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

Seeing Han Chaozong slumped dejectedly in the main seat, Jiang Mengxuan lost interest in continuing the discussion with him and changed the subject directly.

"Tell me, when did you start colluding with the rebels in the underworld?"

Han Chaozong: "I started contacting the Shushan Sword Sect two years ago."

"If your plan succeeds, who will ascend the throne of Great Chu?"

“Prince Su, Jiang Jing, will serve as regent, and I will serve as minister in charge of assisting the government. Then, Your Majesty’s son will be enthroned as the young ruler, and the government will be returned to you once the young ruler comes of age.”

Jiang Mengxuan: "What a clever tactic. You didn't take action before because I hadn't given birth to any royal heirs?"

Han Chaozong: "We originally planned to take action last year and, once it was accomplished, enthrone Prince Su as the new king. However, after learning that Your Majesty was pregnant, we changed our minds."

Jiang Mengxuan: "That's true. After all, compared to Prince Su, an infant who knows nothing is more suitable for you to control the court."

Han Chaozong gave a bitter smile: "It's no use saying all this now. His Majesty's fortune is magnificent, while this humble subject has failed."

"If this really comes to fruition, it will be the end of our Great Chu."

Jiang Mengxuan sneered.

"However, even if I am unfortunately framed by you, you will still fail."

Han Chaozong looked puzzled upon hearing this.

Jiang Mengxuan said, "I have already prepared a secret memorial, in case something happens to me during my reign."

That secret report would be delivered to her husband by the Jingwei Bureau as quickly as possible.

That secret memorial bears my own handwriting, stating that my husband will preside over the affairs of the Great Chu court and act as emperor. Therefore, your plan has no chance of succeeding.

"What?" Han Chaozong stared in disbelief. "Aren't you afraid that Shen Lang will seize your Great Chu's foundation?"

Jiang Mengxuan: "I would rather entrust the foundation of this Great Chu empire to my husband."

We will not allow them to fall into the hands of you self-serving opportunists.

Everything that the State of Chu possesses today is the result of countless efforts by my husband and me. How can we allow it to be squandered and destroyed by you like this?

Han Chaozong! All your schemes and plots, and those of the villains behind you, will not succeed.

"You, you... pfft..."

Han Chaozong was shocked and couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.

Jiang Mengxuan flicked her phoenix sleeves: "Lord Han, I will give you one last dignified moment. Drink the imperial wine I have prepared for you, and I will not make things difficult for you and your family."

After saying that, he went straight out of the room.

Han Chaozong shook his head with a bitter smile, tears streaming down his face.

They failed. They had plotted for so long, only to have their whereabouts leaked and their assassination plan arranged.

But in the Empress's eyes, it was nothing but a joke.

After a long while, he grabbed the wine jug with trembling hands, tilted his head back and poured the wine into his mouth.

With a shattering sound, Han Chaozong collapsed to the ground in pain and fell silent in the blink of an eye.

Standing outside, Jiang Mengxuan quietly awaited the results of the autopsy conducted by the Jingwei Division.

After a long while, a member of the Jingwei Guard whispered a few words in Jiang Shangxian's ear with a strange expression.

Jiang Shangxian was also taken aback, then cautiously said to Jiang Mengxuan, "Your Majesty, Han Chaozong is dead, but he died of a heart attack."

"I understand."

Jiang Mengxuan, however, seemed to have expected this, and her expression remained unchanged.

Actually, the wine in that pot wasn't poisoned at all; it was just a strong liquor.

As long as Han Chaozong drinks slowly, he will at most get so drunk that he will be unconscious.

However, he drank a large amount of strong liquor in one go, which made it impossible for him to cope with his already volatile emotions, causing him to suffer a sudden heart attack and die.

“Have a proper disciplinary action against him. Starting today, expel Han Chaozong and his entire family from the capital. For three generations, they shall not be allowed to hold any political or official positions.”

"Yes."

After Jiang Shangxian responded, he asked, "Your Majesty, what should we do about Prince Su? The Jingwei Division's investigation revealed that the boy seems to be completely unaware of the situation."

Jiang Mengxuan: "I will handle Prince Su's affairs myself, you don't need to worry about it."

"Yes, I will retire."

Looking back at the Han family courtyard, Jiang Mengxuan immediately said, "Prepare the carriage and return to the palace."

……

Inside the main hall of Puhua Temple, the sound of chanting sutras could be heard continuously.

Abbot Xuanbei was kneeling before the Buddha with his eyes closed, constantly fiddling with the prayer beads in his hands.

Suddenly, the thread binding the prayer beads broke.

The prayer beads immediately scattered all over the ground.

All the monks who were chanting scriptures stopped and looked at Xuanbei.

Looking at the broken half of the Buddhist thread in his hand, Xuanbei couldn't help but sigh, "This is a very bad omen."

Just then, several sword energies suddenly flew in from outside the temple gate.

Before the two monks could react, they were decapitated.

"Who goes there? How dare you trespass on Puhua Temple!"

Xuan Bei stood up and thrust out with his palm, sending the table in front of him flying. It collided with a sword aura and shattered into pieces.

The next moment, Liu Qinghuan descended from the sky with more than a dozen masked disciples.

"Xuanbei, your Puhua Temple dared to collude with the imperial court to frame loyal officials! Today, my Shushan Sword Sect will seek justice from you for the eight hundred comrades who died at the Floating Pagoda!"

Upon hearing this, Xuanbei was immediately shocked: "Amitabha, benefactor, you have misunderstood. It was not Puhua Temple that did it."

"Still dare to argue? My senior brother Li Changfeng was killed by the Blood Droplets. In the entire Jiangnan region, the only people who know about the Blood Droplets are those from Puhua Temple, which has close ties with Tantric Buddhism. Are you still going to deny it?"

"Benefactor, there must be some misunderstanding here. Please listen to what I have to say. This must be the Empress's treacherous scheme. We must not let them succeed."

"What a joke! You think I'd listen to your nonsense? Today, you'll pay the price for betraying the righteous. Kill."

Liu Qinghuan gave them no chance at all and directly ordered his disciples to attack the monks of Puhua Temple.

For a moment, the Seven Star Sword Light flashed continuously inside the Great Buddha Hall.

Blood splattered, instantly staining the Buddha statue red.

"Amitabha Buddha, the Shu Mountain Sword Sect is really going too far."

Enraged, Xuanbei immediately activated his monument-pushing hand to attack the approaching figure.

But as soon as he made a move, Liu Qinghuan blocked him with her sword.

The two fought fiercely, their swords clashing, and in the blink of an eye, they had exchanged a hundred blows.

"Seven Stars Ride the Waves".

"Adding fuel to the fire."

As the shockwaves overlapped and dissipated, the two of them staggered back several steps.

Just as Xuanbei was about to unleash his power again, he suddenly felt a pain in his lower abdomen.

Looking down, he saw that half of the monk's robe was stained red with blood.

"you……"

"die."

Just as Xuan Bei was about to speak, Liu Qinghuan leaped forward and slashed across with his sword.

A flash of cold light appeared before Xuan Bei's eyes, and he saw his own back, which seemed quite upright.

"Kill, leave no one behind."

With the main culprit dead, Liu Qinghuan has no intention of letting anyone from Puhua Temple go.

The Seven Star Sword Technique is considered a superior skill in the martial arts world. Although these disciples have only been practicing it for a short time, they are already overwhelming Puhua Temple in their attacks.

An hour later, after the last disciple of Puhua Temple died, Liu Qinghuan entered the offering platform.

When I saw that the memorial tablets of foreign war criminals were indeed displayed there, the last trace of guilt in my heart vanished instantly.

He shattered all the memorial tablets with a single sword strike, and then carved a line of words on the wall: This is the fate of those who oppose the Shu Mountain Sword Sect.

"let's go."

After doing all this, Liu Qinghuan immediately led his disciples away from there.

No sooner had they left than a monk who had been feigning death rose from the pile of corpses, looked around, and quickly departed the scene…