Reborn, the daughter of the Marquisate went crazy

The King of Qi...is actually the Taoist disciple of Imperial Master Ling Xuan?!

Xie Qingli's heart trembled violently, and her fingertips felt slightly cold. In her past and present lives, she had never seen Lingxuan, let alone known the Taoist boy who served him. But the expressions of the Queen Mother, Queen Meng, and others clearly confirmed Chu Yunze's words.

Ever since the incident involving Xuan Jingguan, Lingxuan has vanished amidst widespread impeachment. Chu Yuncang has dispatched troops throughout the country to search for him, but to no avail. Could it be that he has never left Shengjing? Was he the mastermind behind the prince's return?

She gazed at the King of Qi, only to find him remaining calm and composed even after his identity was exposed. His deep eyes were serene, and there was even a faint smile on the corner of his lips, as if everything was under his control. Such composure, even in the face of a sudden collapse, chilled her heart.

Emperor Yingtian's gaze fell on Chu Yunze, who knelt repeatedly, begging for mercy. The young boy's tears streamed down his face, staining his delicate brocade robe. His utterly miserable appearance seemed to overlap with that of the innocent and unjustly killed Fourth Brother. The anger in the emperor's eyes gradually faded. He sighed softly, and was about to speak, "Ze'er..."

"Father," the Prince of Qi's voice echoed simultaneously. He stared directly into Emperor Yingtian's eyes, his voice clear and lucid, "Seventh Prince, what you say is true. When Mother was seriously ill, I served under the Imperial Preceptor in search of medical treatment. He said I had the potential to cultivate the Dao, and was willing to exchange medicinal herbs for them."

His voice gradually lowered: "That's how I came here. Although it's not glorious, there's no need to hide it."

Emperor Yingtian and Prince Qi locked eyes. The warmth in the emperor's eyes gradually faded, eventually fading into a dead silence as cold as a pond. He suddenly turned to the kneeling mother and son, his voice as cold as ice: "Chu Yunze disrespects his elder brother, and Concubine Fu is a poor parent! From this day forward, you will be banished to the cold palace. I'll give you a taste of what Yan'er has been through these past few years!"

Amidst their shrill cries, the two were dragged out of the hall. When the cries faded away, Emperor Yingtian stared blankly at the empty seat, his eyes unfocused.

You could hear a pin drop in the hall, and the air seemed to freeze.

Although the Seventh Prince was still young, he had already secretly won over several court officials with the support of the Fu family. Now, he saw that both mother and son had been banished to the cold palace, with no hope of returning home.

The faces of the ministers who were attached to the Fu family turned pale, and their hands hidden in their sleeves were clenched into fists. What happened tonight not only ruined the future of the Seventh Prince, but also cut off the road to becoming a king that they had worked so hard to build for many years.

Xie Qingli's gaze remained fixed on the King of Qi. Suddenly, the King of Qi swayed slightly, his hands tightly clasping the edge of the table, his face even paler than before.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she turned her gaze to Emperor Yingtian, who sat on the dragon throne. He looked dazed, like a body with its soul ripped out. A terrifying guess came to her mind: Could it be that Emperor Yingtian had been controlled by the King of Qi?

But then she thought: the Huiyuan Pills Lingxuan had previously presented had long been secretly replaced by Eunuch Deshun. Since the Imperial Preceptor's disappearance, Emperor Yingtian had never touched those pills again. So, what exactly had Lingxuan done?

Xie Qingli turned his head to look at Eunuch Deshun who was standing beside Emperor Yingtian. The old eunuch stood there with his head bowed and his usual kind smile gone. His whole face was like a mask, without any emotion visible.

Emperor Yingtian was stunned for a moment, then suddenly came to his senses. A smile played on his lips, and he raised the golden cup high: "Play the music! Dance! Today, I must not return until I am drunk with all the soldiers!"

The sounds of stringed instruments suddenly rose, and the dancers' sleeves fluttered, dancing across the stage like colorful butterflies. The people in the hall, however, forced themselves to smile, clinking glasses and drinking. The previous turmoil was like a stone dropped into a deep pond; after the ripples dissipated, only a false calm remained.

After a few songs, Emperor Yingtian raised his hand, looking a little tired, and said, "Let's call it a night."

He slowly rose and, supporting the Queen Mother, walked towards the palace gate. At the threshold, he suddenly paused, looking back and speaking slowly, "My dear ministers, our dynasty has weathered many storms in recent years. It was thanks to your concerted efforts that we were able to overcome these difficulties. Today, peace and prosperity reign, and the people are living in harmony..."

The smile on his lips deepened. "I've been thinking about hosting a grand banquet for my Emperor's birthday after the New Year, showcasing the splendor of Dongling and bringing joy to all citizens. The Ministry of Rites has already drafted letters of credence and sent them to all nations. You should all make your preparations early."

As his eyes passed over Jiang Zhong and the other generals, his tone suddenly softened, "My dear ministers, you have worked hard at the border. Please stay in the capital for a while and reunite with your families. After the Emperor's birthday, I will personally give you a farewell party."

The officials in the hall paled. Everyone knew the treasury was empty. This disaster relief effort was barely supported by the confiscation of Zhou Liangcai's property, and next year's border military pay was still being raised. Why even hold this costly and wasteful birthday banquet?

But before they could offer any words of dissent, Emperor Yingtian had already turned and walked into the night. A gust of north wind swept into the hall, causing the candlelight to flicker unsteadily. A chill ran down the spines of the ministers. His Majesty had gone completely mad...

……

As night falls, palace lanterns sway.

The King of Qi dragged his heavy steps back to his bedroom, and with a flick of his sleeve, he dismissed all the palace maids and eunuchs standing in the hall. After the door was closed, he could no longer hold on and staggered into the secret room behind the bedroom.

He stumbled to his knees on the mat, prying open the secret compartment with trembling fingers, taking out a few vermilion pills and swallowing them with his head tilted back. As the pills entered his stomach, he reluctantly formed a seal and sat cross-legged, eyes tightly closed, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead.

About an incense stick later, the tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and the pale face finally regained some color.

He suddenly opened his eyes, and as his fingertips touched the cold body, a sinister sneer curled his lips. He was now nothing more than a remnant of spirit residing in Qing Hui's body. Qing Hui's spirit had long been completely obliterated by him, and this body was now nothing more than a walking corpse, held together only by his magic.

At this thought, a terrifying hatred blazed in his eyes. If it weren't for that old immortal, Ye Lingxu, who had meddled in his affairs, not only destroying his body but also sending his soul into the cycle of reincarnation, how could he have ended up like this? If his soul had been intact, he would still be the omnipotent Taoist master who could make clouds and rain with a flick of his hand. Why would he be in such a state of disgrace?

Despite exhausting all his efforts and using up all his treasured elixirs, he could only barely control Emperor Ying Tian. Even more despicable was that he had to constantly expend his mana to control Emperor Ying Tian's words and actions. The slightest mistake would lead to failure.

Today, he manipulated Emperor Yingtian to detain Jiang Zhong, hoping to seize the opportunity to control the old fox. However, the old man was extremely wary and unyielding, making his move impossible. When he forcibly invaded with his spiritual sense, the old man's soul proved to be as indestructible as thousand-year-old black iron. The backlash caused severe pain to his spiritual sense, nearly exposing him. He truly lost both the wife and the army.

He slowly tightened his fingers, his knuckles making a terrifying crackling sound. However... now that he had gained the royal approval and had used a knife to get rid of Chu Yunze, it wasn't all in vain.

With Emperor Yingtian as his pawn, he could easily control the Dongling court. Once he holds full power, Jiang Zhong, the Meng family, the Queen Mother... these annoying ants will be crushed to pieces...