Not only was Xie Fanghua shocked, but all the kneeling Xie Family members receiving the imperial edict were also struck with disbelief.
Eunuch Deshun spoke calmly as he handed the edict to Xie Ji: "Lord Xie, accept the decree."
Xie Ji knelt on the ground, his hands trembling.
He took the edict.
Eunuch Deshun raised his hand, and immediately, officers from the Ministry of Justice entered to arrest the guilty Concubine Zhao. Terrified, she trembled all over and crawled on her knees behind Xie Ji, her voice choked with sobs: "Master, save me! I was framed! Fanghua is only eighteen, unmarried—how can our daughter become a nun?"
Xie Ji's heart ached as if slashed by a knife.
But imperial authority was supreme. If he dared defy the edict to shield Concubine Zhao today, his political enemies would seize the opportunity to attack him.
