I was to be executed by Zhu Yuanzhang, and Empress Ma smashed Zhu Yuanzhang's jade seal.

Empress Ma's voice was not loud, but it resounded throughout the Fengtian Hall.

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly turned his head and looked at his wife, whom he had married many times.

"Xiuying, what...what did you say?" Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was somewhat weak.

"I said, do you think everyone is as stupid as my Mu Ying?"

Empress Ma repeated it, her voice still calm.

She held Zhu Muying's cold face.

Her gaze never left her son; she was speaking to him, and also to everyone in the Fengtian Hall.

"With a million-strong army and countless fierce generals under his command, they obediently handed over their military power and returned to Jinling because of your decree, the emperor. They were then imprisoned in the imperial prison, convicted, and forced to their deaths by you."

"Zhu Chongba, tell me, in this world, besides my foolish son, who else could do such a thing?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's face flushed red and then turned pale. He wanted to refute, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Yes, who else in the world could do that?

If it were Zhu Yuanzhang himself, under Guo Zixing, what would he have done if he had been subjected to such suspicion and humiliation?

He probably already led Xu Da, Chang Yuchun and his gang in a rebellion!

"Those imperial edicts you issued, ordering them to commit suicide?" Empress Ma sneered as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world. "On what grounds?"

"They've already rebelled, commanding a million-strong army. You think a single imperial decree will make them commit suicide to atone for their sins?"

"Just because you're the emperor? Just because of that worthless title you have?"

"Ma Xiuying! How dare you!"

"I'm being presumptuous?" Empress Ma finally turned her head and looked directly at Zhu Yuanzhang, her eyes filled with hatred that seemed to devour him.

"Am I being presumptuous, or are you being presumptuous?!"

Empress Ma's voice grew louder and more agitated. Holding her son's body, she slowly rose from the ground and walked step by step toward Zhu Yuanzhang on the imperial steps.

Empress Ma was followed closely by six generals.

Zhu Biao was even carrying the Chengji Sword.

"Do you think I don't know what you're thinking?"

"You can't sleep at night, and every time you close your eyes, you see my son leading a million-strong army into Nanjing and seizing your throne, don't you?!"

"You, as emperor, are truly pathetic and pitiful!"

"You don't even trust your own son! You only believe in the power struggles you wield, and your so-called methods of checks and balances!"

"So you called him back, you wanted to strip him of his military power, you wanted to confine him in Jinling, to let him lead troops when needed, and to imprison him permanently when not needed, right?!"

"But you never expected that he would prove his innocence with his own life! He used his life to prove his innocence to you!"

"Zhu Chongba, tell me, are you satisfied now?!"

"Now that he's dead! He can no longer threaten your throne! You can sleep peacefully tonight! Are you satisfied?!"

Every word Empress Ma uttered was like a red-hot knife stabbing into Zhu Yuanzhang's heart, brutally dissecting his darkest and most despicable thoughts and exposing them to the light of day.

Zhu Yuanzhang was forced to retreat repeatedly by her, and finally he fell down on the dragon throne in a sorry state, his face pale and panting heavily.

He wanted to say "no," but he couldn't fool anyone, especially not himself.

Everything Empress Ma said was correct.

That's what he thinks.

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's dejected appearance, Empress Ma felt no pleasure, only a deeper sorrow.

She turned away from him, no longer looking at him, but instead lowered her head to look at the young but lifeless face of her son in her arms.

At this moment, her tears finally burst forth.

"My son... my son..."

She gently rubbed her cheek against Zhu Muying's cold forehead, her voice filled with endless regret and heartache.

"It's my fault...it's my fault for being useless..."

"Your mother shouldn't have taught you loyalty to the emperor and love for your country, nor should she have taught you about the proper relationship between father and son!"

"I should teach you that in this world, the capable rule!"

"I should tell you, if Zhu Chongban could become emperor, so can you, Zhu Muying!"

"Why were you so foolish? Why did you choose to die to prove your innocence?"

"Do you think that if you die, he'll remember your kindness? He'll believe in your loyalty? No way! He'll just think you're a nuisance and that it's good you died!"

Empress Ma held her son's body and wept bitterly.

Her words were utterly outrageous.

"What Zhu Chongba can do, you can do too!"

This is no longer a questioning; this is blatant incitement to rebellion!

Everyone inside the Fengtian Hall was stunned by Empress Ma's words.

They were all silent, even their breathing became cautious.

Zhu Biao stood there, his face ashen. He looked at his mother and the younger brother in her arms, and felt dizzy.

He always thought that his mother was the most gentle, virtuous, and law-abiding person.

But he only realized today that when a mother loses her most beloved son, she can become more insane and more resolute than anyone else.

Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, and other military generals all had tears in their eyes as they listened to Empress Ma's tearful lament.

Yes, my older sister is right.

Your Majesty, you are too foolish.

Only Zhu Yuanzhang, after the initial shock, was followed by boundless rage.

"Ma Xiuying!"

He slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne, and the armrest, which was made of a single piece of golden nanmu wood, was cracked by his blow!

"You're insane! How dare you utter such blasphemous words!"

"Do you want to rebel?!"

Empress Ma slowly stopped crying. She raised her head and looked coldly at Zhu Yuanzhang with her red and swollen eyes.

"rebel?"

"Yes! I'm going to rebel!"

"I will not only rebel! I will also kill the emperor!"

"I'll mobilize troops right now and depose you, the emperor!"

Empress Ma, holding Zhu Muying, suddenly turned around and walked out of the palace, leaving bloody footprints with each step!

The wind is howling!

Gone forever!

Her silhouette, in the empty hall, appeared so lonely, yet so resolute.

"Stop her!" Zhu Yuanzhang roared. "Who gave you permission to let her go! Stop her!"

Several guards instinctively wanted to step forward, but were stopped by a murderous glare from Chang Yuchun.

"Anyone who dares to lay a finger on Her Majesty the Empress, I, Old Chang, will be the first to twist their head off!"

Chang Yuchun stood like a guardian deity behind Empress Ma, his menacing aura emanating from the mountains of corpses and seas of blood terrifying everyone.

Xu Da also silently walked to the other side. Although he didn't say anything, his attitude was very clear.

Today, no one can touch the Empress.

Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that he trembled all over when he saw these "brothers" who openly opposed him. He couldn't catch his breath, his vision went black, and he almost fainted.