The attendant hadn’t found out who had ordered the ministers to attend court. Seeing his master’s anger, he naturally didn’t dare say another word.

Marquis Qingyang touched his forehead, which felt inexplicably cold, and said in a low voice: “Something’s not right. Could there have been some oversight?”

“Impossible. This prince’s plan was flawless—how could there be loopholes at this moment? It must be the Empress Dowager deceiving us.” Prince Li gritted his teeth.

Marquis Qingyang smiled bitterly and waved his hand: “Impossible. What kind of temperament my sister has, don’t I know? Besides, Your Highness saw it too. She’s timid and just an ordinary woman—she can’t stir up any trouble.”

Prince Li forcibly suppressed his anxious and angry emotions, turning back to look at the charred ruins of the prince’s mansion, then at the corpse that attendants had carried out and placed on the carriage.

Prince Li didn’t know what was happening, but suddenly he had an epiphany and strode toward the carriage, leaning in to observe carefully.

Marquis Qingyang wrinkled his brow and pinched his nose as he walked over: “What is Your Highness doing? What’s so interesting about a dead body?”

Prince Li completely ignored the chattering Marquis Qingyang, taking a lamp from an attendant’s hands. By the weak light of early morning, he carefully examined “Li Qitian’s” face, finally discovering that the skin in the burned areas seemed wrong.

Prince Li’s heart skipped a beat. Not caring whether it was dirty or not, he reached out toward the corpse’s face.

Marquis Qingyang thought Prince Li was being overly nervous and exclaimed: “What are you doing…”

Before he finished speaking, he saw Prince Li had already peeled off the face skin from the corpse. The incomplete, thin layer of human skin still bore ashes and bloodstains, looking particularly horrifying under the orange-red lamplight.

However, even more horrifying was what came next.

Under that face skin was another unfamiliar face.

That wasn’t Li Qitian at all!

Prince Li stood there stunned, gripping the incomplete human skin mask in his hand, his whole body growing cold in waves, the pores on his spine standing on end.

How could it be fake?

Li Qitian wasn’t dead—then what was this great fire at the prince’s mansion about?

Right, those charred corpses at the prince’s mansion could barely be recognized as human bones—one couldn’t tell if they were male or female. So perhaps there were no women from the mansion among them at all.

The fire at the prince’s mansion was suspicious. Li Qitian’s corpse was fake, and the ministers had inexplicably gone to court.

Connecting these three points, even if Prince Li was slow, he understood.

Someone had schemed against him!

This fire had calculated everything within it. The other party had firmly grasped his psychology, using his own plan against him to lure him out of the palace. At this time, Li Qitian had probably already retaken the imperial palace!

Prince Li trembled all over like a sieve, nearly unable to stand.

Marquis Qingyang wasn’t much better off than Prince Li.

His mind was now filled with Li Qitian’s various ruthless and imposing aspects.

“What do we do? What do we do! If His Majesty has returned, can we two have any good ending? Your plan is definitely exposed, and I’ll be finished along with you! What His Majesty cares most about is military authority. Didn’t you see even Pang Zhixi had his military authority stripped? I’m the Huben Army commander who refused to obey the edict to support Tianmen Pass—when His Majesty finds out, won’t he charge me with the crime of avoiding battle!”

Prince Li’s expression was grim, his trembling gradually subsiding.

Marquis Qingyang said anxiously: “Our only option now is to quickly enter the palace and beg my sister! My sister is the Empress Dowager—if she puts in a few good words before His Majesty, we might still be saved!”

Prince Li suddenly looked at Marquis Qingyang and said coldly: “If you want to walk into a trap, go yourself.”

“You…”

“Have you forgotten how you treated the Empress Dowager? The Empress Dowager isn’t brain-damaged—seeing us now, she’ll definitely want harsh revenge! And how would you see the Empress Dowager? Since Li Qitian has the ability to announce court assembly, he’s already retaken the imperial palace. As soon as we two approach, before we can even see the Empress Dowager, we’ll be directly captured and sent before Li Qitian.”

Hearing this, Marquis Qingyang’s face turned deathly pale, feeling like the sky was falling.

How did things develop this way? Everything had been going well—why did it all become bubbles in an instant?

“Then what do you say we should do?” Marquis Qingyang had now lost his composure, looking to Prince Li with dependence.

Prince Li gritted his teeth and immediately said: “In for a penny, in for a pound. Anyway, quite a few Tatar spies have infiltrated—otherwise Li Qitian wouldn’t have been buried alive. Who knows if those inside the palace walls are Tatar spies who have infiltrated to harm the Empress Dowager and Empress?”

“You mean… you want to attack the imperial palace?” Marquis Qingyang was shocked for a moment, lowering his voice.

Prince Li said: “Either wait to die or take a gamble. If you want to die, I won’t stop you. I guarantee that as soon as you approach the palace walls, you’ll immediately be bound and escorted before Li Qitian—how you die then won’t be up to you.”

Marquis Qingyang shuddered, his gaze gradually changing from panic to determination.

“Fine, let’s gamble! Don’t forget—this marquis is still the Huben Army commander!”

Seeing Marquis Qingyang so cooperative, Prince Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He turned and ordered: “Tatar spies have infiltrated the imperial palace, impersonating His Majesty with ill intentions. Immediately deploy all forces from the Five Cities Military Commissioner’s eastern, western, southern, and northern stations. We must protect the Empress Dowager, protect the Empress and the unborn dragon son!”

“Yes!”

Prince Li’s loyalists immediately went to report to the commanders of the Five Cities Military Commissioner stations.

The Five Cities Military Commissioner specifically managed capital security and other matters. The combined forces of the four eastern, western, southern, and northern stations totaled at least ten thousand men. Adding Marquis Qingyang’s deployment of the Huben Army.

With such an offensive, they might not be unable to fight with all their might!

At this time in Fengtian Hall, civil and military officials of fifth rank and above in the capital had already lined up in formation—civil officials to the east, military to the west.

Everyone felt quite uncomfortable inside.

Prince Li was a royal relative chosen by the Empress Dowager to oversee state affairs. Though usually somewhat gentle in temperament, he at least knew when to advance and retreat. As a prince overseeing state affairs, he had never organized court assemblies.

How had this one changed his nature today?

The ministers all had grave expressions and thoughtful gazes.

His Majesty and Prince Zhongshun had been buried for twenty-one days. What person could persist so many days without food or drink? The heavens of Great Zhou had probably already changed.

They just didn’t know Prince Li’s intention in summoning them to court today.

Among the ministers, some were already considering which side to support. Others remained loyal to Li Qitian and were full of indignation. For a moment, none of the officials looked very good.

Just then, the unique sharp voice of a eunuch came from outside.

“His Majesty arrives!”

According to protocol, ministers attending court couldn’t raise their heads to look directly at the imperial countenance.

Though the ministers all had opinions about Prince Li actually daring to call himself His Majesty, not one of them broke protocol at this moment.

From the corner of their eyes, everyone saw a figure in bright yellow dragon robes sit on the central dragon throne. From the ministers’ downward-gazing perspective, they couldn’t see the person on the dragon throne’s appearance—only those brand-new dragon-bordered black boots with gold trim.

Indeed, Prince Li harbored treasonous intentions! He was rebelling!

Recalling yesterday’s fire at Prince Zhongshun’s mansion, the ministers connected everything together. It seemed Prince Li really couldn’t wait anymore!

At this moment, some people understood and willingly knelt to acclaim ten thousand years of life.

But another portion believed Prince Li’s actions were those of a treacherous subject and rebel. They would rather die than acknowledge Prince Li’s self-proclaimed emperorship.

So the ministers’ bowing postures differed.

Those bought by Prince Li or seeking self-preservation all knelt and performed the kowtow ceremony.

While stubborn old ministers and fearless censors only stood with lowered heads and slightly bent knees.

“Long live His Majesty!” Everyone’s voices were scattered and uneven.

Li Qitian, sitting on the throne, looked down at the ministers below the imperial steps who bowed in completely different postures, feeling somewhat comforted inside.

Those who directly knelt and called out ten thousand years only comprised twenty percent of the total.

While those who refused to call out ten thousand years and wouldn’t kneel to bow comprised a full eighty percent.

It seemed his kingdom was still quite stable. Even though he had disappeared for twenty days and people outside were spreading rumors of his death, these loyal ministers still hadn’t immediately acknowledged Prince Li.

Li Qitian carefully noted who knelt and who didn’t before saying playfully: “What’s this? You old fellows won’t kneel when you see Us—are you planning rebellion?”

Li Qitian’s voice was resonant, echoing throughout the hall.

The ministers with lowered heads, hearing this familiar voice, couldn’t care about the protocol against looking directly at the imperial countenance and raised their heads one after another.

They saw Li Qitian wearing dragon robes, sitting majestically on the dragon throne. Behind him, Pang Xiao and Ji Zeyu stood left and right. Surprisingly, beside Prince Zhongshun also stood a beautiful pregnant woman.

“Your Majesty!” Everyone cried out in surprise and joy.

Li Qitian smiled: “Look, everyone—We have returned!”

“Long live Your Majesty! Ten thousand years!”

“Your Majesty is the true dragon son of heaven—this old minister always knew Your Majesty would return safely!”

The ministers all knelt to perform the grand ceremony, with some so moved they were already in tears.

Among the sounds of everyone bowing, the twenty percent who had first knelt to acknowledge Prince Li were already trembling with fear.

It was over, over—the person who shouldn’t have returned had returned. Wouldn’t they face purges next?

At this moment, they couldn’t even consider why, besides Ji Zeyu and Pang Xiao, even a woman stood behind His Majesty. They now only wanted to find a way to survive and absolutely couldn’t let His Majesty think they were all planning rebellion.

Rebellion was a great crime that could affect entire families!

Just as everyone felt anxious and uneasy, the new Grand Eunuch Xiong Jinshui loudly proclaimed: “His Majesty decrees: those with matters step forward to report; if no matters, court is dismissed!”

At these words, all the ministers breathed a sigh of relief.

His Majesty hadn’t addressed the rebellion issue in court assembly but only asked about state affairs. Where could one find such a ruler who prioritized national matters?

So everyone became energized as if injected with stimulants, reporting all the accumulated matters from the days when Li Qitian was absent, even discussing them in court.

Qin Yining stood behind Li Qitian, looking at the ministers’ faces, but thinking about the reshuffling the ministers would face after court assembly.