The crowd was buzzing with discussion, and Mo Zhanli's expression wasn't much better; airing one's dirty laundry in public was hardly a good thing.
Li Jiang added fuel to the fire: "There are witnesses to what I've said." She turned to look at He Si in the crowd.
He Si raised his head slightly, his eyes reflecting Cheng Fei's figure. He said nothing, which was taken as tacit agreement with Li Jiang's words.
Everyone knew the relationship between Consort Cheng and He Si. The current status of Zuixianlou was more or less related to the royal family as its backing. No one expected that the one who stood up to identify Consort Cheng would be her own brother. The crowd was in an uproar.
Some criticized He Si for betraying his blood relatives and calling him an ingrate, while others admired his righteousness in putting family members aside. Most, however, remained indifferent, watching the drama unfold.
However, He Si remained calm and stood upright in place, his gaze fixed on Consort Cheng, his eyes filled with indescribable emotions.
"Over the years, I have been my sister's right-hand woman and have done many heinous things with her. I have recorded all the people who died unnatural deaths in this ledger. I do not ask the king for mercy, but only that you leave me with a whole body. After I die, I will go to the grave with my sister and be buried in the same coffin."
He pulled a blue ledger from his sleeve, and every word he uttered carried a sense of resignation.
The account book was handed to Mo Zhanli by a palace servant, but Mo Zhanli did not open it to look at it, and simply put it aside.
Now that things have come to this, it's a done deal. With so many people around, Mo Zhanli has no choice but to get involved, even if he doesn't want to.
He said sternly, "Consort Cheng is ruthless and cruel, and has taken lives. Today, she shall be stripped of her title and executed by hanging herself with a white silk cord. He Si shall also be executed!"
Upon hearing this, Li Jiang was somewhat surprised. He had originally thought that Mo Zhanli would first detain Consort Cheng for trial and then send someone to investigate, but he did not hesitate to sentence her to death directly, which made him suspect that the relationship between Mo Zhanli and Consort Cheng was not as good as it seemed on the surface.
Just as he was making wild guesses, someone suddenly burst into laughter.
Consort Cheng stood there, her expression seemingly both mad and insane. At first, she tried to restrain herself, but as time went on, her laughter grew increasingly unrestrained. In the bright sunshine, it gave one goosebumps for no apparent reason.
"Mo Zhanli! You dare to sentence me to death!"
His fingers were pale, and his nails were painted with bright red nail polish, making him look like a vengeful ghost who had ripped out a heart.
"You're in such a hurry to sentence me to death because you're guilty. You're afraid I'll reveal what happened back then to the world. You're afraid your lofty image will be shattered. You're afraid your people will no longer trust you. Hahaha, you're afraid of everything. You're just a pathetic coward who'll live in his shadow your whole life!"
Such treasonous words reached everyone's ears without warning on this important day of sacrifice.
Mo Zhanli's expression was extremely cold, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and the pressure he unconsciously released forced everyone to take a few steps back.
Li Jiang frowned in thought, his keen senses picking up on Consort Cheng's last words—
'who is he?
"He is Mo Zhanwei, the former rightful crown prince of Tianqi Kingdom and the elder brother of Mo Zhanli."
Li Jiang turned to look at Shen Xun: "How did you know?"
Shen Xun remained silent.
Li Jiang didn't press the matter further, but she became even more wary of Shen Xun.
Mu Dong asked in surprise, "Isn't Mo Zhanli the legitimate heir?"
Shen Xun: "He usurped the throne; it was just a power struggle within the royal family."
As the three talked, the other commoners and officials also began to whisper among themselves. They knew the history of the Tianqi Kingdom all too well, but even with all that knowledge, they only knew the surface of the change of imperial power and were not aware of the inside story.
On the day Mo Zhanli usurped the throne, he blocked the news from the outside world, only saying that the original crown prince Mo Zhanwei was obsessed with cultivation and had voluntarily given up the throne, and that the second prince Mo Zhanli would succeed him as the ruler of Tianqi Kingdom and become the twenty-fourth emperor of Tianqi Kingdom.
For ordinary people, survival and food are the most important things. Although they love Mo Zhanwei, since Mo Zhanli took office, Tianqi Kingdom has become peaceful and prosperous, and they have gradually accepted this ruler.
Hearing Consort Cheng's words now, they realized that what happened back then was far more complicated than it seemed.
The doubts grew louder and louder. Consort Cheng watched this scene with great satisfaction, especially seeing Mo Zhanli's exasperated appearance, which made her feel even more pleased.
She sneered, "How about it, my king? Should I tell them what happened back then, so that the world can see what kind of person you really are?"
Before the words were even finished, a palm strike had already begun, instantly pressing towards Consort Cheng's face. This palm strike used all its strength, and given Consort Cheng's physique, it was enough to be fatal.
Li Jiang was a little further away, and by the time he sensed the killing intent of Mo Zhanli's palm strike, it was too late. However, to his surprise, Consort Cheng actually dodged the palm strike, and the power she unleashed was no less than that of Mo Zhanli.
"how so?"
Shen Xun: "Obviously, he used some method to enhance his spiritual power."
Li Jiang: "Enhance spiritual power? Could it be!"
He looked sharply at Shen Xun, who nodded at him.
Looking at Consort Cheng, her cultivation level was low, only at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, but the power she emitted was ten times that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. She fought Mo Zhanli effortlessly and even gained the upper hand. This was remarkably similar to the tiger demon that devoured the Wind-Stabilizing Pearl that day.
Only then did he realize that the Water Control Pearl they had been searching for was on Consort Cheng.
As the two fought, the people who had come to watch the ceremony scattered in all directions, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire. In the end, only Li Jiang and her two companions, along with some officials and palace servants, and He Si, who had remained standing still, were left.
He kept his head down, staring straight at the ground, as if oblivious to everything around him.
A palm strike, mixed with impure spiritual energy, struck Mo Zhanli's chest, adding new wounds to old ones, causing his blood to surge, a sweet taste to rise in his throat, and blood to gush out.
The sacrificial altar was smashed to pieces. Mo Zhanli struggled to his feet from the shards of wood and looked up to stare at Consort Cheng.
He had never been so disheveled, and now he was slumped in a pile of wood, his hair disheveled and dirty, completely losing the demeanor of a king.
Consort Cheng's face was contorted with rage, her hair disheveled, and her eyes bloodshot as she sneered, "Mo Zhanli, your retribution has come! You never imagined you'd die by my hand, did you! Hahahaha!"
She laughed loudly, "Zhan Wei, I can finally avenge you!"
After speaking, he raised his palm and struck at Mo Zhanli.
Seeing that the king was about to die at the hands of Consort Cheng, officials in the distance shouted "Stop!" but no one dared to step forward.
Although Li Jiang didn't have a good impression of Mo Zhanli, he wouldn't just stand by and watch him die in front of him. He suddenly raised his hand, and a silver sword appeared in his hand. He threw it, and the silver sword flew away from his hand in an instant towards Consort Cheng.
But Consort Cheng was blessed with the Water Control Pearl, so how could she be killed by a sword? She neither fled nor dodged, but raised her hand and grasped the sword. She didn't care about the blood flowing out, and with a little force as if she wasn't afraid of pain, the sword was broken in two.
Turning her head, she attacked Mo Zhanli again. At the last second, in the nick of time, another sword flew from afar, its powerful aura sending Consort Cheng flying more than a hundred paces away.
Li Jiang looked in that direction and saw two figures gracefully landing.
It is Qinghe and Mo Junqian.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com