Inside the Golden Palace, there was a deathly silence.
All eyes were fixed on Regent Xiao Yuan like sharp arrows. The bloodied head and the piercingly veiled letter weighed on him like two invisible mountains, making it hard for him to breathe. His face was deathly pale, his lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word in his defense.
The evidence is irrefutable!
On the dragon throne, Xiao Che looked down at his once arrogant imperial uncle. The sickly weakness and disappointment that had been disguised for so long in his eyes slowly faded away at this moment, replaced by an unprecedented sharpness and majesty, like a peerless divine weapon that had finally been drawn from its sheath, its sharpness fully revealed!
That's enough.
The cat-and-mouse game has reached its limit.
Today, he no longer needs any pretense. Before all the civil and military officials, at the pinnacle of power in the Great Liang Dynasty, he will formally confront this all-powerful regent!
"Uncle Wang interfered in military affairs and made unfounded suspicions, almost causing a mutiny in the capital's military camp and destabilizing the capital." Xiao Che's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable penetrating power, clearly reaching every corner of the hall. "I am deeply saddened by this matter."
He slowly rose from the dragon throne and descended the steps. His seemingly frail figure now exuded a chilling aura of oppression. Each step felt as if it were treading on the heart of the Regent and his cronies.
"Back then, the late emperor, in order to assist me, bestowed upon my uncle the power to 'control the armies of the realm,' which was for the sake of national stability." Xiao Che walked to the center of the hall, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over the trembling ministers below. "However, it now seems that this power has not only failed to stabilize the foundation of the nation, but has instead become a source of turmoil."
He paused, his gaze finally settling on Xiao Yuan, whose face was ashen. Each word he uttered was sharp and resonant, like metal striking stone, deafeningly clear:
"Today, in the name of the Emperor of Great Liang, I hereby formally declare—"
"Reclaim the Regent's power to control all the armies in the land!"
Boom!!!
These words, like a thunderclap from the heavens, suddenly exploded within the Golden Palace!
The entire court was horrified and turned pale!
To take back military power?!
This is no longer a warning or a reprimand; this is a radical overhaul! This is an attempt to uproot the very foundation upon which the Regent depends for his survival!
Everyone was stunned by the emperor's sudden and swift action. They stared at the young emperor standing upright in the center of the hall, suddenly feeling a profound sense of unfamiliarity. Was this... this still the sickly emperor they remembered, the one who only hid behind the empress and was manipulated by the regent?
After a brief silence, the Regent's faction finally reacted.
The Minister of Personnel was the first to jump out, vehemently opposing, "Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable! This is the late Emperor's dying wish; how can it be changed so easily? The Regent has toiled for the country for many years; even if he has not achieved great merit, he has certainly worked hard. Your Majesty's actions will likely chill the hearts of the imperial family!"
“That’s right! Military power is a matter of great importance to the country, how can it be treated lightly? Your Majesty, please think it over!” Minister of War Li hurriedly echoed, knowing that once the regent fell, he would definitely not escape the charge of corruption.
In an instant, more than ten of the regent's henchmen stepped forward and expressed their strong opposition, attempting to suppress the emperor by using the "last will and testament of the late emperor" and "ancestral rules."
However, this time, the scene of isolation and helplessness that they had anticipated did not occur.
Just as they finished speaking, on the other side, the royalist veterans led by the prime minister, along with those officials who had remained neutral, stepped forward in an unprecedentedly united manner!
An elderly censor with white hair and beard, holding a jade tablet, spoke in a booming voice: "Your Majesty is wise! The Regent Prince is selfish and abuses his military power, causing unrest in the army and instability in the country. His power to 'control the army' should have been revoked long ago! This is a move to restore order, and this old minister seconds my opinion!"
"I second that opinion!" The Prime Minister's words were concise and to the point, his attitude resolute.
"We second that proposal!"
Dozens of officials spoke in unison! Their voices converged into a torrent, fiercely impacting the Regent's weak supporters.
The Shen Ce incident acted as a catalyst, completely stimulating these ministers who had previously dared not speak out. They saw the Regent's true colors and also witnessed the Emperor's hidden methods and determination. They knew it was time to choose sides!
In the Golden Palace, a clear-cut confrontation instantly emerged.
On one side were the Regent's supporters stubbornly resisting, and on the other were the unprecedentedly united royalists and neutrals. The atmosphere in the court was tense, ready to erupt at any moment!
Xiao Yuan stared at the scene before him, his hands and feet turning ice-cold. He realized that, without even noticing, he had found himself surrounded by enemies. The tide seemed to be turning against him.
No! He still has a chance!
He forced himself to remain calm, stepped forward, and said to Xiao Che in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I hold military power as entrusted by the late Emperor. Now, based solely on Shen Ce's one-sided account, Your Majesty intends to strip me of my military power. This is far too hasty! I do not accept this!"
He wanted to make a last-ditch effort to drag the matter into endless court debates in order to find a chance to turn the tide.
However, will Xiao Che give him this opportunity?
Of course not.
Xiao Che looked at him, and suddenly a cold smile with a hint of pity appeared on his face.
"Uncle, do you think that I am confronting you today based solely on a military report from Shen Ce?"
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly clapped his hands.
"Someone come here!"
"Bring it up!"
At his command, the heavy doors of the Golden Palace slowly opened. Two squads of imperial guards, clad in black armor, marched in unison, carrying a heavy chest covered in black cloth, into the hall.
"Bang!"
The box was placed heavily on the white jade slab in the center of the hall, making a dull thud that startled everyone.
Xiao Yuan stared at the familiar box, his pupils suddenly contracting, and an extreme fear instantly gripped his heart!
"Uncle seems to recognize this?" Xiao Che's tone was calm, yet it was like the whisper of a devil. "That's right, after all, this is the 'grand gift' that Uncle prepared to use to send me off in my final days."
Having said that, he coldly gave the order to the commander of the Imperial Guards:
"Open it! Let all my beloved ministers have a good look at what wonderful things our Regent has prepared for our Great Liang!"
The commander of the Imperial Guards stepped forward and ripped off the black cloth covering the box!
"Splash—!"
As the black cloth slid off, the box full of evidence was instantly exposed to everyone!
On the top layer were rolls of blueprints tightly wrapped in oilcloth and stacks of thick letters. The Imperial Guards unfolded one of the blueprints in front of everyone.
"hiss--!"
The moment they saw the contents of the blueprints, all the officials in the court gasped in shock!
What was drawn on it was the most detailed defense layout map of the nine gates of the capital! Troop deployment, rotation time, weaknesses in firepower... everything was marked clearly!
This isn't a blueprint; it's clearly a map of treason!
Before everyone could recover from their shock, the Imperial Guards picked up several more letters and began reading them aloud.
"...On the night of the Emperor's birthday, under the pretext of presenting gifts, I will lead three hundred armored soldiers into the palace. After the deed is done, you and I will share wealth and honor..."
"...The northern border is undefended, so we can enlist the barbarians as external aid. Once the matter is settled, we will grant them the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun..."
Each letter struck like a heavy hammer blow to everyone's heart! Manufacturing weapons illegally! Colluding with foreign enemies! Ceding territory!
If the assassination attempt on Shen Ce was merely a matter of personal morality and power struggle, then what these letters reveal now is an undeniable crime of treason that warrants the extermination of nine generations of one's family!
"No...this isn't true! This is slander! This is a frame-up!" Xiao Yuan panicked completely, pointing at the letters and roaring hoarsely.
However, his explanations seemed so pale and powerless in the face of such irrefutable evidence. Those familiar handwritings, those letters bearing his personal seal, silently mocked his dying struggle.
Xiao Che looked at him coldly, his eyes devoid of any warmth.
He slowly walked to the box, took out a letter and a blueprint, and walked slowly to Xiao Yuan.
He didn't look at the horrified officials anymore, but simply handed what he was holding to Xiao Yuan.
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an overwhelming power, clearly resonating throughout the deathly silent hall:
"Uncle Wang, now, do you still think that the armies of this world..."
"Is it up to you to exercise restraint?"
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