A vicious female is trapped in a beastly hell.

Chapter 287 Conspiracy
No one knew where these rumors came from, but they swept through the entire city in just a few days, spreading wider and wider, and many people were discussing them privately.

On the construction site, someone whispered, "Hey, have you heard? The breach of the imperial city was a conspiracy!"

"Tell me what's going on here. Who would specifically plan a war? What benefit would they gain from it?"

"You don't understand, do you? The struggles between successors throughout history have always been open and covert. To successfully sit on that throne, one must have used various methods behind the scenes. But I never expected that this matter was actually planned by Princess Shen Tang!"

"Don't speak recklessly! Spreading rumors about the monarch is a capital offense!"

"Who said I'm talking nonsense? I have evidence to back me up. Shen Tang colluded with the rebel commander to plot the coup in the capital, all to create momentum so she could win over the people and gain the right to inherit the throne!"

"Speaking of which, I'm also puzzled. Don't you think the imperial city was breached far too easily? No matter how powerful the rebels were, it was still the imperial city! It was heavily guarded by soldiers and officers, the most heavily defended place in the empire!"

"In previous years, the rebels attacked so many times but failed to break through the imperial defenses. Yet this time, during Princess Shen Qingli's wedding ceremony, when the defenses were even more stringent, they managed to sneak up on the enemy's stronghold without anyone noticing. This is simply unbelievable! I don't believe it was done without collusion from within!"

"The key point is that it was at Princess Shen Qingli's wedding to the young master of the Yun family. Who doesn't know that Princess Shen Qingli was once infatuated with the young master of the Yun family and went mad?"

Some people analyzed it very logically, saying, "By taking action at this time, she can not only win over the hearts of the people, but also prevent the two from getting married. From Princess Shen Tang's perspective, this is a win-win situation!"

"What you're saying makes sense, and it does seem rather suspicious..."

"But how could the rebels possibly work for her willingly? Could they have signed some kind of agreement?"

"Heh, is that even a question? With the help of the rebels, Shen Tang won the hearts of the people and ascended the throne. The rebels then used this to blackmail her, controlling her to become a puppet emperor. Both sides benefited and got what they wanted!"

"No wonder an unpopular princess won the hearts of the people in such a short time and even won the votes against the real princess with royal blood... If it weren't for the great battle in the capital, she wouldn't have had so much support!"

"No, impossible! Princess Shen Tang is definitely not that kind of person!"

"Fool, you can know a person's face but not their heart. Throughout history, which ruler was a simple person? There were countless people who did all sorts of underhanded things behind the scenes."

"Besides, haven't you noticed? So many people died in the battle of the capital, yet she and her five beast husbands, who claimed to be fighting on the front lines, are completely unharmed. I don't believe there's nothing fishy going on here!"

Some people were indignant, saying, "If that's really the case, it's too despicable and hateful. So many people's lives are used just to pave the way for her to ascend the throne. We've become stepping stones for her to get to the throne for nothing?!"

"How cruel, selfish, and ruthless this person must be at heart!"

"Oh my god, that's terrible."

"By doing this, isn't she deceiving the entire empire's people and treating our lives as a game?"

"This kind of person should never become the ruler of a country!"

The public opinion seems to be driven by some force, and it is getting increasingly out of control.

Finally, many citizens marched in protest, demanding the cancellation of the coronation ceremony next month and asking Shen Tang to give the people of the empire an explanation.

The imperial high command has been extremely anxious these past few days. Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, they had no choice but to hold discussions overnight.

After Shen Tang arrived, he only said one sentence: "The innocent are innocent. I don't need to explain what I didn't do."

A cold laugh came from behind, "Something you didn't do? Sister Shen Tang, you really know how to lie without batting an eye!"

Shen Tang turned around and saw Shen Qingli walking towards her, followed by Yun Han. They looked incredibly smug and triumphant, showing no trace of their previous defeat. The Bear Clan Chief coldly rebuked, "Princess Qingli, what do you mean by that? You can't just say things like that!"

Seeing her supporters completely switch sides to Shen Tang's side, Shen Qingli was furious and embarrassed, but remembering what happened today, she smiled and said sarcastically, "Sister Shen Tang is really amazing. She has fooled so many people who don't know the truth. Even I have to admire you."

Another family head stepped forward, coldly rebuking, "Your Highness, you haven't believed those rumors, have you? We've gathered here today to resolve this matter, so please refrain from saying such hurtful things."

"This is not a rumor, I saw it with my own eyes!"

Under the astonished and uncertain gazes of the crowd, Shen Qingli's smile grew even brighter, and she confidently declared, "I was captured and taken to the enemy camp of the rebels. I endured humiliation and hardship to survive. I overheard Zackis using a personal terminal to contact someone. That person was an inside agent in the capital. Although she used a voice changer, I can confirm that it was a woman's voice!"

"To be able to cooperate with the rebels from within and without to break through the defenses, this person's status or power in the capital must be quite high; at the very least, he must be a nobleman, or even... royalty!"

As she spoke, Shen Qingli looked at Shen Tang, whose face was grim, and raised an eyebrow, questioning, "As everyone knows, back then, my sister Shen Tang colluded with the rebels for her own selfish desires, causing the deaths and injuries of countless civilians. You must still have the code for colluding with the rebels in your possession, and you are the most suspicious person!"

"Otherwise, given your past cowardice, how could you possibly have been willing to defend the city to the death? Because the other side is your people, they certainly wouldn't kill you, which is why you were so fearless!"

"Now that both sides have achieved their goals, the rebels will withdraw from the capital!"

"This was all a well-orchestrated show by you and the rebels!"

"A show to build momentum for you!"

These words startled the entire room, and an eerie silence fell over them.

Everyone present felt that Shen Qingli's guess was absurd, yet somewhat reasonable. After all, it was an indisputable fact that Shen Tang had colluded with the rebels back then, and the matter had long been settled.

Even though Shen Tang has become so wonderful now, this incident is still a stain she cannot erase, which makes people suspicious.

Some people present were already wavering.

Several orcs kept glancing at Shen Tang, hesitating whether to speak up, perhaps by asking her to remove her personal terminal for analysis, to see if there were any records of her contacting the rebels through the dark web.

Shen Qingli naturally knew that Shen Tang hadn't, but rumors can spread like wildfire.

This is the only way she can prove her innocence.

However, once she does this, she will fall into the trap of self-proof. Even if her personal terminal doesn't have it, Shen Qingli can still accuse her of hiding other personal terminals and send troops to search her residence.

In this back-and-forth, even if no evidence is found, the public outcry will only grow bigger and bigger.

When the time comes, Shen Tang's prestige will collapse, the people's hearts will be greatly damaged, and he may never recover. What qualifications will he have to be the heir to the empire?
Upon hearing this baseless and slanderous argument, Shen Tang almost burst out laughing.

How dare Shen Qingli cry wolf?
If the system weren't still dormant, she would have loved to use [Truth Revealed] on the spot to expose her hypocritical and ridiculous face.

Shen Tang wasn't about to let herself be insulted. She was about to retort when, before she could even open her mouth, another deep, restrained voice boomed like thunder.
"enough!"

Shen Tang was taken aback, swallowed her words, and turned to look at Yun Han, who had spoken angrily, with surprise.

This sentence wasn't directed at her, but rather at... Shen Qingli?

(End of this chapter)