With her deceased husband as her dowry, would Your Highness dare to marry her?

"Wait!" Pei Jinxuan said sternly, "Under the Emperor's nose, who dares to overstep the rules? Even if you are my royal uncle, you have no right to judge me."

"No authority?" Prince Liang snatched the golden token from his waist and shouted, "This is the golden token bestowed by the late Emperor. You can execute first and report later. Prince Jing'an is plotting rebellion; arrest him immediately!"

At the command of the King of Liang, his attendants, swords drawn, pressed forward.

Pei Jinxuan stood tall in front of the Forbidden City gate, he twirled the umbrella handle once, and then suddenly closed the red umbrella.

Fine snowflakes from the umbrella splashed onto King Liang's face. King Liang instinctively turned his head and raised his hand to shield himself.

In that very instant, the Imperial Guards arrived.

Two groups of men advanced from the left and right flanks, their steps precise and their armor clanging. In the blink of an eye, they had surrounded King Liang and his entourage.

Pei Jinxuan slowly brushed the snow off his robe and said leisurely, "Uncle, you're too impatient. You won't even let me finish what I have to say."

King Liang understood the situation as he saw the scene before him.

He guessed that Pei Jinxuan had a backup plan and was also waiting for this move, but he didn't expect that this move would be the Imperial Guard.

It seems that His Majesty knows his days are numbered and has secretly handed over military power in the palace to Pei Jinxuan.

If the Prince of Liang's personal guards were to storm in now under the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials" and remove this obstacle, no one would dare to obstruct his ascension to the throne. However, the Prince of Jing'an's power should not be underestimated, especially since he is known for his cunning and unpredictable actions; perhaps he has set traps for us in places we cannot see.

After considering for a moment, King Liang raised his hand and clenched it into a fist. Upon seeing this gesture, the attendants behind him swiftly sheathed their swords and returned to their original positions.

The Imperial Guards continued to surround Prince Liang, seemingly intending to trap him like a turtle in a jar.

Pei Jinxuan smiled, her peach blossom eyes dazzlingly beautiful, almost bewitching.

He had no intention of letting the King of Liang go.

King Liang also sensed danger.

He glanced to his left and right. The Imperial Guards present, though all elite, numbered only a few hundred in total. Among them were some of his undercover agents. With a mere glance, someone would be beheaded.

Should we move or not? King Liang hesitated.

Pei Jinxuan was also hesitant, his thumb secretly digging into the carvings on the umbrella handle, his murderous intent rising and impossible to suppress.

"Uncle," he said in a deep voice, "what you did today has the intention of forcing me to abdicate."

King Liang slightly raised his chin, his eyes filled with arrogance, but he did not move in the end.

After all, the Yan Emperor was still alive, and the slightest mistake would be considered treason. Even if the late Emperor Jin Ling could not protect him, he would still be condemned by the people of the world once he sat on the dragon throne.

King Liang secretly weighed the pros and cons and made up his mind.

"Pei Jinxuan, are you trying to play the victim and accuse me first?!" King Liang said proudly, as if he were the only loyal and righteous man in the world. "It was you who stopped me from seeing the Emperor. Who knows what kind of spell you cast on His Majesty to make him obey you so obediently! Let me tell you, even if you can fool others, you can't fool me."

"Heh, I will always act with integrity and honesty, without hiding anything from anyone, let alone you... Imperial Uncle." With that, Pei Jinxuan slowly raised the red umbrella in his hand.

The Imperial Guards watched, their grip on their swords tightening even more.

Now, all that's left is to give the order...

"His Majesty has decreed that Prince Jing'an and Prince Liang be summoned to the palace!!!"

Suddenly, Gao Gonggong's high-pitched voice came from inside the palace gate.

Immediately afterwards, the heavy palace doors were pulled open, emitting a low, grating sound.

The Emperor of Yan has awakened?!

Everyone was shocked, and their expressions varied.

King Liang quickly suppressed his surprise, straightened his clothes, and strode across the threshold.

Pei Jinxuan stood there, deep in thought. After a moment, he strode forward, opened the red umbrella, and held it over the head of the Prince of Liang.

The King of Liang glanced at him sideways.

Pei Jinxuan smiled and said, "Uncle, don't let the snow get you wet."

King Liang snorted coldly, pushed his umbrella aside, and swaggered into the hall.

Inside and outside the hall, there are two separate worlds.

The smoke from the mugwort rose and fell in the hall.

The windows were half-closed, and the cold air seeped in through the cracks, but was dissipated by the brazier in front of the bed.

The curtains beside the dragon bed were half-drawn, revealing the Yan Emperor reclining on it, slowly sipping tea with his head bowed. He wore a silver fox fur cloak draped over his shoulders, and although his face was somewhat pale, he looked quite energetic, contrary to what the news had described.

The Empress held the Crown Prince and sat beside the couch. The Crown Prince held a piece of pastry in his hand, taking small bites until his cheeks were bulging, and his round eyes curiously looked at the two people who had entered.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

King Liang bowed first, his back straight, his voice booming like a bell.

Pei Jinxuan followed closely behind, bowing and cupping his hands in a respectful manner.

Emperor Yan raised his hand in a gesture of support, saying, "My two beloved ministers, please rise. Please take a seat."

The eunuchs quickly brought over chairs with backrests and placed them on either side of the dragon bed, inviting the two princes to take their seats.

The Emperor of Yan looked at the two men with a gentle smile. "I rested late yesterday and was not in good spirits. I couldn't help but take a nap in the afternoon, which has troubled you two ministers."

"Your Majesty is busy with countless affairs of state; please take care of your health." With that, Prince Liang glanced at Pei Jinxuan and chuckled sinisterly, "lest someone with ulterior motives take advantage of Your Majesty's illness to cause trouble."

Anyone with ears can tell he's badmouthing someone.

Pei Jinxuan sat upright in his chair, not taking a single word to heart. He quietly glanced around; neither was Imperial Physician Xu, nor was Lin Ci.

Pei Jinxuan looked at the Empress, who instantly understood his meaning and glanced at the side room.

Pei Jinxuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then perked up and "retaliated" against King Liang.

"Who is the 'person with ulterior motives' that you're referring to, Imperial Uncle? Tell us so that His Majesty can be on guard."

"Hehe, what do you think?"

The two argued fiercely, neither willing to back down once they were in the right. The young prince, who had never seen anything like this before, stopped eating his pastries and snuggled straight into the Empress's arms.

The Emperor of Yan covered his mouth with his fist and coughed lightly, and the hall fell silent instantly.

He lowered his head, took a sip of ginger tea to moisten his throat, and then said, "Both of you are my closest relatives and my right-hand men. The safety of the people and the stability of the court cannot be achieved without you two. I ask you two ministers to continue to support me."

"Your Majesty's favor is greatly appreciated, and I will do my utmost to fulfill it." King Liang bowed, his words perfectly tactful.

Pei Jinxuan coughed twice, covering his mouth, his brows furrowing slightly, his aggrieved expression perfectly conveying his feelings.

"Your Majesty is unaware of the situation. While you were resting just now, your right arm attempted to dislocate your left arm."

The King of Liang's smile froze, and he turned his head to glare fiercely at Pei Jinxuan.

The Emperor of Yan frowned and asked, "What's going on?"

"Your Majesty, you'll have to ask Prince Liang. He's the one who 'invited' the Imperial Guards out."

No matter how arrogant the King of Liang was, he had to restrain himself at this time, otherwise, if a label were put on him, he would probably lose his head.

The Prince of Liang rose, knelt before the Emperor of Yan, and bowed his head, saying, "Your Majesty, this is all a misunderstanding. Your humble servant merely wished to enter the palace to meet the Emperor, but the Prince of Jing'an forcibly prevented him from entering. When asked why, he could not give a reasonable explanation. Your Majesty, tell me, who wouldn't have some doubts in this situation?"

"I told you His Majesty was resting and asked you to wait in the side hall, but you didn't believe me."

"Ha." King Liang sneered, "You usually act so carefree, who knows if what you say is true or false."

"Thank you for your praise, Imperial Uncle." Pei Jinxuan smiled slightly and bowed respectfully. "I thought you would say I'm ignorant and incompetent."

"You..." King Liang was speechless for a moment, turned his face away, and muttered in a low voice, "Your skin is thicker than a city wall."

Emperor Yan coughed lightly and raised his hand slightly, interrupting their conversation.

"My two ministers, please do not argue. I know that you are both concerned about my safety and that your intentions are good. I have caught a slight cold these past few days, but it is nothing serious. Just now, Imperial Physician Xu took my pulse, and everything is fine."

King Liang bowed and said with utmost sincerity, "Your Majesty's good health is the greatest blessing for the country. I humbly request Your Majesty to allow Xuanjing Fa to enter the palace to examine Your Majesty and treat you. Your health is a matter of life and death for the nation, and cannot be compromised in the slightest."