Looking outside the golden hall, the imperial guards that the imperial clansmen could control had already had swords placed at their necks, not daring to move. Xiao Rongyan’s guard Yue Shi personally led the black-armored soldiers, standing neatly at the entrance of the great hall like door gods, isolating the sounds of bloody slaughter outside from within the hall, allowing people to only hear the killing sounds without seeing the blood.

“Ninth Uncle…” Murong Li called out softly. He hadn’t expected Ninth Uncle to return after all.

Though he had made preparations, his heart lacked confidence. Seeing Xiao Rongyan return, Murong Li felt like he had seen a stabilizing pill, suddenly gaining confidence.

“You…” The Yan Empress Dowager, already near death, opened her eyes wide and used her last bit of strength to struggle and raise her hand, trembling as she pointed at Xiao Rongyan. She only managed to say the word “you” before her breath finally ceased. When she collapsed, her eyes remained wide open, staring in Xiao Rongyan’s direction.

“Mother…” Murong Li choked out softly, tears continuously flowing as he held the Yan Empress Dowager tightly. At this moment, Murong Li was not the Emperor of Yan—he was just a child who had lost his mother. “Mother…”

Murong Li’s uncle reacted quickly. He suddenly stood up, assuming a protective stance, and shouted: “Someone capture the national traitor Murong Yan and protect His Majesty!”

But the imperial guards outside, who had been replaced by the imperial clansmen, were already under control. Where could anyone come from?

The court ministers stood on both sides of the great hall, not daring to move.

The young emperor’s earlier words clearly showed his unwavering trust in the Regent.

But the Empress Dowager’s final words before death made people’s hearts waver with uncertainty. After all, she was the young emperor’s birth mother, and a birth mother’s dying words might influence the young emperor’s trust in the Regent.

The court officials didn’t know whether they should join the imperial clansmen in protecting His Majesty or follow the Regent closely.

Just as the ministers were at a loss and hesitating, the young emperor used his hand to help close the Yan Empress Dowager’s eyes, then cradled his mother horizontally and slowly stood up with all his strength.

Wang Jiuzhou stepped forward, protecting Murong Li’s side.

Ren Shijie also timed it perfectly, leading black-armored soldiers out from behind the great hall, charging toward the platform…

The imperial clansmen were not the emperor’s guards. Before entering the golden hall, all their defensive weapons had been removed. Now, seeing the black-armored soldiers charging up the high steps, they didn’t know what to do for a moment. It was still Murong Li’s uncle who reacted quickly, reaching out to grab Murong Li while shouting: “Your Majesty, be careful!”

Wang Jiuzhou, protecting Murong Li’s side, lifted the hem of his robe and kicked the man away before Murong Li’s uncle could touch his arm.

Wang Jiuzhou protected Murong Li and the Yan Empress Dowager in his arms, stepping back several paces. The black-armored soldiers moved forward to shield the emperor behind them.

Instead, the group of imperial clansmen who had followed the uncle onto the platform were now pointed at by sharp swords, huddling together in panic and unease.

The old clansman who failed to grab Murong Li understood clearly in his heart—if they couldn’t pull the young emperor to their side, the Regent would have no reservations. Now trapped in the golden hall, they were like defenseless lambs, only able to be slaughtered at will.

“Your Majesty!” Murong Li’s uncle shouted at him. “Come over quickly! The Empress Dowager’s dying words—You cannot trust the national traitor Murong Yan!”

“Yes, Your Majesty! Come over quickly! You cannot let the Empress Dowager die with her eyes unclosed!”

“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has passed away. We imperial clansmen absolutely cannot let you become a puppet in the hands of a national traitor! Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager was your birth mother—she would never harm you! The Empress Dowager entrusted you to us, and we will certainly fight with all our strength to protect you!”

The imperial clansmen were panicking internally, continuously calling out to Murong Li.

But Murong Li was protected by the black-armored soldiers and Wang Jiuzhou, standing steadily before the dragon throne.

“Uncle… what should we do now?” the man closest to the elderly clansman asked in a low voice.

“The imperial guards we controlled have probably already been controlled by the Regent!”

“This Regent knows about our alliance with the regional princes—he’ll kill us!”

“Uncle, you must think of a way!”

Murong Li’s eyes were red as he gritted his teeth and spoke: “Arrest this group of imperial clansmen who attempted rebellion and forced the palace!”

“Your Majesty! How long will you continue to be bewitched by the national traitor Murong Yan?!” Murong Li’s uncle shouted. “Have you forgotten what the Empress Dowager said? This Murong Yan… is the Great Zhou’s Prince Consort Xiao Rongyan. He already has children with the Great Zhou Emperor—he cannot serve Your Majesty wholeheartedly! Don’t you believe even the Empress Dowager’s dying words? The Empress Dowager was Your Majesty’s birth mother!”

The imperial clansmen all echoed, making their final desperate struggle: “Your Majesty, if Murong Yan truly is not the Great Zhou Emperor’s Prince Consort Xiao Rongyan, why doesn’t he dare remove his mask and show his true face? Your Majesty… you absolutely cannot be deceived by the national traitor Murong Yan! He wants to steal our Yan nation!”

But there was hatred in Murong Li’s eyes as he looked at them with a calm and cold gaze: “If there is resistance, kill without mercy! Arrest them!”

At Murong Li’s command, the black-armored soldiers shouted and moved forward. Some imperial clansmen knelt and surrendered, some had swords at their necks, and others tried to flee the platform, only to have their heads severed by the black-armored soldiers in one stroke, blood splattering the jade platform.

The rolling head still wore an expression of shock and terror, rapidly rolling down from the high jade platform steps, stopped by Xiao Rongyan’s frost-colored auspicious cloud boots stained with blood.

He looked up… toward the imperial clansmen still standing.

People couldn’t see the expression beneath this Yan Regent’s mask, but those eyes alone—filled with solemn killing intent—made people’s spines run cold with overwhelming pressure.

Xiao Rongyan, stepping on the severed head like a demon from hell, exuded a terrifying aura of death.

Those imperial clansmen who had been standing felt their knees go weak and dropped down one after another.

“Your Majesty… this old minister is Your Majesty’s uncle! This old minister truly serves Your Majesty wholeheartedly!” Murong Li’s uncle cried out. “The ancestral foundation of the Murong family cannot be handed over to the Great Zhou like this! Your Majesty has been deceived by the national traitor… how will you face the ancestors of the Murong clan in the future? Your Majesty cannot be deceived by Murong Yan—he is no longer our Yan nation’s Regent, he is Great Zhou’s Prince Consort!”

As soon as the old clansman finished speaking, he was seized by black-armored soldiers and dragged outside.

Seeing Murong Li holding the Yan Empress Dowager’s body with a cold expression, completely unmoved by his words, the old clansman brushed past Xiao Rongyan and shouted hysterically: “Murong Yan! You married into the Great Zhou as Prince Consort, abandoning your ancestors, and now you want to hand over the kingdom our Murong ancestors conquered to the Great Zhou Bai clan! What face will you have to meet the Murong ancestors after death? The Empress Dowager exposed you before dying… if you have the ability, tell His Majesty the truth! If you have the ability, remove your mask and show your true face! Murong Yan… you betrayed your ancestors, may you die a horrible death!”