This… gave Xiao Rongyan the capital to travel to Wei as a merchant, enabling him to have the silver needed to procure grain and weapons for Yan, allowing Yan to gradually recover. It could be said that these imperial clan relatives contributed immensely. Xiao Rongyan had not forgotten the common people who weathered hardships alongside Yan, and naturally could not forget these kinfolk either.

Therefore, after using extremely harsh methods to politically deal with certain Murong imperial clan relatives, he also entrusted other Murong imperial clan relatives with important duties. After all, they were all of the same clan and had once joined hands to help Yan through its most difficult moments. Now that Yan had recovered, it was time to compensate these imperial clan relatives who had remained loyal through thick and thin, to give them a future.

Xiao Rongyan had not let Murong Li become tainted by the affair of offending the imperial clan relatives, but had charged forward himself, reorganizing the Murong imperial clan while keeping Murong Li hidden behind him.

But it was precisely because Xiao Rongyan had previously kept Murong Li behind him, personally using fierce methods to discipline the clan, that he had also planted seeds of trouble.

This caused the Murong imperial clan to develop strong wariness toward Xiao Rongyan in their hearts, feeling that he was someone who would disown even his own relatives once he held power, while also considering the young Emperor Murong Li to be easily manipulated… a soft-hearted person.

Now that Xiao Rongyan was not in the Yan capital, having gone to inspect the plague-stricken cities, these imperial clan relatives had no one to suppress them. Naturally, they wanted to use the Empress Dowager’s affair as an excuse to enter the palace and put on airs as elders before the young emperor.

Inside the great hall, lamp shadows flickered, and the fierce wind made the palace doors bang loudly. Murong Li’s tender face remained composed as the clan relatives knelt within the great hall, facing him, each earnestly advising the emperor one by one.

“This time, although the Empress Dowager’s actions were truly excessive, people throughout the realm are watching our Murong imperial family. After the Regent returns and resolves Minister Meng’s faction with harsh methods, rumors are already spreading outside. If Your Majesty now sends the Empress Dowager away, wouldn’t this confirm the matter of the Empress Dowager placing Your Majesty under house arrest? This… would be a scandal for our Murong imperial family!”

“Indeed… Your Majesty! After all, the Empress Dowager is your birth mother. Out of filial piety, you cannot treat the Empress Dowager this way! The wind and snow outside are so fierce… why must you send the Empress Dowager to the traveling palace now instead of waiting? Even if the Empress Dowager has made mistakes, you should wait until spring arrives and flowers bloom before she departs!”

“Your Majesty, the Late Emperor and Empress Dowager were deeply devoted as husband and wife. Before his passing, what worried him most was you and the Empress Dowager. If Your Majesty treats the Empress Dowager this way, it will break the Late Emperor’s heart!”

Murong Li sat behind the black wood table, placing the memorial he had been clutching in his hand to one side. Under the lamplight, one could see extremely deep, dark circles on Murong Li’s fair face.

Due to Yan’s plague situation, Murong Li had not rested well for a very long time.

“In this matter, other officials dare not speak presumptuously. We old ministers are members of the Murong imperial clan… and are elders to the Late Emperor, Your Majesty, and the Regent. Only because of this do we presume on our age to speak these overstepping words to Your Majesty. Our Murong imperial family cannot let the common people see us as a laughingstock!”

“Indeed, we old ministers know that sending the Empress Dowager to the traveling palace for retirement is not Your Majesty’s idea, but the Regent’s. But has Your Majesty considered… if the Empress Dowager leaves, Your Majesty is young, and without the Empress Dowager to check the Regent’s power, this court will likely become the Regent’s sole domain, and even Your Majesty will have to listen to the Regent…”

Hearing these words, Murong Li raised his eyes, his pitch-black and profound gaze looking toward the imperial clan relative who had spoken. That relative was of his grand-uncle’s generation, already white-haired, gazing at Murong Li with a seemingly loving expression while earnestly advising him. Yet Murong Li detected the intent to sow discord. He pressed his lips together without making a sound, leisurely leaning against the armrest, watching these clan relatives without taking a stance.

Seeing this, the clan relatives spoke up one after another.

“The Regent already has absolute authority in court, and now he even wants to drive the Empress Dowager from the palace. The next step… wouldn’t be to deal with Your Majesty?”

“After the Regent seized control of government affairs, he wanted to sweep away all obstacles that hindered his grasp of power. Your Majesty must not be deceived!”

“Yes, Your Majesty… the Empress Dowager cannot leave the palace!”

The clan relatives all chimed in agreement, looking expectantly at Murong Li, hoping that after hearing their words, he would distance himself from the Regent.

“The decision to send the Empress Dowager to the traveling palace for quiet recuperation was made by me and has nothing to do with the Regent…” Murong Li swept his gaze over those so-called clan elders with their varying expressions. “The Regent risks his own life, going to Yan’s plague-stricken cities to patrol and stabilize the people’s hearts, preventing great chaos from erupting. If the Regent truly only sought to seize power, why would he go to plague cities? Wouldn’t it be better to stay in the Yan capital and manipulate power, sending you imperial clan relatives instead? In contrast, some so-called imperial clan relatives have no solutions to help me with the plague situation, yet while the Regent risks his life at the front lines, they scurry about behind his back sowing discord. Do such people deserve to call themselves elders before me?”

The imperial clan relatives were greatly shocked, never expecting that the usually gentle and mild-tempered Murong Li would speak so harshly.

Yet no one could deny that Murong Li’s words struck their sore spots.

Everyone’s facial expressions became wonderfully complex.

“Enough, you need not worry about my family affairs. Now that Yan suffers from raging plague, though it’s temporarily under control, how should we restore people’s livelihoods after this great disaster? If you have solutions, that would be serving Great Yan loyally. There’s no need to say anything else! Go back!”

After Murong Li finished speaking, he rose first and left, leaving these clan elders looking at each other in bewilderment.

Wang Jiuzhou bowed and followed behind Murong Li. Only after emerging from the great hall did he step forward and say in a low voice to Murong Li: “Was Your Majesty perhaps too harsh toward the clan relatives? The Regent once told Your Majesty that he would be the villain, while Your Majesty should win over the hearts of the clan members. After all, Your Majesty will still need to use these clan relatives.”

Wang Jiuzhou worried that these people would harbor resentment due to Murong Li’s attitude. The Regent had already disciplined the clan once when His Majesty first ascended the throne, but later, remembering that the imperial clan had not abandoned them for Nanyan during Yan’s most difficult times and had weathered hardships together with them, he entrusted many among the clan with important positions.

If, following the Regent, His Majesty also showed no favor to the clan members, the clan relatives would inevitably feel anxious and unable to serve His Majesty wholeheartedly.

Murong Li stood beside the vermilion-lacquered red pillar of the double-eaved palace building, looking up at the pitch-black night sky, and spoke slowly: “How could I not know this? It’s just… when I think of Ninth Uncle risking life and death in plague-stricken cities, striving desperately to stabilize people’s hearts and prevent civil unrest, yet these people can’t help and instead slander and defame Ninth Uncle behind his back, I… want nothing more than to have them beaten with rods!”

Today, Murong Li had to send away his mother. His mood was understandably heavy, for that was the mother who had doted on him since childhood. After all… Murong Li had been very filial since he was small!