Chapter 327: She’s Here, She’s Really Here!

As the murmurs grew louder, the old woman seated in the place of honor, Princess Huairou, spoke up. "Chang En, just let them take her away. We mustn’t miss the auspicious time."

Prince Pei felt he had lost face and was burning with rage, but he couldn’t afford to get angry in this situation.

’Let them go,’ he thought. ’We’ll see how far they get.’

’I’ll let it slide for now. Once they’re out that door, I have plenty of ways to deal with them.’

He raised his hand, letting them pass, but his eyes were fixed on Feng Yin. ’I will absolutely not let him off the hook!’

Feng Yin stood rooted to the spot, watching as the Yun Family quickly escorted Yun Xinyao away.

Yun Xinyao tried to look back several times, but she was forcibly carried away. By the time they reached the gate, she had fainted from pure rage.

But the members of the Yun Family didn’t stop; instead, they quickened their pace.

Feng Yin had angered his own mother to the point of fainting, yet his expression remained serene.

Prince Pei arranged for men to watch the Yun Family and, at the same time, ordered the main gates to be shut. He would not allow any more complications.

BANG!

The gates slammed shut. Prince Pei roared, "Have you made enough of a scene? If so, get back here and obediently complete this ceremony!"

Feng Yin watched the gates close, and the last glimmer of light in his eyes vanished along with them.

Seeing him remain motionless, Prince Pei’s patience ran out. He gave a direct order to his men: "Seize him! We will complete the ceremony at once!"

Feng Yin didn’t move, nor did he resist. He allowed himself to be held, like a puppet, and was repositioned for the ceremony.

The master of ceremonies, sensing the tense atmosphere, quickly tried to move the proceedings along. "First bow—to Heaven and Earth!"

The guards pushed down on Feng Yin, about to force him into a bow.

BOOM!

A violent explosion made nearly everyone present jump out of their skin.

They turned in shock to see that the main gates, which had just been firmly shut, were now blown to smithereens, leaving the entrance wide open.

As the dust settled, a tall, slender figure dressed in black slowly walked in.

She wore a golden coronet, her hair in a high ponytail. Dressed in sharp, martial-style riding attire, she carried a long saber. Her posture was erect, her aura heroic and dashing.

She walked in step by step under the watchful eyes of all present, her gait powerful yet unhurried. A face of otherworldly beauty was revealed to the crowd, wearing a carefree, roguish smile. "A guest has come to your door, Prince Pei. Why shut it in their face? How rude."

Prince Pei roared, "Who are you?"

"Hahaha!"

Xiao Li laughed mockingly. "Pei Chang’en, wasn’t it you who issued a proclamation inviting me to the Pei Family’s wedding feast? Now I am here, yet you fail to even recognize me?"

Behind her, Rong Qing entered, clad in silver armor and carrying a great saber. He was followed by a flood of soldiers from the Silver Armor Army, pouring in one after another.

If Xiao Li had simply stood there and claimed to be the Empress, no one would have believed her.

But the moment the Silver Armor Army appeared, no one had any doubts.

Upon entering, the Silver Armor Guards immediately set up their cannons. Without a word of warning, they fired twice. BOOM! BOOM!

Everyone watched, wide-eyed, as the building in front of them was blasted with two gaping holes, flames instantly soaring into the sky.

The sheer destructive power was terrifying to behold.

"It’s the Empress! It’s really the Empress! She’s here, she actually came!"

"We’re doomed, we’re doomed! The Empress’s army is here."

"Run! Prince Pei can’t defeat her! We’re all going to die!"

Though this rabble had talked a big game, they had long since learned to fear the Empress’s reputation. At the sight of this, they were instantly scared out of their wits.

On a normal day, they might curse the Empress for her tyranny and praise Prince Pei for his benevolence and wisdom, but when a real fight broke out, they knew better than anyone who was truly more powerful.

It was a fact beyond any doubt.

The wedding guests scattered like frightened animals, fleeing for their lives. The scene descended into chaos, yet no one dared to venture within a wide radius of the Silver Armor Army.

All the cannon muzzles swiveled to aim at the wedding hall.

Who hadn’t heard of the power of the Empress’s cannons? And even for the ignorant, the Empress had just provided a personal demonstration.

The master of ceremonies and the others in the hall scattered in terror, leaving only Prince Pei, his family, and their loyal guards.

Prince Pei’s face was a mask of shock and disbelief. "You’re really the Empress? How is that possible..."

"How could I possibly have appeared before you so quickly? Is that what you were going to say?"

Xiao Li finished his sentence for him and slowly advanced, her movements elegant and unhurried, yet radiating immense pressure. "You have a lot of nerve, Prince Pei. There aren’t many left in this world who dare provoke me as you have. And so, I came as fast as I possibly could. Aren’t you surprised?"

When a guard tried to block Xiao Li’s path, Rong Qing simply shoved him aside. "Get out of the way if you don’t want to die."

The Silver Armor Guards parted the remaining people, clearing an unobstructed path from the Empress to Prince Pei.

Xiao Li stood at the entrance to the wedding hall, the flickering light and shadows playing across her face. She exuded a majestic and murderous aura.

"Pei Chang’en, you see me before you, and you do not kneel?"

Although Pei Chang’en was thoroughly intimidated, he stubbornly held his ground and refused to kneel.

He was a rebel prince. How could he kneel to the Empress?

"Xiao Xuanyang, you are too insolent! This is no place for you to act so wantonly..."

Pei Chang’en actually tried to assume the posture of an elder to reprimand Xiao Li. But would a mighty Emperor tolerate being scolded to her face?

Even if Xiao Li herself did not move, her guards would never allow it.

Rong Qing reversed his long saber and struck Pei Chang’en’s kneecaps with the blunt end of the hilt.

THUD. He dropped to his knees, his back ramrod straight.

Before a scream could even escape Pei Chang’en’s lips, Rong Qing’s blade was at his throat. The deathly chill of the steel instantly choked the sound back down.

"Ah!"

This shriek came from the Princess Consort.

The Princess Consort and Pei Chanjuan were not spared; a blade was pressed against each of their necks.

These were not just for show. As if fearing the threat wasn’t potent enough, the blades were pressed hard enough to break the skin.

Only the sight of blood would make them truly afraid.

The Silver Armor Guards at the Empress’s side had but a single, core principle: protect the Empress’s safety and eliminate any and all threats.

They were always prepared to kill.

They needed no reason, nor did they question right or wrong. The Empress was their reason; the Empress was always right.

Therefore, a situation where blades were drawn yet an opponent was still allowed to spout provocations and nonsense simply did not exist in the Empress’s presence.

"Insolence!"

Princess Huairou was of Xiao Li’s grandfather’s generation. At her advanced age, she had weathered many storms and was still able to maintain her composure.

But the moment she shouted, Xiao Li’s saber plunged into Prince Pei’s shoulder. Her smile was wicked and vicious.

"Who do you think you’re yelling at?"

"Ah."

Prince Pei let out a short, miserable cry—miserable from the pain, and short because the moment he opened his mouth, a Silver Armor Guard stuffed a wad of cloth into it.

’When Her Majesty is speaking, do not make a sound!’

"Chang En..."

Princess Huairou’s face went pale, and she glared at Xiao Li in fury.

Xiao Li merely rested the tip of her saber on Prince Pei’s other shoulder, her gaze fixed on the seated old woman with a smile that wasn’t a smile.

"Respecting the old and cherishing the young is a traditional virtue. I don’t kill old hags. But if you run your mouth one more time, I’ll chop off his paws, braise them, and serve them to you as an offering!"

"Xiao Xuanyang!"

Princess Huairou roared, "I am your grandaunt! He is your uncle..."

Rong Qing’s saber rose and fell, directly severing one of Prince Pei’s hands.

"Father!"

"Husband!"

Snapping back to their senses, the Princess Consort and Pei Chanjuan shrieked in terror.

As for Princess Huairou, she fainted dead away and tumbled from her seat.

The surrounding servants had long since been scared witless. One of the Silver Armor Guards "kindly" dragged her aside and pinched the philtrum below her nose to revive her.