Among the courtiers, quite a few also lit up with joy.
Zhou Cheng, however, shook his head in disappointment, his tone carrying a hint of mockery. "High-sounding bullshit! With all this fanfare, I thought your Qin family was rebelling. Turns out you only wanted to back the Crown Prince.
"Your Qin family has always been neutral. What, are you supporting the Crown Prince now? What do you gain from putting him on the throne?"
Qin Heng's expression remained unchanged, his voice steady. "The Qin family remains neutral in factional struggles, but never when it comes to lawful succession, loyalty to the sovereign, and service to the country."
Of course, those were merely words for public consumption.
It was simply that the Qin family thought the Crown Prince's temperament made him easier to control, and his accession would benefit them more.
Thus, as soon as news of Emperor Qing's death spread, they had made arrangements and reached a tacit understanding with the Empress Dowager.
If the Crown Prince successfully ascended the throne, their Qin family could remain unshaken and retain supreme power.
But when Li Yunrui arranged for the Imperial Guards to take control of the inner palace, he guessed that something was bound to happen in Taiji Hall.
After his father, Qin Ye, met with the Empress Dowager, he had gained her trust, receiving temporary command of the Capital's defenses and the Tiger Guards, along with temporary responsibility for security in the inner palace.
When the mutiny broke out in the inner palace, he led the Tiger Guards to swiftly suppress it.
More than twenty Tiger Guards were equivalent to three Upper Ninth Rank Experts. Li Yunrui had failed to account for this.
As a result, once Qin Heng discovered who was behind it, he led the Tiger Guards straight