Her tone was not loud, but it inexplicably gave off a chill in the ears of those around her.
The Imperial Guard was choked by Yuan Zhao's words, and the pride on his face froze slightly.
"What's your name?" Yuan Zhao continued to ask.
The imperial guard felt the pressure coming from Yuan Zhao, gritted his teeth, and replied, "Cao Zhi."
Cao Zhi...
On the way here just now, Gan Tang mentioned that the new commander of the Imperial Guards also had the surname Cao.
A family?
Another guard beside him took a step forward and whispered in his ear,
"Boss, it seems that His Majesty's favorite Princess Showa hasn't entered the palace in the past six months. She is the Crown Prince's biological sister..."
When Cao Zhi heard this, a strange look flashed in his eyes, and he looked at Yuan Zhao again.
But he quickly returned to normal, snorted coldly, and still maintained a condescending attitude, making it clear that he did not take her seriously.
"I am only following the orders of the Imperial Concubine. If you insist on breaking in, don't blame us—"
"Kneel down."
The two words "light" were like frost and snow falling in the cold winter, instantly freezing the air around them.
Yuan Zhao did not raise his voice, but when everyone heard these two words, they felt a sense of majesty coming towards them, which made people instinctively feel afraid.
Cao Zhi's expression changed instantly, and he glared at her, "You——"
Yuan Zhao slowly raised his eyes and looked at him indifferently, his eyes were as cold as ice and carried a sense of oppression.
Although he didn't know what Yuan Cheng was planning, Yuan Zhao had no intention of going back home, nor did he intend to keep quiet.
She leaned back slightly, and her usually restrained aura instantly erupted.
Gan Tang then showed Yuan Zhao's princess token, "Your Highness is here! Why don't you kneel to greet him?!"
When the other soldiers saw the token, they looked at each other in surprise.
It really is Her Royal Highness the Princess, so isn’t that...Princess Showa?
Many people wanted to kneel down to greet him, but Cao Zhi still stood there straight, motionless.
He frowned slightly, and saw that the token had calmed down a bit, but his attitude was still contemptuous.
"Your Highness, I will only follow the orders of the Imperial Concubine."
"I'm sorry, the princess can't go in."
What is a princess? Now that the imperial concubine controls the front court and the harem, it will be useless even if she is a princess of the highest rank!
What's more, Cao Zhi knew that the Imperial Concubine had always been at odds with Princess Showa, and it was impossible for her to be let in today.
Although he still spoke arrogantly, his fingers gripping the hilt of the knife tightened unconsciously.
Yuan Zhao smiled slightly, his eyes indifferent, as if he was looking at a clown who was ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth.
"Cao Zhi——" She slowly repeated his name, her tone gentle, but it made people feel inexplicably tight in their hearts.
"You know, this princess never needs to be summoned to enter the palace."
Cao Zhi felt a chill in his heart when he was stared at by her, but he still remained stubborn.
"Now that His Majesty is unconscious, all matters in the harem are in the hands of the Imperial Concubine. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince hasn't spoken yet, so how can the Princess enter freely?"
Yuan Zhao gently stroked the back of Yuan Zhizhi's hand in his arms and asked casually,
"So, it was Concubine Shu who asked you to stop me?"
Cao Zhi subconsciously wanted to refute, but when the words came to his lips, he paused.
It was indeed the Imperial Concubine's order, but if we admit it now, wouldn't that be directly putting the Imperial Concubine in the spotlight?
Seeing that he didn't answer, Yuan Zhao chuckled and said slowly: "It seems that you are not too stupid."
She raised her eyes and scanned the surrounding Royal Guards. Her voice was neither hurried nor slow, yet it carried a sense of pressure.
"The Imperial Guards guarding the palace gates is a rule set by His Majesty himself. You are the most elite soldiers of Dacheng. Your loyalty should be to His Majesty, not to the Imperial Concubine."
"Now that His Majesty has not yet passed away, you have listened to the Imperial Concubine's words and prevented the royal family from visiting the palace. Who gave you the courage?"
As soon as she finished speaking, many of the Royal Guards lowered their heads and their faces turned slightly pale.
Yuan Zhao smiled coldly and turned his wrist gently. In his palm was a gold medal engraved with a flying dragon.
The golden light reflected on her fingertips, giving off a cold luster, and the three words "Showa Order" were clearly visible on them.
"Here is the golden medallion of the emperor's decree. Seeing it is like seeing the emperor."
"This princess enters the palace by order of the emperor. Anyone who tries to stop her will be considered a traitor."
"I will say it again—"
"Kneel down."
This time, Yuan Zhao's voice was no longer gentle, but full of resounding majesty and irresistible momentum, like a sudden roar of thunder.
The faces of the hesitant imperial guards suddenly changed when they heard this. They knelt down first and said in unison,
"I dare not—"
Cao Zhi was stunned. He didn't expect that the people he led would start to waver. His face suddenly darkened and he shouted angrily,
"How dare you! Who told you to kneel?!"
But before he could finish his words, he was kicked hard in the back of the knee and fell to the ground unexpectedly.
He turned around and was about to curse, but the words got stuck in his throat and he couldn't say them.
The person who kicked him was Fushan.
Cao Zhi recognized the Crown Prince's first-class guard.
In the blink of an eye, a lot of people appeared behind Yuan Zhao.
Fu Guang, Mo Yu, Mo Xue, Mo Feng...
They were all Yuan Cheng and Huo Yan's men, and Cao Zhi couldn't help but sweat on his palms.
It would be fine if she was just a powerless princess, but now it is clear that someone is backing her up.
What's more, the flying dragon pattern on the gold plate in Yuan Zhao's hand clearly represents the supreme authority of the royal family. No matter how powerful the imperial concubine is, she cannot exceed this order.
The expressions of the imperial guards around them also changed. They looked at each other, and no one dared to speak again.
Gan Tang and Bi Yun watched this scene coldly, with sneers in their eyes - these lackeys who rely on the power of others, do they really think that Concubine Shu can cover the sky with one hand?
Cao Zhi gritted his teeth, his face turning pale and blue. He knew that he had hit a wall today.
Facing Yuan Zhao's frosty eyes, a layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
Yuan Zhao took back the gold medal, looked down at him condescendingly, and said in a calm voice,
"Cao Zhi, a lowly person, is disrespectful to his superiors and has no regard for the inferiors."
"Slap him eighty times on the spot and drag him to the Ministry of Punishment."
After she finished speaking, she looked around at everyone, her voice steady and powerful.
"If anyone dares to stop me again, I will see if I can make your heads fall off."
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