Empress Xiao's face changed dramatically, and the First Prince's face twisted in ferocity. He looked at his uncle, wondering what was going on.
Lord Xiao, thinking they had made a mistake, quickly exclaimed, "You're mistaken, this is the Empress and the First Prince. You should obey them."
The Seventh Prince, Shen Yu, parted the crowd and walked to the head seat, his voice cold and charming as he said, "Lin Simiao, you've done very well."
A deathly silence fell upon the square. What did the Seventh Prince mean? A man leading the two thousand people who had entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony with Lord Xiao stepped forward, cupped his fists, and said in a deep voice, "Thank you for your praise, Seventh Prince. I am here on the Palace Lord's orders to protect the Seventh Prince and wish him success in ascending the throne."
Palace Lord?
In the square, everyone exchanged glances. The civil and military officials of Huangyuan Kingdom, as well as the envoys from the six nations, were filled with doubt. Who was this Palace Lord they spoke of? And who were these people?
Shen Yu's deep voice, word for word, echoed above the square, piercing everyone's hearts.
"This Prince thanks the Palace Lord of Fengchen Palace."
The three resounding characters, Fengchen Palace, finally flew out from here.
Qingyao, who had been standing at the periphery, watched everything with a cold gaze, listening to the cautious whispers of people from the other five nations.
"I've never heard of this Fengchen Palace before."
"There are so many people, I wonder if there are any hidden?"
"That Palace Lord sounds like a very formidable person. Look, using Lord Xiao's hand to eliminate the Fifth Prince, and now appearing to help the Seventh Prince, what a shrewd plan."
Qingyao raised her eyebrows dismissively at these words, continuing to observe the events in the field.
Lin Simiao led the two thousand soldiers and stood beside the Seventh Prince, Shen Yu.
This faction grew rapidly, while on the other side, the First Prince, Shen Ye, looked extremely displeased. His raven-black hair stood on end wildly in the wind. Thinking that the current situation was caused by his uncle, he angrily raised a foot and kicked Lord Xiao, sending him ten steps away. Lord Xiao fell to the ground with a thud, groaning in pain, and passed out.
Empress Xiao, heartbroken for her brother and worried for her son, had a sinisterly ugly expression. With a twist of her lips, she issued a killing order to the Imperial Guards.
"Attack! Kill them! If His Majesty successfully ascends the throne today, each of you will be promoted and granted titles."
As soon as the Empress finished speaking, the Imperial Guards charged forward. The troops brought by Yi Siyuan and the people of Fengchen Palace met them. For a moment, the vast square was filled with shouts of killing, blood, and the enchanting glow of the setting sun.
The palace maids and eunuchs kneeling nearby retreated in terror, screaming and hiding in all directions.
Although the Imperial Guards were brave, the subordinates of Fengchen Palace were all formidable fighters. As soon as they entered the fray, they immediately showed their advantage. The Imperial Guards were slaughtered and routed, retreating rapidly.
The First Prince, Shen Ye, went completely mad. With a flash of his body, he leaped into the air, heading straight for Shen Yu.
Shen Yu was not afraid of him. He had long wanted to kill this man and avenge his father.
With a flash of his body, he flew to meet him, and the two figures soon engaged in a fierce battle.
Qingyao had full confidence in Shen Yu's martial arts. Although his skills had not yet reached the pinnacle, he was more than capable of dealing with the First Prince, Shen Ye.
As Qingyao's thoughts settled, Shen Yu launched a palm strike directly at Shen Ye's chest, knocking him to the ground, spitting blood.
Shen Yu did not let him go even after this. This man had not only tried to kill him before, but now he had killed their father. He could forgive him for harming himself, but he absolutely could not tolerate him killing his father.
He deserved to die.
As Shen Yu's thoughts flashed, he swiftly drew a treasured sword from a nearby soldier and thrust it directly into the First Prince's chest.
With the First Prince dead, the Empress went mad. She lunged forward, holding his body, and cried out sharply, "Ye'er, Ye'er!"
The First Prince, Shen Ye, had a smile on his lips, his eyes wide open, full of unwillingness. But he could only say with resentment, "Mother, we have lost."
With that, he closed his eyes and died.
The Empress, holding her son's corpse, laughed loudly. With a sweep of her hand, she pulled out the sword from her son's body and committed suicide on the spot.
Seeing their master dead, the Imperial Guards no longer dared to resist. They quickly threw down their weapons and knelt down in panic.
At this moment, the protocol officer, who had been hiding somewhere, ran out and stood on the high platform, shouting loudly, "Bow to the new Emperor! Long live His Majesty, long live, long live!"
As the protocol officer bowed, the palace maids and eunuchs also bowed. The civil and military officials of the court also bowed down. Finally, even the envoys from the six nations bowed.
On the grand and solemn square, only Shen Yu stood tall. Looking at the dark mass of people around him, his heart was incredibly heavy. He wished he didn't have to bear such a costly throne, but now he was the Emperor. He frowned and said in a cold voice, "Rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Qingyao breathed a sigh of relief. Shen Yu had finally become the new Emperor of Huangyuan Kingdom, and her first step of the plan had succeeded. Her next target was Danfeng Kingdom. Thinking of Danfeng Kingdom, she couldn't help but look to her left, not far away, at Ji Xue, and a cold smile played on her lips.
Ji Xue, I will make sure all of you come to no good end.
After murmuring this, Qingyao withdrew her gaze. She had originally planned to deploy the five hundred elite soldiers brought by Xian Yue, but it turned out they were not needed in the end. It seemed Lin Simiao and his men had matured, and many things could now be done.
Due to the death of the old emperor of Huangyuan Kingdom and the recent massacre,
The ceremony for the new emperor's enthronement was simplified. Shen Yu only wished to handle his father's funeral affairs properly, so he ordered two high-ranking officials to escort the envoys from the six nations back to their respective guesthouses.
Inside the guesthouse.
The people from Xian Yue Kingdom sat in the main hall, looking at the Empress on the upper seat. The Empress was truly wise, with everything under her control.
"Everything is within Your Majesty's calculations. Your humble servants are filled with admiration."
The Minister of Rites of Xian Yue bowed respectfully. Qingyao nodded slightly, casting a faint glance at the Minister of Rites. He hadn't seemed so timid before; why was he speaking like this now? People who had spent a long time in official circles were indeed smooth.
"Alright, everyone go and rest for a while. Everyone is tired today."
"Yes." The two officials withdrew. Nan'an Wang, Mu Rong Liu Zun, did not leave. A thoughtful expression flickered across his handsome face, his dark eyes shot out sharp glints, and he stared intently at Qingyao, "Is the Palace Lord of Fengchen Palace Qingyao?"
Qingyao raised an eyebrow. Liu Zun was indeed not among those foolish and ignorant people. A slight curve played on her lips as she spoke elegantly.
"She is mine."
She had no intention of hiding it from him. Even if she didn't say it today, he would know it in the future, so why bother concealing it?
Although Mu Rong Liu Zun had guessed, hearing such an answer, he was truly stunned. He couldn't figure out how she had managed it. She had only been out of the palace for a little over a year, not yet two years, yet she possessed such a vast organization, and those people were exceptionally powerful. The battle in Huangyuan Kingdom today would likely make Fengchen Palace famous. And she had achieved three things at once: helping Shen Yu ascend the throne, obtaining the surrender document for Xian Yue, and making her own Fengchen Palace famous.
This exquisite strategy was so interconnected and intricate that it was simply not something an ordinary person could conceive.
Mu Rong Liu Zun's eyes held not only hidden admiration but also more respect. This woman was simply a legend.
No wonder the Emperor, a man of rare talent, had left the palace several times for her. She was indeed worth being treated this way.
Qingyao looked at Liu Zun's gaze and couldn't help but smile. "What kind of look is that? I merely took advantage of others' greed. If the First Prince and the Fifth Prince hadn't been so greedy, perhaps it wouldn't have worked."
"But Qingyao calculated all their moves."
Liu Zun chimed in. Qingyao slowly waved her hand and said tiredly, "I'm going to rest."
She stood up and headed towards the inner chambers. Mo Chou walked over from the side, following her into the inner chambers.
Mu Rong Liu Zun watched Qingyao's retreating figure, a hint of doubt rising in his heart. Why did Qingyao always wear a veil? Was it to avoid being recognized, or was there another reason?