The Gilded Cage - Chapter 136

Warning – More Blood Will Be Shed. (2)

Qi Mu visited the residence of the Empress Dowager. They were already aware of what had happened earlier, and some maids had rushed to Ganlu Hall to invite the emperor over.

“Your Highness, the Emperor has always acted unrestrainedly, I’m afraid he will not come at all, just like last time.” Qi Mu waited for a moment, his anger could not be dispelled, so he coldly speculated, “In the end, after staying outside for so many years, he is really a wild man.”

However, soon after the words fell, the maid outside said, “Your Highness, the Emperor is here.”

Qi Mu stopped talking, stood up, and bowed to Xiao Kezhi, who came in with confidence.

“The Empress Dowager has asked me to come here at this time. Does she have something to say?”

Xiao Kezhi raised his hand at him and then sat down on the couch, as if he did not feel the stiffness of the atmosphere.

“Hmph, doesn’t Your Majesty have anything to say to me?” Empress Dowager Qi also did not make much courtesy, opened her eyes and smiled coldly, saying, “Letting the Zhao family and the East Palace get mixed up in one place, does Your Majesty think that the dynasty is too stable, or does he not put the Bozhou army in her eyes?”

“What? The Empress Dowager has doubts about my decree? If you say a word or two as an elder, it’s fine, but if you want to interfere with my decision, there’s no need.”

He faintly glanced over, his calm words implied a warning but heard the Queen Dowager Qi’s suppressed anger finally burst out.

“Liulang! Do you think you can leave others behind now that your wings are getting broader?” She slapped the table so hard that the Buddhist beads in her hand hit the wood and were thrown off their strings, falling all over the floor.

Qi Mu also could not help but stand up and warned with a sober face, “Your Majesty, don’t forget that it was my Qi family that supported Your Majesty to ascend to the throne in the first place.

This. He had been holding in his heart for a long time, and today, he finally could not help but say it. This young emperor, if not given some warning, would only become more and more unrestrained.

“Well, the great minister is careful with his words.” The Empress Dowager Qi glanced at him, despite this, her tone was not half displeased, as if she also agreed with his words.

“Is that so?” Xiao Kezhi raised his eyebrows, seemingly not taking their warning into account, “I do not know how the Empress Dowager and Minister Qi will bring me down? Let the courtiers impeach the emperor?”

Empress Dowager Qi was exasperated by his carefree tone, her chest heaving, and the loose flesh on her face drooping more and more, “You don’t believe me? A decree from me may not be enough, the impeachment of the courtiers may still not be enough, but don’t you forget from whose hands your throne was snatched from. If someone identifies your throne as stolen, it could be snatched by the hands of your nephew. Can you still sit firmly?”

Xiao Kezhi did not say anything and quietly surveyed the two people in the room.

Qi Mu thought he looked like this because he understood the power of the fear and could not help but feel a little more comfortable in the heart, continuing, “Your Majesty, indulging in the East Palace is not a good thing, for the sake of Your Majesty’s own position. Do not sit by the East Palace and the Zhao family’s marriage.”

“Liulang, you should be an understanding person. The Crown Prince is not your own bloodline, how will he share your heart?” Empress Dowager Qi also continued to advise, “Since you are my Qi family’s support, I will naturally stand by your side, but you can’t always let me down.”

Xiao Kezhi pondered for a long time before saying, “I understand what the Empress Dowager means. Do you want me to alienate the Crown Prince and get close to the Qi family, preferably – to marry a girl from the Qi family and give birth to an imperial son to replace the current East Palace?”

Always standing by the side without saying anything, Qi Shenxiang was suddenly mentioned, and she subconsciously clenched the hem of her skirt.

But before the words came out, Xiao Kezhi suddenly changed his face, fiercely rose, coldly looked down at the two, and said sternly, “Empress Dowager and Minister Qi, are you using the throne of Great Liang as your own bargaining chip and treating me as a puppet on a string? I can’t imagine that after half a year, you still haven’t seen that I am not the previous emperor and will not be at your mercy!”

He said, striding to the door, pulling it open, and shouting towards the outside of the hall, “Come!”

A short while later, outside the Hall of the Hundred Blessings came the neat sound of footsteps from far to near, accompanied by the clanking sound of armor, swords, and spears, listening to the hearts of the alarmed.

But a few moments later, Jin Jiang had arrived with hundreds of guards of the Qianniu Guards, surrounding the entire Hundred Blessings Hall inside and out.

“You! What are you doing!” Empress Dowager Qi looked at the uncountable shining swords and guns outside the hall and was shocked, angry and afraid.

“Don’t worry, Empress Dowager, I won’t do anything. But I want the Empress Dowager and Minister Qi to see whose orders the Qianniu Guards of the Taiji Palace, and even the city defense forces of the entire Changan City, and even the Jinwu Guards in the market, actually listen to. Half a year has passed, still don’t you understand?”

Xiao Kezhi unhurriedly took the knife in Jin Jiang’s hand, turned around and approached the two step by step, stopped at their gradually hard breathing and frightened eyes, casually waved his knife, then split a screen beside him.

“Yes, when I was able to ascend to the throne, I did have the support of the Empress Dowager and the Qi family. But if the Qi family did not support me, would there be nothing I could do?” He shook his head, his tone was full of aura and confidence, “It’s just going to take more blood.”