Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Within the Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager had recovered over the past two days.

There had been many visits from concubines, and even the imperial grandsons had come to her presence. Over the past few days, she had found it somewhat tiresome. She glanced at the tonics the Crown Prince sent and waved for them to be taken away: "Take them away."

Lady Yu ordered the attendants to remove them and brought up a bowl of medicinal herbal soup. The Empress Dowager caught sight of the red dates floating on top. "What do you mean by that?"

"His Highness the Sixth Prince ordered this before leaving the palace today. He consulted the imperial physicians and said food-based remedies would be more effective," said Lady Yu.

The Empress Dowager's eyes fell upon the broth, a hint of a smile appearing: "Did he come in the morning?"

"He did, but seeing that you were still resting, he gave his instructions before leaving," said Lady Yu.

Noticing the Empress Dowager was in good spirits, Lady Yu said softly, "Today, Old Madam Xiao submitted a request to enter the palace, saying she wished to visit Your Majesty."

At the mention of the Xiao family, the Empress Dowager's eyes lifted slightly, and the smile that had been at the corner of her mouth faded. "She actually dares to show up."

Lady Yu sensed the Empress Dowager's displeasure. In previous years, when the Xiao family sent someone, the Empress Dowager was always very pleased.

But ever since His Majesty went on campaign for a few years and the Empress Dowager had handled some court affairs, her attitude towards the Xiao family had gradually changed.

As she spoke, voices came from outside. The Emperor had arrived.

When the Emperor entered, he caught a glimpse of the Empress Dowager taking the medicinal broth. He waved for everyone else to leave, leaving only Lady Yu in attendance. He took the bowl from Lady Yu's hands and naturally sat down beside the Empress Dowager: "You look better today."

The Empress Dowager nodded slightly. "You're busy with state affairs. There's no need for you to come in person; sending someone would suffice."

"I'm concerned for you. Coming here eases my mind." The Emperor scooped up a spoonful of the broth and gently blew on it. "Old Madam Xiao presented a petition this morning. Since she comes in sincerity, it would not hurt for you to see her."

The Empress Dowager lowered her eyes to the spoonful of broth, a sharp glint flashing through them: "Sincerity? If she were truly sincere, she would have long since put an end to those improper thoughts."

"The mastermind behind the exam cheat died in the Imperial Prison—poisoned. The Embroidered Uniform Guard investigated and found the culprit: someone from the Censorate." The Emperor stirred the broth, his tone as casual as if discussing idle household matters.

"The Censorate?" The Empress Dowager looked up at the Emperor. "Who orchestrated this?"

The Emperor set the spoon down with a clink against the bowl. "Xiao Yao, the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief. The murderer was someone his subordinate let in."

With such a major corruption case, everyone at court and across the country knew the Emperor was determined to get to the bottom of it. That the mastermind should die in the Imperial Prison at this moment was nothing more than the political factions acting out of impatience, fearing that Chen Yuanli would reveal problems under interrogation by the Guard.

The Censorate oversaw all officials and had never been involved in court factionalism. Getting dragged into this now leaves them open to criticism.

The Empress Dowager was silent for a moment, then said: "Handle the Xiao family affair as you see fit. There's no need to spare a thought for me. If it affects the court, do not be lenient with them."

"The Xiao family has contributed greatly to the founding of the dynasty. Uncle Xiao has made many contributions to the court. Perhaps there is a misunderstanding." The Emperor sighed softly at this, handing the broth back to Lady Yu. "Rest assured, Mother. I've ordered the Three Judicial Offices to look into it. Today, all three offices are meeting at the Grand Court. If it is a misunderstanding, he'll be cleared."

Suddenly, someone arrived with a report at the door.

The Emperor and the Empress Dowager paused their conversation and saw Eunuch Rong come in.

"Go ahead, say it," said the Emperor.

Eunuch Rong paused briefly. "Reporting to Your Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager: His Highness the Sixth Prince sent word that he has gone to the Grand Court about the Imperial Academy matter."

-*

"The Sixth Prince has been given a task. He just arrived."

"But His Highness is just a kid... In a short while, officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate will arrive. Is it really okay for him to be here?"

The Vice Minister of the Grand Court stood watching the young prince sitting before him, casually drinking tea. The case files on the Chen Yuanli case lay spread out before him, and the young prince was flipping through them. Who knew if he could understand any of it?

A few days ago, His Majesty ordered that the task of placating the Imperial Academy students be handed to the Sixth Prince. The Sixth Prince had neither established a residence outside the palace nor taken any official court position. That this task was not given to any of the other princes but to him was truly surprising. Only a few civil officials from the Imperial Academy had strongly endorsed it, saying that the Sixth Prince's words at the Imperial Academy assembly had greatly inspired the students.

So when the Sixth Prince requested to see the files at the Grand Court, before any orders came from above, news had already been quietly transmitted from the Guard.

News from the Guard—wasn't that the same as news transmitted by His Majesty to make arrangements?

Upon hearing the news, Lord Liu, the Grand Court Chief Minister, had fled without a moment's hesitation, leaving the Vice Minister to handle all the trivial stuff.

The Grand Court officials looked at the young master who had already been reading the files for half an hour: "Your Highness, want some water?"

"Is that all? Are there any other files?" asked Ying Fusheng.

The Grand Court officials hesitated: "This..."

"The Imperial Academy students claim that Chen Yuanli manipulated public opinion and may have been complicit in shielding corrupt officials. This matter has not been resolved, and it's hard to calm the students down." Having said this, Ying Fusheng saw that the Vice Minister did not move. "Can't I see them? Are these files confidential?"

The Grand Court officials dared not be negligent, immediately looking to the Vice Minister.

The Vice Minister waved his hand, and only then did they go to get the files related to Chen Yuanli and deliver them to the Sixth Prince.

He stood by, observing for a long time, before handing the matter over to other officials.

"Vice Minister," one official whispered, "shall we invite His Highness to the inner hall to read the files?"

The Vice Minister stepped aside, his expression softening. "No, let the Sixth Prince stay here. The person who transmitted the message from the Guard to give instructions was the Deputy Commander—the one from the Qi clan."

He pondered: "Chen Yuanli died in the Imperial Prison this time. Do you think the Guard will just take this?"

A death in the Imperial Prison is a slap in the face for the Guard.

"But this time it was clearly the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate..." the Grand Court official whispered. "Is the Xiao family's matter something we can handle?"

The Vice Minister said nothing.

The Xiao family, as a centuries-old aristocratic clan, had once been a grand clan with countless protégés, with members excelling in both civil and military affairs. In the time of the late Emperor, the Xiao family had lent their full support. Xiao military officers had guarded the borders, and Xiao civil officials and clan elders had drafted several books of laws for Dayuan, thereby establishing the legal framework of Dayuan.

Since the current Emperor ascended the throne, the Xiao family had withdrawn from court struggles, establishing themselves as an independent faction, never forming cliques for private gain.

It could almost be said that without the Xiao family, the Three Judicial Offices would not exist as they are today.

At the mention of the Xiao family, several officials fell into silence.

"That's the Xiao family of the past. The current Censorate is just a den of..." Before the Grand Court official could finish his sentence, his colleague cut him off, hinting that the Sixth Prince was still nearby and should not speak further.

Shen Yunfei watched the sneaky group in the distance. "Your Highness, they are talking about you."

Ying Fusheng lowered his eyes to the files, glancing sidelong at the officials who had gone to get the files. He said casually: "Naturally, they will talk. After all, the people about to arrive are closely connected to me."

He stopped flipping through the pages. "They're here."

And just then, a commotion came from the doorway. The Grand Court officials who had been waiting looked up to see the new arrivals. The Vice Minister, seeing them, concealed his deep thoughts and stepped forward to greet them: "Lord Xu, Lord Xiao."

Ying Fusheng closed the scroll, the corners of his eyes falling on the two newly arrived men.

Both wore official robes, each with one or two attendants in tow. The middle-aged man in front had a stern expression, looking hard to get along with. This was Lord Xu, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

After sizing him up, Ying Fusheng turned his attention to the elderly man walking a few steps behind.

The old man was advanced in years, his face wrinkled, his temples white.

But when he entered, many officials' eyes gathered on him, and several nearby moved back a few steps, deliberately leaving space for him.

"Xiao Lao has arrived?"

"Lord Xiao, this way, please."

Shen Yunfei, standing beside Ying Fusheng, was slightly taken aback by such respect. He whispered, "Your Highness," as a reminder.

At this moment, the old man had already swept his gaze imperceptibly across the hall, a hint of sharpness in his clouded eyes. He looked around, pausing briefly when his gaze passed over Ying Fusheng. He stepped forward and bowed, saying, "This old minister pays his respects to Your Highness."

The newcomer was none other than the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, a senior elder of the Xiao family, a veteran official of two reigns. Ever since the Censorate was founded, he had helped shape the laws of the Dayuan dynasty. Officials of the Three Judicial Offices all respectfully addressed him as Xiao Lao.

Ying Fusheng looked at the old man, and the old man looked back at him.

Many officials saw this, their eyes flickering.

Xiao Lao belonged to the same clan as the Empress Dowager's Xiao family. The Sixth Prince was now under the Empress Dowager's care, and the Xiao family was the Empress Dowager's maternal clan. By seniority, Xiao Lao was even the Sixth Prince's elder.

Although the Xiao family had not shown any special regard for the Sixth Prince, when the Sixth Prince celebrated his birthday together with the Crown Prince, the Xiao family had sent congratulatory gifts.

All eyes turned to see the Sixth Prince show no sign of arrogance. He set down the scroll and returned the courtesy with full propriety: "Greetings, Lord Xiao."

Seeing Ying Fusheng take the initiative to bow, a glimmer of satisfaction flashed in Xiao Lao's eyes. He then straightened up, stepped aside, and introduced, "This is the Vice Minister of Justice, Lord Xu You."

Xu You stepped forward: "Your Highness, the Sixth Prince."

Ying Fusheng, seeing the master-subordinate relationship between the two, understood in his heart.

After the greetings, he turned back and sat down.

Xiao Lao's expression remained unchanged. He merely nodded, his gaze lightly falling on the young prince. His subordinate beside him leaned in and whispered, "Today, the Sixth Prince came suddenly, without prior notice. He said he was carrying out an assignment."

With gazes crossing the room, the Three Judicial Offices officials arrived one after another, and the atmosphere in the hall gradually became solemn.

Sensing that something was off, Shen Yunfei looked at the Sixth Prince and whispered a reminder.

Seeing the old man standing proudly, Ying Fusheng said softly, "He's waiting for me to invite him."

The officials exchanged glances. The discussion of the Three Judicial Offices was supposed to be an internal matter. Seeing everyone present, the Sixth Prince, however, showed no sign of moving while flipping through the scrolls. Everyone then looked at Xiao Lao, only to find him also standing, not saying a word even after everyone had arrived.

After waiting for a while, the Sixth Prince, deeply engrossed in the scrolls, finally came to his senses. "I was too absorbed. Lord Xiao, please sit."

Only after hearing the Sixth Prince speak did Xiao Lao bow and take his seat.

Seeing Xiao Lao seated, Ying Fusheng said, "Everyone, please sit. I'm only here to observe today; don't mind me."

Since the Sixth Prince had said so, none of the officials could go discuss in the side hall.

The officials of the Court of Judicial Review looked at the Vice Minister. The Vice Minister let his gaze rest on Ying Fusheng for a moment, then instructed everyone to take their seats.

Soon, the officials of the Three Judicial Offices divided into several groups and sat down.

The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review immediately presented the details of Chen Yuanli's case. Ever since the Shuntian Prefect's corruption case, the Court of Judicial Review and the Embroidered Uniform Guard had been in close contact, almost acting as the main investigators. This time, Chen Yuanli was sent to the Imperial Prison, transferred by the Court of Judicial Review to the Embroidered Uniform Guard for interrogation, bypassing the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate, following the emperor's decree.

Ying Fusheng listened as the Vice Minister recounted the case. Among the Three Judicial Offices, the Court of Judicial Review reviewed cases, the Ministry of Justice pronounced judgment, and the Censorate exercised oversight. Chen Yuanli's case had been escalated to the Embroidered Uniform Guard for trial, bypassing the Three Judicial Offices. However, the Censorate had raised doubts during its oversight.

After Chen Yuanli was transferred, the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate, citing unresolved doubts, obtained permission from the Embroidered Uniform Guard to enter and interrogate him... and then Chen Yuanli died.

Ying Fusheng looked around, taking everything in. He leaned slightly and whispered a few instructions to Shen Yunfei. Shen Yunfei paused, whispered his acknowledgment, then turned and disappeared behind Ying Fusheng. The other officials in the hall did not notice this subtle change; their attention was all on the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

"After investigation by the Court of Judicial Review, Chen Yuanli died by poisoning. The poison was brought into the Imperial Prison by an official from the Ministry of Justice," said the Vice Minister.

As the words fell, everyone looked at the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate.

"The Censorate had already determined the matter. Chen Yuanli was on good terms with others in life. The official who came to interrogate him brought a personal letter from his family at Chen Yuanli's request. Who would have thought that Lord Chen, fearing punishment, would commit suicide—and that the letter actually contained poison?" An official from the Censorate stepped forward and said before all the officials, "The Ministry of Justice official was only trying to be considerate toward Lord Chen. He never expected the letter to contain poison. When the clerk realized his mistake, he hanged himself out of guilt."

An official from the Court of Judicial Review said, "So, according to the Censorate, that's it? Case closed?"

The Censorate official asked, "What else would it be?"

While he spoke, Xiao Lao sat to the side, sipping tea in contemplation. Clearly, the official's words expressed his intent. Ying Fusheng flipped through several pages of the scrolls, his gaze lightly resting on the Ministry of Justice officials in the distance. His half-lowered eyes already held a deep expression. Just then, Shen Yunfei silently returned to his side and whispered a few words.

In the hall, during the debate between the Court of Judicial Review and the Censorate, the Ministry of Justice spoke—

"The joint investigation by the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate reached a similar conclusion," said Lord Xu of the Ministry of Justice.

Upon hearing this, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review's face darkened.

In recent years, the Ministry of Justice had been closely aligned with the Censorate. Xu You, who came with Xiao Lao today, had married a daughter of the Xiao family. The so-called discussions among the Three Judicial Offices essentially just followed the Xiao family's will.

Many of those present were waiting for the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice to explain. After being given several days to investigate, this was the result they came up with. The officials of the Court of Judicial Review grew restless. They had been following the emperor's decree, investigating everything from the Shuntian Prefect's corruption to the imperial exam fraud. Chen Yuanli's case was full of unresolved issues, and many secrets were still waiting to be uncovered, pending the Censorate and Ministry of Justice's conclusions. And now they come back with such a reply?

The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review looked at Xiao Lao and said in a deep voice, "Lord Xiao, don't you think this conclusion is too hasty?"

Xiao Lao paused mid-sip, seeming to think for a moment before saying, "You have a point, Vice Minister."

"But what can you do? Sometimes investigations just turn out this way. The Vice Minister has handled many cases over the years; you've seen stranger cases than I have."

"A strange case? Strange that someone dies inexplicably in the Imperial Prison? And of all people, the mastermind of the fraud case?"

The atmosphere in the hall grew tense. Xiao Lao seemed to notice. He set down his teacup, looked at Ying Fusheng beside him, and said, "Sixth Prince, Your Highness."

Everyone saw the Sixth Prince look up from the scrolls. He seemed to confirm something and then looked at Xiao Lao. The young Master Shen beside the Sixth Prince whispered a few words, and the Sixth Prince seemed to snap out of it. "Is there something?"

"Truth be told, since Your Highness arrived at Cining Palace, this is the first time I've seen you today. Seeing you now, you truly are extraordinary," Xiao Lao said slowly. "May I ask Your Highness's view on this matter?"

The Vice Minister's eyes darkened. He knew the Censorate had its informants; Xiao Lao had probably known about the Sixth Prince's arrival before he even got there. He knew the Sixth Prince was on an imperial assignment, yet he still brought up the Xiao family.

Everyone knew the Sixth Prince now depended on the Empress Dowager. By mentioning Cining Palace, Xiao Lao was clearly reminding the Sixth Prince of that fact.

"Lord Xiao, today is an internal matter of the Three Judicial Offices," the Vice Minister interjected.

Xiao Lao responded smoothly: "Your Highness is here by imperial decree, so it's only fitting to ask for his opinion."

He asked, "How does Your Highness see this?"

"I think the cause of death is indeed hasty, but Lord Xiao makes a good point. There are many hasty and strange cases," Ying Fusheng agreed.

At those words, seeing the Sixth Prince essentially agree, the faces of the Court of Judicial Review officials turned sour. After all, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had specifically instructed them, and the Sixth Prince had come on a task. But everyone forgot one thing: the Sixth Prince was now practically a member of the Xiao family. With the Ning family gone, the Empress Dowager and the Xiao family were his only support.

Seeing the Court of Judicial Review fall silent, Xiao Lao said, "If the Court of Judicial Review does not trust the results of the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice, it may also send its own investigation and re-deliberate. Since the Sixth Prince has spoken, could it be that the Court of Judicial Review doubts him?"

The Vice Minister did not respond. The Censorate was forcing them to accept the conclusion.

Seeing the Three Judicial Offices officials fall silent, Xiao Lao stroked his beard and said, "If there are no objections..."

"Object to what?" Ying Fusheng suddenly cut in.

Xiao Lao paused. The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review furrowed his brow.

"These are indeed careless." Ying Fusheng said as he tossed the case files before the officials. "Your handling of cases is far too careless. The records are crystal clear; according to the laws of Dayuan, shouldn't these be confiscated and investigated?"

Before the officials lay the case files specifically retrieved by the Grand Court for the Sixth Prince, related to the corruption and examination fraud cases. Upon closer inspection, one could see several pages turned, covering other linked cases from the previous investigation into the Shuntian Prefect's corruption.

But these files had been sent to the Censorate with no follow-up, saying there were doubts and temporarily staying the judgment.

The Censorate meant this: when investigating corruption, stop when it's enough. Pushing further would benefit no one.

The Vice Minister of the Grand Court's expression shifted slightly as he looked at Ying Fusheng. As for the Grand Court officials who retrieved the files for the Sixth Prince—these files were corruption cases, still unadjudicated, and shouldn't have appeared among Chen Yuanli's documents. Who had accessed them?

"Your Highness, these files are not part of today's..." an official from the Grand Court began.

Xiao Lao frowned, cutting him off. "Your Highness, the Three Judicial Offices are not discussing this today."

"Aren't you discussing Chen Yuanli? Not even one related case is discussed?" Ying Fusheng turned to Xiao Lao, pushing the files toward him. "This won't do. Chen Yuanli brought to light the corruption case, and now he's the mastermind of the fraud case... yet so many cases linked to him remain unresolved. You're handling this far too carelessly!"

The Grand Court officials were speechless.

They were debating Chen Yuanli's suicide; at most, he had stirred up the students' emotions. Besides, the one who guided them was clearly the Sixth Prince himself. These files had nothing to do with Chen Yuanli!

One official tried to explain but was grabbed by a colleague. To his surprise, all his colleagues chose silence at that moment.

Lord Xu of the Ministry of Justice, seeing Xiao Lao's grim expression, spoke up: "Your Highness, Chen Yuanli's involvement was at most inciting emotions to promote corruption investigations."

"How is it unrelated? The students care about the court's progress in fighting corruption. Chen Yuanli incited their emotions. To calm them, shouldn't we address the root cause?" Ying Fusheng flipped through the files, pointing them out one by one. "The root lies in the corruption cases. To calm the students, we naturally must start by discussing the corruption cases."

Xiao Lao listened to the Sixth Prince's pack of lies, twisting the logic to focus on corruption cases.

"Your Highness, even so, this isn't what we're discussing today," another official said.

"Aren't you investigating Chen Yuanli's cause of death? Since you say the gifts were sent by his family, how can you prove they were truly from his family and not from some corrupt official who despised him and slipped him poison?" Ying Fusheng continued. "Since you handled the corruption cases so sloppily, you haven't even cleared all suspects, yet you're closing the case?"

The Grand Court officials' eyes lit up at these words.

Both the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate wanted to close this case definitively, but the Sixth Prince had argued cleverly here, twisting to link Chen Yuanli's death to the corruption cases. Setting other matters aside, how many of the files submitted by the Grand Court had been suppressed by them? Now, by bringing these up, the Sixth Prince was openly questioning the Censorate.

Officials from the Ministry of Justice and Censorate immediately turned to the Grand Court. How could such problematic files be shown to the prince? The Grand Court officials' eyes darted around; facing the glares from the other officials, they stubbornly pretended not to see.

They themselves didn't know how the Sixth Prince had unearthed these from the files. The suppressed cases had only a scant few pages of records; among the many corruption cases, many had been rejected by the Censorate. Yet the Sixth Prince had picked them all out.

The Censorate oversaw all officials, and the Xiao family was the establisher of Dayuan's laws. In the court and country, if the Censorate deemed an official's conduct questionable, word would be sent to the Grand Court, and sometimes even without review, cases from local offices could be decided and closed by the Ministry of Justice and Censorate.

Behind the Censorate stood the Xiao family, almost the aristocratic family behind imperial power.

Many in the court had grown accustomed to it: if the Censorate concluded there was no problem, the case would be closed. The files submitted by the Grand Court had been suppressed by the Censorate; if they were re-listed as suspects, it would undoubtedly push the Censorate into the eye of the storm.

Xiao Lao said in a deep voice, "Your Highness is young; watch your words."

The Vice Minister of the Grand Court suddenly interjected, "Xiao Lao, could it be that you are questioning the Sixth Prince?"

"His Highness is acting on an imperial assignment. If he says it's related, then it is related."

Ying Fusheng shifted his gaze slightly, saw the Vice Minister come forward, and followed his words to continue: "My father tasked me with calming the students. If you handle matters this way, and the Guozijian students riot, will you bear the responsibility?"

No one dared to assume that responsibility. Officials from the Ministry of Justice and Censorate looked at Ying Fusheng. Before coming, they had inquired about the Sixth Prince—he was close to the Empress Dowager. Anyone with half a brain would know that at this time they should stand on the same side as the Xiao family. The Ning family had fallen, and from now on the Xiao family would be his pillar.

None had expected that, after the Grand Court's long silence, the Sixth Prince would openly oppose the Xiao family.

Xiao Lao's face darkened completely. They had come today to put the matter to rest. Chen Yuanli's death was indeed carried out by them. Factional strife ran deep in the court; many wanted Chen Yuanli dead.

The Xiao family had little connection to Chen Yuanli, but the Censorate had been close to the Shuntian Prefect, with cases that weren't clean on their hands. So when the factions signaled, the Censorate was willing to lend a hand, allowing someone to be placed in the Imperial Prison. Afterward, when the man died, it became a cold case, easy to clean up.

A scapegoat should stay in that role, not be pried open by the Embroidered Uniform Guard to utter nonsense.

This matter could have been settled as a cold case, but then Ying Fusheng appeared. Chen Yuanli's case could be big or small, depending on the Emperor's will. If the Three Judicial Offices reached a conclusion, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard found nothing, the matter would pass.

But Ying Fusheng forcibly shifted suspicion onto the Censorate. Chen Yuanli's suicide could be ruled a cold case, but only after all potential suspects with motive had been cleared. If the investigation followed this clue, the Embroidered Uniform Guard could seize the opportunity to attack the Censorate for mishandling the case.

And if word reached the Xiao family...

The standoff continued. Though the Sixth Prince was merely an observer, closing Chen Yuanli's case now required passing through him. Otherwise, he could go to the Emperor, and things heard by His Majesty would take a different turn.

Xiao Lao coughed lightly, drawing everyone's attention.

"Your Highness jokes."

Xiao Lao pushed away the files in front of him, brushing off the dust, a hint of threat in his eyes. "As for today's matter..."

Just as the tension in the hall reached its peak, an urgent report came from outside—

The officials of the Three Judicial Offices paused, hearing the messenger say: "Xiao Yan, Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, has arrived!"

At the name, Xiao Lao's already grim expression turned even darker.

Ying Fusheng looked up to see a man in official robes approaching. His face was as smooth as jade, his demeanor noble and self-possessed, his features bearing a resemblance to the Empress Dowager.

As he drew near, the noise in the hall ceased.

Ignoring the other officials, the man stepped past Xiao Lao and walked directly to Ying Fusheng, bowing. "Your subject Xiao Yan pays respects to the Sixth Prince."