However, nothing happened.
There was only the slightly hurried breathing of the Second Prince and the wind sobbing as it swept through the palace halls outside.
Under the gaze of over a hundred pairs of eyes, the flow of time seemed to be infinitely stretched out. Every breath was filled with unspeakable awkwardness and pressure.
Luo Zhao, the center of attention, did not even spare a single glance for the Second Prince kneeling on the ground.
She merely stood quietly in place, her gaze calmly directed toward the silent emperor on the dragon throne.
There was no panic from being accused, nor was there any hostility from being provoked; there was only an almost indifferent calmness.
It was as if the fierce impeachment just now was not aimed at her, but at some completely irrelevant stranger.
This almost humiliating disregard embarrassed the Second Prince more than any fierce rebuttal ever could, and it stung his sensitive nerves even deeper.
The civil and military officials of the entire court were as silent as winter cicadas.
Some officials who had originally expected to see a fierce struggle now felt a shadow cast over their hearts.
Her Highness's response was truly too abnormal.
What did she have to rely on? Or had she already given up defending herself?
Finally, the voice that broke the dead silence did not come from Luo Zhao, nor did it come from any of the courtiers.
Upon the dragon throne, Emperor Luo, who had been quietly looking down at the scene below, slowly spoke.
Zhao'er.
From these two simple words, one could not discern joy or anger; it seemed like just an ordinary call.
Do you have nothing to say?
There was no direct questioning, no pressure applied, and not even a mention of any specific details of the Second Prince's accusations.
He simply handed the power to speak over to Luo Zhao.
However, this plain inquiry fell upon everyone's ears with a weight far heavier than a thunderous interrogation.
Success or failure depended entirely on Her Highness's next answer!
Luo Zhao slowly turned around to face the dragon throne directly. Her movements were unhurried, and her skirt did not even stir up a single superfluous ripple.
She bowed slightly in greeting, her voice clear and steady:
Reporting to Imperial Father.
Your daughter went south to the Luo Capital by imperial decree to investigate corruption, rectify official administration, and placate the hearts of the people.
Taking more than a month, all matters have now been concluded. The case files have been clarified, the involved officials punished according to the law, the embezzled funds and grain recovered and deposited into the treasury, and the water transport regulations revised. The administration of the Luo Capital has been completely cleansed, bringing convenience to merchants and citizens, and stabilizing public sentiment.
Her speaking pace was neither fast nor slow, and every word was clear and powerful, echoing in this silent grand hall.
She completely ignored answering any of the Second Prince's accusations, instead summarizing this return to the north as a work report after successfully completing her mission.
All handled matters, including all correspondence, personnel transfers, revenue and expenditure of funds and grain, and judicial verdicts, have been recorded in detail by the female officials of the Internal Affairs Department. They are clearly categorized, fully documented, and complete with all necessary seals, without the slightest omission.
Speaking up to here, Luo Zhao paused and gave a signal with her eyes.
Shangguan Yunying, who had long been prepared, immediately stepped forward.
She held a heavy red sandalwood tray with both hands, upon which neatly stacked piles of bound case files and documents were placed, topped with several specially thickened master records.
With steady steps and a solemn expression, she walked briskly to the bottom of the imperial steps, knelt on both knees, and held the tray high.
The chief eunuch, Lyu Fang, had quietly stepped down the imperial steps and arrived in front of Shangguan Yunying.
Steadily receiving the heavy tray, he did not even cast a glance at Shangguan Yunying.
He simply supported it, turned around, and step by step, walked back up the imperial steps, respectfully placing the tray on the imperial desk in front of Emperor Luo.
The entire process was silent and smooth, bearing a sense of ritual that was meticulous to the extreme.
Luo Zhao's voice sounded again, her tone containing an implication of having successfully fulfilled her mission:
Since the matters in the Luo Capital have been concluded, according to past precedents and the itinerary, I naturally should return immediately to report on my mission, present the details, and await Imperial Father's instructions.
This is my fundamental duty as a subject and a child, and it is also the righteous obligation of serving the country.
Now that your daughter has returned, all the case files and documents are here.
She bowed slightly again: Please examine them, Imperial Father.
From beginning to end, Luo Zhao's logic was incredibly clear: I went to handle matters, now the matters are done, I came back to report on my work according to the rules, and the entire process has detailed records.
As for the Second Prince kneeling on the ground, he had been completely treated as thin air by her.
Above the court, deep shock and contemplation had already flashed across the eyes of many experienced and prudent officials.
Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess's response was truly too brilliant!
Not explaining and not proving her innocence, but instead using open and upright political achievements and rules as a shield, dissolving the impeachment into nothingness.
This posture of only reporting on work and not involving anything else appeared both obedient and dutiful, while also revealing an indescribable confidence and a detachment that kept her out of the fray.
The Second Prince's face had already turned from red to green, and then from green to white.
He felt like a fool who had exhausted all his strength to throw a punch, only to hit empty air.
All the force rebounded back, making his internal organs churn and leaving him feeling utterly humiliated and enraged.
He wanted to stand up, wanted to roar, wanted to point at those documents and say they were all forged!
But he did not dare. Before receiving a clear signal from Emperor Luo, any further reckless action would be a breach of etiquette in the imperial presence, bringing disgrace upon himself.
Emperor Luo's gaze fell on the thick stack of documents in the tray.
Stretching out his hand wearing a jade archer's ring, he casually opened the cover of the topmost master record.
The hall was completely silent; there was only the rustling sound of Emperor Luo turning the pages.
His flipping speed was not fast. He seemed to be reading very carefully, pausing from time to time, his gaze lingering on a certain line or phrase for a moment.
Time quietly slipped away amidst the sound of turning pages.
For everyone in the hall, especially Luo Zhao and the Second Prince, every second felt like a year.
Luo Zhao maintained her posture. Even as calm as she was, facing Emperor Luo's scrutiny, it was still difficult to calm herself.
The seemingly incredibly brilliant response strategy adopted at this moment did not stem from her original intention.
Rather, it came from Gu Chengyin's instructions.
That man whom she hated to the bone but had no choice but to keep by her side.
Otherwise, according to her usual style, she would have long since gotten into an endless argument with the Second Prince.
Finally, Emperor Luo closed the document in his hand.
He raised his eyes, his gaze falling upon Luo Zhao. Within his profound eyes, no emotional ripples could be seen.
After a moment of silence, just as a flicker of hope reignited in the Second Prince's eyes, he spoke:
This time, Zhao'er has done well.
Water transport concerns the national economy and the people's livelihood, and official administration concerns the foundation of the imperial court.
To be able to calm your mind, clarify long-standing abuses, rectify discipline, and stabilize the region, you indeed have merit.
Since the case files are clear and conform to the regulations, then...
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the ashen-faced Second Prince, and then calmly withdrew it.
...let it be so.
These few light words were like a final pardon, yet also like a cold guillotine, completely ending the Second Prince's carefully planned attack.
Luo Zhao breathed a slight sigh of relief. She had succeeded; at the very least, she had passed this immediate hurdle.
Just as she bowed to thank her Imperial Father for his profound grace.
Before one wave could settle, another rose.
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
