Killer Queen: Tyrant, prepare to die!

March 22nd, dawn was breaking.

Last night's spring rain washed the capital city clean and refreshing, but it couldn't wash away the tense atmosphere of impending storm that permeated both inside and outside the palace.

Liu Chengzong claimed illness and did not attend court. Although the purple-clad figure was absent from the court session, the atmosphere was not relaxed.

The officials from the Liu faction all wore solemn expressions, as if walking on thin ice, and exchanged uneasy glances from time to time.

Yesterday, Ye Huang's "Three Strategies for Draping the Curtain" were like three red-hot knives hanging overhead, and no one knew when they would fall.

His Majesty's ambiguous attitude made people even more uneasy.

However, before they could figure out how to deal with those three knives—

Another, sharper dagger, coated with deadly poison, had silently approached another vital spot in the Liu family compound.

Consort Liu, who is now confined to Huayang Palace but remains a symbol of the Liu family in the palace.

"Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present!"

In the ranks of the Censorate, a censor of about forty years old with a refined appearance, holding a jade tablet, resolutely stepped forward.

It was Zhou Zhengqing, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, who was known for his uprightness and incorruptibility.

Nangong Ye raised his eyes, his face still pale and weary: "What matter does Minister Zhou wish to report?"

Zhou Zhengqing took a deep breath, his voice loud and clear, echoing throughout the hall:

"Your Majesty, I hereby impeach Consort Liu of Huayang Palace, Liu Ruyan!"

His crimes are threefold, each with irrefutable evidence, all of which violate palace rules and national laws, and are unforgivable!

We humbly request Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly and punish this offender severely, so as to rectify the situation within the palace and serve as a warning to others!

Whoosh—!

Impeaching Consort Liu?!

At this critical juncture?!

The entire court immediately perked up their ears, and the officials of Liu's faction were even more shocked, secretly realizing that something was wrong!

Nangong Ye frowned slightly and sat up a little straighter: "Speak."

Zhou Zhengqing took out a thick memorial from his sleeve, raised it high with both hands, and spoke in a somber yet impassioned tone:

"My first accusation is that Consort Liu is 'faking pregnancy to gain favor,' deceiving the emperor and disrespecting His Majesty!"

He unfolded the memorial and said loudly:

In the autumn of the fifth year of Jinghe, Consort Liu announced that she was pregnant. His Majesty was overjoyed and promoted her to the rank of Imperial Consort, bestowing upon her countless rewards.

However, according to my investigation, and with the testimonies of several palace servants who served in Consort Liu's palace and were later dismissed or transferred,

Consort Liu's so-called "pregnancy appearance" was actually a disguise by binding her abdomen with cotton cloth!

Her menstrual records and medical records from the Imperial Medical Academy both show signs of alteration and forgery!

Furthermore, the imperial physician Zhang, who treated her for the pregnancy back then, can serve as a witness!

Consort Liu, in order to secure the emperor's favor, committed this deceitful act, fooling His Majesty and defiling the royal bloodline. This is her first crime!

A collective gasp filled the hall!

False pregnancy! This is a capital offense!

How glorious it was when Consort Rou was pregnant back then! Was it all a lie?!

Someone in Liu's faction urgently retorted: "Imperial Censor Zhou!"

How can such old matters be concluded based on the words of a few maids who have long since left the palace and whose whereabouts are unknown?

This is clearly a frame-up!

Zhou Zhengqing sneered, ignoring him completely, and continued, "My second accusation is that Consort Liu 'framed concubines and harmed the imperial heir'!"

He turned the pages of the memorial, his voice growing even harsher:

"From the fourth to the sixth year of the Jinghe era, three concubines in the harem suffered miscarriages, and two beauties died suddenly from illness!"

An investigation revealed that Consort Liu exhibited unusual behavior before and after these five tragic incidents.

They might bestow food and drink upon the guests, invite them to stroll in the garden, or perfume their palaces with special fragrances!

Your Majesty has found the personal maid who served one of the concubines who suffered a miscarriage.

She personally witnessed that the "calming incense" bestowed by Consort Liu contained abortifacients!

Another figure, Liu Baolin, was framed and imprisoned, but miraculously survived.

You can point out how Consort Liu plotted to slander her for practicing witchcraft!

Consort Liu used cruel methods to eliminate her rivals.

"To harm His Majesty's offspring is a second crime!"

This is even more shocking than a fake pregnancy!

Harming the imperial heir is tantamount to shaking the very foundation of the nation!

The Liu faction official who had previously refuted the argument turned pale, opened his mouth, but could not utter a sound.

"Your Majesty! I have a third piece of information!"

Zhou Zhengqing's voice suddenly rose, filled with overwhelming anger.

"Consort Liu 'used forbidden palace medicines and harmed the Empress'!"

He suddenly pulled out another oil paper package and several small porcelain bottles from his sleeve, and held them high:

"This is the residue and finished product of 'The Death of Beauty'!"

This drug is listed as the top prohibited drug in the imperial court. In the previous dynasty, it caused a major disaster in the palace. It has long been strictly prohibited and destroyed!

However, according to my investigation, Consort Liu secretly purchased this medicine from Xiling through her brother, Liu Chengming.

He had been secretly poisoning the food of the late Empress Shen for a long period of time.

This caused the late empress to lose her beauty, become frail and sickly, and ultimately…

He paused, looked at Nangong Ye whose expression on the throne had suddenly turned extremely ugly, and gritted his teeth, saying:

"This caused the late Empress to suffer greatly from poison in the Cold Palace!"

This matter is supported by testimonies from relatives of the eunuch who was responsible for delivering meals to the Cold Palace back then and who was later killed but survived.

There are copies of the accounts showing the flow of medicinal materials from Xiling into Jiangnan through specific channels, and then into Liu Chengming's hands, as evidence! Furthermore…”

He turned and, facing the outside of the hall, announced loudly, "Bring witnesses!"

The palace gates burst open with a roar.

Under the protection of several Censorate officers, the group walked into the Golden Palace with their heads down and trembling with fear.

The first person was an old woman with gray hair and a weathered face.

As soon as she entered the hall and saw Nangong Ye on the throne, she knelt down with a thud and burst into tears:

"His Majesty!

This old servant...this old servant was once the Imperial Concubine...

No, it's Qian, the maidservant in Consort Liu's palace!

This old servant saw it with my own eyes... Her Majesty stuffing cotton wadding into her clothes!

Later, the old servant was banished to the laundry department after discovering this, and was almost silenced!

Next came a woman in her thirties, with a haggard face.

She clutched a faded rag doll tightly in her arms, her eyes somewhat dazed.

"This servant, Cuihe... was once a palace maid of Liu Baolin..."

Consort Liu ordered her maid to remove the cloth doll with needles stuck in it...

She secretly put it in Liu Baolin's dressing case... When I refused, she beat me and even arrested my younger brother..."

The third one was a middle-aged man dressed in the robes of an imperial physician, but with a dusty face and a frightened expression.

He knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head, his voice trembling:

"This sinful subject...this sinful subject Zhang Jinghe, once served in the Imperial Medical Academy..."

Consort Liu used the lives of my family to force me to fabricate a case of her pregnancy.

And... he even prepared medicine for her to conceal her menstruation... I deserve to die a thousand deaths!

The fourth was a brother and sister who were dressed in rags and looked emaciated.

The elder brother knelt and kowtowed, weeping:

"Your Majesty, please understand! My uncle... used to be Wang Shun, the eunuch in charge of delivering meals to the Cold Palace..."

He died suddenly three years ago. Before he died, he secretly told the little man...

It is said that Consort Liu asked him to add something to the deposed empress's food...

That stuff was poured out of a porcelain bottle decorated with willow leaves...

His uncle kept a little bit, hiding it in the sole of his shoe.

"...I've brought you...I've brought you!"

As he spoke, he trembled as he pulled a dirty little paper packet from his pocket.

When the last witness was brought in, even Nangong Ye suddenly stood up from the dragon throne!

She was a palace maid who was nearly fifty years old, with a withered face but unusually clear eyes.

She was wearing a faded old palace dress, yet her steps were unusually steady.

She walked into the hall, slowly knelt down, raised her head, and calmly looked at Nangong Ye.

He opened his mouth, his voice hoarse yet clear:

"This servant, Cui Shanggong, served as the head maid of Kunning Palace from the third to the sixth year of the Jinghe era."

Kunning Palace! That was the former Empress Shen Qingci's bedroom!

"This servant can testify,"

Lady Choi spoke each word slowly and deliberately, each word stained with tears.

"Consort Liu did indeed visit Kunning Palace many times under the pretext of paying her respects and bringing snacks."

After she left, the tea set and snacks used by the Empress were tested with silver needles and all showed signs of poisoning!

The servant secretly hid the leftover snacks and later handed them over to a trusted imperial physician for examination. They were indeed poisoned with "Crimson Fat Death"!

This servant wanted to report to His Majesty, but Consort Liu discovered it and threw this servant into the torture chamber.

They subjected her to severe torture, then faked her death by falling into a well, and threw her out of the palace...

Fortunately... fortunately, a benefactor saved me, and I have survived until now.

After she finished speaking, she kowtowed heavily: "This servant clings to life only so that one day I can expose the true face of this wicked woman and comfort the Empress's spirit in heaven!"

boom--!!!

Five witnesses!

Physical evidence! Testimony! Timeline!

Motives! A chain of interests!

From fake pregnancy props and coercing imperial physicians to palace maids framing concubines and victims,

Then there are the procurement channels for privately used banned drugs, the eunuchs who poisoned them, and the containers used to hide the poison.

Finally, it was the closest palace maid to the Empress who witnessed it firsthand and suffered personally!

A complete, clear, and interconnected chain of evidence was revealed by Zhou Zhengqing and these suddenly appearing witnesses.

It crashed down onto the Golden Palace, right before everyone's eyes!

The proof is like a mountain!

There's absolutely no way to refute it!

The officials of the Liu faction were completely dumbfounded, standing there dumbfounded.

The other court officials were horrified, looking at Liu Chengzong's empty seat, with only one thought in their minds:

The Liu family... is truly finished this time!

Any one of the things Consort Liu did was enough to wipe out her entire family! Not to mention the combined punishment for multiple crimes!

As for Consort Liu, in recent years, she has cultivated an image of gentleness, docility, exceptional talent, and selflessness, always protecting the Emperor from harm.

It collapsed at that moment.

They revealed their true, venomous, and deceitful nature, driven by insane jealousy!

Nangong Ye stood before the throne, his body trembling slightly.

He listened to those shocking crimes, one after another.

Especially regarding the "death of a beautiful woman," and the fact that Qingci was poisoned while still in Kunning Palace,

The testimony of the eunuch who delivered meals to the Cold Palace...

Every word was like a red-hot iron rod, branding itself fiercely onto his heart!

So... she had already made her move on Qingci so early on!

It turns out that Qingci's decline in the Cold Palace was not only due to the harsh environment, but also to the continuous poisoning!

It turns out that what he thought was his "white moonlight" was a carefully planned scam from beginning to end!

A conspiracy stained with blood and poison!

"Well... well, Liu Ruyan is quite something!"

Nangong Ye spat out these words through gritted teeth, his face as pale as a ghost, yet his eyes burned with a terrifying blaze.

"What a fine family, the Liu!"

He suddenly looked outside the hall, his voice hoarse yet thunderous:

"Mysterious Shadow!"

"Your subject is here!" Xuan Ying appeared like a ghost.

"Take my decree and go to Huayang Palace!"

Every word Nangong Ye spoke was imbued with chilling killing intent.

"Take down Consort Liu, Liu Ruyan, immediately!"

Strip them of their ceremonial robes and throw them into the imperial prison!

No one may visit without my decree!

"As you command!"

Xuan Ying accepted the order and vanished in a flash.

Nangong Ye slowly sat back on the dragon throne, his chest heaving violently.

Looking at the kneeling witnesses in the hall, at the glaring evidence, and at the terrified faces of the court officials.

Finally, his gaze seemed to pierce through the dome of the main hall and look towards a certain direction outside the palace.

Clear words...

Did you see that?

The person who harmed you...

I will not let any of them go.

And this is just the beginning.

The stench of blood seemed to have begun to permeate the Golden Palace.