At the Imperial Palace, in front of Chengtian Gate, a long line of carriages stretched out.
The main gate, which was usually unobstructed, suddenly became heavily guarded.
A gust of wind blew, lifting the curtain of a carriage, revealing Ling Jiuxiao's weary face.
As the deputy commander of the Tianwu Guard, he should have been stationed at the main camp after such a major incident.
But unfortunately, he can't stay here now, because someone from the Heavenly Martial Guard needs to enter the palace.
That person was supposed to be his father, but his father, who was supposed to be in seclusion in a secret room, mysteriously disappeared!
Ling Jiuxiao dug three feet into the secret room but found no trace.
There was no other way; he had to do it himself.
After all, compared to his father's disappearance, the emperor's disappearance was obviously more important.
"Jiuxiao, do you know what happened?"
A rough voice came from beside the carriage.
The speaker was extremely tall and strong.
Even the magnificent horse beneath him seemed less imposing in comparison.
As for his purplish-blue official robe, it was stretched taut.
At a glance, one can tell that this person is a military officer.
The burly man was none other than Lan Zhan, the newly appointed Vice Minister of War.
In terms of seniority, he was even older than Bei Ming Xuande, the Minister of War.
He once commanded a million soldiers, guarding the three northern states and resisting the northern tribes.
He fought hundreds of battles, large and small, and did not lose an inch of territory.
In terms of cultivation, he is also a senior tenth-grade Dharma Image Perfectionist.
However, the incident twenty years ago left him unemployed at home.
He spent decades conquering the northern frontier, and his outstanding military achievements need no further explanation.
However, because he did not align himself with the four major families, he was stripped of his power during the upheaval twenty years ago and was forced to live in seclusion at home.
This sudden reinstatement was naturally due to the suppression of the four major families by the Zhenwu Division.
No one else dares to sit in this spot.
But he dared to do things that disgusted the four major families, so naturally he would.
Of course, although he took the position of Vice Minister of War, he was essentially a figurehead.
After all, no matter what the Zhenwu Division does, it cannot interfere with the specific affairs of the Ministry of War.
However, Lan Zhan doesn't care about having real power; he's content as long as he can sit in this position.
"Old Lan, come closer!"
Ling Jiuxiao peeked out and whispered in Lan Zhan's ear, "His Majesty has disappeared!"
"What? Your Majesty...?"
Just as Lan Zhan was about to exclaim, Ling Jiuxiao quickly covered his mouth.
It's one thing to know about this yourself, but it's another to spread it around!
If it were anyone else, Ling Jiuxiao would naturally not say anything.
But Lan Zhan's seniority was too high; even Ling Aotian had once been his subordinate.
Ling Jiuxiao felt genuine awe for him.
"Tell me, what happened before you went missing?"
Lan Zhan asked with a solemn expression.
Zijinyuan was destroyed, and Zhou Zhenxiong disappeared.
These two events, taken together, make it hard not to associate them with something unpleasant.
That means Zhou Zhenxiong met with misfortune.
However, Lan Zhan knew too little. After all, no matter what he was like in the past, he was now just an old codger who had been idle for twenty years and had no ambition.
"last night......"
Ling Jiuxiao recounted the events of yesterday in their entirety.
By the time he finished speaking, the two of them had unknowingly arrived at Chengtian Gate.
Several Tianlong Guard soldiers stepped forward to check and, after confirming that there was nothing wrong, immediately let them pass.
From the moment they entered the barbican, the two of them had to walk to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
When the two arrived, there were already many people standing in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Lan Zhan walked forward absentmindedly until he bumped into someone, which brought him back to his senses.
In the spot he had gotten used to during this time, there was a person standing there.
Lan Zhan looked closely and was surprised to see a familiar face.
Minister of War, Bei Ming Xuande, why is he here too?
Bei Ming Xuande glanced at Lan Zhan briefly before looking away.
Only then did Lan Zhan notice the people standing at the very front.
Kong Fang, the Grand Master of the Jixia Academy!
Zhou Kaijiang, the Prefect of the Imperial Clan Court!
Minister of Personnel, Dongfang Cangyun!
Minister of Revenue, Ximen Taiping!
Minister of Justice Nangong Zhenxiang...
Almost all the important figures in the imperial court were present.
Could it be... that His Majesty is really dead?
In Lan Zhan's mind, it was like a thunderclap.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why these people appeared at the same time.
The main gate of the Hall of Supreme Harmony was tightly closed.
The candlelight inside cast shadows on people.
Outside the hall, besides the group of Heavenly Dragon Guard warriors, there was also a woman standing.
The woman held a sword, and a deep aura emanated from her, blocking others from perceiving her.
So strong!
Even Lan Zhan was startled.
That woman was excessively powerful.
Could it be Xiao Qing, the master of Linlang Palace?
No, it can't be her!
She has no connection with the palace and it's impossible for her to be here at this time.
Who else could it be but her?
Jiang Lan?
It doesn't seem like it!
That female chieftain is already invincible in the world; it's impossible for her to be guarding the gate outside.
Wait, where is Jiang Lan?
Lan Zhan suddenly noticed that there was an empty seat in front of him.
That position, perfectly positioned, was right in front of the elephant in Nangong Town.
One palace, one government office, one pavilion, four offices and six ministries.
Only the Four Departments rank higher than the Six Ministries.
The vacant spot will most likely belong to Jiang Lan.
If Kong Fang came for such a big event, then Jiang Lan couldn't possibly not come either.
There's only one possibility that her position is now vacant.
That was her arrival; she had already entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The woman stationed outside is probably Jiang Lan's younger sister, Jiang Xue!
The weather is about to change again!
Lan Zhan sighed softly, a hint of melancholy flashing in his eyes.
Your Majesty, you are almost certainly dead at the hands of the Immortal Sect.
And this time, unsurprisingly, it was once again the Immortal Sect that decided who would become the Emperor.
It was like this twenty years ago, it was like this three years ago, and it can only be like this now.
Even with Jiang Lan, an invincible figure in the human world, nothing can be changed.
......
Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, candlelight blazed brightly.
The hall was unusually empty with only two people inside.
One person, naturally, is Jiang Lan.
The other person was Empress Shangguan Rou.
However, Shangguan Rou was not sitting at this moment.
She held Jiang Lan's hand, her voice trembling slightly as she asked, "Lan'er, tell your aunt the truth, who killed Zhenxiong?"
Shangguan Rou did not believe the claim that the Tantric Buddhist master killed Zhou Zhenxiong.
Although she usually did not concern herself with court affairs, it did not mean that she was ignorant of politics.
No matter how much Zhou Zhenxiong offended the Secret Temple, the Secret Temple needed the Ziyang Immortal Sect's consent to kill him.
If the immortals of the Ziyang Immortal Sect agreed, then it's impossible that no one from the sect has shown up by now.
Based on this premise, it is impossible for Zhou Zhenxiong to have died at the hands of the Ziyang Immortal Sect.
Shangguan Rou looked at Jiang Lan, wanting an answer.
"I led the men to kill them, all to avenge my mother!"
A hint of hatred flashed in Jiang Lan's eyes.
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Rou froze on the spot.
His already pale face turned even whiter.
She murmured to herself, "I knew this day would come sooner or later!"
Jiang Lan stood in the hall and did not go forward to comfort him.
After an unknown amount of time, Shangguan Rou wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and said, "Lan'er, Tianxiong's temperament is not suitable for him to succeed as emperor."
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