Favored concubine deposed empress? I'll seize your throne and marry you to a powerful minister.

The entire venue erupted in cheers!

The entire audience was in uproar, and the faces of the Imperial Guards changed drastically.

Before anyone could react, Xiao Heng's blade drew even closer to Wei Rong: "If you dare to fabricate another lie, I'll send you to the underworld. Wei Rong, I never imagined you'd been lying low for so long, all for this day. You want my throne?"

Ling Xianru's expression changed, and a black crawler emerged from her sleeve, crawling straight towards Xiao Heng.

"Sister!" Wei Xing's eyes were bloodshot. "Xiao Heng, release her! If you still want to maintain your dignity as emperor, stop killing innocent people indiscriminately!"

"I'm indiscriminately killing innocent people? Why don't you mention that your Wei family is ambitious, and upon learning that Consort Xian is pregnant, you devised such a method to seize my throne? Wasn't this your purpose in helping me ascend the throne? The Wei family has wanted to climb to this throne for a long time, hasn't it?"

"What did the Wei family gain from helping you ascend to the throne? Nothing more than the late emperor's suspicion that my Wei family had no one to rely on, and that we didn't want to be discarded after our usefulness was over. That's why we came up with this extreme method. You are the one with wolfish ambitions, treating those who helped you as thorns in your side. You even dared to turn Fu Wentao against us, willing to sacrifice two hundred lives to take my father's life!"

The night was so dark that the raindrops had turned the muddy puddles into muddy messes.

The little black insect went unnoticed by anyone and crawled straight toward Xiao Heng.

The name Fu Wentao struck everyone like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.

"Isn't Fu Wentao General Wei's strategist?"

"Isn't he dead?"

"Yes, half a year ago, the Yimeng Mountain was a scene of devastation. I heard that the remains that Fu Wentao found were unrecognizable and could only be identified by their clothing."

"So, does that mean—"

Wei Xing waved his hand, and his subordinates brought forward a person wearing a mask and a long robe.

They forced him to kneel on the ground, pulled off his mask, revealing Fu Wentao's panicked face.

Many people in the court had met Fu Wentao, and he was once highly regarded in Yunjing.

"It really is General Fu—you're not dead?"

Who were the people who died in the Yimeng Mountains?

"What on earth is going on?!"

The little black insect had already climbed up Xiao Heng's robe, but at some point, it disappeared into the folds of his clothes.

A bloody gash appeared on Wei Rong's neck.

She glared at Fu Wentao with resentment, seemingly oblivious to the pain, and demanded, "Fu Wentao, my father has always treated you like a brother. Why did you fake your death to escape? And what happened at Yimeng Mountain? Explain everything clearly!"

Fu Wentao knelt on the ground, trembling.

He glanced at Xiao Heng subconsciously, then looked back at the ground.

"Fu Wentao, your whole family is in my hands. Talk it out, and you might have a chance to live."

Xiao Heng stared intently at him: "Fu Wentao, if you were to spill this filth on me, it would be a crime punishable by the extermination of your entire family. Tell me, was someone instructing you to do this?"

One person threatened him, and Fu Wentao was almost scared to death.

"You don't need to put yourself in such a difficult position. Once things are exposed, you'll be nothing but a useless piece of trash," Wei Rong sneered. "I have evidence that Xiao Heng sold information to Su Meng. You're alive only to serve as a witness."

As she spoke, Xiao Heng suddenly tightened her grip on the hilt of her knife, almost slashing it down hard—

Suddenly, Xiao Heng's eyes showed pain, her hand loosened, and she clutched her chest, breathing heavily.

Wei Rong was pushed to the ground by him, and the mud soaked the hem of her skirt.

Wei Xing rushed forward with lightning speed, but Xiao Heng, who was closer at the moment, was even faster, grabbing Wei Rong and demanding, "What underhanded tricks did you use against me?"

Why did he suddenly experience persistent chest pain?

It felt like insects and ants were biting it.

"Let's see who dares to come closer!" He pointed the knife at Wei Rong's heart: "Wei Xing, take another step, and your precious sister's life will be in danger!"

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, save me!"

Shen Mingxiu's voice suddenly rang out. In the darkness, the Prime Minister, who had just been watching the show, was now holding a knife to threaten Shen Mingxiu in the same posture.

"Then Your Majesty might as well give it a try. The Virtuous Consort and her unborn child are surely better than the Empress, aren't they?"

"You rebel too?" Xiao Heng laughed maniacally. "So you've been having an affair with the Empress. As expected, you're really willing to do anything for my throne!"

"It all started with Your Majesty. You have harmed a good general and committed heinous crimes. Isn't it all because of your precious dragon throne? Little do you know how many people actually care?"

Ling Xianru, holding Shen Mingxiu captive, walked to Fu Wentao's side and kicked him, saying, "Speak!"

"It was His Majesty! It was His Majesty who ordered me to tamper with military intelligence, to secretly communicate with the Su-Mongols, and to lure and kill General Wei! Everything was at His Majesty's behest! Every word I utter is true, without a trace of falsehood!"

As soon as the words fell, the officials all turned their gazes to Xiao Heng.

Doubtful, heartbroken.

Xiao Heng's face was shattered, his imperial dignity was swept away, and the last trace of restraint in his eyes completely collapsed.

He suddenly stood up, his dragon eyes bloodshot, his killing intent surging.

"presumptuous!"

The instant he shouted, he suddenly leaped out, his longsword unsheathed, the blade pointing straight at Wei Rong's heart!

The entire audience was shocked and no one dared to stop the enraged emperor.

He has gone mad.

He disregarded the nation's reputation and eternal infamy; all he wanted at that moment was to kill Wei Rong!

Once she dies, Wei Xing is executed, and Ling Xianru is punished for another crime, all the secrets of today will be sealed away forever, and no one will be able to shake his throne.

Xiao Heng approached step by step, her sword flashing, her voice cold and ruthless: "Since you've courted death, I'll grant your wish! Today, I will kill you, this rebellious empress, to set an example!"

Just as the sword was about to pierce her clothes—

A sharp arrow pierced through the formation!

Amidst swirling sand and thunderous hooves, a man clad in dark silver armor charged straight for the high platform, his Su-Mongol cavalry arrayed in imposing formation, their overwhelming presence causing all the armored soldiers present to retreat.

Xiao Heng's wrist was grazed by the arrow, and she could no longer hold the knife.

With a clang, the short knife fell to the ground.

However, Wei Rong lost too much blood and, under the threat of Shen Minglan's longsword, was trampled to the ground in a sorry state.

"Protect His Majesty!" Shen Minglan shouted. "Today, if you protect His Majesty and execute the traitors, His Majesty will surely reward you handsomely!"

Wei Rong could barely breathe.

She felt her chest being squeezed hard, but Shen Minglan's feet were as hard as a rock and didn't move an inch.

A murderous glint flashed in Ling Xianru's eyes, and the tip of her knife drew even closer to Shen Mingxiu's heart: "Release the Empress, or your cousin and the baby in her womb will be in danger."

Shen Minglan looked at Ling Xianru's expression and felt a little scared.

He had never seen Ling Xianru show such a terrifying expression.

"Ling Xianru, you also covet my throne? But don't you even consider whether you're worthy?" Xiao Heng grinned maliciously. "You're just a commoner, yet you dream of climbing to the top through the Wei family. You're nothing but their lackey. Do you really think Wei Rong would even look at you? She's best at using that face to put on airs. She's just an actress."

"Ah!" As he finished speaking, Shen Mingxiu cried out in alarm. A bloody gash had been slashed across her neck, just like Wei Rong's. "Your Majesty, save me!"

"I don't even want your throne," Ling Xianru said. "But since you've insulted me, I have no choice but to return it to your beloved concubine."

"I only want you to release her. If you harm Wei Rong in the slightest today, I guarantee that the Great Jing Dynasty will be thrown into turmoil in an instant."