Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 1586 - 1581: At a Loss

She and Ah Li were completely played by Xiao Rongyan and that Emperor of Zhou, Bai Qingyan!

Yet her foolish son still trusts him so much!

Ah Li... is just a child. His father passed away early, so it’s natural for him to trust his uncle.

But she, an adult, was also deceived by Xiao Rongyan, which is just foolish!

Since she was initially deceived and made a mistake, even if the heavens were to punish her with death, before she dies, she must correct her mistakes and ensure that the gamble with the nation does not continue, allowing the Zhou to take the Yan Kingdom without bloodshed in the end.

Seeing that her son, despite hardening his heart, issued the order that she would be executed if she left the palace, after all ... he was still her son and could not bear to see her die before his eyes.

"Empress Dowager!"

"Empress Dowager!"

The imperial clan hurriedly ascended the platform from the side to check on the Empress Dowager, fearing that she might die before everything was settled, and exclaimed, "Empress Dowager, you must not have any troubles! The Emperor is young... the traitor Murong Yan seeks to usurp the country, the Yan Kingdom still needs the Empress Dowager to stand strong!"

Just now, the imperial clan urgently declared their support for the Empress Dowager to take charge because they knew the Empress Dowager was gravely injured and feared she wouldn’t hold on, wanting to settle matters while she still had a breath left.

"No need to call the Imperial Physician! I... am beyond help." The Empress Dowager of Yan grasped Murong Li’s hand tightly, "Ah Li... Ah Li! Mother knows you have been kind since childhood and trust your ninth uncle Murong Yan greatly, but Ah Li, he has changed. Why cover up for him by claiming that your father passed the throne to Xiao Rongyan, such a lie? Xiao Rongyan will not be grateful; instead, it will cast doubt on the legitimacy of your ascension!"

The court officials and imperial clan members’ faces changed again. They say the words of the dying are sincere...

Is it the Emperor lying to protect his uncle, or the Empress Dowager lying to eradicate the Regent Prince?

The ministers could not discern.

"Mother!" Murong Li, looking at his frail mother, did not know how to argue with her. He could not hold back his tears, his voice heavy with sobs, "Everything I said is true! You know it’s true! Why... even now, do you still slander ninth uncle! Ninth uncle has always been dedicated to the country! How much has he sacrificed for the Yan Kingdom, don’t you know? Stop wrongly accusing ninth uncle, don’t say any more!"

Murong Li turned his head, his choked voice weakly crying out with an unstoppable soft sobbing: "Call the Imperial Physician... Imperial Physician..."

This was Murong Li’s biological mother; he was brought up by her since childhood. Although she later made mistakes, the love she gave him was never false. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Even though he issued the kill order, he... never expected his mother would truly die under his command.

But why, must it be so cruel, making his mother die by his order, and right in front of his eyes?

As the Emperor of Yan Kingdom, he disagrees with what the Empress Dowager of Yan has done, yet as a child... how could he possibly watch his mother die before his eyes without feeling anything?

"Ah Li, your father... had other sons, why would he pass the throne to his brother!" The Empress Dowager of Yan spoke lies against her conscience, but she believed she was right, protecting her husband’s and her son’s throne. Without waiting for Murong Li to respond, the Empress Dowager of Yan continued, "Ah Li, your mother can’t hold on anymore! I’m leaving the future of Yan Kingdom in your hands!"

"Mother... why must you be like this!"

Murong Li’s throat swelled with pain, hating his mother’s actions, and worried for his ninth uncle, a mix of sadness, guilt, and fear intertwined, leaving him at a loss, feeling as if a fierce wind was churning through him, tearing apart his insides.

Why couldn’t his mother just be her old self, not meddling in politics, not being the Empress Dowager of the Yan Kingdom, but simply being his mother, the sister-in-law to ninth uncle.

A perfectly fine Yan Kingdom, handed over to him by ninth uncle, how did it end up like this...

Why could the entire Yan Kingdom not unite like the Zhou?!

If the whole Yan Kingdom united, they wouldn’t have no chance against Zhou!

Why don’t they understand...

No, it’s not that they don’t understand, but they focus only on personal gains, thinking only of their own profits, and care nothing about the peace and unity of the world!

Compared to the newly established Zhou, the Murong imperial family of Yan Kingdom has long since rotted from the roots! But the Zhou prevented this kind of situation from the very start!

And his mother’s being used as a pawn by these imperial clan members of Yan, exploiting her desires and greed, using her as their banner—professing to act for Yan Kingdom, while filled with nothing but selfishness inside.

His fiery anger was gradually cooling down...

Murong Li suddenly felt the desolation and helplessness of a fallen king, and was overwhelmed by the same confusion.

He didn’t know whether to blame the Zhou for being too powerful or to hate the Yan for having too many burdens.

He wondered... did his father know, if he passed the throne to the brothers, the Yan Kingdom would end up like this, so he chose to pass it to ninth uncle?

"The gambling with the nation cannot continue! Murong Yan must no longer be the Regent Prince of Yan, our Yan Kingdom... must not surrender without a fight!" The Empress Dowager seemed to have reached her limit, her voice feeble and powerless.

Watching his mother still plotting against ninth uncle at her life’s end, Murong Li was too exhausted to utter another word, closing his eyes.

"Imperial clan, the Emperor is young... he needs your support, but you must not forget, he is your Emperor!"

Uncle of the imperial clan elders, looking truly grief-stricken, knelt with tears streaming down his face, declaring, "Empress Dowager, rest assured, we are wholly dedicated to the Yan Kingdom, never disrespecting the Emperor! We do not wish to let down our ancestors! As long as the Emperor abandons the gamble with the nation and leads Yan in vigorous resistance against the violent Zhou, be it us... or the vassal kings across the lands, we will fully support the Emperor!"

Seeing the imperial clan members all kneeling, pledging full support to the Emperor, the Empress Dowager of Yan finally felt at ease, exhaling a long breath, her consciousness gradually fading.

In a daze, she saw someone entering through the door of the Golden Palace, her heart suddenly filled with unease, desperately trying to see clearly who had arrived, and then heard them speak...

"So, the unrest among the vassal kings is inseparable from you, the imperial clan members!"

The court officials saw Xiao Rongyan, tall and masked, entering the Golden Palace, and were at a loss whether to salute the Regent Prince.

Those who have been following Xiao Rongyan were reassured to see him return, immediately shouting, "This humble official greets the Regent Prince, may the Regent Prince live a thousand years, a thousand years, ten thousand years!"

The officials hurriedly knelt, turning their heads toward Xiao Rongyan, kowtowing.

Outside, there was a clamor of chaos, soldiers brought by the Regent Prince had already surrounded the Golden Palace.

The imperial clan turned back to the palace door upon hearing the noise, watching in disbelief as Xiao Rongyan stood in the center of the main hall, Murong Li’s uncle’s pupils quivering.