Regent Xiao Yuan's steps were steady and powerful.
Every step seemed to tread upon the heartbeats of everyone in the hall.
Holding his wine cup, with that sincere smile of "loyalty to the emperor and patriotism" on his face, he walked through the seats of the officials and finally stopped at the foot of the dragon throne.
The entire Hall of Supreme Harmony was completely silent.
Even the melodious palace music had quietly ceased at some point. Only the occasional crackling sound of the burning candlelight remained.
All eyes were focused on this powerful prince, awaiting his next move.
Xiao Yuan bowed slightly to the young emperor on the dragon throne, whose face was gloomy. His posture was extremely humble, and his tone was full of the "respect" and "admiration" of a junior to an elder.
"His Majesty."
He raised his wine cup high and said loudly, "Recently, Your Majesty and I have had many disputes in the court due to differing political views, which has caused estrangement between the sovereign and his ministers, and between uncle and nephew. This is my fault. Today, on the occasion of a minor victory at the border, which is a cause for celebration throughout the land, I would like to take this opportunity to toast Your Majesty."
He paused, then his voice suddenly rose, filled with heartfelt sincerity.
"I wish to set aside our past grievances with Your Majesty and drink this cup together! From now on, let us, ruler and subject, be of one mind, uncle and nephew, live in harmony, and work together to create an everlasting peace for our Great Liang!"
These words were spoken flawlessly and with impeccable dignity!
Those unaware of the details would likely be moved to tears by this wise king who prioritized the greater good and cared deeply for the nation.
Among the officials present, those from the Regent's faction immediately took the lead and loudly echoed his sentiments.
"Your Highness is truly wise and righteous; you are a blessing to our Great Liang!"
"Your Majesty, the Prince's sincerity is as clear as day. I beg Your Majesty to drink this cup with the Prince and reconcile!"
For a moment, the entire hall was filled with shouts of "reconciliation." It was as if Xiao Che would be ungrateful and betray the good intentions of his loyal ministers if he did not drink this cup of wine.
However, just when everyone thought that Xiao Che would be forced to "reconcile" by this public opinion, Regent Xiao Yuan did not immediately offer him a wine glass.
His smile remained "sincere," but a more sinister, venomous glint flashed in his eyes.
Instead of taking action immediately, he changed the subject, mentioning another matter in a seemingly casual tone, as if he had just remembered it.
"To my shame," he sighed slightly, a troubled expression on his face, "I recently heard about a minor matter that has damaged the royal family's reputation."
It's here!
Lin Wanwan sneered inwardly, her fingers tightening slightly as she gripped the wine glass.
She knew that after this "toast," the real "poison" was about to be served!
Regent Xiao Yuan, feigning difficulty, glanced at the expressionless Lin Wanwan, then at Xiao Che on the dragon throne, his voice filled with the "dilemma of a loyal subject."
"I have recently heard that a distant cousin of the Empress's family is acting recklessly in the Jiangnan region, taking advantage of his status as a member of the imperial family. He has been seizing fertile land and causing widespread resentment among the people. I originally intended to settle this matter privately on behalf of Your Majesty and bring that wicked person to justice on the spot to uphold the law of the land."
“But…” He changed the subject, his face showing an even more “difficult” expression, “I am also afraid that this matter will damage the harmony between Your Majesty and the Empress that has finally been eased. After all… even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner.”
His gaze fell on Xiao Che again, and he threw an extremely vicious hot potato at him in front of all the civil and military officials!
"Although this matter is minor, it concerns the face of the royal family and, more importantly, the dignity of the laws of our Great Liang. I am but a humble subject, and dare not presume to act on my own. I wonder, Your Majesty... how you intend to handle this?"
"boom--!"
The Regent's words were like a bomb dropped into a calm lake, instantly creating a huge uproar in the hall!
ruthless!
That's too ruthless!
This is no longer a simple test.
This is a blatant and open coercion, using "national law" and "family ties" as weapons!
This is an open conspiracy with no solution!
All the officials present instantly understood the ruthlessness of this move!
To deal with it or not to deal with it?
If Xiao Che were to order the punishment of the Empress's relatives, it would be tantamount to slapping Empress Lin Wanwan in the face in front of the whole world! This would undoubtedly confirm the rumors of discord between the Emperor and Empress! What prestige would an emperor have if he couldn't even protect his own wife's family? What dignity would an empress have if she were publicly humiliated by her husband? From then on, the Emperor and Empress would become a laughingstock for their political enemies!
But what if Xiao Che chooses not to take action?
The consequences would be even more severe!
They shielded and condoned this, bending the law for personal gain! They disregarded the law for the sake of a woman!
From now on, Xiao Che will bear the infamy of being a "tyrant"! His imperial authority will be completely destroyed! The regent will then be able to legitimately use the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials" to further undermine his power!
Going forward is a mistake!
Retreating is also a mistake!
No matter what choice Xiao Che makes, he will fall into the trap carefully designed by the Regent!
In an instant, the atmosphere in the entire hall froze.
All eyes were fixed on the young emperor on the dragon throne, like spotlights.
They were all waiting, waiting to see how he would respond to this sudden, deadly attack!
The royalist officials were sweating profusely with anxiety, cursing the regent's ancestors for eighteen generations in their hearts.
Meanwhile, the regent's cronies all wore gloating smiles, as if they were watching a good show.
Regent Xiao Yuan maintained his bowed posture, his face showing the "dilemma of a loyal minister," but his eyes held a venomous, determined sneer.
You little bastard, let's see how you break this deadlock this time!
However, to everyone's surprise, Xiao Che, sitting on the dragon throne, didn't even glance at him.
His irritation and impatience seemed to have deepened.
He did not answer the Regent's question. Instead, he cast his cold, disdainful gaze directly at the Empress beside him—Lin Wanwan.
Just when everyone thought the emperor was about to publicly rage and reprimand the empress, they saw that the emoji area above Xiao Che's head, which only Lin Wanwan could see, suddenly lit up!
There, instead of any quirky patterns, stood a giant clapperboard, the kind used during filming, with a line of flashing light effects written in large, flamboyant characters—
【It's your turn to step on stage, my Best Actress.gif】!
Immediately afterwards, Xiao Che, as if he could no longer bear it, let out a cold snort full of impatience and disgust towards Lin Wanwan!
"Empress!"
He spoke coldly, in an almost accusatory tone:
"Tell me yourself, what should I do about this?"
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