In the hall, aside from the Empress Dowager's voice, Yun Xiao would occasionally nod and reply, while everyone else remained silent.
Emperor Jun constantly observed Yun Xiao. Seeing Yun Xiao speak little, the Empress Dowager assumed she was frightened by Emperor Jun and couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in a reproachful manner.
"Yi'er, don't frighten Xiao'er."
"Your son has not."
Emperor Jun felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. He merely looked at the young girl, reminded of his own sister.
When they were young, his sister had cared for him greatly, and their bond had been extremely close. Who knew that after that battle, she would disappear?
They had relentlessly attacked Dong Qin over the years, primarily because they had always believed his sister had been secretly murdered by the people of Dong Qin.
It was only because the Empress Dowager firmly believed his sister was not dead that he sent Qingge to investigate. He never expected that his sister had eloped with Yun Mo of Dong Qin and had such a grown daughter.
Yun Xiao glanced at Emperor Jun, then quickly spoke, "Imperial Grandmother, that's not true."
"Mm, Xiao'er, you must stay in the palace and keep me company, alright?"
Seeing Yun Xiao reminded the Empress Dowager of her own daughter, as if her daughter were right beside her. Knowing her own time was drawing near, she only wished for Xiao'er to stay with her for a few days; that would be enough.
Upon hearing the Empress Dowager's words, Yun Xiao's eyes darkened, and she felt a pang of reluctance. She turned to look at Prince Li, Ji Qingge. In Ji Qingge's eyes, she saw a plea. Yun Xiao found it truly impossible to refuse someone as proud as him humbling himself for an elder, so she nodded.
"Alright, Imperial Grandmother, rest assured, Xiao'er will stay and keep you company."
"Good, that's wonderful."
The Empress Dowager's ailing body seemed to have recovered instantly. She ate a lot, making Emperor Jun and Ji Qingge very happy.
The hall was filled with joy. After the meal, the Empress Dowager took Yun Xiao to her residence, Huaqing Palace, ignoring everyone else.
The princes and princesses in the main hall dispersed, as did the Empress, Consort Shu, and Consort De. The Crown Prince returned to the Eastern Palace.
Only Prince Li, Ji Qingge, accompanied the Emperor to the Imperial Study.
"Qingge, you handled this matter well."
"Thank you, Father Emperor, for your praise. This is what your son should do. Imperial Grandmother has always doted on me, and this is the only thing I can do."
"Xiao'er seems very intelligent."
Emperor Jun waved, signaling Ji Qingge to sit. He couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion, never expecting to actually meet his sister's child. He, as the uncle, had never shown her any affection.
Thinking of his sister's affection for him in his childhood, Emperor Jun's heart filled with a bittersweet ache.
"Yes, she has a rather sharp personality. Your son promised that once this matter is concluded, he will send her back to Dong Qin."
"She doesn't wish to stay? I can bestow upon her the title of Heshuo County Princess, granting her the treatment of a princess."
This was a great honor, but Ji Qingge shook his head. "Father Emperor, it would be best to follow her wishes. Your son believes she is not the type of woman who covets wealth and status."
"Then what should I do to compensate her?"
Emperor Jun felt a slight distress. He genuinely wished to do something to compensate this niece.
"If Father Emperor truly wishes to compensate her, your son has an idea, but I fear Father Emperor might blame me."
After speaking, Ji Qingge knelt down with a thud. Emperor Jun waved his hand, signaling him to rise. "Speak, and I shall absolve you of any fault."
"Your son believes that Aunt must have deeply loved Prince Yun, to have become a concubine as a princess. If Father Emperor truly wishes to do something, then he should seek peace with Dong Qin."
As a prince, Ji Qingge advocated for peace. A stable coexistence among the four nations would prevent the suffering of the populace under the flames of war, preventing displacement and the loss of loved ones.
However, the Crown Prince was the complete opposite, possessing great ambition. Thus, the faction of the Crown Prince advocated for unifying the realm.
Unifying the realm was a desire for many, but the prerequisite was that these nations were not inferior to one's own. If war were to truly break out, it would only be the innocent populace who suffered, likely with heavy casualties.
No matter how hard he had tried in the past, his father Emperor had always sided with the Crown Prince. Today, he wished to achieve his aspirations through his cousin, but he was unsure of his father Emperor's stance.
Ji Qingge remained kneeling. The Imperial Study was plunged into silence.
After a long while, Ji Qianyi sighed and said, "Very well. During my lifetime, I shall not wage war against Dong Qin. We shall also be considered allied nations through marriage."
"Thank you, Father Emperor, thank you, Father Emperor."
Ji Qingge kowtowed happily. His wish had finally been fulfilled. It seemed Yun Xiao was truly a lucky star for all the people under heaven.
...
The group from Yunshui Villa had rushed to the capital within two days.
The vast capital's city gates were tightly shut. The cold moon in the sky had shifted west, and it was precisely the first watch of the Yin hour.
A pale light faintly appeared in the sky, and cold stars were hidden in the firmament, emitting a faint glow.
Murong Chong, clad in white robes, his attire flowing dramatically with the water, stood beneath the city walls, turning to look at the several people beside him.
Besides Shangguan Lin and Yi Yuxuan, there were several people from the Divine Dragon Palace. Additionally, Yun Mo was attentively observing everything around them. Except for Prime Minister Sima, everyone else was skilled in martial arts.
"Lin, you have control of the Ministry of War. Take your men and head to the Guangming Hall of the Imperial Palace."
"Yes," Shangguan Lin nodded calmly.
Murong Chong then looked at Yi Yuxuan. "You must dispatch five thousand elite soldiers to seal off the rear palace."
"Yes, Master."
Yi Yuxuan accepted the order. After assigning tasks to the two, Murong Chong turned to Yun Mo and Sima Qingyun. "A portion of the Divine Dragon Palace forces have already assembled. We will proceed to the Imperial Palace together, and we should be able to make it for the morning court. We must seize the throne during the morning court."
"Yes."
Yun Mo and Sima Qingyun nodded.
The group beside him simultaneously cupped their fists and accepted the orders. Murong Chong further instructed Yun Mo to take good care of Prime Minister Sima Qingyun along the way.
The group of several figures moved with agility, scaling the walls and entering Yanjing City without alerting anyone.
As they landed, they immediately sensed that the city's security was tighter than usual. It seemed the dog emperor knew they would return to reclaim their territory and had deployed more guards. But what did it matter? Could these few individuals stop them?
Murong Chong waved his hand, and everyone led their men to carry out their orders, dispersing to their designated locations...
The morning stars had not yet retreated, and the morning mist was thick. The fragrance of flowers and grass condensed in the thin fog, forming clusters that were intoxicating.
In the Jinluan Hall, silence reigned. Seated at the head was Shangguan Yao, clad in imperial robes. His face was slightly pale, and his eyelids were heavy.
He leaned askew on the imperial throne, his eyes closed, not looking at the officials below. Only the chief eunuch before the throne spoke loudly: "If there is anything to report, present it. Otherwise, disperse."
The assembled officials exchanged glances, all trembling with apprehension. What had happened to the Emperor? He seemed to be getting sicker, and his complexion was terrible.