They certainly couldn't have drugged the emperor to make way for the rebellious forces.

How could a loyal minister harm the emperor? They still wanted to be remembered for all time.

The crown prince's attempt to force the emperor to abdicate was even more futile; he was destined to lose the support of the court officials.

If Murong Lie does something he shouldn't and gets caught, then he doesn't deserve to be a crown prince.

Moreover, it is said that the old emperor still has an army under his command, solely to ensure his personal safety.

If this group of soldiers cannot be captured, it will be extremely difficult for someone to secretly kill the old emperor.

Therefore, after careful consideration, the most important thing now is to wait for the old emperor to pass away on his own.

If he were to pass away someday, the ministers would certainly be overjoyed.

Of course, there might be other unexpected events that could lead to the old emperor's death.

For example, some princes couldn't resist the urge to abdicate, and some ministers simply couldn't stand the emperor's rule, so they sacrificed themselves for the imperial power, killing the emperor and giving way to the crown prince.

Besides the restless forces within the capital, there is another external factor that cannot be ignored—the old emperor's cruelty and tyranny. There is a possibility that a new force might rise up and wipe out the entire imperial power and its supporters in the capital.

Judging from the current development trend, external factors seem to be the most likely way to defeat internal ones.

After all, there have already been several uprisings among the people, and the emperor has sent several generals to suppress them, but so far there has been no result.

Murong Lie had once considered getting rid of the old emperor without anyone noticing, so that he wouldn't have to be idle.

But his mother stopped him from having the idea.

As the old emperor's bedmate, his mother was never a weak woman.

She told Murong Lie that it was true that the old emperor had secret guards protecting him.

That was a force left behind by many emperors to save their own lives.

The old emperor didn't care about gold or silver at all in order to support these people.

To break through this group's defenses, a major commotion is necessary.

If the reputation of the crown prince harming the emperor were to spread unnoticed, Murong Lie would be unable to ascend the throne normally.

Therefore, assassinating the old emperor was quite difficult.

Unless absolutely necessary, they will remain inactive for now.

The Empress was also waiting for others to lose their patience and kill the old Emperor as a sign of respect.

But none of those who survive under imperial power are fools.

Everyone was waiting. In their view, the chaos outside would take some time before it reached the capital. In the meantime, it was a matter of who would be the first to give in and force the old emperor to step down.

Unfortunately, just as the various forces were watching each other, the old emperor himself passed away.

He deserved it.

He was lustful and didn't care about his health. Eventually, his body was hollowed out and ruined by what he loved most.

With the old emperor's death, Murong Lie, without hesitation, chose to ascend the throne.

He was extremely busy during that period.

His ascension to the throne does not mean that everything is perfect.

The rebel army outside was in high spirits, and the princes wished they could kill him and take the throne. Murong Lie had not yet taken over the entire dynasty, and his situation was actually extremely dangerous.

Murong Lie was indifferent to everything, and handled things calmly. He even seemed somewhat weary of things.

After waiting for so many years, and finally seeing the old emperor die and hand over the throne to him, how happy could Murong Lie be? He wasn't really happy at all.

In his view, if his mother could have given birth to one more child, his life would be liberated.

But Murong Lie simply didn't want the throne, not that he wanted to die.

Whoever wanted to kill him, how could he possibly let them go?

Murong Lie scrutinized Jiang Tian's face.

To be honest, Jiang Tian is neither ugly nor beautiful; she's just an ordinary person.

Her facial features were fine, and she could be described as pretty, though her skin was quite fair. And yes, her figure was certainly attractive, with a full bust, a slim waist, and a pert bottom.

Ah, Murong Lie's heart was not affected in any way.

He's just not interested in women.

Even if a stunningly beautiful woman stood before him, he wouldn't give her a second glance.

More than sleeping with this palace maid, Murong Lie wanted to know why she wanted to harm him.

These palace maids and eunuchs have been brainwashed since they entered the palace. They should regard the emperor as heaven, but Jiang Tian is able to break through heaven. Who gave her the courage?

Murong Lie racked his brains but couldn't remember when Jiang Tian had come to be by his side.

Logically speaking, Jiang Tian was able to become his personal maid, but she must have been by his side for quite some time.

But Jiang Tian didn't leave any impression on him at all.

Murong Lie didn't plan to do much with Jiang Tian. He intended to let things take their course, have someone secretly observe her, and wait for her to slip up before he would show no mercy.

Murong Lie would never use the sword of the previous dynasty to kill an official of the current dynasty.

That's so unkind.

At least for now, Jiang Tian is still innocent.

But Murong Lie firmly believed in the saying, "It is easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature."

In her past life, Jiang Tian betrayed him and poisoned him. In this life, as long as no one interferes with her life, she will inevitably follow the same path.

It's not too late to kill her once we catch her in the act.

After staring at Jiang Tian for a long time, Murong Lie finally said indifferently, "You may leave."

"yes."

Jiang Tian remained obedient throughout, her eyes were like those of a dead fish, and her voice was flat and emotionless, showing no signs of vitality whatsoever.

This is the same person who murdered an emperor; it truly shows that appearances can be deceiving.

Murong Lie only met Jiang Tian once and did nothing. He did not think he would have any impact on Jiang Tian's life.

In reality, when he heard the rumors circulating in the Eastern Palace, Murong Lie's face turned ashen, filled with disbelief.

He stared intently at the guard: "...Say that again?"

The guard stiffened slightly under the Crown Prince's sinister gaze, but he still reported truthfully: "Everyone in the Eastern Palace is saying that you saw a palace maid surnamed Jiang that day, and yes, you favored her..."

Murong Lie felt a moment of suffocation.

He hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and asked, "How exactly did it get out?"

However, he only met with Jiang Tian once, and the meeting lasted a little longer than usual. In other people's eyes, this was interpreted as him having taken advantage of her.

The guard's forehead was slightly damp with cold sweat: "I have investigated thoroughly. On that day, after the palace maid surnamed Jiang left your residence, for some unknown reason, she went to an abandoned courtyard before returning home and did some physical labor. She was so tired that she was covered in sweat and her clothes were torn in several places."

“No strangers dare to approach your residence, and no one saw her when she went to work in that abandoned courtyard.”

"Therefore, in the eyes of others, Jiang Tian's clothes were torn and she appeared 'delicate and weak' when she returned, which meant she had gained your favor. After all, her original identity was that of your bedchamber maid..."