This Is What a Villain Is Like

Spring Orchid, standing to the side, reached out to open the secret letter for her, worried it might contain some unknown, potent poison. But Emperor Xia just waved her hand; she refused to believe the Prime Minister would resort to poisoning her.

She picked up the secret letter and opened it. Unfolding the silk-like paper inside, she was instantly met with a familiar aura. It was so potent it even caused the Dragon Energy around her to surge violently.

"The aura of the National Treasure..."

Emperor Xia’s heart jolted. She quickly scanned the contents, her brow furrowing deeply.

It was a secret letter, almost like a call to arms, from the Blood Immortal Sect. They were trying to contact the Prime Minister, urging him to use this opportunity to make trouble, throw the Great Xia into chaos, and disrupt the imperial court.

Of course, what truly shocked and horrified her was that the Blood Immortal Sect had bluntly told Prime Minister Jiang Lintian that the Great Xia’s National Treasure, the Dragon-Suppressing Seal, was lost and now in their possession.

Reading this, Emperor Xia’s jade-like hand holding the letter couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

She had never imagined the Blood Immortal Sect could be so vicious and cruel, trying to use the Prime Minister against her to achieve their goal of plunging the world into chaos.

If this secret were to be made public, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Emperor Xia took several deep breaths, now fully understanding the Blood Immortal Sect’s many schemes and their malice.

It would be impossible for her to try and deny it. The aura of the Dragon-Suppressing Seal within the letter could not be faked. The only way to prove her innocence would be to produce the real National Treasure Dragon-Suppressing Seal.

"Prime Minister, what is the meaning of this?"

Emperor Xia looked at Jiang Lintian, her deep eyes flickering with thought. ’Perhaps the Prime Minister has come to me to discuss how to handle this matter. He surely doesn’t want Great Xia to fall into chaos and the state to be destabilized either.’

"What are Your Majesty’s thoughts on the matter in the secret letter?" Jiang Lintian asked, not answering her question.

"To what is the Prime Minister referring?" Emperor Xia feigned ignorance.

"The matter of the National Treasure Dragon-Suppressing Seal being lost and falling into the hands of the Blood Immortal Sect," Jiang Lintian said coolly.

Emperor Xia fell silent for a moment before saying, "Whether it is true or false, can the Prime Minister not see for himself by now?"

"Your Majesty has hidden this matter quite deeply. If not for this letter, I’m afraid I would have been kept in the dark as well," Jiang Lintian said with a dry chuckle.

Emperor Xia took a deep breath. "When it comes to the National Treasure, I must naturally be cautious. The slightest misstep could lead to the destabilization of the nation and immense suffering for the people. Every step must be taken as if walking on thin ice, with the utmost care."

"Surely the Prime Minister does not wish to see such a situation either. The Blood Immortal Sect is taking advantage of the situation, and the other major states are watching like tigers..."

Hearing this, Jiang Lintian cut her off. "Your Majesty is overthinking things," he said coolly. "With me here, Great Xia will not fall into chaos, and the other major states will not dare to invade."

Emperor Xia was suddenly at a loss for words.

"Then for what reason has the Prime Minister come to see me?" she asked.

"The National Treasure is lost, a violation of the Royal Family’s laws. Does Your Majesty believe you can still hold the Throne securely?" Jiang Lintian retorted.

Emperor Xia instantly understood his intentions. A cold sneer appeared on her face. "Does the Prime Minister believe that I am still that same naive little girl from before, for you to manipulate as you please?"

"Does Your Majesty believe that just because you’ve stepped into the Eighth Realm, you can do as you please? Even among those in the Eighth Realm, the difference in power can be as vast as the heavens and the abyss..."

Jiang Lintian looked at her coolly as a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from him—as vast as the deep sea, as immovable as a mountain standing over a chasm.

The entire Imperial Palace trembled and shook. Countless inscribed Array Patterns burst with brilliant light, but under the suppression of Jiang Lintian’s aura, they were instantly quelled.

Emperor Xia’s expression turned icy. Her forehead glowed, her cheekbones shone like crystal, and her black hair billowed as Dragon Energy coiled around her. She channeled all her Magical Power in an attempt to resist.

But against a pressure that felt like the will of heaven and earth itself, it was useless. She was nearly thrown from her feet, her face paling in waves.

"The Eighth Realm has nine steps. Your Majesty has only just taken the first. You still have a long way to go. In my eyes, you are still that same little girl who could only cling to the Throne in fear," Jiang Lintian said coolly, retracting his aura.

Emperor Xia’s eyes were icy. In front of Jiang Lintian, the Dragon Energy she cultivated was utterly useless.

The Great Xia’s Imperial Extreme World-Suppressing Scripture, Imperial Extreme Scripture, Imperial Extremity Scripture of All Living Beings... the Prime Minister’s Mansion had obtained them all.

"Your Majesty..." Spring Orchid rushed forward to support Emperor Xia, her own face deathly pale.

Under that immense, oppressive will just now, she had felt like a withered leaf in a gale, as if she would have been torn to shreds if the force had been even slightly stronger.

"I have no objections to Your Majesty ascending the throne as a woman. Nor will I meddle in the matter of the National Treasure being lost to the Blood Immortal Sect. However, Your Majesty has reached a marriageable age yet remains unwed and without an heir. This can be considered a lapse in virtue."

"My son has now passed the age of capping and is not yet betrothed. He and Your Majesty would be a fine match, a destined pairing..." Jiang Lintian said with his hands behind his back. His refined face now held a coercive and aggressive air, like a predator sizing up its prey.

Hearing this, Emperor Xia was first stunned, then, as the meaning sank in, she almost couldn’t believe her ears.

"Prime Minister, what are you implying?" Her eyes were cold with rage.

’Is he planning to have me enter a marriage contract with his son?’

’If I did that, any heir I bore would allow the Great Xia to be renamed the Great Jiang, all under the guise of legitimacy.’

’And once our child grows up, the Throne would naturally pass to them. I would still just be a puppet, a tool?’

’Before, when I acted as a man, this kind of problem never arose. But now that I’ve revealed myself as a woman, the Prime Minister is using it as a pretext to reveal his own wolfish ambitions.’