"Han Chengye, you've lost."
Having subdued Han Chengye, Su Ziyang roared into the hall, "Put down your weapons, all of you!"
The imperial guards in the palace saw that the deputy commander had been captured by Commander Su, exchanged glances, and then threw down their weapons.
As members of the Imperial Guard, their duty was to protect the capital of Great Chu. In truth, none of them wanted to take action, but they dared not disobey orders from their superiors.
Su Ziyang pulled Han Chengye up, the sword still at his neck, and walked out of the main hall.
"All Imperial Guards, listen to my command! I am Su Ziyang, and I now order you all to lay down your weapons! You were only following orders today, and I, Su Ziyang, guarantee that I will forgive and forget what happened!"
Upon hearing Su Ziyang's voice, the Imperial Guards stopped what they were doing. The Imperial Guards, who were loyal to Han Chengye, also lost their nerve when they saw that their deputy commander had been subdued, and they all threw down their weapons.
Just then, an old man dressed in a prince's court robe walked through the crowd and into the main hall.
The old man was followed by a guard who carried a tray with a long, narrow box on it.
Upon seeing the old man, the senior officials in the main hall were all excited and knelt down, saying, "Your subject greets Prince Lin'an."
Xiao Chenyi was momentarily stunned by the sudden appearance of the Prince of Lin'an, wondering why the Prince of Lin'an would appear at this time.
Regardless of what Xiao Chenyi thought, the Prince of Lin'an walked straight up the steps inside the hall and stood beside Xiao Chenyi.
Then the Prince of Lin'an opened the box that Wang Xing was holding and took out a yellow scroll.
"This is the late emperor's edict, kneel!"
Everyone's expression changed, and they all knelt down.
Only Xiao Chenyi stared in disbelief at the yellow imperial edict in the hands of the Prince of Lin'an.
He suddenly remembered what Empress Dowager Wei had told him, saying that the late emperor had left behind a will, which was suspected to be in Xiao Yanchu's possession.
If Xiao Yanchu had the late emperor's edict, he would have already shown it. Presumably, the edict was fake, so Xiao Chenyi didn't take it seriously.
Unexpectedly, the Prince of Lin'an has produced the late emperor's edict!
Xiao Chenyi had lost his previous composure and confidence; he panicked.
The Prince of Lin'an glanced indifferently at Xiao Chenyi standing beside him, "Your Majesty, aren't you going to kneel?"
Xiao Chenyi had no choice but to kneel down.
Seeing Xiao Chenyi kneel down, the Prince of Lin'an slowly opened the imperial edict and began to read:
"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"
Since my ascension to the throne, I have been blessed by Heaven and Earth and relied on the spirits of my ancestors. The world is at peace and the people are living in harmony.
For decades, he has worked tirelessly day and night, never daring to slack off for a moment, for fear of failing the trust placed in him by the people.
Now that I am old and fear my time is near, after careful consideration, I have decided that my eldest son, Xiao Ye, is intelligent, kind-hearted, and decisive.
In the imperial court, he was deeply respected by his ministers; among the common people, he implemented benevolent policies and was deeply loved by them.
I have now decided to pass the throne to my eldest son, Xiao Ye. I hope that after he ascends the throne, he will uphold his original aspirations, govern diligently and with love, so that the Great Chu Dynasty may be forever secure and passed down for generations.
All officials should wholeheartedly assist the new ruler, perform their duties diligently, and work together to create a prosperous era for the Great Chu.
So be it.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" Everyone kowtowed and stood up. Except for Xiao Yanchu, everyone's face was filled with shock.
No one expected that the late emperor's edict would be in the hands of the Prince of Lin'an.
If the late emperor had passed the throne to his eldest son, Xiao Ye, who was then known as Prince Yu, and Prince Yu is no longer alive, then according to custom, the one who should inherit the throne should be Prince Yu's son.
That is, the current young prince, Xiao Bingyi!
Everyone realized this, and their expressions varied.
Xiao Chenyi naturally understood this, and he shouted, "Impossible, impossible! I have already ascended the throne, I am the true emperor!"
Xiao Chenyi trembled slightly, clenched his fists, and glared fiercely at the Prince of Lin'an.
If he had known this would happen, he should have had that old man killed!
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