Wu Yi turned and glanced at the Empress. The moment their eyes met, he understood.
She had long been aware of Xu Xian’s wolfish ambitions, but it wasn’t time to lay all the cards on the table. Once the façade was torn apart, no one would walk away unscathed.
At this moment, Xu Yangshuo wore a pained expression, seemingly struggling internally and unable to speak. That alone proved this answer was of utmost secrecy—he didn’t dare reveal it.
Just as he was about to lose control and blurt it out, Wu Yi knocked him unconscious on the spot.
“No talking.”
Then he smiled like nothing had happened and chuckled, “Hey~ I was just joking, and look how scared you all got.”
“Prime Minister Xu has served Longhua with utmost dedication for so many years—who doesn’t know that? How could he possibly rebel?”
“If anyone dares accuse him of treason, I’ll be the first to object!”
Then he suddenly shifted the topic.
“But if someone were to rebel, wouldn’t it be Minister Lin?”
Wu Yi wasn’t one to hold grudges—because he always got even immediately. That bastard was doomed today.
Lin Zhengtang: “???”
Thud—
His legs gave out as he collapsed to his knees, snot and tears pouring as he wailed, “Your Majesty, please see clearly—I’ve always been loyal to Longhua!”
“I’ve never harbored any treasonous thoughts! May heaven strike me down if I ever did!”
Long Qiyue cast him a bored glance. “I never said anything. Minister Lin, I’m well aware of your loyalty.”
“But earlier you swore Wu Yi was challenging imperial authority. Now that the truth has been revealed and he was clearly framed by Xu Yangshuo, how do you explain yourself?”
Lin Zhengtang froze, his face stiff. “Ah? This… I really didn’t know, Your Majesty. I never imagined the young lord was framed.”
Long Qiyue’s phoenix eyes turned to Xu Xian. A trace of delight flashed across her gaze as she calmly said, “Minister Xu, as the head of all officials, you control administration, law, and appointments.”
“What do you think is the appropriate punishment for Minister Lin, who falsely accused the young lord of defying imperial power?”
Lin Zhengtang was Xu Xian’s biggest lapdog—abusing his position for personal gain and corruption. She had long wanted a legitimate reason to get rid of him.
Now the opportunity had come.
And the most satisfying part? She was going to make the all-powerful Prime Minister cut off his own right-hand man.
That feeling… was incredible.
Lin Zhengtang snapped out of it and quickly crawled to Xu Xian’s feet, crying miserably.
“Prime Minister, please spare me! I didn’t know the truth—I was deceived too!”
BAM—
Xu Xian, already irritated, kicked him aside.
But Lin Zhengtang still had some value, so he couldn’t give up on him entirely. He cupped his hands toward Long Qiyue and said, “Your Majesty, Minister Lin falsely accused the young lord without knowing the full truth, nearly causing disaster. According to the law, this crime warrants execution.”
“However, his intentions were to protect imperial authority and preserve empire stability, so there’s room for leniency.”
“This old minister recommends demoting him three ranks and confiscating all his assets. What does Your Majesty think?”
Upon hearing that, Lin Zhengtang breathed a sigh of relief. He thought to himself, “Seems all that money I’ve gifted the Xu family over the years paid off.” This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
As for Long Qiyue, her eyes turned cold. Lin Zhengtang, as the Minister of Revenue, held immense financial power. Who knew how much he’d embezzled behind the scenes over the years? His crimes could easily warrant eight hundred beheadings.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to deal with him earlier—she simply couldn’t.
She had only ascended the throne a year ago and hadn’t yet solidified her foundation. Lin Zhengtang was shielded by Xu Xian, which was why he had remained untouched until now.
But this time… she had to eliminate him.
If she missed this chance, who knew when the next one would come?
Of course, she didn’t want to directly clash with Xu Xian unless absolutely necessary. But if someone else could do the dirty work for her, that would be ideal.
Thinking of this, Long Qiyue instinctively looked toward Wu Yi.
“Hmm?”
Wu Yi noticed her calm gaze settle on him and sneered inwardly.
“Trying to use me?”
“You think you can just use me as you please? What a joke!”
Of course, he understood what the Empress wanted. But he wasn’t foolish. While he did want to kill Lin Zhengtang, he had no intention of being the Empress’s pawn.
He responded with a look of pure innocence and confusion.
And then, everyone in the court witnessed a comical sight—
Long Qiyue and Wu Yi stared silently at each other, saying nothing, like two lovers sharing a silent, intense moment.
Wu Yi: “Staring.”
Empress: “Staring.”
Wu Yi: “?”
Empress: “?”
Wu Yi: “…”
Empress: “…”
They were both waiting for the other to speak first, but neither gave in. The tension stretched absurdly.
Eventually, a flicker of disappointment appeared in Long Qiyue’s eyes.
She thought to herself, “Looks like I overestimated him. He doesn’t understand my intention. He’s not fit for anything important.”
Just as she turned her gaze away with subtle disappointment, Wu Yi smirked coldly to himself.
“Trying to play mind games with me?”
Now, when it came to deciding Lin Zhengtang’s fate, Long Qiyue seemed hesitant. She propped her jade-like hand under her chin and tapped the armrest of the dragon throne rhythmically with her slender fingers.
Tap…
Tap…
Though slow, each tap further suppressed the atmosphere in the Golden Luan Hall. No one dared breathe too loudly or raise their heads.
Only Wu Yi calmly observed the Empress.
At that moment, Long Qiyue, perhaps feeling irritated, subtly adjusted her posture. As her skirt shifted, a glimpse of smooth skin, slender calves, and delicate ankles briefly flashed into view.
Every detail frantically tugged at Wu Yi’s nerves. His gaze was instinctively drawn toward it.
SMACK—
Suddenly, the Empress slammed her hand on the armrest, her angry voice ringing through the hall. The source of this chapter is g.com.
“Insolence, Wu Yi!”
“You dared to sneak a look at my body? You dare profane me? You have some nerve!”
“Dragon Shadow Guards, where are you?”
“Take Wu Yi to the heavenly prison and await judgment!”
Wu Yi: “Ah?????”
What the hell?!
She’s playing this game?
Scheming witch, this Empress.
I just pretended to be dumb a little—how can you be this petty?
Forget the others—even Duke Wu An was startled.
“Your Majesty, this cannot be!”
Only Long Yayin stared at Wu Yi in awe, secretly giving him a thumbs-up and whispering, “Damn, old Yi, you actually dared sneak a peek at Royal Sister’s body? You’ve earned my respect!”
Soon, a team of Dragon Shadow Guards clad in golden armor stormed in, ready to take Wu Yi away.
Seeing Wu Yi give her a helpless ‘you win’ expression, Long Qiyue felt deeply satisfied.
“Hmph~ Let’s see you pretend in front of me again!”
She, as the Empress, had razor-sharp eyes. Of course she could tell Wu Yi understood her meaning—he was just pretending not to.
That made her just a little annoyed.
But she had also figured out Wu Yi’s weakness.
He liked legs!
From the moment she entered the court until now, this shameless rogue had stolen glances at her legs dozens of times.
“My legs aren’t something you can look at whenever you want. Hmph~”
Just as the guards were about to grab him, Wu Yi suddenly shouted, “Wait! Your Majesty!”
“I wish to redeem myself by rendering merit.”
A flicker of triumph flashed in Long Qiyue’s eyes, though she still kept an angry expression.
“Oh? And how does the young lord plan to redeem himself?”
As she spoke, she subtly gestured, and the Dragon Shadow Guards retreated.
Wu Yi looked deeply at Long Qiyue.
In that moment, she seemed especially… pitiful in his mind.
How pitiful?
He could only say—enough to fill an entire portable hard drive.
“Your Majesty, just watch and see.”