Shen Qingwan looked at Ye Lingxue with a strange smile. Ye Lingxue trembled all over and hurriedly denied, “No, this is not my mother, this is my aunt.”

“Oh? Is that so? Then why don’t we let everyone take a good look at who is actually on this bed?”

As Shen Qingwan spoke, she strode forward and yanked away the blanket covering the two people, revealing their bare bodies.

Ye Minghui had already regained consciousness at this point, and when she saw Shen Qingwan pulling off the blanket, she let out a terrified scream. “Gu Qingwan, you wretched woman!”

At this moment, Ye Minghui no longer cared about maintaining her dignity—she wished she could tear Shen Qingwan apart.

The Third Prince had originally not wanted to turn around and look, but Ye Minghui’s scream was so loud that he instinctively glanced back.

Well, he had to admit—Ye Minghui had taken good care of herself. Even at her age, she still had a figure and smooth, fair skin that was no less attractive than that of young women.

“Gu Qingwan!”

Ye Lingxue shouted at Shen Qingwan, no longer pretending to be ignorant.

She rushed forward to shield Ye Minghui.

After screaming in humiliation, Ye Minghui fainted—mostly because she had seen the man she had been with, and he was truly hideous.

The shock was simply too much for her.

More importantly, if she remembered correctly, she had arranged for Ye Minglan to be with a hideous man who was also suffering from a venereal disease.

But now, she had ended up in that situation instead. Didn’t that mean she might have contracted the disease?

How could she face such a fate?

Shen Qingwan looked at Ye Minghui’s pale, exposed body with interest and couldn’t help but comment sincerely, “So fair.”

“What’s the matter, dear cousin? Why can’t you even recognize your own mother now?” Shen Qingwan was clearly enjoying the spectacle.

However, Consort Liu had no patience for these antics.

Covering her lips in disgust, Consort Liu said coldly, “How utterly disgraceful.”

The Third Prince, who had some affection for Ye Lingxue, couldn’t bear to see her humiliated.

He immediately ordered someone to cover Ye Minghui with a robe.

After just a glance, he averted his gaze. However, the noble ladies present had sharp eyes, and what had happened today would soon spread like wildfire.

Fortunately for Ye Minghui, she was a widow—at least this scandal wouldn’t drag down her late husband’s family.

“Enough! This was just a misunderstanding. No one is to speak of it any further. Disperse!” Xiao Ruiye, his gaze cold, swept his eyes over the crowd before glancing at Ye Lingxue.

Then, he led the others back to the banquet hall.

As for the hideous man who had snuck in, Xiao Ruiye’s men took him away—his fate was sealed: death.

Once everyone had left, Ye Lingxue could no longer maintain her usual gentle demeanor.

She turned to Shen Qingwan, her eyes filled with murderous intent. “Gu Qingwan, did you know all along? Did you bring my mother here?”

Although she was asking, she already knew the answer.

Shen Qingwan crossed her arms, too lazy to feign innocence. “And what if I did? What, you can harm others, but we can’t fight back? Ye Lingxue, if this is all you can do, then I advise you to clean your neck and wait for your death.”

Ye Lingxue sneered, her expression filled with arrogance. “You are the one who should prepare for death, Gu Qingwan. Just wait and see. Everyone who opposes me never meets a good end.”

She was the protagonist of this world—the heavens were on her side.

Everything good in this world should belong to her.

If Gu Qingwan dared to oppose her, then Gu Qingwan had to die.

She had a space mall and countless ways to eliminate Gu Qingwan.

Shen Qingwan didn’t miss how Ye Lingxue’s hand instinctively brushed against her ring as she spoke.

It was a black-gold ring with intricate ancient carvings.

Shen Qingwan couldn’t make out the details, but she had a gut feeling that Ye Lingxue’s spatial ability was connected to that ring.

Killing and seizing treasures—this was something Shen Qingwan was well-versed in.

After all, during the apocalypse, she had encountered plenty of groups trying to rob her of her supplies.

The outcome was always the same—she killed them and took everything they had.

Ye Lingxue’s confidence was entirely based on that space ability.

Shen Qingwan was curious—if she lost it, would she still be so confident?

“I hope your tricks won’t disappoint me,” Shen Qingwan said before turning and leaving.

The scandal involving Ye Minghui was soon overshadowed by a bigger event.

The Crown Prince had been poisoned.

Since the banquet was hosted by the Third Prince and Consort Liu, they were the ones responsible for the incident.

More than ten imperial physicians rushed to treat the Crown Prince.

The two influential princes, Prince Liang and Prince Huainan, along with the other royal sons, demanded an explanation from the Third Prince.

For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

After all, he had indeed poisoned the wine.

But he had poisoned everyone—why was the Crown Prince the only one affected?

“The Crown Prince was poisoned after drinking this cup of wine. Third Prince, do you still dare to deny it?”

The Minister of War and several military officials stepped forward, directly accusing the Third Prince.

The situation had gone slightly off track, but Xiao Ruiye remained calm.

After all, he had prepared thoroughly for this day.

“Minister Gao, you can eat food recklessly, but you cannot speak recklessly. I am not a fool—why would I poison someone at my own banquet? And the Crown Prince, of all people? Making baseless accusations against a royal prince is a crime punishable by death.”

Xiao Ruiye made a slicing motion across his throat, making his threat unmistakable.

Consort Liu raised her elegant eyes and glanced at Minister Gao disdainfully. “Gao Yao, who instructed you to frame the Third Prince? Speak the truth, or else your entire family of eighty-three will not be able to bear the consequences of falsely accusing a royal prince.”

Her words were slow and deliberate, yet they sent a chill down Minister Gao’s spine.

His entire family, when counted together, amounted to exactly eighty-three people.

Consort Liu had clearly done her homework.

Seeing Minister Gao fall silent, the others dared not speak either.

The Empress, unable to seek justice for her son, was furious as she watched Consort Liu’s arrogance.

“Liu Ruoyu, do you truly think your Liu family can control everything?” The Empress’s voice was hoarse with rage. “The Crown Prince has always been weak. Why won’t you let him go? He never had any ambition to ascend the throne, yet all of you wish for his death. He is already a dying man, and you won’t even leave him a sliver of hope?”

The Empress screamed at Consort Liu, completely disregarding her usual dignified image.

Her only son was dying—what else did she have to fear?

Consort Liu sneered and lifted her chin arrogantly. “What are you talking about, Your Majesty? I am deeply saddened by the Crown Prince’s condition as well. When we find the true culprit behind this, I will personally bring them to you for punishment. However, this has nothing to do with the Third Prince.”