The moment the cold glint of the arrow with its blood-stained groove pierced Lin Wanwan's eyes, she knew that this covert reconnaissance and scheme had to end immediately.
The regent is no longer merely accumulating power; he is quietly transporting the most lethal weapons to every corner of the palace! Time is no longer on their side.
Any hesitation could lead to utter ruin!
We must act immediately, with lightning speed, to seize this arsenal and cut off this viper's fangs!
...
The next day, just as dawn was breaking.
A vast procession, a stark contrast to the deathly silence of yesterday, appeared on the palace road leading to the northwest corner of the palace.
The Empress's entourage led the way. Lin Wanwan, dressed in solemn imperial attire, her face as cold as ice, her phoenix eyes filled with majesty, sat regally on a magnificent palanquin. Behind her followed Qin Zheng and dozens of dignified female officials carrying various account books.
This team was like a blazing fire in winter, instantly tearing apart the desolation and silence of this area.
Behind the shadows of the trees and the palace walls on both sides of the procession, figures dressed in ordinary eunuch attire, yet with piercing eyes and a composed demeanor, moved silently and in sync, like ghosts.
They were the sharpest sword Xiao Che had entrusted to Lin Wanwan—the most elite of the three thousand secret guards! The trays and food boxes in their hands did not contain snacks, but rather sharp blades coated with deadly poison!
This was a surprise attack disguised as an "audit"!
When the group arrived at the abandoned warehouse, as expected, several guards dressed in imperial guard uniforms, yet exuding a fierce air, immediately stepped forward and blocked the road.
Leading the group was a burly guard captain with a menacing face. Seeing that it was the Empress's retinue, his eyes showed no reverence, but rather an undisguised contempt and impatience.
He didn't even bother with formalities, simply crossing his arms lazily, pointing his chin in Lin Wanwan's direction, and arrogantly saying, "This is a forbidden area of the palace; no one is allowed to approach! Your Majesty, please detour immediately!"
What a "forbidden area within the palace"!
Qin Zheng stepped forward, her eyebrows furrowed, and sternly rebuked, "How dare you! You dare not kneel before Her Majesty the Empress's carriage and utter such arrogant words! Do you intend to rebel?!"
Upon hearing this, the guard leader burst into laughter as if he had heard the funniest joke.
"Rebellion? Little girl, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want!" He glanced at Lin Wanwan on the palanquin, his tone full of sarcasm. "To be honest, this place is now under the personal control of the Regent! The Prince has ordered that, in order to prevent the theft of relics from the previous dynasty, not even a fly is allowed in! Let alone the Empress, even if His Majesty himself came, he wouldn't be able to set foot here without the Prince's warrant!"
His words were extremely arrogant, practically placing the regent above the emperor!
The surrounding ladies-in-waiting were all so angry that their faces turned pale.
Qin Zheng was so angry that she was trembling all over. She was about to step forward to argue with him, but Lin Wanwan stopped her with a look.
Lin Wanwan slowly stood up from the palanquin.
She wasn't angry; her face didn't even show the slightest extra expression. She simply looked down at the guard leader with the gaze one would give a dead man.
That gaze was cold and indifferent, yet it carried an absolute pressure emanating from the pinnacle of power, enough to freeze one's soul!
The guard leader felt a chill run down his spine under her gaze, and the smile on his face gradually froze.
Just then, Lin Wanwan slowly took out an object wrapped in bright yellow brocade from her wide sleeves.
She personally untied the brocade, layer by layer.
The moment the jade seal, carved entirely from the finest mutton-fat white jade and adorned with a lifelike phoenix totem on its base, was exposed to the morning light, an invisible majesty representing the supreme power of the imperial harem instantly enveloped the entire scene!
—Phoenix Jade Seal!
The one who holds this seal is as if the Empress were personally present, and can command the six palaces and control the inner court!
"Open your dog eyes and see clearly what this is!"
Lin Wanwan's voice, though not loud, struck like a thunderclap from the heavens, hitting everyone's heart hard!
Holding the phoenix seal, she took a slow step forward, her phoenix eyes filled with chilling killing intent!
"The entire inner palace is under the jurisdiction of the Empress! The Regent is merely an outsider, yet he dares to establish a forbidden area within the inner palace. This is an overstepping of his authority, tantamount to treason!"
Her voice suddenly rose, each word piercing the heart!
"I now suspect that you, though nominally guards, are actually embezzling from your posts, secretly colluding and plotting treason! Your prince may be in charge of the court, but he has no right to run wild in the inner palace!"
These words were powerful and resounding, directly characterizing the regent's actions as "treason"!
The guard leader's face turned deathly pale instantly. He hadn't expected that this empress, rumored to have fallen out of favor and be weak and easily bullied, would dare to be so tough, even daring to directly accuse the regent of treason!
He was both shocked and furious, but relying on the Regent's backing, he still tried to stubbornly argue: "You...you're making false accusations! Your Highness is acting on the late Emperor's dying wish to assist..."
However, before he could finish speaking, he was ruthlessly interrupted by Lin Wanwan's cold shout!
"Take it down!"
Lin Wanwan was too lazy to waste any more words on these dying people.
Holding the Phoenix Seal, she pointed it towards the empty left side of the palace wall and issued that earth-shattering command!
"Anyone who resists, or attempts to send a message..."
A chilling killing intent flashed in her eyes.
"Kill without mercy!"
The four words "kill without mercy" struck like four heavy hammer blows!
Upon hearing this, the guard leader was first stunned, then a ridiculous, maniacal laugh spread across her face. Take them down? With a bunch of defenseless women like you? Was she insane? Giving orders to thin air?
However, the smile on his face froze completely the next second!
Before the words were even finished!
There was a soft "swish swish swish" sound!
Dozens of black shadows, like ghosts emerging from hell, appeared silently from behind the shadows of trees, corners of walls, and artificial hills from all directions!
Their speed and the strangeness of their movements were simply beyond the limits of human comprehension!
Before the guards could even react or utter a cry of alarm, they felt a chill on their necks or a numbness in their backs, and instantly lost all their strength, collapsing limply to the ground!
quick!
That's too fast!
The whole process was so fast that it took less than the blink of an eye!
The group of guards who were arrogant and domineering just a moment ago were subdued in an instant by this group of ghost-like "eunuchs" with lightning speed!
Gag them! Tie them up! Drag them into the shadows!
The whole process was clean, efficient, and perfectly coordinated. Apart from a few muffled groans that were instantly suppressed, there was no other sound!
Silently!
It was as if everything that had just happened was just an illusion.
If it weren't for the few fallen weapons still lying on the ground and the faint smell of blood lingering in the air, one would almost doubt that anything had ever happened here.
Qin Zheng and the female officials behind her were all stunned.
Their mouths gaped open, their eyes filled with disbelief and shock. They knew the Empress had a trump card, but they never imagined it would be so… terrifying!
This is hardly a guard!
These are clearly a group of death gods walking among humans!
Lin Wanwan calmly watched the bloody yet efficient scene unfold before her, her face devoid of any emotion.
She slowly stepped down from the palanquin, her skirt gently brushing against a sword that had fallen to the ground and was still warm.
She stopped, her eyes icy, and said calmly to Qin Zheng, who was completely stunned:
"Now, please ask Your Highness to open the door for us."
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