Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation knelt members of the imperial family and powerful ministers.

Below the steps outside the hall, civil and military officials had already filled the space, along with eunuchs, palace maids, and Yulin Imperial Guards—a dense mass of people, with cries of mourning spreading everywhere.

But when the Grand Secretary from the Grand Secretariat stood up holding the imperial edict to proclaim it, the crying gradually subsided.

Yun Chu raised her eyes to look at this official. This person was Marquis Boyuan, who also worked in the Grand Secretariat as a fourth-rank Grand Secretary. His status as a hereditary noble, combined with fourth-rank authority, and most crucially his membership in the Grand Secretariat—hereditary nobility plus real power—could be considered foremost in the capital.

She had heard Yu’er mention that Marquis Boyuan’s son performed exceptionally well at the Imperial Academy and was, along with Meng Shen, one of Teacher Wang’s two most valued students.

If this momentum continued, the Marquis Boyuan residence would soon become a major power in the capital.

What a pity… Marquis Boyuan had chosen the wrong side.

Yun Chu lowered her head, her eyes filled with cold light.

“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I have reigned for thirty years, diligent from dawn to dusk, tirelessly devoted…”

The beginning of the edict was a long section of the Emperor’s self-reflection—what he had accomplished over the years, what he had contributed to Great Jin, what he had brought to the people… Only after a considerable time did it reach the main point.

“…Prince Regent Chu Rui suffered greatly in his youth, which forged tremendous resilience… During my final moments, Chu Rui remained at my side. He has received deep instruction from me and has become almost one with me… As I depart this world, Great Jin has no heir to succeed. After much deliberation, I summoned Grand Preceptor Xu, Prince Regent, Marquis Boyuan, Grand Councilor Qi… to jointly deliberate, and thus establish Prince Regent Chu Rui as the next Emperor! This is proclaimed to all under heaven, so all may know. By imperial decree!”

Marquis Boyuan finished reading the edict.

The person beside Chu Rui was the new Commander of the Yulin Imperial Guards, Minister Lin—the legitimate son of his mother consort’s family and a trusted confidant personally promoted by Chu Rui.

Minister Lin was the first to speak: “This subject pays respects to the new sovereign. Long live Your Majesty, ten thousand years!”

As he spoke, seven or eight other followers beside Chu Rui also bowed in submission: “We subjects pay respects to the new sovereign. Long live Your Majesty, ten thousand years!”

The remaining officials all looked at each other in confusion.

There were clearly still imperial princes and legitimate imperial grandsons—how could His Majesty establish a collateral nephew as the new sovereign?

This was simply too absurd.

Minister Nie, kneeling beside Yun Chu, couldn’t help but raise his head: “May I ask Marquis Boyuan, does this edict bear the imperial seal?”

“Audacious Nie Zhou!” Marquis Boyuan, holding the edict and thus representing imperial authority, addressed Minister Nie by his personal name and coldly rebuked, “To question an imperial edict—do you know what crime this constitutes!”

Yun Ze spoke calmly: “Throughout history, after a late emperor’s final decree is issued, all civil and military officials pay respects to the new emperor. Why is it that all the officials outside the hall remain silent? It is because the content of this decree is truly difficult for people to accept!”

Marquis Boyuan picked up the decree and placed it in Yun Ze’s hands, saying coldly: “The decree was orally dictated by the late Emperor, and I organized it into written form. Since everyone questions it, then let all civil and military officials personally review the decree!”

Ordinarily, imperial edicts—aside from those the Emperor wrote personally on a whim—were mostly drafted and written by Grand Secretaries of the Grand Secretariat, then personally sealed by the Emperor with the imperial seal.

Yun Ze glanced at it and indeed saw no problems, then passed it to the civil and military officials behind him for review one by one.

Chu Rui’s lips curved in a cold smile.

The decree had been written by Grand Secretary Marquis Boyuan himself, and the imperial seal was genuine. In every aspect, it was impossible to find any fault.

Back then, when his father was Crown Prince, he was killed by the current Emperor.

Now, he had finally killed his father’s murderer with his own hands and reclaimed the great kingdom for his father.

Even if he only had ten years of life remaining, what did it matter? It was enough time to father a child and continue his father’s dynasty.

Yun Chu slowly raised her head.

She did not look at Chu Rui, but instead looked at Marquis Boyuan who had proclaimed the edict and asked: “May I ask Marquis Boyuan, are you certain you correctly conveyed the late Emperor’s final wishes? Are you certain you did not alter the content of the decree?”

“Crown Princess, please understand—this humble subject does not have such audacity!” Marquis Boyuan bowed with clasped hands. “Moreover, I was not the only one present at the time.”

Grand Councilor Qi from the Grand Council spoke: “This humble subject can testify that every word in the decree was spoken by the late Emperor in his final moments. Marquis Boyuan did not alter even a single word.”

Minister Lin followed: “This humble subject can also testify for Marquis Boyuan.”

Yun Chu stood up. A smile of ambiguous meaning curved her lips as she looked at the civil and military officials and said: “A person whose identity is false—the decree he wrote, I consider untrustworthy. Even if there are several witnesses, even if the decree indeed appears genuine, I still believe this is a false edict!”

“What does the Crown Princess mean!” Marquis Boyuan’s expression immediately changed. “This is the late Emperor’s decree—it cannot be more genuine! All civil and military officials have reviewed it one by one. If it is false, where exactly is it false?”

“False in that you are not Marquis Boyuan at all!”

Yun Chu shouted sternly.

In the next moment, Yun Ze, who had been kneeling in the hall, suddenly stood up and stepped forward to press down on Marquis Boyuan’s shoulders.

He then removed Marquis Boyuan’s official hat and pulled out the hairpin, letting the waterfall of black hair cascade down.

At the same time, Yun Ze directly removed the wide official robe Marquis Boyuan wore on the outside, revealing the form-fitting white inner garment underneath.

Almost instinctively, Marquis Boyuan raised a hand to cover his chest.

He roared angrily: “Minister Yun, though you are the legitimate son of the Yun Family, though your father is honored as Grand General and Grand Marshal, though the Yun Family commands hundreds of thousands of troops, you should not humiliate people like this! Release me, let go!”

Everyone present had already raised their heads, watching this scene, completely unclear about what was happening or what Yun Ze was trying to do.

Yun Chu spoke coldly: “Someone, bring a bucket of water!”

Chu Rui spoke to stop them: “This is the Hall of Mental Cultivation, in the presence of the late Emperor’s remains. What exactly are the Crown Princess and Minister Yun trying to do!”

Minister Nie Zhou had already fetched a basin of water from the water vat outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Yun Ze took it and poured it over Marquis Boyuan’s head.

Marquis Boyuan tried to dodge but couldn’t escape at all.

Because Yun Ze’s strength was too great.

He didn’t understand—hadn’t Yun Ze chosen to become a civil official because he lacked martial arts talent? Why was his strength so great?

As the basin of water poured down, Marquis Boyuan felt a bone-chilling cold.

He instinctively curled into a ball, protecting his body.

But there were simply too many onlookers—all the imperial family members, all the court officials, and so many palace maids and eunuchs…

The entire assembly erupted in commotion.

“Good heavens, why is Marquis Boyuan’s figure so slender, like a woman!”

“Marquis Boyuan was already thin, but looking like this, even thinner… No, something’s not right. How could such a thin person have chest muscles…”

“Previously I invited Marquis Boyuan to the bathhouse, and he never agreed. So it turns out he has a physical problem—a grown man with a woman’s chest.”

“What nonsense are you spouting! Can’t you see clearly? Marquis Boyuan is obviously a woman!”

“What? The Marquis is a woman?”

“No wonder the Crown Princess said Marquis Boyuan’s identity was false! Good heavens, I’ve known Marquis Boyuan for over ten years and he’s looked like this the whole time. Has he been falsifying his identity since back then?”

“…”