Chapter 171 The Angry Princess and the Rough General 26

Everyone was amazed.

Kneeling in front of the Yangxin Palace is useless, and now he even dares to kneel outside the palace gate.

Isn't this a blatant challenge to the emperor's authority?

When many noble families heard about this, they shook their heads and sighed: "It seems that Princess Chenghui is planning to die in order to give advice."

Even a delicate princess knows to sacrifice her life for the sake of the country, but the emperor is becoming more and more mediocre and inactive, indulging in wine and women.

Their dissatisfaction with the emperor grew deeper and deeper.

The sky went from light to dark, and the cold snow kept falling.

Cha Jiu was still kneeling in front of the closed palace gate, kneeling down every once in a while and repeating his request.

Qingdai knelt beside Chajiu and sobbed, saying distressedly: "Your Highness, let's go back. If you keep kneeling, your knees will become injured. The emperor will never change his mind."

Cha Jiu said softly, "I am not kneeling to make my father change his mind."

"Why is that?"

For the prince.

The prince did not explain it clearly, but Cha Jiu probably guessed that he was planning to abdicate.

She knelt here so that everyone in the world would know that the current emperor was unworthy of his position and had done all kinds of stupid things.

In this way, the prince's rebellion will have a legitimate reason, and he will not be criticized when he ascends the throne in the future.

Cha Jiu ordered Qing Dai to spread the news that the emperor took Wu Shi San.

…

The emperor, who was enjoying the soft jade and warm fragrance, heard the report from the palace maid and immediately flew into a rage, sweeping the aromatherapy burner beside him to the ground.

"Good, good, my good daughter." The emperor looked unhappy. "You can't kneel down in front of the Yangxin Palace, but you have to kneel outside to embarrass me!"

Chen Mengwan used her nail polished hands to rub his back to calm him down, adding fuel to the fire: "Princess, you are such a fool. You dared to break up with the emperor for an outsider like Shen Beizhan."

After that, she handed over another glass of wine mixed with Wu Shi San.

The emperor drank it all in one gulp.

"Come here, tell the princess to get up. If she disobeys my order, she will be given poisoned wine after dawn to make her death-defying remonstrance come to an end."

The drug took effect, and the emperor began to savor the brief happiness and physical strength it brought.

The current emperor is not even fifty years old, but his hair is already gray and his skin is sagging.

The eyes that used to be so majestic and bright were now cloudy, with bags under the eyes, revealing fatigue.

Although Wu Shi San can bring people extreme happiness and allow the emperor to regain the vigor and vitality of his youth after being seriously ill, it is only an early overdraft of the body.

Once the effect of the medicine wears off, his body will be further drained and exhausted.

Chen Mengwan often smelled the stench of old age and decay on the emperor.

But she had no choice. For the sake of revenge, she could only serve by his side with disgust, saying flattering words with a face that looked like her mother.

The emperor took the grapes that Chen Meng handed to him and looked at her in confusion: "Ah'an, who do you love?"

"Ah'an loves the Emperor the most."

Chen Mengwan smiled beautifully without any hesitation.

…

Upon receiving the order, Eunuch Zhang rushed to the outside of the palace gate, and seeing Cha Jiu still kneeling, he hurried forward to help her.

"Oh, Your Highness, it's freezing cold, what should I do if I get sick from kneeling?"

Cha Jiu refused his support and continued to kneel.

Eunuch Zhang was extremely anxious, so he changed his words: "How about you take a rest first, Your Highness, go inside and drink some hot tea, and hide from the wind and snow. When you are warmer, I will do anything for you, okay?"

Cha Jiu finally spoke: "I don't drink tea, and I don't need to hide from the wind and snow. One hundred thousand soldiers fought bloody battles on the border, but they could only eat grass to fill their stomachs. How can we enjoy warm wine and delicious food in peace, sit in the Mingtang, and not be stained by a trace of frost and snow?"

Eunuch Zhang was speechless.

There were people around who were setting up stalls and hawking their wares to make a living. When they heard this, they burst into tears.

There were also people in their families who went to war, such as sons, husbands, or fathers.

Now, they are facing life and death on the battlefield, but they can't even have a full meal. How can they not feel heartbroken and resentful?

Cha Jiu continued, "The cloak I'm wearing was made by the people of the border town. It took more than a month to put it together, stitch by stitch. In such a harsh environment, the food and winter clothing reserves of the border town are barely enough to support the soldiers until they can find the lost food and grass."

"I beg you, father, to prepare more food and fodder and send aid to the border city as soon as possible!"

She bowed deeply again.

This time, it was no longer just the biting wind and snow that responded to her.

Several civil officials changed into court robes, straightened their hair and crowns, wrote their wills, and came to the palace gate. They knelt down with Cha Jiu and begged the emperor to prepare more food and fodder and to rush to support the border town.

Some of them had their youngest sons go to the battlefield, while others had no vested interests at all but died admonishing the king for the greater good in their hearts.

More and more people appeared in the kneeling team, including officials and more ordinary people.

Figures in crimson court robes and people in colorful cloth clothes mixed together, covering the snow in front of the palace gate.

The night was dead silent and the palace gates slowly opened.

A cup of poisoned wine was brought to Cha Jiu.

Eunuch Zhang looked reluctant: "The Emperor is furious..."

When people saw this, they felt sad and disappointed.

Suddenly, flames appeared all around and horses galloped into the city.

The armored cavalrymen walked around the kneeling people and entered the city from the palace gates on both sides.

One of the generals rode past Eunuch Zhang on horseback and knocked over the tray of poisoned wine with his long sword.

Cha Jiu recognized him.

Deputy commander of the Imperial Guard and the crown prince's confidant.

Suddenly, there was a noise in the palace, and a battle for power officially began.

The prince sent a small team of elite soldiers to protect Cha Jiu and the surrounding court officials and common people.

There are not only the Crown Prince's men in the palace, but also the Second Prince's men. If the two sides fight, innocent people may be hurt.

…

Inside the palace, Chen Mengwan hid behind the emperor, pretending to be calm, but her hands and feet were shaking.

The emperor was only wearing a thin undershirt, and the Wu Shi San made his body warm, so he was not afraid of the severe cold.

He looked at the crown prince who was forcing his way out of the throne, but he was not panicked. Instead, he advised him, "You are already the crown prince. Why do you have to wait until I die? The world will naturally belong to you. If you forcibly abdicate now, you will be criticized by the world in the future and your reputation will be ruined."

The prince threw the blank edict to him and said indifferently: "Write the edict of succession."

Perhaps he can wait for the day when he can ascend the throne legitimately.

But the people can't wait any longer.

If this act of rebellion can save one more loyal bone buried on the battlefield or one less starving corpse in the border town, then I don't care about the reputation.

…

…

…

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I'll see if I can... today.