Chapter 204 Chapter 204 is the only genuine version...

Boom boom boom!

The sound of war drums was getting closer and closer, making people panic.

Lu Youshang, who was near the city gate, peeked out through the crack and suddenly exclaimed, "Look, it's really the emperor!"

"I saw him last time when the Emperor was on his autumn hunting tour. I wouldn't mistake him!"

"The Emperor led his troops to surround the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Could it be that the Crown Prince has placed the Emperor under house arrest and intends to assassinate him and seize the throne?!"

Anxiety and fear were like a contagious plague, spreading among the crowd in waves.

"Jinwu Guards, Palace Army Guards, obey your orders!"

Duke Cheng'en held up a token. On the black token was a golden dragon riding on the clouds.

The Jinwu Guard and the Palace Army Left Guard were responsible for the defense of the Taimiao during this prayer trip. Upon seeing the token, the commanders of the two guards looked at each other and took a step forward at the same time.

Duke Cheng'en shouted, "Capture Xie Yingchen."

There was satisfaction in his voice, as if he had already won.

Jinwu Guard Commander Zhou Mu said coldly, "Grandson, I'm sorry!"

He stepped forward with his sword in hand and grabbed Xie Yingchen's arm.

Xie Yingchen didn't move.

A cold light suddenly appeared in Zhou Mu's pupils, and a sharp blade flashed before his eyes.

Zhou Mu reacted very quickly and took a step back. He felt a sharp pain in his neck and a line of blood suddenly appeared on his neck. He wiped it with his hand and drops of blood dripped onto his fingertips.

Gu Yican stood lazily beside Xie Yingchen, one arm on his shoulder and the other holding a knife with a drop of blood dripping from the tip of the knife.

Hey, this kid will make his sister sad if he hurts even a little hair, so you'd better keep an eye on him.

The soldiers drew their swords and pointed them at Xie Yingchen.

"Ha!" Gu Yican sneered, clapping his hands three times. The crowd watching the ceremony suddenly erupted in a commotion. Hundreds of young men dressed as ordinary people rushed forward from all directions, each carrying a dagger. With blades drawn and murderous intent in their eyes, the two sides were on the verge of a fight.

Everyone was in shock.

If these two sides come to blows, there will be bloodshed.

The tension was so tight, like a taut guitar string that could break at any moment.

Duke Cheng'en hadn't expected Gu Yican to place the Zhenbei Army among the common people. After a moment of panic, he pointed at the civil and military officials present and shouted, "The Emperor has personally led the troops to punish the treacherous and corrupt officials. Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy! Are you planning a rebellion?!"

"Old, Old Song, what do you say?" Duke Weiguo nervously approached Prime Minister Song.

Prime Minister Song glanced at him indifferently and walked to Xie Yingchen's side.

Duke Wei gritted his teeth and followed.

As soon as these two people moved, nearly half of the nobles and court officials followed and stood guard behind Xie Yingchen.

The people were so frightened that their faces turned pale, and they didn't know whether to stand or kneel.

Duke Cheng'en's face was awful, his chest heaving, his breathing erratic. "Where are the Jinwu Guards..." He wanted to say something, but he was still standing there. Could it be that the three thousand Jinwu Guards were afraid of just one Gu Yican?!

Xie Yingchen opened his mouth and said, "Prince Rui, have you finished reading this?"

As soon as these words came out.

Everyone suddenly realized they had forgotten something important. Duke Cheng'en opened his mouth, and his gaze followed Xie Yingchen's lead, landing on the altar.

Xie Jing's hands, holding the imperial edict, trembled constantly, and his weak legs were almost unable to support him.

"Prince Rui!" Xie Yingchen's voice rose at the end. "Read!"

Xie Jing nearly jumped in fear, subconsciously reciting the line that caught his eye: "...Prince Rong Xie Rong poisoned the emperor..."

The voice stopped abruptly, and the imperial edict slipped from his hand and fell on the altar.

He retreated repeatedly, his throat tightening, his mind and eyes filled with only three words:

impossible!

This is impossible!!

The wind blew up the imperial edict, and the dark red bloodstains were shocking to the eye.

All the officials were also shocked. Why did this imperial edict from heaven sound like the last will of the late emperor?

Prince Rong poisoned and murdered the king? ?

What's the meaning!

Prince Li on the altar suddenly came to his senses, rushed over and picked up the will.

Duke Cheng'en also sensed something was wrong and shouted, "Quick, go get it back!"

"Hurry up."

The Jinwu Guards who were protecting him rushed up to the altar, and just as they stepped onto a step, they were kicked down. Xiangyang walked over with a smile, stepped on their legs, and with a force of his foot, two cracks broke all the bones.

"Anyone who trespasses on the altar will be killed."

Xie Yingchen said calmly.

Regardless of whether he was previously labeled a traitor or Duke Cheng'en pointed at his nose and scolded him for rebellion, Xie Yingchen remained calm.

Now, there was a murderous look in his eyes.

Prince Li quickly read the will.

This edict is indeed authentic and is written in the handwriting of the late emperor!

Prince Li and the late emperor were brothers. When the late emperor passed away, he was in the capital. At that time, the imperial edicts came one after another, which made him dizzy.

He didn't believe that the prince had killed his father, but the prince had died.

He wanted to bring back the late emperor as soon as possible, but the late emperor had passed away.

The contents of this will were completely different from the one the Prince of Jin had presented. Why had it appeared? Could it really be that the spirits of our ancestors were still alive?

Prince Li held the imperial edict in his hands, looking terrified.

"Your Majesty!"

Qingping raised his whisk, and the silver threads rolled up in the breeze and blew across Prince Li's old face.

"Since it is God's will, Your Highness may wish to consider it."

He sighed with compassion, "Lest they each serve their own masters and shed their blood in vain."

yes.

Qingping: "Just listen to what the prince has to say for now."

These words were spoken to the crowd below the altar.

Prince Li shuddered and suddenly woke up.

He gathered his thoughts, held up the imperial edict, and read to the crowd: "The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, proclaims: I have received the Mandate of Heaven and have reigned for twenty-two years..." (Note)

Prince Li's voice was a little trembling at first.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the sound of war drums outside, which was thrilling.

Prince Li's voice gradually calmed down and became clearer. "...When the Eastern Palace was poisoned and murdered, I was enraged and failed to take corrective action, leading to the Crown Prince being wrongly accused. I regret this and feel resentment. Later, it was discovered that the Second Prince, Prince Rong, Xie Rong, had concealed poison in ink and fabricated the story of the Crown Prince murdering his father..."

Wow!

Even though the deposed prince's grievances have been cleared, hearing every word of the will with one's own ears is still extremely shocking.

The late emperor had actually discovered that the prince was wrongly accused before he passed away! ?

The crowd whispered, "So it was Prince Rong who poisoned the late emperor... Who is Prince Rong?"

"Prince Rong is, he is the current emperor!"

"No, they are all fake, fake!"

Duke Cheng'en turned pale upon hearing this and screamed loudly, trying to drown out Prince Li's voice. Just as he screamed, he felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen and was kicked backwards, crashing into some officials behind him, who fell into a heap.

"...I was misled by treacherous officials and accidentally killed my own son."

"I am filled with grief, and I wish I could die with my son."

Prince Li burst into tears as he read.

Back then, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess committed suicide in the Eastern Palace, their blood staining the palace walls, and they died with their eyes open.

He sobbed and held the will in his trembling hands, his fingertips turning pale from squeezing so hard.

The brushstrokes were already somewhat weak at the end of the imperial edict. It must have been the end of the emperor's strength. There was also blood splattered on it. It is almost conceivable that the emperor wrote these words with difficulty while coughing up blood.

Prince Li took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping across the crowd below him. He spoke word by word, "Crown Prince Yingchen is a man of great talent and bearing, a man of likeness to his ancestors. He shall ascend the throne, inheriting the order of Heaven and the great succession."

Before his death, the late emperor passed the throne to the crown prince!

Duke Weiguo immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad that he had not made a mistake just now and stood resolutely behind the crown prince.

He was the first to kneel down and shouted, "The late emperor was wise!"

He did not forget to glance at Prime Minister Song and winked at him: Now I have taken the lead.

Prime Minister Song: “…”

This old guy has such a keen eye, I really can't compare to him.

Prime Minister Song lifted the corner of his robe and knelt beside the Duke of Wei.

One, two, three...

The will was written very clearly, and the people all understood it.

The Crown Prince ascends the throne!

A large group of people knelt down again.

Only a small number of people were left standing there in a daze, at a loss as to what to do. Most of them looked hesitantly at Duke Cheng'en and Prince Jin.

This unexpected turn of events was beyond everyone's expectations.

The late emperor actually passed the throne directly to the crown prince, who was only fourteen years old at the time!

So, what about the current emperor?

Why is the person sitting in this position the current emperor!

"Fake!"

Duke Cheng'en's lower abdomen shrank in pain, yet he still screamed at the top of his lungs, "This is a forged imperial edict! Don't be fooled by him!!"

His forehead was covered with beads of sweat, some of which were caused by pain and some by fear.

"It's fake. Don't believe Xie Yingchen!"

He didn't even know whether it was true or not?! Prince Li glanced down at him condescendingly and continued reading, "Prince Rong, Xie Rong, poisoned and murdered the emperor. He is stripped of his title and handed over to the Three Courts for trial and conviction according to the law."

Xie Jing's eyes widened. Even though he had read the will once, he didn't dare to believe every word of it.

How could it be that the one who poisoned and murdered my father was my father? This is impossible!

He was almost unable to stand and was swaying.

All his pride and arrogance over the years became a huge joke at this moment.

"...Heaven bears witness, the mountains and rivers bear witness. I decree this." Prince Li's aged voice finished the last words in one breath. "November 28th, the 22nd year of Taiyuan, sealed with my own imperial seal."

The square with tens of thousands of people was so quiet that there was not a sound at all.

Instead, the beating of the war drums became more and more frequent, and each beat made people feel upset and confused.

The Taimiao Square has been surrounded.

This is not a city after all. Even if all four gates are closed, we can't hold it for long.

Just now, when I was more than a hundred steps away, I could still hear the noise and shouting inside, but why is there completely no sound now?

"What happened!?"

The emperor asked anxiously, "Why is there no sound?"

"Why don't you open the door for me?"

The Imperial Guards who accompanied him during the Heavenly Sacrifice, the Imperial Guards and the Imperial Guards who defended the city, all obeyed only the Emperor and would never turn against a traitor. He even gave the token to Duke Cheng'en, so how could he not deal with this traitorous minister, Xie Yingchen?!

It's so useless!

"emperor."

Gong Hai was more cautious. "Should I send someone in to investigate?"

Logically speaking, His Royal Highness the Third Prince should have taken action by now. Regardless of whether he wins or loses, there can't be no movement at all!

Why didn’t even Qin Su come out?

"No more exploring." The emperor didn't want to wait any longer. "Break the door open!"

"emperor……"

“Smash it!”

The emperor shouted loudly.

"Rebellious officials, rebels, and those who resist shall all be executed."

Heh. He now has 20,000 men, and he still can't handle Xie Yingchen?

Gong Hai: "Yes."

He ordered a soldier to wave the flag.

semaphore--

Score.

The Jinwu vanguard rushed to the front, in groups of ten, and banged hard on the city gate.

Boom boom boom!

The door banged loudly from the collision, and the people in the Taimiao finally came to their senses.

Someone shouted loudly: "The late emperor has appeared."

"Long live, long live, long live!"

Boom.

It was drowned out by the dull sound of impact.

They knelt on the ground, bowed their heads, and the excitement made them want to fight only for the wise leader in their hearts.

"Capture Duke Cheng'en."

Xie Yingchen shouted, and the Zhenbei Army soldiers, disguised as ordinary civilians, immediately responded. Two young officers stepped forward and pulled Duke Cheng'en out from under heavy protection. Just as the Jinwu guards behind him were about to move, Xie Yingchen shouted, "Jinwu Guards, your duty is to protect the Imperial City. You are the personal soldiers of the Emperor."

"The late emperor's will is here. Xie Rong is the one who murdered the emperor and usurped the throne."

"Jinwu Guards, do you intend to break your oath and become accomplices to the evil?"

Xie Yingchen walked up the white marble steps, looking straight ahead.

The Jinwu Guard hesitated for a moment, Zhou Mu raised his hand, but the others did not move.

As the emperor's personal guards, they should obey the emperor's will and protect him with their blood and lives. However, if the emperor usurped the throne... no one tells them whether they still need to be loyal or not.

Duke Cheng'en's face turned pale with fear, and he cried out in sorrow, "No, it's not like that."

"The will is fake, it was forged by Xie Yingchen. This is a conspiracy, a conspiracy!"

impossible!

They saw this wooden box falling from the sky with their own eyes, how could it be fake?

The Crown Prince has not touched this edict until now!

"Prince Jin, Prince Jin," Duke Cheng'en said, frantically dragging people into the water. "Hurry up and tell them, tell them this is fake!"

"It was you who took the late emperor's will and established the emperor as the master..."

"It's true."

The Prince of Jin's face was pale, and he said with great certainty, "This will is authentic."

"Before the late emperor passed away, he appointed the crown prince to succeed him. I was at the late emperor's bedside at that time."

These words have been weighing on my mind for so long that I finally said them out loud.

He was really tortured these days, unable to sleep day and night. On the one hand, he knew that he had no chance of survival, but on the other hand, he always kept hoping that he would get lucky and win.

Now that everything was settled, he felt relieved.

"What did you say!?"

Prince Li's gaze was as cold as ice, with thousands of questions choking in his throat.

When interrogating Changfeng that day, Prince Li actually had suspicions long ago, but he instinctively didn't want to think about it too much.

The fig leaf was finally torn off.

Prince Jin silently lowered the curtain and continued speaking one sentence at a time: "Didn't Your Majesty ask why Changfeng didn't give up being a good Taoist priest and went to poison the late emperor?"

"It was ordered by Prince Rong."

"Upon hearing the news of the Crown Prince's death, the late Emperor was devastated. He discovered that the poison wasn't in the tranquilizing decoction offered by the Crown Prince, but in the ink ingot Prince Rong had presented as a birthday gift to the late Emperor. The late Emperor had consumed this daily, leading to his declining health. He then realized he had wronged the Crown Prince."

"The late emperor deeply regretted it."

King Jin will never forget everything that happened at that time.

The late emperor was the emperor of the world and the master of destiny. Even if Changfeng used evil magic in Blackwater Castle, the impact on the late emperor was not as long-lasting as they expected.

As soon as the prince died.

Grief and guilt brought the late emperor to his senses.

He was in great pain and suspected that someone had used witchcraft on him. He couldn't believe that he would suspect the prince for no reason and force him to death.

The late emperor remained calm at the time and simply summoned Prince Rong to Xuzhou.

Even Prince Jin did not realize that the late emperor had actually begun to suspect Prince Rong.

Xie Rong is just an idiot.

Cruel and vicious idiot!

Boom.

Prince Jin was in a trance for a while, recalling the past, and said bitterly: "Later..."

"The late emperor discovered that the poison was placed in the inkstone. He wanted to capture Prince Rong immediately, but the Crown Prince was still alive in the capital. The late emperor was away from the capital, and his reach was out of reach. He was afraid that Prince Rong would go all out and kill the Crown Prince, so he issued an imperial decree allowing Prince Rong to succeed to the throne as a means of appeasement, and coaxed Prince Rong to Xuzhou."

"The late emperor will only wait for Prince Rong to arrive in Xuzhou, then order his arrest and punishment on the spot. He will also annul the will."

To prevent someone from leaking the information, the late emperor ordered the East Factory to keep an eye on all incoming and outgoing letters and carrier pigeons, and no one was allowed to leave the Xuzhou Palace.

I see.

Prime Minister Song nodded silently. This made sense. He had also seen the imperial edict enthroning Prince Rong, and it was indeed the late emperor's handwriting.

At that time, King Jin thought he had won, but...

Haha, it turns out that everything was stolen, whether it is luck, power or wealth.

Boom!

The sturdy city gate is crumbling.