Xue Wenjie heard this, threw back his head and laughed heartily. He looked at the young girl and said word by word, "You, win."
Just like that year, she looked at him and said the same words.
Only this time, it was he who said these words to their daughter.
He leaned back, slowly closing his eyes.
"Father King, Father King..." Xue Yunlan opened her eyes to see this scene.
She rushed forward, supporting Xue Wenjie's falling body, but how could she have the strength to catch him? She was pulled down heavily and crashed to the ground.
"Father King, Father King..." she cried, tears flowing down at this moment.
The officials standing behind Xue Wenjie knew at this moment that the Regent had lost.
Then what about them?
"Your Majesty, this minister is guilty, please forgive me, Your Majesty!" Someone took the lead, and the officials knelt down begging for mercy.
The young girl swept past each of them, and the officials were startled, "Your Majesty, these people cannot be kept, otherwise they will be endless trouble in the future."
The officials did not expect that the one who would say this would be the Prime Minister, who had always seemed gentle.
Hua Yunjin looked at the young girl. He knew that by saying this, some people would judge him as cruel and wicked, but so what?
This was all he could do. Standing here today, he realized how much the Empress had done and hidden.
He knew that doing so was the best for the Empress, so it was best for him to say it.
Xue Zining looked at Hua Yunjin. How could she not understand Hua Yunjin's meaning?
However, she did not want these cruel and wicked words to fall on him, just as he did not want her to be stained by such criticism.
She raised her eyes and looked at the terrified and trembling officials, and slowly said, "You know the crimes you have committed, but I do not wish for blood to flow before my coming-of-age ceremony. Therefore, if you wish to resign, you may do so now."
Resign? Although there was some reluctance, their lives were saved.
If you keep the green hills, you don't have to worry about not having firewood.
But the Empress's next words completely shattered their hopes.
"Within three generations, participation in the imperial examinations is forbidden."
The officials slumped to the ground. What was the difference between this and severing the family's honor?
But no one wanted to risk their lives.
Soon, most of them resigned and left.
At this moment, only a few people remained in the Chaoyang Main Hall.
"Your Majesty, please find a doctor for my father king. This humble daughter begs you." Xue Yunlan scrambled to Xue Zining's feet, kowtowing repeatedly.
Soon, Xue Yunlan's forehead was red and swollen. She slowly leaned down and said lightly, "Even if he is cured, he will still be executed."
Xue Yunlan trembled all over, raised her eyes, and looked at the young girl in front of her. At this moment, the young girl was unfamiliar. Her cold expression revealed an intense chill, and her clear gaze was also filled with endless ice.
She knew that at this moment, the current Xue Zining was the real Xue Zining.
The former Xue Zining would not have said such words.
The young girl stood up straight and said coldly, "Take them away."
Someone had already taken Xue Wenjie and Xue Yunlan away. This time, Xue Yunlan said nothing.
Because she knew that no matter what she said, it would be useless.
That young girl was truly the Empress of Huangze.
Cold and ruthless.
The young girl looked at the small young man in the corner. A man stood in front of him, and she knew this was Xue Wenjie's advisor, who was actually Xue Zixuan's man.
In her previous life, she had seen this person appear in the palace of the grown-up and ambitious Xue Zixuan, so in this life, she paid more attention to him when she saw him.
Most of Xue Wenjie's plans were devised by him.
"Imperial... Imperial Sister..." Xue Zixuan felt that the young girl in front of him was very unfamiliar.
The young girl's gaze was cold, without any warmth. His heart sank.
"Your Majesty, it is all my fault, I know my mistake, please spare Zixuan, he knows nothing." Consort Chao ran out from outside and knelt on the ground with a thud, begging for mercy.
Xue Zixuan looked at Consort Chao kneeling on the ground. At this moment, he thought she had already run far away, but now she appeared here, kneeling there to beg for him.
In his previous life, it was not Consort Chao who knelt here, but someone by Xue Zining's side, kneeling and hoping he would spare her.
Unfortunately, at that time, he did not intend to spare her, but what about now?
He raised his eyes to meet the young girl's increasingly cold eyes. At this moment, he could not guess or understand what she was going to do.
Today, all of this made him unable to understand how his plan was seen through by her, and how she had used his plan against him, leading to this situation.
"Xue Zixuan, if I kill you today, will you have any complaints?"
The young girl's gaze was so cold that it could drip water.
The small young man chuckled softly, raised his head, and said, "The winner takes all, this is an undeniable fact. I lost, and this is the consequence."
"Then what about Consort Chao?" the young girl asked, pointing to Consort Chao, whose forehead was already covered in blood.
The small young man trembled all over. He looked at his noble mother, who had never bowed her head, who was now ruining her face to beg for him.
His heart was suddenly pierced by a needle, hurting him to the point of suffocation. He stepped forward, grabbed her arm, and said, "Get up, don't beg her, she won't let me go."
Consort Chao raised her eyes, her eyes full of tears, "But Mother Consort cannot watch you die so young."
"Get up," he said again.
Consort Chao shook her head, "As long as there is a glimmer of hope, Mother Consort will try."
"Get up!" the small young man roared, tears streaming down his face.
Consort Chao reached out, trying to wipe the tears from his face. He slapped her hand away, but she was still very happy and smiled, "Mother Consort is very happy. Since you were sick that time, you have been distant from Mother Consort, and rarely cried. Mother Consort did not expect you to cry because of Mother Consort."
"Now is not the time to talk about these things." Xue Zixuan did not understand why Consort Chao was saying these words.
Consort Chao smiled, her eyes softer and more benevolent than ever as she looked at her child. She wanted to remember her child's appearance, turned around, and solemnly kowtowed to the young girl, saying, "Your Majesty, all decisions and schemes were made by this consort alone. This consort knows that death is unavoidable, and this consort is willing to atone with death, hoping Your Majesty will spare Zixuan's life."
After speaking, Consort Chao suddenly kowtowed fiercely to the ground.
Blood splattered everywhere, and Consort Chao knelt there, motionless.
Xue Zixuan stood there stunned. After a long while, he knelt on the ground with a thud and cried out, "Mother Consort, Mother Consort."
The young girl glanced at Feng Wu. Feng Wu stepped forward, felt Consort Chao's pulse, and said, "There is still a slim chance of survival."
Xue Zixuan trembled all over. He looked up at the young girl. After a long time, he closed his eyes and placed his head on the ground, "This minister..."
He cried, gritted his teeth, and said word by word, "This minister is willing to swear eternal allegiance to Your Majesty."