Chapter 61 Drag him out and beat him to death.

She stopped about five steps away from the Empress's throne, slightly raising her chin, her posture extremely arrogant.

"Your Majesty, have you forgotten? Yesterday in the Imperial Garden, the evidence was irrefutable. I spared you from dwelling on your inability to distinguish right from wrong because you are pregnant with the Emperor's child and your emotions were unstable. What? Do you think I've been too easy to talk to, so you're taking advantage of me and trying to turn the tables on me?"

Her tone suddenly turned stern, and her gaze sharpened.

"Or do you think that, with this undeveloped child in your belly, you can do whatever you want in this harem, even turning right and wrong upside down?"

"If you insist on protecting this lowly servant girl today, and join her in slandering me..."

Jiang Nan paused, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips.

"Very well, I will go and invite His Majesty and the Empress Dowager to make a judgment. We will bring up all the witnesses from yesterday's Imperial Garden and have a proper discussion in front of His Majesty and the Empress Dowager. Let's see who is jealous, who is unable to distinguish right from wrong, who is causing trouble in the harem, and who is endangering the imperial heir."

Jiang Nan emphasized the last four words, "endangering the imperial heir," as if they were heavy hammer blows striking the Empress's heart.

Empress Hesheli was completely stunned by Jiang Nan's arrogant counterattack, which was both sharp and forceful.

Her face was stiff with disbelief, and her body trembled slightly uncontrollably.

To her utter surprise, Jiang Nan acted completely out of the ordinary, neither arguing nor defending herself, but instead flipping the table.

The phrase "endangering the imperial heir" in particular struck at the Empress's deepest fears.

If this matter were to escalate to the point of involving the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, and the old charges were brought up again, the suspicion that she had previously plotted to harm Chengrui would be revived... the consequences would be unimaginable.

"You...you..."

The Empress pointed at Jiang Nan, her lips trembling, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Jiang Nan glanced coldly at the Empress's blustering but cowardly appearance and then ignored her.

His gaze shifted to the terrified Wanyan Shi on the ground, his voice sounding as if it came from the deepest hell.

"As for you, Wanyan clan."

"I spared your life yesterday because I didn't want to dirty my hands. Since you're courting death, why did you insist on walking right into the line of fire..."

Her tone was calm, yet it carried a chilling murderous intent.

"Zhao is triumphant."

"Your servant is here."

Zhao Deyi immediately stepped forward, his voice loud and clear, tinged with excitement.

"Get rid of this vile maid who spews filth, slanders the imperial concubine, and disrupts the harem."

Jiang Nan spoke clearly, word by word.

"Drag him out and beat him to death!"

"Yes, sir."

Zhao sneered and waved his hand. Two fierce-looking eunuchs from Yongshou Palace immediately stepped forward.

Ignoring Wanyan's pig-like cries and pleas for mercy, they roughly grabbed her and dragged her outside.

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"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please save me! This servant did exactly as you instructed, Your Majesty—"

Wanyan was dragged out by two eunuchs, the fear of death causing her to completely break down.

He screamed desperately, trying to grasp at the last straw.

This shout was like a thunderclap, so loud that a pin drop could be heard in the entire hall.

All the concubines stared in horror and disbelief at the Empress on the phoenix throne.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan's face showed amusement.

She raised her hand and waved it gently.

"etc."

Zhao Deyi immediately understood and shouted loudly.

"stop!"

The eunuchs dragging Wanyan immediately stopped in their tracks.

Jiang Nan strolled slowly to the center of the hall, her gaze first sweeping over the Empress, whose face had turned deathly pale and whose body had stiffened.

Then he turned his attention to Wanyan, who was slumped on the ground, tears streaming down her face, his tone carrying a mocking, cat-and-mouse tone.

"Wanyan clan, what did you just shout? Say it again, louder, so everyone can hear you clearly."

She paused deliberately, emphasizing her words.

"Was it Her Majesty the Empress... who instructed you to say this?"

"Consort Jin! Don't listen to this lowly servant's nonsense."

Empress Hesheli suddenly sprang up from her phoenix throne, her voice filled with undisguised panic and anger.

"She's facing certain death, making baseless accusations in an attempt to disrupt the harem. I'll silence her. Drag her away and have her beaten to death immediately."

She panicked completely.

She never expected that Wanyan, that fool, would betray her at the last minute.

This is practically dragging her into an abyss of no return.

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Jiang Nan completely ignored the Empress's roar.

She simply watched the Empress's furious yet cowardly demeanor.

A mocking smile, as if he had just realized something, appeared on his face.

"Oh—I see, I knew it."

She drew out her words, her gaze piercing the Empress like a sharp sword.

"Your Majesty, why did you insist on taking this wicked and well-documented concubine out of the Imperial Prison? So that's what you were planning."

She walked half a circle around the frozen empress, marveling at the sight.

"Oh my, Your Majesty, this trick of yours... it seems so familiar. If I remember correctly, last time at Zhongcui Palace, didn't you try to smear me with the filth of that witchcraft doll? What? One trick didn't work, so you came up with another? You've been playing one trick after another?"

She stopped in front of the Empress, bowed slightly, and wore an expression of utter mockery.

"Your Majesty, you have gone to great lengths to deal with me. I am truly flattered by your kindness."

She suddenly sat up straight, her gaze sweeping over all the silent concubines in the hall.

The voice suddenly rose in pitch, carrying a warning and an incitement.

"Have you all heard this clearly, sisters? Our virtuous Empress is truly cunning. Any concubine she dislikes or finds an eyesore can be easily framed. Today it's Wanyan who slandered me, and tomorrow it might be one of our sisters who accidentally offended her imperial heir. In the end, at best you'll be banished to the Cold Palace, and at worst your entire family will be implicated. Everyone must be careful and not fall into our Empress's trap."

These words were like poisonous thorns, piercing the hearts of every concubine.

The look in his eyes as he looked at the Empress was instantly filled with fear and wariness.

"You...you're spouting nonsense!"

The Empress was so angry that she trembled all over and pointed at Jiang Nan.

He couldn't utter a single powerful rebuttal, and could only writhe in impotent rage.

"Guards! Drag this vile and accusing servant girl away and beat her to death!"

"Oh, Your Majesty, what's the rush?"

Jiang Nan calmly stopped him.

"It was I who was wronged just now, and you were acting all fair and just, wanting me to explain. Why are you so eager to silence me now that the truth is about to come out?"

She turned to Wanyan, who was clutching at the ground like a lifeline, and spoke in a coaxing tone.

“Wanyan, continue. Did the Empress instruct you to slander me? What other grievances do you have? Tell me all of them today, and I will... help you get justice.”

She spoke those last four words with a profound meaning.

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