Sensing the terrifying fluctuations emanating from the mountaintop, the Reception Hall halfway up the mountain erupted in chaos.
Even the emperor himself intervened, which shows just how bad the situation on the Golden Summit had become.
A group of people tried many methods, but how could the protective formation of the Zhengyang Sect be broken in a short time?
So everyone gathered around the Reception Hall to discuss what to do.
These ministers can argue for half a day in court even when there's nothing else going on, let alone today when there's such an important matter.
In particular, some ministers from the Qi King's faction were instructed to deliberately sabotage the argument, making it even less likely that any results could be achieved.
Zuan, too lazy to get involved in their argument, went to the window and looked towards the Golden Summit, lost in thought.
Just then, Pei Lian, the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat, suddenly shouted, "Zu An, didn't you bring people to Zishan in advance to eliminate potential safety hazards? How could such a big mistake still occur?"
He was the second son of Pei Zheng, the Chamberlain, and married the daughter of Liu Guang, the father-in-law of the King and General of Chariots and Cavalry. He was the most loyal and staunch supporter of the King of Qi.
As soon as he spoke, the noisy hall fell silent. The ministers who had been arguing all looked at him, their expressions somewhat unfriendly.
Zu An was taken aback and replied, "There was indeed no problem when I was examined before, but later I was kept by the Emperor's side, as you all know, and I couldn't take care of the situation here. Something must have happened after that."
Pei Lian said coldly, "Who knows if you did it on purpose? You are the regent of the demon race, so it's perfectly reasonable for you to collude with some bandits and plot against the emperor."
Upon hearing this, the assembled officials nodded in agreement. Whether they were from the Qi King's lineage or the Emperor's lineage, they all felt that this was very likely.
Xie Daoyun, standing to the side, was dumbfounded. The Demon Regent?
It's only been a few days, have I missed something?
At this moment, Pei Lian said to Murong Tong, "Lord Murong, you are the Grand Master of Ceremonies, responsible for the Emperor's safety. What do you have to say about this matter?"
The Grand Master of Ceremonies was one of the Nine Ministers and was indeed responsible for the emperor's safety and ceremonial guard. However, in recent years, he has gradually been sidelined and become a nominal position with high rank but little real power.
But today, all the other personal guards followed the emperor to the golden roof, making him, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, the most suitable person to do this.
Murong Tong frowned, but still walked towards Zu An: "Lord Zu, what happened today is no small matter. I will detain you first, and after the matter is investigated, if you are indeed innocent, I will release you and apologize to you in person."
The others nodded in agreement. Murong Tong had done more than enough. Considering his age and status, his willingness to apologize afterward showed his sincerity.
Murong Qinghe was initially caught in a difficult position, but he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his grandfather did not take advantage of his misfortune. This was indeed a feasible solution.
All eyes turned to Zuan, who frowned slightly and said, "Please forgive me, but I cannot agree."
Regardless of how many of those present had grudges against him, once they surrendered, they would be at his mercy, and if anything unexpected happened, it would be too late for regrets.
Meanwhile, a major event was taking place atop the Golden Summit, and he was constantly thinking about how he could get involved and make the final outcome as favorable as possible for himself.
If I were imprisoned here, what would be the point of talking?
Whether Zhao Hao returns victorious or the other side wins, it won't end well for him.
Upon hearing his objection, the room erupted in uproar. Many ministers who had conflicts with him spoke out against him, as if he were the mastermind behind all this conspiracy and they wanted to execute him on the spot.
Bi Ziang observed coldly. This Zu An still had too shallow a foundation. His sudden rise to a high position was nothing more than a castle in the air. How could it compare to the foundation of aristocratic families like ours?
At this moment, the Qin brothers, Guangyuan and Yongde, said loudly, "Brother Zu, are you worried about your safety? You can rest assured. With our friendship, the Qin family will definitely guarantee your safety. Anyone who dares to harm you will be an enemy of the Qin family."
As he spoke, his gaze swept around the room. The two clan leaders were currently fighting on the front lines. The two brothers were known to be reliable, and everyone knew they were the heirs of the Qin family. Therefore, no one doubted their ability to represent the Qin family when they made such a guarantee.
Unfortunately, Zu An did not accept the olive branch extended by the two men: "Thank you for your kindness, Brother Qin, but I have important matters to attend to and cannot be locked up now."
Many officials immediately sneered: "What important matter could it be? Are you planning to assassinate the Emperor on the Golden Summit?"
This opinion wasn't limited to Prince Qi's faction; many members of the Emperor's faction also agreed with this conjecture.
As they spoke, these people subtly began to surround Zu'an. If anyone started it, a chaotic battle was guaranteed to break out.
Under these circumstances, even some officials who were on good terms with Zu'an could no longer speak up for him.
Just then, Xie Daoyun suddenly jumped out and stood in front of Zu An, saying, "I can testify for Brother Zu that he absolutely did not participate in the plot to murder the Emperor."
"Who are you?" many ministers in the room questioned, wondering where this servant had come from and what right he had to say such things.
Xie Daoyun, intelligent and perceptive, keenly sensed the doubts of those around her. She immediately removed her mask and hair tie, letting her long, flowing hair cascade down, instantly making her figure appear graceful and charming.
"Miss Xie?" Many people in the room recognized her. Her father was just a city lord. Although he was a powerful figure in the local area, he was not taken seriously by these court officials.
However, her other identity as the closed-door disciple of Master Yan of the National Academy is something that cannot be ignored, especially since many runes and magic arrays used by the imperial court and various families were created by Master Yan.
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