Daming: After self-explosive time travel, Lao Zhu's mentality collapsed

"Your Majesty, although Xiaolan is hateful, she is just a pawn after all." Shen Xue continued, "The one who really killed my sister was someone else."

"Who is it?" Chu Ze's voice was as cold as if it came from hell.

Shen Xue paused, then slowly said a name, "It's... the Queen."

Chu Ze's pupils shrank suddenly, and a trace of disbelief flashed in his eyes, "Queen? How is this possible?"

"Your Majesty, the Queen has always been jealous of my sister's favor, so..."

"That's enough!" Chu Ze interrupted her abruptly, "I don't believe it! The queen is so virtuous, how could she do such a thing?"

A sly look flashed through Shen Xue's eyes. "Your Majesty, I don't dare to say anything without evidence. I have a letter here from the Queen to Xiaolan. It clearly states..."

Shen Xue took out a letter from her sleeve and handed it to Chu Ze.

Chu Ze took the letter, unfolded it, and his face turned pale. The content of the letter was the evidence that the Queen had ordered Xiaolan to harm Shen Yue.

"This... This is impossible..." Chu Ze muttered to himself, his eyes full of pain and struggle. He had always loved the queen and regarded her as his good wife. He could not believe that the queen would do such a thing.

"Your Majesty..." Shen Xue's voice was soft and weak, as if it contained a hint of comfort, "I know that it is hard for you to accept it for the time being. However, the facts are before you, and you can no longer deceive yourself."

Chu Ze tightly grasped the letter in his hand, his knuckles turning white. His heart was like a raging sea, filled with pain, anger, doubt, confusion...

He didn't know who to trust or what to do.

Just then, a burst of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the imperial study.

"Your Majesty, the Empress requests an audience!" An eunuch's voice sounded outside the door.

The empress was wearing a phoenix crown and a red robe, and she was walking hurriedly, followed by two nervous palace maids. As soon as she entered the imperial study, she knelt down in front of Chu Ze, tears streaming down her face: "Your Majesty, I am innocent!"

Chu Ze looked at her, feeling mixed emotions. He handed her the letter and said in a hoarse voice, "Read it yourself."

The queen took the letter, quickly read it, and her face turned pale. She trembled all over and burst into tears: "I have never written this letter! Someone is framing me!"

"Framed?" Chu Ze sneered, "The evidence is irrefutable, and you still want to deny it?"

"Your Majesty, I am truly devoted to you, as can be witnessed by the sun and the moon! How could I do such a heartless thing?" The Queen cried with tears in her eyes, looking pitiful.

Chu Ze looked at her, his heart wavering. He loved the queen deeply and didn't want to believe that she would do such a thing. However, the handwriting on the letter was indeed the queen's handwriting.

"Your Majesty, think about it, if I kill Concubine Shen, what good will it do me?" The Queen raised her head and stared at Chu Ze with burning eyes, "Concubine Shen has fallen out of favor and poses no threat to me. Why should I do this?"

Chu Ze was silent. The Queen's words were not without reason.

Shen Xue watched from the side, sneering in her heart. She knew that the Queen would not easily admit her guilt. So, she continued, "Your Majesty, although the Queen did not harm my sister directly, she instructed Xiaolan to poison my sister's food, causing her to have a miscarriage. Before Xiaolan committed suicide out of fear of the crime, she left a blood letter that stated everything."

"Blood letter?" Chu Ze suddenly raised his head and looked at Shen Xue, "Where is the blood letter?"

Shen Xue took out a piece of blood-stained white cloth from her sleeve and handed it to Chu Ze.

Chu Ze took the white cloth and saw a few words written crookedly on it: "The Queen ordered this servant to..."

Chu Ze's face turned pale again. He looked at the queen, his eyes full of disappointment and pain: "What else do you have to say?"

The queen slumped on the ground, her face pale. She knew she was finished.

"Someone come!" Chu Ze roared, "Send the queen to the cold palace!"

Two guards immediately stepped forward and dragged the queen away.

After the queen was dragged away, Chu Ze sat dejectedly on the dragon throne, feeling exhausted both physically and mentally. He rubbed his temples and looked at Shen Xue: "What do you want?"

Shen Xue bowed and said, "I dare not ask for anything, I just hope that the emperor can seek justice for my sister."

Chu Ze nodded: "Don't worry, I will definitely give you an explanation." Shen Xue's lips curled up with a barely perceptible smile. She knew that her goal had been achieved.

Chu Ze ordered that Xiaolan's body be buried with great honor and Shen Yue be posthumously conferred the title of imperial concubine.

When the news came out, the whole court was in uproar. No one had expected that the queen would do such a vicious thing.

In the cold palace, the queen had her hair disheveled and looked like a mad woman. She kept shouting, "It's unfair! It's unfair to me!"

However, no one would believe her.

In the Shen Mansion, Shen Xue sat in front of the dressing table, looking at herself in the mirror with a smug smile. She knew that she had successfully dethroned the queen and won huge benefits for the family.

"Sister, rest in peace." Shen Xue said to the mirror, "I have avenged you."

However, what she didn't know was that all of this was under Chu Ze's control.

The reason why Chu Ze banished the queen to the cold palace was not because he really believed that she killed Shen Yue. He just wanted to take advantage of the situation and lure out the mastermind.

He had long suspected that Shen Yue's miscarriage was not an accident, but someone had done it on purpose. And the queen was just a pawn in this game.

The reason why he believed Shen Xue's words was because he knew that there was a grudge between Shen Xue and the Queen.

Shen Xue's father was once the confidant of the queen. Later, he was exposed by the queen for corruption and bribery, and was eventually executed.

Shen Xue has always held a grudge and wanted revenge.

Chu Ze took advantage of Shen Xue's hatred to dethrone the queen.

Now that the queen has been banished to the cold palace, the mastermind behind this will definitely let down his guard.

What Chu Ze has to do is to wait for the opportunity to catch the mastermind behind the scenes.

Late at night, Chu Ze sat alone in the imperial study, holding a letter in his hand.

This letter was given to him by Shen Xue, who said it was written by the Queen to Xiaolan.

However, Chu Ze knew that the letter was fake.

Although the handwriting on the letter was very similar to the Queen's, it lacked some of the Queen's charm.

This letter was forged by Shen Xue.

A sneer appeared at the corner of Chu Ze's mouth.

"Shen Xue, do you think you did it perfectly?" Chu Ze said to himself, "I have seen through your tricks a long time ago."

He threw the letter into the brazier and watched it turn to ashes.

"Someone come here!" Chu Ze shouted.

A man in black appeared in front of him.

"Go check who Shen Xue has been in contact with recently." Chu Ze ordered.

"As you wish." The man in black took the order and left.

Chu Ze looked at the dark night sky outside the window, with a cold light flashing in his eyes.

He knew that a bigger conspiracy was brewing...

The next morning, Chu Ze arrived at the cold palace early.

He pushed open the door to the cold palace, and a rotten smell hit him in the face. (End of this chapter)