Chapter 322

Suddenly, he looked up at Tao Tao, who remained silent, with an ambiguous expression.

He said in a deep voice, "I wonder what insightful opinion Your Highness has?"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at the Regent's Consort, who was sitting in the main hall. Seeing her acting so recklessly and without any restraint, they immediately felt uncomfortable.

Behind her stood Sun Zaichuan, the Northern Privy Councilor, and Liang Zhao, the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard, both carrying sharp swords at their waists.

According to the law, no one, including members of the royal family, is allowed to bring weapons into the palace.

However, ever since Duan Gan took control of the military, he has ordered that members of the Privy Council could freely enter the palace with weapons.

They dared not speak out against this order, not only were they furious, but even the Empress Dowager and the young emperor did not dare to object.

But things are different now. Duan Gan is dead, so this irregular order should be abolished.

Moreover, the deposed crown prince is still alive, but Duan Gan has died at Yuquan Pass. This is an opportunity given to the crown prince's faction by Heaven.

The Minister of War rolled his eyes, but instead of stepping forward, he hid in the crowd and shouted, "The Regent is dead, the young emperor is still too young, and there is no one in the court capable of taking on such a great responsibility."

"In my opinion, we should immediately invite Prince Yong to come out and resist the foreign enemies, replace the Regent, uphold the majesty of our Celestial Empire, and let those petty villains open their dog eyes and see clearly that our great Celestial Empire is not without capable people!"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look in the direction from which the voice came, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.

How dare he say such a thing in front of the Regent's wife?

Behind her is the well-trained, ruthless Privy Council Guard!

But what surprised them even more was that quite a few people actually dared to speak out and agree.

"Yes, that's right! Prince Yong should be allowed to take charge!"

"With a formidable enemy at hand and the fate of the nation paramount, the one with the ability and qualifications is none other than His Highness Prince Yong!"

Tao Tao slowly stood up and said calmly, "Have you said enough?"

Not only did they not finish speaking, but some even pointed their fingers at her and cursed her.

The Imperial Censor angrily rebuked, "You are just a woman, you should stay quietly in the backyard. The only reason you are standing here is because you are relying on Duan Gan and using his power as a pretext."

Before Tao Tao could say anything, Leng Qiao, who was beside her, couldn't hold back any longer. She moved, but Tao Tao grabbed her arm.

A faint smile appeared on her face, but her eyes were cold.

She wanted to see what else he could say.

Seeing that Tao Tao and the people behind her did not move, the Imperial Censor assumed they were frightened by his words and became even more smug.

"Now that Heaven has eyes, it has allowed that traitor Duan Gan to die on the border. What right do you have, what face do you have to stand here?"

"You're just a clueless woman. This is the imperial court, a man's world. If you know what's good for you, get out of here. If the Crown Prince comes, he might spare your life."

Many of the people standing in Duan Gan watched him coldly as he spoke so arrogantly.

To be honest, they wouldn't believe Duan Gan was dead until they saw his body.

Even if Duan Gan's corpse were placed in front of her, Tao Tao would not believe that Duan Gan would abandon her.

Given his personality, it's a testament to his kindness that he didn't let them die together.

But can someone like Duan Gan possess the admirable quality of kindness?

Tao Tao approached him with her eyes crinkling, sizing up the Imperial Censor before her. He had a long beard, gray hair, and a fierce expression; he looked like a stubborn old man.

The Imperial Censor looked disdainful, turned his head away, and didn't even glance at him.

"You have real backbone. When my husband made the choice for you, why weren't you as unyielding as you are now?"

She looked innocent and harmless, but her tone was full of sarcasm.

His calm and confident demeanor showed no sign of being affected by the rumors circulating outside.

"You!" The Imperial Censor was furious, his finger trembling as he pointed at her, his exasperated state looking utterly comical.

"Sharp-tongued!" he cursed, then turned and shouted at the top of his lungs towards the outside of the hall, "Imperial Guards! Embroidered Uniform Guards! Men, come quickly and throw this woman out!"

After he finished speaking, no one outside paid any attention to him.

Gao Liangui sighed repeatedly behind him, her eyes filled with sympathy, as if to say, "May you have good fortune."

Just then, an announcement came over the loudspeaker.

"The Emperor and the Empress Dowager have arrived!"

Empress Dowager Liu, holding the young emperor's hand, walked in with her head held high and chest puffed out. Upon seeing Tao Tao, she let out a cold snort.

"Murong Tao, you are truly something else! How dare you be so rebellious as to summon ministers on behalf of the emperor! Anyone who doesn't know the situation would think that the world has changed hands!"

"Who gave you the audacity to defy your superiors?!"

She sternly rebuked him, then roared, "Guards! Seize this traitorous minister!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of eunuchs rushed in from outside the hall, their faces sinister. They reached out and were about to touch Tao Tao's clothes.

With a metallic clang, accompanied by a piercing scream, a pair of severed arms fell to the ground with a thud.

The crowd gasped in astonishment, staring in disbelief at the woman in front of Tao Tao.

Leng Qiao remained expressionless, holding a sharp sword, crimson blood sliding down the gleaming tip.

The sound of dripping water sent a chill down my spine and up to my head. My scalp tingled, my face turned deathly pale, and cold sweat covered my forehead.

"Aaaaaah!! My hand!"

The eunuch writhed on the ground in agony, blood gushing from the severed ends of his arms, a horrifying sight that chilled the heart to the bone.

The ministers trembled uncontrollably, held their breath, and retreated in unison, desperately trying to escape, but their inherent pride prevented them from fleeing in disgrace.

Even the Imperial Censor and Empress Dowager Liu were no exception.

The young emperor had never seen such a bloody scene before, and he immediately burst into tears.

The crying immediately woke everyone who was immersed in fear.

Tao Tao glanced at the Imperial Guards who had rushed in after hearing the commotion, scoffed coldly, and said indifferently, "Drag them away."

The imperial guards ignored Empress Dowager Liu and the young emperor standing in the main hall and swiftly dragged away the wailing eunuch.

Empress Dowager Liu seemed to be in a dream, pointing at her, her throat feeling as if it were stuffed with cotton, "You...you..."

"Murong Tao!" she exclaimed incredulously. "This is the imperial court! How dare you act so recklessly?!"

"This is simply...this is simply showing no respect for me and the Emperor!"

She screamed, terrified, incredulous, and furious, looking at her with the eyes of someone who was terrifying.

The Imperial Censor was no exception; his pupils dilated, his face flushed red, and he roared, "You poisonous woman!"

"A vicious woman with a heart of stone!"

His ruthless methods, just like Duan Gan's, truly shocked everyone.

Tao Tao approached him step by step, and the Imperial Censor was so frightened that he took a step back.

With a smile on her face, she walked up to him, calmly and composedly raising her hand and suddenly plunging the dagger into the side of his neck.

The crowd stared in disbelief once again, erupting in a horrified uproar.

Blood gushed out, splattering onto her fair cheeks, making her cold eyes appear even more ruthless.

"With a formidable enemy at hand, anyone who shakes the morale of the army must die!"

The Imperial Censor's eyes were bloodshot, and as he opened his mouth, blood gushed out and blocked his throat. He collapsed to the ground, filled with resentment.