Are you wrong or not?

Then, Han Zhong spoke again: "Your Majesty only investigates the chief culprits. Supreme General Xiao Rang, Grand General Han Yu, Chen Zhouwen, Wang He, take them down!"

Xiao Rang and the three grand generals knew the general trend was lost, and resistance would be futile.

Following that, Han Zhong ordered the Golden Guards and the Left and Right Guards to clean up the aftermath.

Han Zhong then hurried over to where Yang Xing and Yang Zhan were standing.

"Greetings, Crown Prince, General Yang. His Majesty has issued an imperial decree commanding you both to see him at the Wude Hall!"

Yang Xing nodded: "Very well. Once I make arrangements, I shall accompany Grand Eunuch Han to see His Imperial Father."

With a stern look in his eyes, Han Zhong urged: "Crown Prince, His Majesty requires the Crown Prince and General Yang to attend upon him immediately. There are major matters to discuss."

"Then what about the body of my third younger brother..."

"The Third Prince's body shall be temporarily placed in the Eastern Palace, and a decision will be made later!"

"Very well!"

Yang Xing nodded.

Yang Zhan, however, asked: "Grand Eunuch Han, what matter could possibly be so urgent?"

"General Yang, could it not be? Tonight's events are simply too monumental; they have shaken the entire imperial court from top to bottom. We must discuss countermeasures as soon as possible, otherwise Great Xia will be shaken to its foundations!"

Yang Zhan said no more. He cupped his fists toward the commanders of the Golden Guards and the Left and Right Guards: "Tonight, I thank you all for your profound sense of righteousness!"

"General, there is no need for such formalities. This is merely our bounden duty!"

"Very well, I shall go and request commendations for you all!"

"Thank you, General!"

Afterwards, Yang Zhan approached Sanzi.

He spoke in a low voice: "Sanzi, after we leave, take the Crown Princess and Luyang, and under the protection of Xu Zhen, leave the Eastern Palace!"

Sanzi was stunned: "Where to?"

"The Yuhong Pavilion!"

"Understood!"

At that moment, Yang Zhan mounted his warhorse, while Yang Xing boarded a carriage. Following Han Zhong's retinue, they headed toward the Tiansheng Palace.

...

Wude Hall of the Tiansheng Palace.

Emperor Yang Wu looked at Empress Xiao: "Yang Zhan and Yang Xing should be arriving soon. However, allow Me to exchange a few words with them first? In any case, now that they are here, they cannot escape."

"Very well!"

Empress Xiao replied indifferently, then turned, walked out of the main hall, and headed toward the side hall.

Before long, Han Zhong arrived with Yang Zhan and Yang Xing.

Yang Wu broke into a smile: "It is good that you are unharmed!"

Initially, Yang Zhan still harbored doubts, but upon seeing Yang Wu's spirited and vigorous state, those suspicions in his heart were instantly dispelled.

Even so, Yang Zhan could not help but admire how formidable an emperor truly was; his own son had just died, yet he acted as if nothing at all had happened.

"Your minister pays respects to Imperial Father!"

Yang Xing directly knelt to pay his respects.

Yang Zhan remained motionless. Both Yang Xing and Yang Wu seemed accustomed to this, showing no particular reaction.

"Crown Prince, take a seat to the side for a moment. I have some words to speak with Yang Zhan!"

"Understood, Imperial Father!"

The Crown Prince walked over to the side and sat down.

As Yang Zhan looked at Yang Wu, he sensed that something was amiss with the emperor.

Yang Zhan could also feel several distinct auras in the surroundings, locking onto this very location.

What was going on here?

Could this old emperor have finally made up his mind to kill him?

Had he laid an ambush of executioners with swords and axes?

Unconsciously, his gaze drifted back to Yang Wu.

Yang Wu's aged eyes were deep and profound as they stared back at Yang Zhan.

Yang Wu spoke up: "Yang Zhan, in your opinion, who do you think is orchestrating things from behind the scenes this time?"

Yang Zhan answered indifferently: "Old man, who do you think it is?"

"I think it is you!"

"What kind of joke is this? I haven't done a thing."

"The Grand General of the Tianwu Army and three thousand elite cavalry have been trapped, yet the military reports have not been submitted to this day. Aside from you, who else has the capability to pull this off?"

Without waiting for Yang Zhan to respond, Yang Wu continued: "You sent assassins to murder the Empress—ostensibly targeting the Crown Prince, but in reality, targeting Yang Jin."

Yang Zhan raised an eyebrow: "That pot is far too heavy; I refuse to carry it."

"Do not be impatient."

"The assassin has already named the mastermind behind the scenes."

With that, Yang Wu called out: "Han Zhong, bring the prisoner in!"

"At once, Your Majesty!"

A burly man was dragged inside. Covered in wounds, he was already at his last gasp.

"Who instructed you to assassinate the Empress?"

The man pointed directly at Yang Zhan, and then promptly lost consciousness.

Yang Zhan frowned.

Although he had a prior premonition that this blame was flying his way, for it to actually become reality felt thoroughly surreal.

Frowning, Yang Zhan said: "Old man, why would I instruct him to assassinate the Empress? What good would that do me?"

"To target the Third Prince!"

"How could that ensure it targeted the Third Prince?"

"By making Me believe it was the work of the Third Prince. That the Third Prince would actually send assassins to murder his own mother is an act of supreme unfilial rebellion. I am deeply disappointed in him, and sending him away to his fiefdom effectively shatters any lingering thoughts he had of succeeding the throne."

Yang Zhan glanced around the surroundings, then looked back at Yang Wu: "Old man, this place..."

"Do not speak. Let Me finish!"

Yang Zhan fell silent.

Yang Wu proceeded: "Earlier, when the Crown Prince was acting as regent, the Third Prince felt all hope was lost. Coupled with this incident, he was about to be banished from the Heavenly Capital by Me. Possessing a proud and unyielding spirit, the Third Prince refused to accept his fate and immediately decided to take a desperate gamble."

"Thus, all of this was designed to force the Third Prince into rebellion, ensuring the Crown Prince could secure his position once and for all, with no one left to contend with him."

Yang Xing, listening from the side, broke out in a cold sweat.

Yang Zhan, however, maintained a calm expression as he watched Yang Wu.

Yang Wu spoke once more: "And you, knowing that the Third Prince was about to mutiny, dispatched men to summon the Golden Guards, while having long since arranged forces to deal with the two grand generals of the Left and Right Guards. When the time came, you would raise your arms in a grand call to action, the Third Prince's mutiny would fail, and his ambitions of becoming emperor would be utterly crushed."

"Furthermore, as mentioned just now, someone concealed the situation regarding the Grand General of the Tianwu Army and the three thousand cavalry. Moreover, someone evidently intended to murder the three royal princesses of the Fenglin Kingdom. Once that happened, those three thousand elite cavalry of the Tianwu Army would be destroyed, the borders between Fenglin Kingdom and Great Xia would lose all peace, and the flames of war would ignite once more. Coupled with the Barbarians eyeing us covetously, the people would be plunged into unimaginable misery!"

"With crimes of such magnitude, tell me, should I execute you or not?"

At this moment, Yang Zhan's expression turned solemn, and his gaze grew sharp.

"However, this was not my doing!"

Yang Wu smiled: "If it was not you, then tell me, who else could it be?"

Yang Zhan opened his mouth, but a certain person's name remained unsaid.

Abruptly, Yang Wu's face turned stern: "Now, tell me, who were these events truly targeting?"

"Ostensibly targeting the Crown Prince, secretly targeting the Third Prince, but their ultimate objective was to target me!"

Yang Wu looked at Yang Zhan with a sense of gratification: "Ah, you brat, you've finally seen through it?"

Yang Zhan remained silent, silently conceding the point.

Yang Wu asked again: "The reason I summoned you here today was simply to hear you say one thing: were you wrong?"

Yang Zhan paused for a moment: "However..."

"Still 'however'? You unfilial brat, have I not made myself clear enough? In this world, who desires your death the most?"

Yang Wu suddenly flared up in anger!

"Do you think I wish for you to die? If I wished for you to die, would you still be standing here right now? I must admit, I dare not kill you, because the moment you die, the Shenwu Army will become that person's invincible blade, and all those former generals under your command would harbor resentment toward the imperial court, allowing him to win them over!"

Yang Wu demanded once more: "Were you wrong or not?"

Yang Zhan took a deep breath: "My choice back then was not wrong. But now, I was wrong!"

Yang Wu's aged eyes burned with a fiery intensity, flashing with a brilliant gleam: "Where were you wrong?"

"I thought he would never change, but he has changed!"

Yang Wu narrowed his old eyes: "You are wrong. He has never changed; he has always been this way. Did you really think I understood my own younger brother any less than you do?"

At this point, Yang Wu's fierce eyes blazed with light: "Unless you saw it with your own eyes, you would never listen to a word I said. Now that you have seen it with your own eyes and experienced it firsthand, what do you have to say to Me?"

Yang Zhan looked at Yang Wu, his expression intensely grave: "As long as I draw breath for a single day, he shall never succeed!"

"Good! That is precisely the answer I wanted from you!"

Yang Wu suddenly burst into hearty laughter: "Ha, ha... In these past three years, today is both the happiest and the saddest day of My life."

As he laughed, tears welled up in Yang Wu's eyes.

"No matter how worthless he is, he is still my son. This price is rather heavy!"

Saying this, Yang Wu looked toward Yang Xing.

Yang Xing hurriedly stood up: "Imperial Father, you still have me!"

"And you are the only one left!"

Suddenly, Empress Xiao's voice echoed from outside.

"Your Majesty, hasn't this gone on long enough?"

Yang Wu smiled: "It is nearly time. I hereby confer upon Yang Zhan the title of Supreme General, with overarching command over all palace guards!"

Empress Xiao walked in with a face as dark as water, followed by several attendants and Han Zhong.

"Your Majesty, what is the use of breaking your promise now?"