The Emperor nodded with difficulty; he had not originally suspected the Marquis of Anle.

However, the Grand Preceptor kept implying that Marquis Anle had done a lot in Qikong Kingdom.

Although Qikong Kingdom wanted to kill him, that did not mean he was innocent.

If he can open shops in Qikong Kingdom, does that mean he has shops in other places as well?

Once doubts arise, they cannot be easily dispelled.

Another urgent report came from the border: another defeat, heavy casualties, and insufficient food supplies, requiring the sourcing of supplies from nearby areas.

After fighting for so long, neither our military nor our financial resources can sustain us any longer.

Seeing Su Wenyuan staring at him fiercely, the Emperor quickly added, "I hadn't thought it through at the time, but they had already taken action. The front line sent a letter from Marquis Anle treason."

Su Wenyuan turned her head away and didn't say anything.

How could the Emperor not have thought it through? He had already decided to kill Marquis Anle.

The only thing that could make him hesitate was his distrust of the Qikong Kingdom.

The imperial advisor said he could make the matter seem legitimate, allowing the emperor to kill Marquis Anle openly and justifiably.

The emperor didn't believe it, which is why he didn't readily agree.

On the Qikong side, they saw his concerns and thus accelerated their actions, presenting the opportunity to the emperor.

The emperor also knew that if he missed this opportunity, there would be no next time.

Therefore, the entire case was handled in a very rushed manner.

After the death of Marquis Anle, the two countries made peace, which attracted everyone's attention. In addition, the emperor showed his anger at Marquis Anle's treason, so no one dared to mention the matter for fear of being implicated.

Su Wenyuan calmed down for a while before asking again, "Did you kill the servants in the manor because you were afraid they would find out something that would become the key to clearing the name of Marquis Anle?"

The Emperor said, "I don't know how the letter of treason was put in. I'm afraid the people of Qikong Kingdom are unreliable. What if they are discovered? Kill them all to eliminate any future worries."

His tone was indifferent, and he still showed some guilt when mentioning Marquis Anle, though it was most likely just for Su Wenyuan's benefit.

When the emperor mentioned those ordinary people, he showed no reaction whatsoever, as if they were not human beings.

"You must regret not killing me sooner, right?"

"Isn't it too late to make a move now?" The Emperor leaned back, his hands unconsciously clenching, his sharp gaze sweeping over Su Wenyuan.

I just wanted to keep her around for a while and chat for a bit.

Unexpectedly, it turned into Su Wenyuan interrogating him, and what's worse, he answered all the questions.

Su Wenyuan smiled faintly and said, "It's too late, it's already too late! Qikong Kingdom has insulted its envoys and now they want you to send another envoy to bring the Princess back. Have you thought of a solution?"

Su Wenyuan asked the question knowingly. She and Sheng Jingyu had been thinking about this for several days. If the Emperor had a solution, he would have acted on it long ago.

Originally, I didn't want to worry about it and wanted to leave the troublesome matter to the Emperor so that he could figure it out himself.

Su Wenyuan found something she could use in this; getting involved in this matter would be beneficial.

The emperor immediately deflated and asked, "Do you have any ideas?"

Su Wenyuan said, "Qikong Kingdom first destroyed Fuchuan, and then attacked Anchuan Kingdom thirteen years ago. It should not be hard to see that they have no intention of seeking peace. Peaceful coexistence is just a delaying tactic. When Princess Heyi returned last time, they were preparing for war."

Princess Heyi returned to investigate, wanting to know the current military strength of Anchuan Kingdom.

Of course, it's also possible that they came for the map of Qi Wang's tomb.

Regardless of the circumstances, the ultimate goal is to start a war.

Su Wenyuan wanted to ask one question: "If war breaks out, can Anchuan Kingdom win?"

The emperor looked at her warily; such questions were not something that any court official could ask casually.

How was he supposed to answer? He didn't even know the strength of Qikong Kingdom's army, so how could he know if they could win?

Just as things were getting to the crucial moment, Sheng Jingyu returned.

He stayed there for quite a while; he must have talked a lot with the Empress.

The Emperor breathed a sigh of relief and asked him how the Empress was.

Sheng Jingyu replied, "My mother felt deeply guilty and committed suicide by poison. I hope my father will not take his anger out on my seventh and eighth brothers."

When the person died, Sheng Jingyu's title changed as well.

The Emperor nodded and said, "Of course. It's getting late, you may go back. I want to rest for a while."

The Emperor hasn't answered that question yet, and Su Wenyuan doesn't need his answer.

Thirteen years ago, the fighting was so fierce that the army was in complete chaos. We don't even know if the chaos has been rectified yet. If we go to war again, won't we just be doomed?

The emperor was also embarrassed to answer. If there was even the slightest chance of victory, he would not allow Qikong Kingdom to insult his envoy in this way.

That matter can wait; right now, we need to spread the word that the Empress saw Sheng Jingyu before she died.

They were all said to have committed suicide, but in reality, they were all driven to their deaths; everyone knew the truth.

But who exactly drove him to his death is the more important question.

As for Sheng Ziyan and Sheng Zixi, the Emperor certainly wouldn't mistreat them; he was even hoping to use them to deal with Sheng Jingyu.

This is also one of the reasons why the Emperor ordered Sheng Jingyu to kill the Empress, to cut off any possibility of the two brothers becoming friends with Sheng Jingyu.

Sheng Jingyu was well aware of the Emperor's ulterior motives, but the Empress had to die.

After the two left the palace and boarded the carriage, Su Wenyuan finally relaxed completely, leaning back as if her bones had been removed.

"Did Father scare you? Why are you reacting so strongly?" Sheng Jingyu scooted to the side to support Su Wenyuan's body.

Su Wenyuan said, "He did scare me, but I wasn't scared to the point of being frightened. I just found out more things. Does Qikong Kingdom have a national advisor?"

Anchuan Kingdom has planted spies in Qikong Kingdom, and the information obtained by these spies will be relayed to Prince Chen's residence.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!