Their eyes met, like swords clashing. There was no sound, but the killing intent was palpable, as if they had already exchanged dozens of blows, and neither of them retreated.

Empress Shen did not.

Ye Qingxue didn't either.

Her voice, sharp as a cold arrow, pierced through the air towards Empress Shen: "You possess the same appearance as Consort Shen, you can learn her habits, memorize her life story, and even deceive the Emperor and the world—"

"But you'll never know the details of her relationship with her mother, and you'll never be able to learn her painting skills, because you're not her!"

Ye Qingxue's words were like a raging storm, instantly sweeping away everyone's reason.

For a long while, no one reacted.

Madam Shen lunged at Empress Shen, tearing at her: "Where did you hide my Hongxiu! You killed her, killed her child, and even replaced her! How cruel you are! Give me back my daughter!"

Empress Shen stood up abruptly and pushed Madam Shen away. Madam Shen was already old and frail, and with this push, she fell to the ground.

Ye Qingxue spun around, picked up the long sword that the emperor had just drawn from the box, gripped it tightly in her hand, and pointed it directly at Empress Shen!

"It was you who hired someone to pretend to assassinate Prince Ding Yunchi, tricked my father into saving someone, and took the opportunity to seriously injure my father! You are the one who killed my father!"

"It was you who secretly sent people to surround Taoxi Village, and then tricked all the loyal generals of the Great Zhou into going to Taoxi Village under the pretext that the emperor had suddenly fallen ill or was about to die. Then you labeled them as the deposed crown prince's faction and eliminated them along with the deposed crown prince!"

"It was you who colluded with Imperial Physician Liu Qinghe to poison the Emperor! All to help Prince Yun Chi of the Heavenly Eagle Holy Kingdom ascend the throne! All so that the entire court is left with only treacherous officials who obey your orders!"

"All of the above are tantamount to you stealing the land of my Great Zhou for the sake of the Heavenly Eagle Holy Kingdom!"

"Today, I will avenge my father! I will avenge Yun Zhuo, the Crown Prince, for being framed and deposed by you! I will avenge the thousands of innocent people of my Great Zhou who died tragically!"

To avenge her and Yun Zhuo's tragic deaths in their previous lives!

To avenge her unborn child!

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the scene, completely bewildered by the barrage of information!

I see!

So that's how it is!

Before this, they had never imagined that a woman could do such a thing.

However, if a beauty from the Heavenly Eagle Holy Kingdom could eliminate many rivals in the harem and ascend to the throne of empress, what else couldn't she do?

Ye Qingxue's longsword moved with lightning speed. After speaking, she thrust it towards Empress Shen. The sword energy swept away the stray hairs on Empress Shen's forehead, and the hair ornament on her head swayed as well.

Yun Chi and the Emperor both slightly opened their mouths, as if they wanted to stop it, but they did not move at all, as if they were frozen in place.

As for Empress Shen, she didn't dodge or avoid it. She just watched Ye Qingxue stab at her, and even gave Ye Qingxue a cold smile.

That smile was so alluring, so confident, as if the world was in her hands and everyone's life was in her grasp.

Just as the longsword was about to pierce her forehead, Empress Shen suddenly raised her hand: "Ye Qingxue, look at this?"

Ye Qingxue's movements suddenly stopped, and the long sword came to an abrupt halt in front of Empress Shen's forehead. Looking at what Empress Shen held, she trembled and her eyes reddened.

Empress Shen held a light yellow jade pendant in her hand. Smiling, she used the pendant to deflect the long sword from Ye Qingxue's hand and slowly walked towards her.

They weren't far apart, only a sword's length apart, but after Empress Shen put aside her sword, she was almost touching Ye Qingxue's body.

Then, she leaned close to Ye Qingxue's ear and whispered with a smile, "Ye Qingxue, you are much more capable than I imagined. You were able to dig up all these things."

"It's a pity you're too young. You act without considering the consequences. You've forgotten about your family and the estate in Jingzhou."

“Your wet nurse, Granny Xing, as well as the uncles and aunts who watched you grow up, and your companions, are all in my hands. If you kill me, they won’t live either.”

Ye Qingxue's body stiffened. The jade pendant that Empress Shen had just revealed belonged to Granny Xing.

From the time she could remember, that jade pendant had been worn by Granny Xing and had never left her side.

She thought that Granny Xing was far away in Jingzhou, far from the strife, and would not be in danger. She actually forgot that Empress Shen was a master of scheming.

For the sake of ultimate and absolute victory, she would use everything at her disposal, even if Granny Xing was far away in Jingzhou.

"Now, you obediently tell the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and everyone in front of you that your actions above were entirely a frame-up against me and Chi'er."

"None of this is true. You did this because you hate Chi'er for breaking off the engagement with you and because you can't accept Yun Zhuo's death."

“Tell them that you know you are guilty of grave sins and have volunteered to die. If you die in front of me now, I will let Granny Xing live.”

Empress Shen chuckled softly in her ear.