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

"Sister Wuyou," Shi Peiqiong knelt down before Nangong Wu, "I know that Father and Mother did things that wronged you, and it's understandable that you hate our family, but Father is still our biological father. Please forgive him..."

"I, Fan Wuyou, don't have a heartless father like him, one who would even harm his own child. Nor do I have the right to forgive him on behalf of my maternal grandfather and mother, whom he murdered," Nangong Wu coldly refused. "A life for a life, a debt for a debt—that's only right and proper!"

If Fan Wuyou were still alive, he certainly wouldn't let Shi Shengqing off the hook.

"Wuyou, your father knows he was wrong!" Shi Shengqing crawled to Nangong Wu's feet, hugged her legs, and wept bitterly. "I was bewitched, I'll never do it again, please forgive me this time!"

He realized that today's joint trial by the three judicial authorities was a ploy by Bei Chenyan against him. The evidence and witnesses were well prepared, leaving him and Wan Shuhua speechless and unable to defend themselves. Even Empress Wan could not save them.

But if we can persuade Fan Wuyou, there might be a turning point.

"Don't touch me!" Nangong Wu took two steps back.

"Shi Shengqing, you don't know you're wrong, you're just terrified of being beheaded! As the former Minister of Justice, don't you understand the principle of 'a life for a life'? Whether I forgive you or not, you can't escape death!"

"Young man, leave yourself a way out. Don't push things to the extreme! Think about it, the Fan family's legacy is not small. You are an orphan girl, you need to leave yourself a way out." Empress Wan's words were laced with threat.

The Fan family owns many businesses. If you offend the Wan family, you can forget about having a good life in the future.

"The Empress truly lives up to her title; her power is immense, and she doesn't even bother to hide her threats," Nangong Wu said sarcastically.

"Even if Her Majesty the Empress kills me today, I will first drag these two beasts down to hell to avenge my grandfather and mother!"

If it were an ordinary person, with the power and influence of the Wan family, they could easily find a pretext to bankrupt the Fan family and cause their deaths.

But she's not Fan Wuyou. To kill her? Even the Wan family would need that kind of ability.

"You're very good..." Empress Wan was somewhat annoyed that she was so unresponsive.

An orphan girl who dares to disregard her, the Empress, is practically courting death.

She then looked at Shi Shengqing and Wan Shuhua. Since money couldn't buy their lives, she had no choice but to resort to underhanded tactics.

Once people are sent to death row, they will have a chance to rescue them.

However, Bei Chenyan had already seen through her and the Wan family's thoughts. He stood up and ordered, "Shi Shengqing and Wan Shuhua have committed heinous crimes, showing no humanity whatsoever! They are to be executed immediately as a warning to others!"

Vice Minister Gu immediately understood the Crown Prince's meaning: he wanted these two people to die immediately.

"Drag him out of the Shi residence and execute him immediately!"

"Yes!" Several constables rushed forward, ready to drag Shi Shengqing and Wan Shuhua out and execute them!

Wan Shuhua screamed in terror, "Father, sister, save me..."

"Stop!" Empress Wan did not expect Bei Chenyan to kill people so quickly. He rushed in front of Wan Shuhua and Shi Shengqing, which frightened the yamen runners so much that they had to retreat. If they touched the Empress's body, they would be killed.

"Bei Chenyan, you wretched child, how dare you! Even if the sentence is death, it still needs His Majesty's review and approval. How could you drag them out and behead them now?" Empress Wan's face flushed with anger. "With me here today, let's see who dares to touch them!"

"Let Father review and approve it again?" Bei Chenyan looked at his mother, who was capable of doing anything for the Wan family.

"Mother, have you forgotten? Father is seriously ill, and now I am the regent, in full control of all government affairs. I am here, and this joint trial by the three judicial departments is the final approval."

Shi Shengqing and Wan Shuhua committed heinous crimes, their methods of murder were cruel, and the evidence is irrefutable. It would be an outrage for them not to die!

"I am here today. If you dare to touch them, then kill me first!" Empress Wan snatched a yamen runner's sword and held it to her own neck.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't harm your health!"

A group of eunuchs and palace maids were so frightened that they all knelt down.

The presiding judges were so shocked that they all knelt down.

Except for Bei Chenyan and Nangong Wu, everyone in the hall knelt down.

A palace maid pleaded with Bei Chenyan, "Your Highness, the Empress must not be harmed!"

Shi Peiqiong knelt before Bei Chenyan and begged, but this time she dared not call him "Crown Prince Cousin" again.

"Your Highness, please send my father and mother to prison first! lest the Empress do something to harm herself."

Bei Chenyan's face was gloomy.

His mother is forcing him.

If he forcibly drags Shi Shengqing and Wan Shuhua out and beheads them, and the Empress Dowager does something to harm herself, then everyone in the world will say that he forced the Empress Dowager to do it.

Some people with ulterior motives will also make a big fuss about this.

Nangong Wu could also see his predicament. Disrespecting his mother was a serious crime of filial impiety, and some people might use this as an excuse to attack him and try to depose him from his position as crown prince.

Public opinion can be a fearsome thing; rumors and gossip can truly ruin a person.

Shi Shengqing and Wan Shuhua exchanged a glance, a hint of smugness in their eyes.

If the empress threatens suicide, they can be rescued.

Just as they were feeling smug, thinking that they wouldn't die because of Empress Wan's protection, two deadly flying knives struck their foreheads.

"Pfft pfft..."

It was Nangong Wu who made the move. Beichen Yan dared not disobey Empress Wan, so he let her take action.

"Father! Mother..."

Shi Peiqiong screamed in anguish and rushed over to catch Wan Shuhua as she collapsed.

Empress Wan suddenly turned around and saw that Shi Shengqing and Wan Shuhua both had a throwing knife stuck in their necks, their eyes wide open, as if they were very unwilling to die like this.

"Clang!" The knife in his hand fell to the ground.

"Who did this?" she roared.

"I did it!" Nangong Wu looked at her coldly. "Shi Shengqing and Wan Shuhua are the enemies who killed my maternal grandfather and mother. The three judicial authorities have sentenced them to death. No one can protect them."

"You vile woman, how dare you!" Empress Wan was furious. "Guards, seize her and punish her life or death!"

"Let's see who dares to touch her!" Bei Chenyan stood in front of Nangong Wu, confronting Empress Wan head-on.

"Mother, Shi Shengqing and Wan Shu are guilty of heinous crimes of murder and robbery, and their crimes are unforgivable! You are threatening me with death to protect them. Aren't you afraid of being condemned by the world?"

"Your Highness, how cruel you are!" Shi Peiqiong glared at Bei Chenyan with resentment. "Although Father seized the Fan family's wealth, most of the money was used to bribe officials to secure your position as Crown Prince. Is this how you repay him?"

"Shut up! Stop using me to cover up your filth." Bei Chenyan said with disgust.

"Fan Wuyou, we, the Wan family, will remember what you did today!" Wan Wenting also threatened.

Offending the Wan family means they will definitely not let her live more than three days.