With His Majesty's passing, in the midst of handling the aftermath, the eldest princess and the crown prince seemed to be vying for power, and the court officials were pondering which side to take, becoming more cautious than before.
Chi Yan seemed completely unaffected. A series of hurried footsteps sounded behind him, accompanied by gritted teeth, and then his neck was wrapped around from behind.
"You bastard, Chi Yan, I've finally caught you!"
Chi Yan knew who the person was, so he didn't hide and let the other person drag him to a secluded corner.
Xiao Yu glared at him, his eyes blazing with anger, yet he had to lower his voice for some reason:
"What are you up to, you brat? You tricked me into believing you could save the emperor by stealing my father's military seal, and what happened then?!"
The emperor is dead, and his family has now become an integral part of the eldest princess's faction!
He's now filled with regret. Why did he have to believe that bastard's evil deeds?
Chi Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, teasing him deliberately: "Isn't it good? Your family is now a great contributor, and General Xiao's popularity is unmatched right now!"
"Hero my foot! You're clearly trying to drag my family down with you!" Xiao Yu gritted his teeth and punched him, rubbing a certain spot with suppressed anger. "My dad almost beat my butt to a pulp when he found out I stole the military tally!"
Chi Yan didn't dodge, but looked down at him with a half-smile: "What are you angry about? Do you think you could have stolen it with your brains without your father's permission?"
Xiao Yu was taken aback: "What do you mean?"
He chuckled softly.
Emperor Chongde had long been wary of the Xiao family's military power. His support for the Qi Kingdom severely weakened the Xiao family's army, which was a strategic move on his part. If he had lived a few more years, it's hard to say whether the surname Xiao would still exist in Yanjing!
General Xiao was a clever man. Since the emperor was unjust, he naturally had to find a way out for himself.
However, the old fox is cunning after all. He needs to come up with a plausible excuse for taking sides, so that he will at least have a way out if he fails.
That's how Xiao Yu stole the military tally.
Xiao Yu's expression was complicated after hearing this: "Am I my father's biological son?"
Such a big thing, and you didn't tell him!
Chi Yan slowly curled his lips, his tone irritating: "I'm not your father, go ask your father."
Xiao Yu: "..."
Good, your fist is hard again.
...
Two days later, the eldest princess and the crown prince met in the court. Neither of them spoke, but the atmosphere was tense.
The ministers were the ones who suffered the most. They had a vague feeling that they might not be able to leave the palace today, and some had even left their wills at home before they came.
Because the matter to be discussed today is the selection of the successor.
Logically speaking, as the eldest son of the legitimate wife, the Crown Prince should rightfully succeed to the throne, but the Princess's troops are stationed outside the city, which can be described as a covetous threat.
Then this matter cannot be discussed according to common sense.
In the dead silence, Yan Huai broke the silence: "I have gathered everyone here today because I have something to announce."
He looked at the bright yellow imperial edict held in Eunuch Fu's hands, his expression calm. "This is the late emperor's last edict. Eunuch Fu, please read it to everyone."
The hall fell silent again. Everyone secretly glanced at the princess's face and saw that she was unusually quiet, with a complicated look in her eyes.
So everyone was secretly on edge. After Eunuch Fu finished reading the will, would the Princess order the massacre of this place?
With the heavy hearts of those about to be beheaded, the crowd knelt down to receive the imperial decree.
Eunuch Fu was no less nervous than the people below the stage. He took a deep breath and said, "By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees—"
"Princess Yan Mingyi is intelligent, filial, virtuous, and talented, and is well-suited to inherit the throne..."
Everyone looked up in a daze, gradually realizing that something was wrong.
This is the last edict left by the retired emperor!
Yan Mingyi kept her head down, and no one could see the expression on her face. Only her thick eyelashes trembled occasionally, indicating that her emotions were not calm.
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