His words were rough but made sense. Everyone just glanced at him briefly before Fan Zehao inquired about the matter of the palace guards, "Does the Empress Dowager know whose men those guards are?"
"They are subordinates of Huangfu Qiuping, the late Emperor's brother. Since the current Emperor has no heir, among the princes, his seniority is the greatest, so it's reasonable for him to preside over the funeral."
Huangfu Qiuping!
He was Huangfu Xu, the uncle of Huangfu Xian, and also the uterine brother of the late Emperor Huangfu Jintao.
This prince was very low-key, so much so that he had almost no presence. If the Empress Dowager hadn't mentioned him, they would have forgotten his existence.
Granny Pi lifted the door curtain and entered, bowing respectfully, "Empress Dowager, King Xian, King Xiaoyao, and King Ping are here and are waiting outside the hall!"
Yao Jingyun took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, feeling as if she had aged more than ten years.
Just a few years after dealing with her husband's funeral, she was now facing her son's funeral. In such a short span, she had gone from Imperial Noble Consort to Empress Dowager, and was now about to become Empress Dowager Dowager.
She was only in her early forties, yet she felt so old.
She wasn't old, but she was being called old.
"Invite them in!"
These princes were all here, and it was a good opportunity to probe their intentions and see which prince was ambitious and capable of taking the throne.
No matter who ascended the throne, it wouldn't cause much harm to her and Pingting.
After all, she had no sons, and her son-in-law was only a second-rank general. As long as Fan Xudong didn't get involved, their safety wouldn't be a major issue.
Soon, the three princes entered the hall one after another.
After performing their salutations, they sat down. The four princes looked at each other, and it was the Empress Dowager who spoke first.
"The person who poisoned the Emperor has been found, but unfortunately, they committed suicide by swallowing poison, and nothing could be learned. The main issue now is that envoys from various countries are present, and the nation cannot be without a ruler. Those people are watching closely. If Yun Country falls into internal strife, imagine the consequences!"
Yao Jingyun explained the matter of poisoning the Emperor and then brought up the subsequent issue, ending with a warning and a reminder.
She didn't want the country to be destroyed. Her early life had been spent in jealousy and rivalry; her later life should at least be one of prosperity and peace.
Upon hearing the Empress Dowager's speech, King Ping was the first to speak, "Empress Dowager, General Jiang Zan Cheng, Jiang, found me today and said that His Majesty unfortunately met his demise on his wedding night. The Empress and His Majesty had not yet drunk the nuptial wine, so it does not count as a marriage, nor did they consummate it. General Jiang wishes to take his daughter back!"
This request was bizarre enough to stun everyone present.
Pingting furrowed her delicate willow-leaf eyebrows, "They already bowed to heaven and earth, paid respects to the ancestors, and met with ministers from various countries. How can this not be considered a complete marriage?"
Besides, they hadn't seen whether the nuptial wine was drunk or not, who knew!
"Pingting, do not speak rashly. You are now a general's wife, you cannot casually discuss state affairs!" Yao Jingyun glared at her.
She was good in every way, except for her hasty tongue; her words never seemed to go through her brain.
Pingting was about to say something else when Zhao Jiaqi pulled her back, shaking her head, "Don't speak, just listen!"
After admonishing Pingting, his gaze shifted directly to Huangfu Qiuping. This King Ping appeared timid and unassuming, yet he played such a crucial role at this moment.
Being able to replace the imperial guards and then bring up this matter of Jiang Youyou, even though he knew it was irregular, he still spoke. She suspected that she and her husband had misjudged him; this person was not as harmless as he seemed.
Fan Zehao stated his position regarding the throne first, "You are the brothers and sons of the late Emperor. Whoever wants to be Emperor can be, you don't need to consider me, I have no interest in the throne!"
Huangfu Xian looked at Fan Zehao, then at the remaining uncle and King Xiaoyao. He pondered for a long time. Between the throne and his life, he chose the latter.
"I'd rather stay in my fief and enjoy myself. I don't want this position!" It wasn't that he didn't want it, but rather that he didn't dare to take it, nor did he have the ability.
Huangfu Xian had a clear understanding of his own position. With his withdrawal, only Huangfu Xu and Huangfu Qiuping remained.
"My uncle is old and disdainful of worldly affairs. Then this prince will not politely decline. I will take the throne!"
Huangfu Xu still harbored the dream of becoming Emperor, even if it meant risking assassination later, he still wanted to try.
Just as everyone thought he had secured the throne, King Ping interjected, "Your own fief has been ravaged, and you can't even manage such a small territory. If you were given the vast land of Yun Country, wouldn't it face utter ruin? I disagree!"
"Moreover, I've never heard of an Emperor who was once a captive. You may not be ashamed, but we are!"
These few sentences completely exposed Huangfu Xu's past.
He slammed the table and stood up, "If I can't sit on it, then Huangfu Qiuping, you definitely can't."
"Born of a lowly maid, you have no right to sit on the throne. Furthermore, in Yun Country, the legitimate heir is always prioritized over the eldest. Although both the legitimate son and the eldest son are gone, and neither I nor King Xian can sit on it, it is not your turn to take this throne!"
These few words again led the conversation into a deadlock.
Yao Jingyun really wanted to ask Huangfu Xu, if Huangfu Qiuping couldn't sit on the throne, and you were a captive, then... who would sit on this throne?
Facing the tense situation, Huangfu Xian chuckled, "I won't sit, and you are not qualified. Then who will sit on the throne? We can't just hand it over, can we!"
Huangfu Xu's eyes turned bloodshot, and he said coldly to Huangfu Xian, "Why not? As long as the King of Zhenguo sits on it, I have no objections. Anyone else who sits on it, I will not acknowledge!"
King Xian was amused upon hearing this, and he agreed wholeheartedly, applauding and cheering, "I have no objections either!"
Everyone in the room agreed, except for King Ping, who remained silent. All eyes were on him.
He didn't disappoint them and stepped forward, "Yun Country was conquered by the Huangfu family. Giving it away to an outsider, don't say I disagree, even the princes in the clan will not agree!"
"King Ping, your words are unfair!"
A sudden voice echoed in the hall. Zhao Jiaqi and Fan Zehao looked at the person who entered, their expressions becoming slightly tense.
Zhao Jiaqi rose from her chair and walked to his side, saying, "Uncle Wang, your legs aren't good, why did you come here? Let me help you to rest!"
Wang Zhanlin knew her intentions. He waved his hand at her. He had survived until today for this very reason.
The late Emperor had sharp foresight. He might have known that Huangfu Yifan would not sit securely on the throne after ascending, but he hadn't expected to die and take that knowledge with him.
Fortunately, an imperial decree was left behind. Otherwise, Yun Country might not have needed to be divided by other nations; it would have been torn apart by these princes.
"Uncle Wang, I know what you mean, but we cannot sit on the throne, nor should we!"
Zhao Jiaqi watched as Wang Zhanlin insisted on revealing the late Emperor's plan from years ago. She directly shared her thoughts with him without reservation.