Chapter 159 Coup

This painting not only bears a striking resemblance to the subject, almost 70-80% like Wu Tie himself, but even the patterns on the clothes are clearly visible, and there is a line of small characters in the blank space next to it.

It roughly states when and where the opponent fought, that their right palm was injured by a dagger, and that the wound probably hadn't healed yet.

Afterward, she carefully put away the portrait, then wrapped the dagger together and placed it in a safe place before leaving under cover of night and heading to the main camp area.

Rather than sitting idly by and waiting to be silenced by the Third Prince's men, it's better to take the initiative, find Shen Guangnian, and accuse Wu Tie!

However, when Su Xiaoyu arrived at the camp at a fast pace, she was told that Shen Guangnian was not there.

"What? They left the hunting grounds?"

"May I ask, sir, where has Master Shen gone? When will he return?"

The imperial guards at the gate recognized her and kindly replied:

"Half an hour ago, His Highness Prince Jing sent someone to deliver a message saying that the remnants of Prince Cheng's rebellious party had been captured. The remnants confessed that they possessed the key clue that the Crown Prince had fallen from his horse. Upon hearing that this matter was of great importance, Chief Secretary Shen immediately ordered several agents from the Eastern Depot to go to the abandoned post station in the western suburbs for interrogation."

Upon hearing this, Su Xiaoyu immediately realized that something was wrong.

What kind of clue could come so coincidentally? Shen Moyan had just discovered her and was shouting for her to be killed, and then the clue came out right after.

Moreover, Su Xiaoyu knew that the mastermind behind framing the Crown Prince was none other than Chu Yan himself.

Are they crying "stop thief!" while actually blaming the thief?

wrong!

It's a diversionary tactic!

Chu Yan is going to...

Before Su Xiaoyu could figure it out, a group of people appeared in the distance, carrying torches and looking solemn and dignified, marching in unison toward them.

Su Xiaoyu was startled and hurriedly found a corner to hide in, holding her breath.

Immediately afterwards, a group of guards escorted several people, striding menacingly toward the emperor's main tent. The leader was dressed in a deep purple royal robe, his hair bound with a jade crown, his handsome face shrouded in a cold, sinister aura.

It was none other than King Jing, Chu Yan.

Behind him followed Minister Du and Shen Moyan, who followed closely behind. There were also several ministers whom Su Xiaoyu did not recognize, but from the patterns on their official robes, she could tell that they were high-ranking officials of the third rank or above.

The imperial guards stationed outside the camp were about to step forward to stop him when Chu Yan's bodyguards held knives to his neck, preventing him from even issuing a single announcement.

"Surround it! No one is allowed to enter or leave!" Chu Yan shouted coldly, and the guards behind him immediately dispersed, surrounding the main tent.

The torches illuminated the place as if it were daytime.

Seeing this scene, Su Xiaoyu's heart was pounding in her throat.

This isn't a discussion; it's a coup attempt by Chu Yan!

No wonder Chu Yan wanted to transfer Shen Guangnian away.

Su Xiaoyu forced herself to calm down. She couldn't stay here and wait to die. She had to find out what had happened inside!

Looking around, she noticed an area behind the imperial tent where spare items were stored, with relatively few guards.

She gritted her teeth, crouched low, and under the cover of darkness, circled around to a secluded spot behind the tent. She took out the short dagger she used for self-defense from her bosom, carefully poked a small slit in the tent flap, and peered inside with wide eyes.

The tent was brightly lit, and the emperor was leaning back on his dragon throne, having just finished a bowl of medicinal soup served to him by his personal eunuch. He seemed to have just experienced some turmoil or was feeling unwell, as his chest rose and fell slightly.

Just as the young eunuch finished tidying up the medicine bowl, the curtain was suddenly flung open, and Chu Yan stormed in with a group of menacing people.

"How dare you! Your Highness Prince Jing! You have not been summoned by His Majesty, how dare you trespass into the imperial tent?! Get out of here at once!"

The young eunuch was startled and quickly stepped in front of the emperor, shouting in a shrill voice.

Chu Yan didn't even bother to look at him, and raised his hand expressionlessly, waving it lightly.

The guards behind him quickly stepped forward, and with a flash of cold light, a short knife accurately pierced the little eunuch's chest!

Before the little eunuch could even let out a scream, his eyes widened instantly, and his body went limp as he collapsed, his blood instantly staining the carpet red.

Those unseeing eyes were directly in the direction Su Xiaoyu was peering at.

Su Xiaoyu felt as if she had been electrocuted, and quickly covered her mouth, silencing the scream that almost escaped her lips.

No matter how thrilling the scenes of power struggles, succession battles, and bloodshed depicted in movies and TV dramas may be, they can never compare to the shock and chilling impact of witnessing and experiencing them firsthand.

this is true.

People will die.

And to die so easily, so unworthy.

"Drag him out and clean him up, so he doesn't dirty Father's place."

Chu Yan's voice rang out coldly, devoid of any warmth.

The emperor watched in disbelief as the eunuch who served him closely was not killed on the spot, and he trembled with rage.

He pointed at Chu Yan and roared, "You unfilial son! Are you trying to rebel?"

"Father, you flatter me." Chu Yan looked directly at the emperor, his handsome face devoid of any of its former respect, replaced only by cold ambition and long-suppressed resentment.

"Wasn't I forced into this situation?"

His gaze swept over the emperor's pale face, his tone sarcastic.

"Your Majesty, I originally thought that everything would proceed smoothly and naturally. However, the Crown Prince 'accidentally' fell from his horse and became unable to walk, thus losing his chance to become the heir apparent. You are old and your energy is waning. Sooner or later, this country will need a new, healthy, and capable successor to take over. Over the years, I have worked diligently to share your burdens and build up my reputation. Am I not the right person to take over?"

"But what about you? You insist on going against the will of Heaven, bringing in some unknown miracle doctor who claims to be able to cure the Emperor's leg!"

"Father, are you really senile, or did you never intend to hand over the throne to your son? Do you really want to force a useless person to stand up again, keep the court in turmoil, and let your son's years of hard work go to waste?"

Upon hearing these treasonous remarks, the emperor was so angry that he coughed violently.

"You...you really are...the Crown Prince's leg...cough cough, it's you..."

"So what if it is?"

Chu Yan simply stopped pretending. "The victor is king, the loser is villain. This has always been the case. Your subject only did what he should have done and cleared away the obstacles that shouldn't have existed. But you insist on creating new obstacles. That divine physician, and the Yongning Marquis's mansion... are all trying to challenge my bottom line!"

"You unfilial son! That's your elder brother!"

The emperor roared, his chest heaving violently, "The Crown Prince is kind and filial, and has always treated you well, yet you are so heartless! To harm your own brother, you... you are simply unworthy of being human!"

Chu Yan seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, and the corners of his mouth curled up. "Father, what you taught your son was precisely the art of emperorship and the art of weighing pros and cons. The Crown Prince is benevolent? Ha, can benevolence protect this vast country? Can it intimidate all sides?"

He merely holds the title of 'eldest son'! In terms of talent, decisiveness, and the effort he has put into this country, in what way am I inferior to him?

Just because he was born to the late Empress and was born a few years earlier, does that mean he should rightfully inherit everything? Your subject refuses!

The emperor shook his head repeatedly, refuting Chu Yan: "Solidifying your words! The virtue of a crown prince lies in maintaining the status quo and ensuring the well-being of the people! You... are ambitious and ruthless. If the country were handed over to you, it would surely be a time of great suffering and the nation's fate would be in jeopardy! You are simply not fit to be a ruler!"

These words thoroughly enraged Chu Yan.

He slowly approached the dragon bed, his eyes as sinister as a venomous snake.

"Yeah?"

Whether I am worthy or not is not for you, Father, to decide now.

"What if I insist on saying no now!"

"What I have done today is merely to reclaim what rightfully belongs to me. As for whether I am worthy or not... history is written by the victors. Once I ascend the throne, with the whole world submitting and the people's hearts turned to me, who will remember a deposed crown prince who 'accidentally' fell from his horse? Who dares to say that I am unworthy?"

"You...beast!" The emperor was so angry that his vision went black. A mouthful of bloody sweetness rose in his throat, but he forced it back down, leaving only heavy breathing.

"Give up on that idea! Even if I die, I will never let you have your way!"

The last trace of a fake smile on Chu Yan's face vanished completely, leaving only a cruel sneer.

He slightly raised his hand, and the guards behind him immediately brought over a tray with two items on it.

A small celadon bottle with the three small characters 'Crane's Crest Red' affixed to it.

The other item was a blank imperial edict and a jade seal.

"This matter is probably beyond your control, Father."