Xiao Yuan's composure only fueled Xiao Shiyan's anger.
He didn't know why, but he couldn't control himself when he saw Xiao Yuan's face.
For months he had endured the oppressive power of the Xu family until he ascended the throne and became emperor.
But he just couldn't stand that the man in front of him had so blatantly stolen his woman!
The more Su Xuerong's beautiful face appeared in his mind, the more unsettled he became.
"Xiao Yuan! How dare you! You stole my beloved... possession, and you still dare to play dumb with me!" Xiao Shiyan stood up abruptly, furious.
The ministers were all dumbfounded.
Is Xiao Shiyan deliberately looking for an excuse to kill Xiao Yuan?
This is way too direct!
Xu Wanhe watched coldly, glancing at one side of the main hall.
Whether Xiao Shiyan goes mad today or not, Xiao Yuan will not be able to leave the Golden Palace.
The Xu family doesn't need a good reputation. Once they eliminate Xiao Yuan, their biggest threat, and bring the Jiangnan region back into their territory, the Shu and Northeast vassal states will no longer be a match for the Great Zhou.
He looked at Xiao Yuan with a cold smile.
Regardless of Xiao Yuan's true intentions, the fact that he dared to come to the capital and enter the imperial city alone means that no matter how big his conspiracy may be, he will find it difficult to escape.
Is he really that stupid just because of a woman?
Seeing that Xiao Shiyan's face had turned a deep purplish-red, Xiao Yuan smiled slightly and said calmly, "I wonder what Your Majesty's beloved possession is? Your subject will do everything in your power to find it for Your Majesty!"
Xiao Shiyan was speechless for a moment, but his eyes turned red as he stared intently at Xiao Yuan, wishing he could kill him immediately.
Xiao Yuan, seemingly oblivious to the glint of anger in his eyes, said with a straight face, "Could it be that the beloved possession Your Majesty speaks of is in Hangzhou, where I reside?"
"Alright then, once I return to Hangzhou, I will do my utmost to help Your Majesty find this item!"
Xiao Shiyan's eyes turned bloodshot, and he suddenly sneered, "You still want to go back? Dream on!"
Xiao Yuan was immediately shocked: "Why? Why is this happening?"
He immediately turned to the ministers behind him: "Is it because Your Majesty cannot find his beloved possession that you forbid me from returning to my fiefdom?"
"Gentlemen, could this be a new rule established after the founding of the new dynasty?"
Seeing his pretense, Xu Wanhe said coldly, "Prince of Fenyang, don't stir up trouble here. That's not what His Majesty meant."
Xiao Yuan turned to look at him, and smiled without changing his expression: "Oh, the Left Prime Minister also knows His Majesty's favorite thing, then stop playing riddles and tell us!"
Xu Wanhe's face stiffened.
How could he not know who Xiao Shiyan's beloved possession was?
Xiao Yuan is deliberately pretending to be clueless here to annoy Xiao Shiyan.
He deliberately took over the conversation, not wanting Xiao Yuan to stray from the topic.
At this point, the most important thing is to find a legitimate reason to prevent Xiao Yuan from returning to Hangzhou.
As for Ling Qingxue and Xiao Yiren, they must also be taken hostage.
Xu Wanhe said coldly, "Prince of Fenyang, let's discuss this matter later. Right now, we should be discussing the ownership of your fiefdom."
Xiao Yuan asked in surprise, "The ownership of the vassal territories? The imperial decrees before we entered the capital did not mention this matter."
"Would you still come if I mentioned it?" Xu Wanhe sneered.
"Come on!" Xiao Yuan said with a serious expression. "My elder brother died without cause, and the one who ascended the throne was temporarily changed from father to son. As the Prince of Fenyang of the Great Zhou Dynasty, am I just going to stand by and watch father and son kill each other?"
"Stop talking nonsense!" Xu Wanhe shouted sternly, "The late emperor was killed by the Chen family, what does that have to do with Your Majesty?"
Xiao Yuan gave an "oh" and said calmly, "Then why are there rumors circulating that the Chen family had been secretly having an affair with His Majesty, who was then the Crown Prince, and that the two conspired to poison the late Emperor?"
The expressions on the faces of the officials immediately became quite varied.
When Xiao Cheng died, rumors were circulating in the capital, spreading like wildfire and becoming known throughout the land.
At that time, it was only by using violence to suppress the public that the Xu family silenced the dissent.
"Do you think that just because news is suppressed in the capital, it won't reach other places?" Xiao Yuan said with a sneer.
Ling Qingxue, who had remained silent all along, suddenly said, "The Prince of Fenyang is right. We have also heard about this scandal in Shu."
Seeing this, Xiao Yiren immediately chimed in, "That's right, this rumor has already spread to Jinzhou..."
"How dare you!"
Xu Wanhe, his face contorted with rage, roared, "How dare you speak ill of His Majesty!"
He was about to give Xiao Shiyan a meaningful look, hoping to seize the opportunity to take Xiao Yuan's head, when he suddenly noticed that Xiao Shiyan's expression was off.
Xiao Shiyan's eyes rolled around, his face flushed an unusual red, and suddenly he burst into a maniacal laugh: "Hahaha, it's me! It's me!"
Xu Wanhe was shocked: "Your Majesty, what's wrong?"
Xiao Shiyan suddenly pointed at everyone below and shouted, "So what if I killed the old man? He was incompetent and relied entirely on the Xu family to rise to power. He even wanted to pass the throne to the son in Chen's womb. Why should he do that!"
"Since he is unworthy of his position, I will grant his wish and send him directly to the Western Paradise to be the Jade Emperor!"
"Hahaha, I've had enough of the Xu family meddling behind my back. I must send this old man to his death, and then I'll find a way to eliminate the Xu family!"
Xu Wanhe was dumbfounded.
The ministers were also dumbfounded and incredulous!
Although this was a secret known to everyone, it was still shocking that Xiao Shiyan, as the ruler of a country, would suddenly and openly reveal it to the public.
Xu Wanghe suddenly rushed forward and shouted at Feng Bao, "His Majesty is seriously ill, you dog servant, why aren't you taking His Majesty back to his bedchamber right away..."
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