Chapter 725 The Queen is Not Allowed to Interfere in Government Affairs
"No!" A figure rushed out from the "personal soldiers" behind Xiao Yan and hugged the queen tightly.
The familiar embrace and breath made the queen stiffen.
She looked up in shock and saw the emperor's face full of anxiety, pain and traces of tears.
"Let me go!" The queen struggled, her tone cold and stern.
"No! I won't let go!" The emperor hugged her tightly, as if he was afraid that she would disappear if he let go, and burst into tears without any image. "It was Xiao Yan! It was Xiao Yan who forced me to do it! He held a sword to my neck and forced me to depose the queen! I didn't want to, I really didn't want to! But I had no choice... Peirong, I am sorry for you and for making you suffer..."
He cried sincerely, tears streaming down his face, and portrayed the image of a cowardly emperor who was coerced by powerful officials and unable to protect his beloved wife to perfection.
All the queen's struggles came to a halt in his sudden crying and hug.
Her body was stiff as she was held in the emperor's arms. The determination and coldness on her face gradually faded away, turning into astonishment and disbelief.
Her gaze passed over the emperor's shoulder and looked at Xiao Yan, who was standing aside with an expressionless face, as if confirming his identity as a "traitor", then slowly retracted her gaze and fell on the emperor who was crying uncontrollably in her arms.
The emperor hasn't cried like this for a long time.
The queen was a little dazed.
Dust-covered memories are uncovered.
For a long time, all the emotions that surged in her eyes—shock, confusion, calculation, and perhaps a loosening that she herself had not even noticed—ultimately returned to a deep pool of silence.
She slowly lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes covering all her thoughts, and in the end, she said nothing.
But the back that was originally straight seemed to relax slightly.
After a while, she finally couldn't stand it anymore and whispered, "Shut up."
After she said this, she was stunned.
It seemed like it was a long time ago that the couple hugged and talked like this.
The emperor tried hard to control his tears, but failed. He ended up burping and snot bubbles came out of his nose.
Everyone bowed their heads.
Xiao Yan held the bright yellow imperial edict deposing the empress in his hand. His voice was as cold as iron, breaking the strange warmth between the emperor and the empress. "Your Majesty, it's time to request the imperial seal."
The emperor's hold on the queen tightened again.
He looked at Xiao Yan, his eyes full of struggle and pleading, his lips trembling, as if he wanted to make a final effort.
Xiao Yan just looked at him expressionlessly, his eyes as sharp as a knife, leaving no room for maneuver.
This play must be completed, otherwise all the efforts will be wasted.
There was dead silence in the hall.
After a while, it was the queen who spoke first.
Her voice was a little hoarse, but unusually calm: "It's okay to be abolished. After all... I am still the emperor's woman."
These words seemed to be comforting the emperor, but also seemed to be convincing himself.
The Phoenix Seal and the position of Queen are symbols of power. Since she has failed, she must admit it and face reality.
This sentence was like a key, instantly opening the floodgates of the emperor's emotions.
He could no longer hold back and turned abruptly towards Xiao Yan, practically begging with tears in his eyes, "Xiao Yan! Deposing the Queen... can you please just give up? Can you... can you still let her be the Queen? Just... just from now on, she won't interfere in the affairs of the previous dynasty as the Queen anymore and will just stay in my harem, okay? I beg you!"
Xiao Yan turned his gaze towards the Queen with scrutiny.
The queen felt a chill in her heart. She knew that this was the last bottom line that the emperor could strive for, and it was also the limit that Xiao Yan and the forces behind him could tolerate.
Without the power to legitimately interfere in state affairs, her ambitions and reforms would come to an abrupt end.
She was gripped by immense heartache and loss, but she knew better that if she didn't nod now, she might not even be able to keep this false reputation and the final peace of mind.
She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, there was a silent compromise in her eyes.
She nodded very slowly to Xiao Yan: "...I agree."
Xiao Yan got the promise he wanted and no longer hesitated.
A moment later, someone delivered another imperial edict.
The emperor took out the imperial seal...
Xiao Yan motioned for the eunuch to come forward and took the imperial edict, which was sealed with the imperial seal and the ink was still wet. He said in a deep voice, "Announce it to the world immediately."
From now on, the Queen is not allowed to interfere in government affairs.
The matter was settled. Xiao Yan lifted his robe, knelt on one knee, and said in a loud voice: "Your servant Xiao Yan, I have held the emperor hostage and forced the empress to be deposed. I deserve death. Your Majesty, please punish me!"
The Emperor looked at his best friend and "traitor" kneeling on the ground, tears welling up in his eyes again. He hugged the Empress and angrily scolded her in a nasal voice, "You, you traitor! I... I don't want to see you now! Go back to your mansion and reflect on your mistakes! Without my order, you are not allowed to take a single step out of the mansion!"
After saying this, he looked at the queen in his arms with tears in his eyes, with silent pleading in his eyes, begging her not to pursue Xiao Yan's "sins" at this moment.
The queen's mind was as clear as a mirror, so how could she not see through the double act of these two people?
She closed her eyes tiredly, but ultimately did not object.
Now that things have come to this, there is no point in dwelling on it.
"Your Majesty, I accept your order and thank you." Xiao Yan kowtowed, stood up, and turned away without any hesitation.
The palace is a dangerous place, and he doesn't want to stay there any longer. He just wants to go home as soon as possible and see the person he has been thinking about.
As soon as Xiao Yan left, the guards retreated from the hall like a tide.
Everything returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.
The queen felt as if all her strength had been drained from her.
She gently pushed the emperor away and whispered, "I am tired and want to rest alone for a while."
The Emperor, however, was terribly afraid that she would become depressed, so he followed her closely, carefully supporting her as she walked towards the inner hall, mumbling to himself, "Okay, okay, rest. I'll be with you. Peirong, everything will be fine from now on. It'll just be the two of us. I won't be lazy anymore. I'll take care of the government affairs, and you'll be with me. We'll be like an ordinary couple, living in harmony and happiness, envious of the couples who love mandarin ducks, not the gods, okay?"
The queen lay on the phoenix couch, closed her eyes, and listened to the emperor recalling every detail of their past, those difficult but mutually supportive years, those sweet and tender moments... She knew that her path might have ended here, and the pain in her heart was indescribable.
But hearing the familiar, crying and silly mumbling in her ears, and feeling his clumsy but nervous care, she couldn't help but slightly curl the corners of her mouth upwards into a very shallow arc.
That's all.
Even though she knew he was acting, and knew that he might be using this method to protect her, he was also restraining her.
But in the end... he is still the emperor who loves her deeply, looks a little stupid, but has a clearer bottom line than anyone else and is smarter than anyone else.
This is her man.
Over the years, it was she who had become unrecognizable and ambitious.
And he really seems to have never changed.
But, how should I deal with this country and the throne, this love and bondage, for the rest of my life?
She was at a loss, and the only thing she could hear was the chattering voice in her ears, which was so real that she couldn't harden her heart completely.
Lu Qin's mother couldn't go out these days, so she could only stay at home, eat and sleep, and eat when she woke up. Her sleep schedule was reversed, and her work and rest schedule was chaotic.
So when she opened her eyes and saw Xiao Yan, she thought she was still half asleep and had not woken up yet.
After a while, she dared to reach out and grab Xiao Yan's arm.
"You're back?"
Why does it feel like a dream?
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