The clear, cold female voice, like a gust of wind passing through the hall, instantly dispelled the sorrowful and oppressive atmosphere in the Golden Palace brought about by the Regent's monologue.
Everyone's attention was involuntarily drawn to it.
Lin Wanwan's figure appeared at the dilapidated palace gate.
She was still wearing the phoenix robe that had been tattered in the battle, and her face was still covered with soot that had not been wiped away, but her posture was as upright as a pine tree, and her steps were steady and firm.
Her appearance was like a ray of clear morning light, piercing through the gloom of the palace.
"Wanwan?!"
Xiao Che's brows furrowed instinctively, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes. This place was too dangerous; she shouldn't have come.
"A demon queen?!"
When Regent Xiao Yuan, who was sitting on the dragon throne, saw Lin Wanwan, he was stunned for a moment. Then, the mad hatred in his eyes became even more intense!
In his view, if it weren't for this wicked empress plotting behind Xiao Che's back, he would never have suffered such a crushing defeat today!
"Well done! Well done!"
He let out a hysterical laugh, pressing the dagger against the Empress Dowager's neck once more, and roared at Lin Wanwan, "Another one coming to die! Xiao Che, it seems your Empress wants to see you kneel before me!"
He tried to use the same methods to threaten Lin Wanwan and to enjoy the look of terror on her face.
However, he was disappointed again.
Lin Wanwan seemed not to hear his threat at all, and she didn't even glance at the hostage in his hands—the Empress Dowager.
She ignored his threats and the dagger in his hand.
She simply took a step, one step at a time, and walked straight into the main hall.
Her gaze, calm yet sharp, was like a drawn sword, traversing dozens of steps to pierce directly at the man on the dragon throne, a man who was all bark and no bite!
"You...you stop right there!"
The regent felt a chill run down his spine under her oppressive gaze, and instinctively, though his voice was fierce, he roared, "If you dare take another step forward, I'll kill this old hag first!"
Lin Wanwan stopped in her tracks.
She stopped in the center of the main hall, neither too close nor too far from the steps.
Seeing this, the regent thought his threat had worked, and a smug grin reappeared on his face.
However, the next moment, Lin Wanwan's actions completely froze the smile on his face.
Lin Wanwan slowly took out a stack of things from the wide sleeves of her phoenix robe.
It was a stack of letters.
A stack of old letters, the paper yellowed and the edges even tattered.
Uncle Wang,
Lin Wanwan spoke, her voice as clear and cold as ever, yet carrying a penetrating power that resonated clearly throughout the empty hall.
"You just said that everything you've done is just taking back what rightfully belongs to you."
"You still say that you are destined by heaven."
A cold, mocking smile curled at the corners of her lips.
"Then, please listen to what I have prepared for you... 'Destiny'."
As soon as she finished speaking, she stopped looking at the Regent's face, which had instantly turned to one of surprise and uncertainty, and slowly unfolded the first letter in her hand.
Then, in a clear and steady tone, loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly, she read aloud:
"In the autumn of the twenty-seventh year of Yongle, the Prince Uncle ceded the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun in exchange for the support of 300,000 troops from the Northern Barbarians. It was also agreed that after the matter was settled, the Northern Barbarians would be allowed to trade freely at the border for three years, without being subject to the laws of the Great Liang!"
"boom--!!!"
This short sentence struck everyone's heart like a thunderbolt from the heavens!
"What?!"
The Empress Dowager, with a dagger pressed against her, trembled violently. Her eyes, which had been glazed over with fear, were instantly filled with disbelief and horror! She abruptly turned her head and stared intently at Xiao Yuan's face, which had suddenly turned completely bloodless!
Even the soldiers outside the hall, who had just gone through a bloody battle, were in an uproar after hearing these words!
The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun!
That was the most important barrier in the north of the Great Liang! It was a piece of land that countless soldiers won back with their blood and lives!
Ceding the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun?!
This is treason! It's blatant treason!
"You...you're talking nonsense!"
Xiao Yuan's voice became shrill and piercing with extreme terror! He roared like a madman, "Empress! How dare you forge letters and slander me! Guards! Tear her mouth apart for me!"
However, no one moved.
All eyes were fixed on Lin Wanwan, waiting for her to continue.
Lin Wanwan ignored his roar.
She calmly tossed the letter she had finished reading onto the ground, and then unfolded the second one.
"In the spring of the twenty-eighth year of Yongle, the Prince promised to open the three major trading ports in Jiangnan for ten years, allowing the East China Sea Fleet to stop and resupply. In exchange, the East China Sea Fleet would blockade the Grand Canal on the day you launched your rebellion, cutting off the food supply to the army from the south that came to the aid of the emperor!"
The second heavy blow came right away!
If ceding the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun was to shake the foundations of the nation, then opening the ports of Jiangnan and allowing the East China Sea navy to enter was to invite wolves into the house! It would expose the most prosperous heartland of the Great Liang Dynasty to the enemy's butcher's knife without any defense!
"In the summer of the twenty-ninth year of Yongle, the Prince secretly ordered the Ministry of War to send a batch of newly forged Xuan Tie heavy armor, disguised as 'damage,' to Xiliang in exchange for the Xiliang cavalry, to 'cleanse' the powerful clans in the country who were not loyal to you after your ascension to the throne..."
"In the thirtieth year of Yongle's reign, in winter. Uncle, you even gave the geomantic map of my Great Liang imperial tombs to the remnants of the previous dynasty, just to exchange it for those Jianghu assassins in their hands who only knew how to kill and set fires..."
Letters!
One piece of evidence after another!
Lin Wanwan's voice was clear and steady, devoid of any emotion.
But every word she uttered was like a resounding slap in the face, like a merciless hammer, striking Regent Xiao Yuan's heart hard! And just as hard, it struck the hearts of the Empress Dowager and all the soldiers outside the palace!
Xiao Yuan's face went from initial fear to anger, and now... deathly ashes.
His frantic roar gradually subsided.
He just stared blankly at the woman standing in the hall, holding irrefutable evidence, exposing all his secrets and shameful acts to the light of day.
His self-hypnotic rhetoric of "taking back what belongs to me" was utterly shattered in the face of these bloody and irrefutable pieces of evidence of treason! Not even a shred of cloth remained to cover his shame!
Finally, Lin Wanwan finished reading the last letter.
She tossed the thick stack of letters in her hand lightly in front of Xiao Yuan, as if discarding a pile of trash.
Paper was scattered all over the floor.
Every word seemed to be mercilessly mocking his pathetic "fate".
Lin Wanwan slowly raised her eyes.
Her clear eyes were filled with a cold, disdainful contempt that could freeze one's soul.
She looked at the man who had completely lost his soul, and every word she spoke was like a knife to the heart!
"You're not taking back what's yours."
"You are betraying our entire nation!"
"Betray those million heroic souls who died on the battlefield to protect this land!"
"Betray those millions of people who live and thrive on this land!"
Her voice suddenly rose, like a god from the heavens delivering the final judgment!
"You dare to talk..."
"—Destiny?!"
"No...no..."
Looking at the letters scattered at his feet, and seeing the familiar handwriting and seals, Xiao Yuan's last line of defense was completely shattered at this moment!
"puff--!"
A mouthful of blood gushed out of his mouth!
"Xiao Yuan!!!"
Just then, a shrill scream filled with endless anger and despair rang out from beside him!
It's the Empress Dowager!
She heard all of this, and heard about the heinous and outrageous acts of treason committed by her brother-in-law for the sake of the dragon throne!
Her body trembled violently from extreme anger!
For the first time, a genuine killing intent flashed in her well-maintained eyes!
She shouted angrily:
"Xiao Yuan! You disloyal and unfilial...beast!!!"
This curse from his closest sister-in-law, his most trusted ally, became the final straw that broke the camel's back.
"Aaaaaaahh ...
Regent Xiao Yuan was utterly devastated by this shocking truth and the betrayal from his closest relatives!
He let out a frenzied, beast-like roar that was not human!
In his eyes, which were already filled with bloodshot eyes and madness, the last shred of reason was completely burned away!
He raised the dagger in his hand!
Now that everything has been exposed, and now that everyone has abandoned him!
Then... let's die together!
He wanted to drag this old hag down with him! He wanted to drag everyone in the temple down with him! To perish together!
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