With Xie Ju’an acting so strangely, who could connect him even the slightest bit to that sage-like Xie Shaoshi of former days?

Even though his features hadn’t changed in the slightest…

Let alone the court officials—even Lu Xian, who was already sufficiently familiar with him, couldn’t help but twitch his eyelids, frightened by him until a chill emerged from his back!

However, Xie Wei remained as calm as the deep sea throughout, without stirring up even the slightest ripple. He casually and lightly kicked aside Shen Lang’s headless corpse with one foot, as if this were not the exalted Son of Heaven of former days, but merely an insignificant object for him to manipulate at will.

Xie Wei gazed at Shen Zhiyi.

He simply said: “You’re right. I’m hypocritical and cunning, planning every step, calculating everywhere. The common people suffering across the land, the masses displaced and homeless—to me, none of it matters. But this is simply who I am. If the Emperor wants me to kowtow, I’ll cut off his head. Even if I treat human lives like grass and weeds, what can the world do to me?”

Shen Zhiyi felt desolate in her heart and said: “Sir also suffered greatly in years past and witnessed the tragic fate of the three hundred righteous youths. People losing their homes, sons losing their fathers, the realm afflicted with calamity, the common people wailing in anguish—can this not move even one or two parts of Sir’s compassion?”

Xie Wei answered her calmly: “It cannot.”

This magnificent imperial palace, bathed in the gradually setting evening sun’s brilliant light, was steeped in blood, revealing an intense refinement, yet he didn’t like it at all.

He even laughed at this moment.

He said: “I once thought, Shen Lang and I are both flesh and blood mortals—why must I kneel to him and sacrifice my life for him? Heaven gave birth to all people, and everyone is its child, so why does only the Emperor dare call himself the Son of Heaven? Clearly everyone is a Son of Heaven. But everyone is also grass and weeds. When all beings compete, they never show mercy—kill when they want to kill, destroy when they want to destroy. If one asks why, perhaps one should ask Heaven. After all, when Heaven gives birth to people in this world, the only true equality has always been just one thing—”

Complete silence fell over the area as everyone looked at him.

Xie Wei’s brow and eyes relaxed as he continued lightly: “And that is death!”

Yet throughout the ages, the only difficulty has been death itself.

Some people fear death.

So today, he had come especially to send these people on their way.

Originally, aside from the word “death,” this world had no further principles to discuss, and he didn’t want to reason with anyone either.

At this very moment, Xie Ju’an was clearly calm and rational, yet for some reason, after hearing these words from him, everyone felt only a bone-chilling coldness arise from the depths of their hearts.

Such a mad person—

Even if he possessed intelligence and strategy superior to all others, who would dare let him control the realm?

Shen Zhiyi stood still and silent for a long time.

Meanwhile, Yan Lin seemed to be pondering something.

Before the Taiji Hall, the two armies confronted each other.

The atmosphere suddenly tightened to the extreme, and battle was about to break out!

Yet at precisely this moment, a delighted laugh suddenly rang out from inside the great hall: “Hahaha, the Emperor is dead! The little Emperor is dead too! This Imperial Jade Seal has finally fallen into this seat’s hands!”

Everyone suddenly froze.

Both sides in the confrontation nearly couldn’t hold back from attacking each other, but simultaneously turned to look into the Taiji Hall.

At some unknown point, Wan Xiuzi had actually reached the top of that golden throne hall, standing before the high imperial desk, lifting in his hands that exquisitely carved Imperial Jade Seal!

No one had noticed how he got there.

They could only see that the wounds on his body were clearly still bleeding, the arrow shafts not yet removed, yet he seemed utterly unconcerned. He laughed with particular satisfaction, as if fulfilling a cherished wish, and then even walked toward the highest dragon throne!

When she saw that jade seal, Jiang Xuening was stunned for a moment.

She was all too familiar with this object…

But she didn’t notice that Yan Lin, standing beside her, was also gazing at this jade seal, with even a trace of unspeakable grief flashing through the depths of his eyes.

At this moment, his face grew solemn, and he actually gripped his sword and strode toward the interior of the hall.

Wan Xiuzi was about to sit upon the dragon throne.

Yan Lin lifted his foot and kicked him down, taking the Imperial Jade Seal that he clutched tightly with one hand, while his other hand reversed the grip on his long sword and thrust downward, directly piercing through his neck from behind!

The wild joy on Wan Xiuzi’s face had not yet completely faded.

His hand was even still reaching toward that dragon throne.

But Yan Lin simply pulled that long sword out mercilessly, and so what little fresh blood remained in his body also sprayed out entirely, submerging even the base of the dragon throne in crimson blood.

No one had anticipated this sudden turn of events.

Many were even confused for a time.

Why had Yan Lin suddenly struck?

Seeing him actually touch the jade seal, a court official couldn’t help but shout angrily: “Treasonous villain, why don’t you quickly put down the Imperial Jade Seal?!”

However, Yan Lin held the long sword in one hand and cradled the jade seal in the other, his deep black martial attire covering him like a layer of heavy shadow.

He completely ignored those people, not even turning back to glance at them once.

He simply looked toward Xie Wei, then toward Shen Zhiyi, but ultimately his gaze fell upon Jiang Xuening.

She still didn’t understand what was happening.

But a trace of ominous premonition swept through Lu Xian’s heart. His brow twitched as he suddenly realized something, his face abruptly turning cold as he demanded: “What does the Prince intend to do—”

But his words had barely hit the ground when a “clang” was heard!

The long sword in Yan Lin’s hand actually flew from his grip and was nailed precisely into the ground three feet before him!

A rustling sound!

The Xinzhou Army soldiers around them almost instantly raised their weapons and simultaneously aimed them at Lu Xian in their center!

Before the entire great hall, the situation suddenly transformed!

Though the Xinzhou Army had Xie Wei behind them, he didn’t lead troops in battle. Even if he planned the overall situation, the one who commanded and directed the army was Yan Lin.

In the military, his word was law.

So at this moment where his sword fell, the blades of the entire army almost all followed.

Lu Xian felt his hair stand on end.

Xie Wei was also somewhat surprised, though he didn’t react as strongly as Lu Xian. He simply observed him, seemingly wanting to know what exactly he intended to do.

The Imperial Jade Seal was a square block that one could grasp completely with both hands.

Throughout successive dynasties, only the Emperor could possess it.

But at this moment, Yan Lin didn’t lower his head to look at it even once. His gaze hadn’t even moved from Jiang Xuening as he softly called to her: “Ningning, come here.”

Jiang Xuening was stunned.

Everyone’s gaze suddenly converged upon her.

An indescribable terror made her tremble slightly. Almost instinctively, she looked toward Xie Wei.

Xie Wei suddenly smiled and simply said to her: “Go.”

Yan Lin didn’t seem to like Xie Wei speaking this way at all. Without waiting for Jiang Xuening to respond, he repeated: “Ningning, come here!”

Jiang Xuening felt as if she’d fallen into a thick fog.

She slowly walked over, lifting her eyes to gaze at Yan Lin at this moment. That indescribable feeling—whether it was strangeness or familiarity—emerged once again.

But the young man before her used an incomparably earnest, even nearly greedy gaze to watch her, as if with every look, there would be one less to come. His moist black eyes were even tinged with traces of tears.

He actually placed the Imperial Jade Seal into her hands!

Jiang Xuening was trembling as she asked him in a shaking voice: “Who are you?”

But Yan Lin acted as if he hadn’t heard, using an extremely gentle voice to coax her: “I was wrong. I won’t take it anymore, won’t take it ever again. I’ll give it all back to you, all right?”

Tears suddenly flooded from Jiang Xuening’s eyes.

The pain in that instant pierced to her very heart!

She would never forget—in her previous life, before Shen Jie passed away, he left an imperial edict placing the Imperial Jade Seal in her hands, asking her to select a suitable imperial clan member as the new heir apparent. Perhaps that kind and weak man had only wanted to leave her a talisman for survival. He never imagined that after it reached her hands, it would instead become her death warrant.

That day, they came to force her abdication.

She truly could no longer survive, and so placed down both this jade seal and the edict…

Now, Yan Lin was saying to her: he would give it back to her…

Jiang Xuening bit down hard on her jaw—only this way could she restrain her trembling. Word by word, as if weeping blood, she asked him: “Who exactly are you?”

He wanted to help her wipe away her tears, but raised his hand only to draw it back again.

Yan Lin stood before her like a child who had done something wrong. After a long time, he finally said: “I don’t know either…”

But did it really matter who he was?

It didn’t matter.

He finally remembered his plan again. Pulling her along, he walked to the entrance of the great hall, raised his hand to point at the silent and standing Xie Wei and Shen Zhiyi, and said to Jiang Xuening: “Come, now you choose everything! I stand on your side! Whoever you want to give this realm to, we’ll give it to them! How can the Empress be the most honored person in this world? The true person above all others is only the Emperor! If you’re unwilling to choose anyone, then I’ll help you and kill them all clean!”