Jiang Lin smiled. "Commander, that logic doesn’t hold. Is there anything worse than death? Once life is gone, everything is lost. As long as one lives, there’s always hope."
"And without the Wei family’s lives as leverage, are you certain you can restrain the two of us?"
"After all, the assassins sent to the Wei mansion had to be hauled away on carts."
Yu Yi’s frown deepened, his expression darkening. "What do you want?"
He was now open to negotiation.
Jiang Lin replied calmly, "Simple, let us enter the palace."
"Impossible!" Yu Yi refused outright. Before leaving the palace, the emperor had explicitly ordered him not to let these two near the palace or give them any chance to turn the tables.
"If you refuse to cooperate, don’t blame me for using force. Without the two of you, the Wei family is no threat. Even if the others are never found, they’re insignificant. Arrest them!"
At his command, the Imperial Guards rushed forward, but froze when they saw one movement: Wei Yunzhao stood up from his wheelchair.
Wei Yunzhao said to Yu Yi, "Commander Yu, it’s best not to sacrifice your men needlessly."
"Please, grant us passage. We only wish to enter the palace to prove our innocence. Rest assured, we have a way to ensure His Majesty doesn't punish you. Thank you."
Wei Yunzhao bowed slightly before sitting back in his wheelchair, allowing Jiang Lin to push him out.
The Imperial Guards instinctively blocked their path, but Yu Yi let them pass.
His subordinates protested, "Commander, the emperor decreed their deaths. If they don’t die, we will."
Yu Yi shook his head. "We can’t stop them. This was a trap from the beginning, they were waiting for us to come."
If the Wei family had still been present, they could have been used as leverage. But with them gone and these two unshackled, resisting the decree was futile. It would only lead to pointless deaths.
Yu Yi turned. "Return to the palace!"
The real drama would unfold there, not at the Wei mansion.
Jiang Lin and Wei Yunzhao were practically escorted into the palace by Yu Yi and the Imperial Guards. Since Emperor Changde’s decree hadn't yet been publicly announced, they encountered no obstacles and soon arrived at the Hall of Governance.
Emperor Changde had been waiting for news of the Wei family’s extermination, too distracted to review memorials. Instead of good news, however, he was met with the very people he wanted dead.
His eyes widened in shock. Chief Eunuch Gan Yongfu immediately berated Yu Yi, "Yu Yi! His Majesty ordered you to execute the Wei traitors at the execution grounds! How dare you bring them into the palace? Are you rebelling too?"
Emperor Changde demanded, "Yu Yi, explain yourself!"
Yu Yi reported truthfully, "Your Majesty, the rest of the Wei family has already been hidden by Lord Wei. Lord Wei and Young Master Jiang claim there is more to the poisoning accusation and wish to plead their case before you. I—"
Before he could finish, Emperor Changde slammed his hand on the table, furious. "How dare you question my judgment? A mere Imperial Guard commander, have you grown tired of living?"
Yu Yi knelt hastily. "I wouldn’t dare. I only wished to spare my men unnecessary deaths. I beg Your Majesty’s mercy."
He added, "If Lord Wei and Young Master Jiang are not wrongfully accused, I will carry out Your Majesty’s orders at any cost."
Yu Yi was no fool. Allowing Jiang Lin and Wei Yunzhao into the palace was already defiance. Without another decree to countermand the first, he and his men would surely die. But forcing a confrontation would also mean death. He had no choice but to gamble.
Loyalty was one thing, but Yu Yi admitted Jiang Lin was right about one thing: only the living have hope.
Emperor Changde was so furious he could barely think. "Yu Yi!"
Seeing the emperor’s rage, Jiang Lin stepped in to mediate. "Your Majesty, don’t be so angry. Your health doesn’t seem the best, and rage harms the body. If you accidentally anger yourself to death, people will laugh. History might even record you as the only emperor to die of anger, how embarrassing."
His words successfully redirected Emperor Changde’s fury. The emperor’s eyes bulged as he snarled, "Jiang Lin!"
"You deserve death! Today is the day you and that dog Wei Yunzhao die!"
The change in address showed the depth of his hatred.
"Your Majesty, don’t rush. Once today’s events conclude, we’ll see whose death it really is. Wait until everyone arrives, and then we’ll begin the real discussion."
Emperor Changde, recalling the last incident, realized they were repeating their tactics. His gaze turned icy. "Today, I will not allow you to leave the palace alive. No one can save you. Yu Yi, this is your last chance, kill them!"
Before Yu Yi could move, the other Imperial Guards drew their swords.
Jiang Lin remained unperturbed, glancing outside where a large group of officials approached.
"No need to hurry. The guests aren’t all here yet. How can the show start without them?"
A crowd of ministers hurried in, most of the court’s civil and military officials present. They immediately knelt before Emperor Changde.
Seeing so many ministers, the emperor’s hands trembled with rage.
"I didn't summon you! Have you come to join these traitors in rebellion? Do you still recognize me as your emperor?!"
The Sixth Prince, Yue Heng, was absent. Leading the group was not Zhou’s or Du’s father, but Yin Ji.
Yin Ji bowed. "Your Majesty, we would never dare. We beg Your Majesty’s understanding."
"If not rebellion, then what? Speak! Let me hear why my ministers are aiding traitors, is it to force my abdication or stage a coup?!"
Wei Yunzhao spoke calmly. "Your Majesty misunderstands. These ministers are here only as witnesses. Some truths have been buried too long. Today, they will come to light."
"Once everyone arrives, we will begin."
As if on cue, a voice rang out from beyond the hall. "They’re here."
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