Killer Queen: Tyrant, prepare to die!

March 30th, Imperial Ancestral Temple.

The morning light was solemn, and the red walls and green tiles shone with a majestic yet cold luster under the spring sun.

On the square paved with white marble, banners fluttered and armor stood in neat rows.

The princes and officials, both civil and military, stood in solemn silence according to their rank.

All eyes were focused on the temporary platform erected in the center of the square.

The focus was more on the small figure on the high platform, surrounded by the crowd.

Today is neither a sacrificial ceremony nor a celebration.

Instead, it was under the "death plea" and demands of the remaining forces of the Liu faction that...

In front of the ancestral temple where ancestors are worshipped,

A blood test was held to verify kinship, a matter concerning the royal bloodline and the inheritance of the nation's foundation.

Ryu Seung-jong was unable to attend due to "serious illness".

However, almost all of Liu's core officials were present.

Their faces were solemn, but deep in their eyes lurked a desperate madness.

They knew that the military pay and salt tax ledgers, and the capture of the "Dark Fragrance" assassin last night, had pushed the Liu family to the brink of disaster.

The only way to address this is by focusing on the final and most fundamental issue: the "royal bloodline."

Only by questioning whether the child is His Majesty's biological son can the legitimacy of Shen Qingci's "return" be fundamentally denied.

Only then can the charges of "framing loyal officials" and "fabricating evidence" be reversed, and perhaps there will still be a glimmer of hope!

Nangong Ye was dressed in a solemn black imperial robe and wore a twelve-tassel crown.

His face was still pale, but his eyes were unusually calm.

It even carried an almost cold-blooded resolve.

He stood in the center of the high platform, with Shen Qingci, who was also dressed in formal attire but had no expression, beside him.

She was not wearing red today, but rather a bright yellow phoenix-patterned dress, symbolizing a principal wife or principal wife.

Wearing a crown with nine dragons and four phoenixes,

Luxurious and solemn, with an imposing presence.

Its aura subtly rivaled that of the emperor standing beside it.

Jinshu held Bao'er and stood a little behind.

Bao'er was wearing a tiny prince's uniform.

Wearing a purple-gold crown, her little face showed some nervousness due to the solemn occasion.

Clutching tightly at Jinshu's clothes,

Its big, dark eyes looked around at the dense crowd and unfamiliar faces with a mixture of curiosity and unease.

The Minister of Rites served as the master of ceremonies, his face tense as he loudly recited the lengthy and ancient ritual prayers.

Incense and candles swirl, bells and chimes resound, creating an atmosphere so solemn it's almost oppressive.

"...There are doubts surrounding the prince, which concern the ancestral temples and the state."

By order of His Majesty, before the ancestral tablets in the Imperial Ancestral Temple,

"We must perform the ancient practice of blood kinship testing to verify the truth and set things right! Your Majesty, please—draw your blood!"

A royal physician dressed in a plain white robe and holding a golden needle crawled forward on his knees, trembling with fear.

Nangong Ye extended his left hand expressionlessly.

The imperial physician held his breath and gently pricked the tip of his finger with a gold needle.

A drop of blood, crimson with a hint of gold, slowly seeped out.

It dripped into a bowl of clear spring water that had been prepared beforehand.

The blood droplets did not disperse immediately upon entering the water, but instead clumped together and slowly sank.

"Please... Your Highness—perform bloodletting!" The imperial physician's voice trembled slightly.

Everyone's heart was in their throat.

Jinshu took a few steps forward, carrying Bao'er in her arms.

Bao'er looked at the slender gold needle, her little mouth twitched, and she shrank into Jinshu's arms a little scared.

Shen Qingci leaned down slightly and whispered in Bao'er's ear:

"Bao'er, don't be afraid. It's like being gently bitten by a little ant."

Mother is here.

Perhaps it was his mother's voice that comforted him.

Bao'er hesitated for a moment, but still stretched out her fair and tender little finger.

The imperial physician's hands trembled even more. He took a deep breath and touched Bao'er's fingertip very lightly and quickly.

A drop of bright red blood, belonging to a child, also dripped into the white jade bowl.

Two drops of blood, in clear water, slowly sank, drawing closer...

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely at that moment.

Hundreds of eyes were fixed on the white jade bowl without blinking.

Officials from Liu's faction held their breath, praying frantically in their hearts: Don't merge! Please don't merge!

Nangong Ye's fist clenched quietly beneath the wide sleeves of his imperial robes, his fingertips icy cold.

Shen Qingci remained calm, but her gaze was sharp as a knife, sweeping over those faces harboring ulterior motives.

finally--

Two drops of blood gently touched the bottom of the bowl.

Then, under everyone's gaze,

Like water and milk blending together, they merged seamlessly and slowly into one!

Regardless of each other!

Blood mixes with water!

hum!

Although it was expected, witnessing this irrefutable evidence of blood ties was still quite moving.

Uncontrollable murmurs still rose in the square!

it is true!

This child is indeed His Majesty's own flesh and blood!

Blood relatives by blood!

The officials from Liu's faction were struck dumb; all color drained from their faces instantly.

The last glimmer of hope in his eyes was completely extinguished.

All that remained was boundless desolation and despair.

That's it... even the last path is blocked.

Nangong Ye looked at the blood that had mingled in the bowl.

It felt as if something had hit my chest hard.

A torrent of emotions, a mixture of ecstasy, bitterness, and regret, surged through his heart, causing his eyes to suddenly well up with tears.

His child... his and Qingci's child...

He subconsciously looked at Shen Qingci beside him.

Shen Qingci did not look at him. Her gaze was fixed on the white jade bowl, her eyes deep and unfathomable, as if she were lost in thought.

Just when the dust had settled and the atmosphere was about to shift—

Bao'er, who was being held by Jinshu, suddenly peeked out with her little head.

Curiously watching the blood mingling in the bowl,

She blinked her big eyes.

Then, in his clear, innocent, and guileless childish voice, he asked clearly:

"what?"

"Father's blood..."

"How come it's more popular than Bao'er's?"

A childish, nagging remark was like a drop of water falling into boiling oil.

It was like a beam of pure light, instantly piercing through all the hypocritical rituals on the Temple of Heaven Square.

Complex calculations and a repressive atmosphere!

Children speak without restraint!

The child simply noticed the difference in color intensity and asked the most basic question.

But it was heard by everyone, especially by those who had just been clinging to a sliver of hope...

To the ears of Liu faction officials who questioned his bloodline,

This is nothing less than the most biting, ruthless mockery and the most scathing words!

Yes!

His Majesty's blood is naturally darker and thicker than that of a three-year-old child!

This is the simplest physiological common sense!

But what were they questioning just now?

They are using the most malicious thoughts to speculate about a child's origins and question the emperor's bloodline!

This child's innocent question was like a mirror.

It exposed all their dark thoughts and despicable motives!

"Thump!"

A Liu Party official with weak psychological resilience,

His legs went weak on the spot.

He collapsed to his knees, his face ashen, cold sweat pouring down his face.

Other officials from Liu's faction were also pale-faced, their lips trembling.

He could no longer utter a single word of rebuttal or questioning.

All the persistence, all the "die-hard remonstrance," paled in comparison to this irrefutable proof of bloodline and this innocent child's question.

It all turned into a complete joke and a clownish performance!

Nangong Ye was also taken aback by Bao'er's sudden question.

Immediately, a huge wave of bittersweetness and tenderness surged into my heart.

He crouched down, disregarding imperial dignity.

Looking directly into Bao'er's clear, pure eyes, so just like her own,

His voice was gentler than ever before, even carrying a barely perceptible sob:

"Because... Father has eaten for many more years than Bao'er."

We've been through a lot. The blood... has only run deeper.

He reached out and gently patted Bao'er's head.

The movements were somewhat clumsy, but filled with a careful and cherished feeling.

"Bao'er's blood is very clean, very good."

Bao'er seemed to understand but not quite, but she sensed that this "father" didn't seem to have any ill intentions.

He even praised him, then grinned.

She gave a slightly shy smile.

Obediently let that big hand stroke the top of her head.

A heartwarming scene of father and son gazing at each other, bound by blood.

Officials from the Liu faction looked ashen-faced.

The utterly dejected state of mind formed the most striking contrast.

The Minister of Rites wiped the cold sweat from his brow and loudly proclaimed:

"The ceremony is complete!"

A blood test confirms kinship; bloodlines are intertwined. Heaven blesses the royal family; the legitimate heir returns to the lineage!

The bells and drums rang out again, their sound shaking the heavens.

Shen Qingci then slowly stepped forward.

His cold gaze swept over the distraught Liu Party officials below.

The sound wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire venue.

"My lords, do you still have any questions?"

No one answered.

A deathly silence.

All the doubts, all the framing, all the dying struggles...

Before this ancestral temple, under the witness of our ancestors,

These childish words were utterly crushed and reduced to dust.

The very last crack in Liu's party's sky has been completely welded shut.

Nangong Ye stood up, took Bao'er's little hand,

With his other hand, he hesitated for a moment, then tentatively reached out to Shen Qingci.

Shen Qingci seemed not to see it, and turned around to Jinshu, saying, "It's windy, take Bao'er back."

She didn't even glance at Nangong Ye again, nor at anyone below.

He took the lead and stepped down from the platform.

Her bright yellow phoenix-patterned skirt brushed against the white marble steps, her silhouette resolute and proud.

Nangong Ye's hand froze in mid-air.

Looking at her back,

The light in his eyes gradually dimmed, leaving only unfathomable pain and helplessness.

he knows.

Blood ties have been proven.

But some things... may never be proven or made up for.

He held Bao'er's soft little hand tightly.

That warm touch

It was the only real solace he could grasp at that moment.

The incense at the Imperial Ancestral Temple still burns brightly.

This blood test confirmed the child's lineage.

It also revealed the wickedness of people's hearts.

And a seemingly even more insurmountable chasm.