“What else can we do? Father is still alive, but he is too badly injured and probably won’t last much longer. Why don’t you two discuss who should sit on the throne?”

Upon hearing Qi Ning's words, the expressions of the Qi brothers, Qi Hao and Qi Jie, immediately changed.

“Of course I should be the emperor, I am the eldest son!” Qi Hao said first.

"Pah! What the hell is this about being the eldest son? We're twins. You were born half a quarter of an hour earlier than me. Does that mean I'm not the eldest son?"

"Qi Jie, I am your elder brother!"

"Qi Hao, what kind of elder brother do you think you are!"

At this moment, Qi Shiyong, who was lying on the couch, coughed a few times.

"Alright, go outside and argue. It doesn't matter to me who becomes emperor. Don't upset your father."

Qi Hao and Qi Jie were locked in a fierce argument, completely disregarding Wang Ximei's corpse on the ground, and indeed went out to debate.

Taking advantage of this moment, Qi Ning picked up a brush and wrote an imperial edict, then stamped it with the imperial seal.

Qi Ning nodded as he looked at the imperial edict, quite satisfied.

She was truly hardworking and considerate; she would write any imperial edict she wanted herself and never bother anyone else.

At this moment, Qi Hao and Qi Jie had already started fighting with their respective men outside.

Qi Shitong was awakened by the commotion outside and coughed up blood.

He opened his eyes and saw a dagger in his chest, which startled him so much that he trembled: "W-what happened?"

"You're awake."

Qi Ning strode over.

Qi Shiyong wanted to pull out the dagger, but he didn't dare to.

"What's wrong with me?"

All he knew was that he had been stabbed in the back; he knew nothing about what happened after that.

Qi Ning kindly told him, "It was Helian Yao's remnants who infiltrated the palace and killed Consort Wang. You were also seriously injured. Right now, Qi Hao and Qi Jie think you're about to die and are fighting outside, trying to seize the throne."

"You unfilial son! I'm not dead yet!" Qi Shiyong pounded on the bed.

"That's right. Don't worry, I'll teach them a lesson for you later."

"Summon the imperial physician for me," Qi Shiyong said, pulling Qi Ning along.

Qi Ning smiled and shook his head: "It's probably a bit too late to call the imperial physician now."

Seeing the clearly malicious smile on Qi Ning's face, Qi Shitong felt a chill run down his spine.

"Ning'er, you..."

Qi Ning shook off Qi Shitong's hand and said slowly, "I forgot to tell you, I told you a few little lies."

"First, the night you suddenly fell ill, it was indeed because I had someone poison you."

"Secondly, my mother did not remarry; she died long ago. I have come back to seek revenge on you."

"Third, I don't want to be a princess, I want to be an emperor."

Hearing Qi Ning speak these words, word by word, Qi Shitong's eyes widened in fury.

"you you……"

Qi Ning's cold face beamed with an even more flamboyant smile, adding to her beauty, but the words she uttered were rather frightening.

"Now that Aunt Wang is dead, I will go out and kill Qi Hao and Qi Jie in a while. You can go on your way now."

After saying that, to Qi Shiyong's horrified gaze, Qi Ning gripped the dagger in front of his chest and spun it around twice.

Qi Shiyong coughed up several mouthfuls of blood and died with his eyes wide open.

Qi Ning then got up, took the imperial edict he had just written, along with the imperial seal and military tally, and went out.

Inside the main hall outside, the brothers Qi Hao and Qi Jie were already in a bloodthirsty frenzy, and both of them were injured.

Qi Ning made a hand gesture, and A Ying and A Chu suddenly appeared, each slitting their own throat, and Qi Hao and Qi Jie died just like that.

Both Qi Hao's and Qi Jie's groups were stunned by this scene.

At this moment, Qi Ning stepped forward and clapped his hands.

"Gentlemen, your General Qi has been assassinated by the remnants of the rebels, but before he died, he left a decree to pass the throne to me, the princess."

Qi Ning raised the imperial edict, the jade seal, and the military tally in his hands.

"Did you hear what I said?"

She changed how she referred to herself.

A lieutenant stepped forward: "You're a woman..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ah Ying slit his throat with a single sword strike.

"Does anyone else have any objections?" Qi Ning looked around.

Achu and Aying led the way in kneeling and bowing: "Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

The hall was silent for a moment, and then they knelt down one after another.

"See your majesty, long live your majesty."

The coronation ceremony was held as scheduled, but the emperor who was about to ascend the throne was a different person.

Wearing a dark gold dragon robe, Qi Ning walked step by step up to the Golden Palace and turned to look at the civil and military officials below.

Regardless of what the people below thought, they had no choice but to kneel down and submit to her.

"Long live your majesty!"

Qi Ning looked into the distance and saw Helian Yao, covered in wounds, being escorted and appearing behind the civil and military officials.

Helian Yao looked up at Qi Ning, who was standing on the Golden Palace, his whole body trembling slightly.

Aying kicked him in the back of the knee, and he immediately knelt down.

Qi Ning then smiled with satisfaction: "My beloved ministers, rise."

That evening, Qi Ning went to see Helian Yao.

She stepped into the filthy cell, frowning slightly in disgust.

Helian Yao, bound to the wooden frame, looked up at Qi Ning and asked, "You've come?"

The young eunuch prepared a clean table and chairs for Qi Ning. Qi Ning lifted his long robe and sat down before replying, "I'm so sorry, I've been busy preparing for my coronation lately, and only now have I had time to come and see you."

Helian Yao couldn't see anything wrong with her, and he laughed twice in exasperation.

"Ah Ning, why are you doing this?"

Qi Ning stood up and walked to Helian Yao.

She looked innocent: "What's wrong? You spent over ten years working hard to get the throne, but I got it in just a few months. Can't I show off a little?"

"However, you went through so much trouble to get the throne, and it became mine after only a year. Only after I actually sat on this position did I realize that what you valued most was nothing more than this."

Helian Yao coughed a few times, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth: "A-Ning, are you getting revenge on me?"

"Shouldn't I take revenge on you?" Qi Ning retorted.

"No matter what, I have saved your life."

"Ha, you have quite the thick skin. Why don't you mention the plague you created and the grudge that wiped out my family?"

Helian Yao is indeed shameless; he even tried to play the emotional card with Qi Ning.

"Whether it's the hatred of wiping out your family or the debt of saving your life, can't we just let it go? After more than ten years of being together, don't you have any feelings for me at all?"

"What affection? The affection you showed when you killed me, the affection you showed when you crushed my bones to ashes, or the affection you showed when you had a sorcerer perform a ritual to make my soul disappear?" Qi Ning asked sarcastically.

"You knew all along?" Helian Yao gave a wry smile. "I did so much, and you still came back, didn't you? I'd like to know, how did you get back?"

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