"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.
