The Crown Prince was in Qingniu County, and Liu Xiangnan knew about it, as did his beloved daughter, Liu Rumei.
Suddenly, Zhu Meng led an army of 300,000 troops charging over. The intention was very clear.
The old steward, Liu Kai, bowed and said, "Marquis, we should send word to the young lady, letting her make early plans."
Liu Xiangnan frowned, pondering.
"I'm worried the Grand Tutor might make further moves."
"Quickly gather our men and accompany me to the palace to protect His Majesty."
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard footsteps outside.
A guard entered and knelt on one knee. "Reporting to the Marquis, an imperial edict has arrived from the palace, requesting officials of the third rank and above to enter the palace for a council."
Upon hearing this, Liu Xiangnan's expression changed slightly.
"I didn't expect to be a step too late. Sun Yuliang acted quickly."
Liu Kai also quickly said, "Marquis, you mustn't go."
Liu Xiangnan smiled calmly, "When in my life have I ever been afraid?"
"Besides, even if Sun Yuliang wants to win people's hearts, he wouldn't openly slaughter them."
"At most, he'll detain them."
Saying this, he stood up and paced for two rounds in the room, finally making up his mind. "Leave a few men to guard the house. You take all your men and rush to Qingniu Mountain to assist Rumei."
"But Marquis, your safety is equally important, and besides, the eldest young master he..."
Liu Xiangnan waved his hand, "Yuanwen doesn't know martial arts and is powerless. Bringing him along would only be a burden to you. Let him stay with me."
Liu Kai wanted to say more, but Bei Liuxiangnan rudely interrupted.
"Enough, hurry up and go. If you're late, you won't be able to leave."
Liu Xiangnan's guess was correct. Grand Tutor Sun Yuliang had planned exactly this: under the guise of an imperial summons, all officials of the third rank and above were to enter the palace for a council. Once they were detained, their families would have no choice but to obey.
Even the retired Prime Minister, Fang Zheng, who was living at home, received the notification.
He also knew it was a trap, but he had to go to protect his entire family's lives.
He was grateful that his grandson, Fang Jun, had already left the city, and his granddaughter, Little Ya, was with the princess, thus preserving the lineage of the Fang family.
Fang Zheng, unhurriedly, led his men to the palace gates and saw the Duke of Protector, Liu Xiangnan, from afar.
The two exchanged glances and then sighed in unison.
Fang Zheng lamented, "Alas, indulging in cultivation and neglecting state affairs has led to today's disaster."
"Yes, we will all likely become his hostages," Liu Xiangnan added.
"Entrusting military power to the likes of Zhu Meng, alas, I don't know what His Majesty was thinking."
Liu Xiangnan waved his hand, "Let's not say such things. His Majesty took away my military power for a reason."
"What reason could there be other than fearing you might outshine him? But hasn't His Majesty seen through Sun Yuliang's treacherous ambitions?"
At this moment, there was another commotion. Someone else was arriving, and the two tacitly stopped their discussion, quietly turning to walk into the palace.
By the time they arrived, many officials had already gathered in the council hall. Some, who had arrived late, were still asking each other if something major had happened.
Seeing Liu Xiangnan and Fang Zheng enter, everyone naturally gathered around.
Fang Zheng waved his hand at the crowd and then made a shushing gesture to his lips.
The crowd understood and immediately stopped their discussions, consciously dispersing.
Meanwhile, Grand Tutor Sun Yuliang was hidden in a corner of the rear hall, secretly watching everything that was happening in the hall. Seeing Fang Zheng remain silent, he nodded in satisfaction. This was the correct way.
Seeing that most of the invited officials had arrived, Sun Yuliang turned to Lü Jia, the Commander of the Imperial Guards, and said, "Alright, make your move."
Lü Jia nodded.
He waved to the副将 beside him. The副将 immediately took the order, and soon, fully armed Imperial Guards rushed into the hall.
Seeing this sudden turn of events, many of the officials present panicked.
Liu Xiangnan, however, remained calm, coughed, and shouted loudly, "Everyone, don't panic. Just wait."
Upon hearing Liu Xiangnan's words, the副将 leading the troops clasped his fists at him. "Please forgive me, Marquis Liu and all esteemed officials. Your subordinate is merely acting on orders."
At this time, Grand Tutor Sun Yuliang, accompanied by Lü Jia, had arrived at the Emperor's training room.
Seeing him arrive, Emperor Xiao An had no defenses and smiled, beckoning him, "My dear minister, you've arrived at the perfect time. In half an hour, this elixir will be ready."
In the past, Sun Yuliang would have immediately launched into flattery, showering him with praise. But today, Sun Yuliang remained silent.
Xiao An immediately sensed that something was wrong and looked up at Sun Yuliang again.
Sun Yuliang waved his hand, and Lü Jia immediately led several soldiers forward, surrounding Emperor Xiao An with spears and short swords.
Seeing this sudden scene, Xiao An was completely stunned.
He looked at Sun Yuliang with surprise, "What is the meaning of this?"
Sun Yuliang let out a cold snort, "You indulge in alchemy day and night, how can you possibly govern this country properly?"
"Now, I wish to govern it for you for a few days."
Xiao An's expression changed drastically, "You intend to rebel?"
Sun Yuliang let out a hearty laugh, "No, this is not rebellion. I will continue to uphold the dynastic name of your Great Cang Dynasty."
"Strictly speaking, this is a abdication. If you are wise, you will write an imperial decree."
"If you are not wise, then don't blame me for being impolite."
Xiao An looked at the situation before him and sighed inwardly. He never expected Sun Yuliang to have such intentions.
He then looked at Lü Jia. These were all men he had promoted himself, and now they were pointing swords at him without batting an eye.
Alas, what else could he say in this situation?
With this thought, Xiao An sighed, "I can abdicate the throne to you, but you must guarantee the safety of my two children."
Grand Tutor Sun Yuliang naturally understood what Xiao An meant.
As the saying goes, as long as the green hills remain, one need not fear the absence of firewood. If his children were kept safe, the Xiao family would still have a chance to turn the tables.
But now, to smoothly obtain the imperial decree, Grand Tutor Sun Yuliang had to deceive Xiao An.
"Please rest assured. I will not only protect your children's safety, but I will also guarantee your safety." Su Dan Novel Network
"I will build a Daoist temple for you, where you can continue your alchemy in peace."
Xiao An, who only wished to focus on alchemy, now felt this was a great mockery. He had lost the throne while still trying to cultivate.
Xiao An slowly walked to the table, picked up a brush, and quickly wrote the imperial decree of abdication.
After finishing, he took his imperial seal from his waist and lightly pressed it onto the bottom of the decree.
After stamping the seal, he gently stroked it and let out a slow breath. From this moment on, this seal would no longer belong to him.
Sun Yuliang stepped forward, took the decree, and read it from beginning to end, nodding in satisfaction.
"Very well. Commander Lü, escort esteemed minister Xiao to his resting place."
Lü Jia immediately led his men, escorting Xiao An to a nearby room.
Grand Tutor Sun Yuliang, holding the decree, turned towards the front hall. He intended to announce it publicly.