The ministers and soldiers in armor on the throne room stared in disbelief at the scene before them.

Good heavens! The rumors were true; Princess Chang Le really can conjure lightning out of thin air.

Is she a god or a ghost?

"Aaaaaah, help! It hurts so much..."

"Third Princess, please let me go! Ahhh, being struck by lightning is just too painful..."

The two princes' shrill screams rang out continuously, sending chills down everyone's spines. They felt both relieved and worried.

May God protect them, I only pray that Princess Chang Le will not strike them with lightning.

Waaah, Mom, your son wants to go home!

Immediately afterwards, the remaining four bolts of lightning struck down in succession, knocking the Second Prince and the Fourth Prince unconscious on the spot.

People couldn't bear to look directly at it, yet they couldn't resist their curiosity and peeked furtively, giving off a feeling of having done something wrong.

Tsk tsk, that's really pitiful!

The two princes were chopped into black charcoal, their bodies completely blackened, with black smoke still billowing from their mouths.

Even if they didn't die, they became useless.

The happiest person present was Emperor Sheng, who had briefly forgotten his fear of Sheng Lingwei and wished he could roar to the heavens.

Serves you right!

Who told you two wicked sons to covet my throne? Hahaha, this is retribution! I was only struck by lightning once, but you two were struck by five bolts of lightning.

Hahaha, when it comes to being shameless, it has to be the two of you!

I can't compare, I can't compare at all!

As he pondered, Emperor Sheng couldn't help but let out a hoarse, low laugh, which immediately drew everyone's attention. Had Emperor Sheng gone mad?

Sheng Lingwei curled a mocking smile, took small steps and slowly walked to Sheng Huang, her eyes filled with an arrogant and domineering air.

"Oh, Father, you must be overjoyed! But don't be too happy yet!"

Emperor Sheng's pupils dilated suddenly. Oh no! He had gotten carried away and somehow attracted this great demon again! What should he do?

Also, what did she mean by saying "don't be happy too soon"?

Before he could figure it out, he heard Sheng Lingwei slowly say, "My good father! You can no longer speak, carry anything, or lift anything; you've become a complete cripple."

You probably don't know that it is precisely because of your debauchery and extravagance, neglect of government affairs, incompetence and tyranny, execution of loyal and virtuous officials, close association with sycophants, and disregard for the lives of the people that this has happened.

So God disapproved of you and sent down divine punishment, hoping you would repent and reform, but you showed no remorse whatsoever.

You, Shengwei, are the root cause of the endless natural disasters; you are the sinner of the Northern Qi Kingdom, and your name will be infamous for ten thousand years, despised and hated by future generations.

Emperor Sheng was terrified; his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

The weight of that hat was so heavy it was almost suffocating him.

Sheng Lingwei scoffed disdainfully, turned to look at the kneeling ministers, and asked in a cold voice, "What are your thoughts after hearing my words, ministers?"

The ministers broke out in a cold sweat, exchanging bewildered glances. Princess Chang Le had said everything; what could they possibly say?

How dare I speak out!

One of the bolder ministers tentatively tried to flatter him.

“Princess Chang Le, you can strike the sky with lightning and know the root cause of natural disasters. You must be a god sent by heaven to save our Northern Qi Kingdom.”

"We are of dull and untalented nature, and we leave everything to Princess Chang Le's discretion. We will cooperate fully and dare not harbor any selfish motives."

Sheng Lingwei chuckled and looked up at the sycophantic minister. He was a young man of about twenty years old with shrewd eyes, which was quite interesting.

"May I have your name?"

"Your Highness, my name is Zhao Xi. I was the top scholar in the previous year and I serve as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy."

Sheng Lingwei frowned in thought. Zhao Xi, Zhao Dong, she suddenly realized.

No wonder he looked familiar; he bore a striking resemblance to Zhao Dong, who was escorting the exiles, and they shared the same surname, Zhao.

In addition, Xiaoyunzi had told her that Zhao Dong was his man, and that he also had a younger brother who held a position in the imperial court. Although the position was not high, he was also one of his men.

Since he was one of their own, she certainly wouldn't embarrass him and would even give him some conveniences.

Sheng Lingwei nodded and gave Zhao Xi an approving look. "Hmm, you're bold and quite eloquent. Now, say more. I like to hear it."

Zhao Xi's eyes lit up, and he replied loudly with a smile, "It is the princess! Your humble servant is more than happy to oblige and feels extremely honored!"

The other ministers were very unhappy. Zhao Xi was just being opportunistic. They knew how to flatter, no, not only how to flatter, but also how to flatter the emperor and the princess.

Therefore, a large number of ministers in the Golden Palace shouted at the top of their lungs, "Your humble servants will obey Princess Chang Le's orders in everything."

As for the other small group of ministers, they consisted of the maternal families of the second and fourth princes, as well as those who had pledged allegiance to them.

Now they are in a dilemma, their faces filled with fear and unease, unsure whether to show weakness to Sheng Lingwei or continue to support the two princes.

If they had known that Princess Chang Le would appear halfway through, they shouldn't have gotten involved in this matter.

I regret it!

But what's done is done, and regret is useless now.

Sheng Lingwei glanced at them indifferently, feeling disgusted. They were all a bunch of bad apples, only meant to cause trouble if kept alive, and deserved to die.

Dealing with them would be easy, but she didn't want to get her hands dirty, so she decided to leave it to Sheng Haoyu.

Sheng Lingwei lazily straightened her dress and parted her red lips slightly: "Since all the ministers unanimously want me to make the decision, then I have no choice but to comply with your wishes."

The ministers were overjoyed; their flattery had hit the mark. They immediately shouted, "Princess Chang Le is wise!"

Sheng Lingwei's eyes narrowed, and she abandoned her languid demeanor.

"My ministers, the Northern Qi is currently suffering from natural disasters and man-made calamities, and the people are in unbearable pain. However, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day. As for my father, the emperor, his sins are grave, and he has been punished by Heaven. He is truly unfit to be emperor."

We spared his life only so that he could atone for his sins.

The second and fourth princes were narrow-minded and lacked the qualities of a ruler. They were only interested in vying for power and completely disregarded the people, making them utterly unfit to be emperors.

After much deliberation, I believe that only my third elder brother is capable of shouldering this great responsibility. He possesses a broad mind, a magnanimous heart, and a forgiving nature. This is a blessing for the people and for Northern Qi. What do you all think?

"Excellent!" Zhao Xi immediately shouted, his eyes filled with utmost admiration. "Princess Chang Le has keen insight and foresight. She is indeed exceptionally intelligent and resourceful. I admire her wholeheartedly."

Pooh!

The other ministers' teeth were practically grinding with saliva; how did this kid get there first again?

Not to be outdone, they all expressed their agreement and showered Sheng Lingwei with a plethora of flattering words.

The entire Golden Palace was like a bustling market, lively and noisy.

Sheng Lingwei raised her hand to stop everyone from continuing, "The new emperor has been chosen. I urge all ministers to personally go and welcome the new emperor. Do not delay, for the disaster-stricken people cannot wait."

"Yes, Princess Chang Le."

They're forcing us into this situation!

Faced with a Princess Chang Le who could strike at any moment, the ministers, even if unwilling, had no choice but to go to the Third Prince's residence to invite him to ascend the throne.