At 100 years old, he joined the army in place of his granddaughter, and became a national war god.

On the bluestone ground, the thin human skin mask lay quietly, yet it exuded a chilling coldness and a bloody aura.

Xu Jinniang's gaze fell on the mask, her body trembled violently, her blood and qi instantly reversed, her legs suddenly went weak, and all the hope in her heart was completely shattered.

It’s over.

It's completely over!

She knew perfectly well what this mask represented.

Yunji Zi's shocking conspiracy to impersonate an emperor and seize control of the Dragon Court has been completely exposed!

This meticulously planned coup, meticulously orchestrated over several years, remained undetected by the entire Daqian court and lay dormant deep within the palace. Just as the coup was about to succeed, he was about to seize power over the world.

Who could have imagined that on the very first day Su Mu returned to the court in triumph across the sea, he would be exposed and dismantled step by step by this centenarian general, ultimately leading to a complete collapse and utter failure!

This Su Mu is simply an all-knowing old monster!

Meticulous and sharp-eyed, terrifying to the extreme!

Little did they know, Su Mu, who was standing in front of them, was also fully aware of the situation.

His coming with a mask was a test.

Before this, although he was certain that there was a trap in the palace, he could not be 100% sure that Xu Jinniang was an accomplice, nor did he know the extent of her involvement or how much she knew about the inside story.

But in that instant, Xu Jinniang's subconscious tremor and the fleeting despair and panic in her eyes had already completely betrayed her!

Ordinary concubines in the imperial harem, upon first seeing something that could replace human skin with a face, would at most feel fear and dread, but would never experience such extreme despair as the crime being exposed and the entire situation collapsing!

With just one glance, Su Mu was completely convinced that Xu Jinniang was deeply involved in the treasonous plot and was the core insider in the entire case of the theft of the country!

……

The atmosphere inside the courtyard of Zixia Palace was somber and cold.

Su Mu's gaze was sharp as a knife, fixed on Xu Jinniang, who was trying to appear calm. His voice was deep and cold, pressing closer with each step:

"Xu Jinniang, even now, you still insist on making excuses?"

"The fake emperor and the fake eunuch have all been executed, the ringleader has been beheaded, and all those who participated in the rebellion will soon be purged."

"If you continue to conceal and deny it, you will only be courting death; it will be of no use whatsoever."

But at this moment, Xu Jinniang still harbored a sense of resentment and pride deep in her heart.

Having held the position of Imperial Concubine for many years, she was high above everyone else, surrounded by admirers. She never bowed down to anyone, nor was she willing to lose to Su Mu and end up disgraced and at the mercy of others.

Even though the situation was hopeless and she was filled with fear, she forced herself to straighten up, took a deep breath to suppress her surging panic, raised her beautiful but pale face, and forced a mocking laugh as she argued:

"Su Mu! You're making a mountain out of a molehill and stirring up trouble out of nothing!"

"You led your troops to surround my palace and stormed into the inner quarters, all to retrieve an ugly mask of unknown origin and slander me? How utterly absurd and laughable!"

"His Majesty left my Zixia Palace this morning to attend court and govern the country. How can you claim he is a fake emperor? This is purely a fabrication by you to frame me!"

Her words were sharp and her tone forceful, attempting to confuse the public and get away with it by using her last-ditch effort.

Seeing her stubborn refusal to admit defeat, a chilling glint flashed in Su Mu's eyes, and a cold snort echoed through the courtyard:

"Stubborn and unrepentant."

"It seems you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin, and you won't give up until you reach the Yellow River!"

"Tie Niu! Bring the stuff up!"

The command resounded throughout the deep palace!

"Yes, Elder Su!"

Zhao Tieniu beside her responded in a deep voice, strode forward, carrying a black cloth bundle stained with blood in his hand. His steps were firm and his aura was menacing as he walked straight to Xu Jinniang.

With a whoosh!

The black cloth was suddenly pulled back!

Three bloody heads, still bearing traces of blood, rolled onto the bluestone ground!

The one in the very center was none other than Yun Jizi, who had been impersonating an emperor and occupying the Dragon Court for many days!

On the left is a personal eunuch, and on the right is Prime Minister Li Yuan, who was just executed in court!

The three heads, with their hideous faces and gruesome deaths, instantly filled the entire Zixia Palace with the stench of blood!

"what!"

The unexpected bloody scene completely shattered Xu Jinniang's last psychological defenses!

Her face paled, she screamed, her whole body trembled violently, her legs went weak, and she staggered backward, her legs gave way, and she could barely stand. Her eyes were filled with extreme fear and collapse!

Seeing Yun Jizi, who had been tenderly entwined with her the night before, now beheaded, and seeing Li Yuan, who had conspired to rebel and seize power, fall to the ground, her mind was completely consumed by fear!

Su Mu looked down at him, his gaze indifferent and cold, each word a pronouncement, ruthless and merciless:

"Xu Jinniang, look carefully!"

"The usurper emperor, the treacherous eunuch in the inner palace, and the treacherous minister plotting rebellion—all of them were executed on the spot by this old man!"

"All those involved in this treasonous plot were executed without exception!"

"If you continue to cling to wishful thinking, remain silent, and stubbornly resist, these three heads will be your final fate!"

The extreme oppression and the bloody shock weighed heavily on Xu Jinniang's heart like a mountain!

Looking into Yun Jizi's unseeing eyes, she realized that all her plans had been completely thwarted.

There is absolutely no chance of turning things around, and there is absolutely no room for wishful thinking!

Silence enveloped the courtyard. Xu Jinniang stood there, trembling, pale-faced, on the verge of collapse.

Seeing that she remained silent and still struggling, Su Mu gave her no chance to breathe, his killing intent palpable, and shouted sharply:

"Guards! This woman's crimes are undeniable; she colluded with traitors, plotted to assassinate the Emperor, and wreaked havoc on the nation."

"Drag him away immediately and behead him on the spot!"

With a single command, a decree of annihilation was issued!

Upon hearing the commotion, the imperial guards on duty outside the palace rushed forward, their iron arms outstretched, ready to seize Xu Jinniang and execute her!

A chilling aura of death instantly enveloped his entire body!

Seeing the approaching guards, the cold blades, and the bloody heads, Xu Jinniang was completely terrified!

All pride, all stubbornness, all resentment were crushed by the fear of death!

Unable to maintain her composure any longer, her legs buckled, and she collapsed to her knees with a thud. Tears streamed down her face, her voice hoarse and trembling as she desperately kowtowed and begged for mercy.

"No...don't kill me!"

"Your Highness, spare me! General Su, spare me! I know I was wrong!"

"I confess everything! Please, sirs, spare my life!"

Faced with life and death, all scheming, ambition, and arrogance vanish into nothingness!

In order to save her life, Xu Jinniang no longer dared to hide anything or leave out the slightest detail. She hurriedly spoke up and revealed the whole shocking conspiracy!

"I'll tell you! I'll confess everything!"

"It was all orchestrated by Master Ziyun of Ziyun Temple!"

"This person possesses profound cultivation, extraordinary wisdom, and harbors boundless ambition!"

"He had been plotting for years, secretly cultivating assassins and training experts. He selected his fellow disciple Yun Jizi, meticulously training him, imparting to him the secrets of disguise, and teaching him to imitate the words and actions of emperors, all in preparation for the opportune moment to replace the emperor, disrupt the Great Qian court, and steal our Great Qian empire!"

"Yun Jizi was merely a pawn, a sharp blade, in Master Ziyun's hands from beginning to end!"

"Half a month ago, I was misled by him and coveted the future honor of being Empress. I took the initiative to persuade His Majesty that his health was not good and that he needed to recuperate in seclusion. I tricked His Majesty into coming with me alone to the Ziyun Temple for seven days of seclusion!"

"During those seven days of seclusion, when no one was near him, Yun Jizi took advantage of the break in his seclusion to successfully replace His Majesty's true form. He donned a human skin mask, disguised himself as the Emperor, and returned to the palace with me, where he seized control of the court and took charge of the government!"

Every word is clear, and every sentence is true!

The truth behind a coup that overturned the government and shocked the world has finally come to light!

After listening to all the testimonies, Su Mu and Xiao Jingyu looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock and solemnity!

No one could have imagined that the source of this earth-shattering upheaval that shook the foundations of the Great Qian Dynasty and nearly overthrew the vast empire was just a Taoist temple deep in the mountains and a Taoist priest who had hidden himself in the Taoist sect!

Instead of cultivating his character and purifying his mind, this Taoist priest harbors boundless ambition, schemes against the court and the country, and plots to usurp the throne. He attempts to overthrow the Great Qian Dynasty with his own power. The depth of his scheming, the meticulousness of his plans, and the magnitude of his ambition are chilling!

Xiao Jingyu's expression turned serious, and he immediately pressed for details on the key points of doubt:

"What exactly is Master Ziyun's intention in plotting against the imperial court, supporting a false emperor, and disrupting our Great Qian Dynasty? What benefit does this bring to a mere Taoist priest like himself?"

Xu Jinniang hurriedly shook her head and kowtowed repeatedly:

"I don't know! I was merely a pawn he used, only... only responsible for luring Your Majesty into the game and cooperating with the fake emperor to return to the palace and stabilize the situation. He never told me a word about his ultimate scheme or his ulterior motives!"

"Your Majesty and Eunuch Li..." Xiao Jingyu's tone grew increasingly urgent, "Are they still alive? Are they being imprisoned or held under house arrest at the Ziyun Temple?"

This is the most critical and urgent issue right now!

Xu Jinniang still looked terrified and shook her head vigorously:

"Your Majesty, I truly know nothing! After the replacement was successful, Yun Jizi returned to the palace with me, never revealing the whereabouts of Your Majesty and Eunuch Li, nor the location of their imprisonment! I dared not inquire, had no way of investigating, and knew nothing at all!"

Further questioning yielded no results.

Xiao Jingyu frowned, his heart filled with anxiety. He immediately turned to Su Mu beside him, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and asked for instructions:

"General Su, the truth is beginning to emerge: the source of the rebellion has been identified as Ziyun Temple!"

"His Majesty and Eunuch Li are missing and their fate is unknown. What should we do now?"

Su Mu's gaze was cold and piercing as he looked at Xu Jinniang, who was kneeling on the ground trembling with fear, and he made a resolute decision in a deep voice:

"This woman is deeply involved in treasonous plots, colluding with rebels, deceiving the Emperor, and causing chaos in the court; her crimes are unforgivable!"

"For now, imprison him in the imperial jail, keep him under strict guard day and night, and wait until His Majesty is found and the entire conspiracy is uncovered before determining his guilt and punishment!"

After a pause, Su Mu looked at Han You and gave a stern order:

"Han You, obey my command!"

"Immediately lead the entire Imperial Guard to the Ziyun Temple outside the city at full speed! Seal off the entire temple, search every inch of the mountains and rivers, and thoroughly investigate every corner!"

"Sparing no effort, search for His Majesty and Eunuch Li! We must find them alive or dead!"

A military order fell with the force of a thunderbolt!

Han You immediately accepted the order and began the operation!