With a warehouse full of supplies, I stood alone as king in this chaotic world, gun in hand.

"Don't make a move..." Li Cheng and the other commander shook their heads.

This man in black robes is very skilled in martial arts; even the commander is no match for him. Fighting him would only result in certain death.

He could sense that the group of people brought by the Empress Dowager were all very powerful, and the only way to defeat them was to rely on His Highness's peerless weapons.

He has already fired an emergency flare; His Highness should arrive soon.

The commander understood his meaning, raised his hand, and said, "We're retreating!"

"A bunch of cowards. No wonder the emperor is being manipulated by an old woman." The man in black robes walked step by step up to Li Cheng.

Li Cheng reached for the grenade at his waist, thinking that if this person dared to kill him, he would take him down with him.

"Trash." The man in black robes looked at him with disgust and kicked him hard.

"Bang!" Li Cheng was kicked and rolled several feet away, losing consciousness.

"Utterly pathetic," the man in black cursed as he walked away.

The commander led a dozen or so imperial guards hurriedly toward the palace gate. He had to go to the Zhenyuan Prince's Mansion to tell Nangong Wu about the situation there.

Suddenly, two men in black robes flew down in front of them, blocking their way.

A man in black robes pointed at him and said, "Don't run around if you don't want to die."

The commander's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, the veins on the back of his hand bulging. He gritted his teeth but ultimately didn't pull it out. "Let's go!"

He had no choice but to lead his men back to the Zichen Hall.

Inside the Zichen Hall.

During today's court assembly, the Empress Dowager, dressed in a phoenix robe, suddenly burst into the main hall with dozens of men in black, and then sat directly on the dragon throne.

The Empress Dowager's sinister and sharp gaze swept over the civil and military officials in the hall, with two men in black robes standing on either side of the dragon throne.

Two corpses of imperial censors lay in the main hall, each with a bloody hole in its chest, from which blood was still gushing.

"My esteemed ministers, is there anyone who says I cannot sit on this dragon throne?"

The ministers all hung their heads, and none of them dared to speak.

If they dared to utter a single word, they would become the third corpse on the ground.

"Empress Dowager..." The Prime Minister was about to speak when he saw Huo Jing shake his head slightly, so he had no choice but to swallow his words.

Huo Jing turned his wheelchair to face the Empress Dowager on the platform, his eyes meeting the old woman's sinister gaze without fear.

"Your Majesty, even though you are the Empress Dowager of the country, you cannot overstep your bounds and sit on the dragon throne."

"You're courting death!" The black-robed man standing to the left of the Empress Dowager drew his sword.

"Wait." The Empress Dowager raised her hand slightly. "He's still somewhat useful. Let's wait until that little bitch Nangong Wu arrives before killing him."

Huo Jing smiled mockingly, but remained silent.

Since Li Cheng has been gone for so long and hasn't returned, he's probably in grave danger. But there are still people from their faction in the palace, so I believe my daughter will receive news soon.

"Huo Jing, do you know your crime?" The Empress Dowager suddenly slammed her hand on the armrest of the dragon throne.

"If you want to find fault, you can always find a pretext," Huo Jing sneered, retorting.

"Empress Dowager, you committed a capital crime of forcing the palace and rebelling, yet His Majesty mercifully spared your life. Instead of repenting and reflecting on your actions, you colluded with foreign powers to force your way into the Zichen Palace. What exactly do you intend to do?"

He noticed that these men in black robes had deep-set features and spoke with a stiff accent, so they were definitely not from the Western Yan Kingdom.

"Stop accusing me of unfounded crimes. I was just choosing a true emperor for the Western Yan Kingdom. What's wrong with that?" the Empress Dowager said angrily.

"So, you brought foreigners in and made them sit on the dragon throne, did you intend to seize His Majesty's throne?" Huo Jing's gaze was icy, his expression one of resignation to death.

"You've got some nerve, thinking I wouldn't dare to behead you?" The Empress Dowager ground her teeth. Of all the ministers in the hall, only this person dared to defy her.

Huo Jing looked mocking and remained silent, waiting to see what she was up to.

"I have heard that the Emperor is critically ill, and it is time to establish a Crown Prince," the Empress Dowager stated her purpose.

"Establish a crown prince? Ha!" Huo Jing sneered again. "I wonder which prince the Empress Dowager intends to appoint as crown prince?"

"The Eighth Prince, Nangong Xuan," the Empress Dowager announced, revealing her preferred prince. "The Eighth Prince is intelligent and the best candidate for Crown Prince. What do you, my esteemed ministers, think?"

The hall was completely silent; no one dared to utter a sound.

The people the Empress Dowager brought are all ruthless; it's best not to say a word now.

They were powerless to defeat these men in black robes; nothing they said mattered.

They all remembered Nangong Wu.

She was able to kill both the Imperial Advisor and Nangong Xun, so perhaps she could also defeat these people.

"The Eighth Prince is six years old this year. The Empress Dowager truly has a discerning eye," Huo Jing mocked.

Supporting a six-year-old child to the throne so that he could rule from behind the curtain and control the court—what a clever scheme!

"What? You have a problem with that?" The Empress Dowager looked at him with a vicious gaze.

"I wouldn't dare!" Huo Jing only said two words, knowing that there was no point in saying more.

"It seems you're quite resentful." The Empress Dowager's eyes suddenly turned fierce. "Guards! Seize him for me."

A man in black robes stepped forward, lifted Huo Jing from his wheelchair, threw him to the ground, and then stomped on his chest.

"I heard your daughter is quite capable. I'm very interested. We love to have our fill of women." The man in black licked his lips, his face full of lewdness.

Huo Jing looked at him coldly, "If you dare to touch her, you're asking for death."

If his daughter were here, he would be a corpse by now.

"Stop!" The Prime Minister glared angrily at the Empress Dowager. "He is the Prince of Zhenyuan. Empress Dowager, have you considered the consequences if you dare to touch him..."

"You're asking for death!" A man in black robes grabbed the prime minister and threw him to the ground.

The Empress Dowager's eyes were filled with hostility, and she shouted again, "Bring everyone up."

Everyone turned to look at the entrance of the main hall and saw several men in black leading Emperor Mingde and his two princes up.

"His Majesty!"

The ministers were shocked and knelt down.

Seeing that Emperor Mingde's eyes were vacant and lifeless, and that he was being led up by a man in black robes, Huo Jing knew that he had been completely controlled by the Gu worms.

The fifth and sixth princes, who were only fourteen or fifteen years old, were brought up with them. Their eyes were filled with terror as they were suddenly captured by these people.

Looking at the two princes, Huo Jing knew what the Empress Dowager wanted to do.

The child that Empress Su secretly gave birth to outside the palace is also fourteen or fifteen years old. The Empress Dowager wouldn't think that one of the two princes was born to Empress Su, would she?

"Father, damn it, what have you done to Father..." Nangong Heng tried to rush forward.

"Do you want to die?" A man in black robes drew his sword and held it in front of him.

"If anything happens to my father, I will not let you, you old hag, get away with this!" Nangong Heng roared, pointing at the Empress Dowager.

"Your Highness, please don't act rashly." The Prime Minister was shocked and quickly pulled Nangong Heng behind him.

His Majesty is in the hands of these people; even if they risk their lives, they cannot stop him.

"Very well, you two are quite affectionate as father and son. In that case, I will send you both on your way later."

The Empress Dowager, her face filled with murderous intent, descended the steps to Emperor Mingde and pointed at the Fifth and Sixth Princes, asking, "Your Majesty, tell me, which of these two children was born to the Empress?"