Qian Renxue led her men through the palace gates and onto the white jade street.
Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo remained hidden in the shadows. Her other subordinates alone dealt with the pockets of resistance along the way.
Marshal Ge Long and his legion were held outside by the Imperial Guards and Meng Shenji's trio.
At this moment,
there was no longer any force within the Imperial Palace capable of stopping her.
Chengqian Hall.
This was Xue Ye's Sleeping Hall.
From afar, Qian Renxue saw the lights before Chengqian Hall, where over a hundred guards stood in formation, clad in fine armor and holding longswords.
These were Xue Ye's last guards. They answered to no one else and took orders only from him.
Qian Renxue stopped and was about to raise her hand to send the deathsworn forward.
The doors of the Sleeping Hall suddenly opened from within.
Xue Ye walked out.
He wore casual black robes and no crown. His graying hair hung loose over his shoulders, but his back was ramrod straight and his eyes were piercing.
At this moment, Xue Ye did possess something of an emperor's bearing.
Xue Ye stood on the steps before the hall, looking down at Qian Renxue and her men.
"Qinghe."
Xue Ye spoke, his voice hoarse and calm. "I have been waiting for you for a long time."
Qian Renxue's steps halted.
Seeing Xue Ye standing alone before the hall, she frowned slightly, vaguely sensing something was wrong, but her expression betrayed nothing.
"Father, your son has come late at night for one reason alone. Please abdicate!"
At this point, there was no need to keep pretending they were a loving father and a filial son. Qian Renxue openly tore away the pretense.
"Abdicate?"
Xue Ye smiled coldly. "Qinghe,