Upon arriving at the palace, they dismounted and walked in. As first-rank noblewomen, they were entitled to be carried in by sedan chair, but whether they were unprepared or deliberately forgot, it is impossible to know.
Upon entering the main hall, I was led by a palace maid to a seat. Next to me was another first-rank imperial consort, but she was much older, at least in her sixties. It was quite inappropriate for the two of them to be sitting there.
After waiting for a while, the Emperor appeared with the Empress and other concubines. The ministers and noblewomen knelt down to pay their respects. The Emperor asked everyone to stand up and then explained the purpose of the banquet.
When everyone looked over, An Shuyi and Xia Hua smiled politely, then subtly turned their eyes away.
After the palace maids brought the dishes, the dancers entered the main hall and danced in the middle. After the dance ended, the dancers left, and a minister's daughter went up to the main hall to perform a ballad for everyone.
The emperor gladly accepted the gift, and afterwards, he rewarded the woman with some jewelry. Then, many other women from the ministers went up to perform, and an hour later, the hall was bustling with activity.
Unbeknownst to them, Xiao Yubai had already led two thousand iron cavalry into the palace, where they were killed before the guards and secret agents could react.
The Emperor, completely unaware of all this, asked An Huaijin below, "Minister An, I've heard you have a younger sister who is most skilled at playing the zither and painting. Why didn't you bring her to the palace today?"
An Huaijin stood up and said, “Your Majesty, my sister Jin grew up in the countryside and is very unruly. Bringing her to such an occasion would only spoil the enjoyment of Your Majesty and the Empress. So we have no choice but to leave her at home.”
“You’re mistaken, my dear minister. Growing up in the countryside, one can better appreciate the simplicity and honesty of young women. I wonder if Miss An is betrothed? If not, I can find her a good match.”
"The Empress always says she has no companionship, so it's a good opportunity to bring Miss An into the palace and tell her about things in the countryside."
An Huaijin glanced at her aunt and was about to reply when she heard a sound from outside.
“My nephew, the Emperor, you’re holding a banquet in the palace. Why didn’t you invite me?” As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yubai walked in from outside.
He wore a long white robe with gold thread embroidery and a gold belt, which made him look several years younger.
Upon seeing him, the Emperor's hand trembled involuntarily before he said, "It's my uncle. It's my fault. I didn't hear any news of your return. Otherwise, why didn't I invite you, my uncle?"
"Uncle, please take a seat. I only learned about you from Father. Otherwise, I wouldn't know. When did you arrive in the capital? Why didn't anyone inform you?" As he finished speaking, he subtly moved his hand.
I don't know what these secret guards are good for; when Xiao Yubai entered the capital, no one came to report it.
The other ministers looked at him in surprise, unable to recall why there was another vassal king. However, judging from the emperor's expression, it didn't seem like a fake.
Moreover, this prince was General Xiao, who was in charge of guarding the border. No wonder the retired emperor rarely paid attention to the border; it turned out that this prince was in charge of guarding it.
Xiao Yubai did not sit down, but said, "I came to the capital a few days ago, but unfortunately no one knew. I happened to hear from my servants that a banquet was being held in the palace, but I did not receive any news, so I came to inquire."
"I heard it's a welcome banquet for the General of the Cavalry. Let me see which general it is!"
The Emperor turned to look at the two people sitting there without any reaction. "They are Madam An and Madam Xia. They were previously stationed in Wucheng, but they are still women. I hereby confer upon them the title of First-Rank Imperial Lady."
"The two ladies are exceptionally skilled in leading troops into battle. If you have the chance, Imperial Uncle, you can seek them out for a friendly exchange. By the way, Imperial Uncle, I heard that the Princess didn't come with you."
“Princess?” Xiao Yubai glanced at him. “My wife was unhappy, so I had her killed.”
"My lady? When did my royal uncle get married? How come I didn't know?"
Glancing at the people drinking, Xiao Yubai said impatiently, "Why should I let you know about my marriage? Only your Xiao family would do something like bestowing the title of First-Rank Imperial Lady upon a First-Rank General."
"Boy, get off the throne right now, or I might spare your life. Otherwise, you know what will happen: all your guards, secret agents, and soldiers will be killed by me."
"If you don't believe me, feel free to send your secret guards to investigate. You forced your own father to abdicate, but who would have thought that you would one day be forced to abdicate as well?" With that, he waved his hand, and the iron cavalry outside rushed in.
The ministers and their wives were all terrified and huddled in their seats. They hadn't expected that this prince had come prepared, and that the emperor's men hadn't even noticed when he had entered the city.
The emperor looked at the iron cavalry, their bodies and swords covered in blood, and knew that Xiao Yubai was not lying. Moreover, if he hadn't fought his way in, a guard would have come to report it long ago.
Then he thought about the guards who hadn't been there when he went out earlier, and he knew they must have been killed. In the palace, he only had 60,000 soldiers and 20,000 guards. If they were all killed, he would have no backup plan.
"Uncle, you are joking. My throne was abdicated by my father, and there is an imperial edict. How can you say that I forced him to take it? The Duke of Protectorate, the Left Chancellor, and other ministers are all here."
Xiao Yubai raised his sword. "I don't care whether you forced me or not. I'm just asking you, will you relinquish the throne or not?"
"Don't count on your uncle, Nangong Haotian, to come and save you. Wasn't he exiled to Jincheng by you? He can't come back without an imperial decree."
"And Wucheng, you want the military tally to confer the title of First-Rank General on the title of First-Rank Lady. Are you also thinking of using the same method to get the military tally for the frontier?"
"Royal Uncle!" Xiao Zili wanted to say more, but the next second he was pointed at with a sword.
"To give way or not to give way?"
"Imperial Uncle, I will not allow it. If you have the guts, then kill him and see what the people of the world say." After saying that, he drew the guard's sword and held it in his hand.
Now he can only escape to Wucheng. With the military tally, he will definitely be able to come back and take revenge. Aunt An, Aunt Xia, as long as you protect me and help me leave, I will return the military tally to you.
An Shuyi and Xia Hua put down their wine glasses and glanced at him indifferently.
"Do you think we still need that military tally?"
Under the gaze of Xiao Zili and the other ministers, An Shuyi continued, "You still don't understand? It seems that these four years have turned you into a fool with power."
“Actually, we gave you a chance, but why didn’t you trust us? Not only did you weaken Wucheng’s supplies, but you also caused trouble for Wen Liu and others every time, and even wanted the military seal.”
"You can have all of these, but you shouldn't be eyeing An Huairou. She is not someone you can covet. Don't you even know what she is? You were able to sit on this throne because we helped you."
“We’re helping you, but you want the An family’s daughter to enter the palace. You don’t even care about the throne. Do you think we’d care about a concubine’s position? It’s ridiculous.”
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