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

Dean Zou examined the small porcelain bottle again, opened the lid, and smelled it. The next moment, his expression changed drastically.

"Your Majesty, this poison is the same as the one in the bird's nest soup. Prince Zhenyuan was poisoned by this very poison."

"What audacity!" Emperor Mingde's face was more sinister than ever before.

Whoever it is, daring to poison someone at such a palace banquet is disgracing both them and the royal family, and will not be let off lightly!

"Father, in my opinion, this lowly maidservant doesn't have the guts to poison Prince Zhenyuan. Someone must be behind her doing this," Nangong Yi advised Emperor Mingde.

Emperor Mingde walked up to the palace maid, exuding imperial authority. "Speak," he said, "who gave you these poisons?"

"I don't know. That porcelain vase isn't mine. Your Majesty, please investigate and clear my name." The palace maid kowtowed to him desperately, her head hitting the jade floor with a "thump, thump" sound.

"Since you say that porcelain bottle isn't yours, then what about this packet of sleeping powder? Who gave it to you?" Nangong Yi asked her.

"It's not mine either," the palace maid still argued.

"You cunning and treacherous lowly maid, since you refuse to speak, then subject yourself to the torture of finger-crushing," Emperor Mingde ordered.

The finger-crushing torture is a device made of several small bamboo strips and ropes strung together, specifically used to clamp the fingers of prisoners. Although it does not directly kill a person, it can cause unbearable pain.

Soon, someone brought up the finger-crushing torture device and put it on the ten fingers of the palace maid.

"Wait a minute," Nangong Wu suddenly said.

After she "ate" the Hundred Poisons Pill, she should feel a little better. With Li Shuang's help, she walked up to the palace maid.

"The poison was found on you. No matter how much you deny it, you cannot escape the suspicion that you poisoned me. That is a crime punishable by the extermination of your entire family."

Upon hearing the words "extermination of nine generations of one's family," the palace maid turned ashen-faced, collapsed to the ground, and her eyes were filled with despair and regret.

Seeing that her words had an effect, Nangong Wu continued, "As long as you tell me who gave you the medicine, I can spare your family."

The palace maid raised her eyes and secretly glanced at Madam Zhou and her daughter.

Nangong Wu caught her gaze and immediately realized who had given her the powder.

"Did someone threaten you, which is why you did this?"

The palace maid seemed to have been hit where it hurt; she shuddered and tears streamed down her face.

Nangong Wu glanced at Madam Zhou out of the corner of her eye and saw the mother and daughter hugging each other in fear.

"Think about it again. For the sake of the person behind this, your family and extended family will all lose their lives. Is it worth it?"

"I..." The palace maid began to waver.

"Since she doesn't want to talk, then torture her until she confesses." Emperor Mingde had lost his patience. "Commander, investigate her family as well. Arrest everyone within nine generations and throw them in prison!"

"No!" The palace maid was finally frightened when she heard that Emperor Mingde was going to arrest her entire family.

"I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"

Nangong Wu raised her hand, signaling the Imperial Guards to put the person down.

"I'll talk! I'll tell you everything..." The palace maid crawled back to Emperor Mingde on her knees, "Your Majesty, please spare my family! They are innocent!"

"This vile woman is talking nonsense, she deserves to die!" Nangong Xun suddenly drew the sword of a nearby imperial guard and stabbed at the palace maid.

It was too sudden and too fast; Li Shuang, Li An, and the Imperial Guards couldn't stop him in time.

Just as the sword was about to pierce the palace maid's chest, Nangong Wu acted, pulling out the gold hairpin from her hair and throwing it, which struck Nangong Xun's wrist.

"Ah!" Nangong Xun screamed in pain, and the long sword in his hand fell to the ground.

"Trying to kill me to silence me?" Nangong Wu asked coldly.

This palace maid was the only witness, and she had long anticipated that these people would silence her.

Li Shuang and Li An immediately stepped forward to protect the palace maid.

"Xun'er!" The Imperial Noble Consort rushed over when she saw her son was injured.

The golden hairpin pierced through Nangong Xun's entire wrist, and blood flowed freely.

"Nangong Wu, how dare you! You actually dared to stab the Second Prince?" The Imperial Noble Consort was heartbroken, holding Emperor Mingde's hand. "Your Majesty, Nangong Wu is truly ruthless, inflicting such a heavy blow on my son..."

"Enough!" Emperor Mingde shouted suddenly.

The Imperial Noble Consort, startled, pulled her hand back.

"Father..." Nangong Lingling was about to speak when Emperor Mingde glared at her fiercely.

"Shut up, all of you!"

Emperor Mingde's face turned ashen.

Now that things have come to this, what is there that he doesn't understand?

Nangong Xun's guards rushed forward and summoned Imperial Physician Zou to treat his injuries.

Nangong Wu didn't care about Emperor Mingde's expression; she half-squatted down in front of the palace maid.

"Did you see that? If I hadn't intervened, you would be a corpse by now, and your family and extended family would be guilty as well. Are you still going to protect those behind you?"

The palace maid raised her head, her eyes flashing with hatred.

"They're blackmailing me with my family's information. If I tell them everything, can you protect them?"

"Okay." Nangong Wu nodded.

"She gave me the poison!" The palace maid pointed at Madam Zhou and her son. "Zhou Chuchu threatened me with my family, demanding that I put the poison in the bird's nest porridge."

"I didn't!" Zhou Chuchu cried out in panic, her voice trembling with fear as she berated the palace maid, "You lowly servant, how dare you slander me?"

"Your Majesty is wise," Madam Zhou knelt before Emperor Mingde. "Chuchu is simple-minded and would never do something like poisoning..."

Suddenly, a few drops of blood splashed onto her hand, still slightly warm.

"Ah!" A series of screams rang out from the surrounding area.

A bad feeling welled up in Madam Zhou's heart, and she suddenly stood up.

Seeing Zhou Chuchu standing beside him with a dagger stuck in her neck, her hands covering her neck, blood flowing from between her fingers, her eyes wide open, her body falling straight backward.

"Chuchu..." Madam Zhou's eyes were bloodshot as she caught her daughter as she fell.

"Nangong Wu, you actually killed Chu Chu!" the Imperial Noble Consort screamed.

Nangong Lingling was usually arrogant and domineering, treating human life as worthless and killing many people, but this was the first time she had seen someone so ruthless. She was so frightened that she stood there speechless.

The palace maid was also terrified when she saw Nangong Wu kill someone so directly!

"Zhou Chuchu had someone poison me, intending to murder me. The evidence is conclusive, she deserves to die!" Nangong Wu's cold voice rang out in the hall.

Emperor Mingde had never felt so bad, and it was the first time anyone had dared to challenge his authority in this way.

"Ru Ning, although Zhou Chuchu is suspected of murder, her crime must be judged through the law."

"So, like last time, you'll take Zhou Chuchu away in front of Ru Ning, just to make a show, and then bring her out again tonight or tomorrow? And then the poisoning will just be dropped?" Nangong Wu asked him in return.

As soon as she said this, everyone around her lowered their heads.

Nangong Yi's mouth gaped open, his expression one of disbelief.

Nangong Wu was the first person to dare to question her father like that.