Imperial Study Room
Inside the room was a warm room with yellow curtains. Although it was called a study, it was actually a place where documents were passed around. The floor was paved with green bricks and was bright enough to reflect one's reflection. There was even a heater below.
Outside the room was a corridor with many palace maids and eunuchs standing guard. Their footsteps were light and silent.
There were four eunuchs standing on both sides of the room, all of them holding onto their whisks. The Emperor sat behind a table with a bowl of medicine in front of him. A eunuch was serving him.
"Cough cough!" The Emperor drank a few mouthfuls before coughing a few more times. He then took out a handkerchief and wiped his mouth, "Take this medicine away, I won't drink it anymore."
"Your Majesty, if you don't take the medicine, what should we do?" The eunuch tried to persuade him.
"Ai, take it away. If this medicine is really effective, I would've recovered long ago." The Emperor sighed as he watched the eunuch take the medicine away.
"The Crown Prince has arrived." The eunuch who was guarding the door shouted.
The Crown Prince followed Liang Yuan Zhi into the room and bowed. The Emperor then instructed, "Let the Crown Prince have a seat, and the Prime Minister have a seat!"
The Crown Prince sat on a shorter chair with a cushion. Liang Yuan Zhi sat on a porcelain stool.
Liang Yuan Zhi sat down and bowed, "Your Majesty, I've brought Doctor Chen to visit the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince had suffered a little shock, and upon hearing your concern for him, he insisted on entering the palace to pay his respects. Your Majesty, please punish him."
"A son wanting to see his father is a matter of course. If the Crown Prince wants to see his father, he has legs. Can you stop him?" The Emperor laughed before coughing twice.
"Imperial Father, is your cold getting better these days?" The Crown Prince stood up and asked. When the Emperor heard the Crown Prince asking about his health, he revealed a kind smile, "It's alright, it's getting better."
"The Crown Prince was patrolling the streets yesterday and was frightened by an assassin. Tell me what happened yesterday." The Emperor changed the topic and asked.
When the Crown Prince heard the Emperor asking about the assassination, he thought about what happened yesterday and felt a chill run down his spine. His face was pale.
Seeing the Crown Prince in such a state, the Emperor's face couldn't help but sink. The Crown Prince quickly collected himself and said, "Yesterday, when we were walking to Heaven's Avenue, there were fireworks exploding. These fireworks were aimed at the crowd and startled the citizens."
"Imperial Bodyguard, you've actually handled things appropriately. Intercept them now and maintain silence."
"Then, the dragon's head smashed down, breaking the formation. The assassin rushed out from the dragon's body."
Hearing this, the Emperor leaned back a little and leaned back in his chair as if recalling the scene at that time. Liang Yuanzhi also listened quietly at the side, as if contradicting what he had heard the day before.
"Chen Hu, Li Anjun, and Lu Sheng, the three generals acted as if they had foreseen the future. They led dozens of their bodyguards and said that they would reinforce them. However, Chen Hu shouted that he would protect us, but he suddenly led his bodyguards to attack the Imperial Bodyguards. The Imperial Bodyguards tried to dissuade him, but were killed by Chen Hu."
"I was shocked, but the guards were brave and the capital magistrate came to my aid in time, so I wasn't injured. It's not a big deal. After I go back and drink some calming soup, I'll be fine. Father, you don't have to worry." The Crown Prince recounted everything in detail in front of the Emperor.
Hearing the Crown Prince's narration, it was clear and logical. Although the Emperor was frightened, he didn't lose his mind. Furthermore, the Crown Prince's narration was consistent with what he had said yesterday. Liang Yuanzhi then spoke out, "Your Majesty, Chen Hu attacked the Crown Prince in front of so many people. That's insane."
Hearing Liang Yuanzhi's words, the Emperor laughed, "Prime Minister, show the note to the Crown Prince!"
He then asked the Crown Prince, "Do you think that this was written by King Lu? If it was, how should we deal with it?"
Liang Yuanzhi acknowledged as he carefully retrieved the note and handed it over to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince stood up and received the note. When he read it, he was shocked at first, before his face turned red, as if he was enraged.
Liang Yuanzhi observed the Crown Prince's expression, as did the Emperor. The Crown Prince angrily threw the note away, "This is nonsense. It's a ploy to sow discord between us."
Hearing these words, the Emperor paused. The Crown Prince then picked up the note and apologized, "Just now, when I saw such crazy words, I couldn't control myself. I hope father will forgive me."
When the Emperor heard this, he heaved a sigh of relief. He then muttered, "Crown Prince, tell me what you think."
"Your son was thinking. Many years ago, when the flames of war soared to the skies, father wielded the three-foot sword and leveled the lands. You suffered a lot before you managed to conquer the lands of Xu Dynasty."
"There are tens of millions of people under the heavens, and only three of us brothers are of age."
"King Lu and I are blood brothers, and we love each other. How could it be possible that King Lu would send someone to assassinate me? This is definitely a ploy by a vile character who wants to sow discord between us."
"Not only can we not take this seriously, we have to be swift and decisive. We have to quell this before it gets too deep. This way, the vile characters won't be able to find any loopholes in the plot. Then, we won't be surprised."
The Emperor looked at the Crown Prince in shock. He suddenly remembered how the Crown Prince looked when he was born. In the blink of an eye, the Crown Prince had grown up. The look in his eyes was much gentler, and not as harsh as before.
When Liang Yuan Zhi heard this, he paused before replying, "What the Crown Prince said makes sense. Your Majesty has conquered the lands of Xu Dynasty. For the past ten years, the people of Xu Dynasty have been loyal to you. As long as you don't fall into chaos, there's no room for the vile characters to plot against you. Your subject agrees!"
These words were loud and clear. When the Crown Prince said this, he had the bearing of an elder brother. The father was kind, the son was filial, and the brothers were respectful.
The Emperor sat on his throne and nodded his head.
The Crown Prince's tone changed, "It's just that we can't let this matter rest. The three generals have sent their troops to kill us. This is considered treason for the country. Furthermore, they hid a note to frame us. This is a ploy to drive a wedge between us brothers. The depth of their schemes is shocking. These three men cannot be allowed to live."
The Crown Prince's tone was filled with anger. As he spoke, his face turned red.
Looking at the Crown Prince's expression, the Emperor laughed. This eldest son of his was finally acting up.
The Prime Minister raised his head and saw the smile on the Emperor's face. The Crown Prince then continued, "Your son thinks that this matter shouldn't be announced. It's better to act quickly than to drag it out. Let's ensure that there's no commotion in the court."
"These three generals should be dealt with quickly. As for the others, we shouldn't pursue them too much. King Lu must not be blamed!"
"If there are rumors spreading amongst the commoners, we have to deal with them as well."
"Your son has finished speaking. Father Emperor, please make your decision!"
The Emperor stood up and muttered to himself before speaking, "My decision has been made. I shall sentence the three generals to death. Chen Hu's entire family shall be executed. All males above the age of ten shall be executed."
He then turned to the Crown Prince and smiled, "You love your brother. I know that. But King Lu's actions have betrayed me, and I can't ignore it. I've already demoted him to Prefecture Prince Lu, and have him reflect on his actions for three months. However, there's no official decree. My decision has been made!"
Seeing that the Crown Prince still had something to say, the Emperor waved his hands, "Let's follow this decree. There's no need to interrogate them. Just execute them!"
He then spoke gently, "I'm tired. The Crown Prince must have suffered a great deal. Go and rest!"
King Lu's Mansion
King Lu sat within the main hall. The serving maids and eunuchs stood quietly, not daring to make a sound. Occasionally, they would glance at each other, and their eyes were filled with fear.
The Emperor's personal army had surrounded the palace. There were rumors circulating within the palace that King Lu's attempt to assassinate the Crown Prince had been exposed.
This was a heinous crime.
Snow was falling from the sky, as it landed on the withered trees in the garden. Everyone within King Lu's Mansion was in a state of panic.
Outside King Lu's Mansion, there were many soldiers standing guard. They were all dressed in cotton robes, and had armor on their bodies. On the outside, they had a straw raincoat on.
King Lu was writing, like a dragon or a snake. His demeanor was rather calm.
"King Lu, we've investigated the matter thoroughly. The Crown Prince was attacked last night, and none of our spies have reported back. We're still in the dark today." Eunuch Liao spoke from the side.
"Now that the Emperor's personal army has surrounded the palace, they don't forbid the servants from leaving. The people within the palace are feeling uneasy. There are already a few thieves who stole gold and silver, and were caught. There are even some who wanted to leave the palace. King Lu, how should we deal with this?"
King Lu didn't speak as he focused on his writing. After a long time, he finally stopped. He then picked up a blue and white porcelain teacup and took a sip of tea. He then spoke, "Pass down my orders. If anyone dares to cause trouble within the palace, they shall be beaten to death. As for those who tried to escape, they shall be beaten to death."
"As for those who want to leave!" King Lu revealed a sinister smile, "If they want to leave, let them. Just make a list of their names."
"Yes, your majesty." Eunuch Liao replied before he turned around and left.
"Eunuch, spare us. Spare us." Within King Lu's Mansion, several people were begging for mercy.
"Those who betray their master shall die." As Eunuch Liao spoke, several screams of agony could be heard. After a while, there was no more sound. Several eunuchs dragged out several bloody corpses wrapped in white cloth from the prison cell.
At this point, an imperial guard rushed in, looking somewhat flustered, "Your majesty, the Emperor has an edict."
"Set up the altar and welcome the angel." King Lu was calm and collected as he led his men to welcome him. He then saw a man holding the Imperial Edict with both hands as he walked towards the altar. When he saw King Lu, he bowed, "Your son respectfully wishes for the Emperor's peace!"
"Greetings to the Emperor!" The Imperial Envoy read out the Imperial Edict, "The decree states: King Lu's conduct has been improper, and has betrayed my will. Your title shall be demoted to that of a Canton Prince, and shall revert to your original title. You shall remain in seclusion for three months to reflect on your mistakes.
King Lu shall forgive me! "Although he was prepared for this, the moment the Imperial Edict was read out, King Lu's vision turned black as he prostrated himself on the ground," Your son, thank … thank you … "
The eunuch was used to King Lu's confident and dignified demeanor. He never expected that the Emperor would be so impolite to his own son. The moment the Imperial Edict was read out, King Lu trembled in fear. His face turned pale, and his respect for the Emperor's might grew by another level. He sighed, and saw that King Lu had already accepted the Imperial Edict. He then took a step forward and kowtowed to King Lu, "Your servant is following the Emperor's orders, and had no choice. Please forgive me, King Lu!"
"Give this eunuch fifty taels of silver." King Lu composed himself as his face turned pale. He wiped the sweat off his brow as he spoke. He was extremely vexed as well. Initially, when he came out, he wanted to maintain his composure and maintain the demeanor of a King. But when the Imperial Edict was read out, he realized that he wasn't as tough as he thought he would be.
This time, the Imperial Edict only stripped him of his title, and kept his title as a Canton Prince. What if the next time, he was demoted to a commoner and imprisoned, or even sentenced to death?
The closer he was to the Emperor, the more he realized how terrifying the Emperor's power was. There were thousands of people in King Lu's palace, and hundreds of black robed guards. How many of them would dare to defy the Imperial Edict?
Thinking up to this point, King Lu let out a long sigh.
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