Princess, she is the one who facilitated the extradition.

Gui Yao and the emperor exchanged a glance. It was highly likely that the fake princess was a product of both the Zhang and Luo families.

And the Yang family...

Gui Yao's cold gaze lingered. "Was it the Yang family who had Princess Baozhu's face peeled off and given to the fake princess?"

The fake princess could fool everyone, and she just happened to have her face stripped off.

So she guessed that her face might have been stuck on the fake princess's face all along.

She had previously asked Mi Po why she knew about the Empress drugging her.

But Mi Po couldn't remember what happened next. She only remembered that she had just died not long before she somehow ended up at the place where the incident happened and saw the Empress drugging her.

When a person has just died, they are in a chaotic state of intermediate state. If they suffer great pain at the time of death, their consciousness will be damaged, and they are prone to memory loss and confusion.

If Yang worked for the fake princess, it's highly likely that Yang also went to the place where the incident happened, and Mi Po went with Yang.

The Duke of Yue was already trembling and weak all over. Gui Yao asked this question in front of the emperor, which shows that the emperor already knew that Nan Yao was a fake princess.

They must have made arrangements long ago.

He and the Duke of Zhenguo, along with others, still believed that the emperor was being kept in the dark and continued to dream of seizing the Dasheng empire.

"The real reason the Empress was deposed was that His Majesty learned of the Princess's death."

The statement by the Duke of Yue that his teeth were chattering is a statement of fact.

The emperor said solemnly, "Anyone who dares to harm a meritorious official should pay the price."

The Empress, the Duke of Yue, the Duke of Zhenguo, and all those involved in the plot to murder Baozhu and the Five-Colored Army—none of them will escape.

The Duke of Yue fell to the ground with a thud, saying, "Your subject is guilty. I am over thirty years old and still a powerless heir. My father does not have high hopes for me and is unwilling to worry about my career."

He was willing to give me a future, but I only wanted some power so that my mother could have something to be proud of and live a better life…”

Everyone present knew that "he" referred to the Duke of Zhenguo.

"It was because Madam Yang kept complaining to me that she was being neglected by her father and bullied by her aunt that I thought of standing up for her."

"I didn't know she was lying to me. I only wanted to fulfill my filial duty, which is why I followed that person and did something wrong."

He burst into tears, his tears and snot streaming down his face. "Your Majesty, I was wrong! I know I was wrong! Please forgive me this time and give me another chance!"

"You already know you were wrong."

Gui Yao spoke coldly, "You're scared. You've discovered that His Majesty knows about the news you're using to exchange for your life. You've lost your bargaining chip."

The Duke of Yue wept even more bitterly, for Gui Yao had spoken his mind.

The emperor glanced at him, then turned to leave. "Guards, take him back."

Since these are all useless pieces of information, why spare his life?

Gui Yao returned to the Council Hall behind the Emperor.

Everyone was eager to know how the emperor would rule, and no one cared about Gui Yao's departure, except for Da Shan and the Crown Prince.

One was worried about her sister, and the other wanted to find an opportunity to talk to Guiyao about Princess Baozhu.

The Duke of Yue was dragged back by the Yilong Guards, and the Emperor looked solemnly at the Marquis of Wu'an and the Minister of War.

"To embezzle iron ore wages, harm the soldiers on the battlefield, and disregard the safety of the people of Dasheng, the Duke of Yue has already confessed his crimes. What else do you have to say?"

The two men who had been named were already kneeling on the ground, knowing there was no way to defend themselves. They said in trembling voices, "Your Majesty, we know our crimes. We were blinded by greed and committed a heinous crime. We deserve to die ten thousand times."

The Minister of War, still clinging to a sliver of hope, added, "I only beg Your Majesty to show mercy and spare my family..."

"Just confess."

The emperor interrupted him, "Such heinous acts deserve immediate execution."

He looked at Marquis Weilie and said loudly, "Gu Xiao, when the border city fell, your entire Gu family perished in the flames of war. I am aware of this blood feud."

Today, I entrust the lives of these three men to you. The hatred of the Gu family, the injustice suffered by the Gu family soldiers, you may personally settle these scores in this very hall.

He wanted the people of the Duke of Zhenguo's faction to witness firsthand the consequences of their wolfish ambitions and corrupt official conduct.

Upon hearing this, Marquis Weilie knelt heavily on both knees, his back ramrod straight, and bowed, proclaiming loudly, "Your subject Gu Xiao thanks Your Majesty for your wisdom!"

His voice was filled with grief and indignation, as well as the excitement of about to kill his enemy.

The emperor glanced at the Imperial Guards beside him, who understood and immediately drew their swords, holding them horizontally in their hands.

Marquis Weilie had already stood up, taken the knife, and stood in front of Marquis Wu'an, who was closest to him.

"Thirteen years have passed. The soldiers who died on the frontier have waited far too long. Today, Gu Xiao will use your blood to comfort the countless souls who perished in battle."

With that, he raised his knife and brought it down.

Before Marquis Wu'an could utter a single word, blood gushed out and his head rolled off.

"what!"

"what!"

Yang and some timid officials were so frightened that they couldn't help but scream. Shen Feiwan didn't dare to look and knelt to the side with her eyes closed.

Marquis Weilie turned to look at his son. He was afraid of frightening his son, but the opportunity to personally kill his enemy was rare, and he did not want to miss it.

Unexpectedly, the emperor asked Dashan, "Dashan, are you willing to join your father in avenging your mother and brothers?"

Without hesitation, Da Shan replied, "I'm willing."

He wasn't afraid at all. In their village, when bad guys were caught, they were usually first tested for poison by Fairy Wen, and then given to Doctor Bai to study medical techniques.

If they are still alive, help them with farm work; if they die, chop them up and throw them into the cesspool to compost and fertilize the farmland.

He's strong and has done plenty of chopping up people; now he's just chopping off heads.

He should help his father, since the enemy who killed his family was the one who killed him. My sister had said before that father and son should fight side by side, and this time it came in handy.

The emperor nodded, signaling the Imperial Guards to hand over the sword.

But Da Shan didn't accept Yi Longwei's knife. He used an axe to chop people up in the village, and he wasn't used to using this knife.

"Your Majesty, Da Shan's fist could kill one of them."

If you don't have a good axe, you might as well use your fists.

As he spoke, he looked at the Duke of Yue.

This is the worst person.

The Duke of Yue was prepared to die, but when he actually saw the Marquis of Wu'an's head fall to the ground, fear arose in his heart.

Hearing Da Shan's words, he trembled like a leaf.

A single stab to the head is a quick and easy death, but how much suffering would he have to endure to be beaten to death by a fist?

"Your Majesty, spare my life! I don't want to die..."

His Majesty felt that the information he provided was insufficient, which is why he was unwilling to spare his life. So he should reveal what is useful.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the black-robed man who stole my mind is... Your Majesty... uh..."

He was speaking when he suddenly clutched his throat with both hands, and a large amount of black blood gushed from his mouth.

A moment later, the Duke of Yue died with his eyes wide open, unable to close them in death.

Da Shan was surprised, "Your Majesty, I haven't made a move yet."

The emperor understood; they had indeed been controlled by evil magic. "This is not your problem."

He looked at the Minister of War, "You're in cahoots with him. You probably know what he didn't finish saying. Tell me, who is the black-robed man who stole my mind?"

Two of his three accomplices died, and the Minister of War's mental defenses crumbled.

But he dared not say it.

The emperor ordered Dashan, "If he doesn't talk, beat him until he does."

Da Shan glanced at his fist, which was as hard as a hammer, and then at the Minister of War, who was as thin as a grasshopper.

"Your Majesty, he's not strong enough to withstand a beating; he might die in no time."

Da Shan thought about it carefully, "I'm good with a knife. The village canteen always asks me to slice the fish when they make fish fillets, so why don't I slice it?"

My sister's knife skills are even better than his; they both learned from their master.

However, my master said that when it comes to dirty or tiring work, men should learn to take care of women.

My sister looks so beautiful today, let him come.

"I'm skilled at slicing fish, and I can slice people too. How about I slice the thief for you and avenge you...?"

The words from long ago suddenly echoed in the emperor's mind. He nodded, and the Imperial Guards presented him with a dagger.

"Your Majesty, spare my life! This is the council hall, not an execution ground..."

"This shows that you have committed heinous crimes, forcing even a benevolent monarch like the Emperor to refrain from using torture on the spot."

Da Shan stepped forward, grabbed the Minister of War, and casually ripped off his shirt with a couple of quick tugs.

"what……"

Da Shan was a big man, but he was very quick and agile. In the time it took to speak, the Minister of War lost several pieces of flesh without even drawing blood.

"Will you tell or not?"

As he sliced ​​through the mountain, he asked, "If you don't tell me, I'll slice you into a skeleton..."

"Say it, I'll say it."

The Minister of War, unable to bear the pain, wept and said, "It was a woman who stole my heart...it was..."

He died in the exact same manner as the Duke of Yue.

Da Shan was innocent. "Your Majesty, I didn't do this either."

Why are the people of the capital so easily killed?

The emperor swept his gaze across the entire court, finally turning to Gui Yao, "Take a look and see what's going on?"

Gui Yao knew that the emperor's execution of criminals in the palace and the summoning of Da Shan were deliberate attempts to frighten the three men.

Make them feel terrified and reveal their deepest, most unspeakable secrets.

She went up to check on the two of them. "They were put under a forbidden spell before they came. If they said something the other party forbade them to say, they would die suddenly."

Upon hearing this, many members of the Duke of Zhenguo's faction changed their expressions.

Gui Yao glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and slightly curved her lips.

This is what the Emperor intended. Knowing that the Duke of Zhenguo used evil magic on them, would they still be as loyal as before?

The Emperor only took away the Duke of Yue. Even if the Duke of Zhenguo later said that the Emperor had done something to the Duke of Yue, what about the Minister of War who was in the Hall of State Affairs?

The emperor was indeed using a divisive tactic, and judging from the pale faces of many people, the tactic was very successful.

He swept his gaze across the group. "Xuanji, find out exactly who cast the forbidden spell on them, and whether it was only used on the two of them. Once you find out, find a way to undo it for them."

"Yes."

Gui Yao bowed and accepted the order.

If she could save them, their hearts would waver even more.

Inside the secret chamber of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, the Duke stared at the two naturally formed talismans in the box, his eyes filled with malice. "Two people have spoken; I wonder how much they said..."

Across from him, a woman in a black robe with bright red nail polish smirked. "No matter what they say, you've been exposed. What do you plan to do next?"