Behind him, Eunuch Zhao followed closely, trying to suppress the grin tugging at his lips. Then, with a clear, resounding voice, he shouted, "His Majesty has arrived! Kneel and pay your respects!"
His words snapped the court out of their daze.
Thump. Thump. One by one, the officials dropped to their knees.
"Greetings to the Emperor. Ten thousand years of peace to His Majesty!"
The entire hall echoed with their desperate voices—everyone bowed.
Everyone… except Empress Dowager Zhao.
Xiang Long Wei walked calmly to the throne and sat down with a cold, unreadable expression. Then, he spoke.
"You may rise."
As the courtiers lifted their heads in unison, his lips curled into a faint smile.
"What an impressive sight," he said with a chilly smirk. "Someone… enlighten Zhen. What exactly is going on here?"
The smoldering fury behind his calm exterior made several ministers tremble. None dared to meet his gaze.
