“Accuse you? I’m afraid you’re not worth my effort to frame!” Bai Sheng retorted coldly, then addressed everyone, “Do you know why she managed to escape from the combined forces of Great Xia and Northern Qi back then?”
“Why?” the soldiers asked in unison, their eyes burning with a fervent curiosity.
Huang Liansheng’s body trembled. She suddenly grabbed the hand of her lady-in-waiting, Hanshuang, managing to stay on her feet. She cried hoarsely, “Huang Xuesheng, you can’t slander me just because you want revenge!”
Bai Sheng shot her a defiant look and declared, “Because her mother, the Prince of Hao’s Consort, who is my paternal aunt, was from Northern Qi! She infiltrated our Qing Huang Kingdom for over a decade, gaining the trust of those around her to act as a spy for Northern Qi!
And it was she who poisoned the imperial family, killing my parents, siblings, and my paternal uncles and aunts!
Before she died, the Prince of Hao’s Consort gave Huang Liansheng a Northern Qi token. That token was her death warrant! That’s why she survived!
Over the years, her title as the Saintess in Qing Huang must have been due to secret support from Northern Qi. It’s highly probable that she is still in contact with Northern Qi!”
Huang Liansheng began to tremble all over. She said with a shaky voice, “Your Royal Highness, no matter how much you hate me, you cannot tarnish my reputation like this. I am your cousin, and our mothers were good friends. Moreover, I am from Qing Huang. I never left even during Qing Huang’s most difficult times. How could I collude with Northern Qi?”
“We want no such disgusting good sisters!” Bai Sheng said with disgust. “You told me your mother’s story yourself when you tricked me into the Great Xia slave camp. You looked so smug then, with everyone else dead and only you alive!”
Tears welling up, Huang Liansheng looked at General Shen and Shi Sheng. “Great General, little brother Shi, Huang Xuesheng is framing me! She’s framing me! Framing my mother! You can’t just believe her word alone; she needs to provide evidence!”
Shen Tianjun said coldly, “I believe what Little Snowball says. She is the evidence!”
Bai Sheng smiled widely, showing her teeth. “Thank you, Uncle Shen! However, if she wants evidence, she can have people search her palace right now. I’m sure they’ll find that token or something related to Northern Qi.”
Shen Tianjun looked at Dali. “Dali, take a troop of soldiers and quickly go to the county princess’s palace to search! Don’t miss any suspicious details!”
“Yes!” Dali responded and, leading a troop, sped towards the palace in Hecheng.
Huang Liansheng’s face turned ashen. She looked at Deputy General Xu for help.
At that moment, Deputy General Xu didn’t even glance at her. His entire family had been slaughtered by the combined forces of Great Xia and Northern Qi years ago. His country had been trampled by invaders, yet he had been obedient to this vicious woman with Northern Qi spy blood in her veins. How ironic.
He had truly been blind!
“Captain Jin, immediately bind Huang Liansheng and await further disposition!” Shen Tianjun ordered sternly.
“Yes!” Captain Jin showed no attempt to conceal his pleasure.
Huang Liansheng’s expression changed drastically. She stumbled backward and roared at the soldiers apprehending her, “You… what are you doing?! Without evidence, why are you arresting me?! Great General, the people of Qing Huang call me the Saintess. You are defying the will of the people! The people will rebel to save me! Arresting me will destabilize the public mood!”
The soldiers bound Huang Liansheng’s hands and feet and tied her to a nearby stake.
“Shi Sheng! Save me! We are siblings; you can’t just watch them frame me like this! Shi Sheng…” Huang Liansheng desperately pleaded with Huang Shi Sheng for help.
Shi Sheng sighed and said coldly, “What goes around comes around. I cannot save you!”
Shen Tianjun looked at Bai Sheng and said, “Little Snowball, now that you’ve returned, Uncle Shen and the Grand Tutor will hold your coronation ceremony as soon as possible. From now on, you will be the Empress of Qing Huang. If anyone objects, tell Uncle, and I’ll deal with them! If you wish to reside in the palace in Hecheng, then throw out all of this woman’s belongings!”
Bai Sheng smiled affectionately. “Thank you, Uncle Shen. However, I do not wish to live in Hecheng. Firstly, that palace was occupied by Huang Liansheng, and I find it quite distasteful. Secondly, I want to reclaim Fengcheng, the capital of Qing Huang, and rebuild the imperial palace there.
But rest assured, the cost of rebuilding the palace will be entirely borne by me personally. At this juncture, I will not burden the Qing Huang military and populace in any way. I have earned a considerable amount of money through my business over the years.”
“Little Snowball, what did you say? You want to reclaim Fengcheng?” Shen Tianjun asked with a smile.
“Mhmm,” Bai Sheng nodded seriously.
Shen Tianjun sighed. “Do you realize that if we reclaim Fengcheng, it would be equivalent to driving Great Xia completely out of Qing Huang’s borders? However, currently, our civilian and military strength is depleted, and we are in no condition for large-scale warfare.”
Bai Sheng smiled charmingly. “Uncle Shen, you need not worry. If I say I can do it, I can do it, and without costing us a single soldier.” Seeing Bai Sheng speak with such confidence, Shen Tianjun and the soldiers looked incredulous.
Zuo Ye also said, “Uncle Shen, we can do it. Rest assured.”
“Great General, Your Royal Highness can do it!” Consort Mei, Prince Yu, and Third Uncle all nodded in agreement.
The Grand Tutor also said, “Tianjun, my husband and I divined it years ago, saying that our Qing Huang princess is a chosen deity who will surely revitalize Qing Huang. There was not a single false word. Sheng’er is a person of great capability. You will understand when the time comes.”
Shen Tianjun laughed heartily. “Since even the Grand Tutor is so certain, then I will believe Little Snowball.”
The soldiers were also very expectant, wondering what method the princess would use to capture Fengcheng without a single soldier.
Deputy General Li, who had been standing silently in the back and had not shown himself, stepped forward and said respectfully, “Great General, the princess and the Grand Tutor have traveled a long way. Why not invite them to rest at the military camp? We can host a welcoming banquet for them at the camp tonight.”
Shen Tianjun said gallantly, “Excellent, let’s do that! Little Snowball, Grand Tutor, come, let’s go to the Southern General Camp. You must tell me properly how you have managed these years.”
Bai Sheng smiled. “Uncle Shen, I also have many things to tell you. However, Uncle Shen, let’s hold the banquet right here. If we go to the Southern General Camp, the border guards here will not be able to participate in the dinner. But if we hold the banquet here, we can invite all the soldiers from the Southern Camp.”
Captain Jin and all the border guards looked at the princess gratefully. The princess was truly considering them, otherwise, they would have missed another opportunity to have meat.
“Haha, my Little Snowball is indeed thoughtful. Alright, let’s have the banquet right here!” Shen Tianjun laughed heartily.