Chapter 51 Chapter 51 That vicious woman can't keep her any longer
"Father, why do you look at me like that?" Before Li Xuan could finish his words, there were several loud noises outside, followed by the sound of countless armors and weapons rubbing and hitting each other.
A soldier shouted from outside, his voice powerful and forceful: "The traitorous king is plotting rebellion. If anyone voluntarily lays down their weapons, their lives will be spared!"
Shouts rose to the sky, and it seemed that the Gan'an Palace had been completely surrounded. Facing the enemy's massive army, Li Xuan's army was like a bull falling into a well, unable to exert its strength, and was caught in a trap.
In addition, the army's morale was unstable, and many of the soldiers were unaware that their actions today were a serious crime of treason. Seeing their colleagues constantly laying down their weapons, the other soldiers also stopped resisting.
On the narrow imperial road, two pairs of armored Azure Dragon Guards lined up, clearing a path in the middle. Suddenly, a tall Turkic horse emerged from the road. The rider, dignified and elegant, clad in translucent golden armor, exuded an air of superiority.
Isn’t it Crown Prince Li Cheng?
He shouted into the room, his voice resounding and powerful: "Traitor Li Xuan, I have already taken control of all your forces. Why don't you surrender?"
Li Xuan heard the familiar voice, and combined with the subtle, yet profound, look in Emperor Hui'an's eyes, he finally came to his senses. It turned out that today's events were a conspiracy orchestrated by the Emperor and the Crown Prince!
It turned out that Emperor Hui'an had stopped believing him from the beginning!
This realization frightened him even more. He had thought that since he was a child, he had been raised by his parents. Although the emperor and empress had not passed the throne to him, they still treated him differently from their brother.
But now I realize that everything pales in comparison to imperial power. Where is the kinship in the royal family? Consumed by the lust for power, everyone has forgotten their original aspirations.
But why did the emperor's brother get the protection of his father? Li Xuan was shaky and looked at Emperor Hui'an in sorrow. The emperor's eyes gradually became cold, and his tone was filled with the helplessness of a man who was disappointed in his father:
"It is true that what I did back then was unfair, but Xuan'er, you are really confused today. Don't you think about it, if I had passed the throne of crown prince to you, would you be able to do better than your brother? Xuan'er has a good reputation for your virtue. If I really made you the crown prince, I am afraid I don't know how many court officials would advise me to depose you."
He shook his head and sighed, "You are really confused!"
Li Xuan didn't know what kind of mood he was in as he left. He looked at the prince on his steed, the dazzling figure, his golden armor clad, his cloak rustling behind him, his face as calm as ever. He didn't know if it was his imagination, but he felt the prince's gaze towards him was filled with disdain, as if he were looking at a chicken or a dog.
He suddenly felt that his actions today were absolutely ridiculous. This had been a conspiracy between the Emperor and the Crown Prince from the beginning, and he had just jumped right in, without a second thought. Perhaps subconsciously, he had always felt that the Emperor and Empress were on his side.
But the reality is always not as we wish.
Well, he came here just to ask for an explanation. Now that he knows what his father is thinking, he has no regrets.
The virtuous prince walked over slowly, a smile on his face, and asked as usual: "Is my royal brother in good health?"
Li Cheng's eyes were sharp and he said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, second brother, everything is fine with me."
He then recounted the plans that the virtuous king had painstakingly planned for many years, from the help of the second son of Grand Tutor Di, to inviting the master of Huangjue Temple to Sichuan, paving the way for his future ambitions to seize the throne, and also the military power of Xuanzheng Gate that was firmly under his control.
If the prince had not thought about it in this way and realized the wise king's evil ambitions, he would probably be the one kneeling and being tied up now.
Looking at the man who looked like him not far away, Li Cheng's eyes flashed with pity and he asked, "Wise King, is this really what you wanted to see?"
Li Xuan looked at his brother who always surpassed him in everything, and felt bitter.
Yes, was this the situation he wanted to see? From the Emperor and the Crown Prince working together to set up the scheme, to the Changchun Palace now being deserted. He couldn't believe that his mother hadn't heard such a big commotion earlier.
The reason he didn't want to show up was simply because he had received the order from Emperor Hui'an long ago. It turned out that he was the clown from beginning to end.
It's sad and lamentable.
Li Xuan's heart was filled with a whistling wind, but the smile on his face only grew wider, his body swaying with laughter, his behavior frantic. He asked, "Brother Emperor, you think Xuanzheng Gate is such an important position, why do I act like I'm entering an empty place?"
As he spoke, he looked up at the sky, his smile growing even more sorrowful. "This is all thanks to Empress Liang Yuan! It was she who exchanged the tokens of Xuanzheng Gate, and it was she who deceived you time and time again. My royal brother, how can you sleep at night with such a vicious woman serving you?"
Li Cheng knew all about what was happening at Xuanzhengmen, and he knew what that woman had done behind his back. But what could he do? Beat her, punish her, or... sell her out?
After all, she was still pregnant, so he had to consider her for the sake of the child. He had originally not wanted to make this matter public, but now that Li Xuan had spoken out about it, the prince was filled with anger.
He said sternly, "This is all one-sided talk from you. You are just making up lies. How can I believe it?"
Li Xuan suddenly discovered something interesting. He took out the token and held it high above his head, saying with a smile, "Since your Royal Brother doesn't believe it, then what is this? It can't possibly have ended up in your hands for some unknown reason, right?"
Watching the Crown Prince's increasingly gloomy expression, Li Xuan felt only joy. As long as the Crown Prince was unhappy, he was happy. Sometimes, even he himself couldn't understand why he always disliked his brother, and wanted to take everything he had.
Now, his plan to force the emperor to abdicate had failed, but if he wanted to make his brother feel uncomfortable, he still had another way. So he walked towards Li Cheng.
The prince consort, holding a sword, stood guard beside the prince. Seeing the virtuous prince approaching step by step, his face tensed and he warned, "Prince, be careful!"
Li Xuan looked at the man in the dark robe not far away, put his right hand on the hilt of his sword, and shook his head, saying, "Don't worry." Judging from Li Xuan's appearance, he probably wasn't planning to assassinate someone.
Li Xuan walked up to the Crown Prince's horse, his smile growing wider. He raised an eyebrow and said happily, "My Royal Highness, do you know who this brother Liang Yuan is thinking about?"
He couldn't help but move closer and lowered his voice: "It's me, your humble brother!" Then he laughed out loud again.
As soon as these words were spoken, the prince's face changed rapidly, and he could not help but feel furious. He shouted, "This is like a wicked dog barking at Yao! Come, take him away!"
The Qinglong Guards moved quickly, controlled Li Xuan's hands and feet, tied him up with ropes, and placed a big knife across his neck.
The virtuous prince, however, showed no concern and continued to prod the crown prince, "So what if she bore you a child? From the beginning to the end, she only had one brother in her heart. She loved him, not you, my royal brother! How does it feel to have your wholehearted love go to waste?"
"Take him away!" the prince shouted.
In the vast square in front of the Gan'an Palace, only the virtuous king's insane laughter remained, while the crown prince, standing on horseback, had a sullen look on his face.
The snow fell harder and harder, and the sky and earth were covered in a vast expanse of white. This heavy snow fell on countless people's hearts.
At this time, in Gan'an Hall.
Although this scheme was jointly set up by the emperor and the crown prince, it was true that Emperor Hui'an was in poor health. He was already covered in wounds from years of fighting, and now he was stimulated and vomited a large mouthful of blood directly from his throat.
Eunuch Yang was so frightened that he trembled all over and shouted for the imperial physician to be summoned. When Li Cheng entered the hall, he saw this scene.
What happened outside just now naturally reached the emperor's ears. He looked at the prince who he had always been satisfied with, and suddenly said: "Ying'er, it's time for you to choose the crown princess. That vicious woman must not be allowed to stay."
This time, he helped the virtuous king steal the token, and before that, he was a pawn in Yan Guang's care. In the future, will he hand over his kingdom to someone else?
How could he tolerate this! The woman was not a good match for the prince, and her status was low. It would have been fine if she had suddenly become a concubine of the royal family, but she was still not satisfied and kept on making trouble, even committing such a heinous crime.
Emperor Hui'an felt that if she wasn't pregnant, he would have ordered her to be beheaded right now!
The prince just lowered his eyes and said without showing any emotion: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I have my own plan for this matter."
Emperor Hui'an suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with fierceness and cruelty, and asked, "You won't be reluctant to part with her, will you?"
"Your Majesty, please give me some time and I will handle it myself."
"Once that vicious woman gives birth to a child, I will definitely not let her go! Rong'er, kindness is a good thing, but we can't be kind all the time, otherwise my Li family will be defeated by her sooner or later!" Emperor Hui'an was so angry that he threw the tea bowl in his hand towards the prince.
His words were as sharp as a knife, his tone harsh and scathing. Li Cheng stood silently by, his fingers curled without him noticing, his nails digging deep into his flesh.
It is true that the emperor stood on his side in today's matter, but he was still upset about the rebellion of the virtuous king. After all, he was the son he had spoiled for many years. Li Cheng could only bear this tremendous anger silently.
He was unable to dodge, or in other words, he had no intention of dodging at all. He let the tea bowl hit his forehead and turned into a pile of fragments scattered on the ground. Some pieces of broken porcelain even pierced into his flesh, blurring everything.
Li Fuhou, watching from the side, felt heartbroken. He secretly criticized: "This emperor and empress are so biased. It was originally the matter of the virtuous prince's rebellion, so why did they take their anger out on Your Highness? If the virtuous prince dies in the future, will Your Highness be blamed for blocking his life?"
The emperor didn't say anything at this time, but he must have regretted passing the throne to Your Highness. Li Fu looked at the bloodstains on the prince's chin and felt even more wronged.
Emperor Hui'an naturally saw this, and a wave of frustration washed over him. He knew this incident had nothing to do with his eldest son; it was his fault from the beginning. It was his mishandling of the situation that led to the rift between the brothers. It was his treasonous behavior that had usurped the Liang Dynasty's throne, and now the retribution had come so swiftly.
But when he saw his eldest son standing before him, he couldn't help but vent his anger. An even more absurd thought popped up in his mind: If his eldest son had died from his arrow, would he not be in this dilemma today?
Unfortunately, there is no medicine for regret in the world. Emperor Hui'an was exhausted. Seeing the imperial physician brought in by Eunuch Yang, he sighed and said, "You can go out. I will give you an explanation about the matter of the virtuous prince."
"Your son, I'll take my leave." Li Cheng bowed and withdrew. Leaving the Qian'an Hall, Li Fu followed, seeming to hesitate as he spoke. The Crown Prince paid no attention, intent on getting out. Looking in that direction, he was eager to find Empress Liangyuan.
Li Fu couldn't figure out what the prince was thinking. If he had said that such an ungrateful woman, who had betrayed His Highness time and again, should have been thrown into the river to feed the fish, yet His Highness still treated her like a treasure.
Moreover, what the virtuous king said just now was true. Liang Yuan had only her so-called brother in her heart from the beginning to the end. Even when she entered the Eastern Palace, it was for her brother. How could she have had the slightest place for the crown prince in her heart?
A woman as fickle as this deserves to be dragged to Dog Ridge and beheaded in public after she gives birth to the little prince. At the very least, she should be given a cup of poisoned wine to die. How could she be allowed to continue living in such a frivolous manner?
Not long after the Crown Prince left, the Queen arrived. During this time, she wept daily, fearing the virtuous prince would do something treasonous. Unfortunately, her fears were realized; the child ultimately went astray.
Seeing his wife who had aged decades after just a few days' absence, Emperor Hui'an felt distressed. His nose felt sore and he couldn't help but burst into tears. He grabbed the Queen's hand and said, "It's all my fault. I didn't teach our children well."
The queen also cried. She felt even more sad when she saw the bloodstains on his collar. She choked and said, "What does this have to do with Your Majesty? It is because of my poor parenting that the current situation of brothers fighting each other has occurred."
He couldn't help but add, "Xuan'er just lost her temper for a moment. It's not as serious as the prince said. She even plotted a rebellion and forced the emperor to abdicate. The world belongs to our family. What's wrong with giving the throne to Xuan'er?"
Eunuch Yang had served the emperor for many years and was accustomed to the emperor and empress's biased remarks. He simply lowered his head and waited silently to the side, not daring to say a word.
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