Upon hearing these words, Empress Dowager Yan raised her head to look at these imperial relatives whose faces were full of anxiety, tightly clutching the clothing at her chest: “But… but the Emperor clearly knows that Murong Yan is Xiao Rongyan, yet still trusts Murong Yan without doubt. Because he trusts in Murong Yan, the Emperor doesn’t even want this Empress Mother anymore! He wants to drive this widow out of the palace… drive me out of the Yan capital!”

Empress Dowager Yan cried out twice more before choking up again: “The Emperor no longer trusts this widow now. What can this widow do?”

“The Emperor is young and has been deceived by Xiao Rongyan. We, the Murong clan relatives, cannot watch His Majesty walk further and further down the wrong path, ruining our Murong clan’s great rivers and mountains!” The eldest among the Murong royal relatives gripped Xiao Rongyan’s letters tightly and said, “Your Majesty need not worry about this matter! We Murong clansmen will resolve this ourselves! We will gather all the Murong clan members and kneel before His Majesty in petition!”

Saying this, that elder bowed to the Empress Dowager: “Your Majesty, please rest assured and go to the traveling palace. We will certainly persuade His Majesty well and bring Your Majesty back as soon as possible!”

Though the words were said this way, this elder with the highest seniority among the Murong royal relatives already had his calculations in mind.

When Murong Li first ascended the throne, Xiao Rongyan had used extremely harsh methods to intimidate the imperial relatives. Those clan members who dared to oppose the political reforms implemented in court had either already been killed, while those who later submitted had been sent to Liyi.

But after using harsh methods to deal with the clan members, Murong Li still relied heavily on the imperial clan, after all they were all of the same surname and bloodline, his own family. Therefore, the Murong imperial relatives still occupied many important positions in court.

If they now went to beg the Emperor to send troops to kill Xiao Rongyan, and if the Emperor remained obstinately unrepentant and only trusted that Xiao Rongyan alone, then they, these Murong clansmen, absolutely could not watch as Murong Li, this child, ruined the Murong family’s great rivers and mountains!

They would confine the Emperor, then invite the Empress Dowager back to govern, and the matter of the gambling debt… they would also have to find a way to resolve it.

Hearing these words, Empress Dowager Yan looked toward that imperial palace through her tears…

“But this widow is truly worried about A’Li. This widow doesn’t want to be separated from A’Li! The eldest prince has already been sent to Great Zhou, and this widow… only has His Majesty, this one child by my side!” Empress Dowager Yan turned her head to look at that towering imperial palace, then tearfully pleaded with these clan relatives: “Uncle-elders, this widow… truly doesn’t want to leave!”

Empress Dowager Yan wanted these clan elders to come forward so that she could at least stay in the Yan capital.

“Your Majesty, now that the Murong family has produced such an unfilial descendant as Murong Yan, and His Majesty has been bewitched by him, if Your Majesty forcibly remains, it would be defying the imperial edict. It would be better to first go to the traveling palace, and after we persuade His Majesty, we’ll bring Your Majesty back!” A clan relative quietly advised the Empress Dowager: “Your Majesty, you must trust us. We are all Murong descendants and will not watch as our family’s rivers and mountains are ruined by unfilial descendants!”

Since the words had reached this point, Empress Dowager Yan knew that today she indeed had no choice but to leave. Earlier, when anger had rushed to her head, she had used almost all her strength to vent all the resentment in her heart onto Xiao Rongyan. Now she was already somewhat exhausted and had no energy left to argue further.

After nodding her head, she said with continued worry, “His Majesty is still young. When speaking with His Majesty, please, uncle-elders… speak gently. He is still just a child after all!”

“Your Majesty has a compassionate mother’s heart. We will naturally comply! Moreover, His Majesty is our Yan nation’s Emperor, so we dare not act presumptuously!”

Just as that clan relative finished speaking, they saw another team of Imperial Guard soldiers leading troops out of the palace, racing through the snow at great speed. Empress Dowager Yan and the clan relatives all thought the Emperor had softened his heart and sent them to bring the Empress Dowager back, but who knew that as soon as the Imperial Guards arrived, they drew their swords to force back the imperial relatives and protect the Empress Dowager’s carriage…

Empress Dowager Yan was also frightened and retreated a step onto the carriage, her eyes wide with shock.

The leading Imperial Guard Deputy Commander Zhang Guan proclaimed loudly: “His Majesty has decreed that Murong Hai failed to properly escort the Empress Dowager and caused Her Majesty to be frightened and disturbed. He is to be immediately imprisoned! Zhang Guan is commanded to escort the Empress Dowager to the traveling palace and depart immediately. From this day forth, the Imperial Guards are to be commanded by Zhang Guan!”

Upon hearing these words from the Imperial Guard Deputy Commander, Empress Dowager Yan nearly fainted from shock. A’Li… was actually this impatient to drive her away!

“Deputy Commander! Deputy Commander, I had no choice! Look…” Murong Hai, who had been bound hand and foot with even his helmet askew, rushed out: “My grandfather and father came, and without a word they tied me up. What could I do? If His Majesty wants to pursue responsibility, he shouldn’t pursue mine – he should pursue whoever leaked the news that the Empress Dowager was departing for the traveling palace tonight!”

These imperial clan elders hadn’t appeared at the beginning. When he escorted the Empress Dowager’s carriage out from within the palace, he saw his grandfather and father at the palace gates, so he dismounted to pay respects to his grandfather and father.

Who knew that grandfather and father would start beating him without a word, with servants coming up to tie him up thoroughly. The Imperial Guard soldiers didn’t even have time to react before the Empress Dowager’s carriage was surrounded by those clan relatives, who said that if they wanted to send away the Empress Dowager, they would have to step over their corpses.

Later, Murong Hai’s grandfather said they wouldn’t put Murong Hai in a difficult position either, and would personally lead half the clan relatives into the palace to confess to the Emperor and beg His Majesty to keep the Empress Dowager. With Murong Hai being held down by his father, he naturally didn’t dare resist.

Murong Hai had been personally promoted by the Regent Prince and was loyal to him. With the Regent Prince absent, he felt the young Emperor was always easy to talk to, so he inevitably became somewhat lax. He had merely harbored a bit of wishful thinking and been slightly negligent, yet who knew such a huge disaster would result, actually exposing the news that the Regent Prince was the Great Zhou Emperor’s imperial husband!

This news shocked even Murong Hai!

How could this be possible? Others might not know, but didn’t Murong Hai know? The Regent Prince had devoted all his energy and efforts to the Yan nation.

After defending himself, Murong Hai was still concerned about quickly sending word to the Regent Prince. Although this young Emperor currently seemed to trust the Regent Prince, what if he were to believe the words of this Empress Dowager, who always opposed the Regent Prince? The Regent Prince would be in danger!

Seeing the scene before her, Empress Dowager Yan knew there was no room for negotiation. She could only tearfully and weakly lean on her attendant maid to board the carriage, collapsing against the cushions with tears flowing like broken strings.

She truly didn’t understand – she was A’Li’s birth mother! Could there be anyone in this world who loved A’Li more than she did?

Why did A’Li care so much about Xiao Rongyan and not care about her, his mother?

When Xiao Rongyan didn’t have children before, it was one thing, but now that he had his child, would he not make plans for his flesh and blood instead of planning for A’Li, his nephew? How could A’Li not understand that in this world, only she, his mother, would never harm him!

“Your Majesty…” Empress Dowager Yan’s attendant maid handed her a handkerchief: “Please don’t cry anymore, be careful of your eyes!”

“My son wants outsiders instead of this widow. What do I need these eyes for?” Empress Dowager Yan’s voice became increasingly choked with sobs.