A dazzling bolt of lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, followed by a clap of thunder. The sound was so loud it seemed to shake heaven and earth, making those caught unprepared tremble all over…
The thunder came too suddenly, and its sound coincided perfectly, drowning out the voice of the grand eunuch. Thus, almost no one in the hall, except Emperor Rui, heard what he said.
When everyone recovered from the thunder, they suddenly saw the man and began to examine him carefully. Those ministers and several princes who were closer, were all surprised in their hearts upon seeing the man's appearance. Such an otherworldly person existed in the world.
The noble aura of this man was something that no member of the Great Yu Dynasty’s royal family could compare to. To speak irreverently, even the current emperor did not possess such a commanding presence that looked down upon the world.
Who was this man? He not only refused to kneel before the emperor but didn’t even offer a courtesy! This was simply treasonous and disrespectful to the sovereign! At this moment, no matter who pointed it out, such an arrogant person would have his blood splattered on the Golden Luan Hall.
However, the ministers’ minds were currently captivated by their speculation about the identity of the person before them and his astonishing appearance, so they hadn't thought much further.
Judging by this man’s imposing figure and demeanor, no man in the world could rival him, right?
This was the most direct feeling of all the ministers after seeing his appearance. But they quickly dismissed this thought.
No! Once, their Great Yu Dynasty seemed to have had such a person of astonishing talent. A young general, clad in brocade robes and riding a spirited horse, he ascended to godhood in one battle and became famous throughout the land.
If he were still alive now, his achievements would be even more astonishing, wouldn't they? But there are no "ifs" in the world…
Being in the palace and having risen to the position of Grand Eunuch, his discernment was naturally not poor. He noticed the confusion on the faces of the ministers, glanced up at Emperor Rui, and seeing his slight nod, he cleared his throat and announced again.
“Prince Jian Hou of the First Rank, Great General of the Great Yu Dynasty, Crown Prince of the Prince Jian Hou’s Estate, the Grand General of Cavalry, Huo Qiyuan, has matters to report!”
Shock!
Almost the instant the grand eunuch finished speaking, waves of gasping sounds erupted throughout the hall, showing how astonished they were!
The ministers looked at Emperor Rui, then at the grand eunuch, and finally exchanged terrified glances.
Prince Jian Hou’s Estate? Grand General of Cavalry, Huo Qiyuan?
Had they taken the wrong medicine, or did their ears malfunction and hear incorrectly? Or had this grand eunuch taken the wrong medicine, and his mouth malfunctioned and misreported?
Were these things they were allowed to hear? Would they die? Or did this grand eunuch think his life was too long and was seeking death?
It was no wonder they were so shocked. After all, after several years, hearing the names of Prince Jian Hou’s Estate and Huo Qiyuan in the imperial court again made it difficult for them to calm down.
At this moment, whether it was the princes or the ministers from the old and new factions, all were dumbfounded.
This man was actually Huo Qiyuan? But wasn’t Huo Qiyuan already dead? He died on the battlefield five years ago!
At the time, many people had secretly sighed in their hearts. Putting aside the matter of his colluding with the enemy, it was still very regrettable that such a young man of astonishing talent had died like this.
Then they thought again, that wasn't right! Even if Huo Qiyuan had miraculously survived, he wouldn't look like this…
Many people present had watched Huo Qiyuan grow up from childhood. Although his face was impeccably handsome, and they hadn't seen him for several years, this face bore no resemblance to the young man from a few years ago.
Among those present, besides the ministers of the old faction, the princes should have had the most say. They eyed the person before them suspiciously, trying to find some trace of his past self, but in the end, there was none…
Back then, the Prince Jian Hou’s Estate was the noble among nobles in the capital. They had racked their brains, intent on marrying into the Huo family, so how could they forget Huo Qiyuan's appearance?
Amidst the clamor of the crowd, Emperor Rui calmly uttered the word “Granted.”
It was only after this word was spoken that some ministers in the court were jolted awake. It was over! What time was it, and they had actually been distracted by the man's appearance and identity?
It seemed they had been tricked by Emperor Rui. Yesterday he had explicitly agreed to postpone this matter, but he hadn't expected him to bring it out into the open the very next day.
After only one night, it was impossible to cover things up. Did Emperor Rui know their intentions and deliberately say that to relax their vigilance, all just to ensure that no one involved could escape?
Emperor Rui indeed had this intention. Rather than it being his intention, it was because he knew this was Huo Qiyuan's idea.
After learning that Huo Qiyuan was not only seeking revenge for his parents and the Prince Jian Hou’s Estate, Emperor Rui knew. As long as everyone involved in the matter, the last one could not escape.
The situation was at a stalemate, but how could those people let things get out of control? Huo Qiyuan dared to come to the Golden Luan Hall alone, so he must have said something to Emperor Rui in advance.
Although these ministers were very worried, they were not that worried. This was because they understood Emperor Rui's character and knew what kind of person he was at heart.
If there was only one person in the world who would least want this matter to be exposed, it would definitely be Emperor Rui himself!
After all, if the matter was revealed, they would only lose their wealth and high positions. But Emperor Rui would lose the entire empire!
Therefore, they did not believe that Emperor Rui truly didn’t mind Huo Qiyuan’s appearance. Holding such a confident thought, they then began to target Huo Qiyuan!
Minister: "Your Majesty! Is this person truly the son of a traitor, Huo Qiyuan?"
Emperor Rui: "I have verified his identity, and he is indeed Huo Qiyuan. It is just that because he was previously poisoned, his current appearance is greatly different from before."
Minister: "Since Your Majesty has confirmed his identity, please quickly summon the Imperial Guards to apprehend him, lest such a son of a traitor escape again."
“This minister seconds the motion.”
When someone couldn't sit still and became the first bird, others naturally followed suit. If they could definitively brand Huo Qiyuan as the son of a traitor, perhaps they would still have room to turn things around. Otherwise, today would be difficult to resolve…
Huo Qiyuan turned around and leisurely looked at Wang Zhiyuan, who was wearing a second-rank official uniform, his tone laced with obvious sarcasm.
“Minister Wang, why are you so eager to condemn Huo? Is it because you have a guilty conscience? Or is the reason for your haste simply that you fear I might accidentally reveal something? The deaths of those soldiers back then, was it really because I colluded with the enemy?”
Before Lord Wang could retort, Huo Qiyuan continued, “Actually, the people who are clearest about this matter should be you, Lord Wang, and your esteemed son, shouldn’t they?”