Phoenix Cries Across the World: The Cold-Hearted Princess is Too Alluring

early morning.

The bell rings.

Everything slowly unfolded.

The once dark and gloomy prison cell was now being pierced by a ray of sunlight.

Chu Yingge raised her hand and covered her eyes, blocking out the warmth of the light.

Today marks the first day of her formal confrontation with Lin Wan.

Previously, it was Lin Wan who made the move against her.

But today,

This was the perfect opportunity for her to plunge Lin Wan into utter ruin.

Getting out of bed, Chu Yingge straightened her clothes, looked at the Gu poison ring on her hand, and a smile gradually spread across her lips.

She was really looking forward to today's show.

Originally, the joint trial by the three judicial departments was to be held at the Dali Temple, but because the people involved were all imperial relatives, it was finally decided to hold it in the main hall.

Mu Jingyu sat at the very top, with Empress Dowager Lin Wan on his left and the Seventh Prince Mu Ziyuan on his right. Below them were the three officials from the Dali Temple.

The entire hall was filled with a tense atmosphere, and all three officials looked troubled.

This was the first time they had encountered such a situation. The crime of plotting against the Empress Dowager was a capital offense, but the person in question was the Seventh Prince's wife, and also the Ninth Miss of the Prime Minister's residence. This made the situation quite tricky to handle.

They looked at each other in bewilderment, and finally decided to take it one step at a time.

"Bring the prisoner!"

"Yes."

A majestic voice rang out in the hall. Mu Ziyuan watched all this quietly, seemingly unmoved by anything.

Chu Yinnan was the most nervous, but when he saw Chu Yingge being brought in unharmed, he slowly relaxed.

Fortunately, it's okay.

A clear look of doubt flashed in Mu Jingyu's eyes. He had clearly hinted to Lin Wan before, and Lin Wan had indeed gone to the prison to make things difficult for Chu Yingge. Why was Chu Yingge completely unharmed?

Lin Wan frowned, her eyes filled with not only doubt but also incredulous shock. She was certain that anyone who had undergone such torture would not be able to stand here unharmed.

However, Chu Yingge stood there unharmed.

What happened in the middle?

Chu Yingge walked into the main hall step by step, coldly glancing at the people around her. Apart from Chu Yinnan and Mu Ziyuan, most of the other people had the same expression on their faces. What else could they be but watching the spectacle?

However, even if one wants to see a joke, it shouldn't be about her.

Meeting Lin Wan's questioning gaze, Chu Yingge sneered: "Why is Your Majesty so surprised? Do you have any doubts about seeing Yingge standing right in front of you, perfectly fine?"

"Seventh Princess Consort is overthinking it," Lin Wan said with a forced smile.

Chu Yinnan was only told the reason for the matter last night. When she heard Lin Wan say such things, she wanted to go out and defend Chu Yinge, but when she thought about the plan, she had to give up.

Chu Yingge put away her smile, took a few steps forward, and bowed slightly to Mu Jingyu, who was sitting in the high seat.

"Yin Ge greets Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"

"Chu Yingge, is this your proper etiquette? Shouldn't you kneel before the Emperor?" Lin Wan said.

Chu Yingge slowly straightened up, her gaze towards Lin Wan calm and composed: "The Empress Dowager used torture in the imperial prison. It's already quite remarkable that Yingge can stand. I believe the Emperor will forgive her."

"Using vigilante justice?" Mu Jingyu said coldly, his voice clearly carrying doubt, but unfortunately, the doubt was too fake.

The Heavenly Prison is Mu Jingyu's territory. Mu Jingyu couldn't possibly not know that Lin Wan went there, unless he was the one who instigated it.

A hint of panic appeared on Lin Wan's face, but she quickly concealed it: "I am merely going to see the Seventh Princess Consort, Your Majesty need not make a fuss."

"Is that so? Is this how you came to see me?" Chu Yingge said, tearing open the hem of her clothes, revealing a shocking scar on her knee.

Everyone gasped, and their gazes toward Lin Wan turned to fear.

A meaningful look appeared in Mu Ziyuan's eyes. He strode down from above, took off his own clothes and draped them over Chu Yingge, thus covering the wound on her leg.

"There is no evidence to support the charge that the Seventh Princess Consort plotted to harm the Empress Dowager, yet the Empress Dowager actually used torture in the imperial prison. Isn't this showing a blatant disregard for the Emperor?" Mu Ziyuan's words were reasonable and well-founded, leaving Lin Wan speechless for a moment.

The people in the hall shook their heads. How could they have known that the Empress Dowager was such a vicious person?

Chu Yinnan walked over from the side. Looking at Chu Yingge, his face was full of heartache.

He turned his head and looked at the person sitting above in the main hall with a cold gaze.

"Your Majesty, shouldn't we, the Prime Minister's residence, be given an explanation for this matter? Although Yingge is a married woman, she is still a member of our Prime Minister's residence. Regardless of whether she really murdered the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager's use of private torture is already outrageous."

"I know." Mu Jingyu frowned, his face even more somber. He turned to look at Lin Wan, his annoyance undisguised.

"Shouldn't the Empress Dowager give everyone an explanation for this matter?"

"I did indeed go too far. How about this: if the truth comes out today and it turns out that the Seventh Princess Consort did not murder me, then I will personally go to the Cold Palace to punish her. If it is the Seventh Princess Consort who murdered me, then I believe that my punishment is not excessive."

Lin Wan was quite clever; she knew when to say what.

Chu Yingge smiled, her face beaming with joy, for she had already achieved half of her goal.

Since Lin Wan had already said that, Mu Jingyu naturally wouldn't refuse to back down. He instructed someone to give Chu Yingge a seat, and the joint trial by the three judicial departments officially began.

The main hall was completely silent.

Chu Yingge sat in her seat, staring at Lin Wan with a sinister smile that sent chills down one's spine.

Her wounds had long since healed, and what was showing on her legs was merely a makeup technique.

Those shocking scars were all artificially created to force Lin Wan to sign a death pact.

Lin Wan, however, was truly fooled.

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, looking at Chu Yingge, took out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat before cautiously asking the question.

"Seventh Princess Consort, do you know your crime?"

"What crime?"

"The charge of plotting to murder the Empress Dowager."

"I don't know."

As Chu Yingge answered the questions, her gaze remained fixed on Lin Wan, a sight that made Lin Wan feel inexplicably uneasy.

She had sparred with Chu Yingge before, so she naturally knew what the smile on Chu Yingge's face meant—it meant that Chu Yingge would definitely not lose.

Seeing the panic in Lin Wan's eyes, Chu Yingge's smile deepened; she had taken another step closer to her plan.

This tactic is called psychological warfare.

She never lost a negotiation in the 21st century because she was a master of psychological warfare; cunning women like Lin Wan were no match for her.

Her goal was to gradually break Lin Wan down from the inside out, so that the rest of the plan could proceed smoothly.