Upon hearing this, everyone present immediately showed expressions of astonishment.
“It has long been said that the Jade Pool Holy Land excels in divining the secrets of heaven, with calculations that never miss their mark.”
“So it turns out they rely on this Imperial Artifact, the Mirror of Clarity!”
“Elder Yao Yue has arrived at just the right time.”
“With the Mirror of Clarity appearing, whether there was false accusation today will soon be revealed!”
Under the gaze of the crowd, Yao Yue waved her hand and summoned the Mirror of Clarity.
A mirror nine feet tall, its frame inlaid with sparkling Moonstones, while the mirror surface at its center rippled like the waters of a lake.
Seeing this scene, Qin Ru immediately panicked and hurriedly spoke up to stop it, “Wait!”
“Elder Yao Yue, this is a family matter of our Great Qi. How can domestic shame be aired in public?”
“We will handle today’s matter ourselves. Please, do not interfere, Jade Pool Holy Land!”
Hearing this, Yao Yue revealed a meaningful smile on her face.
Ye Qing stood with arms crossed, intrigued. “Why does Prime Minister Qin wish to stop this?”
“If we want to resolve this matter today without resorting to force, Elder Yao Yue’s method is the best possible.”
“Could it be that you have something to hide and do not want the truth to come to light?”
Qin Ru realized he had given himself away and lowered his head in silence.
Those around also began to understand, sensing that something was amiss.
For Qin Ru to stop things like this, he must surely be guilty.
Could it be that he truly engaged in such slanderous acts?
However, Qin Ru’s image in the minds of scholars was far too lofty and grand.
Even now that he had revealed a flaw, a considerable number of people still firmly believed in his character.
“Ancestor…”
Qin Ru, at a loss, could only cast a pleading glance toward Mo Zhentian beside him.
Mo Zhentian, at this moment, frowned deeply, his expression grave.
He too understood that the truth of the matter absolutely must not be made public.
Otherwise, not only would Qin Ru be utterly disgraced, but he and Her Majesty the Empress would also be branded as accomplices to evil.
But now, the other side had three Ascension Realm Great Powers.
Ye Qing, Yao Yue, and the Fire Phoenix King.
Ye Qing alone was already more than enough to give him a hard time.
Add Yao Yue and the Fire Phoenix King to that…
If he used force to obstruct them, he would certainly face dire consequences.
“It seems the returned ancestor has no objections. Prime Minister Qin, you should not obstruct any further.”
Yao Yue raised her index and middle fingers, smiling faintly. “I will now bring the truth to light!”
With that, Yao Yue channeled her Spiritual Power into the Mirror of Clarity before her.
The originally calm mirror surface became turbulent, stirring with gusts of cold wind.
The cold wind blew through Yao Yue’s hair, accentuating her resolute and handsome face.
Her peerless, ravishing beauty left many entranced.
But soon, everyone shifted their gaze upward.
The Mirror of Clarity formed a vast image in mid-air, visible clearly to everyone in the entire imperial city.
However, channeling the Spiritual Power still required some time.
Everyone stared intently at the sky, the world falling into utter silence.
All were silently awaiting the moment when the truth would be revealed.
…
Meanwhile.
Qu Qingyan arrived at the secret chamber beneath the imperial palace.
Gazing at the Prophecy Chart enshrined within the altar, she murmured, “Ancestors, please bless your descendant, that this action against the Ye family may succeed in one stroke.”
“As long as I obtain the Xuanyuan Sword, I can absorb the supreme spiritual power stored within it, overcome the final obstacle, and successfully break through to the Ascension Realm.”
“From this day forward, wielding the Xuanyuan Sword and the Cauldron of Primordial Mother Qi, I will truly be the Great Qi Empress, standing above all others, destined to unify the entire Eastern Continent.”
“As for the Ye family, as the sacrifice for my dominion over the Eastern Continent, they have already served their purpose…”
Just as Qu Qingyan was murmuring excitedly to herself, heavy footsteps suddenly sounded from behind.
She whirled around sharply and demanded, “Who is it?!”
Approaching from a distance was an elderly man with white hair and beard.
Clad in a white robe, he had the youthful face of a crane and an immortal aura, holding a dragon-headed cane with an imposing presence that commanded respect without anger.
The powerful aura emanating from the old man unmistakably reached the eighth level of the Ascension Realm.
He was none other than the foremost of the Great Qi’s Three Ancestors, the Wind Ancestor, Chang Yun Xiao.
“Wind Ancestor?”
Qu Qingyan was slightly taken aback and asked in confusion, “Why have you come?”
Chang Yun Xiao did not answer directly but instead calmly countered, “Let me ask you: was it you who devised this scheme to crush the Ye family and covet the Xuanyuan Sword?”
Qu Qingyan remained silent for a moment before openly nodding in admission. “Yes.”
“You are foolish!”
Chang Yun Xiao rebuked sternly, “You are well aware of the immense contributions the Ye family has made to Great Qi over generations.”
“In that one battle, the Ye family lost all its promising young talents, leaving only one to continue the bloodline.”
“Yet now, disregarding the Ye family’s merits, you scheme to seize the Xuanyuan Sword by force. Is this not akin to killing the donkey after it has ground the grain?!”
“How will the people of the world view the Great Qi royal family from now on?!”
Faced with Chang Yun Xiao’s reprimand, Qu Qingyan remained remarkably composed.
“Wind Ancestor, I know you were once sworn brothers with the Ye family’s ancestors and shared a close bond.”
“But as an elder ancestor of Great Qi, at this critical juncture concerning the royal family’s interests, you must not let personal feelings interfere with public duty.”
“Now, with demons and monsters running rampant and other dynasties on the Eastern Continent eyeing us covetously, seeking to exploit the chaos to seize Great Qi’s dominant position…”
“If we cling solely to past sentiments, allowing demons and monsters to deplete our national strength while other dynasties take advantage, the Great Qi Dynasty will face utter ruin.”
“In this world, the law of the jungle is an eternal truth. Only strength is everything!”
“The Ye family is now in decline. We must not dwell on old affections. They must hand over the Xuanyuan Sword to prevent this Supreme Imperial Artifact from falling into the hands of others!”
Hearing this, Chang Yun Xiao could not help but nod in agreement.
“You are right. The strong rule, and the weak are preyed upon.”
“The weak can never rely on the mercy of the strong to survive.”
“But after all, the Ye family has rendered so many outstanding services…”
Qu Qingyan declared resolutely, “The Ye family’s merits belong to the past.”
“The Ye family is now in decline and has no successors!”
“Once I seize the Xuanyuan Sword and firmly secure the royal family’s position, I can then target other dynasties, unify the entire Eastern Continent, and ensure Great Qi’s prosperity for millennia!”
“Centuries from now, the world will only remember Great Qi as the hegemon of the Eastern Continent. Who will recall that a Ye family ever existed?”
Chang Yun Xiao fell silent for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. He then retrieved a red paper scroll from his robes.
“Ancestor, what is this?” Qu Qingyan asked suspiciously.
“A marriage contract.”
Chang Yunxiao said with a bitter smile, “Back in the days when the late emperor was still alive, he arranged a marriage contract between you and the youngest son of the Ye family, who is now Prince Xiaoyao, Ye Qing.”
“At that time, both of you were still young, so the late emperor entrusted the marriage document to me for safekeeping.”
“But later, the entire Ye family perished, their household fell into decline, and this matter was quietly suppressed…”