"Do not touch me..." The Empress Dowager pushed away the eunuch and approached Xue Tianyue, saying word by word, "Xue Tianyue, your dominion is over."
Xue Tianyue looked at the Empress Dowager with a face ashen, and asked, "Must Mother Empress do this?"
The Empress Dowager sneered, "This is the dying wish the late Emperor left for me!"
"But he is already dead," Xue Tianyue roared.
"So what? In my heart, he is always alive!"
Xue Tianyue's gaze narrowed, a cold glint flashing across his eyes. "Since that is the case, do not blame me. Guards, confine the Empress Dowager to Fengyi Palace. No one is to leave without my command."
The Imperial Guards entered. Seeing them, the ministers retreated several steps in fear. Xue Tianyue stood with his hands behind his back and said coldly, "Today's events are undoubtedly peculiar. Until the truth is revealed, all ministers are forbidden to leave."
The ministers exchanged bewildered glances. Was His Majesty planning to imprison them?
"Duke Ning's seditious words are unforgivable. He shall be executed immediately!" Xue Tianyue declared coldly.
Xue Xingyue awoke to find that it was already late. She rose and heard footsteps outside. Going out, she saw hurried palace maids. She grabbed one and asked, "What has happened?"
The palace maid looked at her and said, "The Empress Dowager has been imprisoned by His Majesty. This place is likely under lockdown, so everyone who can leave has already gone."
"Where is the Empress Dowager?" Xue Xingyue asked coldly.
"She should still be in the imperial court!"
Releasing the maid, Xue Xingyue leaped into the air and departed. Along the way, she saw only rushing palace staff.
Suddenly, she was grabbed by someone. Just as she was about to retaliate, she heard the person say, "Your Highness, I am Ji Wuran."
Ji Wuran? Xue Xingyue turned and indeed saw Ji Wuran behind her. "Ji Wuran, why are you here?"
Ji Wuran replied, "I have not seen Your Highness for days and worried about you, so I have been wandering the palace. I finally saw you."
"The Empress Dowager is preparing to depose Xue Tianyue," Xue Xingyue said.
Ji Wuran nodded, "I had guessed as much."
"Then do you know if she is alright now?" Xue Xingyue inquired.
Ji Wuran said, "The Empress Dowager likely did not anticipate Xue Tianyue's depth of planning. He has secretly replaced the Imperial Guards. The Empress Dowager is probably caught in a trap now."
Hearing this, Xue Xingyue said, "Then let us quickly leave the palace."
"Leave the palace?" Ji Wuran looked at her with some confusion.
"Since the Empress Dowager is not in immediate danger, let us first save Duke Ning. With him here, there is still room for maneuver."
Ji Wuran nodded, "There is no time to delay. Let's go."
Xue Xingyue and Ji Wuran quickly fled towards the palace exit. Along the way, they managed to steal clothes from palace maids and eunuchs, thus remaining undiscovered. However, at the palace gate, Imperial Guards were on duty, and they blocked their path.
"Which palace are you from?" the Imperial Guard asked.
Ji Wuran quickly took silver from his sleeve and pressed it into the guard's hand. "Sir, we are on an errand from the Imperial Kitchen to procure supplies."
The Imperial Guard weighed the silver in his hand and said, "Go quickly and return quickly."
Ji Wuran and Xue Xingyue hurried towards the exit. Just then, someone from behind called out, "By order of His Majesty, no one is to leave the palace. Those who disobey will be executed."
Xue Xingyue and Ji Wuran exchanged a look and suddenly quickened their pace.
After running for some distance and seeing no Imperial Guards in pursuit, Xue Xingyue and Ji Wuran breathed a sigh of relief. The two headed straight for the execution ground.
At the execution ground, Shi Zhiyuan sighed, "Duke Ning, I cannot help you this time."
Upon hearing this, Duke Ning's expression changed slightly. "Lord Shi, you have already done much for me."
Shi Zhiyuan turned his head away, picked up the execution token, and gritted his teeth, "The time has come, execute!"
The token fell to the ground. The executioner removed the plaque from Duke Ning's back and said, "Duke, please proceed!"
Duke Ning gritted his teeth, thinking to himself, "Meng Jia, are you trying to get your elder brother killed?"
"Hold the blade!" Suddenly, a voice cut through the air.
A flying sword struck the cleaver from the executioner's hand.
"Hold the blade..."
Shi Zhiyuan looked up, faintly seeing a man and a woman. As they approached, he saw the man and frowned, "Young Marquis Ji, what is the meaning of this?"
Ji Wuran produced a token and declared, "An imperial pardon token is here. Who dares to disobey!"
Shi Zhiyuan turned pale with shock and quickly got down from his chair, approaching Ji Wuran. "Young Marquis Ji, how did you come by an imperial pardon token?"
Ji Wuran said coldly, "This token is an heirloom. Or does Lord Shi not recognize it?"
Shi Zhiyuan's expression changed. He quickly said, "Young Marquis Ji, you wrong me. But may I have a look at this token?"
Ji Wuran's face darkened. "Lord Shi, how dare you..."
"Wuran, show it to him!"
A woman's voice suddenly rang out. Shi Zhiyuan couldn't help but look up. As his gaze met those clear, cold eyes, he felt as though his entire body was trembling. He knelt there, as humble as an ant, while she was like a lofty god overlooking all beings.
For some reason, a sense of submission arose from the depths of his heart.
Ji Wuran handed the golden token to Shi Zhiyuan. Shi Zhiyuan glanced at it, his eyes widening in surprise. It was indeed a golden token, but... but this was a token from the late Emperor's reign. He looked up instinctively at Ji Wuran, "Young Marquis Ji, this..."
"What? Does Lord Shi believe this is not a golden token?" Ji Wuran retorted.
Shi Zhiyuan stammered, unable to speak.
"Lord Shi, a new emperor, new officials. Do you think Xue Tianyue's reign will last long?"
Shi Zhiyuan trembled and looked at the woman speaking. "How dare you, to openly discuss the current Emperor? What crime is this?"
"My Lord, you show none of the demeanor of the former Minister of Justice, Shi Daren."
Shi Zhiyuan was stunned and frowned, looking at the woman. "You know my uncle?"
"Not only do I know him? I had the honor of spending time with Lord Shi."
Shi Zhiyuan was utterly confused. The woman continued, "Years ago, Lord Shi served the Empress of Changjiu with unwavering loyalty. Even when traitors attempted to usurp the throne, Lord Shi discovered them early. However, the current Lord Shi is not that Shi Daren."
"Who are you, and why do you know so much about the Shi family?" Shi Zhiyuan asked coldly.