The Empress has abandoned me? I'll support a new emperor and destroy your kingdom!

Lin Yuan City, Weiyang Palace.

This palace, which symbolizes the supreme power of the empire, is now shrouded in a deathly silence more chilling than the cold wind of the twelfth lunar month.

The palaces and pavilions that were once filled with revelry and bright lights were mostly plunged into darkness. Only the Emperor's bedroom, the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and the adjacent main hall of the Weiyang Palace still had scattered, flickering candlelight, like candles in the wind, which could be swallowed up at any moment.

Inside and outside the palace walls, armored soldiers stood in rows, their spears and halberds like a forest, but on the faces of many soldiers, in addition to exhaustion, there was an indescribable tension and bewilderment.

The palace gates had long been locked, and no one was allowed to enter or leave. Even the eunuchs and palace maids who used to come and go were nowhere to be seen. Only the sound of the wind howled in the empty square and corridors.

Inside the main hall of Weiyang Palace, the gilded dragon pillars cast huge, distorted shadows under the candlelight.

Above the imperial steps, the dragon throne, symbolizing supreme authority, hangs suspended in mid-air.

Below the imperial steps, dozens of high-ranking officials, some sitting and some standing, dressed in crimson and purple robes and wearing Liang crowns, remained silent, their expressions varied.

The air was so heavy it felt like you could wring water out of it.

The silver charcoal in the brazier was burning brightly, but it couldn't dispel the chill in everyone's hearts.

At the head of the left-hand civil officials' ranks stood the Third Prince Yun Huan, dressed in an apricot-yellow four-clawed python robe, his hair bound with a jade crown, his face ashen, standing with his hands behind his back.

His gaze was lowered, staring at the gleaming gold brick floor as if counting the patterns on it. But when he occasionally raised his eyelids, the barely suppressed yet still revealed anxiety and ruthlessness sent a chill down the spines of those secretly observing him.

Behind him stood another gentleman surnamed Jia, as well as several ministers, vice ministers, and censors who were loyal to Tie Gan. Everyone had a tense expression, as if facing a formidable enemy.

The right-hand ranks of military officers are headed by Marquis Weiyuan, Zhao Qingcang.

Today, the old Marquis was not wearing armor, only his duke's casual clothes. He closed his eyes to rest, slowly twirling a string of Buddhist prayer beads in his hand, as if the turbulent undercurrents around him had nothing to do with him.

However, the generals behind him would occasionally cast wary glances at the opposite side, their hands seemingly casually resting on their waists.

Many more officials huddled in the middle or at the back of the crowd, heads bowed, wishing they could disappear into the ground.

They entered the palace late at night after receiving an "emergency edict".

As for the content of the edict and the emperor's condition, nothing was known.

All I know is that the palace is heavily guarded and the atmosphere is eerie, suggesting that something earth-shattering is about to happen.

At this moment, they only hoped that this nonsensical court assembly would end soon so that they could walk out of Weiyang Palace alive.

In the shadows beside the steps, Su Che, dressed in a plain blue robe, stood quietly.

He lowered his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the spot three inches in front of his toes, as if the oppressive atmosphere in the hall and the various gazes cast at him, whether overt or covert, had nothing to do with him.

Only occasionally would a candle flame burst open, illuminating his profile, as calm as an ancient well, and his unfathomable eyes.

He is waiting.

Waiting for someone.

Waiting for a result.

Waiting for... the storm that is destined to come.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

The eunuch's distinctive, high-pitched, and drawn-out voice suddenly shattered the deathly silence of the hall, echoing in the vast space with an indescribable tremor.

All the ministers were startled and looked up in unison at the side door behind the throne that was slowly opening.

Two eunuchs supported a figure in bright yellow as he staggered out.

It was Emperor Yunhong.

In just three days, this once mighty emperor had deteriorated beyond recognition.

He was practically half-supported by eunuchs as he barely made it onto the imperial steps.

The bright yellow casual robe he wore hung loosely on his withered body, as if it would burst at any moment from his bones.

His complexion was a pale, almost ashen white, with sunken eyes, high cheekbones, and dry, cracked lips with bleeding.

Only those eyes, the moment they stepped into the hall and saw the assembled officials below, suddenly burst forth with a sharp, almost blinding light, like the final roar of a dying tiger.

He was helped up and slowly sat on the cold dragon throne.

The moment he sat down, his body swayed noticeably, and he almost fell over, but was held firmly by the eunuch.

He was panting, his chest heaving violently, as if each breath was a struggle.

"Your Majesty, we pay our respects! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" After a brief moment of astonishment, the officials hurriedly knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

The sound echoed in the empty hall, yet it carried an undisguised fear.

The emperor did not call him to rise.

He simply used his sharp, frightening eyes to slowly sweep over the kneeling crowd below.

His gaze lingered on Marquis Weiyuan for a moment, then on the Third Prince for a longer time, before finally settling on Su Che in the shadows. He gave a barely perceptible nod.

Su Che kept his eyes down, offering no response.

"All of you... rise." After a long while, the emperor finally spoke in a hoarse voice, weak yet exceptionally clear, carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Everyone stood up, hands at their sides, their hearts filled with growing unease.

The emperor's condition... is clearly that he is on his last legs, in his final moments!

Is this urgent summons tonight meant to... give instructions for my final affairs?

"I... summon you all here today," the emperor said breathlessly, speaking slowly, each word like a hammer blow to the hearts of everyone present.

"There are three things... that need to be clearly stated and settled before our ancestors and before you all."

Inside the hall, you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone's heart was in their throat.

"The first thing," the emperor's gaze turned to the third prince, Yun Huan, his eyes filled with undisguised disappointment, heartache, and... cold resolve.

"Yun Huan, do you... know your crime?"

The third prince trembled, suddenly looked up, his face drained of color, and panic flashed in his eyes, but was quickly replaced by madness.

He took a deep breath, stepped forward, bowed, and his voice was filled with grievance and stubbornness.

"Father! Your son... does not know what crime I have committed? I have been working diligently day and night to assist in the administration of state, without the slightest negligence. What crime have I committed? It must be a villain framing me and sowing discord between my father and me! I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"

"Framed?" The emperor gave a bitter laugh, then suddenly coughed violently, coughing so hard it was heart-wrenching, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. The eunuch beside him hurriedly handed him a handkerchief.

He pushed aside the handkerchief and stared intently at Yun Huan. "The assassination attempt in Willow Shade Lane... the destruction of the 'Ten Thousand People's Umbrella' outside Yongding Gate... colluding with Feng Kun to attack the Imperial Envoy... poisoning my medicine... are all these framed?!"

Each time a story was told, a suppressed gasp of surprise rippled through the hall.

Many officials, especially the neutral ones, turned pale and looked at the Third Prince in disbelief.

Any one of these crimes would be enough to condemn him to eternal damnation!