The capital city of Beirong was under control, and a deathly silence pervaded the area.
Court officials were forbidden from leaving their homes and were under strict surveillance, while the common people dared not go out, feeling as if the sky had fallen and the earth had collapsed.
The 200,000 troops that Nan Fenghuang had previously led now stood outside the city gate, their faces showing confusion for the first time. They had only heard of the siege and the chaos, and since the princess was a close friend and someone the two dukes trusted so much, they had pressed on with great effort. But now…
Whether this was a blessing or a curse, they withdrew from the city and stood outside the city gate.
As for the 50,000 Yun Clan members, each fighting against a hundred, they completely won over Xu Yiran, who obeyed his every command. In addition, the Heavenly Mystery Palace had quite a few people, so Xu Yiran now seemed to have the world in his grasp.
He sat on the dragon throne that had once belonged to the emperors of Beirong, facing the empty council hall where countless palace maids and eunuchs knelt in fear. His misty gaze slowly moved away from their heads and then looked at the sky outside the hall.
The sky was already bright, and a cold wind howled past. It seemed like only a moment had passed before it started snowing.
The snow fell thick and fast, chilling to the bone. This was the first snowfall of the year in Beirong Capital, falling just as the Lunar New Year was approaching.
Xu Yiran's eyes held no emotion but coldness, an endless coldness mingled with ambition, as she watched the swirling snowflakes fall silently.
"Reporting to the Palace Master, Tianxia Yiwei is now deserted, and Fuyue Gambling House is also quiet and closed. We... have not caught a single person."
Suddenly, someone landed beside him, respectfully reporting that his face was dark and solemn, showing extreme frustration.
Upon hearing this, Xu Yiran finally opened her eyes to look at the person who had arrived. Her gaze was calm yet as deep as a vast abyss, causing the person to tremble slightly and lower their head even further. "It was my dereliction of duty; I was a step too late."
"Where are Yu Qingyi and Nan Fenghuang?"
"Reporting to the Palace Master, we are still trapped in that red mist and cannot get out."
"oh."
"Have you found the Northern Emperor and Nan Lingqin?"
The person who came remained silent, clearly indicating that they had not found it.
Xu Yiran glanced at him indifferently, then pointed at the palace maids and eunuchs filling the hall, "Kill all of them."
"kill……"
The newcomer looked up abruptly, staring at the palace maids and eunuchs filling the hall, seemingly incredulous.
"Ahhh, I'm going to kill you."
Just then, outside the quiet hall, a disheveled woman ran out with a hysterical roar. She was holding a sword and staggered as she lunged at Xu Yiran. However, before she could get close, she stumbled and fell to the ground.
The sword slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.
It was Consort Xianliang, the deceased mother of Prince Xian. The death of her son, the Emperor's neglect, and now the fall of the city—she had completely gone mad. Her eyes glazed over as she stared blankly at her surroundings, then she prostrated herself on the ground, pointing at Xu Yiran and laughing maniacally, "Hahaha, you're all kneeling before me, kneeling! Hahaha, I'm still Consort Xian! No, I'm going to be Empress! Yes, Empress! A mother's status rises with her son's! I'm going to be Empress…"
"Your Majesty."
Some eunuchs tried to dissuade him in a low voice, but reason could not stop a madman.
"Get away from me! Where is my son? Where is my Xian'er? Your Majesty... Didn't you want to make my Xian'er the Crown Prince, to give her the right to rule the throne? Your Majesty... Hahaha..."
"She's too noisy, let her go to hell."
On the dragon throne high above, Xu Yiran didn't even bother to look at Consort Xian. Her voice rang out, instantly freezing the air around her. Her words, though soft, were filled with murderous intent. Consort Xian, oblivious to the danger, continued her arrogant laughter.
She was taken away, and this woman, who had spent her life enjoying favor and scheming, ultimately found herself, along with her son, merely a pawn in Yuwen Shu's game, and thus perished.
She probably didn't understand why she died like that.
Xu Yiran also ordered her to be hanged, which was extremely cruel.
It's as if they have a blood feud, but whether Xu Yiran and Consort Xian have any connection is unknown.
Those eunuchs and palace maids who had once served the Northern Emperor closely and held minor positions dared not raise their heads at this moment.
The entire Beirong Palace was filled with an aura of death.
Xu Yiran was still dressed in white, the hem of his robe stained with blood, as if only blood could soak his white clothes. Then, he got up and walked out of the main hall, followed by a group of palace maids and eunuchs who were trembling with fear.
They wanted to beg for their lives, but were afraid that speaking up would only anger them.
Then, Xu Yiran said to the person beside her, "Send the order to tell Yuwen Yao and Nan Lingqin that I, Xu Yiran, the Palace Master of the Heavenly Mystery Hall and the Second Elder of the Yama Hall, am here waiting for them."
Xu Yiran suddenly turned around, stood in the nine-layered palace, and spoke words of dominance over the world.
Second Elder of the Yama Palace...
Consort Shu and Liu Yunzhou, who were hiding in the shadows, were shocked. Xu Yiran, he was actually... actually the Second Elder of the Underworld.
Consort Shu, though living deep within the palace, was not unaware of worldly affairs. She had naturally heard Liu Yunzhou recount the story of the Underworld. Perhaps due to her shock, she suddenly lost her footing and bumped into the wall beside her, making a slight sound. Although extremely faint, it still reached Xu Yiran's ears, and she waved her hand dismissively.
Suddenly, Consort Shu, who had been hiding in the shadows, knelt before Xu Yiran.
At the same time, Liu Yunzhou followed closely behind and fell beside Consort Shu.
With this sudden turn of events, Liu Yunzhou's mansion and its surroundings had long been under the control of Xu Yiran's people. He had secretly slipped out through a secret passage within the mansion, worried that Xu Yiran's madness would destroy the entire palace. He had planned to rescue his cousin, but he was unwilling to give up. So, he passed by this place and overheard a shocking truth that he shouldn't have heard, thus exposing his whereabouts.
"So it's Consort Shu and Lord Liu."
Xu Yiran's gaze fell on the two of them. On their fair and delicate skin, faint red veins were visible. A cold smile spread from the depths of her eyes.
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