The strong, pungent smell of tung oil, like Regent Xiao Yuan's wolfish ambition that could no longer be concealed, instantly filled the entire warehouse.
All the ladies-in-waiting instinctively took a step back and held their breath. Their gazes were fixed on the bottom of the box that had been violently pried open, on the mysterious hidden compartment that had suddenly appeared before them.
The hidden compartment wasn't very large, and it didn't contain the gold and silver treasures that everyone had imagined, nor any magical weapons.
There were some, but they were rolls of things wrapped tightly and airtight in thick oilcloth, and a thick stack of letters in a brown paper bag.
Everything seemed so...unremarkable.
However, the more this is the case, the more eerie and unsettling it becomes.
The value of something that would prompt the Regent to deploy such top-tier guards, build such a secret arsenal, and hide it in such an unbelievable way must far exceed that of gold!
Suppressing her excitement and nervousness, Qin Zheng stepped forward and carefully took out a roll of drawings wrapped in oilcloth and a brown paper bag from the hidden compartment. She then solemnly presented them to Lin Wanwan.
"Your Majesty, please take a look." Her voice trembled slightly with excitement.
Lin Wanwan's eyes were calm and undisturbed.
She didn't immediately take it, but instead extended her gloved hand and gently brushed away the wood shavings clinging to the oilcloth. Her movements were elegant and composed, as if she were not dealing with evidence of a crime that could topple a dynasty, but rather polishing a precious work of art.
This composure in the face of danger miraculously calmed the wildly beating hearts of all the female officials present.
"Open it," Lin Wanwan instructed calmly.
"yes!"
Qin Zheng took a deep breath, put the brown paper bag aside, and began to carefully untie the hemp rope binding the oilcloth roll.
The tarpaulin was wrapped very tightly, in three layers, each coated with a thick layer of tung oil, clearly to ensure absolute waterproofing and moisture resistance.
When the last layer of oilcloth was slowly peeled away, revealing the drawings made of the finest Xuan paper, everyone's breath caught in their throats.
That wasn't a treasure map, nor was it a martial arts manual.
That was a map that everyone was extremely familiar with!
—General map of the defense layout of the nine gates of the capital city of the Great Liang Dynasty!
On the map, mountains, rivers, city walls, and streets are marked with exquisite detail. From the majestic Chengtian Gate to the Anding Gate, where ordinary people pass through, every pass of the nine city gates of the capital, the height of every section of the city wall, and every patrol route of the imperial guards are clearly marked in neat, tiny characters!
This was enough to terrify everyone present! The defense map of Beijing is a top national secret and could never be leaked!
However, what truly sent chills down everyone's spine were the marks on the picture, made with glaring, blood-red cinnabar!
On the map, several relatively weak points in the city's defenses, from Deshengmen to Chaoyangmen, were marked with a bright red cross! Next to the cross, in vermilion ink, it was clearly marked: "Three hundred soldiers guard this place. The general, Colonel Wang, has surrendered. At midnight, with the help of both inside and outside forces, the city can be breached within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn!"
"The garrison at Xuanwu Gate is His Majesty's trusted confidant, and extremely stubborn; it cannot be attacked by force. However, fifty zhang to the west, there is a section of the city wall that was rebuilt after collapsing due to a rainstorm. Its foundation is unstable, so a heavy battering ram can be used; three strikes will break it!"
...
Each line marked with vermilion ink was like a sharp knife, precisely dissecting the most vulnerable part of the behemoth that is the capital!
This is hardly a defense layout map!
This is clearly a siege map... designed to lure the enemy in and be tailor-made for the rebels!
"hiss--!"
Gasps of astonishment echoed through the silent warehouse!
Even the most obtuse of the female officials present now understood the shocking conspiracy behind the drawing!
They were all terrified, their faces drained of color, their legs trembling, almost unable to stand. Treason! This was a heinous crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family! They never dreamed that they had personally opened such a terrifying Pandora's box!
However, Lin Wanwan's face remained calm.
She merely glanced coldly at the glaring vermilion on the picture, then turned her gaze to the thick kraft paper bag.
"open."
Her voice remained completely calm.
Qin Zheng's hands began to tremble uncontrollably. She suppressed her fear and used her weak fingers to unseal the brown paper bag.
She took out the thick stack of letters inside.
Lin Wanwan casually pulled out the top letter.
There was no signature on the envelope.
She slowly unwrapped the sealing wax.
When she pulled out the letter and saw the familiar, flamboyant handwriting, her pupils suddenly contracted!
That was Regent Xiao Yuan's own handwriting!
The contents of the letter completely extinguished any remaining hope she had!
"...To General Yunfan personally:"
"...The defenses of the capital have been thoroughly investigated, and everything is ready; we await only the opportune moment. The Emperor is now indulging in the harem, at odds with the wicked Empress, and the court is in disarray. This is truly a godsend for us to launch our rebellion. All you need to do, on the Emperor's birthday, as planned, lead 30,000 iron cavalry, station them thirty miles outside the city, and wait for the signal of fire in the palace. Then, together with my son Xiao Jing, we can launch a coordinated attack from within and without, capturing the capital, purging the court of corrupt officials, and quelling the national crisis..."
"...After this is accomplished, you shall be the first marshal of the founding of the nation, a hereditary title, and together with my Xiao family, rule the country!"
At the end of the letter, there was no signature, but it was stamped with a seal that everyone recognized: the personal seal of Regent Xiao Yuan!
"boom--!"
If the defense map just now only made everyone feel uneasy, then this frankly worded and meticulously planned handwritten letter was like a bolt from the blue, striking everyone hard on the head!
A general who colluded with the border guards and held considerable military power!
They agreed to launch their uprising on the Emperor's birthday!
With coordinated attacks from within and without, we will capture the capital!
The true intentions are revealed when the truth is finally revealed!
At this moment, all the conspiracies were laid bare by this letter, tearing away all the pretense!
This is no longer treason.
This is... treason!
And this is just the beginning.
Lin Wanwan, expressionless, put down the first letter, then picked up the second, the third…
Each letter was like a heavy hammer, relentlessly pounding on the psychological defenses of everyone present.
The contents of the letter were shocking!
He and his cronies were plotting to undermine the emperor!
He gave the order to bribe the generals of the Imperial Guard!
He and the Empress Dowager plotted how to place their trusted confidants in the harem to further control the emperor!
There was even a detailed account book that clearly recorded every expense of this underground arsenal, from purchasing raw materials to hiring craftsmen and distributing finished weapons!
Blueprints, letters, accounts...
A complete and shockingly clear chain of evidence for a "treason case" was thus exposed in public, in a bloody manner!
The entire warehouse was deathly silent.
All the female officials were so terrified by the overwhelming evidence that they completely lost the ability to think. They were all pale and trembling like leaves, as if they would be crushed to pieces by this secret that could shatter the heavens at any moment.
Finally, a young female official could no longer withstand the immense psychological impact. With a "thud," her legs gave way, and she collapsed to her knees.
Her action seemed to be a signal.
Instantly, all the female officials present collapsed to the ground as if their bones had been removed, kowtowing repeatedly to Lin Wanwan, uttering unconscious and fearful pleas.
"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me!"
In their view, knowing such a terrible secret meant that the only fate awaiting them was to be silenced!
Although Qin Zheng was still managing to stand, her face was already deathly pale, devoid of any color. She looked at Lin Wanwan with a trembling voice, her voice filled with utter terror.
"Mother...Your Majesty...This...this...this is a capital offense punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family!"
The entire warehouse was instantly enveloped by a desperate, apocalyptic fear.
However, at the very center of this vortex of fear, Lin Wanwan remained unusually calm.
She calmly watched this scene that was enough to shake the world, her face showing neither fear nor joy.
Her eyes were icy cold, like a bottomless pool of ice.
She slowly bent down and carefully gathered up the scattered drawings, letters, and ledgers one by one.
Her movements were gentle and delicate, as if she were not touching a death warrant, but rather tidying up her makeup box.
Only after she solemnly placed the last piece of evidence into the brown paper bag did she slowly straighten up.
Her icy gaze swept over the trembling female officials on the ground, and she spoke slowly.
The sound, though not loud, was clear and reached everyone's ears, instantly silencing all the cries and fear.
"That's right."
She looked at Qin Zheng, her beautiful phoenix eyes flashing with a chilling, murderous intent.
"so……"
"It's our turn to send the prince on his way."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com