Princess, something terrible has happened! The prince consort has attempted suicide again!

The imperial guards in the palace all drew their swords, their blades gleaming coldly.

In no time, they subdued all the unarmed Nanzhao guards, pinning them to the ground, unable to move.

Zhao Changning stepped forward, ripped open Huang Cheng's collar, and quickly searched through his pockets, finding a neatly folded roll of blueprints.

Unfold the drawing, which was incomplete and missing at the edges, and it turned out to be half of the Dongling border defense deployment map!

"Where did you get this picture?!"

Zhao Changning flew into a rage, his five fingers suddenly tightening, gripping Huang Cheng's neck tightly, and demanding an explanation in a stern voice.

Huang Cheng's face turned red from being choked, his breathing became labored, and he suffered excruciating chest pain.

He was filled with resentment. He had meticulously planned and calculated every step, but in the end, he had fallen into the hands of a playboy in the eyes of the world.

Even in dire straits, he remained sturdy, managing a defiant sneer as he looked directly at Zhao Changning, refusing to utter a single word.

Zhao Changning's eyes flashed with murderous intent as she spoke in a cold voice, "You think that just because you don't talk, I can't do anything to you?"

Just as she was about to give the order to carry out the execution on the spot, a warm and strong hand suddenly gently pressed down on her forearm.

"I'll do it."

Zhang Xiaomeng stepped forward slowly, his tone calm and steady.

Zhao Changning trusted him completely, so he immediately let go and stepped aside to observe.

Huang Cheng fell heavily onto the cold ground, clutching his throat and coughing violently, looking utterly disheveled and extremely uncomfortable.

Zhang Xiaomeng slowly squatted down, looked him in the eye, and said calmly, "Aren't you curious why I'm so sure you're hiding this?"

Huang Cheng's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Zhang Xiaomeng. His previous composure and calmness had vanished, replaced by a surge of overwhelming hatred in his eyes, as if he wanted to devour him alive.

"You're very smart, it's just a pity you're so unlucky."

Zhang Xiaomeng leaned down slightly, lowered his voice, and said each word clearly: "Miss Liu and I were there the whole time outside the dilapidated temple that day."

hum!

Huang Cheng was jolted, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

Only now did he fully understand why Liu Qingrou had suddenly betrayed him without warning, shattering his entire plan.

Zhang Xiaomeng's lips curled into a mocking smile: "You refused to betray your accomplices simply because you wanted to leave yourself a sliver of hope, hoping that person would rescue you. Unfortunately, you didn't get that chance."

Huang Cheng felt a chill run through him.

What kind of devil is this person? All my calculations and escape routes were seen through by him in an instant!

Zhang Xiaomeng calmly and methodically dissected the entire plan:

"That person only gave you half of the border map that day, agreeing to deliver the other half after the deed was done. How are you going to give you the other half?"

He paused briefly, then continued his confident analysis: "In my opinion, he must be planning to meet with you and make a deal as soon as you leave the palace safely today."

"To ensure absolute safety, the other half of the blueprint must have been hidden on his person, just like you."

Every word and phrase accurately hits the truth.

Huang Cheng was filled with fear, his whole body trembling uncontrollably, all his hopes completely shattered.

"Who exactly is this person?"

Zhao Changning, who was standing to the side, pressed on with a cold voice.

Zhang Xiaomeng slowly raised his eyes, his gaze piercing through the civil and military officials in the hall, accurately locking onto the Third Prince Zhao Jinrui, who was sitting upright in his seat.

At this moment, Zhao Jinrui was already restless. Even though he tried his best to remain calm, cold sweat kept sliding down his forehead, his lips turned pale, and the fear in his heart could not be concealed at all.

Seeing this, Zhao Changning strode straight toward him.

Zhao Jinrui trembled, his voice shaking, "Royal sister, what...what are you going to do?"

Zhao Changning was too lazy to waste words with him. He reached out and lifted him off his seat, then reached into his robes and rummaged around for a moment before pulling out the other half of the border map.

When the two fragments were pieced together, they fit together perfectly, revealing a complete map of the Eastern Tombs' border defense deployment.

Zhao Jinrui's face turned deathly pale instantly, his body went limp, and he was utterly plunged into despair.

"You unfilial son! How dare you collude with foreign enemies, steal border defense maps, and commit treason! How dare you!"

On the dragon throne, Zhao Qiandong's eyes were wide open, filled with rage, and he shouted angrily.

Zhao Jinrui's legs went weak, and he prostrated himself on the ground, repeatedly kowtowing and pleading, "Father, I was confused for a moment! Please, Father, have mercy and forgive me!"

Zhao Qiandong was furious, but he did not hastily issue an edict to convict him.

He suppressed his anger and waited a moment, intending to let Zhang Xiaomeng uncover all the mysteries of the whole matter.

Zhang Xiaomeng stepped forward slowly and, in front of the entire court, revealed the truth: "Now, the whole story is clear. The Third Prince saw Princess Changning as a thorn in his side on his path to the throne. He secretly colluded with Nanzhao, using the border defense map as a bargaining chip to get the Nanzhao prince to take action and remove the obstacle for him."

"It's just that the heir of the Marquis of Yongwu's mansion is useless. After the assassination attempt was exposed, he shifted all the blame onto Consort Wu."

Everyone present suddenly realized the truth and finally understood the intricate conspiracy.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ling, who was lying on the ground, immediately shouted in protest, "Nonsense! I was coerced by Consort Wu, it has nothing to do with anyone else!"

Zhang Xiaomeng walked up to him, looking down at him with a smile, his tone playful: "At first I was quite puzzled, why would you give up being a prince consort and take such a risk? Even now you are still deliberately protecting the prince of Nanzhao, which finally confirms your identity for me."

Zhang Ling snorted coldly and retorted defiantly, "I am the heir of the Marquis of Yongwu's mansion, what else could I be?"

"No, no, no." Zhang Xiaomeng shook his head slightly, his tone firm, "You are not the real Zhang Ling at all. If it were the real me, I would never betray Du Ming."

Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials in the hall were completely bewildered.

The person in front of me clearly looks and has the same figure as Zhang Ling, so why is he a fake?

What is the connection between Duming and this matter?

Zhao Changning voiced the question that had been puzzling everyone: "Who exactly is he?"

Zhang Xiaomeng countered, "Do you still remember the fake Zhao Tianhao?"

Zhao Changning's heart skipped a beat, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes: "You mean...?"

Before the words could even finish, the Prince of Zhenbei beside him strode forward angrily, grabbing the fake Zhang Ling by the neck, his eyes bloodshot, and shouting hatefully, "You are a demon of the Black Lotus Sect!"

Zhang Ling vehemently denied it: "I have no idea what nonsense you're spouting!"

The Prince of Zhenbei hated the Black Lotus Sect for harming his own children and didn't bother with any words. To confirm the other party's identity, he suddenly exerted force with his fingertips.

Click!

A crisp sound of breaking bones rang out.

Zhang Ling's neck was snapped on the spot, and she died instantly.

"Ling'er!"

Upon witnessing this scene, Zheng cried out in grief and nearly lost her balance.

But the next second, a bizarre scene suddenly unfolded.

The skin on the corpse's face began to writhe wildly, and in an instant, the face that belonged to Zhang Ling completely disappeared, turning into a completely unfamiliar face.

The Black Lotus Cult's unique disguise technique can only be completely broken and reveal one's true identity when one is dead.

"As expected, they are remnants of the Black Lotus Cult! Outrageous!"

The Prince of Zhenbei flew into a rage, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. The pain of losing his son lingered in his heart, deepening his hatred for the Black Lotus Sect to the very core of his being.

Zhao Changning glanced at Zhang Xiaomeng and asked in a deep voice, "How did you determine that he was a member of the Black Lotus Cult in disguise?"

"Zhou Qian'er's secret assassination of the Fifth Prince indicates that they have arrived in the capital."

"I hadn't thought of it that way before, but you know Zhang Ling's background, he wouldn't betray Du Ming."

"So I thought, Zhou Qian'er must have some ulterior motive for taking such a big risk to sneak into the capital."

"It is highly likely that they will join forces with Nanzhao and use Zhang Ling's identity to assassinate you."

Zhang Xiaomeng kicked the fake Zhang Ling's corpse and continued explaining.

"This guy insists that he was coerced by Consort Wu, clearly intending to cause chaos in the Eastern Mausoleum court. He has no regard for father-son ties whatsoever, so I am certain that he is a member of the Black Lotus Sect."

After hearing this meticulous deduction, Zhao Changning was filled with admiration.

How does this guy's brain work? It seems like no scheme or trick can escape his notice.

Du Ming, who was lying on the ground with serious injuries, looked at the unfamiliar face on the ground and all the confusion in his heart was relieved.

It turns out that the people she had been secretly meeting with these days were all imposters from the Black Lotus Cult.

He was worried that something had happened to his son.

Suppressing her grief, Madam Zheng hurriedly asked, "Then where is my grandson? Where is the real Zhang Ling?!"

Zhang Xiaomeng shrugged. "How would I know? They were probably killed by the Black Lotus Sect a long time ago. After all, they've always been ruthless."

These words struck Zheng like a thunderbolt.

Overwhelmed with grief, she could no longer hold on. Her eyes rolled back, her body went limp, and she fainted on the spot.

"mother!"

Marquis Yongwu quickly stepped forward to support his mother.

Zhang Xiaomeng joked, "You fainted already? Your mental fortitude is terrible."

Marquis Yongwu roared angrily, "She's still your grandmother! How can you be so cruel? Don't you have any conscience?"

Zhang Xiaomeng scoffed, "My lord, you seem to have a short memory. When you expelled me from the Marquis's mansion, did you ever show even a shred of kinship?"

"Whether she lives or dies is none of my business."

"you!"

Marquis Yongwu was speechless after being rebuked, his anger stuck in his chest.

He forcibly suppressed his displeasure, recalling Zhang Xiaomeng's earlier words, and quickly pressed, "What did you say about Zhang Ling's background? What is his relationship with Du Ming?"

Zhang Xiaomeng's lips curled into a playful smile: "Why should I tell you? If you want to know the truth, go and find out for yourself."

Marquis Yongwu was speechless again, and could only turn to Zhao Changning, bowing and pleading, "Your Highness must know the truth. Please tell me the truth!"

Zhao Changning did not hide anything and revealed this shocking secret in public: "Zhang Ling is not your biological son, Marquis Yongwu. Before Liu Shi married into the Marquis's mansion, she secretly conceived a child with Du Ming, and Zhang Ling was actually born to both of them."

boom!

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding above the head of the Marquis of Valor!

He was completely stunned, and spoke in disbelief, his voice trembling slightly.

"Your Highness, is everything you're saying true?"