"Pfft." Shen Qianmo was amused by Situ Jingyan's expression, and a gentle smile appeared on her lips.
Situ Jingyan, a man who is so decisive and ruthless, can become so childlike because of love for her. She originally thought that her rebirth was only for revenge, but she never expected to meet him because of it. This is probably God's compensation for the suffering she endured in her previous life.
“Shangguan Che’s wings have been clipped, it’s time to make our move!” Situ Jingyan said as if he had suddenly thought of something.
He didn't want to stay in Qiyue Kingdom any longer. He just wanted to finish dealing with things there as soon as possible, take Shen Qianmo back to Tianmo, and make her his empress. That way, she would belong to him alone. He could no longer endure the feeling that she might be taken away from him; he wanted her to belong to him completely!
“Indeed. The throne cannot remain vacant for too long.” Shen Qianmo agreed with Situ Jingyan’s words, a bloodthirsty smile spreading across her lips.
Shangguan Che, Yao Ruoqin, just enjoy this feeling of being on the verge of despair. Soon, I will make you lose everything!
"I heard that Mo'er even found the imperial edict?" Situ Jingyan raised an eyebrow and asked.
“Not bad.” Shen Qianmo looked at Situ Jingyan. He also knew about the imperial edict. It seemed that there was really nothing that could be hidden from him.
"I sent people to search before, but they couldn't find it. Where did you find Mo'er?" Situ Jingyan asked curiously.
Shen Qianmo's eyes conjured up Helian Xinli's bedroom. She had been dead for so long, yet Shangguan Hao had never forgotten her. A smile played on her lips as she said, "In the late Empress's palace, Shangguan Hao was truly a devoted emperor."
"Devoted love?!" Situ Jingyan chuckled dismissively, then took Shen Qianmo's hand and said, "If you were truly devoted, how could you have three thousand beauties in your harem? Mo'er, I love you, I want you to belong to me completely, and I will belong to you completely!"
Shen Qianmo looked up and met Situ Jingyan's deep, affectionate eyes. Those eyes, like obsidian, shone with a captivating luster, like a bottomless valley, now brimming with tenderness as he gazed at her.
He once said he was willing to create a virtual harem for her, and now he says, "And I, too, will belong completely to you." She understands the weight of those words for an emperor, which is why she cherishes their relationship even more.
But how easy is it to win the love of an emperor?! The imperial family is often helpless, and their journey to Tianmo will not be smooth sailing either.
But no matter what they have to go through, she has decided to stay by his side. Once Shen Qianmo has made up her mind, no one can change it!
In matters of state, changes can happen in an instant.
The Empress's sudden death dealt a blow to Shangguan Che's faction. At this critical moment, Shangguan Jin produced Shangguan Hao's imperial edict, which clearly stated that the throne would be passed to Shangguan Jin. As a result, many loyal elders of the court abandoned Shangguan Che's camp and turned to support Shangguan Jin.
Shangguan Che, who was originally in a position of absolute advantage, suddenly found himself at a disadvantage.
Moreover, only Shangguan Che himself understood how difficult the current situation was. He had lost not only the support of his mother and the elders, but also the elite army he had painstakingly built. At the same time, he had gained two more formidable opponents: Shen Qianmo and Situ Jingyan.
Shangguan Che paced back and forth in the courtyard, looking troubled. Yao Ruoqin noticed his distress and asked with concern, "Brother Che, what's wrong?"
"The imperial edict is in Shangguan Jin's hands!" Shangguan Che frowned, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes.
"What?! How could Shangguan Jin have an imperial edict? Didn't Aunt say that they couldn't find it after searching everywhere?!" Yao Ruoqin knew what the imperial edict referred to as soon as she heard it. It was because of this imperial edict that Yao Xuekong had killed Shangguan Hao. She was there at the time, so she knew it all too well.
Shangguan Che's brows furrowed even deeper, a deep "川" character appearing on his forehead. He pursed his lips in annoyance and said impatiently, "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"
"Brother Che, can you please stop yelling at me? I'm just worried about you!" Yao Ruoqin said to Shangguan Che with dissatisfaction. The Brother Che of the past was so gentle and refined, always standing with a smile on his face. How did he become like this now?!
"Thank you for your concern! Instead of worrying about me, you should worry about your father and tell him to deploy his troops as soon as possible!" Shangguan Che had already had enough of Yao Ruoqin's tantrums and unreasonable demands. These days were also turbulent, with his mother dead, the elite army gone, and the throne getting further and further away. He had no time to coax Yao Ruoqin.
"You..." Just as Yao Ruoqin was about to start a big argument with Shangguan Che, a servant's report interrupted her.
"Your Highness, the Eighth Prince has arrived."
"Shangguan Jin? What's he doing here?!" Upon hearing the servant's words, a sinister glint flashed across Shangguan Che's face, and hatred appeared in his eyes. Did Shangguan Jin come at this time to watch him make a fool of himself?
"Third Brother." Shangguan Jin was still dressed in a dark robe, a cold smile on his lips.
"Eighth Brother." Shangguan Che also suppressed his anger, a gentle and polite smile on his lips, but a hint of ferocity flashed in his deep eyes.
Seeing the smile on Shangguan Che's lips, Shangguan Jin raised an eyebrow. Shangguan Che was indeed Shangguan Che; he was still so composed at this moment, and he could even laugh when he saw him. He wanted to see how long Shangguan Che could keep laughing.
"When I took out the imperial edict in the main hall today, Third Brother's expression was quite unpleasant. I was worried that something might happen to him, so I came to check on him." Shangguan Jin smiled coldly, her eyes full of provocation. She looked at Shangguan Che with feigned nervousness, then mocked, "Now it seems that Third Brother is alright."
"Hmph!" Even with his excellent self-control, Shangguan Che couldn't hold back any longer and snorted coldly. This Shangguan Jin was clearly here to laugh at him and to show off. If it weren't for Shen Qianmo and Situ Jingyan interfering, killing his mother and destroying his elite assassin army, what could Shangguan Jin do to him even with an imperial decree?!
"Eighth brother, don't be so joking! Do you think you can sit on the throne just because you have the support of the Prime Minister and those old fogies? You should know that since ancient times, power has always been the deciding factor!" Yao Ruoqin glanced at Shangguan Jin, her eyes full of sarcasm, and the corners of her mouth slightly raised, as if she was proud of her family's military power.
"Third Princess, you're being naive! Do you think power is limited to the army?" Shangguan Jin glanced at Yao Ruoqin and said mercilessly, "Your father is indeed a general, but how many troops can he actually mobilize? Do you know that an imperial edict not only proclaims legitimacy but also signifies control over the capital's imperial guards!"
Shangguan Che's expression turned very unpleasant. How could he not understand the importance of this imperial edict? Yet he had already searched Shangguan Hao's study and bedroom thoroughly, and had even forbidden Shangguan Jin's men from entering the palace. How did Shangguan Jin obtain the imperial edict?!
Now that Shangguan Jin has the imperial edict in hand, he has not only become the rightful heir to the throne, but also gained control of the capital's imperial guards. In addition, there is an army under Shangguan Jin's own command. Although Yao Shan has more troops than Shangguan Jin, the actual number of troops he can mobilize is not as great as Shangguan Jin's.
"So what if you have control of the Imperial Guards of the capital?! Even with the army you have, your forces are still no match for my father's!" Yao Ruoqin, however, did not understand the intricacies of the situation and still gave Shangguan Jin a disdainful look.
Shangguan Jin glanced at Yao Ruoqin, inwardly cursing her foolishness, but still maintained a cold smile as he continued, "But how many troops does the General have that he can mobilize?! Can the troops defending the border be mobilized at will? Even if he were to risk such a great offense and mobilize his troops, I'm afraid it would be too late to help in the immediate crisis."
Since Yao Ruoqin is so foolish, he will keep talking until she understands. Although he is no longer afraid of Shangguan Che's faction, Yao Shan's military strength is still a problem. If he can make Yao Shan and Yao Ruoqin understand the current situation and choose to give up supporting Shangguan Che, then he can save some effort.
"Isn't Eighth Brother's tone a bit too arrogant?!" Shangguan Che also raised a cold smile. His originally gentle eyes now seemed to contain murderous intent, and his white clothes made him look particularly cold and murderous.
"I wouldn't dare. I'm just stating the facts. I hope Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law will take care of themselves and not make futile struggles. If you can give up your unrealistic expectations sooner, I will still spare your lives out of brotherly affection." Shangguan Jin ignored Shangguan Che's murderous intent and said with a cold smile.
A hint of mockery flashed in Shangguan Che's eyes. Out of brotherly affection, spare his life? Did Shangguan Jin really think he was an innocent child? How dare he utter such a lie to him?! Since ancient times, the struggle for the throne has always been a life-or-death struggle! How could such a threat be allowed to live?!
"Eighth Brother, you'd better not waste your time! I won't see you out!" Shangguan Che coldly dismissed him, his brows like frost, his whole being seemingly frozen.
"I still hope that Third Brother can give it a good consideration." Shangguan Jin smiled instead of getting angry and said politely. The words were addressed to Shangguan Jin, but his eyes were looking at Yao Ruoqin with a deep meaning.
A hint of hesitation flashed in Yao Ruoqin's eyes. Shangguan Jin's words made sense. If she continued to oppose Shangguan Jin, she was afraid that there would be no good ending. What should she choose?
"Brother Che, what Shangguan Jin said seems to make sense. Why don't we give up? At least we can still be princes, right?" Yao Ruoqin thought for a moment, then said with a hint of reluctance. Although she also longed to sit on the throne of the empress like Yao Xuekong, she had to bow to reality; survival was the priority.
Shangguan Che glanced coldly at Yao Ruoqin. Was she foolish or pragmatic? How could Shangguan Jin let them off so easily? Even if he gave up now, Shangguan Jin would find all sorts of excuses to kill him once he ascended the throne.
Besides, how could he possibly give up! From a young age, his mother had told him that he would one day rule the world, and he had fought for that throne since childhood. Now, he was so close, why would he give up?! Even if it came down to the very last second, he would not give up!
"Ruoqin, don't be so naive. Even if we give up now, do you think Shangguan Jin will let me go?" Shangguan Che smiled coldly, a glint of cold light flashing in his eyes. Shangguan Jin, you want to fight to the death, is that it? Fine, I'll play along to the end!