"Yes, I will help him!"

Looking at his third son, the old emperor's eyes were filled with tears.

Why did he give the position of crown prince to his eldest son, whom he had never formally looked at before? It was because that son was born to the woman he once loved most. Although he was somewhat incompetent, he still hoped that he could sit in that position and protect him so that he would have no worries about food and clothing.

However, her third son was born unintentionally to a palace maid, so her impression of him was only indifferent, and she would not give him much power.

The first one to be granted the title of prince was the third prince.

Now, only this son is by his side, never fighting or grabbing, and is even willing to persuade him to help the Crown Prince.

The old emperor felt a little gratified.

"Third brother, you go out first. Little Qin, come here!"

After hearing his words, the Third Prince stood up and went out, and then Eunuch Qin came in.

After receiving the old emperor's order, Eunuch Qin cleared everyone out of the room before he began to follow the old emperor's commands.

About half an hour later, Eunuch Qin's voice finally came from inside the palace.

"Your Majesty, he's dead!"

At Qin Gonggong's command, everyone outside knelt down on the ground, and cries continued to ring out.

A young eunuch then quickly began to tolling the death knell.

When the people fighting outside heard this death knell, they all stopped what they were doing and looked toward the location of the palace.

The entire city's inhabitants, oblivious to the sound of the death knell, all knelt down on the ground.

When Luo Yunhe, who was in the courtyard, heard this strange bell, she had a bad feeling and quickly rushed out.

"Madam, the Emperor has passed away!"

Inside the palace, a heavy gloom enveloped every brick and stone.

Inside the imperial bedchamber, the old emperor lay quietly on his dragon bed, his face serene yet tinged with endless desolation, as if his life had come to an end.

The surrounding servants all knelt on the ground, not daring to utter a sound.

Only the sound of rain outside, pattering down to the ground, seemed to be playing a final lament for an emperor who was about to pass away.

With trembling hands, the imperial physician took the emperor's pulse for the last time, slowly shook his head, and then cried out in anguish, "His Majesty has passed away!"

In an instant, cries surged up like a tidal wave. First, the concubines, eunuchs, and palace maids nearby sobbed and wailed. Then, the mournful cries spread throughout the entire harem, breaking through the palace walls like surging waves and spreading in all directions.

Meanwhile, outside the palace, the sounds of fierce fighting were in full swing.

Several princes led their troops in a thrilling and bloody battle beneath the imperial city.

The howling wind seemed to cheer on this battle for the throne. The Second Prince, riding a tall horse, had madness and determination in his eyes. He brandished his long sword, each strike sending up a cloud of blood mist. He roared, "The throne should have been mine! Those who stand in my way today will die without a burial place!"

His soldiers were all brave and charged forward, like wolves pouncing on the enemy.

General Xu couldn't care less about anything else at this point and directly issued an order. A large number of soldiers surrounded the Second Prince's troops from all directions.

The fourth and fifth princes, leading their troops, shouted from the rear of the formation: "Soldiers, follow me into the palace! The time to establish our merits has come!"

He was surrounded by guards, their fine armor gleaming with a cold metallic sheen in the sunlight.

The remaining troops in the palace were no match for the forces of the Fourth and Fifth Princes, who all gathered outside the Qing Palace. At this moment, the Fourth and Fifth Princes were covered in blood and immediately knelt outside after entering.

The eunuchs and palace maids quickly changed out of their brightly colored clothes and hung white sails everywhere.

The fourth and fifth princes knelt deeply before the entrance to the palace.

After kowtowing three times, they resolutely stood up and led their men step by step into the palace.

When the Crown Prince saw them, he was startled and instinctively hid behind the crowd. Everyone else was also startled, except for Eunuch Qing and the Third Prince, who stood in front and looked at each other with the Fourth and Fifth Princes who had just arrived.

"It's been a long time since I've seen my third brother!"

"Hmph! Now that Father Emperor is gone, why are you two in such a hurry?" The Third Prince looked coldly at the two brothers in front of him, his eyes filled with indifference.

It was as if he didn't care at all about what they were doing.

“Third brother, let’s be frank. Since Father is no longer here, this incompetent crown prince is not fit to sit in that position. The palace is now surrounded by my brother and me. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll step aside. After all, I don’t think you’re the kind of person who wants to fight for the throne.”

"Yes, Third Brother, if you don't fight for the throne today, my brother and I can still let you live a carefree life as a prince in this capital!"

When the others heard this, they all remained silent and huddled in a corner.

"Fourth Prince, Fifth Prince, are you plotting a rebellion?" Eunuch Qin pointed a trembling finger at the two men in front of him, his voice filled with reproach.

"Eunuch Qin, we all know you are a long-time servant of the Emperor, so we won't make things difficult for you. If the Emperor has any relics, please bring them out. If there are no relics, then hand over the Imperial Seal!"

"His Majesty has issued an edict to establish the succession. Third Prince and Fourth Prince, if you remain in this ambiguous position, even if you were to sit on that throne, you would likely not be able to win the hearts of the people!"

"This has nothing to do with you. Hand over the imperial edict now, or hand over the imperial seal, or everyone present here today will die!"

The Third Prince sighed helplessly as he looked at their fearless demeanor.

"Your Majesty, you are both still too young."

"You're already a prisoner, and you're still here lecturing us?"

"Since I am here, why do you think I am here? Although I am a lazy prince, since my father has issued an edict, I must obey it."

Although we doubt the Crown Prince's future, since our father wishes to make him the next emperor, we will naturally follow his last wish.

On the contrary, you are so rebellious, plotting rebellion even before our father has breathed his last. It is truly chilling. Even if you were sitting on that throne, how many people would obey you?

"Why bother with all this talk about the victor and the vanquished? I'll give you ten more breaths. If you don't hand over the Imperial Seal, we'll kill you without hesitation."