Inside Hanyuan Hall, there was deathly silence.
The air was filled with three distinct yet eerily intertwined scents: the nauseatingly sweet aroma of evaporating poison, the overwhelming stench of blood, and the chilling, murderous aura emanating from the figure beside the dragon throne.
All eyes were fixed on the uncle and nephew facing each other in the center of the hall.
The hem of Regent Xiao Yuan's python robe was soaked with warm blood. The head, its eyes wide open in death, lay rolled at his feet, its empty sockets seemingly still silently accusing him. He could feel countless gazes, some filled with fear, some with curiosity, and some with schadenfreude, piercing him like thorns.
But he dared not move, and even his breathing was extremely soft.
Because his nephew, the current emperor Xiao Che, was carrying that long sword that was still dripping blood, and slowly walking towards him step by step.
Every step felt like a heavy, deadly blow to his heart.
What truly terrified him was the area above Xiao Che's head that only Lin Wanwan could see. At that moment, a gigantic image written in blood, labeled "Kill," pounded wildly like a heart, casting an ominous crimson glow over the entire hall.
“Uncle,” Xiao Che stopped in front of him, his voice icy cold and devoid of any human emotion, like a judgment from the deepest hell, “Is this the 'surprise' you gave to the Empress?”
These words struck Xiao Yuan's heart like an invisible giant hammer.
He knew that this was a matter of life and death. The Xiao Che before him was no longer the sickly puppet he could manipulate at will, but a tiger that had been thoroughly enraged and was ready to devour anyone it could! Any weakness or hesitation could lead to utter destruction!
Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Xiao Yuan took a deep breath, forcing a pained expression onto his face. He bowed deeply to Xiao Che, his voice filled with anger and injustice at being deceived:
"Your Majesty, please be wise! I...I was also deceived by this audacious dancer!"
He raised his head, looking "sincerely" at Xiao Che, and hurriedly explained, "I only recommended this woman because I found her dance to be exquisite and wanted to add some joy to Your Majesty's birthday banquet. I never imagined that this woman was actually an assassin with treacherous intentions, who almost committed a heinous crime! It was my fault for misjudging people and failing in my judgment. I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"
These words were perfectly watertight.
He attributed his responsibility entirely to "misjudging people," completely absolving himself of the role of a deceived victim, rather than the mastermind. As long as there was no way to prove his innocence, who could possibly harm this powerful regent?
Several of his close associates immediately realized what was happening and knelt down to "testify" for him.
"Your Highness's dedication to public service is as clear as day and night; we beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"
"This matter must be a conspiracy by those barbarians from the Western Regions, and has nothing to do with Your Highness!"
However, Xiao Che didn't even lift an eyelid in the face of Xiao Yuan's near-perfect performance.
He didn't even glance at his "good uncle" again, as if his and his cronies' explanations were nothing more than the noisy chirping of cicadas in summer, not worth bothering to listen to.
This utter, deep-seated disregard was more humiliating and chilling to Xiao Yuan than any thunderous rage!
Xiao Che slowly turned around, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.
His gaze passed over the kneeling regent, over the trembling civil and military officials, and finally, like a red-hot branding iron, it was fiercely branded onto a person at the entrance of the hall.
That was Li Wei, the commander of the Imperial Guards responsible for the defense of the entire palace.
Li Wei was standing at the palace gate, directing his men to clean up the scene and isolate the inside from the outside. When Xiao Che's icy gaze locked onto him, he felt his blood freeze instantly, and a chill ran from his tailbone straight to the top of his head!
The color drained from his face in an instant, and his armor seemed to weigh a ton, making it hard to breathe. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He could only watch helplessly as the emperor, wielding a blood-dripping sword, delivered a chillingly calm interrogation.
"Commander Li."
Xiao Che's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly carried to every corner of Hanyuan Hall.
"I would like to ask you something."
He casually pointed the tip of his knife at the charred pit corroded by the deadly poison, and at the headless female corpse that was still convulsing.
“An assassin dared to commit murder openly right under my nose during my birthday banquet.”
His voice suddenly rose, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, exploding in everyone's ears!
"Where are my imperial guards?!"
"You bear the responsibility of protecting the imperial city, you eat the emperor's food and bear the emperor's worries! Yet now you allow villains to enter your territory as if it were none of your own, and almost caused the empress to lose her life on the spot!"
"Such dereliction of duty, such incompetence—what crime is this?!"
This series of questions was piercing, each word like a knife!
It was no longer aimed at a single assassin, but rather at the entire Imperial Guard system! It was no longer a "personal assassination," but was directly characterized by Xiao Che as a complete "systemic dereliction of duty"!
Commander Li Wei of the Imperial Guards could no longer stand and collapsed to his knees with a thud. The plume on his helmet trembled violently as he kowtowed repeatedly, his voice trembling with sobs: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, please calm your anger! This humble general... this humble general is guilty! This humble general deserves to die!"
That's it! That was the only thought left in his mind.
He knew that the emperor wasn't questioning his crimes at all, but rather targeting him, and the entire Imperial Guard... to make an example of him!
The Regent Xiao Yuan, who was kneeling in front, had a drastic change in expression the moment he heard Xiao Che's words!
He suddenly raised his head, his eyes revealing shock and disbelief for the first time.
He finally understood!
That brat Xiao Che wasn't after that dancer at all! From the very beginning, his target was the Imperial Guard, whom he had planted countless loyalists and kept firmly under his control!
Tonight's assassination attempt not only failed to kill the Empress, but instead became a sharp blade that he handed to Xiao Che, enough to pry open the foundation of his own power!
"Good! What a disgrace to the guards for their incompetence!"
Xiao Che looked at Li Wei, who was kneeling and begging for mercy, and a cold smile appeared on his face. He didn't give Li Wei any chance to explain and directly issued a shocking order!
"Issue my decree!"
His voice, like a rolling cold current, instantly swept through the entire hall, making everyone feel a chill run through their bodies!
"Immediately, seal off all four gates of the palace! No one is permitted to enter or leave!"
"All Imperial Guards, regardless of rank or position, shall immediately disarm and lay down their weapons, and remain in place to await further orders and investigation!"
"Anyone who dares to disobey orders or act without authorization shall be treated as a traitor and executed without exception!"
Each order, like the sharpest knife, precisely severed the Imperial Guard's command system.
The final order was like a resounding slap in the face to Regent Xiao Yuan!
"From this moment forward, all defenses inside and outside the Imperial City shall be taken over by my Dragon Scale Guards!"
This is hardly a censorship.
This is clearly a bloodless military coup!
In front of the entire court and in front of him, the regent, Xiao Che used the most forceful and uncompromising method to ruthlessly seize armed control of the palace!
"Your Majesty! This is absolutely forbidden!" Li Wei roared, his face ashen. "The Imperial Guards are the foundation of the nation. Such unauthorized action could... could trigger a mutiny!"
"Mutiny?" Xiao Che sneered, casually tossing his long sword back into the scabbard of the guard beside him with a crisp clang. "An assassin has appeared in my palace! This is the greatest mutiny! My guards must be thoroughly cleansed. How can the Empress and I sleep tonight?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a series of neat, yet thunderous footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall!
Dozens of guards, dressed in black, close-fitting outfits, wearing iron masks, and with standard-issue scimitars at their waists, appeared silently at the entrance of the main hall like hunting dogs emerging from the shadows. The murderous aura emanating from them was many times stronger than that of the pampered imperial guards!
This is the Emperor's personal guard, the Dragon Scale Guard!
The commander of the Dragon Scale Guards stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and said in a deep, steady voice, "Dragon Scale Guards, heed my command! Please give your instructions, Your Majesty!"
Xiao Che didn't even glance at him, but instead turned his cold gaze back to the pale-faced Regent Xiao Yuan.
He slowly walked back to the steps, and as he passed Xiao Yuan, he whispered something in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Uncle Wang, did you enjoy the show tonight?"
Xiao Yuan was jolted, as if struck by lightning!
He finally realized that his assassination attempt tonight was a complete joke from beginning to end! Not only did he fail, he also gave his opponent a perfect excuse to purge his forces!
He watched helplessly as Xiao Che sat back on the dragon throne and the Dragon Scale Guard commander took his orders and left.
He watched helplessly as the ferocious Dragon Scale Guards, carrying the emperor's decree, charged towards the Imperial Guard camp.
He knew that after tonight, the palace would be completely transformed.
And all of this was caused by his own hands.
At that moment, for the first time, an uncontrollable, insane, and venomous hatred ignited in Regent Xiao Yuan's eyes!
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