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

After midnight, firecrackers began to sound sporadically throughout the imperial city, gradually growing louder until they merged into a deafening roar, announcing the official arrival of the festival to worship the gods.

As the people eagerly awaited the dawn, the sky gradually brightened.

As the morning bell tolled, the palace gates slowly opened, and civil and military officials, dressed in court robes, and members of the imperial family, adorned with auspicious hats and belts, filed in. The palace had already been decorated in a solemn and dignified manner, yet everywhere was embellished with festive colors.

The people of the city also got up early, put on new clothes, and took to the streets to experience the atmosphere of the grandest festival of the year. Most people did not notice that the imperial city was any different from previous years, and were still immersed in the joy of bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The solemn and magnificent bell tolled nine times, echoing in every corner of the imperial city.

Led by the chief eunuch Wei Zhongxian, a group of eunuchs and palace maids proceeded in order, guiding the participants along the red-carpeted imperial road to the Fengtian Hall, where the ceremony was to be held.

Almost all the important figures in the Situ family came out.

Former Grand General Situ Sheng, who had been dismissed from his post, current patriarch Situ Lie, and the family's true pillar of strength, Grandmaster Situ Jing, all walked steadily in the ranks of officials, dressed in solemn auspicious robes befitting their status. Situ Jing even occasionally nodded to familiar elders of the imperial clan and important officials of the court, exchanging a few words in hushed tones, his face bearing his usual gentle smile, so that no one could detect the slightest abnormality.

Given Situ Jing's status and position, he could have easily avoided attending in person—he held no official position, yet was of extremely high seniority, and in the past, his participation in such grand ceremonies was entirely up to him. However, he would often come during the annual sacrificial festival, ostensibly to catch up with his old friend Xiao Yuanhou, but in reality, it was also a political gesture.

Today, however, he absolutely does not want to, and believes he will never "see" that old rival again.

In front of the Fengtian Hall is the spacious square "Tianjieping," which can accommodate thousands of people. According to the etiquette system, the sacrificial rites for officials below the third rank, members of the imperial clan without real positions, and some specially invited attendees were conducted in the square outside the hall; only high-ranking officials of the third rank and above, and core members of the imperial clan, were allowed to enter the Fengtian Hall and pay their respects in person.

Su Mu was currently among the crowd at Tianjieping.

He held the rank of fifth-grade chief eunuch, qualifying him to participate in this national-level ceremony, but his rank was insufficient to enter the Fengtian Hall. Looking around, he saw that most of the people gathered in the square outside the hall were indeed "insignificant" officials and relatives of insufficient rank.

However, upon closer observation, one would notice that the number of "Jianrui Battalion" soldiers maintaining order and ensuring security around the square was significantly greater than in previous years. Each soldier was clad in bright armor, with solemn expressions, forming a formidable battle formation. Among the seemingly ordinary spectators, there were also occasional glints of shrewd, restrained eyes that swept across the entire area—these were the martial arts experts mingling among the crowd.

The gates of Fengtian Hall were extremely wide and tall, and were now fully open. Standing in the square, although one could not see the entire hall, one could still take in part of the scene in front of it, including the majestic altar, the swirling incense smoke, and the figures of some of the important officials in the front row.

The sun is high in the sky; the auspicious time is approaching.

Solemn and melodious ritual music played, and everyone stood silently. According to the ritual that has been passed down for thousands of years, the current emperor, Xiao Anxun, should now ascend the chief officiant's seat, recite the sacrificial text, and lead the grand ceremony.

However, just as Xiao Anxun took a deep breath and was about to take a step forward—

"A tyrannical ruler!"

A thunderous roar suddenly erupted in the silent Fengtian Hall, its booming sound overwhelming the faint ceremonial music outside!

Situ Lie, who had been standing respectfully at the front of the military officers' ranks with his head bowed, suddenly stepped forward, pointing his halberd at Xiao Anxun in the direction of the throne. His beard and hair stood on end, and his voice was as sharp as a knife: "Today, before the ancestral tablets of the Great Qian Dynasty, before all the civil and military officials in this Fengtian Hall, I will denounce your numerous crimes since your ascension to the throne: your incompetence and lack of virtue, your favoritism towards treacherous officials, your persecution of loyal ministers, the loss of troops and territory in the north, and the daily decline of the nation! What face do you have to preside over the sacrifices to Heaven and Earth? What qualifications do you have to rule the Great Qian Dynasty?!"

The hall fell into a deathly silence; you could hear a pin drop. The crowd in the plaza outside was also stunned by the sudden roar. The noise stopped abruptly, and countless shocked, bewildered, and horrified gazes were cast into the hall.

Xiao Anxun's expression suddenly darkened, his eyes sharp as ice.

—Finally, it's here.

Empress Situ Wan, among the noblewomen in the hall, was struck dumb. She stared in disbelief at her father, who appeared to be insane, her face turning deathly pale. She never imagined her family would choose such a solemn and public occasion, and launch such a fierce and thorough attack! This was no longer a coup; it was a public break, a fight to the death! Regardless of victory or defeat, her fate as the empress at the center of this vortex was sealed.

"The Imperial Father-in-law is overwhelmed with grief and has lost his mind." Xiao Anxun's voice was not loud, but it clearly echoed in every corner of the hall, carrying the cold majesty of an emperor. "Wei Zhongxian, help the Imperial Father-in-law to rest and summon the imperial physician to treat him."

He deliberately singled out Wei Zhongxian, precisely to force this powerful Grand Eunuch, who oversaw the inner court, to make a statement at this crucial moment—whether he was loyal to the royal family and carried out the emperor's orders, or had already sided with the Situ family and disobeyed the imperial decree.

"This old servant... obeys the decree."

Wei Zhongxian's body seemed to tremble almost imperceptibly, then he bowed in response and strode toward Situ Lie. His steps were unhurried, even somewhat too steady, as if he were merely carrying out an ordinary task, completely unlike someone facing a father-in-law who had suddenly launched an attack, or a cataclysmic event about to unfold.

Wei Zhongxian was not involved in the specific details of the Situ family's conspiracy, nor was he invited to the Hall of Mental Cultivation last night to participate in the royal family's final secret meeting. But with his decades of experience in the palace, his keen insight and keen observation, how could he not guess that a storm was brewing today? He was simply waiting, waiting for the clearest signal, waiting for one side to show sufficient chance of victory.

"The Emperor's father-in-law is not senile at all! He is perfectly lucid!"

Just as Wei Zhongxian was about to approach Situ Lie, another aged yet incredibly powerful voice suddenly rang out, like the resounding of an ancient bell, causing the blood and qi of everyone in the hall to surge.

Situ Jing took a step forward, seemingly slowly, yet instantly covered several meters, firmly blocking Situ Lie's path. A terrifying aura, vast as an abyss and heavy as a mountain, erupted from him, engulfing the entire Fengtian Hall!

The power of a Grandmaster is undeniable!

His gaze was like lightning as he stared directly at Xiao Anxun, his voice shaking the rooftops: "The one who is incompetent and immoral, incurring the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people, is none other than Your Majesty! The northern border has suffered defeat after defeat, soldiers have shed their blood on the battlefield, and cities have fallen one after another. If this is not your fault, whose fault is it? Today, the one who should be arrested and punished, and who should apologize to the ancestors and the world, is not my father-in-law, but you, this immoral ruler!"

When Grandmaster Situ Jing bravely stepped forward to stop him, Wei Zhongxian withdrew and retreated, which was perfectly reasonable in everyone's eyes—who would dare to confront a Grandmaster in a fit of rage at such a critical moment?

At this moment, all eyes were focused on Situ Jing. Many people were secretly astonished: This patriarch of the Situ family had a ruddy complexion, bright and clear eyes, and even his full head of white hair had turned mostly black. Where was there any sign of the old age that was rumored to be nearing the end of his lifespan? He clearly looked like he had made progress in his cultivation and returned to his prime!