The Emperor had passed away. As a woman of the imperial clan, the Prince Regent’s consort had naturally arrived early as well.

She knelt among the crowd. When she heard the fake Marquis Boyuan speak thus, she raised her head in shock.

How could she possibly have ordered Marquis Boyuan to forge an imperial edict…

But when she met Chu Rui’s gaze, she knew she had only one path to take—to admit to the crime in place of her husband.

Only this way could her husband be extricated and preserve his position as Prince Regent.

Her husband was the Prince Regent. Even if she admitted to the crime and was thrown into the dungeon, her husband would surely find a way to save her, right? After all, her husband had once said she was like a ray of light that illuminated his dark world…

“What does the Prince Regent’s consort have to say?” the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review said loudly. “A mere woman dares to interfere in court politics and fabricate an imperial edict—do you know what crime you have committed!”

“It was… it was me…” Su Ziyue stepped out from the crowd and knelt at the bottom of the steps. “This matter was done by me alone and has nothing to do with anyone else. I wanted to become Empress, wanted to become mother of the nation, so I hid it from my husband and committed such treasonous acts. This criminal Su Ziyue submits herself to the Minister’s judgment!”

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review couldn’t help but glance at Chu Rui.

Honestly, he was bewildered too, not knowing how to handle this.

Chu Rui walked down the steps one by one and came to Su Ziyue’s side.

He looked at the civil and military officials kneeling below and spoke deliberately: “This prince’s consort is ignorant and has caused such a farce. This prince apologizes to everyone on her behalf.”

The civil and military officials below couldn’t help but whisper to each other.

“A farce?”

“Falsely transmitting an imperial edict is a farce?”

“Nearly overturning the imperial bloodline, and an apology suffices?”

“The Prince Regent truly does not take us court officials seriously…”

Just as people began discussing and before anyone stood up to condemn or oppose.

They heard Chu Rui continue: “But she has committed an unforgivable, heinous crime. How can a mere apology satisfy the masses? This prince has no choice but to become one who righteously eliminates his own kin!”

He bent down and helped Su Ziyue to her feet.

Su Ziyue’s head buzzed. She was still wondering what “righteously eliminating his own kin” meant. Was it what she was thinking?

But when she saw Chu Rui’s gentle smile and affectionate eyes, she felt she must be overthinking it.

However, before she could have any other thoughts.

Suddenly!

Chu Rui abruptly drew a sword from the waist of Commander Lin of the Yulin Imperial Guards behind him and fiercely thrust it into Su Ziyue’s abdomen.

“Squelch!”

The long sword pierced through Su Ziyue’s entire body.

Her internal organs were penetrated, and bright red blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.

Her face was full of disbelief: “Husband…”

Chu Rui leaned close to her ear: “Wife, go in peace. I will establish a memorial tablet for you, and you will forever have a place in my heart.”

“Husband…” Su Ziyue’s entire body trembled, blood continuously flowing from her mouth. “I, I…”

She vaguely remembered their wedding night—he was as gentle as moonlight, his passionate eyes filled with her, and she had given her body and heart completely to him.

For him, she could do anything.

Including dying…

But still.

With trembling hands, she reached up to touch her blood-soaked abdomen.

“I, I forgot to tell… husband…” Su Ziyue vomited blood with every few words. “I, am, am pregnant…”

For the first time, Chu Rui’s face showed an expression that wasn’t feigned: “What did you say…”

“I… urgh…” Su Ziyue spat up blood in great mouthfuls.

Before she could finish speaking, she collapsed into Chu Rui’s arms.

Chu Rui grasped her pulse.

Having been ill for so long, taking pulses was the easiest thing for him.

When he felt the weak beating of her pulse, his heart involuntarily constricted.

He truly had a child, but…

“Hus… band…”

Su Ziyue struggled to utter these two words before closing her eyes and losing her breath.

“Wife!”

Chu Rui cried out in grief and anguish.

Why, why didn’t she tell him sooner?

Why wait until the blade had pierced her abdomen to tell him something so important?

In his childhood, he had watched his father die before his eyes.

In his youth, he had watched his mother die.

Growing older, even the elder sister who had always protected him died.

Now, his child had also died before his eyes…

He wasn’t born under an unlucky star, so why was he always alone? Why!

All the civil and military officials were shocked by this scene.

In their impression, the Prince Regent was a sickly person, usually pale-faced and looking very weak. They never expected he would kill without hesitation!

And he killed his newly wedded wife!

You could say he was faking it, but the grief on his face didn’t seem feigned at all!

Yun Chu was close enough to clearly hear Su Ziyue’s intermittent words. In her tender young body, there had been a child.

That not-yet-formed fetus had been stabbed to death by its own biological father with a single thrust.

If not for this child, Chu Rui probably couldn’t have squeezed out even a fake tear.

Poor sixteen-year-old Su Ziyue, who had devoted her whole heart to Chu Rui, only to become his stepping stone.

“This prince has cleaned house!” Chu Rui’s face was covered in tear tracks as he spoke these words with difficulty to everyone. “This prince has no desire for the throne. My heart is completely loyal—may all of you understand this!”

“The Prince Regent has righteously eliminated his own kin—he is a model for court officials!” The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review hastily flattered him. “Someone, imprison the fake Marquis Boyuan. The Prince Regent’s consort’s body… send it back to the Prince Regent’s residence!”

Palace maids and eunuchs stepped forward and quickly cleaned up the stains on the ground.

As if nothing had ever happened.

But the Emperor’s remains lying on the dragon bed reminded everyone that before a new sovereign was determined, nothing was over.

The Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat spoke: “Since His Majesty left no final decree, then the Grand Secretariat and the Hanlin Academy, together with the Three Dukes, shall jointly determine the future sovereign of Great Jin…”

“Wait a moment.” Grand Preceptor Xu, who had been standing in the crowd, walked to the front.

Even before Grand Preceptor Xu said anything, Yun Chu realized that Grand Preceptor Xu had probably already been coerced and become Chu Rui’s person.

Grand Preceptor Xu was the backup plan Chu Rui had left for himself.

The Grand Secretary spoke: “What instruction does Grand Preceptor Xu have?”

“Last night, His Majesty summoned this official alone in secret audience to discuss the matter of the heir.” Grand Preceptor Xu gave his deputy a look. The deputy took an imperial edict from his sleeve and respectfully handed it to Grand Preceptor Xu. “At that time, His Majesty was worried about his health and settled on the Crown Prince candidate early with this official… Just now when Marquis Boyuan proclaimed the edict, this official thought His Majesty had changed his mind at the critical moment, so I didn’t plan to bring out the edict written last night… But since Marquis Boyuan’s was a false edict, then we can only go by the edict in this official’s hands. What do you all think?”

Marquis Pingjin, who was always bold, spoke up: “We also need to see whether the edict in the Grand Preceptor’s hands is real or fake! Enough talk—proclaim the edict first!”