"Hahaha... Is it unbelievable?"

"Does it hurt? That’s really... I’m sorry!"

"But Emperor, I’ve treated you well enough all these years, I’ve completely regarded you as my own."

"When you were hungry, I got the best wetnurse nanny for you, when you were sick, I summoned the best imperial physician for you..."

"I didn’t expect you to be so heartless!"

"The Shih Family, Wanxin, your uncle, your cousin, you ignored them all!"

"I truly raised an ingrate!"

The Empress Dowager spoke word by word, conveying thoughts she had kept buried deep inside for many years.

Zhao Junyao felt a chill run through his entire body, as if he were engulfed in a timeless glacier.

He used up all his strength just to restrain the impulse to stab the Empress Dowager with his sword.

The atmosphere in the room was quiet and deathly still, icy and rigid.

No one knew what the Emperor would do next, and everyone dared not speak, including Xia Ruqing who was hiding behind the screen.

Time slipped away moment by moment.

After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Zhao Junyao suddenly spoke, his tone icy.

"You three, record this truthfully for me!"

"These crimes, one by one, piece by piece, not a single word should be missed!"

How could the three dare to disobey? They quickly rose and responded affirmatively.

Only then did Zhao Junyao’s expression soften slightly.

He took a long breath and sat up straight again, looking at the Empress Dowager and said.

"I had already guessed these matters, you’ve come clean!"

"But next... There are two more cases!"

"One is Zhao Junqi’s true lineage, and the second is... the death of Empress Dowager Zhen!"

The Empress Dowager laughed again.

She had admitted to the previous matters, how could she hide these affairs?

So...

The Empress Dowager gave a crafty smile and leaned closer to Zhao Junyao.

"Speaking of Junqi, do you know why I hate you so much?"

Zhao Junyao’s expression was complex and he didn’t reply.

The Empress Dowager continued.

"That’s because... Junqi is my child!"

"It’s all because of you, who took everything from Junqi!"

"I hate you, and I hate the Late Emperor!"

Zhao Junyao, in a fit of rage, suddenly stood up, looking down at the Empress Dowager with a frosty gaze.

"Why?!"

"What right do you have to criticize the Late Emperor? Just because of those ridiculous reasons?"

The Empress Dowager laughed angrily.

"Ridiculous?"

"You think it ridiculous? What’s ridiculous about it!"

"Zongcheng and I were childhood sweethearts; he was the one the ancestors approved to be the Crown Prince!"

"If he had successfully ascended to the position of Crown Prince, we could have been together openly for a lifetime, never to part!"

"But..."

"Who could have imagined the Late Emperor schemed deceitfully, taking the Crown Prince’s position from Zongcheng!"

"I was forced by my family to marry the Late Emperor!"

"It’s your so-called great father who ruined the happiness of my life; it’s you, all of you!"

Zhao Junyao filled with scorn, seething with anger!

"Silence! You silence yourself!"

"Father treated you generously, treated the Shih Family even more generously, what right do you have to say all these?!"

"As for your romantic entanglements, blame only your family for their greed for power and conspiring for wealth and nobility!"

"When your Imperial Uncle became Prince Yan, did you then look down on him? Why did you only set your sights on the position of the Crown Princess Consort?"

"It’s evident your Shih Family lacked good intentions all along!"

A family that only knows how to trade their daughters for glory, diving into the center of the power struggle, who would believe there’s no ambition in their hearts?

Heh, as always, nobody is a fool.

The Empress Dowager, enraged, began to speak incoherently.

"You..."

"Do you think I didn’t want to? Do you think I didn’t want to become the Princess Consort Yan?"

"Even if he was a cripple, even if he was mad or foolish, I still wanted to be with him!"

"But... but..."

The Empress Dowager was in utter despair.

Her plump body leaned against the table before Zhao Junyao, swaying precariously.

"Haha... Truly, fate toys with people, fate toys with people!"

Zhao Junyao sneered.

"You needn’t act as a victim!"

"Regardless of the reason, your betrayal of the Late Emperor, carrying Prince Yan’s child, confusing the royal lineage, these are undeniable facts!"

The Empress Dowager, hearing this, smiled contentedly and said proudly.

"Indeed!"

"This affair, is the happiest thing of my life, the one thing I do not regret!"

"Hahaha... Do you still remember your father’s expression at the time?"

"Truly exhilarating, truly satisfying!"

Zhao Junyao seethed with anger.

"Insolent! Someone! Drag this criminal woman aside!"

He didn’t even address her as Empress Dowager anymore.

Everyone understood that the Empress Dowager... her power had collapsed.

Li Shengan led several little eunuchs in, ruthlessly pulling the Empress Dowager aside, pressing her hard onto the floor, kneeling shoulder to shoulder with Luo Manman.

Zhao Junyao simultaneously rose and slowly walked to her front, looking down on her.

"What grievances do you have?!"

"Back then, if you didn’t want to marry, would my father have forced you?"

"Didn’t you yourself covet the position of Crown Princess Consort? The position of Empress?"

The unclear gaze of the Empress Dowager momentarily cleared up, then clouded again.

Zhao Junyao snorted and swept away with his sleeve.

"One last case! The death of Empress Dowager Zhen!"

The Empress Dowager answered expressionlessly.

"I did it!"

"She was the only one in the harem who knew your true lineage, she had the goods on me, and two sons!"

"I didn’t dare touch her all these years!"

"I finally waited for her sons to grow up and leave the palace, having the opportunity, of course, I wanted to deal with her thoroughly!"

She seemed possessed, spilling everything out all at once.

Her gaze grew hazier, her movements more rigid, her complexion worsened.

But no one noticed, including Zhao Junyao.

They all thought the Empress Dowager was so desperate after all her lies were exposed.

However... it was not so.

The Empress Dowager fainted after speaking.

Zhao Junyao sneered, standing up, narrowing his eyes slightly to look at the three recording the case.

"What do you think... how should we deal with the Empress Dowager?"

The Minister of Dali Temple, always impartial, cupped his fists and said.

"Emperor, I believe, if the King breaks the law, he should be punished like any commoner. The Empress Dowager has committed heinous crimes, utterly unforgivable, she should be dealt with according to law!"

The Ministry of Justice and the Imperial Censor of the Metropolitan Censorate were somewhat hesitant.

"But... the Empress Dowager raised the Emperor after all, there is some kindness!"

"Perhaps slightly alleviate some of the punishment?" 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

The Minister of Dali Temple, with a differing opinion, looked to Zhao Junyao for guidance.

Zhao Junyao expressionlessly waved his hand.

"You three go and thoroughly check the laws of Great Chu, handle it according to what should be done!"

"Yes!"

The three respectfully agreed and withdrew.

Li Shengan hurriedly ordered people to take the Empress Dowager and Luo Manman down as well.

Although they weren’t put in a cell, they were guarded, practically like a cell.

The little eunuchs also retreated.

There were much fewer people inside and outside the room.

Only then did Xia Ruqing come out from behind the inner screen.

"Emperor!"

Zhao Junyao slumped into his seat, physically and mentally exhausted, expression indifferent, letting out a long sigh.

"It’s finally over!"

"Easier than I imagined!"

All the evidence he gathered wasn’t needed, and yet it ended like this? He could hardly believe it!