Upon hearing this, Qi Simiao's eyes widened. The Second Prince beside him immediately knelt and said, "Uncle, Uncle, it wasn't my doing! It truly wasn't my doing!"
As the Second Prince knelt, Li Yinglian instantly followed suit. With their masters kneeling, the surrounding maids and eunuchs panicked and also knelt.
The assassination outside Yin City involved Hui Wenzu, the general newly dispatched by the imperial court to Nanwang City. It also implicated the Jingnan Army's rear camp and assassins from Jin State, and had ignited a series of upheavals surrounding Lord Jingnan's alleged ambition to declare himself king. This incident was well-known among the elite in the capital.
Kneeling on the ground, Qi Simiao, his face flushed, looked up at Lord Jingnan. "What do you mean by this, My Lord!"
Lord Jingnan responded calmly, "I am asking you a question."
"My Lord, I know nothing of these matters, nor do I have any idea about them. You accuse me of this, My Lord, but I deny it."
