Gu Yuan Deserves a Generous Reward!

[Senior sister is amazing. She comes and goes without a trace and even treats the imperial prison like her own home.]

[Huai'an really is the heroine. She anticipated my anticipation. It feels like some mysterious force is at work. Too bad she wasted such a good chance to escape. Once I get out, I'll give her a big reward: a stick of candied hawthorns...]

[Prince Duan was personally made a prince by the late emperor. In name, he's the empress's uncle, but she even dared to kill the late emperor. She wouldn't have to blink to kill a mere prince.]

[Besides, that old bastard Prince Duan is an imperial prince, yet he's colluding with the Northern Desert Divine Court. He set up a Dragon Transformation Array in his residence and offers up essence blood on schedule every day. The Divine Masters of the Northern Desert can use it as a conduit to gradually devour Great Qi's fortune...]

[Once the empress learns of this, even death by a thousand cuts would count as lenient.]

[As for the Minister of Revenue, there's a huge pile of silver and account books in his secret chamber. Who knows how much he's embezzled over the years? The Prefect of the Capital is even worse. He's taken bribes, and the wrongful convictions under his watch are too numerous to count. Hmph, you small fries want my life? Survive first!]

[If I've got the timing right, senior sister should have found the evidence by now, shouldn't she...?]

[Oh, Empress, take a good look at the kind of people you're employing!

I've done you a huge favor this time, so you'd better thank me properly... Wait, that's not right. If I help the empress get rid of three major rebels from the later story, how am I supposed to rebel?

Correct it. I have to correct it, no matter what!

I'll do what they can't!

If they can't rebel, I will!

Perseverance, all for eternal life!]

Beneath Prince Duan's residence.

Qi Yueli angrily shut the diary.

Don't get angry.

Don't get angry.

Get angry often enough, and you'll get used to it...

She took a deep breath and looked around.

A great gray and red array lay before her, with a banner bearing the Desert Jiao totem enshrined at its center.

It was the Desert Flood Dragon Banner, a divine artifact of the Northern Desert Divine Court renowned throughout the world!

"How dare they steal Great Qi's fortune."

"Those Northern Desert scoundrels have some nerve!"

Qi Yueli's voice was ice-cold.

Her true qi erupted, slicing the Desert Flood Dragon Banner in two and crushing the Dragon Transformation Array to fragments.

An imperial prince had betrayed the nation and stolen its fortune, yet she had been completely unaware of something so grave.

Gu Yuan was right. She truly was an incompetent empress.

All these years, she had been confident in her invincibility, believing her martial cultivation could solve every problem... Only now did she understand that cunning enemies would never confront her head-on. They would undermine Great Qi from within, devouring it bit by bit.

Qi Yueli was grateful she had met Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan had to be the man of destiny bestowed upon her by the heavens to help her bring prosperity to Great Qi.

"Qingzhou, Northern Desert."

"I will settle accounts with each of you!"

Once she had dealt with the disaster in Qingzhou, she would send an army to the Northern Desert and turn the pretentious Northern Desert Divine Court upside down!

The Northern Desert Divine Court.

In a pitch-black hall adorned with gold, a terrifying fluctuation erupted from the center of a great array.

The four Celestial Masters of the Divine Court presiding over the array spat blood and were sent flying uncontrollably, crashing down several yards away.

The array shattered.

In the seat of honor, an old man holding a dragon staff and wearing ceremonial robes opened his eyes in shock and spoke in a hoarse voice of disbelief:

"It was discovered... The empress of Great Qi lives up to her reputation."

"Attendant."

"Greetings, Divine Master."

"Send word to Desert City. Have them dispatch a delegation to Great Qi."

"Divine Master, what divine decree should Desert City receive?"

The old man said calmly, "The Great Qi Heavenly Longevity Festival is approaching. Go to Qi Capital and offer congratulations to the empress of Great Qi."

"At your command."

The old man slowly raised his eyes, looked at the fragments of the array scattered across the floor, and said gravely:

"Empress of Great Qi, even though this array has been destroyed, you still cannot escape heaven's decree. You are destined to fall."

The Censorate.

Countless pieces of evidence of crimes fell from the sky for no apparent reason, without the slightest warning.

Soon, furious curses rang out from the Censorate:

"High treason!"

"Such disregard for imperial favor!"

"Prince Duan is an imperial prince, yet he colluded with the Northern Desert and betrayed the nation to its enemies. His crime deserves nothing less than death!"

"The Minister of Revenue and the Prefect of the Capital lined their own pockets and embezzled such enormous sums of silver. Those shameless, corrupt officials! Pah!"

"Colleagues, the evidence is conclusive. Why don't you hurry to the palace with me to see Her Majesty?"

"My lord, these things fell from the sky. Could they be false?"

"Hmph! Her Majesty will determine whether they're genuine. We censors need only speak frankly and offer our counsel! Let's go!"

A large group of censors set off and charged into the imperial palace.

Shangguan Weiming was somewhat stunned by the sight of such a crowd.

What does this mean?

Why have all the people from the Censorate come?

Are they here to plead for Gu Yuan or to demand his life?

"My lords, please wait."

"Lord Shangguan, we must see Her Majesty. It's a matter of the utmost urgency!"

Prince Duan and the other two, who were wailing nearby, shuddered for no apparent reason.

The censors looked at them as though they wanted to eat them alive...

A bad feeling rose in their hearts.

"My lords, Her Majesty is in seclusion..."

"Your Majesty! The matter we have to report concerns the very foundation of the nation. Please come out of seclusion at once, lest the traitors who sold out the nation have a chance to catch their breath!" the censors shouted one after another.

Shangguan Weiming was taken aback.

Traitors who sold out the nation?

Surely Gu Yuan's crime doesn't go that far?

Prince Duan's expression changed slightly, and his foreboding grew stronger.

"My ministers, what urgent matter do you wish to report?"

True qi surged as Qi Yueli descended from the sky and swept an indifferent gaze over the crowd.

"Prince Duan has been here for quite some time. You must have something important to say, so you may speak first."

Prince Duan shuddered for no apparent reason, but he steeled himself and said:

"Your... Your Majesty, Gu Yuan, the heir to the Marquis of Pingxiang, killed my son without cause. Please deliver justice for me and execute Gu Yuan to uphold the law."

The Minister of Revenue and the Prefect of the Capital said in unison:

"Your Majesty, our sons also died at Gu Yuan's hands. We beg Your Majesty to obtain justice for us."

"Oh? Gu Yuan is bold indeed, to dare kill even your sons."

Qi Yueli said calmly, "Censors, how do you think Gu Yuan should be punished?"

Prince Duan was taken aback.

The empress's reaction was far beyond his expectations.

She only needed to issue a decree to deal with Gu Yuan. Why ask the censors?

Before he could make sense of it, a censor declared in a ringing voice:

"Well killed!"

"Gu Yuan killed the sons of traitors. He has rendered a service and committed no offense. Your Majesty should reward him generously!"

"Censor Lai, what nonsense are you spouting?! What traitors' sons? They were the sons of important court officials!" the Minister of Revenue snapped.

"Pah!"

"You three traitors who sold out the nation have committed countless crimes, yet you have the gall to call yourselves important court officials?"

"Your Majesty, the Censorate has a memorial to present!"

"Prince Duan colluded with the Northern Desert, sold Great Qi's secrets, and betrayed the nation for profit. The Minister of Revenue embezzled tax revenues and smuggled weapons. The Prefect of the Capital accepted bribes and fabricated countless wrongful convictions."

"These three have committed heinous crimes. We request that they be stripped of their offices and titles, thoroughly investigated, and brought to justice!"

"We second the motion!"

The censors knelt in unison.

Prince Duan, the Minister of Revenue, and the Prefect of the Capital turned deathly pale.

"These are vicious lies."

"Your Majesty, the Censorate is baselessly slandering an imperial prince and important court officials, showing blatant disregard for Great Qi's laws. Please decree that they be stripped of their offices as censors, as a warning to others."

Shangguan Weiming was bewildered.

What is all this?

Wasn't this about Gu Yuan's case? How did it become treason?

The corners of Qi Yueli's lips lifted slightly.

"Censors, do you have evidence for the crimes you just listed?"

The censors raised their heads in unison and declared:

"Your Majesty, the evidence is here!"

"The proof of Prince Duan's treason is irrefutable!"

A chest of evidence was placed before everyone.

Prince Duan spotted the Desert Flood Dragon Banner, broken in two, at a glance. All color drained from his face, his eyes lost focus, and he slumped to the ground as though dead...

He was finished...!