Nalan Yunzhi held the letter in his hand, and the more words he read, the darker his face became.
But her fingers were tightly gripping the letter, as if she were about to crumple it into pieces. These letters detailed every incident involving the powerful officials who had colluded with An Zihao and their collaboration. Their crimes were simply too numerous to list.
Nalan Yunzhi's eyes seemed to flash with the suffering of the people. Their shops had been seized by the powerful officials in collusion with An Zihao, leaving them without a livelihood. They had been driven from their homes, displaced. Their land had been seized, their loved ones forcibly taken, their lives utterly shattered. Meanwhile, her favored emperor and the powerful officials stood by with a grim smile, enjoying their power and wealth.
Nalan Yunzhi's heart was filled with anger and grief. She knew these crimes weren't just the personal actions of the favored emperor and powerful ministers; they were a disgrace to the entire imperial court. Not only would she, the emperor, lose the support of the people, but the people would also lose their trust in the court. If unpunished and allowed to continue spreading, it would threaten to overthrow the Laifeng Kingdom and its ancestral foundation...
"Snap"!
Just as Nalan Yunzhi was shocked and angry at An Zihao's double-dealing, Murong Jinghe accidentally dropped her makeup box, which immediately popped open a secret compartment. A book resembling a memorial was also revealed.
"Your Majesty, look!" Seeing this, Murong Jinghe hurriedly picked up the memorial on the ground and presented it to Nalan Yunzhi.
Nalan Yunzhi was slightly startled, then began to read:
Your Majesty, I, Shan Wushuang, report that recently when I was looking through and sorting out old files, I inadvertently discovered that there was something strange about the incident of Queen Feng falling off the cliff. I then reasoned based on my doubts and the records in the files, and now I have listed and sorted out the unreasonable points... I believe that there are many doubts about the incident of Queen Feng falling off the cliff, and I implore your Majesty to make a judgment, so that the wronged will be cleared and the innocent souls can be comforted.
Nalan Yunzhi was extremely shocked after reading it. He looked at the memorial and saw that it was signed by Shan Wushuang, the Minister of the Imperial Household Department, and the date was the sixteenth year of Tianze, which was two and a half years ago.
Every word in the memorial was completely consistent with what Hua Qingcheng had told her about Shan Zuo's life experience when Shan Zuo assassinated Nalan Yunzhi, and her speculation that Shan Wushuang was framed.
"An Zihao, why did you intercept Dan Wushuang's memorial?"
Nalan Yunzhi glared at An Zihao angrily. Because of this man, she lost not only Shan Wushuang, the loyal minister who dared to give her advice, but also the people's hearts... Otherwise, Shan Zuo would not have regarded her as a tyrant and wanted to assassinate her.
"Mother Queen, isn't this obvious enough? Of course it's because An Zihao wants to cover up the truth about his father falling off the cliff!" Hua Qingcheng raised her bare hand and pointed angrily at An Zihao who was slumped at Nalan Yunzhi's feet.
Shan Zuo, standing nearby, was equally filled with righteous indignation. His fists clenched, his teeth clenched, and he wished he could just walk over and wrench An Zihao's neck, killing the culprit who had destroyed his family. However, he knew he couldn't do that, so he could only endure it for the time being.
"Your Majesty, have you ever loved Zihao over the years?" An Zihao lowered his eyes to glance at the doll covered with silver needles on the ground and asked leisurely.
"An Zihao, I...am I not treating you well enough?" Nalan Yunzhi leaned forward slightly, pinched An Zihao's chin and looked straight at this unsatisfied man.
Nalan Yunzhi's eyes were filled with disappointment and heartache. She couldn't understand why An Zihao, despite all the favors she had bestowed on him, was still unsatisfied.
As soon as An Zihao entered the palace, Nalan Yunzhi appointed him as a fifth-rank attendant to the emperor. He continued to receive more honors and favors, and his status continued to rise. Not only did he serve as a second-rank Rongjun for over a decade, but he was later promoted to a second-rank Guijun, then a first-rank Huangguijun, and even today he was planning to make him empress...
And what about An Zihao? While enjoying the emperor's favor, he used the art of warding off evil to harm Ling Yan, the woman he loved most. He even had someone tamper with Ling Yan's carriage, causing Ling Yan to fall from the Cliff of Oblivion into the icy abyss, leaving her body completely destroyed. Where did this man's heart lie?
"Your Majesty..." An Zihao stared at Nalan Yunzhi infatuatedly, tears streaming down his face. "Ever since I first encountered Your Majesty in the Imperial Garden nineteen years ago, I've been obsessed with you. I ask myself why... why do you only have eyes for Feng Lingyan?"
An Zihao's voice was filled with resentment and resentment. He knew that his position in Nalan Yunzhi's heart could never compare to Feng Lingyan's, but he refused to accept this. He also knew that his actions would anger Nalan Yunzhi, but at this moment, he no longer cared about that.
"An Zihao, ask yourself, have you ever even considered me?" Nalan Yunzhi's voice was tinged with fatigue. "Are your feelings for me genuine, or are they simply driven by power and status, or are they simply jealous of Lingyan?"
An Zihao's face paled slightly upon hearing this. He didn't know how to answer this question. His feelings for Nalan Yunzhi were complicated, a mixture of genuine affection and a desire for power. He knew his actions had deeply hurt Nalan Yunzhi, but he didn't know how to undo it.
"Your Majesty, Zihao... Zihao is sincere to you." An Zihao's voice was choked with sobs. "However, Zihao also knows that his position in your heart will never compare to Feng Lingyan's. Therefore, Zihao will... will do whatever it takes to win your favor, just to make you look at him more."
"Enough!" Nalan Yunzhi interrupted An Zihao. "Your actions have deeply disappointed me. Today is New Year's Day, so I will refrain from killing you. From this moment on, you deserve only to be confined to the cold palace, never to leave your home for eternity!"
"Old Guo, I convey my decree. The Imperial Noble, An Zihao, is ruthless and vicious. He used the art of warding off evil to murder Empress Feng and colluded with powerful officials. He has committed numerous crimes, including framing loyal officials, encroaching on civilian shops, bullying and dominating the market, seizing land, and forcibly abducting men. This is unbecoming of the Imperial family. He is hereby demoted to a commoner and temporarily imprisoned in the cold palace, pending verification of the case by the Dali Temple before further action is taken."
"Also, the former Minister of the Imperial Household, Shan Wushuang, was a loyal and courageous official with a broad mind and the courage to speak out. He was a loyal minister of our Laifeng State and a role model for officials. I consider that he was wronged by treacherous individuals and exiled without cause. I hereby revoke the false charges of bribery and dereliction of duty against him, in order to restore the Shan family's reputation."
After saying that, Nalan Yunzhi turned and left, leaving An Zihao crying there.
Looking at the bright yellow figure moving further and further away, An Zihao, who collapsed on the ground, knew that he had lost Nalan Yunzhi's heart and everything.
An Zihao didn't know how long he would remain in the cold palace, or if he would be beheaded one day, but he knew he had already embarked on a path of no return...
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