"Please, Regent, ascend the throne!"
"Please, Regent, ascend the throne!"
The overwhelming clamor for the emperor's ascension, like a raging storm, assaulted the eardrums of everyone in the Hall of Supreme Harmony again and again.
The dozens of officials kneeling on the ground resembled a group of the most devout believers, offering their final loyalty to their new god—Regent Xiao Yuan.
The entire hall was in complete chaos.
The dancers were terrified, their faces pale with fright, and they screamed and fled in all directions; the musicians dropped their instruments and fled in panic to hide in corners, trembling with fear; the foreign envoys who came to witness the ceremony watched in horror at this earth-shattering palace coup, completely at a loss.
Most of the civil and military officials sat stiffly in their seats, their faces ashen, too afraid to move. They were stunned by this sudden and earth-shattering change, their minds blank.
On the throne, Xiao Che's face, which had been filled with shock and anger, slowly calmed down. He didn't say another word, but simply looked at his uncle below, who was full of vigor and seemed to have everything under control, with cold, emotionless eyes.
That look didn't seem like that of a king driven to the brink of despair; it was more like looking at a... dead man.
Under his gaze, Xiao Yuan felt a sudden, inexplicable unease. But he quickly suppressed it. Now that the situation was settled, what trouble could this sickly fellow possibly cause? He was merely feigning composure!
Xiao Yuan met Xiao Che's gaze with a cruel, sinister smile.
"Your Majesty, are you unwilling?" His voice was full of the mocking smirk of a cat toying with a mouse. "Now that things have come to this, what are you still hesitating for? Could it be..."
He abruptly changed the subject, his gaze, sharp as a venomous snake, shooting towards the woman on the throne who had remained calm throughout—Empress Lin Wanwan.
"Could it be that he has been bewitched by this wicked empress, and is unwilling to give up the dragon throne and this vast empire?"
Empress Dowager!
The moment that title was uttered, Lin Wanwan's eyes turned cold.
Xiao Yuan, on the other hand, completely tore off the last veil of pretense. He knew that to rightfully seize the throne, he needed a "righteous" pretext. And the empress, whom he had disliked from the beginning and who had repeatedly thwarted his plans, was undoubtedly the perfect target.
He suddenly waved his hand, his princely robes drawing a sharp arc in the air. He no longer looked at Xiao Che, but turned to face the assembled officials, and in a tone of grief and indignation, he shouted sharply:
"Fellow colleagues! You are all pillars of our Great Liang Dynasty. Are you just going to stand by and watch our dynasty be destroyed by a wicked woman?!"
"This woman is the descendant of a remnant of the previous dynasty! Since entering the palace, she has used sorcery to bewitch the emperor, causing him to become obsessed with the harem and neglect state affairs! She has interfered in matters of state and military affairs, sown discord between the emperor and his ministers, causing chaos in the Great Liang court and turmoil in the country! This is an act that arouses the wrath of both gods and men!"
He became more and more impassioned as he spoke, as if he were truly a loyal minister who had rid the country of a scourge.
"Today, I, Xiao Yuan, as the direct grandson of the founding emperor and the head of the Xiao imperial family, have no choice but to take this drastic measure to protect the Great Liang dynasty from being usurped by a wicked woman and to protect my emperor from being deceived by treacherous officials!"
He pointed sharply at Lin Wanwan on the throne, his eyes flashing with intense killing intent, and issued the first command belonging to the "new emperor":
"Someone come here!"
"Seize this vixen for me!"
"Purge the court of corrupt officials to quell national strife!"
"Purge the court of corrupt officials and quell the national crisis!"
The dozens of henchmen who knelt on the ground shouted in unison, their voices shaking the palace!
The moment he uttered the word "difficult," a sudden change occurred!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A series of sounds of weapons being drawn, like a death knell, suddenly rang out!
Suddenly, those dozens of inconspicuous "guests" who had been mixed in with the other guests all pulled out weapons that had been hidden under their seats or inside their robes, weapons that gleamed with a cold light!
These men, each with fierce eyes, bulging temples, and a strong stench of blood emanating from them, were clearly the regent's long-time henchmen!
They were Xiao Yuan's last and most lethal trump card!
"kill!"
Without the slightest hesitation, without uttering a single wasted word!
Upon receiving the order, these dozens of assassins, like tigers released from their cages or hungry wolves pouncing on their prey, charged madly from all directions toward Lin Wanwan on the throne platform with overwhelming killing intent!
Their goal from the very beginning was not the emperor, but the empress!
Xiao Yuan's move was extremely ruthless!
He wanted to kill Xiao Che's most beloved woman in front of him! He wanted to destroy his nephew, whom he had always looked down upon, both emotionally and physically, in the most cruel way! He wanted Xiao Che to watch his empress be hacked to death, and then slowly torture him to death in extreme pain and despair!
"ah--!"
"An assassin!"
"Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!"
Only at this moment did the terrified officials finally react, their panicked screams, the crashing of overturned tables and chairs, and the shattering of cups and plates echoing throughout the entire hall!
What was originally a magnificent palace banquet has now turned into a bloody battlefield!
The royal guards, loyal to the imperial family, roared and tried to rush forward to protect the emperor, but they were held back by the regent's henchmen and another group of assassins, making it impossible for them to get close to the throne.
The entire Hall of Supreme Harmony was plunged into unprecedented chaos and bloodshed!
The dozens of most elite assassins had broken through all obstacles and surged up the steps leading to the throne like a black torrent of death!
Lin Wanwan stood on the high platform, watching the grotesque-faced assassins below, their eyes filled with bloodlust, getting closer and closer to her.
Five zhang...
Three zhang...
One zhang...
She could clearly smell the blood emanating from them, clearly see the cold glint reflected from their blades, and clearly feel the chilling killing intent that was almost tearing people apart!
She instinctively gripped the dagger hidden in her sleeve, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Your Majesty, be careful!"
Xiao Che, standing beside the throne, let out a horrified roar. He spread his arms and tightly shielded Lin Wanwan behind him, looking just like a trapped beast trying to protect its cubs but powerless to do so.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Upon seeing this, Xiao Yuan burst into hearty laughter.
Die! Die! Watch your woman, filled with fear and despair, be torn to pieces!
Look, the most advanced assassin has already leaped onto the high platform!
He was as burly as an iron tower, wielding a heavy, demon-headed broadsword. With a sinister grin, he raised the blade high and, with all his might, brought it down upon Lin Wanwan, who was being protected behind Xiao Che!
The howling wind from the blade even ruffled the beaded curtain on Lin Wanwan's forehead.
Everyone thought that the next moment would be a tragic scene of blood splattering on the spot and the beautiful woman dying.
Everyone thought that the Empress was doomed!
At this critical moment!
Just as the gleaming blade was about to touch Lin Wanwan's hair!
Xiao Che, who had been "sickly" and "futilely" protecting the Empress with his body...
It moved!
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