The voice of a eunuch then rang out: "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager arrives."
With that announcement, a line of palace maids escorted a woman of opulent and noble bearing. This was the current Empress, soon to be the Empress Dowager.
Her expression was dark and unreadable, and she strode into the plaza in a fury. Standing beside the new Emperor, her dark eyes shot out a terrifying, piercing gaze, chillingly sweeping across the faces of the ministers before she spoke with stern authority.
"Bold! Why do you not pay homage to the new Emperor?"
The Grand Scholar of the first rank stepped forward, bowing slowly to the Empress. "According to the ancestral rules, the enthronement of a new emperor requires an imperial decree or a deathbed edict from His Majesty. Although the eldest prince is still a banished heir, without the late Emperor's edict, it is difficult to convince us officials."
Grand Scholar Su held great prestige in the court. His words caused an uproar among the officials, who nodded in agreement. For a moment, the ministers paid no heed to the Empress or the new Emperor, their voices rising in discussion.
The Empress was furious. She suddenly let out a cold roar, "Grand Scholar Su, according to your logic, then who is eligible to ascend the throne? You must understand that His Majesty suffered from a grave illness, and it was out of concern for the royal family that I prevented others from approaching the late Emperor's side. I stayed by the late Emperor's side until his final moments. When he was unconscious and finally passed away, if we follow your logic, then the Huangyuan Kingdom will be without a ruler?"
As the Empress's stern words fell, the ministers exchanged glances. Finally, one man stepped forward from the ranks and spoke in a deep voice.
"Reporting to Her Majesty, we are witnesses to the edict. When the late Emperor was on his deathbed, he left behind an edict. Furthermore, the late Emperor established the Seventh Prince, Shen Yu, as the future Crown Prince, not the eldest prince."
This speaker was a high-ranking official of the second rank, the Minister of Works.
His statement struck like a stone in a lake. In the brightly lit Grand Hall, the eunuchs, palace maids, and Imperial Guards all looked up in unison. When they met the new Emperor's bloodthirsty gaze, they were so startled that they immediately lowered their heads.
There was not a sound in the vast space.
The new Emperor, Shen Ye, suddenly roared, "Guards! Seize Grand Scholar Su and the Minister of Works immediately! They dare to defy authority and spread seditious lies. They shall be executed without mercy."
This action by the new Emperor undoubtedly lowered his standing further. Everyone present now knew the new Emperor to be cruel and capricious. The envoys from the six kingdoms, observing the tense standoff, wore expressions of keen interest.
What drama was unfolding now? Who was the Seventh Prince, Shen Yu? This person had never appeared before. How could he be Emperor?
The Imperial Guards in the plaza were loyal to Shen Ye. Upon hearing the new Emperor's command, they immediately surged forward from both sides, like wolves and tigers, pouncing towards Grand Scholar Su and the Minister of Works. However, before they could be apprehended, someone leaped from a secluded corner, and a cold, chilling voice rang out.
"Bold! Who dares to lay hands on the Grand Scholar and the Minister of Works of the court?"
The speaker was Shen Yu. He stood tall and slender, clad in a white brocade robe, his dark hair tied up with a jade hairpin, exuding a gentle warmth like precious jade. The moment the Seventh Prince appeared, everyone felt as if their hearts were bathed in light, and their allegiances subtly shifted.
Grand Scholar Su, the Minister of Works, and the officials allied with the Fifth Prince quickly knelt, respectfully addressing him, "We pay our respects to the Seventh Prince, and to His Majesty."
"Rise."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
To everyone's surprise, more than half of the civil and military officials now supported the Seventh Prince as Emperor.
Shen Ye had not expected the Seventh Prince to have entered the palace, hidden amongst the envoys. His face turned extremely ugly, and the ferocity radiating from him intensified. The throne, which had been within his grasp, was now being snatched away. He roared, "Guards! Seize this traitor! He is the one who killed Father Emperor."
The Imperial Guards swiftly advanced with their weapons. Shen Yu let out a cold shout, "Who dares? The edict is here. Those who cause trouble are rebels and will be executed."
Although the Seventh Prince Shen Yu was young, he seemed to have matured and become steady overnight after this series of events. The thought of his elder brother having killed their father made his heart restless. His eyes darkened, his expression turned cold, and a bloodthirsty aura played on his lips. He was determined to capture this villain himself and use his head to appease his father's soul.
As the Seventh Prince Shen Yu's words subsided, Grand Scholar Su, leading a group of people, quickly surrounded the Seventh Prince, facing off against the Empress. Naturally, there were also some who supported the eldest prince and the Empress, but with the appearance of the edict, no one dared to act rashly.
The situation was now unpredictable. One wrong move would lead to all subsequent moves being wrong, and everyone proceeded with caution.
The Empress and the eldest prince had a large contingent of Imperial Guards behind them, while the Seventh Prince Shen Yu had the support of more than half the officials in the court. Thus, the situation reached a stalemate.
The envoys from the six kingdoms remained on the periphery, observing with cold detachment.
The eldest prince, Shen Ye, seeing this sudden turn of events and fearing the loss of the throne that was within his grasp, disregarded everything else and immediately commanded the Imperial Guards behind him, "Seize the rebellious ministers and traitors! Anyone who dares to interfere will be killed without mercy."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
A large number of Imperial Guards surged forward, heading straight for the Seventh Prince and those ministers. It appeared that a bloody battle was imminent.
Suddenly, the sound of orderly footsteps echoed from the distance. Soon, a large group of people emerged from the lower section of the plaza. Leading them was Yi Siyuan, who had been demoted to commoner status by the late Emperor. Yi Siyuan, leading more than two thousand soldiers summoned from the capital, ran forward, shouting,
"This humble subject arrives late to save His Majesty. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."
The Imperial Guards, who were just about to charge, were stunned. Holding their silver spears, they slowly retreated, falling back to the side of the Empress and the eldest prince.
The Empress's usually opulent and noble face was now contorted with ferocity. She spoke menacingly, questioning Yi Siyuan, "Yi Siyuan, you have great courage! This is the grand ceremony for the enthronement of the new Emperor, and you, a mere commoner, dare to intrude upon the Grand Hall. Your crime warrants death."
"Death?" Yi Siyuan, with his men at his side, felt no fear of the Empress. He cast a disdainful glance at the woman and let out a cold scoff.
"Who truly deserves death remains to be seen."
As Yi Siyuan's words fell, the civil and military officials who had been protecting the Seventh Prince nodded in agreement, murmuring amongst themselves, "With the late Emperor's edict here, Lord Yi Siyuan is a meritorious subject who came to the rescue. What crime has he committed?"
The eldest prince, Shen Ye, had gone completely mad. His bloodshot eyes fixed on them, he declared, since they would not let him have peace, then no one would. He shouted, "Charge! Leave no one alive, kill them all!"
As his words ended, the Imperial Guards rushed forward again.
At this moment, the sound of footsteps was heard again from the periphery of the plaza. Leading them was the Empress Xiao's elder brother, who charged forward with two thousand men.
Upon seeing her brother arrive, the Empress burst into laughter, her gaze turning menacing as she looked at the people before her. She understood that only a bloody battle remained, where the victor would be king and the vanquished would be rebels. As for the envoys from the six kingdoms, they would certainly not interfere in the internal strife of the Huangyuan Kingdom's royal family.
"Empress Dowager, this subject arrives late to serve."
Empress Xiao's brother had never been given significant authority, holding only a civil post of no great importance in the court. The late Emperor had always been wary of the Xiao family, yet in the end, he had still died at the hands of this woman. But where did the Xiao family get their troops? The entire court was astonished. It was precisely because of these two thousand men that the Fifth Prince's forces had been routed and subdued in an instant.
"Good, good! Charge! Kill Shen Yu, this traitor, for me!"
Now, only by eliminating Shen Yu could they have a sliver of hope; otherwise, it was a path to death. Shen Yu ascending the throne meant he would never forgive them. Therefore, they could only stake everything on this gamble. Fortunately, with so many soldiers, it was still unknown who would emerge victorious.
However, as those two thousand men entered the plaza, they did not follow Lord Xiao to the side of the Empress and the eldest prince. Instead, they walked directly to the Seventh Prince's side.