With a warehouse full of supplies, I stood alone as king in this chaotic world, gun in hand.

They returned to the palace, and news had already spread from there.

"Your Highness, His Majesty has actually spared the Ming family from the death penalty." Li Zhan's expression was somewhat grim. "The Ming family has been demoted to commoners, all their assets have been confiscated, and they are allowed to continue living in their original mansion."

"Just as I expected!" Nangong Wu sneered. "Very well!"

Li Cheng continued, "It is said that the Empress Dowager went on a hunger strike, and His Majesty, fearing that something might happen to her, had no choice but to spare the Ming family from death."

There was also the Imperial Noble Consort, who, due to impeachment by censors, had to have her title revoked and be banished to the Cold Palace.

At the same time, an imperial edict was issued to strip Nangong Xun of his title, demote him to commoner status, and place him under house arrest forever in the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs.

Li Shuang found it unbelievable. "His Majesty has disregarded the law in order to protect his relatives by marriage. He will likely be condemned for all eternity."

"There's no other way. Filial piety has been valued since ancient times. I'd rather be infamous than be called unfilial!" Bei Chenyan shook his head.

"Let the Ming family live one more day; let's deal with the Snake Spirit Society first," Nangong Wu said.

"In that case, I'll go out for a bit and come back tonight." Bei Chenyan got up and left.

"Your Highness, news of the bombing of Tianji Pavilion will soon reach the palace," Li Shuang said with some concern.

If Xuan Qingzi goes to the palace to complain, then Emperor Mingde will know everything His Highness has done before, and he will probably be punished.

Nangong Wu remained silent, her eyes revealing a fierce glint.

The Imperial Preceptor is the emperor's spiritual mentor and an auspicious symbol of a dynasty. If Xuan Qingzi were to enter the palace to file a complaint, Emperor Mingde would surely believe him first.

But so what? Is she going to stretch out her neck and wait for them to come and chop her up? At worst, she'll just rebel against the world.

Half an hour later, someone from the palace arrived as expected. A eunuch came to convey Emperor Mingde's decree, ordering her to enter the palace for an audience with the emperor.

"Your Highness..."

Both Li Shuang and Li An looked on with worry.

"Li Zhan, come with me to the palace. You all stay here to protect the three children and wait for my return," Nangong Wu sneered.

If Emperor Mingde were to make trouble for her, she would have no choice but to fight her way out of the palace; she would never surrender without a fight.

She changed into a smart and practical outfit and entered the palace with Li Zhan.

"Li Zhan, if anything happens in the palace, you must immediately return to the Prince's residence and protect the three children as they leave the capital through the secret passage." She was preparing for the worst.

The warrior instinctively tightened the reins, "Your Highness..."

"This is an order!" Nangong Wu's voice turned cold. "You just need to protect yourselves and the three children. As for me, I have my own way of getting away."

"Yes," Li Zhan had no choice but to agree.

The carriage stopped at the palace gate. Nangong Wu got out and walked towards the gate, but was stopped by the Imperial Guards.

This was the first time she had been stopped by the Imperial Guards when she entered the palace.

The Imperial Guard Commander said, "Your Highness, His Majesty has decreed that everyone entering the palace must be searched. We ask for your cooperation."

Nangong Wu looked up at him, her gaze icy. "You... want to search my body?"

The commander saw the coldness in her eyes and felt a chill run down his spine. "Your humble servant dares not."

Knowing her ruthless methods, with nearly half of the court officials having fallen at her hands, anyone who dared to offend her would be the next to suffer.

"Your Highness, let me do it!" A palace maid who had been waiting there came over.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Auntie." Nangong Wu didn't make things difficult for these people and had the palace maids search them.

Anyway, everything is in her space, so they can't find anything.

After the palace maid finished searching her entire body, she nodded to the commander.

"Your Highness may enter, but the guards are not allowed to." The Imperial Guards stopped the warrior from leaving the battlefield.

Li Zhan had no intention of entering the palace, but he was furious when he heard his words. "I am His Highness's guard, why can't I go in?"

Judging from this, Emperor Mingde clearly intends to harm His Highness.

"Li Zhan, you wait for me here." Nangong Wu gave him a reassuring look.

Under Li Zhan's worried gaze, Nangong Wu followed the palace maid into the palace.

The Imperial Study.

Nangong Wu followed Eunuch Hu into the Imperial Study, but did not find Xuan Qingzi. Emperor Mingde was sitting behind his desk, busy reviewing memorials.

"Your Majesty, the Prince of Zhenyuan has arrived!" Eunuch Hu reported.

"Ru Ning greets Imperial Uncle." Nangong Wu greeted him first.

"Ru Ning is here!" Emperor Mingde said to her, but his eyes remained fixed on the memorials.

"Yes, I wonder what brings you here, Uncle Emperor?" Nangong Wu heard his tone and realized he wasn't angry. Could it be that he wasn't looking for her about the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion?

After Emperor Mingde finished reviewing the memorial in his hand, he put it down and looked up at her, his eyes flashing with an unfathomable light.

"I heard you went to the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion?"

Nangong Wu's eyes darkened slightly. Had Xuan Qingzi contacted her, or did Emperor Mingde only know that the Tianji Pavilion had been bombed, but not who did it, and that he had sent her here just to trick her?

"Yes," Nangong Wu admitted.

Even if Xuan Qingzi hasn't entered the palace yet, he will come to see Emperor Mingde sooner or later.

Emperor Mingde's eyes suddenly turned cold. "So you're saying you have explosives? The murder of Shi Wen in the Ming family study, and all the other recent events—were you behind them?"

"No, I didn't do it," Nangong Wu denied.

"No?" Emperor Mingde stood up, exuding the oppressive aura of an emperor. "Then tell me, where did you get the explosives in your possession?"

"It was seized from the people of the Serpent Spirit Society," Nangong Wu said coldly.

"Seized from the Serpent Spirit Society members?" Emperor Mingde stared at her face, as if trying to find a trace of falsehood in her expression.

"Yes." Nangong Wu lowered her head slightly.

Emperor Mingde walked up to her and stared at her intently for a long while. "Then why did you go and blow up the Tianji Pavilion?"

Do you know that the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion was built by the late emperor at great expense for the Imperial Advisor? You offended the Imperial Advisor and destroyed the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, which is a capital offense!

"If I hadn't suppressed this matter, the Imperial Guards would have already surrounded the Zhenyuan Prince's residence and thrown you in jail."

"Because Xuan Qingzi deserves to die!" Nangong Wu's gaze also turned cold and sharp.

"You may not know this, but Zhou Shaorong's death was actually caused by Xuan Qingzi giving him a fake death drug, which helped him fake his death and escape from the death row."

Today, she questioned Xuan Qingzi about taking Zhou Shaorong away. Xuan Qingzi neither denied nor offered any explanation, which confirms that Zhou Shaorong is in his hands.

"Is this really true?" Emperor Mingde was shocked and somewhat disbelieving. Why would the dignified Imperial Preceptor go to save a sickly man who was about to die, and a serious criminal at that?

"Then how did you know Zhou Shaorong faked his death? And how did you know it was the Imperial Advisor who saved him?"

"If you don't want others to know, then don't do it in the first place. After I learned of Zhou Shaorong's death, I went to investigate myself."

As for how she knew it was the Imperial Advisor who helped him, it was because the Imperial Advisor had done something to harm me for Zhou Shaorong's sake. Now, Nangong Wu could only reveal what the Imperial Advisor had done.

"Did the Imperial Advisor do something to harm you?" Emperor Mingde's eyes were full of doubt.

"The Grand Preceptor is incorruptible. He refused all the numerous rewards the late Emperor and I bestowed upon him, donating them to the court in his name. He also rarely associates with court officials. Why would he harm you?"

In his eyes, the Imperial Preceptor was compassionate, concerned about the country and its people, and spent his days praying for the people in the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion. He would never do anything to harm people.