"Your servant thanks the Empress," said Ye Qichi respectfully.
Without wasting another second, he began to walk down the steps of the grand hall, holding Yu Qingyuan hostage.
At this moment, other guards were also holding Xiao Zhanping, Xiao Jinxing, and Bai Mowan hostage, all alert and tense as they followed Ye Qichi and Yu Qingyuan’s steps.
Outside the grand hall, within the Imperial Palace, there were countless dead and wounded.
As they exited, fierce fighting was still ongoing.
It was evident that while the Empress was killing the Emperor in Dekun Hall, she also ordered all the Emperor’s guards in the Imperial Palace to be slaughtered.
The Empress had made her preparations thoroughly, naturally gaining the upper hand.
Now, the entire Imperial Palace was essentially under the Empress’s control, waiting only to kill Xiao Zhanping to completely eradicate the Xiao Family’s hold on power.
Having taken Yu Qingyuan hostage, Ye Qichi finally reached the gate of the palace.
At the gate, a majestic horse was already prepared.
Mounting the horse amidst such chaos, she could indeed make her escape.
Yu Qingyuan did not have the energy to pursue her, as after killing Xiao Zhanping, she would need a lot of time to install the Yu family in power, stabilizing their reign, and she certainly wouldn’t expend much effort to capture her.
It really was the perfect time for her to leave.
It was impossible to leave.
Having been the Emperor for so many years, Xiao Zhanping couldn’t possibly be overthrown by Yu Qingyuan so easily.
Knowing the Empress had many supporters in the Imperial Palace, he wouldn’t leave himself without an escape route.
It was just the sudden palace coup was unexpected, and rescuing him was bound to take time.
Just when Ye Qichi brought Yu Qingyuan to the palace gate.
Suddenly, a large number of soldiers burst through the palace gate, swords in hand, and instantly surrounded Yu Qingyuan’s guards.
The army that stormed in now outnumbered Yu Qingyuan’s forces tenfold.
No matter how skilled a martial artist, they would certainly not be a match.
At that moment, Yu Qingy is visibly flustered.
How could so many troops suddenly enter the palace?!
Aren’t all the Bai Family’s troops fighting at the border?!
Inside the Imperial Palace, how could there be so many troops coming to the rescue?!
She looked incredulously at everything in front of her, completely in disbelief!
Wu Xufan rode up majestically on his horse, arriving in front of Xiao Zhanping quickly dismounting, kneeling on the ground with utmost respect, "Your Majesty, this subordinate has come late to rescue you, deserving of death!"
Xiao Zhanping stood sternly, not showing the slightest hint of disarray, "My loyal subject, rise. Seize the Empress and her remaining followers for me!"
"As you command!" Wu Xufan stood up respectfully, then turned to face Yu Qingyuan.
At this moment, Yu Qingyuan was raging to the extreme!
Her eyes were bloodshot, nearly driven insane!
"Empress, you have committed treason, deserving of death, why don’t you surrender yourself immediately!"
"Surrender? How can I surrender now after things have come to this point?!" Yu Qingyuan said with brutal madness.
All soldiers now closed in on the Empress and the guards holding the Emperor hostage.
Seeing so many people approaching, the guards also began to panic!
The Empress shouted loudly to the guards, "Kill the Emperor, kill the Emperor for me!"
The guard, hearing the order, swiftly struck towards Xiao Zhanping.
Xiao Zhanping was startled.
Xiao Jinxing stepped directly in front of Xiao Zhanping, taking a sword thrust into his body.
"Xing’er!" Xiao Zhanping cried out in panic.
Bai Mowan, seeing Xiao Jinxing wounded, was also terrified and hurried forward to check on him.
But with many guards before her, she couldn’t afford to be distracted.
At this moment, Ye Qichi holding the Empress hostage, was barely safe!
She just watched the intense fight before her, seeing Wu Xufan quickly reach Xiao Jinxing’s side to support him, protecting the Emperor.
The Empress’s forces were vastly outnumbered and soon completely annihilated; the whole Imperial Palace was now a river of blood!
Xiao Zhanping strode up to Yu Qingyuan, looking down at her with a sarcastic smile.
Xiao Zhanping coldly said, "Yu Qingyuan, did you really think I was so useless?!"
Yu Qingyuan, indifferent, knowing she was undoubtedly doomed, didn’t have much to say!
"Back then, I allowed your Yu family to lavish in power, yet I never expected you to overstep and interfere with my court. Since your family has been so presumptuous, I foresaw this day coming. Thus, I secretly reached out to Marquis Wu’s Mansion, avoiding your Yu family’s sight, to have him raise an army for me, just waiting for this day to come! Empress, you truly disappoint me greatly!"
Yu Qingyuan just looked coldly at Xiao Zhanping, to this point, she still had no way out!
"Anything else to say to me?" Not getting a response from Yu Qingyuan, Xiao Zhanping’s voice grew colder!
"Would Your Majesty spare your servant?" Yu Qingyuan coldly asked.
"Then whatever servant says is just seeking humiliation?"
"Indeed!" Xiao Zhanping scoffed coldly, "Take the Empress to the dungeon!"
"Yes!" Wu Xufan quickly went over, taking Yu Qingyuan from Ye Qichi’s hands.
Yu Qingyuan glanced at Ye Qichi with immense hatred.
As she was led away, she said to Ye Qichi, "I will not let you go, even as a ghost!"
Thinking back, if today’s events hadn’t been delayed by Ye Qichi, even if she might still have been captured, at least, she would have killed Xiao Zhanping, at least letting him die with her!
Yu Qingyuan was personally escorted away by Wu Xufan.
Xiao Zhanping too immediately fixated his gaze on Ye Qichi, speaking boldly and generously, "Princess Chen, you have the greatest merit in this rescue! I must reward you well!"