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

A yamen runner led out a horse. "Your Highness, the horse has arrived."

"Thank you." Nangong Wu took the reins, mounted the horse, and galloped towards the Prince's Mansion.

The constable stood there stunned, never expecting Nangong Wu to thank him.

*

Nangong Wu returned to the palace and found that the battle was over.

Xiao Lin and the Flying Feather Guards were all there, and five corpses lay on the ground.

"What about the children?" She was most worried about the situation of her children.

Xiao Lin looked at her, "Don't worry, with me here, how could I let anything happen to the children?"

Nangong Wu's heart sank to a sigh of relief. Looking at the corpse on the ground, a cold glint flashed in her eyes. "Who was it?"

"They're still from the Serpent Spirit Society." Li Cheng stood up after examining the corpse. "Their Gu worms are powerful and impossible to defend against. Several of them escaped."

"What was that explosion sound?" Nangong Wu wondered, recalling the explosion she had just heard.

"It was the Serpent Spirit Society members who tried to raid the dungeon, but they stepped on a landmine you planted there and were blown up," Li Zhan reported.

"Your Highness, it seems they intend to abduct that woman," Li An said. "They think that because we're not in the manor, the guards will be lax. How laughable."

"Nangong Xun is desperate and capable of anything. Everyone should be careful from now on." Nangong Wu looked at the corpse on the ground. "Let's report it to the authorities!"

"I'll go!" Li Zhan hurriedly left.

Nangong Wu returned to Zuimei Courtyard and found the main room door tightly closed.

When Li An discovered that assassins had broken into the Prince's mansion, he ordered Granny Feng and the three wet nurses to bring the children into the main room and block the door with heavy objects such as tables.

Then he slung a bag over his shoulder, containing the grenades and magazines given to him by Nangong Wu, and extended the machine gun muzzle through the gap in the window. As soon as the assassins came in, he could catch them off guard.

But before she could unleash her fighting prowess, the battle outside had already ended, until Nangong Wu's figure entered Zuimei Courtyard.

"Your Highness is back." Li An put down the gun in his hand and went to move the heavy object blocking the door.

Upon hearing this, Granny Feng felt relieved and went to open the door.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" Granny Feng was also worried about Nangong Wu outside.

Even in broad daylight, assassins broke into the palace to commit murder, and they were also afraid that she would be attacked outside.

"I'm fine, those assassins have all been dealt with." Nangong Wu looked at them. Granny Feng had experienced many storms and seemed calm, but the three wet nurses all looked like they were still in shock.

She went to see the three children, who were sleeping soundly in the arms of their wet nurse.

After the assassination attempt, Nangong Wu did not go to the Ministry of Revenue again, but instructed Li Cheng and Li Zhan to do some things.

Then she went to the palace to see Emperor Mingde, intending to tell him about Nangong Xun's disturbance at the Ministry of Revenue, which he had attempted to sabotage the re-audit of the national treasury accounts.

But Emperor Mingde had already received the news.

He knew about Nangong Xun's rampage at the Ministry of Revenue, Nangong Wu's arrest of all the key officials of the Ministry of Revenue, and the assassins' intrusion into the Zhenyuan Prince's Mansion.

When Nangong Wu arrived at the Imperial Study, she saw Emperor Mingde reprimanding the Imperial Noble Consort, "It's all your fault for spoiling him so much that he dares to mess around even with the matter of checking the national treasury accounts?"

"Eunuch Hu, convey my decree: Prince Rui has committed misconduct; he shall be fined two months' salary and confined to his quarters for one month to reflect on his actions."

Although Emperor Mingde doted on the Imperial Noble Consort and her son, he would never allow them to do anything that would shake the foundation of the country.

"As you command," Eunuch Hu replied, bowing.

The Imperial Noble Consort was so angry she wanted to grind her teeth to dust. As she left, she passed by Nangong Wu, her bloodshot eyes filled with resentment and venom.

Nangong Wu remained unmoved, only returning her a provocative look.

Now, they are mortal enemies, and she will make this woman's pride, favor, son, and the supreme status, wealth, and glory vanish like a bubble.

Emperor Mingde issued another imperial edict, declaring that anyone who dared to disrupt the reconciliation of the national treasury accounts would be executed without mercy.

She also entrusted all the officials involved with the case to her disposal. She also dispatched some officials from the Censorate to assist in the investigation; based on that imperial edict, the Imperial Guards could be mobilized.

Nangong Wu accepted the imperial edict and left the palace satisfied.

Just as they left the palace, Li Cheng came looking for them. "Your Highness, just as you predicted, after hearing that Jiang Shuofeng and Jiang Xin had been arrested, the Jiang and Jiang families secretly moved their gold and silver treasures out of the palace, but our people caught them red-handed."

"Very good." Nangong Wu sneered; they were starting to panic.

It's time for reckoning; she's going to pluck out Nangong Xun's wings one by one.

She went to the Ministry of Justice prison and first interrogated the dozen or so officials from the Ministry of Revenue who had been arrested.

Because of the assassination attempt on the Prince's residence during the day, Li Cheng subjected these dozen or so people to severe torture.

When these people were dragged in front of Nangong Wu, they were already covered in bruises.

When Jiang Shuofeng, the former official of the Ministry of Revenue, saw her, he angrily berated her, "Nangong Wu, on what grounds are you arresting us without any evidence? And you even dare to torture us? Are you trying to force a confession out of us?"

"No evidence?" Nangong Wu raised her hand. "Bring the item up."

Li Zhan and a Flying Feather Guard carried up a box, placed it next to her, and opened the lid.

Nangong Wu took out Shi Wen's list and threw it in front of these people, "Take a look, what is this?"

Jiang Shuofeng picked up the list, and when he saw the names of the people on it, his eyes were filled with horror.

"How did you get this list? Were you the assassin who killed Lord Shi that night?"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Li Cheng lashed out with his whip, leaving another bloody welt on his back.

"The net of Heaven is vast, and though its meshes are wide, nothing escapes it. Jiang Shuofeng, do you think what you've done is flawless?" Nangong Wu picked up a dozen more account books and threw them in front of them.

"Look at these ledgers again; the evidence is irrefutable, leaving you no room for denial."

Jiang Shuofeng stared at the ledgers, then collapsed to the ground. "So, it was all your doing..."

This list was drafted by Shi Wen, and now it's in Nangong Wu's hands. What else is there to be confused about?

Nangong Wu stood up. "Li Cheng, if they still refuse to confess, let me continue beating them. If they die, make them put their handprints on the document."

She turned to leave after she finished speaking.

"So what?" Jiang Shuofeng shouted angrily at her retreating figure.

"There are very few officials in this world who are clean-handed. If all those corrupt officials were arrested, would the prisons of the Western Yan Kingdom be able to hold them all?"

If beheadings were to be carried out, at least half of the people in the court would have to be cut off. Would Your Majesty dare to do that?

He bet that Emperor Mingde wouldn't dare to do that, as it would shake the very foundation of the Western Yan Kingdom.

"But you shouldn't have touched my parents, touched me, touched my brother, touched my Zhenyuan Prince's Mansion!" Nangong Wu suddenly turned around and grabbed Jiang Shuofeng by the neck.

"Jiang Shuofeng, when you and Nangong Xun plotted to harm my parents, you should have thought of this day. I will make everyone who hurt my parents suffer eternal damnation!"

What does it matter how many people are implicated? Those who dare to drink their blood will pay the price.