Chapter 13: Proving the Xiao Family’s Innocence

Qin Luoli and Xiao Jingyuan strode side by side into the Golden Throne Hall, their robes billowing like two unsheathed swords, piercing straight to the heart.

The faction of Chancellor Wang, upon seeing this, immediately scattered like ants whose nest had been disturbed, their buzzing quickly drowning out the murmurs of the civil and military officials.

Their eyes flickered with malice, lips curled in sarcastic sneers, as if watching a meticulously staged farce.

“Oh, isn’t this the ‘good wife’ of the Xiao family? What’s this—trying to cause trouble?” sneered a sharp-faced official with a tone dripping in mockery. His voice, harsh and grating like nails on a chalkboard, sent chills down everyone’s spines.

Qin Luoli smiled faintly, a smile as cold as ice that made the official shrink back.

“Cause trouble? Sir, one mustn’t speak recklessly. We are here today to present gifts,” she said softly, yet with an unmistakable edge of authority.

She raised her hand, and the guards behind her immediately laid out the meticulously prepared evidence.

These were ironclad documents, every stroke bearing Chancellor Wang’s guilt.

In the sunlight, the evidence seemed to blaze with scorching light, blinding those with guilty consciences.

Chancellor Wang’s lips twitched as he saw the evidence presented, his gaze sharp as a poisoned blade, fiercely stabbing at Qin Luoli.

He slammed his palm on the table, the deafening sound echoing through the hall. “This—this must be forged! Traitor of the Xiao family, daring to slander me!”

“Slander? Chancellor, do you truly believe your own words?” Qin Luoli sneered, scanning the room with piercing eyes. “The handwriting on these documents is unmistakably yours. Have you suddenly forgotten your own script, afflicted with amnesia?”

Wang’s faction instantly flustered, babbling incoherently, concocting wild conspiracy theories as if bargaining in a market, but their words rang hollow and powerless.

The hall transformed into a battleground of debate, each side trading blows, neither yielding.

The air thickened with tension, suffocating all who breathed it.

“Chancellor Wang, as a high minister of the court, to so blatantly invert right and wrong is a crime worthy of death!” Qin Luoli’s voice thundered like a clap of lightning through the hall.

She advanced step by step, her commanding presence forcing him into retreat. “Every piece of evidence points to you. What else can you possibly deny?”

Chancellor Wang, shaken by her formidable aura, turned ashen, cold sweat beading his brow.

He tried to retort but found his tongue tied, utterly speechless.

His bloodshot eyes glared daggers at Qin Luoli, as if willing to devour her alive.

Just as the standoff reached its peak, a sharp sound pierced the tense atmosphere.

“Wait!” Qin Luoli’s clear voice rang out again, like a single drop of water hitting boiling oil, igniting an explosion.

All eyes turned toward her, where she held an ancient scroll, yellowed with age and bearing the royal temple’s official seal.

Wang’s faction went pale at the sight of the scroll, as if confronted by a ghost.

Their eyes darted nervously, as though a long-hidden secret was about to be unearthed.

“What is this?” The Emperor’s voice bore both curiosity and hope.

“Your Majesty, this was found by your humble servant at the royal temple. It may prove the Xiao family’s innocence,” Qin Luoli replied calmly, her confidence unshakable.

She slowly unfurled the scroll, revealing a secret imperial letter related to the royal family that indirectly confirmed the Xiao family’s purity.

This was a resounding slap to Chancellor Wang, leaving him dazed and disoriented.

Upon reading the letter, Wang and his cohorts were struck dumb, as if struck by lightning, frozen in place.

They never expected Qin Luoli to uncover such a document—it was as if heaven itself sought their downfall.

Qin Luoli presented the scroll to the Emperor, who took it and, upon reading, brightened visibly, his gaze toward her filled with admiration.

“Qin, you are truly wise beyond measure. This brings me great comfort,” the Emperor declared.

The atmosphere in the court instantly shifted in Qin Luoli’s favor. Officials who had been on the fence quickly switched sides, praising her sharp intellect and bravery.

Seeing this, eunuch Zhao tried to defend the Chancellor, but the Emperor, having placed his trust in Qin Luoli, dismissed him outright.

“Zhao De, silence yourself!” the Emperor’s reprimand left the eunuch pale and trembling.

Qin Luoli knew that although she had gained the upper hand, the battle was not yet won.

Jealous and hostile gazes from the crowd pricked at her like poisoned needles, making her skin crawl.

The tense atmosphere pressed down like an invisible weight.

She glanced sideways and caught a cold, hostile stare piercing through the crowd.

Xiao Jingyuan watched as Qin Luoli held her own in the court, her every word and gesture radiating the aura of an invincible warrior goddess.

Her eyes were resolute, her tone unyielding, every move brimming with commanding authority.

Xiao Jingyuan felt pride and tenderness in his heart—his wife was truly formidable.

He silently stood behind her, his gaze sharp as a mountain peak, providing her with an unshakable shield.

Feeling the warmth of his steady gaze, Qin Luoli’s heart softened, like holding a cup of hot cocoa in the dead of winter—sweet and comforting.

Inspector Li stood nearby, dumbfounded, his jaw nearly dropping to the floor.

He had expected Qin Luoli to beg for his help, considering he was known as the “good guy” of the court.

Instead, she had dismissed him entirely, single-handedly silencing the sly Chancellor and his cronies.

Li felt like a mere decoration, scratching his head awkwardly and silently thinking, “This Lady Xiao is incredible!”

The other court officials were equally astonished by Qin Luoli’s performance, staring at her as if she were a rare creature, whispering amongst themselves.

She sensed the complex gazes around her—jealousy, envy, surprise, and some waiting for her to falter.

A faint, cold smile curved her lips. Inwardly, she thought: “Is that all you’ve got? You think that’s enough to trip me up?”

She was destined to become the most powerful woman in history.

At that moment, Qin Luoli caught a sharp, venomous stare from the corner of her eye.

Su Youning stood amidst the crowd, eyes like poisoned arrows, fixed unblinkingly on her.

Her gaze was filled with hatred and unwillingness, as if she wished to devour Qin Luoli alive.

Qin Luoli smiled lightly, her icy eyes flashing a warning.

“Su Youning, you’d best behave,” she thought coldly. She had no time for petty palace intrigues; her sights were set on the stars and the sea.

She turned her gaze to the Emperor seated above, nodding slightly, her eyes radiating confidence and composure.

“Your Majesty, the evidence is irrefutable. Chancellor Wang and his accomplices deserve no mercy.”

“How dare you...” Wang’s faction tried to resist.

Qin Luoli smiled coldly, about to speak again, when a sudden knocking interrupted her.

“Dong! Dong! Dong!”

All eyes turned toward the sound, where a lavishly dressed elderly eunuch approached, trembling as he carried a tray.

The old eunuch knelt before the Emperor and raised the tray high above his head.

On the tray lay a piece of bright yellow silk, exuding solemnity and mystery.

“Your Majesty,” the eunuch’s sharp voice rang out, “this is the late Emperor’s final decree!”

The hall erupted in shock.

The late Emperor’s will? This was a bombshell!

Everyone held their breath, afraid to miss a single detail.

The Emperor took the decree and slowly unfurled it.

As he read, his expression grew grave.

The decree concerned the Xiao family.

It revealed that the late Emperor had long suspected Chancellor Wang’s treacherous ambitions and left this decree as a safeguard.

The decree clearly declared Chancellor Wang’s crimes of framing the loyal and righteous as unforgivable.

It was a masterstroke.

Wang and his faction were stunned, their faces paler than if they had swallowed flies.

They never imagined the late Emperor had prepared such a contingency.

“Chancellor Wang, do you still have anything to say?” The Emperor’s voice was ice-cold, freezing Wang to the core.

Wang collapsed to his knees, trembling violently like a leaf in the wind.

“Your Majesty, mercy! Please spare me, Your Majesty!”

“Seize them! Arrest Chancellor Wang and all his accomplices!” the Emperor commanded.

The guards surged forward, binding Wang and his faction tightly.

The Xiao family erupted in joyous celebration, their spirits soaring as if it were the New Year.

They had finally cleared their names.

The matriarch of the Xiao family grasped Qin Luoli’s hand, eyes shining with gratitude.

“Li’er, it’s all thanks to you! You are truly our family’s great benefactor!”

Qin Luoli smiled modestly, “Grandmother, you overstate it. I only did what was right.”

The entire capital basked in the joy of the Xiao family’s vindication.

Qin Luoli’s name spread through every street and alley, becoming a household legend.

Yet just as the Xiao family celebrated, urgent news shattered the festive mood.

The border was in crisis.

The Emperor intended to dispatch the Xiao family to the front lines once more.

The family’s newly eased hearts tightened again.

Truly, one wave had not yet subsided before another surged.