The punishment of the female imperial court

Chapter 296 Assassin
Yu Qian Si watched their back-and-forth exchange and had already lost her patience.

"In any case, what we are discussing today is the case of the Prayer Hall ten years ago," she interrupted the two by raising her voice, and looked coldly at Consort Cao: "Your Highness, would you be willing to hand over the prayer beads in your hand for me to examine, so as to prove your innocence?"

To prove his innocence.

These four words are ironic.

Now, among the people present, probably very few would think that Consort Cao is innocent.

Consort Cao gripped her prayer beads tightly, the beads rustling softly as they rubbed together. Despite being relentlessly pressured, she held her head high, ignoring Yu Qian Si and focusing solely on Lin Pei Yun, her eyes flashing with a mad light: "You... dare to say it?"

Forced by her expression, Lin Peiyun avoided Consort Cao's gaze, her voice echoing in the hall: "I've already said, I have evidence to prove that you colluded with Northern Qi!"

Consort Cao shook her head, as if she was completely disappointed in her, her eyes filled with disdain and pity: "Lin Peiyun, I didn't expect that after so many years, you still haven't made any progress."

"Back then, I shouldn't have hesitated and been deceived by your pitiful appearance. If I had been more ruthless, I would have killed you directly, and I wouldn't have to see you putting on this act today." She said this and stepped down a step. By the time she finished speaking, she was already standing in front of Lin Peiyun, exuding an imposing pressure.

Lin Peiyun smiled, as if she had thought of something. She slowly approached Consort Cao, parted her lips slightly, and said provocatively in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Your Highness, we are merely relying on our own abilities. You ask me if I dare to tell the truth. Is it because Your Highness is afraid to tell the truth, and therefore you are using me to proclaim it to the public?"

Upon hearing this, Consort Cao's eyes narrowed, and she slapped Lin Peiyun with all her might, knocking Lin Peiyun to the ground, where she remained stunned for a long time.

It all happened so suddenly that everyone didn't realize what was happening until Lin Peiyun fell to the ground.

Upon seeing this, the imperial guards inside the palace rushed towards Consort Cao, intending to seize her.

However, she maintained the air of someone in a high position and coldly stopped her, saying, "No need for that."

Even so, the Imperial Guards dared not let their guard down, standing in a row to separate her from the emperor on the steps.

Consort Cao looked up at the young emperor from behind the imperial guards: "I killed that fake Empress Mingdao. But Your Majesty, you cannot touch me."

Yu Qiansi recalled what Shang Fu had said and calmly replied amidst the puzzled looks on everyone's faces: "The lost map of the Ministry of War's Department of Military Affairs, was it your doing?"

From the moment the fire at the Ministry of War began, she felt like she was being led by the nose. At crucial moments, essential clues would appear, guiding her step by step toward the so-called "truth."

Now that she knows Shang Fu's identity, she naturally understands the reason behind it.

The only "collaborator" that Shang Fu referred to could be Consort Cao.

"Shang—" Yu Qiansi had just started to speak when Jiang Jiqing coughed.

Yu Qiansi frowned and looked over, only to see his face covered in tears, as if he had been choked by charcoal ash.

"Indeed a clever person," Consort Cao smiled, carefully examining Yu Qiansi. "Don't worry, the map is still safe for now. But if my people don't receive my message within three days, they will hand the map over to Northern Qi. If you dare to touch me, I will make this world pay for it!"

Yu Qiansi scoffed lightly: "I don't care about maps."

Consort Cao's eyes flashed with a hint of interest: "I didn't expect that my poisoning attempt would fail to kill Wang Song, but instead allow him to find such a remarkable person as you. It's all about timing and luck. I should have killed you long ago after you discovered Lin'an's death, but this time, someone has gone soft-hearted again."

Yu Qiansi's voice suddenly turned cold as she looked at Wang Song, who was sitting high up: "Was the poison on the young master your doing?"

"The Lin family should thank me," said Consort Cao, adopting her usual haughty demeanor. "If I hadn't poisoned Wang Song, how could the court officials have allowed the Duke of Qi's family to dominate until now?" However, she hadn't expected that Wang Song, despite being poisoned by such a rare toxin, could still live for so long.

Upon hearing this, everyone was more confused than if they were dreaming, their eyes darting between Wang Song and Consort Cao.

Why did Consort Cao do this?
Her collusion with the Northern Qi and the killing of Empress Mingdao are understandable. But if she wanted to create chaos in the world, wouldn't it have been better to poison the emperor? Why go to such lengths to poison Wang Song, who lives outside the palace?
Jiang Jiqing had been somewhat nervous since the beginning, but upon hearing this, he could no longer contain himself and slapped the back of the chair beside him, shouting, "Insolence!"

Before the words were even finished, almost at the same moment, a short exclamation came from outside the palace gate. A group of men in black burst into the palace, their white blades pointed at Jiang Jiqing.

"Assassins! Protect the emperor!"

The officials shouted "Protect the Emperor!" but few actually went towards him. Terrified, they huddled together, trying to hide behind the vermilion pillars inside the hall or slip into the crowd to avoid injury. Like a flock of sheep, they spun and huddled together, moving towards the shadows inside the hall.

The purple vortex formed by the officials scattered the Imperial Guards' ranks and hindered their advance to protect the Emperor.

In the chaos, the Imperial Guards, along with Consort Cao and Lin Peiyun, approached the Emperor.

A moment earlier than everyone else, he smelled the blood outside the hall and tried to get closer to Yu Qiansi, but he was caught in the vortex of the group of officials and watched as he got further and further away from Yu Qiansi, who was standing quietly at the foot of the steps.

The men in black swept past Yu Qian Si, wielding their knives and indiscriminately slashing at several officials and their entourage before surging toward the emperor.

Above the main hall, the dilapidated Buddha statue cast many chaotic shadows, like a gathering of evil spirits from hell.

The warm light reflected from the Imperial Guards' armor was quickly blocked by the man in black and gradually dimmed.

Yu Qiansi's gaze first fell to the side, and the young master was immediately protected behind her by Shuxiang, who appeared out of nowhere.

Her gaze shifted back to the emperor surrounded by layers upon layers, only to see a hideous shadow reflected in the Buddha statue, pulling out a knife and stabbing it into the chest of the person holding the prayer beads.

Yu Qiansi peered into the crowd and, through the gaps between the imperial guards and assassins, saw the once arrogant Consort Cao turn around in disbelief, tears mixed with blood falling onto the Buddhist prayer beads.

The prayer beads suddenly broke.

They scattered and landed on the ground, hopping and leaping as they escaped that suffocating purgatory.

One of them, stained with blood and tears and bound by a broken rope, rolled to her feet.

So, this was his "backup plan".

Yu Qian Si slowly picked up the Buddhist beads, not caring how the Imperial Guards on the platform had fought off the group of assassins.

The rope was milky white, with a knot at one end. But the recently broken part looked as if it had been torn off out of thin air, with only a faint trace of blood on it.

She blinked, trying to get a better look, but what she saw was a basin of blood and broken worm tendons that had been found in Steward Cao's house.

Ten years ago, that glaring drop of blood on the desk reappeared before her eyes.

Her chest tightened, and she suddenly gripped the Buddhist prayer beads tightly. As if she had thought of something, she took a few steps back and rushed out of the main hall.