The Imperial Palace in the capital.
Xiao Shiyan stared intently at the documents in his hand, his eyes burning with intense passion.
Unexpectedly, Su Xuerong actually became Xiao Yuan's princess!
The marriage certificate sent by Xiao Yuan was like a sharp dagger, deeply piercing his eyes, causing him so much pain that he could barely breathe.
The woman he had been longing for day and night had betrayed him!
"His Majesty?"
A sarcastic voice came from beside her: "I really didn't expect that the dignified Prince of Fenyang would like to wear worn-out shoes... especially his own nephew's!"
Xiao Shiyan tore the document in his hand to shreds and roared, "Want me to put her on the imperial register? Dream on!"
Xu Wanjing, dressed in a gorgeous, golden outfit, exuding elegance and nobility, said with a disdainful look, "Your Majesty, why fall out with your own royal uncle over a slut?"
The veins on Xiao Shiyan's forehead bulged, and his eyes were filled with gloom as he stared at the woman beside him: "You want to acknowledge their marriage?"
Xu Wanjing feigned helplessness: "The royal uncle has already had his wedding in Hangzhou, and the marriage certificate has been issued by the government. Now he just wants to ask for a formal status. Does His Majesty still have his eye on that slut and doesn't want her to be your royal aunt?"
Xu Wanjing originally intended to secretly send someone to kill Su Xuerong without anyone noticing, but Xiao Yuan suddenly pulled this stunt, so she had to do her best to fulfill his wish.
At this moment, the several trusted ministers standing below in the imperial study all kept their eyes down, not daring to look ahead at all.
According to the established rites, the imperial harem was not allowed to interfere in politics.
But when it came to the Xu family, this rule was completely abolished.
On the day Xu Wanjing became empress, she boldly ascended the Golden Palace with Xiao Shiyan, sat side by side on the dragon throne with him, and frequently offered her opinions on political affairs.
Many ministers expressed their dissatisfaction with this, and some officials even vehemently advised against women's participation in politics.
However, this dissent was quickly suppressed, both openly and covertly. One outspoken official even smashed his head against a pillar in the imperial court and died.
Xu Wanhe was appointed as the Left Prime Minister, and Xu Wanjing's three maternal uncles were respectively appointed as Dukes and Princes. The Xu family suddenly became the new elite of the new dynasty, and nearly one-third of the court officials were dominated by the Xu family and their cronies.
So even if an official died by crashing into a pillar, it still couldn't bring Xu Wanjing off the throne.
Soon, it was discovered that the Xu family did not care about reputation or face. The Xu family came from the southern barbarians and acted in a violent and cruel manner. Anyone who spread rumors that were detrimental to the Xu family would be arrested and executed on the spot on charges.
In an instant, the entire capital was engulfed in bloodshed and panic.
However, the new emperor Xiao Shiyan turned a blind eye to this, leaving both court officials and ordinary citizens of the capital feeling extremely frustrated and unable to express their anger.
After Xiao Shiyan ascended the throne, he immediately began to order the reduction of the power of the vassal states, forcing the vassal kings of each vassal state to voluntarily hand over their military power and bring all their families to the capital.
Upon receiving the imperial edict, Xiao Yuan couldn't help but laugh: "What an idiot!"
Since the goal was to reduce the power of the princes, Xiao Shiyan should have first lured them to the capital under some other pretext, and then seized the opportunity to disarm them.
It is utterly foolish to so brazenly order the vassal kings to relinquish their military power.
Who would obey orders?
Wu Gou, one of Xiao Yuan's advisors, said, "The Xu family are originally barbarians from the southern lands. They rely on their strong army to act arrogantly in the capital. The style of this imperial edict is clearly the work of the Xu family."
Xiao Yuan sneered, "Without the Xu family, Master Xiao Shiyan wouldn't have been able to reach that position."
Wu Gou said, "Your Highness, shall we remain still and wait for the other vassal kings to react?"
Xiao Yuan shook his head: "Why don't you move?"
He not only wanted to make a high-profile entrance to the capital, but also wanted the other vassal kings to see that he was leading by example.
The staff below were all stunned.
Once they enter the capital, they'll be trapped like turtles in a jar.
Xiao Yuan glanced around at his trusted men below, his eyes narrowing slightly: "If I don't do this, how can I gain the upper hand and seize the best opportunity?"
Wu Gou was immediately surprised: "Could it be that Your Highness..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his expression was already becoming agitated.
This means that Xiao Yuan has made ample preparations!
Xiao Yuan's attitude immediately boosted everyone's confidence, and they all became eager to try.
They had been lying in wait with Xiao Yuan for many years, long awaiting an opportunity to change the world.
Therefore, the news that Xiao Yuan had decided to take his family to the capital quickly reached the palace.
Xiao Shiyan frowned and looked at Feng Bao beside him: "What do you think the Prince of Fenyang means by this?"
After he ascended the throne, Feng Bao was reassigned to the palace and became Xiao Shiyan's chief eunuch.
Feng Bao lowered his eyes and said, "Perhaps Your Highness truly supports His Majesty."
"Hmph, I might believe anyone else!" Xiao Shiyan didn't believe in Xiao Yuan's loyalty.
He deliberately issued the imperial edict to reduce the power of the princes, not only to assert his sovereignty to his uncles, but also primarily to deal with Xiao Yuan.
Xiao Yuan's territory, the Jiangnan Six Circuits, was the largest and wealthiest of the eight vassal states.
However, Xiao Yuan was conspicuously absent from the war during the Five Kings Rebellion.
While the five kings in the north were fighting to the death, he remained in his six southern routes, not only preventing the people in his fiefdom from participating in the war, but also stopping the court from conscripting soldiers on a large scale.
Ultimately, Xiao Cheng joined forces with the Xu family in the southwest to attack the capital, killing or capturing the other four participating princes, thus barely gaining the upper hand.
Of the remaining three vassal kings, apart from the Prince of Jin in the far northeast and the Prince of Chu in Shu, Xiao Yuan, the Prince of Fenyang, was the most powerful.
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