The rebels were eyeing the helpless civil officials with their knives pointed at them, while the military generals who attempted to resist had already been targeted and had their ability to resist eliminated by a handful of sleeping pills.
The officials in the square were all preoccupied with their own thoughts and were eerily quiet; no one dared to raise any objections.
Some people showed joy on their faces. If this succeeded, they would be considered to be following the dragon, and would be rich and prosperous in the future with a bright future.
Some people were extremely angry, but due to the rebels' force, they could only endure it for the time being.
Some old foxes saw that Xu Junzheng was cowardly and couldn't help but think deeply. Based on their understanding of Xu Junzheng, even if blood was splattered on the spot, Xu Junzheng would fight to the end and would never let himself become a hostage to threaten the Queen.
But Xu Junzheng seemed to be completely scared, his body trembling and he didn't say a word.
There is definitely something fishy about this matter, and the best strategy is to wait and see.
The situation was completely one-sided. Prime Minister Liu laughed with his head raised, and the knife in his hand moved closer to Xu Junzheng's neck, leaving a bloody mark on his neck.
"Your Majesty, please think carefully. What's more important, a dead object or Lord Xu's life? I'll count to three. If you don't hand over the jade seal, I'll take action!"
Ji Yunhuan's eyes were filled with tears. She couldn't bear to see her uncle die, but she also didn't want to disappoint the emperor. She was in a dilemma and didn't know what to do.
“One…two…”
Prime Minister Liu's voice was like a death warrant. Ji Yunhuan retreated in a panic, his thin body pressed against the emperor's coffin, and he had nowhere to retreat.
She seemed to have made up her mind and shouted, "Stop! Don't you just want the imperial seal? I'll give it to you!"
"Where is His Royal Highness Prince An? Since we are recommending His Royal Highness Prince An to ascend the throne, I must personally hand the imperial seal to His Royal Highness. Only then will the process be legitimate and proper."
Prime Minister Liu threw the knife to the guard beside him. He remained calm on the surface, but in his heart he wished he could kill Ji Yunhuan right now!
"Your Highness Prince An is overwhelmed with grief and has fallen ill. I will personally hand the Imperial Seal to Your Highness."
"Unless I see His Royal Highness Prince An, I will not take out the Imperial Seal. Could it be that Prime Minister Liu is not truly intending to recommend Prince An to the throne, but is instead planning to usurp the throne and sit on it himself?"
There was a buzzing sound from the audience.
Civil officials all valued their reputations. Even if they committed treason, they used the pretext of supporting Prince An to ascend the throne because the crown prince died young.
If Prime Minister Liu wants to change the dynasty, the whole country will be shaken. When the time comes, the troops from all over the country will come to the capital to attack them, and they will surely die.
For a moment, even the officials standing on Prime Minister Liu's side were quite dissatisfied and clamored to see His Royal Highness Prince An.
Prime Minister Liu's face looked extremely ugly. He had long ago ordered people to take control of Prince An's Mansion, but Prince An was very slippery and was unwilling to put in any effort.
If the plan succeeds, Prince An will naturally ascend the throne. If it fails, it has nothing to do with Prince An. Prince An has a good plan and has always refused to show up. He can't just kidnap Prince An, right?
When the two sides were in a stalemate, the eldest princess suddenly arrived.
She did not attend the funeral on the grounds that the Empress Dowager did not allow her to leave the house, and no one knew where she was hiding to watch the fun. Now she is finally willing to show up.
The eldest princess was wearing a moon-white dress, which looked simple, but was actually the flowing brocade of the Jiangnan region. As she moved, the light flowed, and she was extremely luxurious.
She bowed to the emperor's coffin with dignified and impeccable manners.
"As a widow, I shouldn't have come forward, but the Empress was so aggressive that she insisted on meeting Prince An before handing over the imperial seal."
"I am Prince An's eldest sister, so I have to persuade him a little. I'm glad to see you here despite your illness. Is the Empress satisfied?"
The palace maid behind the eldest princess helped Prince An forward. He was wearing a plain linen robe, his face looked a little haggard, his eye sockets were sunken, and he was panting every three steps. He seemed to be very ill.
Prince An pushed away the palace maid beside him, knelt down in front of the emperor's coffin, and burst into tears.
The princess patted Prince An's shoulder lovingly, wiped the nonexistent tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, and choked out a sob, "Prince An and my third brother had a deep bond. Upon hearing that my third brother had passed away, I couldn't eat or drink, let alone take over the imperial seal."
"Prime Minister Liu is a pillar of the imperial court. Prince An and I are relieved to entrust the imperial seal to him for safekeeping."
Ji Yunhuan knew at first sight that "Prince An" was fake, and was most likely the eldest princess's male favorite pretending to be him.
The male favorite was proficient in the art of disguise. If he could pretend to be his uncle, he could naturally pretend to be Prince An as well.
Although it doesn't stand up to scrutiny, it's certainly enough to fool uninformed officials.
As expected, the doubts from the audience disappeared, and the officials from Prime Minister Liu's lineage all clamored for the Queen to hand over the imperial seal.
The knife was still on her uncle's neck. As long as she dared to say no, Prime Minister Liu would definitely kill her.
Ji Yunhuan leaned against the emperor's coffin, her body shaking uncontrollably, like a fragile flower in a violent storm. Finally, unable to withstand the immense pressure, she choked out a sob and said, "I'll give you the imperial seal in exchange for releasing my uncle."
The knife on Xu Junzheng's neck was removed, but he was still pinned to the ground.
Ji Yunhuan turned around and pushed the emperor's coffin. She used all her strength to push the heavy coffin out a small gap.
Su Bai reached in and quickly took out an antique sandalwood box.
Prime Minister Liu's eyes lit up with greed, and he couldn't wait to snatch the jade seal away.
The eldest princess smiled. No wonder she ordered people to dig three feet into the ground but couldn't find the jade seal. It turned out that it was hidden here. Ji Yunhuan was really smart.
"Prince An" stopped crying and stood behind the eldest princess, with his brows lowered and his eyes submissive, so quiet that his presence seemed to vanish.
Ji Yunhuan held the box, his eyes alert. "Don't mess around. There's a trap in this box. If you open it carelessly, the imperial seal inside will be destroyed. Let my uncle go, and I'll help you get the seal out."
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