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

Zhao Changning took in the sight of the Marquis of Yongwu's broken and disoriented state, and a sense of satisfaction quietly swept through his heart.

In the past, the people in the Marquis's mansion were blind and incompetent, ostracizing and driving out their own legitimate son, Zhang Xiaomeng, while favoring the sons of others, thus reversing the proper order of kinship.

He has ended up in this state entirely of his own making.

She remained calm and composed, saying, "I saw it with my own eyes, so I have no reason to lie to you."

Deng Deng Deng!

Marquis Yongwu staggered back several steps, his legs went weak, and he could no longer support himself, so he fell heavily onto the cold floor tiles of the main hall.

In an instant, his face turned ashen, and he became dazed and numb, as if he had lost his soul.

The civil and military officials in the hall had different expressions.

Some people sympathized, some sighed, and many more wore mocking expressions, their eyes hiding a gloating smile.

Ignoring the distraught and dejected Marquis Yongwu, Zhao Qiandong spoke in a deep voice.

"The truth of this case has come to light! The Third Prince, Zhao Jinrui, colluded with the Nanzhao Kingdom, stole secret border maps, and committed treason—a crime for which there is no mercy!"

"Immediately strip him of his princely status, demote him to commoner status, imprison him in the Imperial Clan Court, and confine him for life!"

Slumped on the ground, Zhao Jinrui was completely exhausted, his eyes vacant and lifeless, a walking corpse with no room for further struggle.

Zhao Qiandong's gaze shifted to Huang Cheng, who was being held tightly by the Imperial Guards, his dragon eyes flashing with icy coldness.

"Huang Cheng, the second prince of Nanzhao, harbors treacherous intentions. He secretly colluded with the Black Lotus Cult to plot the assassination of our princess and deliberately disrupt the Eastern Mausoleum court. His wolfish ambitions are blatantly obvious!"

"The entire Nanzhao delegation has been imprisoned in the imperial prison. I will send an envoy south to confront the Nanzhao emperor in court, where they will be sentenced and punished accordingly!"

Huang Cheng did not struggle hysterically; instead, he remained unusually calm.

He looked up and stared straight at Zhang Xiaomeng, who was standing to one side, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"I never imagined that Dongling would have someone as talented as you. If I'm not mistaken, your disappearance is a ruse; your true intention is to secretly investigate me."

"So it turns out that from the very beginning, my entire plan was under your surveillance, just waiting to be wiped out today."

"With you in Dongling, my Nanzhao is in grave danger."

Zhang Xiaomeng's face darkened as he listened, silently complaining to himself.

How did this guy come up with this idea?

You're hiding away just to find an opportunity to commit suicide. God the hell are you investigating me?

Slightly embarrassed, he explained softly, "Is it possible that you were just unlucky and I happened to see you?"

"Just a coincidence?"

Huang Cheng gave a cold sneer and launched into a series of questions.

"Did you happen to hide in the Tang family under an assumed name?"

"It just so happens that you disguised yourself as Young Master Lü and saved Tang Wan, becoming the Tang family's son-in-law?"

"You just happened to be with Liu Qingrou, and you stumbled upon my conspiracy with Zhao Jinrui, forcing her to turn against us?"

"And then, by sheer coincidence, Chen Jinlin massacred the Tang family, and you stepped in to save them, protecting the entire Tang family?"

"There aren't that many coincidences in the world!"

He would rather admit that his opponent was exceptionally intelligent than accept that his meticulously planned scheme was lost due to bad luck.

Zhang Xiaomeng stood there, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

He really didn't plan anything, but all the coincidences piled up in a way that even he couldn't explain.

The civil and military officials in the hall watched the two stand facing off in silence, assuming that Zhang Xiaomeng had tacitly agreed.

Everyone was shocked and filled with awe.

This young man possesses such a shrewd mind and strategic acumen at such a young age; he is no mere playboy but clearly a man of great talent.

Zhao Changning stood aside, a deep sense of shame welling up in his heart.

She had previously been full of resentment, thinking that Zhang Xiaomeng was deliberately hiding and unwilling to fulfill the marriage contract.

Only after hearing Huang Cheng's words did I realize that he had silently shouldered so much danger and secretly protected countless people.

I had wronged him by not distinguishing right from wrong.

"Take them away," Zhao Qiandong said at the right moment, interrupting the standoff between the two.

The guards stepped forward and took away Zhao Jinrui and the Nanzhao delegation. The emperor's gaze then fell on Consort Wu, who was kneeling on the steps of the palace, and he continued to pronounce the sentences.

"Consort Wu harbored a heretical monk, violated palace rules, and wreaked havoc in the harem. She cannot escape blame. Uphold the original sentence and drag her and the heretical monk away together, so as not to bring bad luck upon them."

He was determined to punish Consort Wu, clearly putting pressure on the Wu family's relatives.

Now that things had come to this, even though Wu Wanshen felt sorry for his daughter, he could only silently accept the imperial edict and dared not say a word of pleading.

Consort Wu was filled with resentment, her venomous gaze fixed on Zhang Xiaomeng.

First, this person destroyed the Faye Temple that she had painstakingly cultivated, causing the tragic death of her own child.

Today is the royal wedding, and he takes the opportunity to uncover all the conspiracies, which also completely brings him down.

This boy is cunning and ruthless; he's terrifying.

No wonder Princess Changning insisted on making him her husband. With such a person assisting her, the royal power would only become more stable, and the Wu family would never have a chance to rise again.

Finally, Zhao Qiandong looked at the valiant Marquis who was slumped on the ground, his eyes filled with disappointment.

"Marquis Yongwu! Lady Liu had an affair before marriage and became pregnant. You were blinded by your own eyes, mistreating your own son and favoring someone else's bloodline. Your actions have made you a laughingstock in the court and disgraced the ancestral hall of the Marquis's mansion."

"It is precisely because your family's moral standards have collapsed and your officials are ignorant and incompetent that the Black Lotus Sect was given an opportunity to disrupt the royal wedding banquet and almost caused a catastrophe."

"I will consider your past service on the frontier and grant you leniency."

"Madam Zheng, the old lady of the Marquis of Yongwu's mansion, was confined to her home for a year to reflect on her mistakes and was punished by copying the clan's ancestral rules fifty times."

"The Marquis of Yongwu will have his salary reduced by three years and will be barred from attending court and participating in discussions for one year."

Do you have any objections?

This punishment, which seemingly spared him from stripping him of his title and killing him, utterly shattered the reputation of the Marquis of Valiant Might.

He was destined to become the biggest laughing stock among the powerful and influential people in the capital, and his career in the imperial court was completely cut off.

The Marquis of Yongwu's mansion declined from then on, never again showing any trace of its former glory.

The Marquis of Yongwu was ashen-faced, his limbs trembling as he prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing shakily: "Your subject has no objection, thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty."

At this moment, all that remained in his heart was endless regret.

If Zhang Xiaomeng had been treated well back then, he wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable state.

I have failed my ancestors, failed my deceased wife, and failed as a father!

After the criminals were dealt with, Zhao Qiandong's expression softened slightly, and he began to reward those who had contributed.

He first looked at Tang Wenyuan and his daughter, his stern eyes softening.

"The Tang family suffered the calamity of being wiped out. You and your daughter endured humiliation and hardship to uphold justice, and your loyalty is evident."

"I hereby grant you a pardon from death, a hundred acres of fertile land, and a thousand taels of gold, all for the Tang family to rebuild their mansion."

"Thank you for your generous gift, Your Majesty."

Tang Wenyuan and Tang Wan both knelt down and kowtowed.

Tang Wan lowered her eyes, her gaze secretly falling on Zhang Xiaomeng, her eyes growing increasingly firm.

Zhao Qiandong then looked at Wang Dongjian and said loudly, "Deputy Commander Wang arrived at the scene in a timely manner and made an invaluable contribution to solving this major case. He is hereby promoted to Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, effective immediately."

Wang Dongjian was overjoyed and kowtowed repeatedly to express his gratitude.

This time it's all thanks to Young Master Zhang; I must stick close to this big shot from now on.

The emperor's gaze swept across the hall, finally settling on Liu Qingrou.

"Miss Liu, though a Nanzhao person, is clear about right and wrong and has a strong sense of justice. From today onwards, you are permitted to settle in Dongling, be granted the title of Princess Qingrou, and be given an independent residence and one hundred taels of gold."

Liu Qingrou knelt on the cold floor tiles, her fingertips tightly gripping the hem of her dress, and earnestly kowtowed: "Your Majesty, this commoner does not covet gold, silver, or mansions, but only begs Your Majesty to grant her marriage."