Consort Lian’s veiled gaze revealed an indescribable hatred. She absolutely despised the Jiang family! That’s right—she was truly the surviving orphan of the Murong clan, the last remaining Murong woman. Two years ago, when the Great Li Emperor intended to subdue the small nation of Heze, the Murong clan, knowing they couldn’t resist the powerful Great Li, submitted a surrender document to Jiang Nan, who served as commander at the time. For the Great Li court, subduing Heze without spending a single soldier would certainly please the Emperor. But for Jiang Nan, this was an excellent opportunity to establish merit and build his career. His army was already at the city gates. If he fought the Murong clan in a bloody battle and won, he could become famous in one campaign, achieving success and renown. But if the Murong clan surrendered now, then those who subdued them wouldn’t be the mighty General Jiang Nan, but the imposing authority of the Great Li Emperor.

Therefore, the young and impetuous Jiang Nan, concealing it from everyone, killed the envoys, tore up the surrender document, and without hesitation broke through the Murong clan’s city gates. This still wasn’t enough—he also captured all the Murong royal family, claiming he would send them to the capital. The Murong royal family thought they had escaped disaster and all surrendered without resistance. Back then, Consort Lian—Cold Youlian—no, at that time she was Murong Xin, was among this batch of prisoners being escorted. Of course it wasn’t just her. Those being escorted also included the Emperor, his consorts, princes, princesses, clan members, aristocratic relatives—over a thousand people in total. Accompanying them were also numerous precious items accumulated by the Murong royal family over a hundred years, truly a bountiful return. However, terrifyingly, every night when they made camp to rest, Murong Xin could hear from afar the wild laughter of soldiers and the cries of women forced to serve as camp prostitutes. She knew these were soldiers going to the tents of noblewomen reduced to camp prostitutes to vent. At such times, she and her sisters would huddle together, trembling. Fortunately, their status was too noble. Without the commander’s orders, those soldiers didn’t touch them, so Murong Xin was spared. But her fourth sister, Murong Hua, was violated by those beasts in an accident. Murong Xin witnessed it with her own eyes. When they found her, Murong Hua had clearly stopped breathing, yet her eyes remained open, filled with fear, pain, and despair. Her body was naked, covered with purple bruises and wounds. One could imagine what this noble princess had endured. Whenever Murong Xin thought of this, an unbearable hatred slowly crawled up from the bottom of her heart, keeping her awake at night. But the nightmare was far from over.

Originally Emperor Murong thought what awaited them was the Great Li Emperor’s pardon. After all, he had already submitted a surrender document. But he never imagined that what awaited them was Jiang Nan’s order to massacre them all. These thousand-plus people weren’t journeying to the Great Li capital—on the contrary, they were all going to their deaths. Jiang Nan ultimately led them to a desolate mountain valley and had them all killed and buried. Murong Xin didn’t want to recall such cruel experiences, but she could never forget the terror of waking from sleep to find herself buried in earth. By then, her relatives had all been killed. Only she, because her mother had smeared her face with fresh blood, was mistaken for dead and escaped disaster. Even more fortunately, she was carelessly thrown on top of the countless corpses, with only a layer of earth covering her… She desperately clawed through the earth and survived.

Later she learned that Jiang Nan, fearing the Murong royal family would reveal his secret of tearing up the surrender document and falsely reporting military achievements, claimed the Murong clan would rather die than surrender and had even colluded with surrounding small nations, intending to unite in resisting Great Li. The Emperor flew into a rage and ordered the Murong royal family executed, which led to the complete extermination of the royal clan. Murong Xin desperately tried to work through Heze’s former subordinates, but she sadly discovered that besides some royal death warriors, she could no longer mobilize anyone. Because after Jiang Nan attacked Heze, he didn’t harm ordinary civilians, and certainly didn’t burn, kill, plunder, or rape. Moreover, after killing countless Heze soldiers, Jiang Nan generously compensated and comforted their families. So the people of Heze even felt the Murong clan didn’t know what was good for them and should have surrendered earlier to avoid the military disaster… Therefore, when Murong Xin sought vengeance, she discovered the Murong royal family had long become a target of everyone’s arrows in Heze, becoming criminals who caused the people to suffer.

Meanwhile, Jiang Nan, due to his brilliant military achievements, rose from an unknown nobody to be enfeoffed as Mighty General, with a third-rank official position, becoming a hero of accumulated battle merit and illustrious military prestige. Perhaps the trace of hope she had harbored deep in her heart was finally cruelly shattered. Now renamed Cold Youlian, Consort Lian felt something in her heart churning, burning, shattering, flowing with a thick, sickening smell of blood. And seeds of something else quietly began taking root, sprouting, gradually growing—that was terrible hatred, hatred that would destroy everything. She stood beside the Emperor, her face wearing a very gentle smile, but secretly she swore to herself that she would drive the entire Jiang clan to death!

At first, she followed Li Weiyang’s plan. Even yesterday, she still intended to proceed according to the other’s plan—having the young woman presenting the dance file an imperial complaint before the throne. But she felt Li Weiyang’s plan was too childish. The Emperor simply wouldn’t take it seriously. Only by having the Emperor suffer harm, letting him know he was implicated and assassinated because of the Jiang family, giving him visceral pain, would he understand how many wrongs the Jiang family had committed, what a huge mistake it was to wrongly kill the Murong clan!

In fact, Li Weiyang had been waiting for an opportunity—an opportunity that would make it impossible for the Jiang family to recover. The Jiang family’s direct line was very cautious in major matters, making it difficult to catch them in wrongdoing. Especially in handling political affairs, Li Weiyang originally planned to use Tuoba Yu’s hand to forge evidence of the Jiang family colluding with the enemy. But she later discovered this was extremely difficult because she had no way to obtain Duke Jiang’s personal seal. Forgery would be easily discovered. Once claiming the Jiang family was colluding with the enemy and committing treason, there must be solid evidence. Just a letter or a few testimonies couldn’t gain the trust of the Emperor and the realm. Moreover, the Jiang family had guarded the borders for many years and already had accumulated military merit as a hereditary family of perpetual nobility. Why would they need to collude with enemy nations? Even saying it was hard for people to believe. So Li Weiyang chose to work through the Jiang family’s collateral branches. A deeply rooted tree was indeed hard to shake, but once the branches and leaves grew too luxuriant, there were many places the main trunk couldn’t attend to.

Later, she finally found an opportunity. A month ago, she received news that Jiang clan members had built an extremely luxurious mansion in their hometown of Huicheng, prepared for Duke Jiang’s future retirement. Although this mansion wasn’t built by the Jiang family’s direct line, it was truly constructed by Jiang clan members. Moreover, this mansion was built like a royal palace. Inside, golden dragons coiled around, jade beasts stood guard, vermilion windows faced the wind, multiple gates and doors, hundreds of turns and thousands of twists, carved corridors and railings, sun and moon reflecting each other—incomparably magnificent. Not to mention anything else, just the fine golden nanmu wood alone used fifty pillars. Such golden nanmu cost a thousand taels to barely buy one pillar. The luminous pearl atop the mansion was even larger than the Eastern pearl on the Emperor’s crown. Li Weiyang keenly found a breakthrough from this. The Emperor’s Yuxi Palace had burned down in a fire the year before last and had never been repaired, only because the national treasury had spent too much money on military supplies and disaster relief these past two years. So the Emperor was waiting to repair it in a couple years. Now the Jiang family actually built such a luxurious mansion… For the Emperor, it didn’t matter if his subjects were corrupt or schemed against each other. What mattered most was loyalty, what mattered most was balance. But if he learned his subjects had money to build great mansions, he would associate it with Yuxi Palace’s broken walls and ruins. He would think of how the Eastern pearl on his own hat wasn’t as large as others’. He would suspect the Jiang family’s money was all stolen from military supplies. He would feel that pearl in the Jiang family, larger than the Eastern pearl on the Emperor’s crown, had other intentions.

Not only that, after Li Minde discovered this mansion was built by the Jiang family’s collateral branch to curry favor with Duke Jiang, he also paid handsomely to bribe a craftsman who designed the mansion’s construction, having him build what seemed like an ordinary pillar in a hidden corner of the mansion. Breaking through the outer layer would reveal this pillar was actually a beast. There was such a beast at the Emperor’s palace gate, called “hou,” head facing outward, called “Awaiting the Sovereign’s Return,” warning the Emperor on tour not to be enamored with the mortal world’s prosperity and return to the palace early. There was another in the palace’s Zihua Hall, called “Awaiting the Sovereign’s Departure,” reminding the Emperor not to always stay in the deep palace but to go out and observe the people’s conditions. One could imagine what people would associate if they discovered the Jiang family’s great mansion concealed such a “hou” that should only exist in the imperial palace. Such a concrete, tangible great mansion would be better, more substantial, and more direct than any fabricated evidence. The Emperor need only send people to investigate and would see that mansion. Naturally he would feel the Jiang family harbored disloyal intentions. Even if the Emperor didn’t immediately exterminate the Jiang family’s nine generations, he would strip them of all military authority. At that time, the Jiang family’s fate would be obvious.

But no matter how good the plan, without someone of sufficient weight beside the Emperor to hint and remind, the plan couldn’t succeed. So after Li Weiyang and Minde carefully discussed it, they chose Cold Youlian—a woman who hated the Jiang family enough to risk her life. Only such a woman could unhesitatingly, without looking back, help them ruthlessly break the Jiang family’s seemingly indestructible spine! However, the human heart was something that no matter how calculated, had uncontrollable aspects. Consort Lian hated the Jiang family too much. She was too impatient, so she felt that just such a magnificent mansion could at most prove the Jiang family was corrupt and taking bribes. There was no way to completely shake them. Of course, this was also because she didn’t understand the entire plan. Moreover, she lacked sufficient political sensitivity… So she changed the plan herself, replacing the civilian woman who was originally to file the imperial complaint, substituting a group of utterly loyal death warriors from the Murong royal family. She believed that as long as the Emperor was assassinated, he would naturally blame the Jiang family. When he investigated the cause of the Murong royal family’s deaths, he would definitely punish the Jiang family’s crime of deceiving the sovereign. Then she could uproot the Jiang family completely. This way, she could truly avenge the Murong royal family…

Li Weiyang watched the eunuchs in the hall dealing with the corpses, watched people’s expressions of surviving disaster. Her gaze even fell on Li Changle. During the earlier chaos, Li Changle had hidden behind Jiang Hai, escaping disaster. Only several other young ladies beside her had all died tragically. Meanwhile, Madam Jiang protected Han Shi, hiding beside Jiang Xu. They were actually completely unharmed, only their faces somewhat pale.

Li Weiyang lowered her head, watching a eunuch drag the young woman who tried to assassinate the Emperor out of the palace hall.

Originally, this young woman didn’t have to die. Initially, when Jiang clan members built this mansion, besides using the Jiang family’s own land, they also expanded over a hundred acres into the surrounding area. Among them was a family surnamed Zhou who refused to sell their land and clashed with guards dispatched by the Jiang family. A family of five died in a so-called “accidental” fire. Only two daughters hiding in a water vat escaped alive. Such a living example traveling thousands of miles to the capital to file an imperial complaint—even if the Emperor was cruel, he would have to hear her speak fully. But the Zhou family sisters were replaced by death warriors by Consort Lian.

Li Weiyang thought of all this and could actually understand Consort Lian’s feelings. This kind of clan-exterminating hatred, constantly hovering in her heart, must be especially painful and agonizing. Therefore, restoring the Murong clan’s status and honor was most important to Consort Lian. But could things truly go as she wished…

On the imperial throne, the Emperor was unprecedentedly furious and frightened. Within one hour, he consecutively issued several edicts. Soon the coroner, together with the Justice Ministry and Court of Judicial Review’s autopsy and search results came out. The assassins’ identities were the long-disappeared Murong royal family. At their waists, they all had a mysterious master-recognizing totem. This kind of totem was unique to the Murong royal family’s death warriors.

Now the Emperor had to believe these people truly came from the Murong royal family he had ordered killed years ago.

Jiang Nan quickly stepped forward, immediately kneeling: “This subject is guilty of not completely eradicating the Murong royal family’s remnants, actually allowing them to assassinate Your Majesty. This humble subject will definitely thoroughly investigate this matter and uproot the Murong remnants!” He couldn’t imagine that the true Murong royal bloodline was at this moment standing beside the Emperor with a gentle expression on her face.

The Emperor looked at Jiang Nan with an uncertain expression. In this instant, both Consort Lian’s and Li Weiyang’s hearts lifted simultaneously.

The Jiang family could be called Great Li’s premier noble house. In the early days of the Great Li dynasty’s founding, they followed the Emperor and repeatedly established military merit. After a hundred years of development, their foundation was solid. Especially in recent decades, the Jiang family had firmly controlled military authority. Most valuable was that they consistently guarded Great Li’s borders, making the Jiang family seem like Great Li’s solid barrier in all the people’s eyes. This deeply worried the Emperor. However, Duke Jiang and his son Jiang Xu had never shown the slightest arrogance or overbearing manner. They always appeared grateful and deferential, observing court etiquette, acting low-key, never colluding or associating with princes, even maintaining certain distance from court ministers. So the Emperor always felt the Jiang family was still useful—at least until he cultivated people who could replace the Jiang family’s power, the Jiang family must remain.

But today’s matter clearly exceeded the Emperor’s expectations. He said coldly: “You are guilty. Your greatest crime is falsely reporting military achievements! Deceiving the sovereign! Killing you wouldn’t be excessive!” As he spoke, unable to contain his rage, he grabbed a jade vase at hand and threw it fiercely at Jiang Nan. Jiang Nan dared not dodge, taking it directly. His forehead was immediately struck by the jade vase, blood gurgling down. Yet he didn’t even dare wipe it away.

Jiang Xu hurriedly knelt on the ground, his expression panicked: “Your Majesty! My worthless son is guilty! My worthless son is guilty!” As long as the Emperor investigated slightly, he would learn of the events of years past. He had long warned Jiang Nan not to act too excessively, but after all he was young and impetuous. With the army already dispatched, how could he bear to return without achievements? This led to this great disaster! In fact, throughout thousands of years, countless military commanders had done this. Killing people and falsely reporting military merit was extremely common. By comparison, Jiang Nan’s action wasn’t really anything—of course, the premise was that tonight’s assassination hadn’t occurred.

The Crown Prince hurriedly said: “Father Emperor, General Mighty is young and ignorant, angering Father Emperor. Please forgive him! If you kill him, won’t it dishearten everyone in the realm? No one will be willing to risk their lives for the nation!”

After the Crown Prince spoke, the originally silent ministers all stepped forward, speaking in disorder to plead for Jiang Nan.

Even the Empress, whose face was pale, said: “Your Majesty, not to mention Jiang Nan was young and ignorant at the time, greedy for military merit, which led to this disaster—just that the Murong matter happened many years ago. Jiang Nan after all saved Your Majesty, which can be considered offsetting his crimes. What benefit is there in pursuing a meritorious subject now?”

Consort Lian’s expression uncontrollably turned pale. Her fingers had to hide in her sleeves so others wouldn’t see her whole body trembling. She never imagined that the deaths of over a thousand people from the Murong royal family and trusted subordinates meant nothing in these people’s eyes! As for falsely reporting military merit, it was even less significant! The Emperor was hesitating. His expression was no longer as resolute as before!

Li Minde whispered in Li Weiyang’s ear: “That matter—”

Li Weiyang shook her head. If they now implicated the luxurious mansion matter, the Emperor would only suspect why everything today was directed at the Jiang family. Suspicious as he was, he would definitely feel someone deliberately arranged all this, targeting the Jiang family. Therefore, that mansion couldn’t be brought up.

Now what should they do? Li Weiyang’s gaze swept through the great hall for a moment, suddenly falling on Li Xiaoran. Wonderfully, Li Xiaoran was also looking at his daughter—only he wasn’t looking at Li Weiyang, but Li Changle.

Li Changle at this moment was casting a pleading look toward Li Xiaoran, clearly hoping he would speak a word to help the Jiang family. As an in-law, Li Xiaoran should naturally do this. Moreover, Jiang Yuelan beside him was also looking at him earnestly.

Li Weiyang observed Li Xiaoran’s expression changing several times. Then he stepped forward one pace, preparing to speak.

Li Minde frowned. Li Weiyang, however, blinked at him, signaling him not to worry.

Li Xiaoran’s expression showed pity: “Your Majesty, although General Mighty isn’t old, he acts decisively, with courage and ability, daring to think and act. He truly is a rare talent.”

The Emperor pressed: “So you think what he did was right?”

Li Xiaoran sighed, speaking the most crucial words: “This subject naturally doesn’t mean that. His killing the Murong clan certainly disregarded Your Majesty’s decree. However, these past years in over forty battles large and small he’s won, the Jiang family army’s battle achievements are everywhere. Perhaps it’s precisely because the young general racks his brains, gives his all, that he can barely maintain the situation, keeping the nation from descending into chaos. This subject dares make a bold statement—if someone else did it, they could only do worse, not better!” Everything was accomplished in praise. It sounded completely like praising Jiang Nan, but the Emperor’s expression became exceptionally ugly.

Li Weiyang keenly noticed this and couldn’t help lowering her head, concealing a trace of a smile at her lips. Li Xiaoran had followed the Emperor for many years and had long thoroughly understood his temperament and personality. Since the Emperor was hesitating, then he would praise Jiang Nan to the clouds, as if he were a talent between heaven and earth, and without him the nation would collapse. This method, if used on an ordinary emperor, would definitely keep Jiang Nan safe and sound. But this Emperor was different from others—suspicious to a certain degree. If just now Li Xiaoran had severely scolded Jiang Nan, then made the Emperor feel the criticism was excessive, arousing pity for a lonely subject, then Li Xiaoran turned to plead, the matter would definitely become big made small, small made nothing. But Li Xiaoran perversely praised Jiang Nan to the heavens and earth, then brought up what the Emperor most detested and was most wary of with a slight reminder. The Emperor would definitely fly into a dragon rage. Li Weiyang predicted that Li Xiaoran, unlike Consort Lian, would definitely know what the Emperor was most wary of!

Sure enough, Li Xiaoran continued: “Only the Jiang family must learn their lesson in future, never again greedily pursuing military merit for personal gain, placing Your Majesty’s life over burning coals!”

The Emperor’s expression had become ugly beyond measure. He said furiously: “Premier Li, if you continue pleading for the Jiang family, I’ll punish you together!”

Li Xiaoran was startled, then stammered back, as if extremely sighing. The ministers beside him immediately closed their mouths. They all saw that Premier Li had spoken so many pleading words yet instead made the Emperor more furious. Now none of them dared say anything more!

Li Weiyang nearly laughed aloud. Father, ah Father, just how much do you detest the Jiang family to do such a thing of kicking them when they’re down? However, this stone was thrown fast, ruthlessly, and accurately. She finally understood where her inherent vicious genes came from.

Li Changle’s expression was incomparably panicked. She worried and feared, not for the Jiang family, but for herself. If the Jiang family fell, everything would be finished. No one would support her anymore. Her life would plunge into darkness. But now, no one dared speak a word for the Jiang family. Her pleading gaze looked toward Tuoba Zhen, but he stared unblinkingly at Li Weiyang, as if contemplating something. Li Changle’s heart immediately surged with infinite resentment. Why, why did everyone notice that lowly woman!

Jiang Nan shouted loudly: “Your Majesty, this subject received the decree to execute the Murong clan. If Your Majesty wants to punish, punish this subject alone. Spare my father!”  Saying this, he kowtowed continuously on the ground.

The Emperor sneered: “Since you want to die yourself, then I need not keep you—”

From the moment the Emperor spoke those words, he had already made up his mind to kill! Jiang Xu was startled with alarm. His mind turned. He quickly leapt up and fiercely slapped Jiang Nan across the face, furious beyond restraint: “Evil creature! You still dare contradict His Majesty! Even if my Jiang family’s line is cut off, we cannot keep you!” Saying this, he actually drew the long sword from an Imperial Guard beside him and slashed at Jiang Nan with one stroke! If the Imperial Guards hadn’t pulled him back in time, Jiang Nan would truly have blood splattered on the spot!

The Imperial Guards expended great effort before pulling away Jiang Xu, the General Who Conquers the West, who kept shouting about killing Jiang Nan. By this time everyone was already stunned. Only Li Weiyang sneered inwardly. This Jiang Xu truly knew how to act!

Jiang Xu knelt on the ground, sobbing: “Your Majesty, failing to teach one’s son is the father’s fault. This subject bore this arrogant, rebellious evil son who dares contradict Your Majesty. This subject truly cannot consider father-son affection. He’s guilty of heinous crimes and should be beheaded. Please Your Majesty pass judgment!”

A first-rank official in his prime kowtowing and weeping on the ground—seeing this couldn’t help but make hearts ache. The Emperor’s expression slowly changed again.

In this world, after all, Li Xiaoran wasn’t the only one who understood the Emperor’s temperament. The instant Jiang Xu moved to kill his son to apologize, the Emperor had already changed his mind, taking back the death sentence he was about to pronounce.

Li Weiyang saw the moment the Emperor’s mouth corners drooped, discovering the murderous expression on his face had unknowingly disappeared. She couldn’t help blinking. Unfortunately in such circumstances it wasn’t her turn to speak. Otherwise, provoking another two sentences to make the Jiang family pay a bloody price wouldn’t necessarily be impossible. However… she couldn’t, but that didn’t mean Consort Lian couldn’t! So Li Weiyang promptly gave Consort Lian a meaningful look.

Consort Lian suddenly came to her senses: “Your Majesty, perhaps you should still spare the young general. You see, the General Who Conquers the West has pleaded like this. The young general is after all a rare talent. Your Majesty’s empire still relies on them to guard it. Why break their hearts…”

Jiang Xu’s heart, which had just settled, immediately rose again. He suddenly raised his head to stare at Consort Lian, his eyes vaguely revealing disgust.

The Emperor most detested meritorious subjects holding the Son of Heaven hostage. Hearing this, he first frowned, then glanced at Consort Lian’s scratched neck, which still had bloodstains. He couldn’t help feeling great pity. His original thought of letting Jiang Nan off changed again. He said coldly: “I want to see whether without you, this talent between heaven and earth, my empire will collapse! From this day forth, Jiang Nan’s third-rank general title is revoked, never to be employed again! As for Jiang Xu, you failed to strictly teach your son and must also be punished together. Demoted from first-rank General Who Conquers the West to third rank, fined three years’ salary, ordered to close doors and reflect for one year! Your seal, hand it over to Gao Jin immediately! Go!”

Consort Lian’s eyes filled with infinite disappointment. Why—why was the Emperor still unwilling to kill the Jiang family’s people! It was merely demotion and salary fines! Why! Her eyes looked toward Li Weiyang, only to see the other gently shake her head. Consort Lian’s heart jolted. She immediately lowered her head, afraid others would see the strangeness in her heart.

Li Weiyang sighed from her heart. If Consort Lian had done as she said, today they could have uprooted the Jiang family completely. Because a mansion showing disloyal intentions was far more telling than any false military merit reports. In Consort Lian’s eyes, the so-called crime of the Murong clan’s thousand-plus innocent deaths was actually worthless to the Emperor. If not for Li Xiaoran’s few words, today the Emperor’s rod would have been raised high and fallen lightly. The Jiang family wouldn’t have received any punishment. Today’s punishment from the Emperor wasn’t at all for fabricating facts or falsely reporting military merit, but for his own shock at being assassinated! To let everyone know that whoever brought trouble to the Emperor, he wouldn’t let them off easily! Fortunately, no matter what, for Jiang Nan, his official career path had completely reached its end. As for Jiang Xu, closing doors to reflect for one year meant the Emperor was taking the two hundred thousand troops from his hands and immediately handing them to General of Chariots and Cavalry Gao Jin… For the Jiang family, this was an extremely great blow. They still couldn’t complain. After all, Jiang Nan had implicated the Emperor in an assassination attempt—such a great crime. That the Emperor didn’t kill him was already mercy beyond the law.

Li Xiaoran’s seemingly light few words forced the Jiang family to hand over two hundred thousand troops to preserve Jiang Nan, and they still had to accept it! Even though these two hundred thousand troops were the empire the Jiang family had fought for with years of military merit, they still had to yield!

Li Minde watched all this and sneered coldly, thinking that now only the three hundred thousand troops in Duke Jiang’s hands remained. Their power had been cut in half at once. The Jiang family would feel suffocated for quite a while. Only, they originally could have been destroyed completely. It was precisely because of Consort Lian’s meddling that this excellent opportunity was ruined. He still felt regret.

Li Weiyang equally felt regret. However, seeing the Jiang father and son’s expressions as if they had swallowed flies, and Jiang Nan’s blood all over the ground, she felt this sensation—wasn’t bad.

The Jiang father and son received the Emperor’s punishment and had to kneel to thank him for his grace. When leaving, Jiang Xu’s tall body swayed. If Jiang Nan hadn’t been quick-eyed and quick-handed to support him, he would have nearly fallen to the ground. Jiang Hai and the other Jiang family members could only watch helplessly, because the Emperor only ordered them to leave while everyone else still had to remain. This torment was more unbearable than anything. Jiang Hai’s eyes immediately reddened as he suppressed the resentful look in his eyes.

Walking out of the great hall, Jiang Xu felt immense desolation surge in his chest. The corner of his eye twitched as he said hoarsely: “Let me go!” These words were directed at Jiang Nan. Jiang Nan looked at him in shock.

The next moment, Jiang Xu arduously moved his legs, walking into the curtain of pouring rain. Then he lifted his robe corner and slowly but firmly knelt in the great hall’s plaza.

Jiang Nan hurriedly went to help him up: “Father! What are you doing!”

“Evil creature! What do you understand! If not for you, why would my Jiang family suffer humiliation! I’ve told you how many times—guard against arrogance and rashness! And you! You think you’re so great! Two hundred thousand troops—do you know how long we schemed for this! All ruined in your hands alone!”

Jiang Nan was equally stifled to death, but said in a low voice: “If you kneel here, even without crime you’ll be guilty. Get up quickly. Your Majesty won’t forgive us because of this kneeling. We’ll only be laughed at by others!”

“Idiot!” Jiang Xu suddenly raised his head. His hair, eyes, nose, mouth—all soaked with rainwater. But his eyes flashed with brilliant light, radiating angry fire, looking coldly at his son: “If you want the Jiang family broken in your hands, then you just stand there!”

The rain was heavy. Jiang Nan had no choice but to kneel with Jiang Xu. Before long he felt his whole body soaked through, extremely uncomfortable. He couldn’t help but burn with fury: “Father! If you want to kneel, your son will kneel with you! But I’m not wrong! And I absolutely won’t admit fault!” This kind of humiliation—he had never endured in his life. But he could only clench his fists tightly, his teeth grinding audibly! He didn’t know how he could be so unlucky. From nowhere emerged Murong clan remnants. Originally everything was fine, but the Emperor’s expression changed in an instant!

At this time, the air inside the hall was nearly stagnant. Outside the hall, wind and rain raged. The north wind, carrying shrill howling sounds, battered the great hall’s doors and windows from all directions, making unbearable creaking noises. The banquet inside the great hall could no longer continue. The Emperor waved his hand: “Dismiss!”

Everyone felt as if granted amnesty. Watching the Emperor and Empress leave hand in hand, the others also followed and withdrew from the great hall. Outside the hall at this moment was pouring rain. After today’s thrilling banquet, everyone’s hearts were heavy. They didn’t even want the bamboo umbrellas the eunuchs had prepared, leaving the great hall without looking back. While others didn’t want umbrellas, Li Changle did. She was afraid the fake mask on her face would be washed away. She desperately held the umbrella, but everyone around her was from other families. Her own maids hadn’t been allowed to enter the great hall. Before long she was already pushed around by the crowd, swaying unsteadily. But now searching for Jiang family members, she couldn’t find them. Only she and Jiang Yuelan followed the crowd outward. Walking to the steps, Sun Yanjun was right at the entrance. Li Changle stared at her coldly, walking past her with head held high. Sun Yanjun found her increasingly unpleasant to look at. She stuck out her foot and tripped Li Changle. Li Changle never imagined a dignified general’s daughter would do such a thing. With a shriek, before countless people, she actually rolled down from the high steps.

Everyone had already suffered countless shocks today. How could they endure this scream? They all fearfully stopped in their tracks, thinking some other terrible thing had occurred. However, the thing they feared didn’t happen. Instead they saw Li Changle rolling down the steps alone like an unstoppable ball—thump thump thump thump thump—falling to the ground with a crash. The umbrella also fell to the ground, shattered into pieces.

“Ah! How terrifying!” A lady shrieked, then pointed at Li Changle as if seeing something as terrifying as a ghost.

Everyone looked in the direction her finger pointed. Then everyone froze.

Li Changle was thrown so hard she felt even her five internal organs and six bowels were nearly shattered. But in the vast rain she heard someone scream in shock. She immediately realized, disregarding the pain, and hurriedly felt her face. The mask was still there. Just then, she suddenly saw a dark mass on the ground. Her heart immediately sank into a bottomless abyss…

Before over a thousand people, before all the capital’s high officials and nobles, the beautiful as a celestial Li family’s eldest daughter Li Changle rolled down from the steps. Her beautiful appearance hadn’t changed at all, but that head of beautiful black hair had fallen to the ground, rolling in the mud and water. The exposed head was not only completely bald but also covered with countless scars and rotting traces. A flash of lightning illuminated the entire sky. Such a terrifying scene was exposed before everyone’s eyes.

“Bald scabby head! Bald scabby head!” A lady originally hadn’t seen clearly, only thinking Li Changle had no hair. But that lightning bolt illuminated the terrible sight on Li Changle’s head crystal clear. The lady closest to her screamed and fainted.

Jiang Hai quickly pushed through the crowd and ran over, removing his outer robe to cover Li Changle’s head: “Lower your head!”

Jiang Yuelan hurriedly came over. Jiang Hai pushed Li Changle toward her: “Hurry and leave!”

Everyone stared dumbstruck at this scene, hardly able to believe their eyes. That beautiful Li family eldest daughter was not only bald but how could her head be covered in scars? Some scars had even begun rotting, seeping filthy blood—such a terrifying sight…

People discussed animatedly. Li Xiaoran was utterly humiliated, quickly walking to their side and saying sternly: “Are you staying here to lose more face?!” Saying this, he quickly left the palace. Jiang Yuelan dared not say more and hurriedly left with Li Changle.

Among the crowd, someone finally let out laughter. That kind of suppressed laughter spread like contagion, quickly propagating among the men’s regret and women’s schadenfreude and disgust. Sun Yanjun was incomparably surprised. She had only wanted to make Li Changle lose a little face, but just now, she had clearly exposed a secret.

Tuoba Rui was in the crowd and saw that scene very clearly. He almost wanted to vomit. He distinctly saw a small white thing, like a maggot, wriggling—almost making him vomit even last night’s meal. Actually, everyone didn’t know this wasn’t a maggot but a silver thread worm Jiang Tian used to help Li Changle draw out filthy blood to prevent the wound from worsening. But in Tuoba Rui’s view, there would be no difference between the two. He now only wanted to quickly leave this place, leave this nightmare-like banquet. The most beautiful goddess in his heart had become a terrible nightmare.

Tuoba Zhen, however, watched coldly, his eyes showing not a trace of fluctuation. He didn’t even intend to go help. He only wanted to know whether today’s banquet had any connection to Li Weiyang. He didn’t know why, but he always felt there was some connection. Otherwise, how to explain that the portrait that should have been Li Weiyang became Noble Consort Wu’s likeness? She must know something—she must! This made him secretly alarmed. At the same time, it also aroused an indescribable trembling. This woman—why couldn’t she be used by him?! Just then, the Crown Prince walked to his side: “Third Brother, don’t be too sad.”

Tuoba Zhen’s face showed a sorrowful expression: “Imperial Elder Brother, I truly never imagined a banquet would turn out like this. Mother Consort, she—” Such a pity. The line to Noble Consort Wu was completely severed.

The Crown Prince sighed: “I know you and Noble Consort Wu had deep affection. Now that she’s come to this end, Father Emperor was too heartless, believing that Taoist’s words—”

Tuoba Zhen lowered his head, as if so sad he couldn’t speak a word.

The Crown Prince patted his shoulder: “I’ll find a way, hoping Father Emperor won’t blame you.”

Tuoba Zhen sighed: “Now my only support is Imperial Elder Brother.”

The Crown Prince nodded: “Rest assured. Not only me, but also Mother Empress will plead for you! We won’t let Father Emperor take his anger out on you. Rest assured, everything will be the same as before. There will definitely be no changes.”

Tuoba Zhen of course knew these were words of comfort. Today the Emperor married Marquis Yongning’s granddaughter to Tuoba Rui—he was already warning him. In the Emperor’s view, after killing Noble Consort Wu, he would definitely harbor resentment. So the Emperor seized his support in advance… This father was truly cold-blooded, ruthless, and domineering. It seemed everything needed to be re-planned. Tuoba Zhen lowered his eyes. His mind fell into rapid spinning. But somehow, Li Weiyang’s face kept revolving in his mind. Why—now her face was becoming increasingly clear in his mind…

At this time, Seventh Prince Tuoba Yu searched everywhere in the crowd for Li Weiyang, wanting to ask her clearly about some matters. But her figure was already nowhere to be seen.

In a side hall not far away, Li Minde stood far away under the corridor, looking at the rain threads outside, as if lost in thought.

Inside the hall, only the magnificently dressed Consort Lian and Li Weiyang were present.

Consort Lian’s face was full of sorrow. Looking at Li Weiyang, she almost couldn’t speak.

Seeing her like this, Li Weiyang smiled mockingly: “What? Do you regret it?”