Wen Yuesheng calmly continued, “After the incident at the national temple, Xiao Ji was arrested and imprisoned.”

The faces of the ministers in the hall changed rapidly.

Weren’t they supposed to be discussing the matter of the crown prince? Why had she suddenly mentioned Prince Jingkang?

Moreover, Prince Jingkang had committed many grave offenses, and after causing the unrest, he had fallen into her hands. But three days had passed, and Xiao Ji was still alive?

The people in the hall exchanged confused glances, unsure of Wen Yuesheng’s intentions.

Then, she casually waved her hand.

As soon as she raised her hand, the commander of her personal guards, standing next to Xiao Jin, stiffened. But the next moment, two soldiers entered, escorting the supposedly dead Xiao Ji.

When Xiao Ji entered the hall, the atmosphere in the Taihe Hall grew even more strange.

In this odd atmosphere, Zhang Yulin, standing behind Wen Yue Sheng, spoke in a low voice, “Princess, it’s been dealt with.”

From the moment she entered the palace today, Wen Yue Sheng had never intended to let things slide.

Xiao Jin commanded tens of thousands of personal guards, and when they entered the palace, Jiang Yan also led the soldiers from the Blade Camp into the palace.

Since Wen Yuesheng stepped through the palace gates, they had taken control of the entire palace.

Jiang Yan acted so swiftly that no news leaked out.

By the time Wen Yuesheng had seated herself, the entire palace had already been under their control.

Additionally, the guards and two other elite military units had also secured the entire imperial city.

Just as the emperor instructed Gao Quan to issue the imperial edict, the entire imperial city was already in Wen Yue Sheng’s hands.

But she did not mobilize troops or order any generals to take action. Instead, she had Xiao Ji brought to the hall.

When Wen Yue Sheng heard Zhang Yulin’s words, her expression remained unchanged as she lazily raised her eyelids and said indifferently, “Xiao Ji, you can speak now.”

The emperor’s eyes darkened. His gaze first landed on Wen Yuesheng, then shifted to Xiao Ji in the hall.

Xiao Ji’s complexion was ghastly, tinged with an abnormal greenish white, clearly the result of days of harsh torture.

Despite this, his lips were still curled in a smile, and his gaze was menacing, looking sickly and deranged.

He lifted his head, but instead of looking at the emperor, his eyes locked onto Xiao Jin.

When Xiao Jin met his cold, sinister gaze, his expression darkened.

The next moment, Xiao Ji burst into laughter. “Father, oh father.”

“You really are so foolish, aren’t you?”

He laughed exaggeratedly, but his words made everyone in the room furrow their brows.

The more they reacted like this, the more Xiao Ji couldn’t stop laughing. In the end, his laughter was so intense it seemed he might lose his sanity.

In the midst of the complex expressions around him, he finally spoke:

“Father, you don’t know, do you? The art of poison I used was taught to me by a person from Haoxhou whom I saved when I was seven.”

Everyone knew that Xiao Ji was skilled in poison, especially in the malicious craft of sorcery, but no one knew where he had learned it from.

After hearing his words, the ministers in the hall frowned deeply.

To have learned such a sinister skill at the age of seven, Xiao Ji was indeed a cruel and brutal person.

But what they couldn’t have predicted lay ahead.

Xiao Ji stopped laughing, his eyes filled with a strange light. He looked up at the emperor and spoke loudly, “You must have forgotten about that time, father?”

“I remember it clearly! Because I was born weak, everyone in the palace said you favored me. But no one knew that from a young age, you told me I was useless and couldn’t compete with my brothers.”

“You told me to be obedient, to listen well, and no matter which of my brothers ascended to the throne, I would not be wronged.”

At this point, Xiao Ji’s expression shifted, half of his face hidden in darkness, giving him a sinister appearance.

“Since you treated me ‘so well,’ I naturally couldn’t disappoint you.” He emphasized the word “well,” before saying something that shocked everyone present.

“So, to repay you, father, I planted that poison given by the Haoxhou person on you.”

The hall was dead silent.

The ministers were all stunned.

No one had expected the previously inconspicuous King Jingkang to do something like this!

He said he was only seven years old at the time.

Gao Quan looked at the people in the hall, feeling his hair stand on end.

He vividly remembered Xiao Ji as a child, small and fragile, looking like a helpless kitten, pitiful.

And yet, this child they had once seen as harmless had been twisted from such an early age!

How could he have dared to plant poison on the emperor back then?

The emperor never expected to hear such words today. The shock was so great that he felt dizzy, and it took a long time before he could speak a complete sentence.

He just stared wide-eyed at Xiao Ji.

Xiao Ji paid no attention to their gazes and, seeing their shock and fear, he smiled as though it was of no consequence.

“The Haoxhou person said that those who practice poison must first be ruthless. I didn’t understand what it meant at the time, but I know now. I remember hearing you say in the palace, that a prince should be healthy.”

“You said the third prince, Xiao Yin, was far more lively and adorable than I was.”

Xiao Ji paused, sneering for a moment. “What you don’t know is that my mother told me differently. She told me every day that I was to sit on the highest position and trample on Xiao Rui and Xiao Yin.”

“And yet, when I came to you, father, I was nothing more than a sickly cat. Of course, I wasn’t happy about that, so that night, I planted the poison from that Haoxhou person on you.”

“You actually thought I was giving you candy, didn’t you? How ridiculous.”

The emperor’s face darkened like a storm cloud, his chest heaving violently. He extended a trembling hand, pointing at Xiao Ji.

Xiao Ji looked at him, his eyes gleaming with more intensity. He opened his eyes wide and laughed, “But too bad, at that time I was still too young. I didn’t understand what kind of poison I was planting on you.”

“The Haoxhou person was deliberately mysterious. He didn’t tell me what the poison was until I learned enough.”

He paused for a moment. “Later, I grew tired of him and had him buried alive.”

He spoke of burying someone alive with such a calm, unperturbed tone.

The ministers around him felt a chill run down their spines.

He continued with a strange expression: “It wasn’t until many years later that I learned what kind of poison it was.”

Under the emperor’s furious gaze, Xiao Ji showed no fear and, instead, seemed rather proud of his actions.

From the moment Xiao Ji entered the hall to the time he spoke those shocking words, Xiao Jin had remained seated quietly, unfazed.

Until now, when he noticed Xiao Ji’s gaze suddenly fall on him.

Xiao Jin’s displeasure was apparent, and he furrowed his brows.

Before he could think too deeply about the meaning behind Xiao Ji’s gaze, he suddenly heard Xiao Ji speak again.

This time, Xiao Ji’s smile was almost impossible to hide—it was mocking, as if he had everyone in the palm of his hand.

With this expression, Xiao Ji spoke slowly, each word deliberately pronounced: “Father, do you really not know what that poison is?”

“I think by now, you should feel something.”

He smiled faintly, his expression particularly absurd: “After all, I also planted this poison on Xiao Rui and Xiao Yin.”

The hall was utterly silent.

Xiao Jin didn’t even react immediately to what he had said, but then a loud noise rang out.

He looked up suddenly and saw the empress beside the emperor, who had accidentally knocked over her wine cup.

In the dead silence of the hall, the sharp sound of the cup breaking echoed like an explosion in everyone’s ears.

Xiao Ji looked on, laughing even harder. He fixed his gaze on the emperor and said, word by word:

“Father, oh father, your good empress has already told you.”

“Hahaha, and you didn’t even notice. Have you been a fool all these years?”

Bang!

Xiao Jin suddenly stood up, swaying slightly. His face was dark with anger as he looked at Xiao Ji and coldly said, “Xiao Ji, what madness are you talking about?”

“Madness?” Xiao Ji pointed at himself.

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly began coughing violently. The poison Wen Yuesheng had fed him three days ago during the temple incident was tormenting him.

It had been calculated that today was when the poison would fully take effect.

Back at the temple, he hadn’t intended to tell Wen Yuesheng about this. Since he couldn’t sit on the throne, he wanted to ensure that no one would have peace.

But he hadn’t expected Yan Ling to have discovered the truth, even obtaining evidence.

Why should he protect Xiao Jin now?

What he had wanted was for everyone to suffer.

Now that he was dying, Xiao Jin still wanted to ascend to the throne under the emperor’s guidance.

Wasn’t he just a cursed child? Did he deserve it?

Xiao Ji coughed violently again, his pale face tinged with red. He finally suppressed the cough, then looked at Xiao Jin and shouted:

“Hahaha, Xiao Jin, you really think you are the legitimate son of the empress?”

He laughed so hard tears filled his eyes.

Because Xiao Ji was poisoned and wouldn’t live long, the soldiers escorting him had ignored him.

He shakily stood up, his dark eyes directly staring at the emperor.

“Father, didn’t you find it strange? After you ascended to the throne, so many new people entered the harem, including the young Yan Guifei, yet all the other concubines in the harem had no children.”

“And yet, only the empress gave birth to a son!” He pointed at the empress. “Is it because she is blessed, or is there something unusual?”

“No.” Xiao Ji suddenly stopped laughing, his face cold. “That’s because Xiao Jin is not your son.”

“The poison made by that Haoxhou person was much better than mine. After you ate that candy all those years ago, father, you’ve been unable to have children ever since!”

“The only person in the palace who discovered this was the chief physician, Shi Huaiyou. But unfortunately…” He smirked. “Shi Huaiyou is my person.”

“As for him.” He pointed at Xiao Jin and coldly said, “He’s nothing but a bastard.”

“A product of the empress’s infidelity. A mongrel. Hahahaha!”

In the dead silence of the entire hall, only Xiao Ji’s wild laughter echoed, reverberating through the vast Taihe Hall, sounding particularly grating.

Compared to him, more eyes were drawn to Xiao Jin.

Born of imperial blood, the legitimate son of the empress, his position now felt like the greatest irony.

Among countless shocked gazes, the elder Lu Ge took a calm sip of tea.

Xiao Jin indeed seemed like the most reasonable successor to the throne, but upon deeper reflection, everything he had achieved was entirely based on his identity.

He had nothing to do with stabilizing the court, driving away the Haoxhou Iron Cavalry.

He had no part in quelling internal rebellions or restoring the authority of the court.

Even the ruthless and merciless Prince Heng Guang, Xiao Rui, and the treacherous Prince Jing Kang, Xiao Ji, had been eliminated by Wen Yuesheng.

Yet, relying solely on his identity, Xiao Jin could easily claim victory.

Now that he had lost his most crucial identity, what did he have left?

Before Wen Yuesheng appeared, Lu Ge hadn’t seen Xiao Jin as a capable ruler. If he were to ascend to the throne, it would only mean another weak and scheming emperor for the Dahui Empire.

Without Wen Yuesheng, with his abilities alone, it was feared that the Dahui Empire would fall to the Haoxhou Iron Cavalry within a few years.

The emperor could not tolerate a woman ascending the throne and suppressed Wen Yuesheng using identity and traditional ethics. All of her accomplishments were a result of karmic rewards.

“Preposterous!” In the prolonged silence, the first to speak was the empress sitting at the head of the hall.

A rare grim expression appeared on the empress’s well-maintained face.

She almost venomously said, “Xiao Ji, you disregard humanity, being cruel and vicious, committing countless evil deeds. Now, as you near death, you still want to smear me with such filthy accusations!”

The empress took a deep breath and then turned to the emperor.

Kneeling, she began to cry out in sorrow, “Your Majesty! I have lived a life of purity, yet today it is ruined by this beast’s hands. Such malicious accusations, I simply cannot bear!”

“I was raised in the Wei household, where my father and brothers taught me poetry, etiquette, and the moral conduct of a woman. How could I ever commit such an act of treason?”

“Today’s events are all maliciously schemed by Xiao Ji, attempting to push me and Xiao Jin into a position where we are condemned by all!”

Her voice was filled with sorrow, as if bearing an immense grievance, and her body trembled slightly.

But she spoke for quite some time, yet the emperor did not respond.

Anxious, she lifted her eyes to look, only to find that the emperor had coughed up a large amount of thick black blood.

The empress’s face changed in shock. “Your Majesty!”

Gao Quan hurriedly shouted, “Quick! Send for the imperial doctor!”

However, before the palace servants could act on the command, they were stopped by the emperor.

The emperor raised his hand, preventing the empress from touching him, his eyes firmly fixed on Wen Yue Sheng, seated at the center of the hall. He coldly asked:

“Si Ning, do you have any proof?”

Proof—yes, these words were merely spoken by Xiao Ji, who was about to die. What credibility could his dying words have?

All the people in the hall, still in shock, turned their eyes toward Wen Yue Sheng.

In the face of this, Wen Yue Sheng remained unfazed. With everyone’s puzzled and uncertain gazes upon her, she casually glanced at Yan Ling.

Yan Ling immediately stood up.

As Yan Ling rose, the faces of the Duke of the State and Wen Xun sitting opposite him dramatically changed.

Before this moment, they had no idea that Yan Ling had already sided with Wen Yue Sheng.

At this point, this powerful minister of the Dahui Empire stood coldly, walking toward the center of the hall.

Meanwhile, after Xiao Ji’s wild laughter, a great amount of blood surged from his mouth and nose.

The poison he had been subjected to had eaten away at his internal organs. Under the intense emotional turmoil, he was barely holding onto life.

He clung to this last breath because he wanted to see the emperor’s reaction after everything was revealed.

Yan Ling’s cold voice broke the silence: “Your Majesty, after investigation, it was found that before the empress’s pregnancy, the Duke of the State had visited the palace to pay respects. Before leaving the palace, he left a personal guard with the empress.”

He addressed her as “the empress” with every word, which felt like a knife to the emperor’s heart.

The emperor took a deep breath and looked up at Yan Ling. His gaze was stormy.

“When the empress gave birth to Prince Yong’an, that personal guard died in an accident,” Yan Ling continued, pausing briefly.

The empress had spoken with such confidence because she believed there were no witnesses left.

But in this world, everything done leaves a trace.

At the time, when the emperor first ascended to the throne, the harem had many new women, and the empress had neither children nor favor. Life in the palace was difficult for her.

She thought that no one knew of her affair with the personal guard, assuming that no one else had knowledge of it except those close to her.

What she didn’t know was that the guard had relatives outside the palace.

When the empress and the Duke of the State conspired to eliminate the guard and silence him, the guard had already sensed something amiss and, before dying, had sent a few items he had kept during his time with the empress to his relatives.

Among these items were letters written by the empress and personal objects she had left with the guard.

The items had been kept for many years, and many of them were too old for the emperor to remember, much less the empress.

These things were not likely to constitute evidence. However, one of them happened to be from the Imperial Household Department.

It was an intricately designed jade hairpin, with a unique stamp from the department.

The empress did not immediately recognize it, but the maid standing behind her suddenly flashed a knowing look.

That hairpin had been given to the empress by the Dowager Empress after the birth of Xiao Jin, and it came from the Imperial Household Department.

Such objects were registered by the department.

The maid recalled that the hairpin had been lost many years ago.

The empress, being cautious, would never have given such an important item to the guard.

So, it was likely lost during their secret meetings.

Now that it had reappeared, combined with the records from the Imperial Household Department, it could instantly be determined that the hairpin belonged to the empress.

This situation was extremely unfavorable for the empress.

Yet, when she saw that Yan Ling had only brought out these items, she actually breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire hall, the empress coldly said: “This item was lost many years ago. Are you really going to ruin my reputation based on a lost object and a few fabricated letters?”

“Absurd!”