Starting with being handed over to the Imperial Concubine, building a family with a thousand-year hi

However, appointing the fifth prince as crown prince would violate ancestral rules! The Xiao family's ancestral precepts clearly state that only the prince with the strongest martial arts talent can be the heir apparent. If no suitable candidate is found, a worthy person should be chosen from the imperial clan.

The crown prince does not necessarily have to be the emperor's biological son.

The fifth prince, Xiao Jinghuan, is only seven years old. He has not yet learned martial arts, his talent is yet to be seen, and he is fond of playing. If he is made crown prince, the entire court will surely have objections, and even the imperial clan will find it difficult to accept.

Furthermore, banishing Consort De to the Cold Palace is utterly unreasonable. How could the Tianwu Sect stand idly by?

If the Xiao royal family wants to win over the Situ family, does that mean they should abandon the Tianwu Sect? For thousands of years, the Tianwu Sect has been an important force in maintaining the order of martial arts.

Situ Wan knew that the latter two demands were somewhat unreasonable, but she still brought them up in order to negotiate. Even if the emperor only agreed to one of them, she would still have achieved her goal.

But the emperor's anger and rebuke still chilled her heart.

Now it is the Xiao royal family that needs to rely on the Situ family, not the other way around!

The following day, the emperor issued an edict: Empress Situ Wan has committed moral failings and is hereby confined to the Fenghe Palace, forbidden from leaving before the sacrificial festival!

Upon hearing this decree, not only was Situ Wan stunned, but the Situ family's senior members were also taken aback.

This is a blatant slap in the face to the Situ family.

But in the Situ family’s view, this might be a show of force by the emperor and the royal family—a deliberate display of strength to make people think that Xiao Yuanhou was still alive and that the Xiao family still had confidence.

Perhaps... Xiao Yuanhou is still alive?

Because of this doubt, the Situ family did not immediately launch an attack after the Empress was punished.

Inside the library, Su Mu shook his head inwardly upon hearing that the Empress had been punished.

"The Situ family has been testing us repeatedly, clearly harboring ulterior motives. Historically, the rise of powerful maternal relatives has always been a curse rather than a blessing."

Su Mu could sense that the imperial aura in the palace had weakened somewhat compared to before.

Although the change is not drastic, it is a real decline.

The very foundation of the Great Qian Dynasty is indeed crumbling.

Clearly, this unsettling force originated from the Situ family.

In the past, the Situ family may have had no intention of rebelling, but things are different now.

"It seems that the Situ family and the royal family have not reached an agreement. With the empress being punished, the Situ family will definitely take action."

"Once Xiao Yuanhou's death is confirmed, the Situ family will likely make a real move."

"With external enemies still at large and powerful ministers harboring disloyal intentions... the Great Qian Dynasty is in grave danger."

"If the Situ family rebels and seizes the throne, the Xiao imperial family will be doomed. Should I make plans to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible?"

As Su Mu was pondering this, he suddenly felt that the imperial aura in the palace had become extremely thin, almost non-existent.

"What happened?"

"I only thought about leaving, and it had this kind of impact?"

Su Mu was astonished. The barbarian invasion, the Northern Desert rebellion, and the fall of Xiao Yuanhou had not diminished the imperial aura to this extent.

From this change, he suddenly realized that if he, this "variable," were to leave, the Xiao imperial family might not be able to survive this calamity—the millennia-long reign of the Great Qian Dynasty might come to an end.

"I may not fear the Grandmaster of the Situ family. If I use my trump card, I might be able to turn the tables. Why flee so soon?"

"not to mention……"

"Not only can I not leave, but I must also do my utmost to support the Xiao family!"

As soon as this thought arose, Su Mu was surprised to find that the imperial aura in the palace had suddenly become much stronger, more than ten times stronger than before!

It was even more abundant than when he first entered the library to cultivate.

"The Xiao royal family... must be supported."

Su Mu made up his mind.

Just then, the familiar notification sound rang out:

"Congratulations to my adopted son Feng Bao for breaking through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining. The reward has been sent to your storage space. Please check."

"After taking three Qi-Consolidating Pills and entering the Qi-Induction Realm, Feng Bao took many Spirit Essence Pills. Even with his mediocre aptitude, reaching the mid-stage of Qi Induction was a natural progression."

Su Mu's mind stirred slightly as he examined what he had gained.

The rewards consist mainly of elixirs, and in considerable quantities.

The most eye-catching item was a high-grade Xuan-level elixir – the "Dragon Essence Pill".

There are ten Dragon Essence Pills in total, each containing pure Dragon Essence, which can cause the user's Qi and Blood, True Essence to surge in a short period of time, and their strength to increase dramatically!

However, this power is not permanent; it is only a brief burst, and the effects will subside after the medicine wears off.

It can only be used when facing a strong enemy and needing to fight desperately.

The Dragon Essence Pill is extremely potent; let alone ordinary martial artists, even a Grandmaster would find it difficult to withstand. While Grandmaster-level martial artists can take it, they must pay a heavy price—at best, their foundation will be damaged; at worst, their cultivation will be completely destroyed or they will even perish.

"Good stuff!" Su Mu thought to himself.

Facing a Grandmaster, he now has another trump card.

He was no ordinary grandmaster; he possessed the aura of an emperor, and the backlash from the Dragon Essence Pill was far less severe on him than on ordinary people. Even if there was any damage, he could take the "Calamity-Breaking Pill" to neutralize it.

That night, after dinner.

Feng Bao was tidying up in the kitchen when Xiao Anran came to the library and sat down next to Su Mu.

Su Mu held a book in his hand, and the oil lamp on the table flickered weakly. A cold wind blew in through the open door, causing the flame to sway erratically—just like the current predicament of the Xiao imperial family.

"I wonder what Eunuch Su's opinion is on the Empress's punishment?" Xiao Anran asked in a humble tone, his demeanor noticeably different from before.

"This is a matter between the Emperor and the Empress, and I dare not comment on it." Su Mu shook his head and looked back at the book.

"There's no one else here, so please speak freely." Xiao Anran paused for a moment, then said in a low voice, "My great-grandfather once said that Eunuch Su is an extraordinary person. If I have any questions, I may consult you."

"You flatter me, senior." Su Mu put down his book and looked up at Xiao Anran.

Her bright face still bore an inescapable sorrow, mixed with confusion.

Xiao Yuanhou's sudden death had a tremendous impact on her. Her current situation is similar to that of the Xiao royal family—they have lost their greatest support, and although they have the will to save the world, they have no power to turn the tide.

"Please advise, Eunuch Su," Xiao Anran said earnestly.

"Since we are powerless to do anything about it, there's no need to force it," Su Mu said gently. "As the saying goes, when soldiers come, generals will meet them. Why worry about things that haven't happened yet? Even if the sky were to fall, there are tall people to hold it up. Why should the princess trouble herself?"

"Eunuch Su is not a member of the royal family, so he can naturally think this way. But as a member of the imperial family and the emperor's own sister, how can I be at ease?" Xiao Anran sighed softly. "I know that worrying is useless, but I can't stay out of it."

"No one wants you to stay out of this," Su Mu said gently. "I am honored by your kindness, senior. I only have one piece of advice for you, Princess: things are not yet hopeless, there may still be a chance for a turnaround."

"I hope so." Xiao Anran stood up and walked away slowly.

After returning to her room, she sat alone by the bed, repeatedly pondering Su Mu's words.

"Things haven't reached a dead end... Is there really a chance for things to turn around?"

Xiao Anran was skeptical, feeling that Su Mu might be oversimplifying things.

She truly couldn't imagine any chance that the Xiao royal family could turn things around.

That morning, she took time to meet with the Emperor, whereupon she learned about the punishment Situ Wan had received and gained an understanding of the Emperor's and the royal family's stance.

The Xiao imperial family would never yield to the Situ family, and even if they did, it would not fundamentally resolve the internal turmoil within the imperial family.

Now that we've backed down, will the Situ family still demand exorbitant prices?

The Situ family has long lost its loyalty to the Xiao royal family, and it is very likely that they will gradually erode the royal family and even replace it in the future!

Rather than waiting to die, we might as well take a gamble!

If the Xiao royal family spares no effort and has the support of the Tianwu Sect, they might be able to kill a Grandmaster who has lived for 180 years!

……