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

After leaving Jiang Chong's house, Jiang Mengxuan walked towards Shuixuan Residence with a heavy heart.

When she saw the gate of Shuixuan Residence, she hesitated again.

Jiang Chong's words had been like a poisonous thorn, piercing her heart.

She was afraid. She was afraid that if Shen Lang knew the truth about what happened back then, how would he view her?

Trust is the most important thing in a marriage. If he knew the truth, would he understand his situation at the time?

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Mengxuan, with mixed feelings, turned and walked towards the nearby Liuli Pavilion.

Bathed in moonlight, the glass pavilion radiated a soft glow. Jiang Mengxuan sat inside, quietly watching the moonlight reflected on her face.

She ascended the throne at the age of sixteen, and now at the age of twenty-one, in just five short years, with the help of Shen Lang, she swept across the land and pacified the wilderness, becoming an empress with real power and firmly sitting on the dragon throne.

Without Shen Lang, there would be no Empress of Great Chu today.

This is a belief that Jiang Mengxuan has held firmly in her heart, and it has never changed from the beginning.

Since their marriage three years ago, the two have always treated each other with respect and affection. Although they spend more time apart than together, their love has never diminished because of the separation.

But now...

How would Shen Lang view himself if he knew that his wife had done something outrageous to his relatives?

Will I regret it?

Is she plotting to leave me again?

In fact, given Jiang Mengxuan's current status, she doesn't need to explain so much to outsiders.

But she was really flustered when she was facing Shen Lang.

I was afraid that I might scare him away if I wasn't careful.

When it comes to matters of the heart, women are always more sensitive than men.

As her thoughts became increasingly chaotic, Jiang Mengxuan felt drowsy and got up to walk towards Shuixuan Residence.

At this moment, Shen Lang, who was researching smokeless gunpowder in Shuixuan Residence, was approached by a palace eunuch who came to see him.

"Duke Zhenguo, the King of Shu says he has important business to discuss with you?"

Shen Lang didn't even look up: "I won't see him. Jiang Chong's crime is treason. How can he be seen so casually?"

"The King of Shu said that he has a secret about His Majesty and must tell you it in person. He also said that if you don't listen, you will regret it for the rest of your life."

Shen Lang then stopped what he was doing and turned to stare at the eunuch.

"lead the way."

……

Inside the palace where Jiang Chong was under house arrest, Shen Lang stared coldly at Jiang Chong, who lay sprawled on the bed, his face expressionless.

After a long silence, he finally asked, "You want to see me, what do you want to say?"

Jiang Chong chuckled lightly: "Shen Lang, what do you think of my imperial sister?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang sat down at the table where Jiang Mengxuan had sat before.

The half-eaten apple on the table was still there, so Shen Lang picked it up and took a big bite from the other side.

"Get to the point. I don't have time to waste with your nonsense."

Jiang Chong: "Shen Lang, if I told you that my imperial sister is a ruthless and vicious woman who would even kill her own brother, how would you view her?"

"Ok?"

Shen Lang's eyes turned cold, a hint of contemplation flashing in them...

At this moment, Jiang Mengxuan, who had returned to Shuixuan Residence and learned that Shen Lang had been summoned to Jiang Chong's room, rushed over immediately.

Just as she reached the outer gate, she heard Jiang Chong's question from several dozen steps away, and her heart tightened, causing her to stop in her tracks.

Inside the room, facing Jiang Chong's question, Shen Lang pondered for a moment before laughing and saying, "Your Majesty's brother is just like you..."

"You're always thinking about rebellion or causing trouble, so isn't it normal for you to be ruthless? You talk as if you're so naive."

Jiang Chong's eyes widened in surprise, unable to keep up with Shen Lang's train of thought.

Shen Lang put down the apple and asked directly, "You called me here just to talk about these things? Then there's no need to say anything, I already know."

"You knew already?"

Jiang Chong was greatly alarmed.

Jiang Mengxuan, who was outside the palace, was also shocked when she heard the news.

Did he know all along?

Shen Lang: "Let me guess what you're trying to say. You must be saying that my wife used any means necessary to gain power, first framing the Crown Prince and getting the late Emperor to depose him."

Then they orchestrated the power struggle among the seven princes, causing brothers to kill each other, is that right?

Jiang Chong remained silent, staring intently at Shen Lang.

How did he know all this?

Jiang Mengxuan, standing outside, also clenched her hands tightly, her expression more tense than ever before.

"Don't ask me how I know. I don't need to go into such detail about a dying man."

All I know is that if the crown prince hadn't died back then, my wife would have been married off to the Tibetan Plateau in exchange for the five thousand warhorses the crown prince needed.

Would you have done that? After all, your younger sister was not even twelve years old at the time.

Jiang Chongdeng's big eyes exclaimed, "What nonsense are you talking about? How could she possibly be married off to the Kingdom of Wei-Zang?"

Shen Lang snorted lightly: "Back then, you seven princes... oh no, if you include the crown prince, it was eight princes vying for the throne. You all used your unique abilities to succeed each other."

Among these factors, the battles with Northern Yan became the biggest bargaining chip for the succession struggle.

What the border troops lacked was horses, especially warhorses.

If anyone could solve the problem of warhorses, they would surely be highly praised by the late emperor and their reputation would increase.

Logically speaking, power struggles among royalty are commonplace throughout history; however, the act of luring outsiders into a trap is a clear violation of taboo.

Jiang Chong's pupils contracted: "What do you mean by that?"

Shen Lang rolled his eyes at him: "Still don't understand? Wei Zang has a horse, your Crown Prince, good brother..."

"We've made a secret deal with the people of Ü-Tsang: if you marry your sister to them, they'll send you an order for five thousand horses!"

"You're talking nonsense! The Crown Prince isn't that kind of person!"

Jiang Chong shook his head frantically.

"The Crown Prince has always been gentle and refined towards us brothers, so how could he do such a thing?"

Shen Lang stood up and said, "Alright, stop acting like your royal family is so sentimental. The Crown Prince wants to send his younger sister to the highlands to exchange for horses."

To protect herself, your younger sister secretly gathered evidence of the Crown Prince's collusion with foreign powers, and in the process, she also discovered his affair with a member of the imperial harem.

When the Crown Prince learned that his shameful deeds had been exposed, fearing for his position as Crown Prince, he bribed the Imperial Guards in an attempt to force the late Emperor to abdicate.

However, how shrewd was the late emperor? From the very beginning, he had completely manipulated this farcical coup. The crown prince failed, was captured, and soon after was deposed.

Rather than saying that the Crown Prince died because of my wife, it would be more accurate to say that he brought it upon himself. If he hadn't pressured his younger sister, how could he have ended up in this situation?

As for the remaining seven princes vying for the throne, I can only say that it's simply a case of you all seeing the Crown Prince as a figurehead, and each of you wanting to move in, leading to your falling out.

You keep saying how ruthless and vicious my wife is, but in fact, it was her relatives who tried to harm her first. Are you not even allowed to fight back?

If we're talking about ruthlessness, you seven brothers are truly ruthless. You fought each other for imperial power, causing chaos and unrest throughout the court and the country. What a magnificent display of brotherly harmony!

How dare you call your royal sister ruthless? I really don't know how you have the nerve to say such things. Before you start gossiping, you'd better take a good look at yourself first!

After hearing Shen Lang's words, Jiang Chong felt as if something was blocking his heart, making him feel suffocated.

Jiang Mengxuan, standing outside the door, found her eyes welling up with tears without her realizing it.

Unexpectedly, Shen Lang already knew about the process of deposing the crown prince back then, and only he could understand how desperate and helpless he was back then.

She never thought there was anything wrong with reporting the Crown Prince to the late Emperor back then, but how could she silence the public opinion?

Only Shen Lang could understand him and protect him so recklessly.

With a husband like this, what is there to fear or be dissatisfied with?

"you you……"

On the other hand, Jiang Chong was completely speechless after being rebuked by Shen Lang.

Knowing he would die on this trip to the capital, he only wanted to make Shen Lang harbor resentment towards Jiang Mengxuan before he died, thus laying the groundwork for a future falling out between the two.

To everyone's surprise, Shen Lang was a staunch materialist. This set of idealistic arguments was like reading a motivational quote to him, leaving him completely unmoved.

"Then how do you explain the deaths of her two younger brothers after she ascended the throne?"

"The sixth and eighth princes have already been demoted to commoners, and she still won't let them go?"

Jiang Chong was not giving up and wanted to continue trying to drag Shen Lang into the mess.

However, upon hearing this, Shen Lang immediately revealed a strange smile.

"Your Highness, do you want to know why your two imperial brothers died? You will never get the answer from your wife, but there is someone who can tell you the answer."

"What do you mean?"

"Why doesn't Your Highness ask your mother how Jiang Rui and Jiang Jue suddenly contracted the plague and died back then?"

"What did you say!"

Jiang Chong was utterly shocked by Shen Lang's words.

Jiang Mengxuan, standing outside the door, was equally shocked.