The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 286 - 251, the fall of the powerful minister, accompany me to a place
Wang Heng!
When the spy spat out this name, everyone present, including the Empress, felt a surge of astonishment.
Him?!
How could it be him?
Xue Shence’s face suddenly turned pale, he twisted his head, staring intently at the deputy chief of the Privy Council seated beside him, hoping to discern the truth from his face.
The Minister of War stood up abruptly, the old minister gaped with wide-eyed shock, losing his composure then and there.
Ma Yan and Shi Meng among other third-rank military officers were all dumbfounded, with the sound of gasps filling their ears.
The Chief of the Privy Council!
What sort of prominent figure was he? Even the likes of Pei Kaizhi and Zhou Cheng, who had fallen from power before, paled in comparison to Wang Heng.
The reason was nothing other than the two words "military power"!
"Mr. Wang, you..."
Someone exclaimed, their tone still filled with disbelief:
"Could it be that this scoundrel is slandering, or perhaps some Wild God is causing mischief..."
There were still too many people in the military who could not bring themselves to believe, and did not wish to believe this answer.
The Empress’s face betrayed not the slightest expression, only gazing steadily at Wang Heng.
In her heart, she even hoped that they had judged wrongly and looked forward to Wang Heng’s denial.
However...
Faced with countless pairs of doubtful eyes, Magistrate Wang only let out a sigh.
In that instant, everyone felt as if a heavy hammer had smashed down on their hearts, causing a stifling sensation.
Zhao Douan’s pupils also tightened abruptly, and he couldn’t help but glance at Gongshu Tianyuan, wanting to ask:
Was this thing really reliable...
But Gongshu Tianyuan appeared confident, conveying that the fox he had raised certainly had no problems.
"I’ll ask you again," Zhao Douan locked onto the spy, and said in a deep voice, "Do you have any evidence?"
The lead spy said:
"I have secret correspondence with him, but most have been destroyed, and cannot be identified by handwriting, but a powerful figure behind me has him by the throat."
He was completely possessed by the "fox fairy," seemingly out of his mind, turned into a machine that answered every question put to him.
Zhao Douan took a deep breath and said:
"Besides him, who else is involved?"
The lead spy then read out five or six more names, but these were not prominent figures, merely middle to low-ranking military officers.
And scattered among the tens of thousands of imperial guards, Zhao Douan recognized some names but most were unfamiliar, and none from the Divine Mechanism Camp.
"How many of you are there in the Capital? What are you currently doing?"
"I only know that my team was responsible for stealing the firearm blueprints tonight, divided into three teams... We have not been in the Capital for long, taking over from the previous batch of spies who died, so we haven’t had the chance to accomplish anything yet."
"How do you make contact with the person behind you?"
"There is a designated person responsible for messaging, who will make contact with us, I do not know their identity..."
The hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, with only Zhao Douan and the spy in their question and answer session.
"What about the people behind you?"
The spy opened his mouth and said, "Wang..."
"That will do."
At that moment, a cold voice suddenly interrupted the interrogation.
Along with it came an enigmatic force that filled the air.
The "fox fairy" lying on the bamboo tube let out a shrill scream, trembling with fright, its white fur standing on end before it "popped" into a cloud of white smoke, retreating back into the bamboo tube.
And without the power of the "fox fairy", the lead spy started bleeding from his orifices, falling to the ground stiffly, still breathing but clearly with a fractured Divine Soul, reduced to a living dead.
Zhao Douan’s heart stirred, and he turned back to see the frost-covered face of the Empress on the main seat.
That’s right... Her Majesty did not want Prince Jing’s name to appear in this context... The valuable information a mere spy could have was probably just this...
The interrogation ended.
But the real interrogation had just begun.
In an atmosphere that was almost deadly silent, the Empress of Great Yu, dressed in a Dragon Robe and wearing a golden crown, looked indifferently at Magistrate Wang and said:
"Wang Heng, I want to hear an explanation."
There was no expected protest, denial, struggle, or plea for mercy...
This important figure who held almost half of the affairs of the Privy Council, and who could stand in the first row among military officers, was exceptionally calm.
Read lat𝙚st chapters at fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓ Only.
Sitting at the conference, his back still straight, his eyes even held a hint of relief.
Wang Heng shook his head, saying calmly:
"I, have nothing to say."
Nothing to say!
He was indeed admitting to it!
In that moment, even Zhao Douan was taken aback, not to mention the other military officers.
Xu Zhenguan fell silent for a moment, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.
When he reopened his eyes, he asked only one question:
"Why."
On Wang Heng’s face, which now showed signs of age, a self-mocking smile slowly appeared:
"Your Majesty, why must I provide an answer? There’s nothing new under the sun, it’s merely a matter of picking sides, of betting on whom."
He picked up the wine jug from the table and poured himself a cup.
In the quiet hall, the crisp sound of wine hitting the cup could be heard clearly.
Xu Zhenguan said, "In what way do I fall short of others?"
Wang Heng paused, spilling a bit of wine outside the cup, and then set down the jug, shaking his head gravely:
"Your Majesty does not fall short in any way."
Xu Zhenguan did not speak, but her eyes clearly conveyed:
If I do not fall short, why then bet on someone else?
Wang Heng understood this and the self-mockery on his lips grew more bitter:
"It’s a pity that Your Majesty was just one step too late."
He looked up, gazing at the sparse starry sky outside the hall, and said:
"When Your Majesty ascended the throne, in the first year, although you stabilized the imperial court with strong hands, at that time Your Majesty was not clear on state affairs, had an inadequate claim to the throne, and moreover as an Imperial Princess... I only saw the blood-drenched Jade Dragon Sword, but could not see the future.
At that time, he approached me, and the imperial court was like a capsizing boat, so naturally, I sought a sturdy branch to perch upon.
The second year, however, Your Majesty miraculously stabilized the court, grew more adept in government affairs, and began to show the bearing of an emperor.
Three years on, Your Majesty has been working hard to govern, maneuvering adeptly, employing leverage, and the throne has become increasingly secure. Now, with the implementation of new policies, who would dare say Your Majesty is less than others? But..."
He mocked himself,
"I already wet my shoes, and there’s no turning back now... If I had known this would be today, why did I even start back then..."
Halfway through, he shook his head, pinching his cup of wine.
He tilted his head back and downed it in one gulp!
Then, under everyone’s gaze, Magistrate Wang shakily stood up.
He raised both hands, took off the black gauze cap from his head, and gently placed it on the table.
He walked out of his seat and suddenly looked towards Zhao Douan, speaking complexly:
"You’re truly formidable. I’ve seen everything you’ve done in the past six months. You are a force to be reckoned with, truly a force to be reckoned with.
Perhaps you won’t believe it, but from the day Her Majesty sent you to the Divine Mechanism Camp, I sensed this day would come, just... not so soon."
Zhao Douan remained silent.
Magistrate Wang then turned to face Lord Ma, stretched out both hands in front, and chuckled:
"Lord Ma, I must trouble you to take me to the Imperial Prison. Under Great Yu Law, even if an official of my rank wants to strip off his official robe, it still requires a full set of documents and the use of the imperial seal.
So, I remain a Magistrate, and among those present, you are the only one who can arrest me. Master Zhao still cannot."
Lord Ma’s face was expressionless as he looked towards the Empress.
Xu Zhenguan closed her eyes: "Take him away."
"By Your Majesty’s command!"
Lord Ma bowed and then glanced at Wang Heng, making a ’please’ gesture.
Although Wang Heng was a military officer, he was not known for his martial strength, and Lord Ma alone was enough to restrain him tightly, leaving no room for any tricks.
Wang Heng nodded, held his head high, and walked out of the banquet hall, followed closely by Lord Ma.
After the two left, Xu Zhenguan spoke again:
"Xue Shence, those names that the spy revealed earlier, deal with them. If you let even one escape..."
Xue Shence took a deep breath: "If one escapes, I shall subject myself to military law."
"Agreed." Xu Zhenguan nodded.
Xue Shence took heavy steps, wrapped in the autumn wind, and walked outside.
As he walked, the candlelights on both sides fluttered wildly.
Xu Zhenguan spoke again, but this time she stood up and began to walk outside.
It was only at the door that she offhandedly said,
"Dismissed."
No more was said.
The Empress walked away, with eunuchs waiting in the courtyard, following with lanterns.
One by one, the military generals silently flowed out.
No one spoke, and in the blink of an eye, the once-crowded banquet hall became empty.
Haitang also left quietly, riding towards the outskirts of the city—
She had not forgotten that Zhang Han and the others were still desperately tracking the enemy.
...
...
"This is the end?"
Gongshu Tianyuan felt unsatisfied, tenderly stroking a bamboo tube tied with hemp rope, somewhat disappointed by the abrupt end to the events.
"What else?" Zhao Douan sighed, hands in his sleeves, looking out at the courtyard:
"This is already the most dignified curtain call."
After a pause, he curiously looked at the bamboo tube:
"What’s the story with this fox you’re raising? Is it really so effective in interrogating prisoners?"
Gongshu Tianyuan looked at him in surprise:
"Don’t you know? Right, you are a Martial Artist... It’s normal for you not to know.
Generally speaking, gods can largely be divided into two types: righteous gods and Evil Gods... This you surely know. There is another category, either those that are minor gods worshipped by a small place, like a particular tribe, which are quite weak after being nurtured.
Or, those that due to some fortune of fate, are the spirits of heaven and earth... Ah, the latter is not very common within the borders of Great Yu, you would have to go to some remote places, like Mubei Forest or Eastern Sea Thousand Islands... and so on to find them slightly more...
In short, such beings similar to gods, but much weaker, are called ’Wild Gods.’ This one was a gift from my master, and interrogation is just one of its capabilities..."
"As for what you were thinking, using it in court... forget that idea. For one, there are too few, and the Magicians who can control them are even less.
Secondly... heh, this thing isn’t reliable when it comes to interrogation. For example, just now, if I wished, I could even manipulate the fox fairy to make the spy speak any falsehood... So you see, Magicians are people too."
The chubby boy made a knowing gesture, raising his eyebrows playfully.
Zhao Douan suddenly understood, indicating he had learned something new, and then looked at him strangely:
"Did you manipulate the spy’s words just now?"
Gongshu Tianyuan smiled bitterly:
"Dare I play tricks in front of Her Majesty? Well... I just did a little intervention, like every time he tried to say ’Prince,’ I controlled the fox fairy to hold it back."
"…Impressive." Zhao Douan silently gave a thumbs up.
Compared to the naïve Jin Jian, Brother Gongshu was leagues ahead in emotional intelligence.
"Alright, I must go now. Reach out if you need me."
Gongshu Tianyuan hoisted the large bamboo tube, secured it with hemp rope, and bid farewell.
Then he pinched a spell, and suddenly, an ethereal arm reached down from the sky, scooped up the chubby boy, and swiftly disappeared into the distance.
Zhao Douan watched him leave, thinking:
If only a Martial Artist could have such a cool way to travel.
...
When Zhao Douan stepped out of the mansion’s main gate, he was suddenly stopped by an eunuch who was waiting there:
"Mr. Zhao, Her Majesty invites you."
"The Empress hasn’t left?" Zhao Douan was surprised.
Following the little eunuch, after walking down a street, indeed at a quiet street corner, he saw the carriage of the Empress—today her entourage was modest.
She had come with no more than ten attendants, and now only five remained.
"Mo Zhaorong was ordered to return to the palace first, to handle the subsequent troubles," the eunuch explained softly.
I understand... Wang Heng’s downfall would not be without repercussions.
Zhao Douan respectfully approached the carriage: "Your Majesty, I have arrived."
The carriage curtain was lifted, and under the moonlight, the alluring face of the Empress flickered in and out of shadow:
"Get in, accompany me to a place."
...
ps: After careful consideration, the author has decided to follow the readers’ advice and change the name of "Tianxia Realm" in this book’s cultivation system to "Heavenly Human Realm."
Most of the previous chapters have been amended, with only minor residual errors remaining, which do not affect reading.
Actually, I have wanted to make the change for a while. When I began writing the book, I don’t know what I was thinking, coming up with such an odd name... This is much better now.
