Her voice fell, and the entire hall was dead silent.

The civil and military officials in the hall changed their expressions, while the guards outside the hall were also stunned.

No one had expected that Wen Yuesheng would openly declare in front of the emperor and all the officials in the Taihe Hall that she would kill Princess Furui.

All the guards outside Taihe Hall, as well as the Imperial Army at the door, were directly under the emperor’s command and only obeyed the emperor’s orders.

After hearing these words, they looked at each other but did not immediately follow Wen Yue Sheng’s orders.

Moreover, many people thought that Wen Yue Sheng had completely lost her mind to speak such nonsense in the imperial court.

The emperor was still present, and she had the audacity to say that she would execute the princess—did she not value her own life?

Looking at Wen Yuesheng, who had entered the hall today accompanied by only two soldiers, and seeing the two soldiers holding Princess Furuo in custody, no one moved.

At this moment, many were confused about her intentions.

Therefore, the hall remained eerily quiet, with the officials staring at her, feeling uneasy.

It was Princess Furuo, who, after hearing Wen Yuesheng’s words, was stunned for a moment before shouting angrily, “How dare you! I am the princess of Da Hui, Wen Yue Sheng, who gave you the courage to kill me…”

“Enough!” Before she could finish, the emperor erupted in fury.

The emperor suddenly stood up and pointed at Wen Yuesheng, who was standing below: “In Taihe Hall, before I even spoke, you were already planning to kill my own daughter. Wen Yuesheng, this is overstepping! Do you still see me, your emperor, in your eyes?”

“Or do you think that I gave you too much power, so you no longer know who is sitting on the dragon throne? Who exactly is the ruler here? Guards—!” Enraged, the emperor ordered the Imperial Army to enter the hall.

At that moment, the Imperial Army outside the hall, as black as a storm cloud, received the order and was ready to move. The atmosphere inside the hall immediately turned tense, like a sword drawn, ready to strike.

His advisor, Gao Quan, was startled and immediately knelt down, shouting, “Your Majesty, please calm down!”

The officials, like waking from a dream, echoed, “Your Majesty, please calm down!”

Countless people bowed to plead, only Wen Yue Sheng remained standing.

She wore a dark black robe, with the emperor’s granted golden belt from earlier around her waist. The belt was intricately carved with patterns, including a ferocious dragon.

Under the sunlight, the golden belt shimmered brightly.

“The emperor granted me this golden belt,” Wen Yuesheng said calmly, her eyes deep and unwavering as she gazed at the emperor. “It was given with the instruction to act first and report later, to eliminate all traitors harming Da Hui.”

She then pointed at Princess Furuo, who was being held aside: “But what Princess Furuo has done today far exceeds the label of ‘traitor.’”

“The border wars have not even started, and she has already colluded with the enemy, disrupting the morale of our troops. This is not the first time!”

The atmosphere in the hall grew heavy as Wen Yuesheng stood firm under the emperor’s fury, like a pillar amidst the growing unease.

The military officials, especially those who had fought on the battlefield like Lord Zhongyong, felt a deep ache in their hearts.

Today’s events were indeed difficult to discuss.

Princess Furui was not the crown prince.

She had not directly threatened the emperor’s power, and the emperor had previously wished to marry her off to the neighboring country of Hao Zhou, feeling guilty toward her.

Furthermore, having assisted the emperor for many years, they understood that in the emperor’s eyes, imperial power and the royal family were always more important than anything else.

He gave Wen Yuesheng the golden belt to protect the throne, and he made her lead the army to protect the throne.

If Wen Yuesheng didn’t take a stand today with such force, the issue with Princess Furuo would fade into nothingness by tomorrow.

In the current emperor’s eyes, the imperial family’s dignity and power took precedence over all else.

Princess Furui, being royal, could be forgiven for her mistakes.

But what about the countless soldiers on the border?

What about the innocent people of Da Hui?

Under the supremacy of the emperor, even though everyone knew the princess’s betrayal harmed every citizen of Da Hui, most remained silent when the emperor sought to protect her.

Because the princess was of noble birth, because she was the emperor’s daughter, because she was of royal blood, she could be sheltered under the emperor’s protection.

But what if she continued to collude with the enemy? What if Hao Zhou truly attacked Da Hui?

Would all the officials, soldiers, and innocent citizens die with this clueless princess?

In the silent court, Yan Ling turned to look at her, seeing her standing with her back to the light, her expression as indifferent as ever, yet standing alone amidst the uneasy crowd.

She was different from what he had known all these years.

“Today, if she does not die, tomorrow it will be millions of Da Hui’s people, innocent border soldiers, and all those who sacrificed their lives to defend Da Hui!” Wen Yuesheng’s eyes were cold.

“If His Majesty thinks Princess Furui’s actions do not reach the level of treason and that she should not be executed here today…”

Suddenly, she reached for her waist and removed the golden belt.

The intricately designed red-gold belt, carved with a coiled dragon, fell to the ground with a sharp clang.

“Then I will no longer wear this golden belt!”

A profound silence followed.

All the officials, without exception, were deeply shocked.

They watched as the golden belt fell to the ground, reflecting the light, while they saw Wen Yue Sheng’s cold eyes and unhesitating, resolute attitude.

The elder official, Lu Ge, raised his gaze towards her, his eyes lingering on her for a long time.

At the same time, he saw Wei Yangwang, Xiao Jin, and Jing Kangwang bowing in complex expressions.

He stood amidst this chaotic court.

In that moment, he realized that amidst all the turmoil, one person was injecting an unimaginable force into this crumbling dynasty.

She was unlike any other royal, because she stood with the common people and the soldiers guarding the borders.

Behind her, it wasn’t the faint light of dawn, but the blazing sun under the endless desert sand.

It was nothing short of shocking.

Since Hao Zhou’s aggressive movements, everyone had been discussing how to save the country, but no one knew how or what to use to save it.

Old ministers like him, possibly too old to live to see the next heir to the throne, could only lament helplessly in the whirlpool of chaos.

But no one, like her, could directly cut through all the shadows and abyss, face the erosion of royal power, and restore order.

Elder Lu eyes were clouded, and it took a long time for him to regain his senses.

“You, you’re seeking death!” The emperor was furiously enraged.

Today, she wasn’t just asking to kill Princess Furui; she was forcing the emperor to take action himself.

But Furui was the emperor’s biological daughter, a royal princess—how could she die with such a stain on her name?

What would future historians say about this emperor who raised a daughter who betrayed the country?

The emperor felt a pounding headache, and his vision darkened as dizziness overcame him. He could hardly stand and collapsed back onto the dragon throne.

Over the years, it was rare to witness such a grand scene in the court, and when it finally appeared, it was to demand the death of the princess.

In truth, what the Emperor was protecting today was not Fu Rui, but rather the imperial power, the most important thing in the Emperor’s eyes.

At this point, it had reached a stage where if Furui was not executed, the imperial power itself would truly be damaged.

Furui was beyond reason, and in all her actions within the palace, she had placed herself in opposition to the ministers, the soldiers, and the common people.

At this stage, it had become impossible to pacify the masses without her death.

Even if the Emperor wanted to protect her using imperial power, he could no longer do so.

The Emperor sat silently in the court, watching the ministers for a long time.

“Your Majesty?” Gao Quan, by his side, softly called.

The Emperor’s gaze was cold as he glanced at him.

Gao Quan fell silent, understanding that Fu Rui’s life could no longer be saved under the pressure of the ministers’ petitions and Wen Yuesheng’s influence over the golden belt.

In the silence, the Emperor’s cold voice spoke without emotion: “Fu Rui…”

The Emperor closed his eyes. “Conspiring with foreign enemies, committing treason. Push her out of the Wumen Gate and behead her… to show the public.”

The method of execution was the same as Wen Yuesheng had previously suggested.

Everyone present understood that only by making Fu Rui’s death cruel enough could the people’s hearts be pacified.

Below, Princess Fu Rui could not believe it. “Father Emperor?”

Above, the Emperor had already closed his eyes.

Gao Quan’s expression was complex.

Without speaking further, he waved his hand, ordering the palace guards to drag the princess, still on the ground and attempting to speak, out of the palace.

“Father Emperor! Father Emperor! I’m innocent, how can you listen to Wen Yuesheng’s slanders, Father Emperor…”

The voice of Princess Fu Rui echoed through the great hall, full of disbelief, her tone high and unrepentant.

In her eyes, she was a lofty princess, and the soldiers, ministers, and commoners should have sacrificed their lives for her, for the imperial family, for the power she could wield.

For them to die for her was their honor.

But how could her Father Emperor kill her for these lowly people?

She was unwilling to accept it, and as she was dragged away, her well-maintained long nails left bloody scratches on the palace floor.

When the executioner’s blade fell, all the noise and curses slowly turned to dust.

Seeing that she had not repented even in death, the ministers’ feelings were complicated.

As Wen Yuesheng had said, if she wasn’t executed today, she would eventually betray the army’s secrets to the enemies, and many lives would be lost.

The hall fell silent as the Emperor’s gaze finally landed on Wen Yuesheng.

His face was grim, his eyes full of authority, and he angrily said, “As for you!”

“Such boldness and recklessness!” The Emperor sneered. “The golden belt of the imperial court, since you no longer want it, you will never need it again!”

“Someone, take back the imperial golden belt! From now on, without my order, Wen Yuesheng will not set foot in the court!”

Among the many complex glances, Wen Yuesheng spoke softly, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Though the morning court had lasted only a few hours, to many, it felt as if years had passed.

As they walked out of the Taihe Hall, many officials had cold sweat on their backs.

Thinking back on what had happened, they felt as though it was from another world.

Many ministers gathered privately, intending to discuss the events of the court, but none knew where to begin.

Among some civil officials, the name “Princess Wen Sining” was no longer the same as before. She wasn’t just a ruthless, cold-faced princess, known for her violent ways.

Now, she was someone with both courage and strategy, able to force the Emperor’s hand even when he tried to protect Fu Rui.

Some quietly sighed, “If only the princess were a man…”

If she were a man, she would be a prince, and everyone would rally to her cause, believing the future of Da Hui would be secured.

But she was a woman.

Wang Jin Zhi sneered, “What’s wrong with being a woman? All your subordinates are men, but I don’t see any of your scholars writing such brilliant works like the princess.”

The official was left speechless.

Wang Jin Zhi didn’t care. After all, not everyone was like him, who valued only written works.

Among the ministers, Wen Xinning stood still, her expression complex.

Everyone in the room knew that what Wen Yue lost today was the imperial golden belt, but what he gained was the trust of countless hearts.

How it all reached this point was unclear, but it had surpassed even Wen Xinning’s expectations.

Looking back, it was hard to connect the Wen Yue from just a few months ago, still entangled in the marriage matters of the Prince of Yong’an, with the person who now stood in front of the court, discarding the golden belt.

Over there, unlike usual, Yan Ling was stopped by the elder Lü Ge after leaving the palace.

He was a close advisor to the Emperor and wielded real power, while Lü Ge was a member of the reformist faction. They had usually only exchanged polite nods, with little private interaction.

However, when Elder Lu Ge stopped him, he said, “What the princess did was an act of righteousness. I just have one word, and I hope you, Lord Yan, can pass it along.”