"Tingyun!"
Caught off guard by his words, the Emperor angrily reprimanded him.
His gaze swept over the guards beside him, and without further ado, he ordered, "Escort Prince Yun and the Empress Dowager down from the city wall to wait."
The guards received the order and moved to step forward. Before they could approach, however, they were harshly stopped by the Empress Dowager.
She leaned forward, shielding Feng Yinwan and Ye Tinglan, and demanded, "Who dares to disrespect this empress dowager!"
Seeing this, the Emperor's face darkened again. With a mixture of helplessness and displeasure, he said, "Mother, please do not put me in a difficult position!"
The Empress Dowager felt he was truly beyond saving.
Sighing heavily, she straightened her back and said with authority, "Emperor, I do not care what your plans are. With me here today, you cannot touch Lan'er or the entire family of the Grand General who guards the nation. Unless you order your men to dismantle this old bone of mine as well!"
After saying this, her expression grew agitated, and her face began to turn pale.
Ye Tingyun saw this and quickly stepped forward to support her, nodding solemnly, "This son agrees!"
On one side was his beloved mother, whom he respected deeply, and on the other, his most cherished son. With the two of them united, he was utterly unable to do anything.
A sharp pain shot through the Emperor's forehead. He turned his head to look outside the city.
The army was gradually approaching, on the verge of surrounding Ye Tinglan's cavalry. Yet, at the last moment, they halted, refusing to advance further.
The Emperor's brows furrowed. "Why do you not continue to advance? Song Qing'an, I command you and the Prince of Dingnan to immediately lead your troops to suppress the rebels. I will greatly reward both of you for this meritorious deed!"
Unexpectedly, Song Qing'an, who had always been loyal to him, dismounted and knelt on one knee, saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive this minister's inability to obey."
Had he known that the troops were being mobilized for this purpose, he might not have followed the order.
Fortunately, while the Prince of Dingnan was driven by personal greed, he was not devoid of reason at this critical juncture. He dismounted as well and said, "Your Majesty, please discern. Prince Mo's actions in suppressing rebels and eliminating bandits are merits for our dynasty. He has committed no wrongdoing."
The Emperor had not anticipated that the situation he had meticulously planned would turn out this way. Hearing this, his heart sank, and his expression became frighteningly grim.
Ye Tingyun looked at him and pleaded with sorrow, "Father, please do not be so stubborn. Third Brother is not wrong, nor is the family of the Grand General who guards the nation. Why are you unwilling to let them go?"
The Emperor looked at him, his eyes finally flashing with anger. "All this is for you!"
Ye Tingyun was simple-minded and needed much more tempering before he could firmly hold that position. But the Emperor knew his own time was running out.
Although that medicine had saved his life, a dying tree could not be revived by a spring shower alone. His end was drawing near.
All potential threats to Ye Tingyun after his death had to be eliminated as quickly as possible!
"But this son does not wish for this!"
A look of grief flickered in Ye Tingyun's eyes. "Father, this son once also wished to be a benevolent ruler who cared for the world. But if such a ruler must harm his own siblings, and even kill and suspect loyal ministers and valiant generals, what kind of benevolent ruler is that!"
Must one exterminate everyone in the world for the sake of a throne?
If so, how could this land still be called a world, and how could this throne still be called a throne!
The Emperor's heart trembled at these words.
At some point, he himself had uttered these very words to the late Emperor. But now, he had become that very person.
He looked up as if in a daze, feeling countless eyes upon him. Everywhere he looked, he saw only animosity.
Clad in imperial yellow, he stood on this high city wall, appearing imposing, yet seeming like a lonely figure!
He heard himself murmur as if in a dream, "And you? Do you all think the same!"