He remarried after his mother's death, seized power over the world, and slept on the emperor�

Ji Ling's gaze was icy cold as it fell on the peaceful sleeping face on the soft couch.

The commotion outside the palace grew louder as it approached, clearly indicating that the scream from earlier had alerted the emperor.

"What's going on!"

The Northern Di emperor's voice carried thunderous fury as he stepped into the hall first.

Following behind him were Prime Minister Lin and a group of princes and ministers.

The scene before them made everyone gasp in shock.

Prince Xin, Ji Ling, stood in the hall like a god of death.

Jiang Bingning lay unconscious on the soft couch, her clothes still intact but slightly disheveled.

"His Majesty."

Ji Ling withdrew his gaze and nodded slightly to the emperor.

"Someone is using sleeping potion here with malicious intent."

He raised his hand and pointed to the exquisitely crafted bronze incense burner in the corner.

The emperor's eyes sharpened.

The imperial physician accompanying the emperor hurriedly stepped forward, carefully picked up a bit of incense ash, and brought it to his nose to sniff it.

In an instant, his expression changed drastically.

"Your Majesty, it's 'Soft Bone Fragrance'!"

"This fragrance is incredibly potent; any woman who smells it will immediately become weak all over, lose her senses, and become completely at the mercy of others!"

The emperor's face darkened completely.

What audacity!

"Investigate this thoroughly!"

The emperor was furious, and his murderous aura was palpable.

"Find out who lit the incense and who let this person in!"

"I want to..."

Before the emperor could finish speaking, a figure suddenly stepped out from the crowd and knelt down in front of him with a thud.

It is Ji Chengyun.

Ji Ling's eyes flickered slightly.

Ji Chengyun, however, kept his eyes fixed straight ahead on the emperor on the dragon throne, his expression more resolute than ever before.

"His Majesty."

He pulled a thick stack of files from his pocket and held them high above his head.

"I have an old case here that may provide the answer to today's events."

All eyes immediately focused on the stack of files.

Ji Chengyun's voice was clear and sorrowful.

"This is the account book record of Hanzhi, a maidservant of Prince Xin's mansion, purchasing medicines at Liu's Pharmacy in the south of the city!"

"This is the middleman's signed testimony!"

"These are the remnants of medicinal herbs that were not used up back then, found in the small kitchen of Consort Lin's courtyard!"

Consort Lin's face drained of all color.

This is not over yet.

Ji Chengyun clapped his hands towards the outside of the hall.

Two guards from the Prince's residence escorted in a emaciated old servant.

Upon seeing Consort Lin, the old servant trembled and collapsed to the ground.

"Your Majesty, this man is Wang San, the servant who was ordered by Consort Lin to dispose of the remaining medicine residue, but who fled with his family for many years out of fear of being silenced."

Both witnesses and physical evidence are available.

Ji Chengyun kowtowed repeatedly, each word stained with tears.

"My mother's death was not an acute illness, but rather a slow poisoning by the Lin family!"

"Your Majesty, please do justice for my mother!"

The hall was deathly silent.

The Dowager Empress trembled violently, and tears streamed down her face.

"His Majesty!"

She shouted vehemently.

"You must seek justice for Yunhan, for Chengyun, and for my unjustly murdered daughter-in-law!"

Consort Lin panicked completely and threw herself to the ground, shaking her head frantically.

"It wasn't me! It's slander! Your Majesty! It's all slander!"

She looked at her elder sister, Consort Lin, and her elder brother, Grand Secretary Lin.

"Sister! Brother! Help me! I didn't do it!"

Consort Lin was extremely anxious and immediately knelt down.

"Your Majesty, there must be some misunderstanding! My sister would never harbor such a malicious heart!"

Prime Minister Lin also immediately stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

"His Majesty."

His voice remained steady, but it carried a hint of tension.

"Although my younger sister is arrogant and somewhat muddle-headed, I believe she would never dare to commit such a heinous crime as murdering the Princess."

The emperor narrowed his eyes and fell into deep thought.

On one hand, the princess was wrongfully killed, and the evidence was conclusive.

On one side is the deeply entrenched and powerful Lin family.

This is indeed a difficult problem.

In the midst of this delicate stalemate, Ji Ling made a move.

He grabbed the palace maid who had been kneeling in the corner the whole time, trying to make herself inconspicuous.

"explain."

He uttered only one word, yet it carried an oppressive sense of impending doom.

"Who ordered you to do this?"

The two guards seemed to have received some kind of instruction.

One of them suddenly sprang up from the ground, pulled a gleaming dagger from his boot, and without hesitation slashed his own neck!

Blood splattered everywhere!

No one had time to react!

Meanwhile, another guard suddenly bit into the poison sac hidden between his teeth!

Black blood instantly spilled from the corner of his mouth.

In the last moment before the poison took effect, he actually swung his knife at the palace maid who was being held captive by Ji Ling!

He's going to kill them to silence them!

Jiang Bingning, who had been lying unconscious on the soft couch, suddenly opened her eyes!

She spotted the trajectory of the guard's sword swing and, with lightning speed, raised her leg and kicked the guard in the back of the knee!

"Bang!"

The guard swayed, and the blade deviated slightly.

"what!"

The palace maid let out a scream as her arm was slashed open!

The guard froze, then fell straight down, dying instantly.

This change stunned everyone.

Jiang Bingning slowly sat up and rubbed her wrists.

Prime Minister Lin's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Quickly! Summon the imperial physician to stop the bleeding and treat her wounds!" Prime Minister Lin immediately shouted.

He wanted to take the person away!

"Wait a minute."

Ji Ling spoke coldly, stopping the imperial physician from stepping forward.

He pressed down hard on the palace maid's still-bleeding wound, so hard that the maid turned pale with pain.

"You saw it."

Ji Ling's voice was as cold as ice.

"They want you dead."

"Now tell me, who instructed you to bring Miss Jiang here?"

He leaned down slightly and whispered in the maid's ear.

"Tell me, and I'll guarantee your life."

"I won't say..."

He glanced at the two corpses on the ground.

"Do you think you still have a chance to survive?"

The palace maid's psychological defenses completely collapsed.

She looked up in panic, gazing at Prime Minister Lin with despair.

Lin's brows furrowed into a deep frown.

He nodded very subtly.

The palace maid immediately burst into tears, pointing at Consort Lin, who was already limp as a limp rag, and shrieked.

"It was her, it was Consort Lin, she ordered me to do it!"

"She said...she said she would ruin Miss Jiang's reputation and make her suffer endless humiliation."

These words shocked everyone present!

Consort Lin, who was lying limp on the ground, was completely pale. Her eyes were full of shock and confusion as she looked at Prime Minister Lin.

Prime Minister Lin turned his head away, avoiding any eye contact with Consort Lin.

At this moment, there was no longer the slightest hesitation on the emperor's face.

"good!"

"What a fine Lin family!"

He looked at Consort Lin, whose face was ashen, and pronounced his verdict, word by word.

"The Lin family's crime of murdering the Princess is unforgivable! Their despicable act of framing a noblewoman from a neighboring country is utterly vile!"

"Considering the Lin family's contributions to the country, I will spare your life!"

"but……"

He abruptly changed the subject, his voice as cold as ancient ice.

"Effective immediately, she is stripped of her title as a concubine and sent back to the Lin family!"

He looked at Prince Xin, Ji Yunhan, who had remained silent throughout.

"Yunhan".

"Write a divorce letter in public!"