“Lord Xiao.” General Yin turned to Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan’s gaze was cold: “Shang Qin is not someone I can command, and the Dragon Court Guards only heed imperial orders. My encounter with them in the northwest was mere chance, and it was Shang Qin who informed me about the southern affairs. If Your Majesty had let me leave peacefully tonight, I could have stopped Shang Qin from besieging the city. Unfortunately…”
He glanced at Emperor An.
“I have no troops or authority to stop Shang Qin. If the Dragon Court Guards wish to ‘clear the emperor’s side’ and uphold the legitimate line, I am powerless to intervene.”
The phrase “uphold the legitimate line” all but confirmed the suspicions of everyone in the hall.
Cui Lin, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke: “You dare say Shang Qin isn’t working with you?”
“What does it matter if he is?”
Xiao Yan scoffed: “He seeks to uphold the imperial legitimacy left by the Great Ancestor. I seek only justice for the He family.”
“If I succeed, I won’t let him disrupt the situation I’ve fought so hard to secure for the He family. But Your Majesty’s actions have been eye-opening. I may be making a deal with tigers by aligning with the Dragon Court Guards, but they’re my last resort. If I must die, we’ll all die together, company on the road to the underworld won’t be lonely.”
“Your Majesty, don’t you agree?”
Emperor An’s heart chilled. Seeing the indifference in Xiao Yan’s eyes, he knew Xiao Yan likely understood the truth of his usurped throne. The Shang family and the Dragon Court Guards’ advance on the capital was indeed for that reason.
They knew he lacked the Dragon Jade Seal, knew he wasn’t the legitimate heir.
They wanted to take his throne!
Compared to the He family, compared to sparing Xiao Yan’s life, he feared the Dragon Court Guards far more.
If Xiao Yan lived, it only meant the He family’s bloodline persisted. Even if the case from twenty years ago was reopened, the Lu family could take the blame, and he’d face mere ridicule. But if Shang Qin entered the palace and exposed the illegitimacy of his throne, revealing the late Emperor’s death or implicating Prince Li’s rebellion…
He wouldn’t even keep his throne.
Emperor An looked at Xiao Yan: “What do you want to stop the Dragon Court Guards?”
Xiao Yan’s lips curved: “They’re coming to protect the emperor. Why stop them?”
“Xiao Yan!”
Emperor An’s earlier bravado was gone as he pleaded softly: “Whatever you want, I can give you. But if Shang Qin enters the palace, he may not care about the He family’s fate. I’ll agree to everything if you stop them…”
Xiao Yan remained unmoved: “Your Majesty’s promises nearly cost me my life once. I dare not trust them again.”
“Duke Cao…”
Emperor An turned to Cao Dejiang, who met him with a cold expression. He looked to others: “General Yin.”
“Marquis Wenxin.”
“Elder Cui.”
Those named remained silent, as did the unnamed. Even the imperial clan members stayed mute.
Emperor An surveyed the crowd, now truly regretting his actions. He regretted stopping Xiao Yan from leaving, regretted ordering Liu Tong’en to kill them all, and regretted commanding a bloodbath to eliminate Xiao Yan, alienating all his courtiers.
On the dragon throne, he was truly alone, forsaken by all.
Liang Guangyi glanced at the isolated Emperor An on the high platform, hearing the increasingly dense war drums outside and the faint crashes of the palace gates being struck. His expression shifted, and just as he was about to speak, Feng Qiuli, who had appeared beside him unnoticed, raised a hand to stop him.
“Lord Xiao, the Dragon Court Guards are coming fiercely. With the imperial guards and Black Armored Guards suffering heavy losses, their war drums signal a forceful assault on the capital. In the heat of battle, can you ensure you’ll escape unscathed?”
Seeing Xiao Yan’s cold silence, Feng Qiuli continued:
“You say you don’t care about life or death, willing to drag everyone down with you. Surely you know that when swords are drawn, they may not stop in time. And once an army storms the capital, even those without ambition may grow greedy and refuse to retreat easily.”
“You may not care for your own life, but what about Princess Xiangning and the others?”
Xiao Yan squeezed Tang Ning’s hand and looked up: “It was the emperor who forced me.”
He sneered:
“You want me to stop the Dragon Court Guards? Fine. But I don’t trust Xie Tianyong. I won’t stop them only to have him take my head afterward.”
Emperor An’s voice was hoarse: “What do you want?”
Xiao Yan’s gaze swept the hall coldly: “Establish Prince Zeng as Crown Prince and entrust the He family’s matter to him. Grant me the tiger tally to command the capital’s inner and outer armies. Furthermore, whether you knew of the Rongjiang affair from twenty years ago or not, you failed in your oversight.”
“I demand you issue a decree of self-reproach immediately, exonerating my father, He Wenzhuo. After today, proclaim this decree to the realm and personally visit the Imperial Temple to offer sacrifices for the wronged souls of Rongjiang, my father, and the physicians, officials, and soldiers who perished there.”
Prince Zeng’s heart leaped with joy at Xiao Yan’s words, while Emperor An’s face twisted with barely concealed rage.
These demands were no different from asking him to abdicate!
Moreover, once the tiger tally was given to Xiao Yan, how could he ever reclaim it?
Making Prince Zeng Crown Prince and issuing a decree of self-reproach, even if he pinned everything on the Lu family, from now on, the world would know only the Crown Prince, not him, the emperor!
Emperor An gritted his teeth: “I can entrust the He family’s matter to Prince Zeng and grant you command of the capital’s armies. But the position of Crown Prince concerns the foundation of the state, and with the southern affair uninvestigated, how can I issue a decree of self-reproach…”
“I’m not negotiating.”
Xiao Yan’s voice was cold: “Your actions prove you unfit to rule. If not for fear that deposing you rashly would shake the realm, killing you today would be justified.”
“Merely appointing a Crown Prince to temporarily oversee the court while keeping you on the throne to stabilize Wei’s morale is already a betrayal of your earlier intent to destroy me.”
“If you refuse the decree of self-reproach, then await the Dragon Court Guards’ entry. I’m sure Shang Qin has plenty to say to Your Majesty!”
Emperor An’s breathing grew labored, his chest heaving, his fingertips spasming.
He looked at the crowd below, hoping someone would oppose Xiao Yan, but no one spoke, not even the aristocratic courtiers who opposed Xiao Yan.
The hall was eerily silent, Emperor An’s gasps growing louder.
He felt Xiao Yan was forcing him, tearing away all his dignity. But with the Dragon Jade Seal’s threat looming like a blade over his neck, he had no choice but to comply. Once Shang Qin stormed the palace, he wouldn’t even keep his throne.
It was just the He family, just the He family…
If he could survive today, he still had cards to play. He had Liu Tong’en and his private army. Once the Dragon Court Guards retreated, he remained emperor, and there would be chances to turn the tide.
Emperor An looked at Xiao Yan, the searing pain in his head nearly overwhelming him.
“Fine, I agree!”
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T/N: When Liang and Cui planned their scheme I just know they did not expect it to end this way. Btw this is probably the most sophisticated scheme I’ve ever read but if you know of a better scheme pls recommend the novel to me via email/comments==================
You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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