The widow becomes a fairy, and the time-traveling girl counterattacks and becomes the queen

In the throne room of the imperial palace, the atmosphere was as solemn as the dead silence before a storm.

Civil and military officials stood on both sides, everyone held their breath and concentrated, even the sound of the friction of clothes seemed particularly harsh.

Emperor Zhao Guoan, sitting high on the dragon throne, had a face as gloomy as water and eyes as sharp as torches, fixed on the figure in the palace wearing the prince's python robe.

——His younger brother, Prince Yu Zhao Yucheng.

As Gou Hongying was led away, Zhao Yucheng hurriedly clasped his fists and bowed deeply according to etiquette: "My royal brother is wise and wise. The person who wronged me has finally been taken away."

However, in the depths of his lowered eyes, a barely perceptible hint of viciousness and cruelty flashed by, so fast that it was impossible to capture.

Emperor Zhao Guoan ignored his superficiality and said in a deep voice, "Prince Yu, the account books found in Gou Hongying's mansion record the huge amount of gold and silver sent to your mansion. The entries are clear and the time is clear. How do you explain it?"

"It's unfair!" Zhao Yucheng cried out, with just the right amount of grievance and unwillingness in his voice.

He straightened up calmly, even with a hint of a misunderstood smile on his face.

"Your Majesty, please understand! I have been wronged terribly! This must be that mad dog, Gou Hongying, biting back before his death, intending to alienate us, the flesh and blood of the royal family!"

He spoke earnestly, his eyes swept over the ministers, and his voice rose slightly, with a hint of performance.

"Royal brother, we are brothers from the same mother, and blood is thicker than water. You must not trust the slanderous words of such a villain and hurt our brotherhood.

Moreover, everyone in the court, including the people of the world, knows that I, Zhao Yucheng, have always been known as a virtuous king. How could I do such a shameless and shameless thing?

"Wise King?" Zhao Guoan snorted coldly, ignoring his words and asking another fatal question: "Then I ask you again, do you have any private dealings with my Concubine Yin?"

This question exploded in the hall like thunder.

Zhao Yucheng's heart tightened, but his face remained calm.

He showed an expression of disbelief, as if he had heard some obscene words that tarnished his reputation.

"Royal brother! Where do you get this from? Imperial Concubine Yin is your Imperial Concubine, and according to etiquette and law, she is also my brother's sister-in-law.

I have always strictly observed etiquette and have nothing but respect for the Empress's sister-in-law. How dare I overstep the boundaries?

Such things would damage the royal family's reputation and go against human ethics. I would never dare to do such a thing!"

"Don't dare?" Zhao Guoan's voice suddenly turned harsh, filled with long-suppressed anger: "I have one last question for you!

When the Crown Prince was assassinated and nearly died, was it you who secretly sent someone to do it?"

After saying this, he suddenly threw the pile of evidence secretly collected by Crown Prince Zhao Haoxuan on the dragon case to the ground: "How do you explain these?"

Zhao Yucheng didn't even glance at the scattered papers.

He straightened his back, his tone filled with the indignation of being slandered: "Royal brother! This is even more nonsense!

The Crown Prince is my nephew. I have watched him grow up and I love him dearly. How could I send someone to commit such an inhumane act? This is pure slander!

"Oh!" Zhao Guoan laughed in anger: "What a slander! What about Liu Yijian?

Isn't he the most capable retainer in your Prince Yu's Mansion?

His skills are exactly the same as those of the assassin who assassinated the prince that day. How can you argue with that?"

"Liu Yijian?" Zhao Yucheng pretended to be surprised, then spread his hands, acting helpless: "Royal brother, this man was indeed a guest in my house for a few days.

But he was a solitary person and had left without saying goodbye long ago, and his whereabouts are unknown.

The world is so big, how can I, your humble servant, control where he wants to go or what he wants to do?

If he kills someone outside, will he be blamed on me? This is too far-fetched! "

"You never change! You really never change!" Zhao Guoan was so angry that veins popped out on his forehead, and his clenched fists trembled slightly from the force.

He pointed at Zhao Yucheng and squeezed out his voice from between his teeth.

"With so much evidence before our eyes, every last bit pointing to you, you're still so stubborn and deny it?"

When Zhao Yucheng saw that Zhao Guoan was angry, he was not afraid, but instead showed a hint of disdain.

He even relaxed his body slightly, his tone lazily and roguely: "Brother, what kind of evidence is this?

It was nothing more than the work of servants and some papers of unknown origin.

How can you blame me for the poor performance of the people below or their bad intentions?

I am extremely busy handling government affairs every day, so how can I possibly be involved in every detail?"

"You... weren't all these secretly instructed by you?!" Zhao Guoan was almost roaring.

Zhao Yucheng simply let go completely. He looked around, his eyes passing over the faces of those officials who supported him.

Then he looked directly at Zhao Guoan, his tone full of provocation.

"Brother Emperor, please tell me what you really want. You are accusing me of something I didn't do. I am a nobody, so what else can I do except to protest?"

As he said this, he actually took half a step back and pretended to move towards his seat, his attitude extremely arrogant.

Nearly half of the officials in the hall seemed to have received a signal and knelt down on the ground in unison, with noises rising one after another.

"Your Majesty, please calm down! I beg you to see clearly what is happening!"

"Prince Yu is known for his benevolence and virtue, and he loves his people like his own children. He would never do such a treasonous act!"

"It must have been framed by a traitor. Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly and do not wrongly accuse the loyal and honest people!"

Looking at the officials kneeling on the ground, Zhao Guoan's anger grew even more intense. He realized that Zhao Yucheng's influence in the court had become so deeply rooted!

Although he was the emperor, he was unable to cut the Gordian knot for a while and was stuck in a stalemate.

At this moment when the atmosphere was tense and almost frozen, there was a sudden noise outside the hall.

A guard hurried in, knelt on one knee, and reported loudly: "Your Majesty, Eunuch Xin is requesting an audience outside the palace. He claims to have important clues regarding Prince Yu's case!"

Father-in-law?

Wasn't that Wang Xinyao in disguise? This was the identity agreed upon earlier, allowing Wang Xinyao to enter and leave the palace freely.

Zhao Guoan's eyes suddenly lit up, and he immediately waved his hand: "Announce! Announce quickly!"

After a moment, the eunuch, Wang Xinyao, who was dressed in eunuch clothes but could not hide his elegant temperament, walked quickly into the hall.

She first knelt and bowed deeply to the emperor, her voice clear and calm: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

"Eunuch Xin, if you have any important clues, please tell us as soon as possible!" Zhao Guoan asked impatiently.

Wang Xinyao raised her head, glanced at Zhao Yucheng, whose expression changed slightly, and said loudly:

"Your Majesty, I have risked my life to investigate and have now obtained solid evidence.

First, there were handwritten letters between Concubine Yin and Prince Yu, in which they secretly conspired to discuss how to assassinate the Crown Prince and plan to support His Royal Highness the Third Prince to ascend the throne!

Secondly, there are detailed records of the huge amount of embezzled money Prince Yu received from the late Minister Gou every month, which are completely consistent with the account books of the Gou Mansion!

There were also countless tributes from officials across the country.

The third one is even more shocking. When Prince Yu sent people to the teahouse to refine the evil elixir,

He took advantage of his power to abduct women and capture accomplished monks, imprisoning them in an underground secret room in the side courtyard of his palace.

Those poor monks are still imprisoned in the dark underground.

The slaves have limited abilities and cannot rescue them all.

But the location has been confirmed, Your Majesty, please send troops to rescue as soon as possible!

With every word she spoke, Zhao Yucheng's face turned paler.

Eunuch Xu, who was standing by, immediately stepped forward, respectfully took the thick stack of evidence from Wang Xinyao, and placed it on the dragon table.

Zhao Guoan flipped through the pages quickly, and his face grew increasingly gloomy the more he read.

Especially when he saw the record that was exactly the same as the amount in Gou Mansion's account, as well as the private letter of conspiracy between Yin Guifei and Zhao Yucheng,

He could no longer suppress his anger, and slammed the armrest of the dragon throne and stood up suddenly!

The hard sandalwood armrest made a loud "bang" sound that echoed throughout the hall.

"Zhao Yucheng!" The emperor's voice was like thunder, filled with rage: "Didn't you keep saying you didn't embezzle money?

The figures on this account are exactly the same as those found in the account book from Gou Hongying's mansion. The evidence is irrefutable. What else do you have to say?!"

Zhao Yucheng's face turned pale and cold sweat oozed from his forehead.

But he still forced himself to remain calm and argued, "Royal brother! This... this must be nonsense and a malicious frame-up by that servant!

This prince has never seen any account book, nor does he know what a secret room is!

How can you trust the words of a lowly servant? He is deceiving the emperor, a crime punishable by death!"

"Hmph! I'll put the corruption and assassination of the Crown Prince aside for now!"

Zhao Guoan picked up the secret letters and glared at Zhao Yucheng with a knife-like gaze.

"I only have one last question for you! Do you know that the Concubine Yin you conspired with,

Her real identity is the highest authority of the Wa Lie Kingdom lurking in my Dajing!

You, Zhao Yucheng, as a prince, actually colluded with foreign nations and intended to overthrow our country!

This is a serious crime of treason! The evidence is irrefutable, what else do you have to say?"

"What...what? The person in power in Walie Kingdom?" Zhao Yucheng was struck by lightning when he heard this, and his body shook violently.

Yin Ling'er never told him anything about this!

He was instantly filled with anger and shock at being used and deceived, but even more so, he was filled with the fear that his plan would be exposed.

He forced himself to suppress the surging blood and anger. "Brother! This is absolutely impossible! This dog slave must have conspired with Minister Yang to frame the Imperial Concubine and me! This humble servant knows nothing about this!"

"At this point, Your Highness, do you still want to deny it?" Yang Chende's voice was cold and sarcastic.

Zhao Yucheng turned his head suddenly and stared at Wang Xinyao.

Trying to find a flaw in her face, he questioned her viciously.

"I'm asking you! Where did you get these things from?

My palace is heavily guarded. How can you get in?

Even if you got in, how did you find such a secret thing?"

Wang Xinyao faced his murderous gaze without any fear. Instead, she smiled slightly. That smile was particularly dazzling to Zhao Yucheng.

"Your Highness, what you said has already confirmed that these things are indeed from your Prince Yu's Mansion?

In fact, whether you admit it or not is not important. Every record and every letter here are stamped with the unique seal of your Yuwang Mansion. How do you explain this?"

"Seal... Seal can also be forged!" Zhao Yucheng waved his arms in panic, making a final struggle.

“There are so many people in this palace, there might be one or two bribed traitors who secretly covered it up!

Or... or it was you, Yang Chende, who did it!" He pointed at Yang Chende fiercely.

"It's you! It must be you, old thief, who has long disliked me and wants to frame me. You bribed my servants and deliberately framed me!"

Wang Xinyao looked at the prince in front of her who was once so majestic and powerful, and was now biting around like a trapped beast. She couldn't help but sigh in her heart that she had really witnessed the ultimate sophistry and fickleness.

Seeing that the emperor remained silent, Zhao Yucheng thought there was still a chance of recovery, so he brought up the empress dowager.

"Royal brother! Everything requires evidence. Physical evidence alone is not enough to be believed. We need human witnesses to identify us!

Without a complete chain of evidence, you are trying to convict my brother based solely on these dead objects of unknown origin, which is unjust.

Aren't you afraid that your mother will be heartbroken when she finds out?"

"The Dragon Case is filled with irrefutable evidence, yet you still dare to claim you're innocent? I've underestimated your shamelessness!"

Zhao Guoan completely lost his patience when he saw him crying until he saw the coffin.

He waved his hand and issued the final order: "Come! Capture the rebellious king Zhao Yucheng for me, strip him of his python robe, and put him in the Sky Prison and keep him under strict guard!

Immediately dispatch the Imperial Guards to surround Prince Yu's Palace and conduct a thorough search. Make sure to rescue the imprisoned monks and confiscate all property!"

"Yes!" The guards outside the hall responded loudly and rushed in with weapons.

Zhao Yucheng saw that the situation was hopeless, begging for mercy was useless, and quibbling was futile. The brutality that had been suppressed for a long time finally broke out completely!

A trace of madness and despair flashed across his face. He suddenly pulled out a gleaming dagger from his wide sleeves and let out a roar.

"Zhao Guoan! If you are unkind, don't blame me for being unjust!"

Before he finished speaking, he rushed towards the emperor who was high above him like an arrow!

"Protect the emperor! Protect the emperor quickly!" There was a sudden cry of surprise and chaos in the hall.

Crown Prince Zhao Haoxuan, who had been closely watching his every move, had already noticed that something was wrong with his expression.

The moment he suddenly attacked, he flew out, and his agile figure blocked the emperor with incredible speed.

"Traitor! How dare you!" Zhao Haoxuan shouted angrily and fought with the armed Zhao Yucheng with his bare hands.

The space in the hall was limited, and the two men exchanged punches and kicks, their movements as fast as lightning.

Zhao Yucheng was like a mad tiger, and every move he made was deadly, but Zhao Haoxuan was calm and composed, and his skills were extraordinary.

However, within a few moves, Zhao Haoxuan spotted an opening and delivered a fierce side kick, accurately kicking Zhao Yucheng's wrist.

With a "clang" sound, the dagger flew out of his hand and fell to the ground.

Before Zhao Yucheng could react, Zhao Haoxuan approached him, grabbed his arm, and kicked him hard in the knee.

Zhao Yucheng groaned and fell to his knees on the ground. He was held down by Zhao Haoxuan and could no longer move.

Zhao Guoan looked at his brother who was subdued on the ground and still struggling and roaring. The last trace of pity in his eyes completely disappeared, leaving only the coldness and determination of an emperor.

He looked down at the prisoner and made the final judgment in a voice filled with endless majesty and murderous intent:

"The traitor Zhao Yucheng, despite irrefutable evidence, refuses to repent and even dares to murder the emperor in front of the palace. His crimes are truly heinous and unforgivable. Heaven and earth will not tolerate this!

"Immediately, all titles and noble places will be stripped from him, and he will be demoted to a commoner! He will be imprisoned and executed in the autumn!"