"Nonsense, Snow Country and Barren Marsh have never had any interaction. You must be impersonating the Empress of Barren Marsh."
How could the Empress of Barren Marsh possibly come to Snow Country? It was simply absurd.
Xue Zining raised her eyes to look at the person who accused her of impersonation and said lightly, "You say I am impersonating. Where is your evidence? Otherwise, even if I were the Empress of Barren Marsh, I could charge you with great disrespect."
"Even if you are the Empress of Barren Marsh, why do you interfere in Snow Country's affairs?"
"Because I am the Crown Prince Consort of Snow Country."
The maiden's words were clear and cold, yet imbued with authority.
"You claim to be the Crown Prince's consort. Where is your proof? We cannot simply accept your word to confirm the identity of the Crown Prince Consort."
The maiden looked at the middle-aged man who had repeatedly demanded evidence and produced a jade pendant. "Do you recognize this jade pendant?"
Minister of Revenue, Lord Feng, trembled all over. The maiden walked forward, circling the ministers, and then approached the Empress. She said softly, "Others may not recognize it, but Her Majesty the Empress certainly will."
The Empress reached out with trembling hands. How could she not recognize it? This was her son's jade pendant, representing the Crown Prince's status.
"This... he gave it to you?"
The Empress looked up at the maiden's face and felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if she had seen this maiden before.
"Yes," the maiden nodded.
The Empress slowly closed her eyes, then opened them again and asked, "The Crown Prince... the Crown Prince has truly..."
"Your Majesty the Empress, I will definitely save Yan Zhao."
The Empress trembled.
The maiden turned around and said coldly, "Now, does anyone else have any questions?"
"You say you are the Empress of Barren Marsh?"
"Yes," the maiden replied.
"Snow Country and Barren Marsh cannot interact. Does the Empress not know this?" Lord Feng raised an eyebrow.
"Rules are dead, people are alive. I have already abolished the regulation that Snow Country and Barren Marsh cannot interact with the Crown Prince. Now Snow Country and Barren Marsh can interact." The maiden stated indifferently from her elevated position.
"The Crown Prince died in Barren Marsh. Snow Country is now establishing a new Crown Prince. Even if you are the Empress of Barren Marsh, the Crown Prince's consort has no right to interfere," stated Minister of Rites, Lord Lin, stepping forward.
"I did not intend to interfere. However, you as subjects, as princes, have forced Her Majesty the Empress. You have wronged my mother. Although I, as the Empress of Barren Marsh, cannot interfere in Snow Country's internal affairs, my concern for my mother is something you cannot interfere with." The maiden approached the Empress and said softly.
The Empress was startled. The maiden had said nothing, yet it was as if she had said everything.
For some inexplicable reason, all her previous impatience and anger dissipated.
Though her son was gone, she still had her daughter-in-law, the Empress of Barren Marsh.
It was impossible for anyone to seize her son's position as Crown Prince.
The Prince of Snow Mountain gave Lord Feng a look. Lord Feng stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty the Empress, the position of Crown Prince..."
"I do not agree. The Crown Prince's life and death are uncertain. I absolutely do not agree to re-establish a Crown Prince," the Empress stated coldly.
"Your Majesty the Empress, the Crown Prince has already died..."
Before Lord Feng could finish speaking, his face seemed to be slapped fiercely. The intense pain made him quickly cover his face. He felt liquid flowing from his hand. He brought his hand to his eyes; the bright red blood stung his eyes.
"Blood..." Lord Feng looked up and saw the culprit standing beside the Empress, holding a whip still stained with his blood.
"Empress of Barren Marsh, what is the meaning of this?" The Prince of Snow Mountain stepped forward to question.
The maiden didn't even bother to look up. "He insulted my husband, so he deserved to be beaten. In Barren Marsh, such an insult to royalty would warrant decapitation."
"Lord Feng is correct. The Crown Prince..."
The Prince of Snow Mountain's words were cut off by the maiden's frosty expression.
"You... what do you want to do?" The Prince of Snow Mountain felt, for the first time, that a maiden could be so imposing and stern.
"As I said, the Crown Prince is not dead. You curse my Imperial Husband, how can I possibly agree?"
The maiden's voice was as cold as frost.
It seemed as though anyone who spoke such words would be killed by her.
For a moment, no one dared to bring up the fact of the Crown Prince's death again.
"My mother is tired. You may all withdraw!"
The maiden gave a look, and Xue Yan, standing behind her, stepped forward and bowed. "Your Majesty the Empress, this servant will help you into the palace."
The Empress understood that the Empress of Barren Marsh was asking her to avoid the ministers' coercion. How could she not understand the Empress of Barren Marsh's intentions? Without any hesitation, she followed Imperial Concubine Mo into the hall.
"This..." Before Lord Feng could finish speaking, he saw the whip in the maiden's hand, and his arrogance was extinguished by that single strike.
Compared to the matter of establishing a Crown Prince, his life was more important.
"My face is injured. I shall take my leave first!" Lord Feng left.
With the Prince of Snow Mountain's main supporter gone, many other ministers also slipped away.
The Prince of Snow Mountain was so enraged he almost spat blood. His well-laid plans were disrupted by the Empress of Barren Marsh.
"Empress of Barren Marsh, establishing a Crown Prince is a matter of time. I wish you can guard here forever," the Prince of Snow Mountain said with a cold snort and left.
"I thank the Prince of Snow Mountain for his kind reminder. However, Prince of Snow Mountain, rest assured, now that I have come to Snow Country, I will not leave easily."
The maiden's voice sounded slowly behind the Prince of Snow Mountain.
When the ministers left Feng Luan Hall, they discovered that outside Feng Luan Hall, the Prefect of the Capital, Mo Ran, had surrounded the area with soldiers.
The ministers were trapped there and could not leave.
"Mo Ran, what do you mean by this?" the Prince of Snow Mountain asked coldly.
Mo Ran smiled faintly. "It means nothing. I saw someone disrespecting the Empress just now, and this subordinate made a decision in a moment of urgency. Prince of Snow Mountain, please do not blame me."
The Prince of Snow Mountain snorted and pushed past the soldiers, walking out.
The ministers also quickly followed the Prince of Snow Mountain out of this place of trouble.
Outside the palace, the ministers saw a luxurious carriage with a flag bearing the words "Barren Marsh."
The two large characters were prominent and eye-catching.
A sense of awe ran through the ministers. They hadn't expected the Empress of Barren Marsh to truly dare to come to Snow Country alone.
"The Empress of Barren Marsh is accompanied by Feng Yin. It is said that once Feng Yin appears, rivers of blood will flow." Someone spoke.
The ministers felt a chill down their spines and quickly hurried back to their respective residences.
The Prince of Snow Mountain clenched his fists, unwilling in his heart. Must he concede just like this?
"My Lord, someone has delivered a letter," a servant approached the Prince.
"What letter?" The Prince of Snow Mountain stopped and asked.
The servant handed over the letter. The Prince of Snow Mountain opened it. The letter contained only one sentence. After reading it, his mood brightened. "Good, good, truly good news."
In a manor in Snow Country, a person landed before another man who stood with his hands behind his back, his back to him. He said in a low voice, "Young Master, the letter has been sent."
"You may withdraw," the man said.
The person withdrew.
The man turned, revealing a handsome face, his eyes filled with a dark gaze.