Just then, news came from outside:
"Report! The Third Prince is leading a troop of men, charging through the Shenwu Gate, shouting... 'Purge the court of corrupt officials!'"
"What? Why now of all times? He's here to interfere, just to use this as an excuse to get rid of me too! Third Brother, what a brilliant scheme!"
The crown prince, who had just reached the door, was so angry that he laughed.
"Don't panic! Since he wants to be invited to the emperor's side, we'll see if he can succeed. Let's go, this is over, let's go take a look ahead! The officials should have arrived by now, it's their turn to line up!"
Xiao Sui was not flustered at all; he had far more men than that.
"Grandpa was so thoughtful."
The crown prince felt reassured after hearing this and followed Xiao Sui outside.
………
Inside the Golden Palace…
When Xiao Sui and the Crown Prince arrived, only Consort Xiao was there; there were no officials present.
Xiao Sui frowned and asked:
"What's going on? It's been so long, and not a single official has come to pick us up?"
"Father, your daughter has been waiting here for so long, but no one has come."
Consort Xiao shook her head and said somewhat uneasily.
She didn't know why, but ever since she entered the Golden Palace, her heart had been pounding, and she had a bad feeling.
Xiao Sui hurriedly sent someone out of the palace to inquire about the situation.
Just then, a soldier reported from the doorway:
"Your Highness, the Third Prince has arrived at Taihe Gate with his men."
"Send men to block them for me, go now!"
The crown prince was getting anxious; everything had gone wrong since his father's passing.
"yes!"
After receiving the order, the soldier turned and ran out.
Xiao Sui glanced at him, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. He was utterly useless! But he didn't say anything to stop him.
The Third Prince's forces are limited; even if he seeks external assistance, it may not be in time.
Facing him is like being a clown. His biggest worry right now is that if those officials don't get in, he'll lose a bargaining chip. If he doesn't suppress these officials this time, he'll face endless trouble in the future.
Not long after, bad news arrived:
"Reporting to the Imperial Uncle, none of the people sent to fetch the officials have returned! The people sent out to investigate have also vanished without a trace! They've all disappeared without a trace."
The messenger reported this.
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Sui's face instantly turned ugly. Gone was his earlier confidence; he began to feel uneasy. Since none of the men he had sent out had returned, it meant they had been killed.
There's someone outside the palace!
"Never mind that for now, let's take down the Third Prince first."
After weighing the pros and cons, Xiao Sui could only deal with the Third Prince, who had come to their doorstep.
"yes!"
The soldier turned and ran out.
Xiao Sui couldn't help but pace back and forth in the main hall, feeling that he had overlooked something! But he couldn't remember what it was for the moment.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind! He turned to Consort Xiao and asked:
"Li Xiaochen is back? Did the people you sent find him?"
"The Regent? He's not...! No, the people we sent haven't returned! But there's no movement at the city gate either, so they probably haven't come back, right?"
Consort Xiao responded, her expression changed, and her tone became increasingly insecure.
If Li Xiaochen had entered the capital, he wouldn't have remained silent for so long unless he was preparing some big move.
"He must be behind the arrests of officials!"
Xiao Sui said with certainty.
"What do we do now, Father? There's no turning back!"
Consort Xiao was somewhat frightened. Li Xiaochen's reputation was not only intimidating in other countries, but also in Xia Kingdom, where everyone avoided him.
"What can we do? The Emperor is dead. We can only move forward now! Even if Li Xiaochen comes, he can't save the Emperor. Does he want to be the Emperor himself?"
After calming down, Xiao Sui thought for a moment, then, with an air of utter defiance, gritted his teeth and said...
Consort Xiao and the Crown Prince exchanged a glance. Their father (maternal grandfather) was right; this was the only way now.
The three of them then waited in the main hall, while the sounds of fighting outside grew closer and closer.
"bump!"
Suddenly, a figure was kicked in from outside the main hall and fell to the ground. Upon seeing this, the soldiers inside the hall quickly threatened Consort Xiao and the others, protecting them in the middle, with their swords pointed at the main hall.
A tall, menacing figure strode in.
Xiao Sui stared intently, his face turning deathly pale. This wasn't the Third Prince at all, but Li Xiao Chen!
"Li Xiaochen, what are you going to do?"
Consort Xiao took the initiative and questioned Li Xiaochen.
"What am I doing? I've just returned from the northern city and haven't reported back to the Emperor yet. I've come to the palace to report back. I wonder what Consort Xiao and Imperial Uncle Xiao are doing in this Golden Palace?"
Li Xiaochen said, feigning ignorance.
"What do I need to do? Do I need to inform a prince like you? The Emperor has already retired for the night, Your Highness, please leave!"
Consort Xiao, with a blank expression, dismissed them.
"Oh? Is that so? Since the Emperor has already retired for the night, how could Imperial Uncle Xiao have entered the palace without being summoned and even had a secret rendezvous with the Imperial Concubine in the middle of the night? Oh, and by the way, there are so many soldiers outside the palace. Is your Xiao family planning a rebellion?!"
Li Xiaochen's casual words caused Xiao Guojiu and the others to change their expressions drastically.
This rebellion could be a big deal or a small deal. Although they were indeed rebelling, Li Xiaochen's directness in bringing it up caught them off guard.
Xiao Sui's eyes flickered as he looked at Li Xiaochen and said:
"Li Xiaochen, I advise you not to meddle in other people's business. Now that the Emperor has passed away, it is only natural for the Crown Prince to succeed to the throne. You don't have to help us, but I hope you won't cause any trouble."
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