Chapter 148: Forcing the Palace

The area in front of the Vermilion Bird Gate fell into an eerie silence.

The Prince of Nanshun stepped out from the crowd at the perfect moment, his cold gaze sweeping across the front of the Vermilion Bird Gate and the top of the city walls. “The treacherous ministers have been executed; the rest of you are innocent! Anyone who dares to resist further will be treated as an accomplice to the rebellion!”

Below the walls, the guards of the two princes were still in a state of bewildered panic.

However, Li An, who was being held hostage on the city wall, had already realized the critical issue. The Emperor had three sons; now that the two princes had perished, only Prince Ren remained as the sole surviving heir.

Great Zhao was truly, in all likelihood, about to undergo a change of regime.

Going against one’s future boss versus getting on board early to strive for wealth and status—this multiple-choice question was very simple.

“Commander Li, please be careful; I need to say a few words to my brothers.”

The short dagger pressed against his throat gave Li An a great sense of deterrence. To avoid Li Dangxiong misjudging the situation and killing him, Li An provided a verbal notification before speaking.

The short dagger indeed pulled back slightly.

Li An took a breath and suddenly shouted to the many Soldiers on the city wall, “The Emperor’s secret edict! Prince De and Prince Rui were unfilial and rebellious, intending to commit treason! The Emperor ordered Prince Ren to execute them!”

He copied Ding Suian’s words exactly, without changing a single character.

At quarter past the mao hour, the Prince of Nanshun entered the Imperial City.

As soon as they met, Li An deftly knelt on one knee and cupped his hands, saying, “Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince! I congratulate Your Highness on carrying out the secret edict and eliminating the traitors for the country!”

This was truly a “talent.”

Not only did he change his form of address quickly, but he also provided an endorsement for the Prince of Nanshun’s bloody coup once again.

Choosing a side is like this: you can wait and see when you haven’t decided where to go, but once you make a choice, you can only follow that path to the end.

Otherwise, neither opposing side would spare him.

“General Li, please rise.”

The Prince of Nanshun leaned down and personally helped Li An up. “Now that the remnants of the traitors have not yet been cleared, Commander Li shall take over the defense of the Imperial City to prevent the remnants from making a desperate struggle and disturbing His Imperial Majesty!”

“As you command!”

“As you command!”

The two replied in unison.

Prince Ren—oh, no, Your Highness the Crown Prince—making such arrangements was perfectly normal; after all, Li An had just defected, so he naturally could not be trusted as much as Li Dangxiong.

“Commander Li, send someone to accompany Commander Lu to the Second Battalion of the Zhenxuan Army to mobilize troops to suppress the remnants of the traitors.”

“Understood!”

Li Dangxiong took out the military tally and handed it to his personal guard, ordering him to accompany Lu Kaiyang, the commander of the Prince’s Estate guards, to mobilize the troops.

The remnants of the traitors were merely the families and descendants of the two princes.

The so-called’suppression’ would certainly encounter ‘resistance’, and then they would be killed.

Only when the Bloodline of the two princes was completely wiped out could the preciousness of him, the legitimate eldest son, be highlighted to the greatest extent.

If he won, he would do this; if he lost, the two princes would likewise not spare anyone in Prince Ren’s Estate.

Yi Yiyi, wearing armor, stood in the crowd, silently watching her cold and calm father. She used to loathe her father’s cowardice, but at this moment, his image made her feel like he was a stranger.

Everyone around her was acting—the mysterious Saintess, the compassionate Esteemed Teacher, and even her father all seemed to have another face.

In this world, what is actually real anymore?

Lu Kaiyang accepted the order and left. The Prince of Nanshun then said, “Commander Li, lock all four gates. Without my order, no one is allowed to enter or leave.”

After giving the instructions, the Prince of Nanshun stood up and gazed at the brightly lit Chengtian Hall in the dawn darkness, seemingly full of sighs. “I will go to see His Imperial Majesty now.”

“Your Highness, you cannot!”

Li Qiushi, who was an external official, spoke up to dissuade him.

It was indeed a bit inappropriate. The Prince of Nanshun had just killed two brothers; entering the hall to face the Emperor at this time, it was unknown how Emperor Zhao would react.

If Emperor Zhao reacted violently, it would inevitably lead to a scene of father and son forcing each other, providing others with gossip fodder.

At such a time, if a descendant of Prince Ren or a fierce general under his command went to report, there would be more room for maneuver.

Unfortunately, Prince Ren had no sons, and his most trusted subordinates, Lu Kaiyang and Li Dangxiong, each had their own duties and could not get away.

Seemingly intentionally or unintentionally, Li Qiushi looked at Yi Yiyi in the crowd.

The latter caught his gaze and understood in her heart. She stepped forward and said, “Your daughter is willing to go to Chengtian Hall on behalf of Father to meet Imperial Grandfather!”

The Prince of Nanshun hesitated slightly, nodded, and then actually took the initiative to cup his hands toward Ding Suian. “I will trouble the Dutou to accompany Zhao Ning on this trip.”

Chengtian Hall.

Dozens of giant candles as thick as an arm illuminated the deep and vast hall.

This morning’s court session had an unusual atmosphere from the very beginning—the number of people attending court was nearly a quarter less than usual.

Pillar State Official of Nan Zhao, Xu Manjiang; Yunzhou Prefecture Governor, Lu Renjia; Yunzhou Garrison General… and others were all absent.

Even more bizarrely, those who were missing were all important officials of the Prince De and Prince Rui faction.

Besides that, the State Preceptor, Zhou Beihuai, who never had the habit of attending court, actually appeared in Chengtian Hall today.

Many people had already sensed that there would be a storm.

But they did not expect that the storm would begin at the Vermilion Bird Gate.

Separated by more than a hundred paces, the night was like a thick curtain, blocking the view, making it unclear.

But they could faintly hear the clash of weapons and fighting.

There was a short disturbance in Chengtian Hall, but they saw the State Preceptor, Zhou Beihuai, who was standing in front of the officials, first bow respectfully to Emperor Zhao, and then walk unhurriedly to the hall door, looking at the Vermilion Bird Gate from afar.

That lean but straight back instantly calmed the officials.

With the State Preceptor present, there was nothing to worry about!

Who was the State Preceptor? He was the immortal of Great Zhao.

At the beginning of the year, he called for wind and rain before Koujian Pass, and with his unfathomable Divine Ability, he defeated the one-hundred-thousand-strong Wu Army in the blink of an eye.

Could the treacherous rebels outside the Vermilion Bird Gate be fiercer than the Wu Army?

At this moment, a young eunuch who had gone to inquire about the news stumbled into Chengtian Hall. In his panic, he even forgot to perform the grand salute to Emperor Zhao and wailed as soon as he opened his mouth, “Your, Your Majesty, something terrible has happened. Prince Ren, he, he has rebelled and killed Prince De and Prince Rui outside the Vermilion Bird Gate.”

Inside Chengtian Hall, there was a “boom.”

Prince Ren killed Prince De and Prince Rui?

Did they hear wrong?

The elderly Emperor Zhao stood up abruptly, unable to care about the young eunuch’s lack of etiquette, and stared straight at him, saying incredulously, “Bin’er, Han’er, were they killed?”

“Protect the Emperor!”

Eunuch Lü, standing to the side, let out a shrill shout.

Among the officials, military officers and the golden-mace guards in the hall quickly gathered in front of the imperial steps, taking a defensive stance.

Just as Chengtian Hall was in chaos, they saw two people walking slowly one after another on the white marble steps outside the hall.

The person in front had tightly pursed cherry lips and an indifferent expression, as if naturally possessing a sense of cold aloofness that was out of place with the surroundings.

The person following behind looked as if they had been fished out of a pool of blood; blood beads occasionally congealed on their cuffs and lapels, dripping down.

Every step their feet took on the white marble left a crimson footprint.

White stone, blood prints—shocking to the eye.

“Protect the Emperor!”

Eunuch Lü shouted again, but he himself walked down the steps, seemingly intending to stop the two.

“Granddaughter Zhao Ning pays respects to Imperial Grandfather~”

Yi Yiyi, wearing armor, had a clear and calm voice, but she followed the rules, knelt down, and performed the grand kowtow salute.

Ding Suian did not kneel. The moment he saw Zhou Beihuai, he had already confirmed that his judgment was correct—or rather, that this morning’s storm was accomplished under the push of several old geezers.

He stepped forward and said in a loud voice, “The two princes plotted treason, and Prince Ren has followed Your Majesty’s secret edict to execute the traitors!”

There was another “buzz” inside Chengtian Hall.

Listening to this young general, was it the Emperor who ordered Prince Ren to kill the two princes?

The officials subconsciously looked at Emperor Zhao on the imperial steps.

In the deepest part of Chengtian Hall, Emperor Zhao’s hands gripping the dragon chair were white at the knuckles due to excessive force.

His breathing was rapid, and his cloudy eyes stared fixedly at his granddaughter—at this moment, whether his eldest son was a loyal and filial son who executed traitors for his father, or a villainous traitor who committed treason, depended on his single word.

He was both hateful and angry, but as the monarch of a country, he had to consider the issue of succession.

If he were to brand Prince Ren a traitor as well, his own Bloodline would be gone!

Could it be that the throne would fall to a collateral branch?

After he passed away, who would maintain the Hanshi sacrifices and his reputation after death?

Just as he was struggling in every way, he saw the blood-soaked young general take another step forward, “The two princes plotted treason, and Prince Ren has followed Your Majesty’s secret edict to execute the traitors!”

“…”

Only then did the officials understand that he was forcing the Emperor to take a stand!

He took another step, “The two princes plotted treason, and Prince Ren has followed Your Majesty’s secret edict to execute the traitors!”

Bloody footprints were clearly imprinted on the smooth and clean gold bricks of the hall.

“Audacious!”

Eunuch Lü’s fair face turned red. Just as he was about to step forward, he saw Zhou Beihuai, who had been standing to the side, suddenly step out of the officials’ ranks, seemingly blocking Eunuch Lü’s path, and also appearing to have something to report.

“The two princes colluded with party members, privately hoarded armor and weapons beyond the limit, spied on confidential matters within the palace, and intended to force the palace. Fortunately, thanks to Your Majesty’s strategic planning and Prince Ren’s decisive actions, the great scourge of the country was eradicated in one fell swoop! This is the fortune of Great Zhao and the blessing of Your Majesty! Your subject offers congratulations to Your Majesty!”

“…”

Chengtian Hall fell silent instantly.

The two princes had been in the capital for decades, so their party members were naturally not just Xu Manjiang and others.

However, with the two executed, they were already a group of dragons without a head. The remaining middle and lower-level officials first thought of how to protect themselves and avoid being implicated.

Now that the State Preceptor had spoken, no one dared to dispute it to his face.

But the Confucian Sect Disciples, who accounted for thirty to forty percent, saw that the State Preceptor had already expressed his position and attitude. After a quick exchange of glances, they said in unison, “Your Majesty’s strategic planning and Prince Ren’s decisive actions have led to the execution of the rebellious princes! We, your subjects, offer congratulations to Your Majesty!”

With them taking the lead, the remaining officials, regardless of their previous positions, followed along to “congratulate.”

Even some of the military officers who had originally stood in front of the imperial steps, preparing to protect the Emperor, quietly retreated back into the ranks of the officials, “…We, your subjects, offer congratulations to Your Majesty!”

Amidst the chorus of congratulations, Emperor Zhao slowly sat back into the dragon chair.

“Haha, good! Prince Ren is worthy of being my eldest son; he protects the country above and protects my peace below. Good, good, good!”

In his laughter, the elderly Emperor Zhao shouted “good” three times.

But as he laughed, two lines of cloudy tears welled up from the corners of his eyes.

7-9 am.

The first ray of dawn shone on the glazed tiles of Chengtian Hall, shimmering with golden light.

The crisp air was filled with a thick scent of blood.

Outside the hall, there were three layers of white marble steps, nine steps per layer, totaling twenty-seven steps.

On every step, there was a blackened blood footprint.

Ding Suian and Yi Yiyi walked out of Chengtian Hall side by side. Halfway out, Yi Yiyi suddenly turned her head to look. Scale-like clouds spread across the sky, dyed crimson by the morning sun.

“Keep walking? Why did you stop?”

“Look at the clouds in the sky.”

Yi Yiyi gazed infatuatedly at the half-bright, half-dark sky. Her fair, tender face was reddened by the morning sun, suffusing a soft, rosy glow similar to a baby’s skin.

This greatly dispelled the sense of cold aloofness on her body.

“What’s so good about looking at them?”

Ding Suian said this, ruining the mood, and unhappily rubbed the corner of his clothes—his winter clothes had been soaked in blood and then air-dried, almost turning into a hard shell. “That guy, Chest Hair, has washed three of my outer garments to shreds. Zhao Yan and Ruan Ruan, one is lazy and one is delicate; no one knows how to wash clothes. This set of clothes of mine is ruined again.”

An hour ago, he held high the heads of the two princes in front of the Vermilion Bird Gate, deterring all the armies.

Half an hour ago, his battle clothes were stained with blood, and he was forcing his Imperial Grandfather in Chengtian Hall…

Right now, however, he was muttering and complaining like a young man who had married a lazy wife.

Gazing at his profile, for no reason, a sense of relaxation and joy rose from the depths of her heart and finally reached the corners of her lips and brows. “I will help you wash them~”

“…”

Eh? Did the cold and arrogant Nickname really say that?

Ding Suian turned his head subconsciously, only to see Yi Yiyi, bathed in the morning sun, with her eyebrows slightly raised, a faint smile on her lips, and her moist eyes filled with affection.

This sentence was blurted out by Yi Yiyi without thinking. After saying it, she felt her cheeks burning slightly, so she hurriedly restrained the smile that had also appeared unconsciously, and took the lead to walk forward.

Ding Suian hurried a few steps to catch up.

“A-Du~”

“Hm?”

“Smile more in the future; you actually looked quite pretty when you smiled just now.”

“You’ve probably coaxed quite a few young ladies with words like that, right?”

“No, you know me. I’m not good with words, I don’t know how to talk, and I don’t like to talk. But every word I say is the truth, and it can really be used as evidence in court.”

“…”

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Hm.”

“Why are you just saying ‘hm’ out of nowhere?”

“In the future, I will smile more.”