Shen Yun Xuan frowned and said no more, while Sun Zhi Yuan gave a cold laugh.
"Yun Xuan, Yun Xuan..." Old Madam Shen called out, dropping her walking stick in her panic.
Shen Yun Xuan's face turned extremely grim. "Lord Sun, if anything happens to my grandmother, I will hold you responsible."
At this moment, Sun Zhi Yuan seemed unafraid of Shen Yun Xuan's threat, his face showing more triumph than joy. "Lord Shen, rest assured, if there is any abnormality with Old Madam Shen, I will be responsible."
"Lord Sun, what exactly do you want?" Shen Yun Xuan asked coldly.
Sun Zhi Yuan smiled and said, "Only Old Madam Shen can distinguish the authenticity of the jade pendant, so I have invited Old Madam Shen."
"Lord Sun, for the sake of a mere jade pendant, you have brought my grandmother all the way from Zhaoping?"
Sun Zhi Yuan said, "It has indeed been some trouble for Old Madam Shen, but it is worth it."
"Lord Sun, you speak so casually because Old Madam Shen is not your relative?" Shen Yun Xuan said coldly.
Sun Zhi Yuan smiled and said, "After this, I will personally apologize. Do you dare, Lord Shen?"
On the side, Madam Zhou tugged anxiously at Shen Yun Xuan's sleeve. Shen Yun Xuan gently patted her hand to reassure her.
However, Madam Zhou could not be at ease because she knew the jade pendant was fake.
"Why doesn't Lord Shen dare?" Seeing Shen Yun Xuan hesitate, he said mockingly.
"Lord Shen, are you afraid?" Lord Wen stood beside Sun Zhi Yuan and asked.
Wen Yu Xi looked at Shen Yun Xuan, whose expression was growing increasingly distressed. Seeing this, his heart sank. "Lord Sun, Old Madam Shen cannot see clearly. How can she possibly discern the authenticity of the jade pendant?"
Sun Zhi Yuan said, "Lord Wen may not know, but Old Madam Shen is a woman from Jiangnan. Her family was once in the jade business. Even if Old Madam Shen's eyesight is poor now, she knows better than anyone whether it is the Shen family's jade pendant."
He looked at Shen Yun Xuan and sneered, "Lord Shen, could it be that the jade pendant in your hand is fake, and that's why you are delaying?"
"Jade pendant? What jade pendant?" Old Madam Shen suddenly asked.
Sun Zhi Yuan smiled and said to Old Madam Shen beside him, "Old Madam, your Shen family's ancestral jade pendant, do you remember it clearly?"
Old Madam Shen remained silent for a moment and said, "Isn't it no longer in the Shen family?"
Sun Zhi Yuan said, "Yes, it has reappeared now, and we want Old Madam Shen to identify it. But how can you identify it if you can't see?"
Old Madam Shen smiled. "When I was at home, I never used my eyes to look, because sometimes eyes can be mistaken."
"Lord Shen, Old Madam Shen has said so. What else are you worried about?" Sun Zhi Yuan pressed aggressively.
Shen Yun Xuan's face darkened. At this moment, the Empress spoke, "Lord Shen..."
Shen Yun Xuan walked over and placed the jade pendant in Old Madam Shen's hand. Sun Zhi Yuan said, "Old Madam Shen, please take a look."
Old Madam Shen raised the jade pendant, felt it, and smiled. "Yun Xuan, have you married the girl you love?"
Everyone was shocked.
Sun Zhi Yuan frowned. "Old Madam Shen, did you see it clearly?"
Old Madam Shen looked at Sun Zhi Yuan and said faintly, "How could I mistake my ancestral item? This is something passed down through generations of my Shen family."
Sun Zhi Yuan shook his head and even took a step back.
Old Madam Shen continued, "When I gave it to Yun Xuan back then, I told him to give it to the person he loved. Yun Xuan, have you found the person you love?"
Madam Zhou on the side was also stunned. This was clearly fake, yet Old Madam Shen said it was real. Had Shen Yun Xuan hinted at something to Old Madam Shen?
"Yes, I have found her," Shen Yun Xuan replied, walking over and looking at Old Madam Shen.
"So, you stayed, right?" Old Madam Shen asked.
"Yes," Shen Yun Xuan answered.
"Old Madam Shen, is this jade pendant the Shen family's ancestral jade pendant?" Wen Yu Xi asked.
Old Madam Shen nodded. "Genuine and not a fake."
"Impossible," Sun Zhi Yuan roared.
Wen Yu Xi sneered, "Lord Sun insisted it was fake earlier, and now Old Madam Shen says it's real. Yet Lord Sun says it's impossible. Could it be that all this was arranged by Lord Sun?"
Sun Zhi Yuan trembled. "Wen Yu Xi, you are slandering me."
"Isn't it? Lord Sun has made such a grand display. I see the true intention is not the wine, but to make Lord Shen withdraw from the court?" Wen Yu Xi pressed on.
Sun Zhi Yuan's expression was somewhat flustered. "You... you stop falsely accusing me."
Wen Yu Xi lifted his robe, knelt down, and said, "Your Majesty, Sun Zhi Yuan has falsely accused a court official. His crime is heinous. I implore Your Majesty to punish him."
"Wen Yu Xi, when did I falsely accuse a court official?" Sun Zhi Yuan asked angrily.
"Just now," Wen Yu Xi replied.
Shen Yun Xuan also stepped forward and said, "I implore Your Majesty to clear my name."
Wen Yu Xi gave a look to Feng Ling Er behind the screen, but Feng Ling Er did not speak. He flicked his wrist and threw a stone unnoticed by others.
Yet Feng Ling Er remained silent, and Wen Yu Xi's heart sank.
Shen Yun Xuan also noticed Wen Yu Xi's abnormality.
At this moment, Sun Zhi Yuan sneered, "Why isn't Your Majesty punishing me?"
Wen Yu Xi was startled and looked up to find the figure behind the screen motionless.
Sun Zhi Yuan sneered, "Perhaps you all don't know, but the person behind the screen is not Your Majesty at all, but a fake."
The ministers were greatly surprised and shook their heads in disbelief.
Sun Zhi Yuan glanced at Lin Feng, who said, "Lord Sun is correct. We have been attending court with a fake Empress, discussing state affairs."
"Where is the real Empress?" asked Feng Yu, the Minister of Revenue.
Sun Zhi Yuan pointed at Wen Yu Xi and said, "You'll have to ask Lord Wen and Lord Shen about that."
"Lord Wen, Lord Shen, is this true?" the ministers asked.
Chu Jian, the newly appointed Minister of Personnel, said, "No wonder my request to meet the Emperor alone was refused. It turns out to be a fake Empress."
The ministers all stated that they had also experienced such refusals.
Sun Zhi Yuan said, "I implore the person behind the screen to reveal their true face."
Upon hearing this, Wen Yu Xi looked at Sun Zhi Yuan and said coldly, "Sun Zhi Yuan, you are doing this on purpose."
"If Lord Wen and Lord Shen were not the ones fabricating, this situation would not have arisen for me to question today. Lord Wen and Lord Shen, where have you confined the Empress?"
Lin Feng echoed, "I implore Lord Wen and Lord Shen to provide an explanation."
Minister of Personnel Chu Jian's eyes turned cold. He stepped forward and yanked off the screen, saying, "Let me see who is behind this!"
Wen Yu Xi stood up and moved towards Chu Jian. Sun Zhi Yuan understood this and said coldly, "Imperial Guards, stop him."
Many Imperial Guards swarmed in from outside. Shen Yun Xuan, seeing this, angrily said, "Sun Zhi Yuan, you have actually summoned the Imperial Guards. Are you attempting a rebellion?"
"I merely wish to purge the corrupt officials around the monarch," Sun Zhi Yuan stated.