Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Night once again shrouded Heaven Dou Imperial City. Unlike its usual tranquility, an oppressive air, like the calm before a storm, quietly permeated the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace.
As the lanterns lit up, the heavily guarded secret hall in the Eastern Palace, sealed off from the outside world, was already filled with figures.
More than a dozen trusted ministers of the Crown Prince's Faction, urgently summoned by Qian Renxue, had all gathered there.
Among them were generals who controlled part of the city's defenses, civil officials who held the purse strings, and nobles of great influence at court.
Everyone wore solemn expressions, exchanging knowing glances. A tense atmosphere hung in the air.
The palace gate closed without a sound, and all the attendants were dismissed.
Qian Renxue sat upright in the main seat. She had now resumed Xue Qinghe's refined appearance, but the sharpness and decisiveness she usually kept hidden between her brows were now revealed without the slightest concealment.
Her gaze slowly swept over every minister below. That calm yet invisibly oppressive stare made everyone instinctively straighten their backs.
After a moment of silence, Qian Renxue finally spoke. Her voice was not loud, but it clearly reached every ear, carrying an unquestionable force:
"My loyal subjects, His Majesty is now advanced in years and bedridden with chronic illness. Worse still, treacherous villains have clouded his judgment, leaving the court in disarray and rendering government orders ineffective. If this continues, our nation will cease to be a nation!"
"I, Xue Qinghe, am the Empire's Crown Prince. How can I sit by and watch our realm collapse? I intend to restore order, purge the court, and return a clear and shining world to the Heaven Dou Empire!"
She paused slightly, her gaze