As the music ended, the ministers present were also deeply moved, with Li Linfeng perhaps being the most affected, raising his wine cup and downing it in one gulp. Tian Yu stood up, scanning the room before her gaze finally settling on Prince Wu. Their eyes met for a second. Tian Yu had so much gratitude to express, yet she couldn't say it. She knew everything he had done for her; he usually seemed so shrewd, so why had he acted so foolishly? A thousand words were contained in that one look—she hoped he would understand. She entrusted her and Zhao Moyan's daughter to him; she knew he would take good care of her.

Finally, looking at Wu Yaohui on the high seat, he asked, "Is Your Majesty satisfied with this piece of music?"

"The Empress sang beautifully! Beautifully!"

"Isn't one person still missing?" Tian Yu asked with a smile.

"Who?" Wu Yaohui asked.

"My friend, the Emperor's former Crown Princess!"

Everyone was surprised to hear who Tian Yu was talking about, but Wu Yaohui was not surprised at all. Instead, he smiled, and it seemed that Prince Wu already understood.

"Qiuxue, since you're here, why don't you come out and greet us?" Tian Yu said loudly.

After waiting for a while, the ministers looked around but didn't see anyone come in. Tian Yu stood there and waited. Finally, a palace maid came out from the crowd and stood opposite Tian Yu. She slowly looked up at Tian Yu and saw that it was Qiu Xue.

"Tian Yu, it's been a long time," Qiu Xue said.

"Isn't she dead?" someone asked.

"After I left the palace, I was discovered, and I've been hiding in the capital ever since," Qiu Xue said, glancing at Consort Li.

"Is your star still around?" Tian Yu asked directly.

Qiu Xue was clearly surprised that Tian Yu would ask her that, and after a moment of distraction, she nodded and said, "Yes, he has always been here!"

"That's good. Don't get lost again. My star is gone!"

"I'm sorry, Tian Yu, I..."

"I know it's not your fault, you don't need to explain."

"You know everything," Qiu Xue said, looking down at Tian Yu, no longer daring to look her in the eye.

"I just want to ask one more question: Is he really dead?"

Qiu Xue nodded helplessly. Tian Yu took a deep breath and said, "I have one more thing to do today. Everyone knows that Marquis Zhao Moyan of Zhenbei died in battle, but in reality, he was murdered by someone colluding with spies."

The ministers were in an uproar, with various opinions circulating. Tian Yu took out the letter she had deliberately stolen from Wu Yaohui's palace and said, "This is a letter I found in the Emperor's palace. It's about how he colluded with the Meng Kingdom to frame loyal officials. He's the Emperor, so it might be useless for me to say anything, even if I have evidence. But I still want to tell you what kind of person your Emperor is. He was sent to the Che Kingdom as a hostage at the age of five. For ten years, he was manipulated by the powerful and influential people of the Che Kingdom, which led to his twisted mind. He has severe mysophobia, a split personality, and perverted violence. The concubines in the harem all know this deeply, but because they are afraid to speak out, let alone resist, they are too ashamed to do so."

"Shouldn't the Empress take her medicine? Why is she starting to talk nonsense?" Wu Yaohui reminded her, squinting his eyes.

Tian Yu resisted the urge to listen to him, the shards of porcelain clutched tightly in her hand reminding her not to be swayed. She continued, "I know very well that you think you can use me by drugging me and causing me to lose my memory. I will not yield. Your affair with Consort Li is known to everyone in the palace. You even poisoned the late Emperor together. All that love and care the late Emperor showed you, all that scheming for you, and all that forcing Prince Wu to assist you in your ascension to the throne—and what have you done in return?!"

"Empress!" Wu Yaohui warned, while Consort Li also stared at Tian Yu.

"What? Is Your Majesty angry? I was going to tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a young prince who was always bullied because he was a hostage in another country. He was even kept as a favorite son of a powerful nobleman and suffered inhuman treatment. Later, he was rescued by a woman from his own country. He was very fond of this woman, and although there was a big age difference between them, the young prince fell in love with her under her seduction. But what he didn't know was that this woman was not there to rescue him, but to conspire with the enemy country to frame his own country. He was just her entertainment along the way!"

"You're talking nonsense!" Wu Yaohui said angrily.

"Whether I'm lying or not, you can find out by asking her," Tian Yu said, pointing at Consort Li.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Consort Li said with a sneer.

"You must know how Zhao Moyan's father, Zhao Zhongyi, died, right?" Tian Yu said.

"As all the ministers here know, the Zhao family is a traitor for colluding with the enemy. The late emperor did not pursue Zhao Moyan and gave him a chance, which is already a great act of kindness. So what questions do you still have?" said Consort Li.

"I don't have it, he does!" Tian Yu pointed at Li Linfeng and said.

"Do you know who he is?" asked Consort Li.

"Lord Li, do you know who you are?" Tian Yu also asked.

“What does the Empress mean? This old minister does not understand!” Li Linfeng said.

"Can you tell me about Zhao Moyan's father?" Tian Yu asked.

“This… Zhao Zhongyi, who is also Zhao Moyan’s father, was my classmate and friend. He was very sentimental, and I have never been able to understand why he would betray the country and cause his family to be destroyed.”

"You really don't know? Then think carefully again, what exactly happened thirty years ago?"

"Thirty years ago? I remember we were young then. That year, Brother Zhao and I entered the court as officials at the same time. Brother Zhao also married the woman he loved, who was Zhao Moyan's mother, Lady Liu."

"It sounds normal and wonderful. Didn't anything else happen in between?"

"Other matters!? Brother Zhao, your sister left the capital to travel not long after your marriage." Li Linfeng said as he recalled.

"Travel!?" Tian Yu mocked.

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