The mad princess forces love upon him, and the aloof imperial advisor trembles every night.

With each "accurate" she said, Chu Xuanjing's face paled a little more. By the end, he was completely ashen-faced.

Chu Qingyue stood up and casually tossed the jade pendant back in front of him. A small, dark red splatter of blood bloomed on the gold brick, like some kind of ominous mark.

"Third brother, if you're going to make up a story, at least make it believable." Her tone turned cold, her eyes bloodshot, but her voice remained calm—a calmness that sent chills down one's spine.

"Are you implying that I controlled the Fifth Princess's tiger? Or that I arranged these assassins? I've only been back in the capital for two days, and I haven't even figured out which way the gate of the Eldest Princess's residence faces. How could I possibly have such extraordinary abilities to set up such a meticulously planned assassination plot in the inner palace, under the watchful eyes of everyone?"

She turned to face the throne, lifted her skirt, and knelt on one knee. Her back, however, remained straight as a pine tree, like a sword drawn from its sheath.

"Father, I implore you to investigate this thoroughly!" Her voice was clear and resonant, each word ringing out powerfully, echoing through the deathly silent Linshui Pavilion.

"We must not only investigate how this jade pendant ended up in the assassin's stomach, but also—how these assassins infiltrated the palace's elite guards! Who is responsible for the palace's defenses? Who handled the handling of the wild beasts that entered the banquet? Since my return to the capital, I have been repeatedly targeted by assassination attempts. Even the display of heads at the Blood Blade Gate could not deter these evil spirits! Today, the Crown Prince nearly perished in the palace! This is not merely a matter of my personal safety, but a calamity that threatens the very foundation of the nation!"

She directly shifted the focus from personal grudges to the security of the palace, the safety of the crown prince, and even the very foundation of the nation!

The Chu Emperor's face was beyond ugly; it was the fury of a thunderbolt about to break. The veins on the back of his hands bulged, his gaze sharp as knives. He first slashed at the limp, trembling Chu Qingyao, who was lying on the ground, after all, she was the one who had brought the beast. Then his gaze swept over the deathly pale Chu Xuanjing, after all, the jade pendant was his.

Finally, a heavy weight fell on the Empress's pale face, despite her forced composure. After all, the Empress was in charge of both palace security and today's banquet arrangements.

"check."

The Chu Emperor's voice was hoarse, yet carried immense weight, making the entire Linshui Pavilion feel suffocated.

"Investigate this thoroughly! The Commander of the Imperial Guards, the Chief Steward of the Imperial Household Department, all the guards on duty today, and the eunuchs and palace maids who handled the wild beast… all of them must be imprisoned! They will be jointly tried by the Three Judicial Offices! I want to see if this palace is still my palace! And if this world is still the world of Great Chu!"

Just then—

A figure in pure white slowly walked into the main hall. It was Consort Li, Chu Xuanjing's birth mother, who had not attended the celebration banquet due to illness.

Consort Li was dressed in plain clothes, without any makeup. Her long hair was loosely tied up with a single wooden hairpin. Her face was as pale as paper, her eyes were red-rimmed, and she looked sickly and pitiful. Every step she took was unsteady, as if she might collapse at any moment.

"I am guilty; I failed to discipline my own child, which has led to this disaster."

She knelt on the ground, her forehead pressed against the blood-stained earth, her voice mournful and poignant like the cry of a cuckoo.

"Jing'er is foolish and has committed such a heinous crime. I dare not ask Your Majesty for forgiveness... I only beg Your Majesty to consider our mother-son relationship and grant me the same punishment as Jing'er."

The entire room fell silent.

The Empress stared intently at Consort Li's frail and boneless posture, her nails digging almost into her palms. It was the same again! Every time Chu Xuanjing caused trouble, this vile woman would feign weakness, using this pitiful appearance to gain sympathy! That seemingly humble kneeling posture, those perfectly timed tears, those words dripping with blood—all were meticulously calculated weapons!

The Chu Emperor silently looked at the trembling concubine at his feet, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

He was not unaware of the power struggles in the harem, but Consort Li had indeed been gentle and modest in the past, and the Third Prince was only greedy for money... Could he really be so ruthless as to kill his brother and father?

Seeing his mother like this, Chu Xuanjing's eyes widened in fury: "Mother! I'm innocent! Someone has framed me! Father—"

"Shut up!" Consort Li abruptly raised her head, interrupting sharply, her eyes glistening with tears, yet carrying an undeniable sternness. "The evidence is irrefutable, and you still dare to argue!"

She turned to the emperor, tears streaming down her face. "Your Majesty, it is my fault for failing to raise my son properly. I am willing to atone with my death... I only beg Your Majesty to leave Jing'er with a whole body, so that I may hold his hand on the road to the underworld..." Every word was heartbreaking, filled with unbearable grief.

Chu Qingyue watched coldly, inwardly sneering. What a charade of maternal love and filial piety! Consort Li's kneeling, seemingly an admission of guilt, actually characterized Chu Xuanjing's "crime" as "foolishness" and "being misled," rather than premeditated fratricide.

She even threatened to "die together" to force her father to soften his heart—she knew that her father cherished old feelings the most, and especially liked this Consort Li.

As expected, the lightning in Emperor Chu's eyes subsided slightly, revealing a trace of weariness and struggle.

At this moment, the Empress spoke up: "Your Majesty, we have the Third Prince's jade pendant as proof. It was taken from the assassin's abdomen in full view of everyone. The tiger went out of control, Che'er was seriously injured and on the verge of death, and several guards were also injured or killed. This matter is no longer a palace intrigue, but a heinous crime that shakes the foundation of the country and disrupts the order of the court."

Her voice was as calm as ice: "If we let personal feelings lead us astray, how can we uphold the law? How can we bring peace to the world? How can we... comfort the souls of the departed?"

The Chu Emperor closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, all he saw was the cold indifference of an emperor:

"Consort Li, for failing to properly educate her son, is stripped of her rank of Consort and demoted to the rank of Concubine, relocated to the Jingsi Garden on the west side of the Cold Palace, and forbidden to leave without imperial decree. The Fifth Princess is confined to the Qingyao Pavilion, to assist in the joint trial by the Three Judicial Offices. The Third Prince, Chu Xuanjing, is suspected of plotting to murder his elder brother and disrupting palace affairs; he is stripped of all titles and positions and imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court's prison for rigorous interrogation by the Three Judicial Offices. All those involved will be investigated and punished according to the law, without any leniency!"

"Father Emperor—!" Chu Xuanjing roared, but was held down by the guards.

Consort Li's body went limp, almost collapsing to the ground, but she forced herself to kowtow: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness."

Since things had come to this point, it was inconvenient to say more. Chu Qingyue bowed and gracefully withdrew.

------

Moonlight filtered through the clouds, dappling the still-wet bloodstains on the banks of Taiye Pond. Chu Qingyue stood before the steps, the night wind whipping her blood-stained robes, making them flutter. Liu Yun and Chi Xiao stood on either side, holding their breath.

Liu Yun lowered his voice, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, "Your Highness, should we make 'arrangements' regarding the Third Prince and Consort Li?"

Chu Qingyue slowly raised her hand, her fingertips gleaming like cold jade in the moonlight.

"To kill them all with one blow," she said softly, a bewitching yet cruel smile playing on her lips. "How boring."

She turned to look at the deep palace corridor, her voice suddenly piercing the ice cellar, "When my third brother was young, he often made me choose—whether to eat rat meat or the corpse of a bird."

The drifting clouds and the crimson sky sent a chill down my spine.

"I am compassionate, and I will also let my third brother... choose once. Choose whether he dies himself, or... let his mother die."

She turned her head slightly, the moonlight outlining half of her exquisite silhouette, while the other half remained hidden in shadow, making her appear as if she were both a god and a demon.

Chi Xiao bowed: "I will inform Cangming immediately. There has indeed been a 'big deal' coming our way these past few days."

What are the prices for Jinxue Pavilion?

She chuckled softly, "Jinxue Pavilion's price is two hundred thousand taels..."

Chi Xiao quickly answered, "Two hundred thousand taels of silver?"