activa-t What happened in Chapter 225?
What happened in Chapter 225?
The bustling and magnificent capital city remains brightly lit even under the cover of night.
"Your Majesty!" A loud shout suddenly rang out, breaking the silence of the night.
The sound was so loud it seemed to penetrate the roof, startling the ministers who were still discussing the matter and causing them to turn around.
The emperor, who had been dozing on the exquisitely carved dragon throne above, was startled awake by the sudden shout.
He stretched lazily, then slowly opened his eyes, his gaze revealing a hint of dissatisfaction and drowsiness.
"Are you done arguing?"
The emperor uttered these three words softly, his tone calm, yet they contained an invisible majesty.
Upon hearing this, the senior officials below, who were about to continue their remonstrances, suddenly seemed to have their throats grabbed, and stopped speaking.
Just now, an urgent border war report was delivered to the palace via express courier service.
According to the battle report, the Regent suddenly appeared out of nowhere on the smoke-filled battlefield, and brought his fearsome Black Armor Guards with him to join the fierce battle.
Although the final outcome of this battle is still unclear, the Black Armor Guards led by the Regent are renowned for their unparalleled fighting prowess and have never suffered a defeat.
Therefore, everyone understood that rescuing the trapped General Pei would be a piece of cake for the Regent, who possessed such an elite force.
However, this seemingly ordinary news was nothing short of a bombshell in the eyes of these ministers, causing a huge uproar.
They knew that there might be something else behind this, so they waited impatiently outside the Imperial Study late at night.
Even the short hour of waiting for the morning court session seemed incredibly long and unbearable. As soon as they received permission to enter the imperial study, they swarmed in like ants on a hot pan, not giving the emperor a chance to speak, and began arguing loudly and spittle flying everywhere.
"Your Majesty, the Regent has inexplicably come back to life. This should be a cause for great joy, but he dared to deceive you beforehand. This is truly..."
Just then, Ren Zhong flicked his sleeve, straightened his back, and strode forward. His action seemed to instill courage in everyone else present.
With Ren Zhong taking the lead, the ministers who were originally silent and trembling with fear now mustered their courage and stepped forward one after another.
"Your Majesty, this Regent has clearly committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor!"
One minister said indignantly.
Another minister chimed in, "Indeed, Your Majesty, the regent feigned death but then fled to the border. His intentions are clearly extremely sinister; he must be plotting something treacherous!"
Another minister, his face full of worry, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, nearly half of our Black Armor Guards are now under the control of Grand Tutor Ren, but why do we receive reports that the Black Armor Guards led by the Regent Prince are virtually overwhelming?"
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince, who had been silent all along, suddenly raised his head, his face showing astonishment.
He had not attended court for a long time. He was just about to fall asleep with his concubine in his arms when Ren Zhong suddenly sent someone to summon him to the palace. He was stunned when he heard this news.
“Father, I believe that the Regent’s actions are undoubtedly aimed at secretly cultivating his own private army. According to Lord Zhang, the number of Black Armor Guards under the Regent’s command is far greater than we know. If we allow him to continue developing unchecked, I fear it will lead to unimaginable and serious consequences in the future!”
The Crown Prince solemnly addressed the Emperor.
"So, according to the Crown Prince, how should we proceed?"
The emperor sat upright on his magnificent dragon throne and calmly asked the question.
He simply extended his right hand slightly, calmly accepting the exquisite teacup respectfully handed over by Eunuch Gao beside him, then took a small sip, letting the warm tea slowly flow down his throat.
As the emperor took a large gulp of tea, his previously slightly drowsy face immediately brightened, as if the intense sleepiness that had just overwhelmed him had been dispelled.
Upon seeing the emperor speak to him with such a gentle and pleasant tone, which had not been seen in a long time, Xiao Junlin felt an overwhelming surge of excitement.
So much so that he didn't notice Ren Zhong's increasingly grim expression beside him, just like the gloomy and oppressive sky before an impending storm.
Not only that, even the violent coughing of Ren Zhong beside him failed to attract Xiao Junlin's attention or elicit any reaction.
Without hesitation, Xiao Junlin replied loudly, "Your Majesty, I believe the best course of action is to immediately dispatch elite troops to the Regent's location and forcibly seize his military power. Afterward, he should be escorted back to the capital and handed over to the court for legal judgment and punishment!"
As he spoke these words, Xiao Junlin's expression was resolute and his words were utterly certain. His eyes were filled with eager anticipation as he looked directly at the noble emperor high above him, hoping to gain his father's approval and praise.
Finally, the emperor's deep and majestic voice slowly rang out: "I think the Crown Prince's suggestion is excellent."
These few simple words struck Xiao Junlin like a thunderbolt.
In an instant, a dazzling light gradually shone in his eyes, as if he could already see himself wearing a dragon robe, sitting on the dragon throne, majestically commanding all the people under heaven.
Ever since he was singled out by the emperor, he has been like a bird trapped in a cage, confined to his residence and not allowed to step out.
Those ministers who used to fawn over him now only offer him a few forced smiles out of respect for his important position.
Thinking of Ren Zhong, Xiao Junlin couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.
After all, his uncle, who was related to him by blood, had now become the head of the court, and even his incomparably noble father, the emperor, had to show him deference when facing Ren Zhong.
So, he subconsciously turned his gaze toward where Ren Zhong was.
Just then, Xiao Junlin suddenly noticed that Ren Zhong was also staring at him.
However, to his great surprise, Ren Zhong's originally handsome eyebrows were now twisting wildly as if blown by a strong wind, and were even about to be deformed.
Seeing this, Xiao Junlin was filled with suspicion and couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "What's wrong, Lord Ren?"