The time for the morning court session has arrived, but the emperor is nowhere to be seen.

The ministers were extremely anxious and were about to gather at the gate of the Palace of Heavenly Purity to pay their respects when a trusted eunuch from the Emperor's side arrived. He flicked his whisk and shrilled, "The Emperor has decreed an audience with the Prime Minister and the six ministers! The rest of you, please be patient and wait a moment in the Hall of Supreme Harmony."

Such a strange behavior naturally made the civil and military officials question it. However, the imperial guards around the eunuch watched closely and did not give them a chance to speak.

This made the generals cautious.

After the civil servants left, they rushed out in a hurry, but they found the doorway already guarded by Jinyiwei Commander Si Youhong. Upon seeing them, he smiled sinisterly and bowed, "Generals, the Emperor has important matters to discuss, and has specifically instructed you to wait here, so..."

He said this with a smile, but the aggressive Jinyiwei behind him, holding the hilts of their embroidered spring swords, looked like they were ready to bleed to death if they didn't obey. This clearly told them that something had happened, something serious.

You'd better behave yourself, or you'll die right now.

But no matter how hard they thought, they could not imagine that the emperor was dead, and died in such a tragic way.

Just like the civil servants who were now called to the Qianqing Palace and Emperor Dazhao’s bedroom.

They had been walking with trepidation, thinking the Emperor had suddenly fallen seriously ill and didn't want to cause a coup. So, they had consulted with their important ministers. But as soon as they entered the bedroom, the door creaked shut.

If you listen carefully, you can hear the sound of the lock being locked.

They panicked.

The Prime Minister was the first, glaring at the eunuchs, "You eunuch, are you trying to harm us?"

The eunuch had a wooden face and said nothing, but slowly drew aside the bright yellow curtains covering the bed...

Do you think he's feeling good? He's already scared to death, even crying for his old master. But what can a rootless person do? To protect himself, he has no choice but to cooperate with the new king and play the game well. This is still a way to survive.

When the corpse was revealed on the bed, the seven important ministers were completely stunned.

Then burst into tears and disbelief. Before he could even wail, the distraught prince, clad in mourning, emerged from the darkness. He rambled on, his heartbroken story etched in a mournful tone...

The general idea is that Emperor Dazhao was abducted by a villain last night.

The Royal Guards searched unsuccessfully. When the person was brought back this morning, they found him dead, battered beyond repair.

The prince didn't need to act in this scene at all. He was truly grief-stricken. His own father, his intestines and stomach gone. How could he not be sad and angry?

The one who was crying had veins bulging and was beating his chest to the ground.

The prime minister and others, who had preconceived notions and suspected that the prince had staged the incident himself, put their thoughts aside. With a sorrowful expression and as quiet as a chicken, they continued to listen to his story.

Afterwards, the Crown Prince first summoned the commander of the Imperial Guards to testify. He then said that they had conducted a full investigation after the incident and arrested the Emperor's attendant, who pointed out that it was the mysterious man whom the Emperor had recently relied on and trusted who did it.

The rest of the story was all taught by Yan Miaoling.

They said this man was a spy sent by the Russian Empire, who had bewitched the Emperor Dazhao and gained his trust, then abducted and persecuted him, hoping to stir up civil unrest in Dazhao. The Russian Empire then took the opportunity to provoke a war on the border and invade.

The words are true, but ministers will not easily believe conspiracy theories.

The Crown Prince was also quite the dramatic figure. He immediately knelt before the several adults and bowed, "You are all people that the Emperor relies on. During this time of internal and external troubles, you must unite with me and not stand idly by..."

Then just continue crying.

While crying for Emperor Zhao, she also cried for herself to be criticized by the world and have a miserable life...

The sentiment was so genuine that several ministers believed it.

Everyone looked at each other. In their hearts, they all agreed that if the prince was not stupid, he would not do such a thing as harming his own father in order to ascend the throne.

There have been sons who rebelled in history, but it's rare for them to kill their fathers directly; they were usually forced to abdicate. After all, there's no need to be so ruthless.

What good is there in incurring the wrath of heaven and the anger of the people? Will you not be able to govern the country after you ascend the throne?

When the attendants produced sufficient evidence to prove that the man in green robe was a Russian, they believed it completely.

They were all smart people, and while they felt pity for their former master's tragic death, they had to move on. The prince was the legitimate heir, and there was nothing wrong with their support.

Why not show your loyalty now and offer advice? What are you waiting for?

So, the seven ministers who had been suspicious immediately changed their minds and started to take charge of the matter for the prince.

There are many details in between that we will not go into for now, but we only know that the morning court session that day turned into the crown prince's coronation ceremony.

After that, the news of the late emperor's death was finally revealed.

At the gates of the capital, Xuanyuan Mingchen finally arrived with his entourage, exhausted. However, they discovered that the gates were draped with spiritual banners and white cloth. It was clear that something serious had happened.

The only person who could spread the mourning ceremony to the entire capital, besides Emperor Da Zhao, was the other...

His heart skipped a beat.

He tried to break in on horseback, but was told that the city was under martial law and no one could enter or leave.

Xuanyuan Mingchen collapsed in anger. He already had a suspicion that the situation in the capital had changed, and the throne had been replaced.

The soldier who stopped him was, of course, familiar with the renowned Prince Chen. His legs and feet were weakened, and he feared he would be strangled to death by a single blow. Fortunately, his new superior, Admiral Xie Yan of the Five Cities Military Command, showed up.

He led Xuanyuan Mingchen aside and politely explained, "Lord Chen, this is it..."

Xuanyuan Mingchen felt relieved upon hearing this. As long as the Queen Mother wasn't ill, it was fine. But would the Crown Prince treat her well after ascending the throne? And would she, as an aunt in the palace, be able to escape unscathed?

Anxiety appeared on his face, "No matter what, I have to go to Beijing now..." If the open road is difficult, he can change his identity to go in.

He doesn't care who becomes the emperor, but there are people in the palace that he cares about.

Would she be panicking, lost and desperate at this moment? After all, she had always had her eye on the Sixth Prince...

Xie Yan was Li Zi's man. He was also the new person promoted by Yan Miaoling with Si Youhong's help after she killed the former governor of the Five Cities Army when Concubine Dong Shu lost power.

He came to meet her at this moment because he had received a secret order from Yan Miaoling.

Seeing Xuanyuan Mingchen's worry, he immediately explained more, "Your Highness, don't worry. Miss Ling'er is fine. She sent a message from her subordinates that everything is under control. If you want to help, please guard the city gates tightly and wait until the crisis is completely resolved before discussing anything else. This is a token she gave me."

Xuanyuan Mingchen took it. It was a piece of paper. On it were two very delicate words... "Xuetuan".

Xuanyuan Mingchen smiled. What a capable little girl! She managed to remain calm in the face of danger and manipulate him.

A smart person can understand everything with just one sentence.

The Crown Prince's appointment is just a temporary measure, and she will definitely favor the Sixth Prince in the end.

However, the most urgent task is to prevent anyone in the city from escaping and to prevent anyone from outside the city from entering.

He understands.

Xie Yan was very busy and left after giving instructions.

Then, Xuanyuan Mingchen transformed into the Ghost King and secretly summoned his ghost soldiers to lurk in various places outside the city.

...