Consort of a Thousand Faces

Chapter 735.1: Confrontation at the city gate

As Su Xi-er stood at the top of the gate tower, she gazed down at the crowd below.

Surrounded by troops, Yun Ruofeng was clearly the commander. Dressed in his war attire, it was almost as if time had rewound; as if he were still the dashing figure who took to the vanguard while diving into enemy forces.

His gaze steadily rose to meet Su Xi-er’s, showing off a spark of hope before a frosty calm engulfed it upon seeing Pei Qianhao.

Regardless of what Yun Ruofeng's objectives were, he had undoubtedly provoked Xiliu by sparking a brutal war within its territory.

Hua Zirong was naturally the first to speak out. "Yun Ruofeng, Nanzhao's Emperor has issued an edict to revoke your title as Prince. You are now nothing more than a disgraced official, yet not only are you not admitting to your faults, you are even instigating a war outside another nation's capital. Do you honestly think Xiliu is a place just anybody can step on?"

Yun Ruofeng's gaze briefly brushed past Su Xi-er before landing on Hua Zirong, his voice chilly. "Your Majesty, I also don't wish for all this, but it's because I owe someone a favour."

Moving his body to the side, he revealed Lanshan. Clad in black, her eyes were like brightly burning torches as she stared straight at Hua Zirong. "How can a person who is not of a proper bloodline be Xiliu's Emperor?!"

Hua Zirong knitted his brow. This matter is related to the Imperial Family's secrets. How could she reveal it publicly?!

Without another word, he used his eyes to signal to one of the archers at the top of the gate before he was stopped by Pei Qianhao. "Let her finish before dealing with her. Otherwise, it'll arouse people's suspicions."

Agreeing that it made sense, Hua Zirong waved his hand, dismissing his previous order.

A sneer crept onto the corner of Lanshan's mouth. "You are not of the official Imperial Family's bloodline, yet you continue to deceive the citizens. I originally thought that I could spare your life, and that if you performed well enough, I could allow you to continue to wield the imperial power. However, you killed the person who truly possesses the Imperial Family’s bloodline. How can a person who has killed his brother become the Emperor?"

She turned her piercing gaze towards Su Xi-er. "Eldest Imperial Princess of Nanzhao, am I right?"

Silence engulfed the atmosphere in an instant as everyone looked towards Su Xi-er.

Are the rumours real? Is she really Ning Rulan? Did her soul truly enter another person’s after death, robbing another of their right to live?

Su Xi-er smiled. "Does it matter whether it is true or not?"

"Are you saying that it is true then?" Lanshan laughed out loud before pointing at the bound Zisha. "If so, you should know this woman – Ning Rulan's mother consort. The Yi Tribe's blood flows in her, and everyone calls for her to be exterminated."

A vicious look flashed past Su Xi-er's eyes, and the people nearby could feel the menacing air about her.

Pei Qianhao raised his hand to stop her but stayed quiet. As she turned to him and smiled. “Lanshan’s life is mine.”

She yelled down. "No one is born to deserve death, but there are some evil people who should never have emerged from their mother's womb – you are one of them. Despite being the Great Ancestor, you have wreaked havoc in the originally peaceful Xiliu. 

"What you said about killing His Majesty killing his brother is entirely unfounded.” Su Xi-er’s voice echoed over the city walls as she continued. “As for the Yi Tribe, after assisting all four nations in their rise to power, their lives were upended, and their fates sealed. All of this at the flick of a Monarch’s finger. Lanshan, you should know better than anybody who is truly deserving of death.”

Pausing for a bit, Su Xi-er noticed Lanshan's stormy expression, but she continued. "You want to bring chaos upon the world, but what the civilians want is peace – regardless of bloodline, they only support the person who treats them well. Since you have disclosed this publicly, I might as well lend credence to it. Due to some fate and coincidence, the heavens have given me another chance at life. 

"I am Nanzhao's Eldest Imperial Princess, Ning Rulan."

The moment the words left her mouth, the crowd was in an uproar.

She actually admitted to it herself! To think that such a thing really happened!

Still tied up, Zisha's eyes were brimming with tears. 

Master has announced her identity to the world, which also means that she will definitely return to the Yi Tribe with me!

A smile lifted the corner of Yun Ruofeng's mouth.

Now that she has admitted to it, everything else will go smoothly. 

He waved his hand, loudly proclaiming, "Everyone knows that Ning Rulan is my wife; now that I am here, I’ve come to take her back. Prince Hao, I’ve endured you robbing me of my wife for long enough, but now it’s best that you return her."