Chapter 50: This Woman Wants to Be His Mother-in-Law

Yang Zhan had long felt that something was amiss, and now it was clear that the problem was enormous.

Unable to help himself, he looked at Yang Wu, "Old man, did you call us here just to bestow an official title upon me, only for us to die in battle together?"

Yang Wu glared at him. "Bestowing a title on you is to have you protect the sovereign. What else did you think? Or did you expect Me to take the field in person?"

One was a sickly weakling, the other an old stubborn mule.

And they expected him to protect the emperor all by himself?

Even if he were Nezha reborn with three heads and six arms, he wouldn't be able to protect them.

Yang Zhan turned his gaze to Empress Xiao. "What is Your Majesty the Empress planning to do?"

"His Majesty just devised a scheme, suggesting that we lure the two of you here and then kill you. We can claim that you attempted to assassinate the Emperor and execute you on the spot. Since few people know about this, I can spin the story however I please."

Yang Zhan looked back at Yang Wu.

Yang Wu nodded very earnestly. "That's right, I came up with the idea."

Good grief!

Sacrifice your comrades to save your own skin?

True to form, the older the skin, the thicker the face—and emperors are no exception.

Yang Zhan took a deep breath, scanning Empress Xiao and the figures standing around her.

Especially Han Zhong. Back in the Celestial Prison, they had only tested each other with a single move, yet Yang Zhan already knew that this fellow's Qi-refining cultivation was exceptionally profound—even stronger than Luo Jianyi, whom he had dispatched with a single strike.

After all, the man was free from worldly desires; when cultivating, naturally his mind was entirely undisturbed!

Combined with the other figures whose auras were deeply concealed, though he couldn't fully gauge them, they were undeniably Qi-refiners.

Yang Zhan found it baffling. Qi-refiners rarely interfered in the affairs of mortal dynasties, so why had so many suddenly emerged recently?

Suddenly, the Empress gave the order: "Yang Zhan and the Crown Prince have assassinated the Emperor! Kill them without mercy!"

"Hold on!"

Yang Zhan suddenly shouted, his voice like a thunderclap, instantly shaking the entire hall.

Regaining her composure, the Empress flew into a rage. "You are at death's door, what more is there to say? Go down and keep my Jin'er company!"

"The Empress wants to kill me because the Third Prince is dead?"

"Precisely!"

"Then what if the Third Prince is not dead yet?"

Empress Xiao's expression flickered slightly.

Immediately afterward, a middle-aged man spoke up, "Your Majesty, this Yang Zhan is clearly just buying time!"

Empress Xiao's expression instantly turned icy.

Several experts had already unleashed their auras, locking firmly onto Yang Zhan.

It seemed as though once Yang Zhan was taken down, the matter would be settled!

Yet Yang Zhan spoke up, "Does the Empress know that such a thing as the art of facial disguise exists in this world? If you kill me, the Third Prince may truly never return!"

"Your Majesty, don't listen to his nonsense!"

Yang Zhan let out a cold laugh. "Although there are many of you, if I decide to leave, I doubt you will be able to stop me!"

"And you're just going to abandon the Emperor and the Crown Prince?"

Looking at the middle-aged man, Yang Zhan sneered, "Only by staying alive can I avenge them. Don't believe me? Feel free to try!"

Boom!

A terrifying wave of blood- Qi instantly erupted. Even when facing several powerful experts alone, Yang Zhan's momentum did not weaken in the slightest.

Yang Zhan's gaze fell back upon the Empress. "Empress, let's step back ten thousand paces—even if I cannot fight my way out, dragging the Empress down to die with me probably wouldn't be all that difficult!"

Hearing this, Empress Xiao hurriedly took two steps back.

Yang Zhan smiled. "In this grand hall, if I want someone dead, no one can escape!"

"You'll die too!" the middle-aged man said coldly.

Yang Zhan looked at him. "Could it that this isn't the Empress's decision, but yours? Does the Empress truly not wish to ascertain whether the Third Prince is dead or alive?"

"Your Majesty, he..." the middle-aged man started again.

Empress Xiao said coldly, "Naturally, I make the decisions here. Yulin, shut your mouth!"

The middle-aged man said no more.

"How do you prove it?" Empress Xiao asked.

Yang Zhan smiled. "The Third Prince's body is still in the Eastern Palace. The Empress can send someone to check and see if it is truly your son. If you don't believe it, Your Majesty can even have someone bring the body right here. Surely you would recognize your own flesh and blood?"

"Your Majesty, he is definitely just stalling for time!"

Ignoring the middle-aged man, Yang Zhan stared straight at the Empress. "The Third Prince is in my hands; only I know his exact whereabouts. If any harm comes to me, the Third Prince—even though he is currently alive and well—will have to accompany me to the grave!"

Empress Xiao's expression was dark and uncertain.

The middle-aged man glanced at the Empress, his expression turning cold instantly. "Don't listen to this woman, let's attack!"

Boom!

With a deafening crash, the middle-aged man was instantly sent flying by a collision from Yang Zhan.

Han Zhong was just about to strike and kill Yang Zhan.

At that exact moment, however, an aged figure suddenly appeared beside Han Zhong.

A weathered hand gripped Han Zhong's wrist.

Han Zhong's expression changed drastically. "Your Majesty..."

Yang Wu sighed. "I may be old, but you all seem to have forgotten that I am also a martial artist!"

While Yang Zhan subdued the middle-aged man, the other three experts quickly moved to protect the Empress.

This indicated that those three were the Empress's trusted aides, whose primary concern was her safety.

At that moment, powerful figures outside were rapidly closing in.

Frowning at Empress Xiao, Yang Zhan asked, "Empress, do you really not want your son's life?"

"Stop!" Empress Xiao cried out in a panic.

"No one else is to enter!"

The people outside who had been about to charge in all halted in their tracks.

Empress Xiao fixed a burning gaze on Yang Zhan. "Jin'er is truly not dead?"

"You wouldn't believe anything I say. Just send someone to inspect the Third Prince's body in the Eastern Palace and you will know!"

Empress Xiao gritted her teeth. "Very well! Xu Jin!"

"This subordinate is here!"

"Go personally and bring Jin'er's body from the Eastern Palace. I want to inspect it myself!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

One of the three guards protecting Empress Xiao bolted out of the hall immediately.

Empress Xiao looked at Yang Zhan. "I know General Yang's martial might is nearly unrivaled, but don't even think about taking me hostage. Having gone this far, I never expected to survive anyway. If you try to take me hostage or kill me, the people outside will charge in without a moment's hesitation and slaughter everyone. We will all perish together!"

Yang Zhan smiled. "Why would I ever be discourteous to the Empress? I am a man who understands etiquette very well."

Hearing this, Yang Wu—who was standing opposite Han Zhong—twitched his lips, looking as though he wanted to hurl curses.

Then Yang Zhan spoke again, "However, this servant of yours was acting tyrannically, completely ignoring even your commands, Your Majesty. This fellow surely wasn't one of your loyal people, right?"

Looking at the middle-aged man named Yulin, the Empress said coldly, "Slaughter him."

"As you command!"

Crack!

With a single exertion of force from Yang Zhan, the middle-aged man instantly breathed his last.

"It's much quieter now. But surely the Empress can tell from this man's attitude whether he was truly being manipulated by someone else?"

"I care not whether I was being used. As long as I can have my revenge, I am willing to do anything!"

Yang Zhan's expression turned solemn. "A woman is naturally gentle, but a mother becomes fierce. I understand."

Empress Xiao's eyes were icy. "Therefore, you had better not be deceiving me, or you will suffer a fate far worse than death!"

"And what if the Third Prince is truly alive?"

Empress Xiao took a deep breath. "If he is truly alive, I will betroth my daughter to you!"

Yang Zhan froze.

What the hell!

The Empress actually wanted to become his mother-in-law!