Killer Queen: Tyrant, prepare to die!

March 18th, Shen time (3-5 PM).

The medicinal scent inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation was even stronger than in the morning, almost overpowering the cool fragrance of ambergris.

Nangong Ye leaned against the dragon bed, his face still pale, and the color on his lips almost transparent.

He closed his eyes, holding a string of Canaan incense prayer beads in his hand, his fingertips slowly moving them.

It was as if they were calming their minds or gathering some kind of strength.

Xuan Ying stood silently in the shadows beside the couch, like a lurking eagle.

Suddenly, a series of hurried, slightly chaotic footsteps came from outside the hall, along with a eunuch's hushed admonition: "Prime Minister Liu, His Majesty has just taken his medicine and needs to rest..."

"Rest in peace? Rumors are rampant outside the palace, a sorceress is causing trouble and confusing the imperial bloodline! As the prime minister, how can I sit idly by?! Get out of the way!"

Liu Chengzong's voice was filled with barely suppressed anxiety and anger, completely lacking his usual composure.

"Crunch—"

The palace doors were pushed open somewhat roughly.

Liu Chengzong, dressed in a purple prime minister's robe and wearing a seven-beam crown, strode in.

He had clearly arrived in a hurry; his crown was even slightly askew, and his face was flushed with a mixture of shock, anger, panic, and desperation.

Behind him followed the imperial eunuch, who looked helpless and unable to stop him.

"His Majesty!"

Liu Chengzong lifted his robe and knelt down with a "plop" five steps away from the dragon bed, his voice trembling.

Yet it deliberately elevates the tone, making it sound forceful and indignant.

"This old minister risks his life to come before you! I have important matters to report, which concern the very foundation of the nation and the bloodline of the royal family, and I must speak out!"

"I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness for disturbing Your Majesty's presence!"

Nangong Ye's fingers, which were moving the prayer beads, paused slightly.

He slowly opened his eyes.

Those bloodshot eyes, however, were no longer as empty as they had been in the morning. Instead, they held a deep, cold weariness.

His gaze fell on Liu Chengzong's back, which was trembling slightly with excitement, and he looked at him for a moment.

He had barely opened his mouth when his voice became even hoarser and lower than it had been that morning, yet it carried a strange calm that seemed to precede a storm:

"Prime Minister Liu...what's causing your panic?"

Liu Chengzong raised his head, his old eyes seemingly filled with cloudy tears, looking utterly heartbroken.

"Your Majesty! This old minister is worried about Your Majesty's health and the long-term stability of the Nangong family's empire!"

Last night at the palace banquet, the enchantress who called herself "Night Phoenix" was accompanied by an unidentified child.

She brazenly stormed the palace, spreading heretical rumors and causing His Majesty to be overcome with rage and his health to suffer! This woman's heart is wicked!

He paused, and seeing Nangong Ye's expressionless face, he steeled himself and continued his impassioned speech, each word like a knife:

"Your Majesty! This old minister has heard that this woman dared to openly defy the imperial decree this morning and show contempt for the majesty of Heaven!"

How could such rebellious and arrogant people be good people?

The child he brought with him was of unknown origin. Based on only a slight resemblance, he dared to claim to be a prince, thus confusing the royal bloodline!

This is a calamity that threatens the very foundation of the nation, Your Majesty!

"This old minister dares to speak frankly!"

Liu Chengzong kowtowed heavily, his forehead hitting the ground with a loud thud.

"That demoness may resemble the deposed Empress Shen, but the world is vast and full of wonders, and the art of disguise is not uncommon!"

Who knows if someone deliberately set up this scheme, finding a similar person and child, intending to wreak havoc in the palace and seize the throne of our Great Wei?!

He raised his head, his eyes flashing with a sharp and urgent light, his voice growing increasingly impassioned:

"To silence the gossips of the people, to quell the treacherous intentions of the villains, and to prove the innocence of the royal bloodline! This old minister humbly begs Your Majesty—"

He kowtowed again, almost shouting:

"Immediately issue an imperial decree to conduct the ancient practice of 'blood kinship testing' on this child!"

Before the Imperial Ancestral Temple, with relatives as witnesses and officials in attendance, their identities were verified with a bowl of clear water!

If their bloodlines are compatible, it is a sign of divine protection, and the royal family will have an heir; if they are incompatible…”

A glint of malice flashed in his eyes, and his voice, though low, was all the more clear:

"This proves that this is a shocking conspiracy orchestrated by the demoness and the mastermind behind the scenes!"

This witch and her accomplices should be arrested immediately for deceiving the emperor and disrupting the court, subjected to severe torture, and brought to justice!

To serve as a warning to others! To ensure the safety and stability of the nation!

His words were forceful and reasonable, presenting the "blood test for kinship" as an inevitable step to uphold the dignity of the royal family and thwart a conspiracy.

Normally, with Liu Chengzong's power and this seemingly loyal performance, he would have been able to stir up a huge storm in the court and force the emperor to comply.

The hall was deathly silent.

Only Liu Chengzong's slightly heavy breathing could be heard.

Xuan Ying lowered his eyes, looking like a clay sculpture, with only his knuckles slightly white as he pressed his hand on the hilt of the knife.

Nangong Ye remained half-reclined on the couch, his fingers slowly twirling the prayer beads, his face expressionless.

However, her pale face appeared even more translucent in the dim light of the hall, as if it would shatter at the slightest touch.

a long time.

As time went on, cold sweat seeped from Liu Chengzong's forehead, and the ominous premonition in his heart grew stronger and stronger.

Nangong Ye coughed lightly, his voice still hoarse, but unusually clear as he asked:

"Has Prime Minister Liu finished speaking?"

Liu Chengzong was taken aback, and quickly said, "This old minister...this old minister's words are from the bottom of his heart, all for Your Majesty, for the sake of the country..."

"Hmm." Nangong Ye interrupted him, slowly sitting up a little straighter.

This simple movement seemed to have taken a lot of effort from him; his breathing was slightly rapid.

But his gaze sharpened, and he looked directly at Liu Chengzong.

That gaze no longer held the shock and frenzy of last night, nor the emptiness and confusion of this morning.

Rather, it is a deep, cold weariness, and beneath that weariness, an unmistakable sense of alienation and warning.

"I know that Prime Minister Liu is loyal."

He spoke each word slowly, as if he were carefully considering them, or as if he were emphasizing them:

"About that child..."

He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing, as if the name still stung him, but he said it anyway:

"Bao'er".

"He is my own flesh and blood."

He didn't say it passionately, nor did he show any emotion; he simply stated a fact calmly.

But it was like a heavy hammer blow, slamming into Liu Chengzong's heart!

"Your Majesty! Don't be bewitched by this enchantress! Only a blood test can prove kinship..." Liu Chengzong was anxious and almost stood up.

"Liu Chengzong." Nangong Ye's voice suddenly turned cold as he addressed Liu Chengzong by his name, interrupting him.

The emperor's gaze, like a knife chilled to ice, scraped across Liu Chengzong's old face, which froze instantly.

"I have a question for you—"

Nangong Ye's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a long-lost imperial authority, despite his frail health.

The oppressive aura seemed even more terrifying because of this calm.

"Yesterday, hundreds of eyes in the Taiji Hall saw it."

Does that child bear even the slightest resemblance to me when I was a child?

"This..." Liu Chengzong was speechless.

It's so similar! It's uncanny! That's the most fatal and irrefutable point!

"I'll ask you again,"

Nangong Ye continued, his tone icy.

"Back then, she and her son died from poisoning. What role did your Liu family play in that? Do you really think I knew nothing about it?!"

Liu Chengzong trembled, and his face turned pale instantly.

"I have another question for you."

Nangong Ye's gaze grew increasingly sharp, as if trying to pierce through his flesh and reach his very soul.

"Three years ago, the witchcraft case came to light, the evidence was 'conclusive,' and who was it that strongly advocated for the Empress's removal and implicated the entire Shen family?"

"Your Majesty! This old minister...this old minister has done everything for Your Majesty, for the sake of the court's laws!"

Liu Chengzong knelt on the ground, his voice trembling, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

He felt a chill run down his spine. His Majesty's words... were dredging up old grievances! They were expressing suspicion!

Looking at his trembling figure lying prostrate on the ground, Nangong Ye's eyes flashed with deep disgust and exhaustion.

He didn't press further, but simply leaned back against the soft pillows, closed his eyes, as if even looking at him was too tiring.

A suffocating silence fell over the hall once again.

Only Liu Chengzong's heavy, frightened breathing and the faint sound of Nangong Ye slowly turning the Buddhist beads in his hand could be heard.

a long time.

Nangong Ye spoke again, his voice returning to its previous calm and hoarse tone, yet carrying an undeniable decisiveness:

"Prime Minister Liu".

"My family affairs..."

He paused, then slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was as calm as a still well, yet chilling to the bone, falling on Liu Chengzong's face, which was suddenly raised and filled with disbelief.

"No need for the Prime Minister to trouble himself."

!!!

Family matters!

He said it was a "family matter"!

The word "family matter" may seem light, but it carries a weight heavier than a thousand pounds!

It completely rejected all of Liu Chengzong's attempts to interfere in the name of "the state," "the foundation of the nation," and "the court."

It drew a clear line: this is a matter between the emperor and empress (whether she admits it or not), between the emperor and the princes, and has nothing to do with you, an outsider, or the prime minister!

This is not a discussion, nor is it a compromise.

This is expulsion.

This is a warning.

This was the first and decisive loosening of the emperor's stance.

No longer favoring the Liu family, no longer avoiding the impact of Shen Qingci's return, and even... vaguely beginning to protect him.

Liu Chengzong was struck dumb, kneeling on the spot with his mouth agape, unable to utter a single word.

His face was drained of color, leaving only a deathly despair and a bone-chilling cold.

It’s over.

Only those two words remained in his mind.

His Majesty... has really changed.

Because of that woman's return, because of that child's appearance, the scales in His Majesty's heart, which had once leaned more or less towards the Liu family, have now completely... tipped over.

Nangong Ye stopped looking at him, waved wearily, and said to Xuan Ying, "I'm tired. See Prime Minister Liu out."

"Yes." Xuan Ying stepped forward, his voice flat and emotionless. "Prime Minister Liu, please."

Liu Chengzong, looking utterly dejected, was "invited" to his feet by Xuan Ying. He staggered and practically dragged himself out of the Yangxin Hall.

The palace doors slowly closed behind him, shutting out the strong smell of herbs inside and also cutting off his last shred of hope.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on his purple robe and jade belt, but only reflected a bleak and desolate grayness.

Standing on the high steps, he looked back at the tightly closed palace doors, and finally, his old eyes welled up with intense fear and... resentment.

housework?

No need to bother?

Well done, Nangong Ye!

Since you are so heartless...

Don't blame me for finding another way out!

He turned around abruptly, his steps faltering yet filled with a ruthless determination, and walked towards the palace gates.

His silhouette stretched long in the setting sun, twisted like a ghost.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

After Liu Chengzong left, Nangong Ye suddenly started coughing, coughing so hard it was heart-wrenching, and a sickly flush returned to his pale face.

Xuan Ying quickly handed him warm water and patted his back.

The coughing gradually subsided.

Nangong Ye leaned back on the couch, panting, staring blankly at the golden dragon caisson ceiling swirling on the roof for a moment.

Housework...

He silently repeated those two words in his mind.

Yes, this is his family matter.

It's a family matter that he owes a lifetime of debt to, and now even making amends seems laughable and powerless.

Clear words...

Bao'er...

He closed his eyes, and a tiny crack had appeared in the Canaan incense bead in his hand.