Everyone in the Golden Luan Hall looked in the direction of the voice.
They saw Gu Kexing walking in slowly from outside the door with light steps.
The smile on his face was in sharp contrast to the anger and fear on the faces of the people in the hall.
"Gu Kexing, I don't seem to have lifted your house - arrest yet," said the Emperor in a cold and menacing voice.
But there was not a hint of fear on Gu Kexing's face. He still said with a beaming smile, "Such an important thing has happened today. As the prime minister of the country, how could I not come to help Your Majesty out of trouble?"
The Emperor gave a cold snort. "According to what you said, should I reward you?"
"Hey, even if there's a reward, it should be given by the new emperor."
Gu Kexing didn't hide his wild ambition at all.
"Gu Kexing, what do you mean by this!"
Gu Kexing still said unhurriedly, "Your Majesty, you are getting old, and the Crown Prince is about to be sent to Beirong. You might as well hand over the throne to the Second Prince and spend the rest of your days in comfort."
These words were undoubtedly an ouster!
After hearing this, the Emperor immediately roared angrily, "Gu Kexing, you have a lot of nerve!"
Just then, Xiao Qi stepped forward and bowed to the Emperor.
"Your son asks Father to abdicate and pass the throne to me."
As soon as Xiao Qi finished speaking, those in the prime minister's party who had just kept their heads down in silence.
Now they all stepped forward one after another and shouted in unison, "Your servant asks Your Majesty to abdicate and pass the throne to the Second Prince."
Grand Tutor Zhao exclaimed, "Second Prince, you're being foolish! This is an ouster! It's a capital crime!"
"Grand Tutor Zhao!" Xiao Qi scolded coldly. "I'm just giving an explanation to Beirong! What crime have I committed!"
The Emperor took a deep breath.
A cold and piercing light flashed in his eyes.
"Qi'er, what makes you think you're qualified to sit on the dragon throne?"
"If I'm not qualified, is Xiao Wang qualified?" Xiao Qi pointed at Xiao Wang, his eyes full of anger. "From childhood to adulthood, you've only had Xiao Wang in your eyes! What am I inferior to him? Why have you never looked at me with high regard!"
"Just because he won't collude with Beirong for his own self - interest!"
At this moment, the Emperor's eyes were full of disappointment in Xiao Qi.
To be fair, he had always been stricter than loving towards Xiao Wang. But towards Xiao Qi, he had doted on him from childhood to adulthood.
He never thought that he would raise such an ungrateful wretch!
Xiao Qi smiled. "Father, it's worth sacrificing Xiao Wang to ensure the stability of our dynasty. What's wrong with that?"
Then he turned to Chai Ronglie and said, "Moreover, General Huwei has promised me that as long as we hand over Yizhou and Shuozhou to Beirong, they won't pursue the death of the Third Prince of Beirong anymore. They'll also sign a truce agreement with us, which can ensure the peace of the border for ten years!"
The Emperor squinted his eyes.
The news of Wanyan Tuo's death had just reached the Golden Luan Hall a moment ago.
Xiao Qi actually knew in advance that Wanyan Tuo would die in the capital and had already discussed ceding the cities with Chai Ronglie.
Xiao Qi, you really have great capabilities!
The Emperor said coldly, "Do you know what will happen to the common people if Yizhou and Shuozhou fall into the hands of Beirong?"
"What does their life or death matter to me?"
The Emperor didn't expect Xiao Qi to be so cold - blooded just to sit on the throne.
He didn't care about the safety of the common people at all!
"I wonder if the life or death of the Empress Dowager matters to the Second Prince?"
As soon as the words were out, Xie Jingchu was seen escorting the Empress from the side.
The Empress's hands and feet were tied, and there was a knife on her neck.
Seeing this, Xiao Qi immediately shouted, "You let my mother go quickly!"
Gu Kexing didn't expect the Empress to fall into Xie Jingchu's hands either. A flash of panic crossed his eyes.
But he quickly regained his composure.
"Lord Xie, you can't do such a thing as killing just because the Empress once framed the Huo family."
With just a simple sentence from Gu Kexing, he turned a national affair into a family matter of Xie Jingchu.
Then, Gu Kexing said to the Jinyi Guards, "Come on, quickly arrest this traitor!"
As the Jinyi Guards stepped forward, the knife on the Empress's neck pressed deeper, instantly cutting her neck. Blood dripped to the ground along the tip of the knife.
Seeing this, Xiao Qi immediately exclaimed, "Stop! Don't hurt my mother!"
The Jinyi Guards immediately stopped and didn't dare to step forward anymore.
Gu Kexing frowned deeply and said coldly, "Second Prince, don't act on your emotions! You should focus on the overall situation!"
"She's my mother! She's also your own sister!" Xiao Qi roared.
"So what? Which path to the throne isn't paved with blood!"
Xiao Qi's eyes flickered, and his expression was complicated.
Gu Kexing continued to persuade, "When you sit on the throne, I believe your mother won't blame you."
Hearing this, Xiao Qi closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When he opened his eyes again, there was only determination and firmness left in them.
"Arrest Xie Jingchu!"
The Empress didn't expect that her own son and elder brother would abandon her again for the throne.
But no matter how much she shouted, she couldn't change Xiao Qi's mind.
She watched as the Jinyi Guards got closer and the knife on her neck pressed deeper.
Blood flowed all over the ground.
It only took one sentence to go from fear to despair.
"Stop!"
Xiao Qi suddenly shouted.
It wasn't because his conscience suddenly awoke, but because there was a dagger on his neck at this moment.
Just when everyone's attention was on Xie Jingchu and the Empress, Xiao Wang took the opportunity to move behind Xiao Qi, took out a dagger from his bosom, and pressed it against Xiao Qi's neck.
Xiao Wang sneered. "Now your own life must matter to you, right?"
The cold dagger glinted with a cold light, sending a chill through Xiao Qi's whole body.
Xiao Qi nervously swallowed his saliva and said in a trembling voice, "You... How did you bring a dagger?"
Xiao Wang didn't answer.
He just looked at Gu Kexing coldly. "If Xiao Qi dies, Prime Minister Gu's grand plan will probably fall through, right?"
As soon as Xiao Wang finished speaking, Xiao Qi felt a sharp pain in his neck.
He immediately panicked and shouted, "Uncle! I can't die! Save me quickly!"
Gu Kexing immediately called back the Jinyi Guards. Looking at Xiao Wang, he said in a calm voice, "What do you want?"
"Withdraw all your men from the palace, and these Beirong people too." Xiao Wang scanned the surroundings.
After hearing this, Gu Kexing threw his head back and laughed a few times.
Suddenly, his eyes fixed. "Do you think I'm stupid? Once I'm out of the palace, do you think you'll let me go?"
"Don't you want Xiao Qi's life anymore?"
After saying that, Xiao Wang increased the force on his hand a bit more.
Hearing Xiao Qi's continuous cries for help, Gu Kexing looked solemn and couldn't make up his mind for a moment.
He had no choice but to turn his eyes to Chai Ronglie, who had been standing by watching the show.
Chai Ronglie spread his hands. "Prime Minister Gu, we've already agreed. I'll help you support the prince to ascend the throne, and you'll give me Yizhou and Shuozhou. The life or death of the Second Prince has nothing to do with our Beirong."
"But Xiao Qi is my nephew!" Gu Kexing gritted his teeth.
"The Empress is your own sister, and you just abandoned her too, didn't you?" Chai Ronglie smiled at the corner of his lips. "Without Xiao Qi as a prince, you can still support someone else. But if you leave the palace today, it won't be so easy to get in again."
After hearing this, Gu Kexing clenched his fists.
After a struggle in his heart, he said indifferently.
"Come on, arrest them."