this moment, Lin Zhenfei, with chains on his hands and heavy shackles on his feet, was pushed by the Imperial Guards to kneel before the Emperor.
"Your guilty minister pays his respects to the Emperor."
"Lin Zhenfei, look at the good deeds you did."
The Emperor glared at Lin Zhenfei with a dark expression, pointing at the account books and letters on the table and roaring.
Seeing the familiar account books and letters on the Emperor's desk, Lin Zhenfei's face turned even paler.
"Your Majesty, this guilty minister knows nothing!" Lin Zhenfei replied, steeling himself.
"Heh! You know nothing? You dare not admit it? Tao Xiangqing, you tell him." The Emperor said with a cold laugh.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Hearing this, Tao Xiangqing quickly bowed respectfully to the Emperor.
"Little Tao, I treated you so well, why did you betray me?"
Lin Zhenfei pointed at Tao, questioning her.
But Tao Xiangqing looked at Lin Zhenfei and laughed madly, "Lin Zhenfei, whether I betray you or not, you wouldn't have much longer to live. But perhaps you never dreamed I, Tao Xiangqing, am Tao Zhixing's daughter, did you?"
Tao Xiangqing retorted.
"You... you are truly Tao Zhixing's daughter? Actually, when I first took you into the Duke of Lin's manor, I investigated your background and suspected you were a descendant of Tao Zhixing. But I still took you into the manor with a slim hope. The world says lust is a sharp sword, and it truly is so."
"Lin Zhenfei, over ten years ago, you colluded with Fei Pang to embezzle and sell official salt, fabricated accounts, framed my father, and caused my entire family to be executed. Fortunately, my mother sensed something was amiss and sent me to a nunnery in advance, which is why I narrowly escaped beheading."
Tao Xiangqing slowly recounted the events of that year.
"Little Tao, I..."
At this moment, Lin Zhenfei, already a prisoner, didn't know how to explain the events of that year, as he had indeed done them.
"What? Do you still want to quibble?"
"Little Tao, you are so foolish. You are even carrying my child. If something happens to me, how pitiful will the child be without a father to love it!"
"I refuse! I, Tao Xiangqing, will never give birth to your child!"