"What did you say?!"
A sudden, sharp cry erupted from the side.
Before the guard could even reply, Ye Tingyun had already rushed forward.
He grabbed the guard by his collar and demanded fiercely, "What did you say? Say it again!"
Third Brother... Third Brother he...!
His hands clenched tightly, his body trembling uncontrollably.
The guard was somewhat intimidated by this display and had no choice but to present the secret letter to him.
"Your Highness, the official document is here..."
Before he could finish speaking, the document was snatched away by Ye Tingyun. A few sparse words, he dared not misread, yet his vision blurred more and more.
The Empress Dowager also found it hard to believe. Hearing this, her body trembled, and she immediately stepped forward.
"Yun'er, is this... true?"
This question, once uttered, carried an uncontrollable tremor.
After a moment of silence, Ye Tingyun suddenly became ferocious, tearing the secret letter into pieces with great force.
"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"
Third Brother wouldn't die like this, he didn't believe it!
He turned back to the guard, forcefully grasping his shoulder.
"Where did this news come from? Did you make a mistake? It must have been the rebels who died, not Third Brother!"
He leaned in as close as possible, his questioning words like a burning brand, and the guard dared not look up.
"Your Highness, Prince Mo was captured in Yuzhou several days ago. This... this matter is known to everyone in court."
"You're lying!"
This news made Ye Tingyun stagger, and he immediately pushed the guard away with force.
"Impossible! I never heard any such news in the palace! This is impossible!"
If such a thing had happened, how could there be not even a whisper in the harem? This guard must be lying!
"If you dare to spout nonsense again, deceiving me and Imperial Grandmother, I... I will cut you down!"
As he spoke, he reached out and drew the guard's saber from his waist.
This move was meant to be a show of force, but Ye Tingyun had never practiced martial arts and had no idea how to use a saber.
With the saber drawn, the momentum caused him to lean back slightly, almost injuring himself.
The Empress Dowager watched with a racing heart, her breathing momentarily stopping, and quickly called out to stop him.
"Yun'er, that's enough, enough!"
The Emperor had fallen, and Ye Tinglan's fate was unknown. If this only grandson were to be injured now, how could she possibly bear it!
The guard had already knelt on the ground.
"Your Highness, please calm down. This document was sent back from the front lines of the army, and there is absolutely no possibility of falsehood."
Black ink on white paper, with the seal of the military camp affixed, the chance of error was almost zero.
But how could he believe this!
Ye Tingyun's mind buzzed, and his vision suddenly darkened.
He gritted his teeth, almost gasping for breath, "If he's alive, I want to see him. If he's dead, I want to see his body! Those remnants couldn't kill Third Brother! Third Brother is definitely still alive!"
The guard's face showed grief. After hesitating for a long time, he finally spoke in a low voice.
"Prince Mo's body... is currently hanging from the city gate."
After the Ning clan remnants beheaded Ye Tinglan, they did not spare his body.
They hung Ye Tinglan's body on the city wall to intimidate the Emperor.
"Ah!"
Ye Tingyun was so stimulated that he was almost out of control.
He wildly slashed the saber in his hand to the side. The tent ripped, the candleholder toppled, and even a corner of the table was cut off.
The Empress Dowager, startled, was about to speak when she saw him bend over and a mouthful of blood spurt from his mouth.
As the saber clanged to the ground, his body, as if all strength had left him, fell backward.
Seeing this, the Empress Dowager was filled with panic and immediately rushed forward.
"Yun'er!"