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

Emperor Mingde's forehead veins throbbed. "Are you blaming me?"

"Ru Ning wouldn't dare," Nangong Wu said coldly. "I just feel that it's only satisfying to take revenge myself."

My grandfather always told me, "I will not offend others unless they offend me; if they do offend me, I will repay them a hundredfold! Zhou Chuchu tried to harm me in public; she must die!"

When Emperor Mingde heard her mention his uncle, his expression softened slightly.

"Now that the poisoner has been identified and brought to justice, let this matter rest," Emperor Mingde said in an unquestionable tone. "As for this vile woman, give her poisoned wine."

Nangong Wu sneered. Anyone with eyes could see that this palace maid had more to say. Emperor Mingde was in a hurry to stop here. Was he afraid that if the investigation continued, it would eventually lead to the Imperial Noble Consort?

Emperor Mingde looked at Madam Zhou, who was weeping over Zhou Chuchu's body, and a look of disgust flashed in his eyes. "The Zhou couple have failed in their duty to raise their son. From now on, they shall never set foot in the palace again."

As soon as he finished speaking, several imperial guards stepped forward and dragged away the bodies of Madam Zhou and Zhou Chuchu.

When the palace maid heard that Emperor Mingde had only given her poisoned wine, she breathed a sigh of relief and was taken away by the Imperial Guards without struggling. However, her eyes remained fixed on the Imperial Noble Consort.

Nangong Wu didn't stop her. Even if the palace maid didn't say anything, she knew who was behind it all.

She won't let any of these people go.

"Alright! Let's leave it at that." The Empress Dowager, who had been silent until now, walked over with the support of the Empress.

"I had a headache from all the noise today, so I'll head back now."

"Respectfully seeing off the Empress Dowager!" The sound of respectful farewell echoed throughout the hall.

Seeing that the Empress Dowager had left, the Imperial Noble Consort quickly pulled Nangong Lingling away as well.

Emperor Mingde's gloomy gaze swept across everyone's faces, and with a flick of his sleeve, he also left.

When the emperor left, the ministers and their families breathed a sigh of relief and took their leave one after another.

In a short while, the hall was empty.

"Let's leave the palace too!" Nangong Wu nodded to Nangong Yi and followed the guests away.

"Sister of the Prince of Runing, wait for me!" Nangong Yi chased after her.

"Bang bang bang..." The sound of porcelain being smashed came from behind, along with Nangong Xun's angry curses.

"Sister of Prince Runing, you were so domineering today!" Nangong Yi looked at her with eyes full of admiration.

Nangong Wu was the first person to make the Emperor lose face.

"I used to see you as weak and feeble, speaking without any authority, with only Zhou Shaorong in your eyes. You gave up martial arts to learn dance for him, and instead of staying in the Zhenyuan Prince's Mansion, you were willing to marry into the Zhou family. I was so disappointed in you."

"I never expected that Zhou Shaorong would demote you from wife to concubine in one fell swoop, and then you changed. Were you provoked?" Nangong Yi continued talking to himself when she didn't speak.

"Today, the Empress Dowager said something sensible: Everyone makes mistakes sometimes; the important thing is to admit your mistakes and correct them."

"Now you truly resemble the daughter of a princess—so commanding! Your parents in heaven can rest in peace!"

Nangong Wu was speechless. It was the original owner who did those stupid things, and she was the one who came to take over this mess.

She didn't say a word; on the way out of the palace, it was Nangong Yi who did all the talking.

Once they were on the carriage, Nangong Yi squeezed in as well.

Nangong Wu then spoke up: "Have you found out about the private soldiers that Nangong Xun is keeping?"

"We've found them! There are already 20,000 of them." Nangong Yi put away his signature smile. "Luckily, I got your letter, otherwise, once these 20,000 private soldiers entered the palace, the Western Yan Kingdom would probably already be under Nangong Xun's control."

"Twenty thousand people? Their appetite is really growing!" Nangong Wu's eyes deepened slightly.

In just one year, he gained 10,000 more troops. Nangong Xun has become emboldened by spending the money from the Huo family's trading company.

"We must tell Father about the private army as soon as possible, otherwise, given Nangong Xun's arrogant nature, he might do anything if we push him too far."

Ever since Nangong Yi learned that Nangong Xun was secretly raising a private army, he has been unable to eat or sleep properly.

To keep a private army is to harbor rebellious intentions.

He feared that one day Nangong Xun would bring these private soldiers into the capital, control the palace, and force his father to abdicate. By then, it would be too late.

"Sure, tell me when you have a plan." Nangong Wu didn't take those 20,000 private soldiers seriously at all.

Killing Nangong Xun is easy, but his cronies are deeply entrenched and difficult to deal with.

I only hope that Nangong Yi will show some courage and use these private soldiers to bring down Nangong Xun and eradicate the Rui Prince's faction.

"Alright, I will plan everything." After receiving her words, Nangong Yi got off the carriage.

Li Shuang also entered the carriage. "Your Highness, our people have received information that Nangong Xun may have run out of money. They are secretly selling official positions, treating them like commodities."

"Fine, let them do what they want." Nangong Wu sneered inwardly.

Emperor Mingde dotes on his son Nangong Xun so much. Once he learns of the existence of those private soldiers, will he simply pass the throne to him?

That evening, Li Shuang returned from outside. "Your Highness, news has come back from the military camp in the suburbs that Liu Yue'er is dead?"

"He died so quickly? It hasn't even been a month." Nangong Wu was still not satisfied.

"On the day she miscarried, she served ten men, and did this every day. She kept bleeding from her lower body and was also tormented by poison. She died by hitting her head against a wall, and her body was thrown into a mass grave."

After receiving the news, her subordinates, fearing she had faked her death, went to check and found that her body had already been devoured by a pack of hungry wolves. Li Shuang also felt unsatisfied.

Your Highness has suffered so much because of this woman; you should be subjected to the punishment of slow slicing.

"The Liu family is all dead, now it's the Zhou family's turn!" Nangong Wu's eyes turned cold.

"Your Highness, rest assured, our people have already been dispersed! We won't let that family live too long," Li Shuang whispered.

That night, Li Feng and Li Cheng, who had been gone for more than ten days, returned.

Li Zhan reported: "Your Highness, Li Feng and Li Cheng have brought He Zhiyu back. They are still in the dungeon. Would you like to go and see them?"

Nangong Wu was still awake. Upon hearing his words, she immediately stood up and said, "Let's go see."

He Zhiyu was a person planted by the Imperial Noble Consort and her son, along with the Ming family, to be by her mother's side. In the end, he conspired with the King of Wu of Dongzhao Kingdom to kill her mother. Naturally, she had to go and see such a great enemy.

He Zhiyu was imprisoned in the cell next to Old Man Ma's, where Li Feng and Li Cheng were waiting.

Upon seeing her arrive, the two men quickly bowed and greeted her: "Your Highness!"

"Are you both alright?" Nangong Wu looked them over. They had lost weight, looked travel-worn, and their faces were weathered. It seemed they had been on the move a lot these past few days.

"Our men are all safe and sound. They have not failed His Highness's mission and have brought back that bastard He Zhiyu!" Li Feng said.

Li Cheng opened the cell door. "Your Highness, please come in."

As Nangong Wu entered the prison, a strong smell of blood assaulted her nostrils.

He Zhiyu was tied to a rack, his head drooping as if he had fainted. He had multiple wounds on his body, indicating that he had resisted when he was arrested and had been badly beaten by Li Feng and his men.