As the Yan Empress Dowager spoke, her expression grew increasingly excited: “At that time… not only would Great Zhou suffer heavy losses! They would also be criticized by people throughout the world! Someone as clever as Bai Qingyan wouldn’t fail to understand this! After all… The Great Zhou Emperor’s brother didn’t die! And our Yan has shown our attitude by having me, this Yan Empress Dowager, personally go to Great Zhou to plead guilty!”

She let out a long breath, seeming confident, and said softly, “As long as Great Zhou’s Emperor doesn’t dare kill me, she can only set conditions and then let me return. Thus Yan’s predicament would be resolved!”

“Great Zhou’s Emperor is someone with clear goals who executes them firmly and unwaveringly. She… will not stop her steps or change herself in the slightest for anyone…” Xiao Rongyan’s words were very low, full of disheartened meaning. He then cleared his throat and said to the Yan Empress Dowager: “If Great Zhou is only looking for a suitable excuse to attack Yan this time, I’m afraid that before the Empress Dowager reaches Great Zhou’s borders, Great Zhou will have already begun attacking cities! Or perhaps… they’ll set an ambush on the Empress Dowager’s way to the capital, and after capturing or assassinating the Empress Dowager, instead accuse Yan of not being sincere in pleading guilty, saying that sending the Yan Empress Dowager to Zhou was just an act!”

“And similarly, this would still make people throughout the world question the Yan imperial family!” Zhong Xingxiao quickly added, crying and kowtowing: “The losses would outweigh the gains… Empress Dowager!”

Zhong Xingxiao did not want the Empress Dowager to go to Great Zhou. If the Empress Dowager left… the Zhong family’s only support would be gone. If the Empress Dowager died in the Great Zhou, the Zhong family would be finished too.

So no matter what, Zhong Xingxiao would not let the Empress Dowager go to Great Zhou, and Xiao Rongyan understood this point as well.

When the Yan Empress Dowager heard Xiao Rongyan’s words, her palms had already tightened, her face turned pale, and her tightly clenched fists couldn’t help but tremble. Kill her… halfway there?

“Then… then what should we do?” The Yan Empress Dowager had been confident just moments ago, but now panicked again, unable to help looking toward Xiao Rongyan.

She saw Xiao Rongyan pinching and rubbing the pouch at his waist back and forth. After a long while, he finally spoke: “Allow me… to go back and think about it!”

“Ninth Uncle need not think anymore!” Murong Li’s deep and calm voice came from behind: “I… have already sent an envoy to Zhou to discuss this matter with Great Zhou’s Emperor. I imagine Wang Hanbing has already entered Great Zhou territory with my private seal by now. I’m afraid it’s too late for Mother and Ninth Uncle to stop this!”

“A’Li!” The Yan Empress Dowager’s sharp voice trembled. He actually… even had Wang Hanbing take his private seal. What exactly was A’Li trying to do?

“Ninth Uncle!” Murong Ping looked toward Xiao Rongyan, his heart in complete panic.

“Your Majesty! How can you be so rash!” Though Zhong Xingxiao was shocked, somehow, he felt slightly relieved in his heart. At least this way, they wouldn’t need to have the Empress Dowager go to Great Zhou to plead guilty, so their Zhong family’s backing would still be there.

“Today, I’m merely informing Ninth Uncle, Mother, and the court ministers. Whether you allow it or not, I… have already done it!” Murong Li maintained his imperial dignity and sat down on the throne, his hands gripping the dragon heads on both sides of the dragon chair, slowly speaking: “I am Yan’s Emperor. I… must be responsible for Yan, responsible for Yan’s generals and people! If Ninth Uncle and Mother truly feel that I, this Emperor, have done wrong, then depose me as Emperor! Send another envoy to Zhou, declaring that everything said by the envoy Wang Hanbing sent out by me, this deposed Emperor, is invalid. Perhaps there’s still time…”

“It seems Your Majesty truly has grown wings and no longer needs anyone’s assistance!” Xiao Rongyan’s cold, stern eyes under his mask looked at Murong Li, then he flicked his sleeve and left.

“A’Yan!” The Yan Empress Dowager called out to Xiao Rongyan in panic, but saw Xiao Rongyan walk out of the great hall without looking back.

“Prince! Ninth Prince…” Zhong Xingxiao, kneeling on the polished azure stone floor, raised his head to follow the masked Xiao Rongyan with his gaze, seeming to want to stop Xiao Rongyan from leaving, calling out loudly: “Ninth Prince, you must properly advise His Majesty!”

Xiao Rongyan pulled open the great hall doors, and the ministers outside immediately knelt, but he left without looking back, carrying his aura of deadly intent. The Yan Empress Dowager also collapsed to the ground.

After Murong Ping bowed to the Yan Empress Dowager and Murong Li, he said: “Your Majesty, Mother, I’ll go persuade Ninth Uncle first.”

Her son had truly grown up, making such a major decision without even discussing it with her and his Ninth Uncle!

Now Murong Li was constantly saying “I,” “me” as Emperor—was this still her son?

Zhong Xingxiao, kneeling at the bottom, felt his heart pounding. Remembering what Murong Li had just said about deposing him as Emperor might still be in time, chills suddenly ran up his spine.

Zhong Xingxiao had always felt that Regent Prince Murong Yan coveted the imperial throne. This time, if the court ministers all didn’t support his nephew Murong Li, Murong Yan could take this opportunity to pull Murong Li down from the throne and ascend to become Emperor himself.

Thinking of this, Zhong Xingxiao quickly crawled forward on his knees and kowtowed: “Your Majesty, since things have already become a foregone conclusion, this minister is willing to use all his power to persuade the ministers to agree with Your Majesty’s intentions!”

“Brother, have you also gone mad?” After the Yan Empress Dowager scolded him, she saw Zhong Xingxiao secretly winking and shaking his head at her.

The Yan Empress Dowager’s lips moved silently.

Murong Li looked at Zhong Xingxiao, pretending to be very moved, and spoke gently: “Thank you, Uncle…”

“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager cannot understand for the moment. This minister is willing to help Your Majesty counsel and comfort the Empress Dowager. If Your Majesty permits, this minister would like to escort the Empress Dowager back to the palace…” Zhong Xingxiao solemnly kowtowed: “I hope Your Majesty will grant permission!”

Murong Li knew that Zhong Xingxiao probably already understood that handing over Mother would be harmful rather than beneficial to their Zhong family, and could even be said to make the Zhong family lose their backing in the court… and even in Yan. So this uncle of his would persuade Mother to agree to his method, and might even have Mother find ways to persuade Ninth Uncle.

When Murong Li just spoke of deposing the Emperor, for Yan court’s “Empress Dowager faction,” they feared two things: first, that the Ninth Prince would take action to pull Murong Li down from the throne; second, that they would send the Empress Dowager to Great Zhou to appease Great Zhou Emperor’s anger.

At this time, the “Empress Dowager faction” was facing both internal and external troubles. As the leader of the “Empress Dowager faction,” Zhong Xingxiao naturally chose the lesser of two evils and agreed with Murong Li’s approach.

Just as Murong Li had predicted, Zhong Xingxiao was already persuading the Yan Empress Dowager on their way back to the palace.

Zhong Xingxiao followed beside the Yan Empress Dowager, maintaining a respectful posture, having all the eunuchs and palace maids follow far behind without approaching. The siblings walked while speaking in low voices.

“A’Li is the Emperor, and an Emperor’s word cannot be taken back! Since A’Li has already sent an envoy to Great Zhou, the Empress Dowager, as His Majesty’s mother, can only support His Majesty! Otherwise…” Zhong Xingxiao’s voice paused as he glanced at the Yan Empress Dowager’s ugly expression.