NOVEL WEB Chapter 183 - Change
Chapter 183: Change
Outside Ziyun Hall, the guards at the gate had not expected that the Emperor would come at this time. They knelt down and paid their respects to the Emperor.
Emperor Zhao Ping entered the hall and walked into the inner chamber without saying a word.
Because Xiao Jing was in Jiyu’s room, Ji Yu’s most trusted maidservant had asked everyone else to leave and she was the only one keeping watch for her master. It was around dawn and she was feeling sleepy. The maidservant was dozing when she suddenly saw many people coming towards Jiyu’s room.
When the maidservant saw them clearly, Emperor Zhao Ping and Imperial Concubine Xian had arrived.
The maidservant panicked, and just as she was about to pay her respects to Emperor Zhao Ping and alert Jiyu in the room, Emperor Zhao Ping asked, “How is Yu Zhaoyi? No need to wake her up.”
The maidservant bowed down and raised her voice to respond loudly, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
When Emperor Zhao Ping saw her nervous expression, his eyes glinted and he knew there must be something strange going on in Jiyu’s room. He quickly walked in.
Emperor Zhao Ping pushed the door open and saw Jiyu and Xiao Jing naked, rolling off the bed in a panic. The two of them grabbed clothes and covered their bodies immediately.
Then, they kneeled down on the ground in front of their surprise visitors.
Emperor Zhao Ping stared at the two in shock, but there was no other reaction from him for a while.
The scene hit Imperial Concubine Xian like a thunderbolt. She stared at her son in amazement.
“Father, I made a mistake! I know I’m wrong!” Xiao Jing knelt on the ground, slamming his head on the ground with his clothes half-buttoned.
“Your Majesty!” Jiyu hugged herself and her face was pale and trembling.
Death was written on Emperor Zhao Ping’s countenance. He slowly walked over and slapped Xiao Jing. He scolded, “You son of a b*tch!”
Imperial Concubine Xian also rushed over. She slapped Jiyu. “B*tch! How dare you seduce Jing’er! You’re a dead sl*t now.”
“Your Majesty, please have mercy on me! Please pardon my sin!” Jiyu’s hair swung untidily across her forehead, and there was a bloodstain on her face from the slap by Imperial Concubine Xian. Jiyu desperately tried to hide behind Xiao Jing.
Imperial Concubine Xian knelt on the ground next to them and cried, “Your Majesty, it’s not Jing’er’s fault! Jing’er is just a child. It must be this b*tch who seduced Jing’er.”
Emperor Zhao Ping kicked Xiao Jing on the shoulder and roared, “You are not my son! You are just a shameless bast*rd.”
Emperor Zhao Ping’s face was livid with anger as he walked away, shouting, “Guards! Put all of them in jail.”
“Your Majesty, don’t! If you do this, you will ruin Jing’er’s whole life,” Imperial Concubine Xian cried, grabbing onto Emperor Zhao Ping’s leg.
Xiao Jing raised his head suddenly, the panic in his eyes gradually turning into hate and ruthlessness. Gnashing his teeth, he got up, grabbed a vase from the table, and smashed it against Emperor Zhao Ping’s back.
After a loud “crash”, all sound in the room came to an abrupt stop.
Even the sound of begging and crying ended at this moment.
Blood burst out from the back of Emperor Zhao Ping’s head. The Emperor slowly turned around, staring at his son with wide eyes, then crashed to the ground.
Eunuch Fu threw himself at Xiao Jing in horror. He raised his head and scolded, “Prince Zhao, how dare you hit the Emperor? You disgusting rebel!”
Xiao Jing gave him a fierce glare and blue veins stood out on his forehead. He rose quickly, picked up a sword from the ground, and stabbed Eunuch Fu in his chest.
Blood spewed out of Eunuch Fu’s chest. Several eunuchs behind Emperor Zhao Ping stared in horror and began to escape in a panic.
“Stop.”
Xiao Jing shouted to stop them, “I’m going to kill whoever dares to make another move.”
The young eunuchs fell with their knees on the ground and begged Xiao Jing, “Your Highness, please spare our lives! Please spare us!”
“Jing’er, you killed your father?” Imperial Concubine Xian was on her knees and her face turned deadly pale.
Xiao Jing stepped in front of Emperor Zhao Ping, reached down, and put his finger under the Emperor’s nose. He said in a cold voice, “He is not dead yet. He is still useful to me. He cannot die now.”
“Mother.” Xiao Jing turned back to the frightened Imperial Concubine Xian. “Mother, if Father passes the throne to Xiao Lie, there will be no place for you and me in the palace. Rather than waiting for others to take the throne, we’d better give it a try ourselves.”
Imperial Concubine Xian looked terrified. She swallowed and said with a low voice, “What do you want to do?”
“Mother, as long as we have Father under control, then Daliang Country is ours. Don’t you understand?” Xiao Jing laughed coldly.
Imperial Concubine Xian looked at him in shock.
A ruthless fire burned in Xiao Jing’s eyes. He turned to look at Jiyu with a dull face. “Yu’er, where’s the thing I gave you. Feed the Emperor with my pill.”
Jiyu shook her head in panic and kept retreating.
“Come on!” Xiao Jing shouted sternly.
Jiyu was shocked. She had never seen Xiao Jing like this before. She couldn’t help but feel terrified as well. The hand that held the pill was sweating and she walked slowly towards Emperor Zhao Ping.
She put the pill in Emperor Zhao Ping’s mouth and then sat on the ground.
“Good girl,” Xiao Jing said coldly. He slowly stood up, opened the door, and saw Jin Sheng was waiting outside with a few imperial guards.
“Your Highness, the palace gate is open and the ministers have entered the palace.”
The sun was just peeking out of the east with a dim light. Xiao Jing’s eyes were filled with excitement and expectation. He said softly, “Wait a moment. Eunuch Bai is going to give an imperial edict. His Majesty is feeling under the weather and he will take a break for several days.”
“Yes.” Jin Sheng went away.
Xiao Jing said to the servants behind him, “Carry His Majesty back to Yangxin Hall.”
The armed imperial guards were outside so no one dared to resist. They carried Emperor Zhao Ping and hurried back to Yangxin Hall.
Imperial Concubine Xian and Jiyu followed behind.
It was beginning to get light. Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Justice and Imperial Censor Yao entered the palace together. They stood outside Zhenggan Hall, waiting for the Emperor to hold court.
Xiao Lie was approaching from a distance. Yao Bing looked up and nodded slightly at Xiao Lie.
Xiao Lie’s face was expressionless. He stood tall at the front of the group of ministers and officials with apparent dignity.
Ministers and officials were gathered together in twos and threes, waiting for the door of the hall to open.
After a moment, Xiao Jing came over to Xiao Lie. Xiao Jing smiled and said, “Last night I stayed up, so I got up late today.”
Xiao Lie smiled faintly and said, “Brother, you must have been busy recently to get so tired.”
“Yes, yes. But if I can ease Father’s cares and burdens, I don’t mind.” Xiao Jing laughed.
At this time, the door suddenly opened and several palace attendants came out. In the middle was Eunuch Bai, the Emperor’s personal eunuch.
“His Majesty doesn’t feel well today so he can’t be present to hold court. Please go back, O ministers and officials.”
Eunuch Bai’s sharp voice rang outside the hall. Everyone was startled. The Emperor was sick?
Emperor Zhao Ping had always been diligent and rarely missed holding the morning audience. It seemed that he must be seriously ill this time.
Xiao Lie stepped forward and asked lightly, “What’s wrong with Father?”
“His Majesty got up early and didn’t feel well today. The doctor is now treating him. No one is allowed to see him at present. Your Highness and all the ministers must go back, please.”
“Father is sick? Then let Father rest.” Xiao Jing smiled and looked at Xiao Lie. “Your Highness, please go back.”
Xiao Lie looked gloomy and began to contemplate this.
Zhang Yuan and the other ministers were all puzzled. What a big coincidence!
After leaving the palace, Zhang Yuan and Yao Bing went to Prince Rui’s Manor.
They sat down in Prince Rui’s study. Xiao Lie frowned slightly and said simply, “Something is not right.”
Zhang Yuan said, “You are right. We just found out what Xie Shiyun did last night, and today His Majesty is ill. It’s such a strange coincidence.”
“What’s going on in the palace?” Yao Bing asked.
“Last night I heard His Majesty ask for the imperial doctor though,” Zhang Yuan said.
Xiao Lie suddenly looked up and asked, “Who’s the person who interrogated Xie Shiyun with Minister Zhang last night?”
Zhang Yuan was stunned and immediately replied, “It was Jin Sheng, the leader of the Forbidden Army.”
Xiao Lie looked serious and asked again, “Why did he need to help Minister Zhang interrogate Xie Shiyun?”
“I thought that the assassins might come and rescue Xie Shiyun, so I waited last night. Then Commander Jin suddenly came and told me that His Majesty had asked him to assist me. Commander Jin is a skilled martial artist and His Majesty trusts him, so I didn’t have doubts about his presence. Does Your Highness think he might pose a threat?” Zhang Yuan asked and frowned.
Xiao Lie nodded slowly. “I don’t feel right about him. I’ll have people watch him for the next few days.”
Zhang Yuan looked worried and thought of a certain possibility. He was startled when asked, “Does Your Highness think that they—”
“Even a hare will bite when it is cornered. Wait for another day. I will go to the palace to visit my mother tomorrow. I will be able to figure out what happened in the palace then,” Xiao Lie said seriously.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Zhang Yuan and Yao Bing frowned. If this was all part of Xiao Jing’s plot, then the Emperor was in danger right now.
When Qiao An came home, Su Jiu was about to go out. She was startled to see him and asked, “Why did you come back so early today?”
Qiao An lowered his head as if deep in thought. He heard her and raised his head, saying, “His Majesty is under the weather today so I have a day off.”
Su Jiu saw Qiao An’s face and asked, “Is His Majesty seriously ill?”
Qiao An shook his head and said, “I don’t know. He looked good yesterday. But he suddenly can’t get up today.”
Su Jiu felt her heart skip a beat and suddenly felt a chill, as though something bad was going to happen.
“Are you going out, Chief?” Qiao An asked, smiling.
“Well. I’m going to the commercial house,” Su Jiu replied.
“Go and return early, Chief.”
They said goodbye to each other. Qiao An walked into the courtyard as Su Jiu and Er Mao went to Zhuque Street.
At noon, Nanny was preparing soup for Su Jiu in the kitchen. Li Xin entered the bedroom with the clothes she had washed for Su Jiu.
She folded the clothes and put them in the closet. While she did this, she saw a large mahogany box in the corner of the room.
Curious to see what Su Jiu had put the big box, Li Xin walked over and opened it. She was surprised to see what was inside the box.
The box was full of fancy dresses and jewelry. The material of the dresses felt smooth and soft to the touch and the embroidery was exquisite. She had never seen such beautiful dresses before.
Li Xin’s heartbeat raced. She looked back and saw no one outside the window. She took out a green floral dress and tried it on.
“It’s so beautiful,” Li Xin couldn’t help and exclaimed. She walked to the bronze mirror and looked at the woman in the mirror with a shy expression.
If she had such clothes as well, she would be as beautiful as Su Jiu.
Li Xin couldn’t resist the temptation of fancy things. She took off her own clothes and carefully put on the dress. Then she took a few pieces of jewelry from the box and stuck them all up in her hair.
Looking at herself in the bronze mirror, Li Xin had a bright smile on her lips.
Lin Xin’s mother had passed away and her father was busy. No one talked to her about dressing up. The clothes she always wore had were the simplest and cheapest ones. Today, these beautiful dresses and jewelry were like a great temptation to her.
She really envied Su Jiu. She had so many people waiting on her and she had such beautiful clothes.
Li Xin walked to the low couch and lay down. She wondered how wonderful life would be if she was Su Jiu.
She felt like she was Su Jiu in this moment, wearing her clothes.
The hot sun was high in the sky and the agreeable sunshine warmed her. Li Xin felt a little sleepy and gradually her mind drifted into a fog.
The door opened with a creak and Xiao Lie walked in. Looking at the woman lying on the couch, his gloomy mood suddenly dissipated like a cloud blown away by the wind.
He walked in slowly and sat at the edge of the couch, gently tickling the girl’s hair. His voice was soft.
“Why are you sleeping at this hour? Have you had lunch?”
Li Xin’s face was buried in the soft pillow. Her body trembled a little. She heard her head buzzing and she couldn’t move at all.
Xiao Lie suddenly frowned, stood up and he asked sternly, “Who are you?”
Li Xin fell off the low couch and said with a panic-stricken voice, “I didn’t mean it. It’s not intentional! Your Highness, please forgive me!”
Xiao Lie’s eyes were cold, and his tone was indifferent. “Who allowed you to wear Ah Jiu’s clothes?”
Li Xin was overwhelmed by fear and wanted to take off the dress quickly in a panic.
Xiao Lie frowned and turned, about to walk out.
Li Xin’s dress was half-buttoned. Looking at the man’s cold back, Li Xin felt a tingle in her heart. She gritted her teeth and ran up to Xiao Lie, staring at the man admiringly. “Your Highness, I want to follow you.”
Xiao Lie’s eyes were gloomy and indifferent again. He reached out to push her away.
Suddenly, the door opened and Su Jiu walked in briskly, startled to see the scene in front of her.
Xiao Lie and Li Xin were standing together. The most important thing was that Li Xin’s clothes were in disarray.
“Ah Jiu!” Xiao Lie’s heart sank.
Li Xin whimpered in grief, quickly grabbed her clothes, and ran out of the room.
She looked as if she had been bullied.
Xiao Lie’s face was cold as he looked straight at Su Jiu. “Ah Jiu, do you believe me?”
Su Jiu frowned and asked, “What happened?”
Xiao Lie’s eyes were slightly cold. “Li Xin can’t stay.”
Su Jiu was slightly startled.
That afternoon Li Xin was sent back to the restaurant, and Su Jiu was with her in the carriage.
Li Xin cried in the carriage. “Miss Su, I didn’t mean it. Please forgive me.”
Su Jiu looked at her calmly and asked, “Li Xin, do you like Xiao Lie?”
Li Xin cried, bowing her head and covering her lips with a silk handkerchief, then after a while, nodded slowly.
“Then I can’t keep you anymore.”
Li Xin knelt down beside Su Jiu. “Miss Su, His Highness saved me once. If it was not for his boneless ginseng, I would be dead. Please let me serve you and Prince Rui! I am willing to serve you all my life!”
Su Jiu looked slightly cold and asked, “Are you willing to be a maidservant all your life?”
If Li Xin had really thought that way, Su Jiu wouldn’t have found her with Xiao Lie in her room of all places.
Li Xin looked at Su Jiu with tearful eyes.
Su Jiu glanced away to the window and said softly, “You are still too young to understand some things. Let’s go back to the restaurant first.”
Li Xin’s tears continued to fall. She couldn’t stop sobbing.
Su Jiu sent Li Xin back to the restaurant without explaining why. Li Tai knew that Li Xin must have made a mistake and quickly apologized to Su Jiu.
The next day, Emperor Zhao Ping was still ill and didn’t show up.
By this time, the court became really curious. What kind of illness did the Emperor actually have? The Emperor never missed his morning audience for two days in a row.
However, the eunuch who passed on the message refused to say another word about the Emperor’s situation and left.
Xiao Lie, with a chill in his eyes, left Zhenggan Hall and went to Yulan Palace.
But Imperial Concubine Rong had not seen the Emperor in the past two days and had no idea about what happened.
“I’d like to ask Mother to go to Yangxin Hall,” Xiao Lie said in a deep voice.
Imperial Concubine Rong seemed to understand Xiao Lie’s worry and slowly shook her head. “No, they cannot be that bold.”
“Xie Shiyun had confessed. He was in collusion with Xiao Jing. At this point, there’s nothing for them to be afraid of.”
Imperial Concubine Rong was slightly surprised. After thinking for a moment, she nodded and said, “Okay, I’ll go now.”
“I’ll wait here.” Xiao Lie said.
Imperial Concubine Rong nodded and hurried out of the palace gate with a few people.
The Forbidden Army guarded Yangxin Hall. As soon as Imperial Concubine Rong approached, she was stopped. “Please go back, His Majesty is ill, and no one is allowed to see him.”
“How dare you to say that to Her Highness! Imperial Concubine Rong came to see His Majesty. Do you think you have an opinion about this? Get out of the way!” Lady In Charge said from behind Imperial Concubine Rong with a sneer.
The guards lowered their heads and said, “We are sorry about that, but we are ordered to do so.”
“Empress Dowager Xiao heard that His Majesty was sick and ordered me to visit His Majesty. How dare you go against Empress Dowager Xiao!” Imperial Concubine Rong said with a calm look on her face, in no hurry at all.
“Erm…” The guards hesitated.
Imperial Concubine Rong’s face was slightly cold as she quickly walked inside.
“Imperial Concubine Rong!”
The guards were shocked and caught up quickly.
“I wondered who was making noise here to disturb His Majesty. It turned out to be you, Imperial Concubine Rong.” Imperial Concubine Xian walked out with Jiyu, smiling softly.
Jiyu bowed to Imperial Concubine Rong and paid her respects. “Imperial Concubine Rong.”
Imperial Concubine Rong looked at the two and narrowed her eyes slightly. “It turns out that you are here, dear Sister.”
“Yes, His Majesty is unwell, so Jiyu and I stayed overnight to serve His Majesty. Everyone else is not allowed to see His Majesty, please go back, Imperial Concubine Rong. Even if you want to see His Majesty, wait until he is ready to talk.” Imperial Concubine Xian smiled.
“Empress Dowager Xiao is worried about His Majesty and asked me to pay a visit. If I can’t see His Majesty today, I won’t be able to explain to Empress Dowager Xiao,” Imperial Concubine Rong said calmly and continued walking inside slowly.
“Sister wants to disobey His Majesty’s order?” Imperial Concubine Xian stopped Imperial Concubine Rong.
“I came at the order of Empress Dowager Xiao, so it’s not going against His Majesty.” Imperial Concubine Rong’s beautiful face looked determined. She marched straight to the hall, regardless of Imperial Concubine Xian’s objections.
“Imperial Concubine Rong!”
Imperial Concubine Xian screamed and caught up immediately.
Imperial Concubine Rong pushed the door open and suddenly heard the faint voice of Emperor Zhao Ping. “Who is it?”
Imperial Concubine Rong suddenly stopped there. “Your Majesty, it’s your servant Concubine Rong. Empress Dowager Xiao is worried about Your Majesty and she asked me specifically to visit Your Majesty.”
“I’m unwell and do not want to be disturbed now. Please go back. Tell my mother I’m fine,” Emperor Zhao Ping said softly.
“Yes.” Imperial Concubine Rong frowned and bowed.
“Well, go back. I will go and see the oleander blossoms at your palace in two days,” Emperor Zhao Ping coughed and said.
“Yes, I’m leaving now.” Imperial Concubine Rong clenched her fists tightly, her eyes glinting sharply as she turned away.
Imperial Concubine Xian smiled arrogantly. “I told you. His Majesty wants to see no other people.”
Imperial Concubine Rong glanced at her lightly and walked slowly out of the palace.
After exiting Yangxin Hall, Imperial Concubine Rong almost fell.
A maidservant came forward to support her. Seeing Imperial Concubine Rong’s pale face, she asked worriedly, “Imperial Concubine Rong, are you okay?”
Imperial Concubine Rong took a deep breath. “Let’s head back to my palace.”
The Emperor was really taken hostage by them and had been poisoned. There was no oleander in Imperial Concubine Rong’s palace. The oleander was a poisonous flower and that was what the Emperor had said to her.
Inside the Emperor’s sleeping chambers, Xiao Jing put away the dagger she held against Emperor Zhao Ping’s neck and smiled. “Thank you for your cooperation.”
Emperor Zhao Ping was lying on the bed. His chest was sore and his face pale.
He asked, “Rebel, what do you want?”
“I want you to write an imperial edict and announce me as the Crown Prince. Ten days later, you will abdicate and pass the throne to me. If you obey me, I’ll not hurt you or the others.”
Xiao Jing had looked for the Jade Seal in Royal Study yesterday. If he had the Jade Seal, he wouldn’t need this edict from Emperor Zhao Ping.
If he had the Jade Seal, in a few days he could take the throne and make an announcement that Emperor Zhao Ping was seriously ill.
Everything had gone according to his plan but the one thing that surprised him was that the Jade Seal could not be found in Royal Study.
He and Eunuch Bai searched the entire Royal Study and still couldn’t find it.
Emperor Zhao Ping closed his eyes and smiled coldly. “You must be daydreaming.”
Xiao Jing had dared to hit Emperor Zhao Ping, so Emperor Zhao Ping was not going to do as he said.
“Father, you have been poisoned. If I don’t give you the antidote every day, you’ll suffer tremendous pain. Believe me, you don’t want that. As long as you dictate that I am the Crown Prince, I will treat you well,” Xiao Jing said shamelessly.
“No way!” Emperor Zhao Ping said coldly.
Imperial Concubine Xian walked in, looked at Xiao Jing, and nodded slowly.
Xiao Jing retreated to the side and Imperial Concubine Xian stepped forward, saying softly, “Your Majesty, Jing’er has no other choice but to do this to you. He is your son. You should have no qualms about passing your throne to him. Just do it a bit earlier.”
“You evil sl*t! Get out!” Emperor Zhao Ping looked at Imperial Concubine Xian in disgust.
Imperial Concubine Xian raised her eyebrows coldly. “If Your Majesty insists, then don’t blame me and JIng’er. When Your Majesty dies, the throne will belong to Jing’er anyway.”
“Do you think you can sit on the throne so easily? The court won’t be fooled by you. Don’t forget that Lord Yun Nan is also in Shengjing. Royal tradition gives him the right to vote for the Crown Prince. As long as he denies you, you will not be acknowledged by the state.”
Emperor Zhao Ping had gotten excited in his anger. He gasped for breath after speaking.
“Father, don’t worry about us. As long as I become the Crown Prince, Lord Yun Nan will obediently let his daughter marry me. Once we become a family, there will be no objection at all.” Xiao Jing smiled proudly.
“You won’t succeed.” Emperor Zhao Ping’s face was pale, and there was blood at the corners of his lips. He was panting even though he was in bed.
“Father, don’t get excited. You are poisoned. If you get too excited, you’ll only make it worse,” Xiao Jing sneered. “If you hand over the Jade Seal, I will be eternally grateful and as filial as I was to you when I sit on the throne. But if you continue to insist…you know I can find it by myself. And when I do, I’ll have no mercy on you.”
Emperor Zhao Ping closed his eyes and said nothing as if he didn’t even want to see Xiao Jing or his mother.
“Very good! Continue being stubborn then. Please forgive me,” Xiao Jing snorted, and walked out of the hall. Before leaving, he asked Jiyu to watch over Emperor Zhao Ping closely.
He believed that he could find the Jade Seal eventually, it would just take him some time.
Imperial Concubine Rong returned to Yunlan Palace. She tried to calm herself down. After asking her servants to leave, she grasped Xiao Lie’s hand and told him immediately, “Lie’er, your father is in danger.”
“It’s him?” Xiao Lie frowned.
“Yes.” Imperial Concubine Rong told him about what happened when she arrived at Yangxin Hall. “It’s true. Your father mentioned oleander to suggest that he has been poisoned and said he couldn’t come to see the blossoms because he is being trapped there. He has been prevented from leaving his bed.
“What should I do? Lie’er, do you think that Xiao Jing will hurt your father?” Imperial Concubine Rong was full of anxiety.
“No,” Xiao Lie said in a deep voice. “They are coercing father into making the court obey them. They won’t make a rash move now.”
“Then we must rescue your father as quickly as possible,” Imperial Concubine Rong said anxiously.
“Yes, I will think of a way.”
Imperial Concubine Rong’s eyes glinted and she tried to stabilize her breathing. She said seriously, “It’s a matter of great importance so we must be very sure that we succeed. When I was at Yangxin Hall, I found the Forbidden Army guarding that place. Don’t act rashly in case they harm your father.”
“Yes, I know.” Xiao Lie looked stern and said, “It is Jin Sheng.”
Jin Sheng was the commander of the Forbidden Army in the palace and all the imperial guards obeyed his orders. Xiao Lie couldn’t believe that it was he who betrayed Emperor Zhao Ping. He had always been loyal to the Emperor and never made a mistake before. The Emperor trusted him, but it turned out that he was Xiao Jing’s ally.
Xiao Lie also had his people in the palace. He had never been told about any interaction between Jin Sheng and Xiao Jing. Only now did Xiao Lie finally realize that Jin Sheng was Xiao Jing’s trump card.
“Don’t tell Grandmother. I promise I will save my father and make sure that he is safe,” Xiao Lie said in a deep voice.
“Yes, I understand.” Imperial Concubine Rong calmed down and nodded slowly.
Xiao Lie left the palace and returned to his manor. Several ministers were waiting at his place, all of whom were Xiao Lie’s trusted people in the palace.
Seeing Xiao Lie coming back, Zhang Yuan of the Ministry of Justice immediately went forward and asked, “Your Highness, what is going on in the palace? This afternoon, Yu Xian was invited to the Royal Study by Eunuch Bai. Eunuch Bai said that His Majesty wanted to see him.”
“It’s not His Majesty who wanted to see Yu Xian, but Prince Zhao,” Xiao Lie said lightly.
Several ministers present were slightly surprised but immediately understood what he meant. They said in shock, “Prince Zhao has Eunuch Bai under his control, so His Majesty…”
“Yes, His Majesty is in danger,” Xiao Lie said and his lips compressed into a thin line.
“Prince Zhao is planning a rebellion. How dare he do such a disrespectful thing!” Yao Bing said angrily.
“Prince Zhao must know that we have obtained evidence of his crimes so he’s willing to do whatever it takes. He has even taken His Majesty.” Zhang Yuan frowned. “Is Jin Sheng really working for him?”
Xiao Lie nodded and said, “Now the Forbidden Army in the palace is at Xiao Jing’s command.”
Everyone was shocked again.
Both the Emperor and the Forbidden Army were under Xiao Jing’s control, which meant that the entire palace was basically under Xiao Jing’s control.
“It’s my fault. I didn’t know that Jin Sheng worked for Xiao Jing in secret,” Zhang Yuan regretted.
Jin Sheng was the commander of the Forbidden Army and was responsible for the safety of the Emperor. He was one of the Emperor’s most trusted personnel. For so many years, Jin Sheng had followed only the orders of Emperor Zhao Ping and never made close contact with either of the three princes. Unexpectedly, he was the one who betrayed the Emperor and colluded with Prince Zhao.
Jin Sheng had hidden his true intention for ten years. What a scheming man!
“Prince Zhao must be coercing the Emperor into making him the Crown Prince. If we don’t get to see the Emperor himself, we will never agree!” Yao Bing said in a firm voice.
The other ministers responded in agreement with him.
“I will meet with General Nangong and ask him to get ready to enter the palace at any time to rescue His Majesty.” Xiao Lie’s eyes were piercing and cold.
“Yes, even if Prince Zhao has the Forbidden Army behind him, he can’t be allowed to do whatever he wants,” the ministers said.
Seeing that Xiao Lie had steeled himself, the ministers also calmed down quickly.
All the ministers and officials as well as the Nangong Manor were all loyal to the Emperor. Princess Zhao would never have the opportunity to rule over Daliang Country.
“Don’t forget Lord Yun Nan. I’m going to meet him. Lord Yun Nan has the right to deny the Crown Prince. As long as he opposes, Prince Zhao will have to take that into account,” the Senior Imperial Censor said.
What mattered the most now was Lord Yun Nan’s stance. Prince Zhao and Lord Yun Nan had been very close before. They could only hope that Xia Cang was not in collusion with Xiao Jing as well. Otherwise, the situation would become very bad.
“Okay, let’s act separately! Please help me make sure my father is safe in the palace. I’d like to express my gratitude to you in advance on his behalf,” Xiao Lie said solemnly.
“This is what we are supposed to do, Your Highness.”
“Protecting His Majesty is our duty, and we are ready to die the cruelest death for His Majesty. We must fight against the rebels!”
“Yes, we are all loyal to His Majesty. Prince Zhao is bound to lose.”
Everyone was filled with righteous indignation as they responded.
After that, Xiao Lie went to meet General Nangong and Yao Bing went to meet Lord Yun Nan.
General Nangong was shocked when he heard that the Emperor was being held captive by Prince Zhao. “Is Your Highness sure about this?”
“Yes, this morning my mother went to Yangxin Hall. She’s sure that my father is now being coerced by Prince Zhao and his mother to do their bidding,” Xiao Lie said.
Nangong Shu stood aside with a stern look. “It seems that Prince Zhao has planned for this rebellion.”
Xiao Lie and Nangong Shu looked at each other as they both thought of Luo Sheng.
Nangong Shu slammed his fist down on the table. “Prince Zhao really thinks that Jin Sheng alone can help him take the throne? He must be daydreaming! As long as I live in this world, he won’t get what he wants.”
Nangong Shu frowned. “But now His Majesty is being held hostage by Prince Zhao. Without the military token, the city guards can’t enter Shengjing. If Prince Zhao threatens us with His Majesty’s safety, we are trapped in a stalemate.”
“Yes, I have thought about this. But General Nangong, you must make preparations in advance. If anything happens in the palace, please don’t worry about the formalities and break into the palace to rescue my father and destroy the rebels. I will be responsible for all if anything goes wrong,” Xiao Lie said solemnly.
General Nangong looked at Xiao Lie with a firm look and immediately said, “Yes, If I can be of any help, I am at Your Highness’ command.”
Xiao Lie nodded slowly.
It was already evening when Xiao Lie returned to his manor. Yao Bing was waiting for him.
“Your Highness.” Yao Bing bowed to Xiao Jing and paid his respects to him.
“How is Lord Yun Nan?” Xiao Lie wore a black robe and looked quite intimidating as he walked in slowly.
Yao Bing followed behind and reported, “Prince Zhao had been very close to Lord Yun Nan recently. So I didn’t tell Lord Yun Nan about what happened. I just asked him about his opinion of the suitable candidate of the Crown Prince in the name of His Majesty. Lord Yun Nan said that he was supportive of Your Highness. Then I told him that Prince Zhao was threatening His Majesty. Lord Yun Nan was very surprised and immediately wanted to enter the palace. I stopped him.”
Xiao Lie bowed his head. “Even if Lord Yun Nan enters the palace, he may not be able to see my father.”
“Yes, that’s what I said to him. Even if Lord Yun Nan enters the palace at this time, he might startle Prince Zhao! He gave some thought to it and understood the situation. He thought of a solution which is also his requirement for him to support Your Highness.”
Xiao Lie squinted, “What’s that?”
Yao Bing hesitated for a moment and said, “Lord Yun Nan wants Your Highness to marry Princess Yu Long as the Main Consort!”
“What?”
Xiao Lie suddenly got up.
“Your Highness, if this happens, Prince Zhao will be afraid of your union with Lord Yun Nan and Lord Yun Nan will give up any thought of an alternative. I think it’s a good deal for Your Highness. Besides, Princess Yu Long is a decent and beautiful lady. She and Your Highness are a perfect match for each other.”
“Impossible! I will not marry Princess Yu Long. Without Lord Yun Nan’s help, I can still rescue my father,” Xiao Lie said resolutely.
“But marrying Princess Yu Long will make things easier. Why does Your Highness reject this immediately? If Lord Yun Nan surrenders to Prince Zhao, it’ll put us in a difficult position.” Yao Bing was trying to persuade Xiao Lie. “We have no idea what’s going on in the palace now. As long as His Majesty is still held hostage by Prince Zhao, he is not safe.”
“End of discussion! I will never marry Princess Yu Long! I’m tired. Minister Yao, please go back!”
“Your Highness…”
“Accompany Minister Yao to the door!”
Xiao Lie’s resolute attitude made Yao Bing relent and give up. He bowed and said, “I’m leaving.”
Xiao Lie sat down in a chair, his arms supporting his head. He looked at the mist and clouds in the twilight outside through the window and suddenly missed Su Jiu.
He sat up suddenly and strode out.
When he entered Su Jiu’s courtyard, the sun was dipping below the horizon in the west and it was getting dark. Only a little light still refused to be engulfed by the darkness.
Su Jiu was sitting at the stone table and making flower juice. Her waist-long hair was loosely tied. She wore a plain simple dress. Her alabaster skin and delicate features made Xiao Lie more obsessed every time he saw her. Su Jiu’s charm grew with her age.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, Su Jiu turned around and smiled. “Why do you come at this time?”
Xiao Lie sat next to her and asked, “What are you doing?”
Su Jiu handed the jar to him and smiled. “Nanny was going to make me some dumplings with gardenia and osmanthus fillings. But I broke the flower juice jar this afternoon. Now I am making amends.”
Xiao Lie showed her a gentle smile on his lips, raised his hand to stroke Su Jiu’s hair, and said, “Have others finish it for you. You don’t have to do it yourself.”
Su Jiu raised her eyebrows. “It’s okay. This is easy for me.”
It was getting dark. They couldn’t see each other’s faces clearly under the dim light. The servants came out and lit up the lanterns that wound along the corridor.
Under the light of the lanterns, Xiao Lie’s eyes were deep and full of emotion. He looked at Su Jiu without blinking.
“What’s wrong with me? Why do you look at me like this?” Su Jiu smiled.
“Ah Jiu, will you leave me?” Xiao Lie suddenly asked.
Su Jiu raised her head and asked, “Why this?”
“Nothing, Ah Jiu. But you make me feel scared!” Xiao Lie gently stroked the hair in front of her forehead and smiled. “As long as you are with me, nothing will change!”
“Xiao Lie, do you want to be the Emperor?” Su Jiu asked.
“I used to think so, now…” Xiao Lie paused and suddenly remembered what his mother said. A prince should never give up the throne.
“Don’t you want it now?” Su Jiu asked with a smile.
“Sometimes it’s not about whether I want it or not,” Xiao Lie said softly.
“Xiao Lie, don’t let me influence your decision. You should do whatever you want to do. I will support you no matter what. All the people of the Dragon Conqueror Gang will support you!” Su Jiu had a sincere and pure smile.
Xiao Lie’s eyes were warm as he stretched his arms to embrace Su Jiu. “Ah Jiu, meeting you is the greatest blessing in my life! You are destined to belong to me!”
“Why?” Su Jiu played with the stone pestle and asked casually.
“Remember the jade pendant you stole from me when I first met you? That was a gift from my mother on the day of my coming-of-age ceremony. She told me that if I fall in love with someone, I should give her the jade pendant as a token of love. You stole the token. It must be fate!” Xiao Lie smiled softly and gentleness glinted in his eyes.
Su Jiu suddenly realized the meaning of the jade pendant and exclaimed, “I never knew that it had such a deep meaning!”
“The jade pendant, do you have it now?” Xiao Lie asked.
“Yes,” Su Jiu took out the jade pendant from her pocket. “I know that this jade pendant is a treasure, so I always take it wherever I go. If I run out of money someday, I can pawn it.”
“If you dare to pawn it, no matter whether you want it or not, I will marry you and take you to my manor,” Xiao Lie laughed and put the jade pendant around Su Jiu’s neck. “Ah Jiu, you are mine!”
Su Jiu tucked the jade pendant under her clothes and smiled at his words.