Chapter 648 --648

Chapter 648: Chapter-648

The atmosphere inside the Grand Hall of Supreme Harmony was nothing short of a living nightmare.

Normally, the morning assembly of the Imperial Court was a place of pristine dignity. The most brilliant, educated, and powerful men in the empire would stand in perfectly straight rows, holding their ivory tablets, debating the fate of the nation with elegant, flowery language.

Today, it looked like a triage center during a plague.

The civil officials of the Prime Minister’s faction stood in their places, trembling like leaves in a winter storm. At least six elderly ministers were entirely missing, having called in sick due to "sudden heart palpitations" after hearing the news of the thirty-year-old Vanguard heir. Those who had forced themselves to attend looked completely hollowed out. They had dark, heavy bags under their eyes. Their pristine white robes looked slightly rumpled.

They were collectively traumatized. The previous night, they had tried to spring a flawless, reputation-destroying trap on the Vanguard Madam’s wedding night. Instead, they had watched the "delicate" scholar husband physically hurl an assassin out of a window and threaten to execute him with a firing squad. And then, just hours later, the Madam had legally adopted a man old enough to be a senior official.

Sitting on the raised golden dragon throne at the front of the hall, the Emperor looked no better.

The most powerful man in the world was currently slouched against his armrest, holding a steaming cup of premium red ginseng tea with both hands. He took a slow, highly depressed sip. He had literally coughed up blood earlier that morning when the Chief Eunuch explained the adoption registry. His royal meridians were completely blocked by sheer, unadulterated stress.

"Is everyone present?" the Emperor asked, his voice entirely devoid of its usual booming majesty. He sounded like a man who just wanted to go back to bed and sleep for a decade.

The Prime Minister, Gu Chen, stepped out of the front row. Unlike the rest of his faction, the Prime Minister still maintained his flawless, angelic smile, though the corners of his eyes were slightly strained.

"Your Majesty," the Prime Minister bowed gracefully. "We are only waiting on the military faction. Specifically... the Vanguard family."

Right on cue, the towering, heavy wooden doors of the Grand Hall swung open with a deafening CRASH.

Every single civil official in the room violently flinched.

Heena Vanguard strode into the Imperial Court, moving with the terrifying, predatory grace of a snow leopard. She wore no makeup, no heavy gold jewelry, and absolutely zero signs of a blushing bride. Her military robes billowed behind her, and her dark eyes swept over the terrified civil officials with a look of pure, unfiltered sociopathic joy.

Right behind her, the old Marquis stomped in, his heavy iron boots echoing through the silent hall like a war drum.

"Apologies for the delay, Your Majesty!" Heena called out cheerfully, not sounding apologetic in the absolute slightest. She casually walked right up to the front row, standing directly next to the Prime Minister. "I was busy fulfilling my duties as a new mother."

Three civil officials in the second row instantly broke out into a cold sweat. One of them swayed dangerously on his feet and had to be caught by a colleague.

The Emperor rubbed his temples, feeling a massive headache forming behind his eyes. "Vanguard Madam. We are... aware of your recent family additions. Let us proceed with state business—"

"Your Majesty, wait!"

The Head Censor of the Imperial Court suddenly stepped out of the ranks, cutting the Emperor off. The elderly man’s face was flushed purple with righteous, desperate anger. He had been thoroughly humiliated last night at the wedding, and his scholarly pride absolutely demanded blood.

The Prime Minister subtly narrowed his eyes, clearly disapproving of the Censor’s reckless move, but it was too late to stop him.

"I must officially impeach the Vanguard Madam!" the Head Censor roared, pointing his ivory tablet directly at Heena’s face. "The military faction lacks all moral integrity! Just last night, during her own wedding, a secret lover literally crashed through the ceiling of her bridal chamber! She has dragged the pristine reputation of the imperial nobility into the mud!"

The military generals on the other side of the hall immediately erupted.

"You old dog!" Kael, who had attended court as a military adjutant, shouted from the back. "Do you want me to rip your tongue out?!"

"Silence!" the Emperor commanded, slamming his palm on the golden armrest. He looked at Heena, entirely exhausted. "Heena. Explain this. What is this nonsense about a lover falling through your roof?"

Heena didn’t look angry. She didn’t look panicked. She simply turned her head, looking at the Head Censor with a smile so radiantly evil it made the old man take a physical step backward.

"I am so incredibly glad the esteemed Head Censor brought this up," Heena said smoothly, her voice echoing perfectly through the quiet hall.

She reached into the sleeve of her military robe and pulled out a thick, blood-stained stack of paper. She casually tossed it onto the polished marble floor at the Censor’s feet.

"What the Head Censor is referring to," Heena announced to the court, "was a highly coordinated assassination and defamation attempt on my life. The man who fell through my roof was an armed intruder. Luckily, my genius husband managed to subdue him before he could harm me."

The civil officials collectively choked. Subdue him?! He threw him out of a second-story window!

"After a brief, very polite conversation in my dungeons," Heena continued effortlessly, ignoring the pale faces around her, "the intruder signed a full written confession. He admitted that he was paid three hundred gold taels by a man wearing a white mask to stage a fake lover’s quarrel to ruin my family’s reputation."

Heena took a slow, deliberate step toward the Head Censor. "Now, I wonder... who in this capital has three hundred gold taels to waste, and a desperate, burning desire to see my marriage fail? Whoever it is, Your Majesty, this is a clear case of treason against an Imperial General!"

The Head Censor’s face drained of all blood. The purple flush was instantly replaced by a sickly, chalky white. The trap had been completely reversed. If the Emperor launched an investigation into the "white mask" who hired Kavien, the trail would lead directly back to the civil faction’s treasury.

The Prime Minister stepped forward, his angelic smile firmly locked in place to hide the sheer political panic.

"Your Majesty," the Prime Minister smoothly interjected, seamlessly throwing the Head Censor under the bus. "It seems the Head Censor spoke out of turn and relied on baseless street rumors. We are all deeply relieved that the Vanguard Madam survived this cowardly attack. Let us leave this criminal matter to the Ministry of Justice and move on to proper state affairs."

"Oh, no, no, no," Heena wagged her finger, absolutely refusing to let them off the hook. "We cannot move on yet. Since the Head Censor is so incredibly passionate about the moral integrity of the empire... let’s talk about morality, shall we?"

The Prime Minister’s smile stiffened. "Madam Vanguard, the court’s time is precious."

"And so is my son’s time," Heena shot back instantly.

The entire hall collectively flinched at the word ’son’.