Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Jiang Shuyan felt as if all his strength had been drained away. He collapsed to the ground with a look of despair on his face.
"Second sister-in-law, I really can't live without Jiaojiao! She is the only motivation for me to live. If you must execute her, then take me with you! In life, we will sleep together, and in death, we will be buried together!"
When Cao Jiao heard Jiang Shuyan's words, she felt her soul tremble uncontrollably. She regretted it endlessly. Why didn't she listen to Jiang Shuyan's advice and had to provoke Jin Linlin? Now, not only did she hurt herself, but she also implicated him.
"Shuyan, don't be like this..." Cao Jiao's voice was filled with tears.
"Let me go in peace. I'll be even more worried if you do this!"
The two people's true feelings were revealed without reservation at this moment. They hugged each other tightly and cried until they almost fainted.
Jin Linlin stood aside, watching this scene, and couldn't help but sigh at Cao Jiao's great charm. She was able to bewitch the third brother so much and make him completely devoted to her.
In comparison, Dabao and Erbao seemed to be just accidents. In Jiang Shuyan's heart, there was probably no room for anyone else except Cao Jiao.
"This damn girl is so lucky!" Jin Linlin muttered to herself.
"If Jiang Zhixu could be so nice to me, why would I have to doubt his feelings for me all day long?"
Never mind, never mind. Jin Linlin really didn't want to see them displaying such affection in front of her anymore. She turned around, led Dabao, and left the Dali Temple without looking back, heading straight back to the palace.
After all, she also had to appease the hearts of those restless ministers.
The next morning, sunlight shone through the window onto Jin Linlin's dragon bed. She slowly opened her eyes, washed, changed into gorgeous court clothes, and went to the court.
In the imperial court, Jin Linlin sat upright on the dragon throne, her face dignified. She looked around at the officials below, then slowly opened her mouth and read out an imperial edict:
"The next day at noon, Cao Jiao and Jiang Shuyan will be sentenced to immediate execution, and Shangshu Ling Xia Heng will be ordered to oversee the execution."
This imperial edict was like a thunderclap, causing a huge uproar in the court. Officials looked at each other in shock, some in shock, others in secret rejoicing.
However, they quickly came to their senses, knelt down and kowtowed, praising His Majesty's wisdom in unison.
At the same time, the imperial censors who had risked their lives to make suggestions at the palace gate also learned the news. They stopped protesting and returned to their residences silently.
After leaving court, Jin Linlin felt a bit heavy-hearted. She walked slowly through the Imperial Garden, her steps seeming a bit slow. The flowers in the Imperial Garden were still in full bloom, but Jin Linlin had no intention of admiring them.
She arrived at Fengqi Palace. The guards guarding the palace saw her and slowly opened the palace gate. Jin Linlin took a deep breath and walked in with heavy steps.
Inside Fengqi Palace, Jiang Zhixu was sitting quietly in Shufang, holding a military book in his hands and reading it attentively. He seemed unaware of Jin Linlin's arrival. Only when Jin Linlin walked in front of him did he slowly raise his head and look at her calmly.
The two of them just stared at each other quietly, no one spoke, and the entire Fengqi Palace was filled with a depressing atmosphere.
After a long while, Jin Linlin finally couldn't help but break the silence first:
"The third brother and Cao Jiao will be executed at noon the day after tomorrow."
After hearing this, Jiang Zhixu put down the military book in his hand and raised his head. His eyes were still calm, as if this news did not have much impact on him.
"Your Majesty has already issued the decree, so why bother telling me this again?"
Jiang Zhixu's voice was soft, but it carried a hint of indifference.
Jin Linlin's heart froze. She didn't expect Jiang Zhixu to respond like this. She took a step forward and said softly:
"Zhi Xu, don't you have anything to say to me?"
Jiang Zhixu stood up and walked in front of her:
"Your Majesty is wise and will make the final decision."
Jin Linlin looked at his distant look, and felt a pang of bitterness in her heart:
"Zhi Xu, are you really so indifferent to me?"
Jiang Zhixu was silent for a long time, and finally spoke slowly:
"Your Majesty, the Third Brother and I are twin brothers born from the same mother. When you decided to behead him, you must have anticipated the situation today. Now that things have come to this, I'm afraid the friendship between Your Majesty and I can only end here."
After hearing his words, Jin Linlin's eyes instantly turned red, tears welled up in her eyes. She looked at Jiang Zhixu in disbelief and asked in a trembling voice:
"Am I just a son of heaven in your heart, without any friendship at all?"
Jiang Zhixu frowned slightly, and after a moment of silence, he said in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty, as the Emperor, you will inevitably face more and more things beyond your control. This is the fate of the Emperor, destined to be alone."
Jin Linlin took a deep breath, trying hard not to let the tears fall. She bit her lips tightly.
"Are you really so determined? You're willing to abandon your wife and daughter for a younger brother?"
Jiang Zhixu looked at her:
"Linlin, your will determines my destination."
Jin Linlin stared at him intently, as if trying to imprint his appearance deeply into her heart. After a long moment, she sighed softly:
"Never mind, never mind. We've been married for nearly ten years now. However, during these ten years, we've been together less than together. Perhaps we're simply not meant to be together. If that's the case, I won't force it anymore."
As soon as she finished speaking, Jin Linlin turned around and walked away quickly. Her steps seemed a little unsteady, as if she might fall at any time.
Jiang Zhixu watched her retreating figure, a complex emotion flashing through his eyes: helplessness, guilt, and a hint of reluctance. But the emotion was fleeting, and he quickly regained his composure, sitting back at the table and continuing to flip through the thick military book.
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