Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

On September 12, Shen Lang escorted Jiang Chong, Li Ye, and a group of staff members and accomplices directly to the capital by train, along with a train full of Shu brocade.

After Jiang Chong was arrested and the Wangfu's power in Shu collapsed completely, Shen Lang immediately ordered the abolition of the order to convert rice paddies to mulberry fields. He sold off large quantities of grain to stabilize the restless situation in Shu and encouraged silk merchants in the south to buy up all the raw silk and mulberry leaves from the mulberry farmers in order to reduce their losses.

At the same time, the Central Army was ordered to garrison Shu County, with Wu Jie serving as the local military commander, and 20,000 qualified soldiers were recruited to maintain local security.

Thanks to Shen Lang's extensive coordination, the losses to the Land of Abundance were minimized during the unrest in Shu caused by Jiang Chong, and many people did not even feel any loss.

In Hezhou City alone, upon learning that Jiang Chong and his staff had been escorted to the capital, Prefect Wang Jian, fearing that the court would take repressive action against the soldiers and civilians under his jurisdiction, immediately relocated 30,000 soldiers and civilians to the mountain fortress and refused Shen Lang's offer of amnesty.

After receiving the news, Shen Lang originally intended to personally persuade Jiang Chong, but since escorting Jiang Chong was the top priority, he handed over the decision-making power to Wu Jie.

However, no one expected that a few months later, in Hezhou, negotiations between the Central Army and Wang Jian's local army broke down, and the two sides went to war directly.

What was even more unexpected was that the tens of thousands of Central Army troops equipped with heavy firepower were given a vivid lesson by the mountain city defense system that Wang Jian had been operating for thirteen years...

Of course, that's all in the future. Right now, the Shu region has been brought under central control, and everything has returned to normal.

On that very day, Shen Lang escorted Jiang Chong back to the capital and placed him under house arrest.

That night, inside the palace compound, Jiang Chong, who could only move his neck and left hand, lay on his bed, utterly despondent.

Looking out the open window at the bright moon, Jiang Chong felt a complex mix of emotions.

After six years, he finally returned to the capital city he had longed for.

But I never expected that I would return in this way.

There were no flowers to surround him, no people lining the streets to welcome him, and no officials shouting "Long live the king!" to welcome his return.

Yes, but he returned to the palace as a rebel, destined to leave a bad name in history.

Just as he was lost in thought, the door opened.

Jiang Chong tried to twist his head to look.

Jiang Mengxuan, dressed in a bright red flowing fairy dress, appeared gracefully in front of him.

Jiang Chong couldn't help but twitch his lips. Compared to when he left back then, this imperial sister was even more radiant and had a more regal air about her.

"You all stand down."

Jiang Mengxuan looked at Jiang Chong lying on the bed and coldly dismissed the eunuchs who were serving him.

After everyone left, Jiang Chong immediately said, "Royal sister, it's been many years. I didn't expect you to become even more cunning than before. You must be very proud of yourself now, right?"

"Now that I have been executed, no one in the Great Chu court will be able to threaten your throne in the slightest. You must be very satisfied!"

Jiang Mengxuan turned around and sat down on the round stool in front of the table. She picked up an apple, took out a delicate knife, and began to peel it.

"Brother, it's been so many years. I never imagined that we, brother and sister, would meet again in this way."

Looking back, my eight elder brothers were once inseparable, yet they all met such an end. Truly, fate is cruel.

Jiang Chong's eyes widened: "Jiang Mengxuan, stop acting all pitiful. I'm already in this state; I pose no threat to you whatsoever."

Why don't you drop your pretense and let us siblings be honest with each other this once?

Jiang Mengxuan put down the apple in her hand and gently pinched the peel with her delicate fingers.

Instantly, the apple peel was lifted up in circles.

Then she picked up the apple and took a small bite.

“Brother, what do I have to pretend for? I’ve always been this way.”

"Alright, Jiang Mengxuan, it's come to this point, stop pretending."

Jiang Chong struggled to straighten half of his body, glaring at Jiang Mengxuan through gritted teeth.

"Back then, the struggle for the throne among the seven princes all stemmed from the death of the crown prince. And you know better than anyone how the crown prince was deposed. It was you who killed the crown prince."

Jiang Mengxuan put down the apple in her hand and asked calmly, "Where did you hear this, Your Majesty, that the Crown Prince died and was deposed because of his improper conduct and affairs with the concubines in the harem?"

They even conspired with the Imperial Guards to force the emperor to abdicate, but fortunately, Father Emperor discovered it in time and uncovered the truth. What does this have to do with me?

"I know your character better than you do. Everything was fine until less than half a year after you returned from the Zixia Sect..."

He then committed the disgraceful act of having an affair with a concubine, and even plotted to force the emperor to abdicate.

Ask yourself, he is the Crown Prince, what kind of woman in the world can't he have? Why would he compete with his father for concubines?

"Besides, he is the first heir of the Great Chu Dynasty, how could he possibly do something like forcing the emperor to abdicate? I absolutely do not believe it."

"So, you think I was behind all of this?" Jiang Mengxuan asked lightly. "Brother, don't forget that I was only eleven years old when I returned from the Zixia Sect, and I was only twelve when the Crown Prince had his accident."

"Does scheming and plotting have anything to do with age?" Jiang Chong countered with a smile. "Leaving aside others, just take your good husband, Shen Lang, for example. He joined the army at the age of five."

At the age of eleven, he had already achieved many military exploits on the battlefield that even generals have not yet attained. Can age limit someone like him?

Admit it, Jiang Mengxuan, the world is yours now. The tragedy of the seven princes vying for the throne started because of you.

I've known your nature perfectly since childhood. Your beautiful appearance is nothing but a disguise to hide your venomous heart.

You may be able to fool Shen Lang, but you can't fool me, Jiang Chong. At just twelve years old, you've already taken the lead in this grand palace drama.

Back then, you took advantage of Father's suspicions, causing us brothers to turn against each other over the throne, ultimately resulting in four deaths and two demotions.

Even so, you still refused to let go of your two elder brothers who had been reduced to commoners. They died mysteriously on the same day, shortly after you ascended the throne.

They claimed it was due to a plague, but when you ascended the throne, there was no plague outbreak in Jinling City, and even the ordinary people in the city were unharmed.

Why did it have to be one of my two elder brothers who got into trouble? Jiang Mengxuan, do you dare swear before our father's memorial tablet that none of this has anything to do with you?

Jiang Mengxuan maintained a cold demeanor throughout, and only shook her head and said after Jiang Chong had vented his anger: "I came to see you today only to see if you have any remorse. Now it seems that I still had too high expectations for you."

After saying that, he stood up and left.

"Jiang Mengxuan!"

Suddenly, Jiang Chong called out to her with all his might.

"You think you've won, right?"

"You think no one will know what you've done?"

Do you think that you now hold all the power and no one can control your life anymore?

"Hahaha, my dear royal sister, you are too naive! I have already secretly recorded your actions, and it won't be long before everyone knows about them!"

Jiang Mengxuan slowly turned around: "Royal brother, do you think you can smear my reputation with such means? You are too naive. Do you think I would care about the slander of a death row inmate?"

"Hehehe."

Jiang Chong shook his head with a wry smile.

"I knew this kind of tactic wouldn't threaten you anymore, and the common people wouldn't be able to tell the truth from the falsehood. But what if your past experiences fell into Shen Lang's hands?"

Jiang Mengxuan's expression changed instantly.

"Haha, my royal sister, it's been a long time since I've seen you so nervous. It's clear you really care about Shen Lang. Do you think Shen Lang will think of you now that he knows you have such a vicious side?"

"Hehehe, you'll never be able to wash away the dirty deeds you've done in this lifetime!"

"You ascended the throne by stepping on the blood of your own kin!"

As soon as Jiang Chong finished speaking, a clap of thunder sounded outside the window, illuminating Jiang Mengxuan's pale face and...