The seductive princess is no longer being pursued; the aloof prime minister is facing a crematorium.

Chapter 163 The Incident Occurs!

That dragon throne was an irresistible temptation for everyone.

She was the only one who didn't like him.

Thinking of this, Zhao Yungui couldn't help but smile and shake his head.

"master!"

Xiao Zhengze, with a sword at his waist, ran into the main hall and looked at Zhao Yungui anxiously: "Master, did the princess just leave with them like that!"

Zhao Yungui squeezed the envelope in his hand, then looked down at Zhengze: "Come with me."
-
Jiang Jinshuang was imprisoned in a dungeon by the Imperial Guards without even having an audience with the Emperor.

The jailer sized her up, then bowed and scraped before the head of the Imperial Guards: "Sir, if I'm not mistaken, this is Princess Zhaoming, isn't she? How did she..."

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask!" the Imperial Guard said in a deep voice. "Keep a close eye on her. His Majesty has decreed that if she disappears, you will all be executed!"

"Yes, sir! Don't worry, sir! Don't worry, sir!"

After watching the Imperial Guards leave, the jailer straightened up and looked down at Jiang Jinshuang with his chin raised, saying, "Heh, this humble servant greets Your Highness."

Jiang Jinshuang didn't speak. She was imprisoned in a hurry, and all that was taken from her was sharp objects and jewelry. She was still wearing that gorgeous fiery red dress.

The jailer sized her up but didn't dare say anything more.

The people imprisoned in the dungeon have ever-changing identities. Today they may be death row inmates to be executed, but tomorrow they may transform into heroes revered by all.

These jailers, who had spent a long time in the dungeon, were masters of opportunism. Since the imperial edict had not yet been issued, they dared not make any rash moves.

Thinking of this, the jailer chuckled twice, glanced at Jiang Jinshuang, and turned to leave.

Jiang Jinshuang stood in that cramped and damp prison, her clothes stained and her shoes muddy.

It started raining again outside.

Since the dungeon was underground, she could only hear the faint sound of raindrops hitting the ground above her head. All she could hear were pleas for mercy and shouts coming from all over the dungeon.

The room reeked of decaying damp wood and the stench of rotting flesh.

Jiang Jinshuang sat on the wooden bed made of straw mats, which creaked and made an annoying sound.

Things might be worse than she imagined.

His Majesty didn't even interrogate her; he simply threw her into the dungeon.

—The situation is exactly the same as when Uncle Wang was imprisoned three years ago.

Jiang Jinshuang closed her eyes slightly, sorting out her thoughts.

The worst-case scenario is that the person behind the scenes already knows that the God of Slaughter Mask is actually the Tiger Tally.

A person came to Jiang Jinshuang's mind who could contact Bei Huai and also keep an eye on her.

— Changping Wang, Jiang Zeyi.

If the Mask of the God of Slaughter is currently in Jiang Zeyi's possession, and Jiang Zeyi has secretly colluded with Bei Huai, then his motives become quite obvious.

She was merely a whetstone for Jiang Zeyi's charge; he wanted to see how many of Jiang Huayan's trump cards she could extract.

He wanted to reap the benefits without lifting a finger.

With these thoughts in mind, Jiang Jinshuang slightly lowered her eyes.

The situation is not so hopeless as to be beyond redemption.

Since the two countries are colluding, trust should be the priority. Jiang Zeyi is a very shrewd person, and the ruler of Beihuai is by no means a fool. If a rift develops between the two, this "alliance" will fall apart.

This matter is easy to handle; Jiang Jinshuang has already written a letter entrusting Wen Fengcang to take care of it.

Wen Fengcang's relationship with the current ruler of Beihuai, who is also his father, is not particularly close or deep.

Otherwise, the ruler of Beihuai would not have disregarded the fact that Wen Fengcang was still in the capital and immediately ordered his army to approach the border of Wanjin.

—Clearly, they didn't care much about whether the prince lived or died.

In other words, what the Northern Huai Monarch cared about more than his own son was territorial expansion and the rule of Wan Jin. Wen Fengcang should have understood this better than she did.

Therefore, under these circumstances, Wen Fengcang and the Northern Huai Monarch were on opposing sides, and she could use Wen Fengcang's position to restrain the Northern Huai Monarch.

However, this alone was not enough to create suspicion and discord between the Northern Huai Monarch and Jiang Zeyi.

Jiang Jinshuang narrowed her eyes, a hint of coldness flashing within them.

She has already conveyed the plan to Zhao Yungui, and hopefully after Zhao Yungui informs Si Ning, Si Ning will understand what to do.

Taking a step back, simply letting the two people doubt each other is not enough.

Even if Bei Huai eventually did suspect Jiang Zeyi and chose to withdraw his troops from the border of Wan Jin, Jiang Zeyi, holding the God of Slaughter Mask in his hand, could still command a large following even when forced into a desperate situation.

Jiang Jinshuang pursed her lips slightly and glanced at her palm.

If it really comes to the point of no return...

Jiang Jinshuang will turn the fake mask in her hand into a real tiger tally.

She didn't really want to go that far.

So, hopefully it's not too late.

……

The continuous rain made the court extremely noisy and chaotic today.

Each courtier's face seemed to be covered with a layer of frost, their myriad thoughts hidden beneath a thin mask.

The ministers looked at each other, each trying to find a clue or clue in the other's face.

They each went their own way, yet each wanted to find their own team.

In the main hall, Jiang Huayan sat high on the dragon throne, his face majestic and his eyes solemn.

Upon seeing this, the officials all knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!", each with their own thoughts.

Today, however, the imperial court was unusually quiet.

After His Majesty entered the hall, the discussions and clamor suddenly fell silent, and not a single minister dared to step forward and make any objections.

The scene was somewhat comical and laughable.

"Do any of my beloved ministers have something to say?"

In his high position, Jiang Huayan exuded an imposing aura without anger, his features clear and indifferent.

The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment, but each chose to protect themselves.

Earlier today, His Majesty had just sent people to search the Princess's residence. They didn't know if they had found what they were all concerned about, so they dared not make any rash moves.

Silence fell.

"No one has spoken?" Jiang Huayan's voice grew even colder.

Finally, Shen Huaihe, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, stepped forward to present his memorial, holding his official tablet.

"Your Majesty, what crime has Princess Zhaoming Jiang Jinshuang committed? This morning, Your Highness searched the princess's residence and imprisoned Princess Zhaoming. If Your Majesty does not explain the purpose of the judgment, I am filled with apprehension."

The court was too quiet.

After Shen Huaihe finished speaking, it was like a drop of water falling into a boiling oil pan, causing a turbulent and unpredictable situation.

"During yesterday's minor sacrificial ceremony at Huguo Temple, the Grand Preceptor was assassinated. Before biting the poison, the assassin shouted that Zhaoming possessed the Tiger Tally and was fit to inherit the throne. A hen crowing at dawn—shouldn't I send her to prison?!"

"Does Your Majesty intend to doubt your own daughter based on the assassin's one-sided words?" Shen Huaihe asked in a deep voice.

"Regardless of whether Zhaoming has such thoughts, since the matter arose because of her, I will naturally investigate thoroughly before making a conclusion."

"Does Your Majesty mean to imprison Princess Zhaoming and ignore her completely? If Your Majesty truly wishes to uncover the truth, why not bring Her Highness to the main hall now and question her one by one, so that Your Majesty can make a wise judgment!"