Chapter 272 Turning Black into White, Pretending to be Extraordinary
The snow fell silently, and at this moment, it covered Li Yi's heart with a thick layer.
His gray hair echoed the vast expanse of falling snow; from the moment Yan Zhao died, his heart had turned cold to the core.
They devoted themselves wholeheartedly, never daring to slacken in the slightest, working day and night without rest, all for the sake of protecting all the people under heaven.
But now, in his old age, he suddenly realizes that he couldn't even keep the people he cherished most, the people he was most loyal to, and the people he loved most.
Watching Consort Shu and Su Wanying wrestle together, and listening to the commotion in the main hall, Li Yi remained expressionless and silent.
He suddenly couldn't understand it anymore.
Seeing that the commotion was getting bigger and bigger, Li Yi raised his hand, picked up a teacup from the side, and smashed it in front of Su Wanying and Consort Shu with a crash.
As the teacup shattered, making a series of shattering sounds, everyone in the hall felt uneasy, and the officials kowtowed, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"
Consort Shu was jolted back to her senses by the shouts.
She released her grip, pointed at Su Wanying, and looked at Li Yi on the high platform: "Your Majesty! Every word this witch says is a lie. Your Majesty must not be bewitched by her!"
Consort Shu patted her chest with one hand: "I have served His Majesty for more than 30 years, always keeping to my duty, and have never done such a despicable thing!"
She spoke with righteous indignation and solemnity: "Not only have I not done any of what she said, but I have also worked tirelessly day and night for His Majesty and for Consort Xiao, urging the Imperial Hospital to treat Consort Xiao."
"I have a clear conscience!"
When Consort Shu said these things, she stood very straight.
Her eyes were filled with tears, as if she had suffered countless grievances.
Seeing that Li Yi remained silent, she turned to look at Li Jin.
“I understand that His Highness Prince Jing is angry.” She bit her lip. “Six years ago, when Your Highness was guarding the border, the capital changed overnight.”
Consort Shu choked with sobs: "It was me! It was me who knelt on the palace grounds and begged His Majesty not to implicate Prince Jing! It was me who pleaded with His Majesty, out of consideration for our blood ties, not to direct his anger at Prince Jing."
"So, I should thank Consort Shu?" Li Jin's voice rose eight octaves.
This abrupt question startled Consort Shu.
Standing on the throne, she looked at Li Jin with great surprise and asked in return, "Shouldn't you thank me?!"
She laughed in surprise: "Li Jin, do you think you can become a king or prime minister on your own? Do you think you can become the head of the Six Doors on your own? Do you think you can live a life of luxury on your own?"
Li Jin narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at her with a half-smile: "Otherwise what?"
Consort Shu paused for a moment.
"Could it be that Li Jin's success today is largely due to Consort Shu's patronage?"
These words were tantamount to slapping Consort Shu in the face in public.
She instantly flew into a rage: "Insolence!" Her voice was deafening. "Without me! Who do you think you are!"
But Li Jin stepped forward and said disdainfully, "Li Jin was able to be enfeoffed as a king and appointed as prime minister because he was on the front lines, risking his life and trading his life for it. He was able to become the head of the Six Doors because of his meticulous logic and reasoning, as well as his ability to recognize and employ people. As for his luxurious life, it is because he is like a prince, with the blood of the Li family flowing through his veins."
He laughed even more frivolously: "Since Consort Shu gave birth to the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince may really need to thank you for his current success."
“But Consort Shu’s move won’t work on Li Jin.” He suddenly lowered his voice and said solemnly, “In my world, if it weren’t for you, we would have already established a unified and prosperous era.”
"You! You!" Consort Shu's face flushed red, overwhelmed by a frenzied rage. She raised her hand to slap Li Jin, "You ungrateful bastard!"
But Li Jin grabbed her wrist and, in front of everyone, rudely poked Shu Fei in the back.
"Consort Shu is probably living in a dream," Li Jin said coldly. "Kindness? Consort Shu's trick might work on Su Wanying, but for me, it's just self-humiliation. I am not your tool, and you don't have the ability to earn my respect."
In the main hall, Jin Shu, who had been sitting there without saying a word, now had a furrowed brow as she glanced at Consort Shu in front of her.
Previously, she was very puzzled by Su Wanying's actions.
The battle for the throne was bloody and brutal. Prince Jing was able to escape unscathed six years ago entirely because of the "God of War" reputation he had built up beforehand.
Even if she eventually manages to marry Prince Jing through Consort Shu after the Crown Prince ascends the throne, she will only face a dead end sooner or later.
The Crown Prince will not allow Li Jin to gain military power, nor will he allow someone whose achievements overshadow his lord to live peacefully in the world.
Therefore, Jin Shu never understood how Su Wanying, who came from an official family, could not understand such a simple principle.
Until now.
Listening to Li Jin and Consort Shu's argument and watching Consort Shu's reaction, a word flashed through Jin Shu's mind.
Narcissistic personality disorder.
This is a type of person who is keen on destroying others' self-esteem and trampling on their dignity to satisfy their own self-perception of being "superior," thereby turning others into their "cheap tools." They are even more terrifying than those who use mind control.
Just like Consort Shu in front of me, she lacks empathy, is arrogant, distorts the truth, and constantly belittles those who are better than herself.
Jin Shu looked at Su Wanying kneeling there, her face as calm as still water, and a ripple of sympathy stirred in her heart.
It's pitiful that she only realized now that she was just a tool of Consort Shu, not even a human being.
At that time, the most talented woman in the capital, who had lost her position as Crown Princess Li Mu and was not appreciated by Li Jin, was deeply mired in self-doubt. It seemed to be fate that the appearance of Consort Shu crushed all her personality and dignity.
In order to prove her worth and regain her glory, she became a tool in Consort Shu's hands, summoned and dismissed at will.
"Consort Shu speaks with such righteous indignation; if I hadn't found three catties of Gelsemium elegans and a whole bottle of arsenic in your room, I would have truly believed you." Li Jin crossed his arms and glared at Consort Shu's face. "Are you so impassioned, waiting for the officials to be poisoned?"
As he spoke, he turned and gave the Crown Prince a meaningful look.
A hint of surprise flashed across Li Jing's face.
As expected, Consort Shu opened and closed her mouth, shifting the blame for the hooked lip and arsenic incident entirely onto the other party: "Li Jin! This is a blatant frame-up!"
She pointed at Su Wanying and said viciously, "It's all because of this wicked woman! She used such methods to frame me!"
After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.
Consort Shu glanced at the crowd and was surprised to find that she received a look of utter pity.
She stood there, stunned, hardly believing her eyes.
"Are you done making a scene?"
Sitting on the dragon throne, Li Yi, who had not spoken for a long time, slowly opened his eyes.
He rubbed his wrists expressionlessly, seemingly calm as still water.
Consort Shu turned around and met Li Yi's cold gaze, a cold sweat breaking out on her back.
Those eyes were filled with murderous intent.
“Enough arguing, enough fighting.” Li Yi paused, then said, “Take him away…” He paused again, swallowing the word “execute immediately.”
"It's pending trial," he said.
Consort Shu froze, standing stiffly in the hall. After a long while, she gave an awkward laugh: "Your Majesty, I am the Crown Prince's mother!"
Li Yi snorted coldly: "Crown Prince? You mean that guy who led ten thousand elite soldiers to ambush outside the capital, planning to force the emperor to abdicate tonight?"
[Author's Note]
Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is far more terrifying than PUA.
This type of scam is common in "pig butchering" and "marriage fraud" schemes, and the psychological impact on victims is often devastating.
[This is commonly seen in criminal cases; those interested can learn more about it.]
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