The civil and military officials attending the banquet and their families were taken aback and quickly knelt down to pay their respects.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace."
Who could have imagined that the Prince of Ye, who could barely sit and walk a few months ago, would now become such an unsightly, obese figure? Even with a black veil covering him, his swollen and enormous body was still visible.
He had not appeared before the court officials for half a month. The morning court was jointly supervised by the Grand Eunuch and several cabinet ministers, but this time he suddenly appeared at the evening banquet, disregarding everyone's suspicions and speculations. Despite his fatigue, he did so for the sake of the returning prince.
Now, everyone can clearly see the Prince of Ye's intentions—he is determined to support the Crown Prince to ascend the throne.
The chief eunuch stepped forward and directed the bamboo sedan chair to land gently. He then bowed to the side of the Prince of Ye, lifted a corner of the black veil that obscured his vision, whispered a few words in the Prince's ear, and then withdrew with lowered eyes.
The King of Ye, shrouded in black gauze, had swollen, narrowed eyes that were always tired and murky, like a ferocious beast from the abyss that had been swallowed by a swamp and could not move. His massive body lay supine on the cushion, his eyes piercing through the black mist, silently watching everything.
"Rise... Bo Ji, since you and the court officials all agree that the Crown Prince should be the commander-in-chief of the six kingdoms' military trial, then... you should immediately hand over the golden seals of the three armies to the Crown Prince."
The King of Ye's voice was weak and feeble, and he had to pause several times to catch his breath before uttering a single sentence. Yet, these seemingly casual words caused Bo Ji's expression to change drastically.
"Your Majesty!"
The ministers who rose to their feet also tensed up, feeling as if the cool breeze blowing through the banquet hall carried an ominous sign of an impending storm.
What is the Golden Seal of the Three Armies?
Is it the same as the tiger tally?
Zheng Quchi was puzzled. She silently glanced around and saw that everyone's expression was very strange. It was as if the seemingly casual conversation between the King of Ye and his Queen could actually reshuffle the entire power and wealth of the Ye Kingdom.
Wei Yao and Wang Zebang exchanged a glance. The Prince of Ye suddenly appeared, but ignored their unauthorized trespassing and disturbance with their troops. Instead, he confronted the Empress of Ye immediately. Anyone could see that the Prince of Ye intended to take advantage of the Crown Prince's return to break off relations with the Empress of Ye.
The King of Ye sent someone inside to help him sit up. As soon as he moved, he was covered in sweat. He coughed up the phlegm that was blocking his throat into a spittoon and then took a deep breath.
"If one does not understand the authority of the three armies, yet shares the responsibilities of the three armies, then the soldiers will be suspicious. Bo Ji, an army does not need two commanders..." This time his voice was much louder, though still hoarse and deep, it carried an aura of supreme authority that made it impossible for anyone to resist his orders.
After uttering this sentence in one breath, the Prince of Ye was followed by a series of coughs and wheezing, which startled the chief eunuch, who quickly stepped forward and directed the palace servants to burn incense, pat his back, and lay him down on his back to help him catch his breath.
This means that if powerful and influential people who do not understand military strategy interfere with the command of the army, it will cause the soldiers to have doubts.
Bo Ji's eyes widened in disbelief. She never expected things to turn out this way. The change in military command was like hitting a snake where it hurt.
Seeing that Empress Ye was defying the order and still trying to argue, the chief eunuch glared at her and said, "Your Majesty, since His Majesty has spoken, it is the law. Do you still intend to disobey the decree?"
Bo Ji's eyes were bloodshot, and her whole body trembled with rage.
She had greatly underestimated the old man's cunning and shrewdness.
He deliberately chose this time to come, to bring up the matter in front of all the civil and military officials. If she did not comply, it would be considered defying the imperial decree in public, a crime equivalent to treason!
Yes, thinking back, this old man deliberately set a trap from the very beginning. He first summoned the Grand Eunuch to issue the imperial edict of regency. Just when she thought that he could only resort to this incompetent barking trick of acting first and reporting later, she didn't expect that it was precisely this contemptuous attitude that fell right into his trap.
This old man knows her too well. He knows that from the moment she learned that Yuan Xingzhou had returned, she would never let it go. With the Six Kingdoms Military Trial imminent, this is the perfect opportunity for her to scheme against Yuan Xingzhou without getting anything in the way.
He would then wait until the most crucial moment, so that he could legitimately snatch away her most important trump card.
She had used so much brainpower and scheming to obtain the Golden Seal of the Three Armies, and even destroyed her Bo clan to gain his trust. But now... did he really want her to hand over the Golden Seal so easily?
On what grounds?!
What gives Yuan Zhenwei the right to be powerful?!
Yuan Chuhua looked at the Prince of Ye in astonishment. She had been away from the capital for several months, and this time when she returned, her father did not immediately summon her. Instead, he sent someone to take her to see her mother first. She had no idea that her father would become like this.
That can't be. The imperial physician clearly said that Father must control his diet and take care of himself. It had already shown initial results, so why is it suddenly not getting better and is getting worse instead?
And what about the relationship between the King and the Queen? When did it become so irreconcilable?
She turned to look at Bo Ji. Mother...did she do something to Father?
At this moment, Bo Ji's forehead veins were throbbing. Although she had specially dressed in a golden phoenix robe for the palace banquet tonight, she was clearly driven to the brink of despair. Her mind was filled with madness, panic, and suppressed anger.
"He's only been in the palace for a day, yet His Majesty is so certain he's Yuan Xingzhou, who's been missing for over a decade? Back then, you spent very little time with the Crown Prince, and it took you three whole months to find out he was missing..."
“Bo Ji, since ancient times, the blood ties between father and son have been determined by heaven. Cough cough... There is a natural connection in the dark. You do not understand this feeling of blood connection. Cough cough cough cough... I have only spent a short time with him... but I am certain that he is my son.”
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