Han Su knelt on one knee and refused to leave no matter what.
"Your Majesty, I won't move even if I have to die today."
"Sigh, fine. Lord Ye, the person you've been after is right in front of you. Shouldn't you spare the Empress Dowager and the National Teacher now?"
Lord Ye's gaze fell on him, a smug smile on his lips. He spoke in a voice only audible to the two of them.
"Your Majesty is still young. I'm not at ease leaving such a vast kingdom as the Great Liang in your hands. But if I were to take charge, I surely wouldn't let down the late Emperor's expectations."
"You'd better make sure your coup today succeeds. Otherwise, one day, I'll surely skin you alive and let everyone under the sky see the fate of a delusional fool."
His words finally enraged Lord Ye.
Lord Ye's face darkened as he whispered, "I've always been a man of my word. I'm doing this today only because I can't stand those who have brought disgrace to the palace. Your Majesty, rest assured. Once you've grown up, I'll surely let you regain control of the Great Liang."
The surrounding commoners didn't really care who sat on the throne as long as they could benefit. Just like now.
Lord Ye used both kindness and force. He ordered his men to distribute the silver they had brought to the on - looking commoners.
"Everyone, rest assured. Even if my Ye family takes over the Great Liang temporarily, we won't treat the commoners badly. I'll do my best. I hope you'll all support me."
When the commoners saw the silver, their eyes lit up. They no longer cared who was truly innocent.
"My lord is like a living Bodhisattva. We naturally trust what you say. We won't interfere then."
Saying that, the commoners were about to leave one after another.
A hint of provocation flashed in Lord Ye's eyes. He looked at the person prostrating on the ground proudly.
"Lord Han, don't be so nervous. I surely won't make things difficult for His Majesty."
"You scoundrel! You'll regret this. Lord Shi will surely come."
"Really? There's such a huge commotion in the capital. The Shi family must have received the news already. If they were coming, they would have been here long ago. Wake up! The Shi family has always wanted to reap benefits as a third - party. They just never had the chance."
After saying that, he was about to order his men to take the young emperor away. Just as the soldiers were about to act, a surprising scene occurred.
Suddenly, a large number of soldiers rushed out from somewhere and surrounded Lord Ye's men.
At first, Lord Ye thought that these people were just trying to gain favor in front of the young emperor. He directly stepped in front of them.
"You should know that a wise man submits to circumstances. I won't make things too difficult for you. As long as you submit to me..."
Before he could finish his words, he was directly mocked.
"How dare you! I wonder how many heads you have to say such things."
At first, Lord Ye couldn't recognize the voice of the person. Without thinking, he retorted, "All the commoners have seen it, and they all agree that my Ye family should ascend the throne. Who else has any objections?"
"Why am I, from the Shi family, not aware of this? When did the change of the emperor stop needing to consult us court officials and instead only ask a few commoners?"
As the voice fell, the soldiers orderly made way.
When he saw who it was, his eyes widened in shock.
"You, why does your Shi family have to interfere now? As long as you don't interfere, I'll agree to let the title of Duke be passed down. I heard that there's a distant niece from the Shi family coming to the capital soon."
The meaning in his words was obvious, which made Ye Xinxin beside him quite indignant.
Did they have to let the people from the Shi family ride roughshod over them again?
However, Shi An didn't take his words to heart at all.
"Humph, my Shi family has never curried favor with the powerful. Today, you captured my little sister and spread these rumors. You intended to harm His Majesty and usurp the throne. I'll settle the score with you."
He drew out his sword that he hadn't used for a long time. The fierceness in his eyes made one's hair stand on end.
Lord Ye had never seen such a Shi An before. He felt extremely uneasy.
The man in front of him had a complex background and peerless martial arts skills. He was well - known even on the border. His own soldiers had been living in comfort near the capital. They were just for show. If they really fought, they would probably be no match.
After thinking for a while, Lord Ye set his sights on the young emperor beside him.
"Eldest Young Master, you'd better think it over. I have so many bargaining chips in my hands. Are you sure you still want to oppose me?"
As he spoke, he tried to grab the person in front of him, but in the end, he was disappointed.
Han Su had been ready when Shi An appeared. He directly protected the young emperor and Ye Ranran.
Lord Ye felt very annoyed when his hand grabbed nothing.
He gritted his teeth and set his sights on Shi Muyuan beside him.
"The Eldest Young Master loves his little sister the most. You surely won't just watch her in danger, right?"
He thought that Shi Muyuan had been right under his nose and there wouldn't be any mistakes, but he was still surprised.
As soon as he made a move, a sharp pain came from his fingertips.
"Ah!"
With this scream, the cold - faced man stood up from the ground.
"Spit! Take your dirty hands away. How dare you touch the Empress Dowager?"
Lord Ye could hardly believe his eyes.
"How could this be? Didn't I already have someone drug her?"
Shi An met his shocked gaze and smiled brightly. "We should really thank you for that. If you hadn't left your mansion without permission, how could I have followed you to the manor?"
Hearing this, Lord Ye understood everything.
He never thought that he had actually led the enemy into his own lair. Remembering the strange feeling he had had about the seeds, it turned out that everything had been a sign.
"At that time, my feeling was right! You had already followed me into the secret passage of the manor."
He regretted it deeply. He should have waited a bit longer instead of rushing to take his wife to the manor.
Seeing Shi An admit it openly, he could only brace himself and try other ways to save himself.
"Eldest Young Master, you'd better be careful if you want to deal with me. Don't forget that I must have come here well - prepared. Since you could accurately seize the opportunity to gather so many troops, it means that you already knew my plan from Ye Ranran. You should also know that I have more men than these."
Shi An hooked his lips and tapped his fingers gently.
"Lord Ye, if you hadn't reminded me, I would have almost forgotten. The spies you placed in the brothel really can't keep their mouths shut. Alas, I feel sorry for you. Such a well - planned scheme was ruined by those women in the red dust."