The Empress remarried, and I retaliated by wiping out the court.

boom!

Boom! Boom!

The heavy sound of iron hooves approached from afar, like rolling thunder, sweeping in from the horizon.

A black torrent appeared outside Xuanwu Gate, with a black military flag with gold patterns fluttering in the wind, obscuring the sky and the sun.

The crowd was densely packed, stretching as far as the eye could see.

On another section of the city wall, Mo Zhaozhao's two snow-white little feet swung in the air, her head tilted, looking innocent and adorable.

"Father, Ye Wudao is so pitiful, are we really not going to help him?"

Mo Jingyu, dressed in a flying fish robe, gazed calmly at the city below.

"No need. If he dies here today, it only proves that I overestimated him."

Mo Zhaozhao blinked.

"If Father helps him now, he won't have to die, right?"

Mo Jingyu said calmly, "It's not the right time yet. The Embroidered Uniform Guard doesn't side with anyone, only with the imperial power!"

Mo Zhaozhao was even more confused.

"But Ye Wudao is the emperor."

Mo Jingyu shook his head. "An emperor is not the same as imperial power. A dead man can be an emperor, and a puppet can also be an emperor. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is never loyal to any one person, but to the one sitting on the dragon throne!"

He gazed at the 30,000 imperial guards below the city, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

"But in the present Great Yan, Ye Wudao is too weak and Xiao Linyuan is too strong. It would not be a good thing if either side won completely."

Mo Zhaozhao still didn't understand. "Why?"

Mo Jingyu smiled lightly: "If Ye Wudao wins, the imperial power will flourish, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard will once again become a knife in the emperor's hand. If Xiao Linyuan wins, the Embroidered Uniform Guard will become a dog kept by the regent. I don't like either of these outcomes."

Mo Zhaozhao nodded as if she understood but not quite.

"So, the best outcome is that neither of them can kill the other?"

"good."

Mo Jingyu nodded.

"Only when the imperial power, the regional princes, and the cabinet check and balance each other can the Embroidered Uniform Guard maximize its power!"

As he said this, he suddenly narrowed his eyes slightly.

"However, Xiao Linyuan may not be able to win today."

Mo Zhaozhao was taken aback.

Why?

Mo Jingyu slowly said, "Because if he handles it well, he'll have 30,000 Imperial Guards; but if he handles it poorly, he won't even have a single coin!"

…………

Thud!

Countless spears slammed into the ground simultaneously, creating a deafening sound and sending dust billowing into the sky.

Followed by.

The army formation slowly split open to both sides like a tide.

A magnificent black steed, known for its exceptional swiftness, slowly emerged from the center of the army.

Xiao Linyuan looked up at Ye Wudao on the city wall, a smile playing on his lips:

"Ye Wudao—!"

"I'm giving you one last chance!"

"Open the city gates and surrender!"

"I will spare your dog's life because you are young and ignorant!"

"Otherwise, when the city falls, I will ensure that your Ye royal family is wiped out, not a single one of them!"

Ye Wudao stood atop the city wall, looking down at him:

"Xiao Linyuan, you traitorous minister, do you even deserve my surrender?"

"I'll give you a chance. Kneel down now, and I might even grant you a complete corpse!"

"Hahaha……!"

Xiao Linyuan laughed loudly, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world:

"They're about to die, and they're still being stubborn. They're truly courting death!"

"All troops, attack! For this king's sake...!"

Before he could finish speaking, a rapid sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from afar.

An ordinary blue-canopied carriage sped along the official road.

An old man in a gray-blue scholar's robe stepped down from the carriage, leaning on his cane.

one person.

One staff.

They stood in front of the 30,000 Imperial Guards.

"Your Highness, could you do me this favor?"

Upon seeing the old man, Xiao Linyuan's expression changed: "Imperial Tutor?"

Three months ago, he could have been crowned emperor and become the new emperor of the Great Yan.

Unfortunately, it was this eldest grandson, Yuanpei, who interfered, causing his plan to become emperor to fail.

Now, this old man has come again!

Changsun Yuanpei, leaning on his cane, slowly walked between the two armies.

The cold wind ruffled the old man's long, snow-white beard, and he said calmly:

"Withdraw your troops. If you attack the city today, you will no longer be the Regent, but a traitor. Have you thought this through?"

Xiao Linyuan's eyes were icy cold.

"Imperial Tutor, I respect you to some extent, but that doesn't mean I'll listen to you in everything."

Changsun Yuanpei slowly shook his head.

"If you were to declare yourself emperor today, would the kings on the frontiers submit?"

He raised his hand and slowly pointed north.

"Zhao Qingtian, the Prince of Zhenbei, commands 100,000 iron cavalry."

It then points eastward.

"Luo Jin, the Prince of Dongping, commands an army of 80,000."

Then point southwest.

"Mark Yan, the King of Xiliang, controlled all the armies of Xiliang."

Finally, he looked south.

"And there's also Liang Yan, the Prince of Nanling."

"None of them would acknowledge a new emperor who ascended the throne through regicide."

"At that time, the four kings will rise up together, the whole world will rebel, war will break out everywhere, the people will be displaced, and the Great Yan will truly perish!"

Xiao Linyuan remained silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a cold laugh.

"Imperial Tutor, you call me a traitor? Then why don't you ask who has driven me to this point?"

He suddenly raised his hand and pointed towards the city wall.

"Ye Wudao! He's been on the throne for less than a hundred days, first killing Li Chongde, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, then beheading Jiang Huaishang, a cabinet minister, and then killing Yan Shichang, the commander of the Imperial Guards... He kills important officials of the court without a second thought!"

"Today it's Li Chongde, tomorrow it's Jiang Huaishang, and the day after tomorrow it will be my turn! Such a tyrant, such a foolish ruler, if I don't rebel now, am I supposed to just wait for him to slaughter us all?"

He suddenly drew his sword from his waist, the blade pointing directly at the city wall.

"Today, it is not I who want to rebel, but Ye Wudao who has forced me into rebellion!"

boom!

Thirty thousand imperial guards raised their weapons in unison, their killing intent soaring to the heavens.

Xiao Linyuan roared:

"Imperial Tutor! I'll give you one last bit of face. If Ye Wudao rolls down now, kneels before me, kowtows and apologizes, I'll withdraw my troops today!"

"Otherwise, if the Xuanwu Gate falls, it will be his death!"

Changsun Yuanpei remained silent for a long time before finally turning slowly and looking towards the city wall.

"Your Majesty, bow your head. It's not shameful to do so for the sake of the country and its people."

Ye Wudao laughed angrily: "What is he? Does he deserve to make me bow down? You didn't even ask what mistakes these people he mentioned made before asking me to admit my mistakes without even knowing the facts?"

Lord Changsun, you're really getting worse with age!

Changsun Yuanpei became anxious: "Your Majesty, be careful what you say!"

A moment of patience brings calm, a step back opens up a vast sky! The old minister risked everything to preserve this lifeline of the Ye family.

Today, this old minister begs Your Majesty to apologize to the Regent. As long as I am alive, there is still a chance.

Ye Wudao scoffed, "Since ancient times, only subjects have been allowed to kneel before their rulers. There's no reason for a ruler to bow to his subjects!"

"If I kneel today, I will not only lose my own life, but also the backbone of the Ye family for eight hundred years!"

"You want me to admit my mistake? I—would rather die than admit it!"

Changsun Yuanpei grew anxious: "Your Majesty, does right or wrong matter? How old are you? How can you still be so naive?"

On the city wall, all the civil and military officials, as well as countless agents of the Eastern Depot, all looked at Ye Wudao.

"Hahaha!"

Ye Wudao suddenly threw his head back and laughed loudly, the sound of which stirred up the wind and clouds and drowned out all other sounds.

He slowly raised his head, his sword pointing straight at the sky, his voice like thunder.

"Absolutely! Absolutely! Right or wrong doesn't matter, just right! The winner is king, the loser is a bandit!"

"Then today, I will use this sword to distinguish right from wrong!"

"If I win—the whole world belongs to me!"

"If I am defeated—I will offer my life as a sacrifice for the nation!"