Upon hearing this, the old emperor's expression calmed down. He looked calmly at Zhu Zhi, whose face was streaked with tears, and said, "You know everything?"
"Yes, I know everything, I know everything!" Zhu Zhi suddenly roared, jumping up from the ground and pointing his knife at the old emperor.
"Father, you are too cruel, too cruel! Among the five of us brothers, is the fifth one your only biological son? You would stop at nothing for him! What's so good about him, what's so good about him!"
"You've driven the fourth prince to the point of being neither human nor ghost, and even Consort Duan has become a madwoman. If it weren't for his bravery, he would have been trampled into mincemeat by the iron cavalry of Northern Qi on the northwestern battlefield long ago."
"As for the second son, if he hadn't learned to lie low these past few years, you wouldn't have kept him alive until today."
"And the third brother, those soldiers who ambushed the Northwest Military Command at Beiqiupo, were they sent by you?"
"Father, although we are ruler and subject, we are also father and son! How could you do this to me!"
The old emperor's lips trembled, and he could barely speak. He closed his eyes tightly; Zhu Zhi still knew too little.
"What, did I guess right?"
"Ha, so what? I have no military power and have been deposed as crown prince. I can't do anything. Today, Father, either you die with me, or you kill me now, and then the second prince comes in, stabs you with a knife, and tells everyone that I killed you."
"And he can then ascend the throne as emperor without any problem! Father, you thought you had everything under your control, but little did you know that you were just paving the way for your second son."
Zhu Zhi grabbed the old emperor by the collar and lifted him off the dragon throne, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the old man before him.
The old emperor angrily pointed at Zhu Zhi: "Zhu Zhi, you unfilial son! Aren't you afraid of retribution?"
"Retribution?" Zhu Zhi laughed wildly. "Father, isn't that what I'm asking you? Aren't you really afraid of retribution? You murdered your wife, deposed your own son, and turned your perfectly healthy grandson into a sickly child. Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning!"
"You..." The old emperor was so angry that he couldn't speak.
"Isn't this situation entirely your doing?!"
Zhu Zhi shoved the old emperor to the ground and threw the knife down: "I don't care anymore. I didn't plan to leave here alive anyway. Kill me or do whatever you want."
Zhu Zhi sat down on the ground, burying his head deeply in his arms. He had truly enjoyed what he had just heard.
"Pfft~"
Blood gushed out suddenly. The old emperor turned around in a daze, unaware that Consort Ye, who had been lying on the bed in Chaoyang Palace, was now tightly gripping a dagger with blood dripping from it.
The old emperor looked down and saw blood gushing from his side.
"You vile, you wretch, how dare you attempt to assassinate me!" The excruciating pain caused the old emperor's forehead to quickly bead with cold sweat.
Whether it was due to excessive fear or something else, Consort Ye not only failed to pierce the old emperor's vital points with the dagger, but the stab was also not deep.
"Your Majesty, please don't blame me, please don't blame me." Consort Ye's hands trembled uncontrollably, and she stumbled towards the palace door in fright, barely managing to pull it open a crack.
Zhu Zhi suddenly stood up, picked up the knife beside him, took a few steps to Ye Guiren's back, gritted his teeth, and plunged the knife directly into Ye Guiren's back.
He's a prince; he's known for killing since he was a child!
Unlike Consort Ye, who doesn't even know how to kill a person.
The palace door was opened a crack, and sunlight streamed in, dappling the dust motes dancing and swirling inside.
Consort Ye turned around, and the scene before her gradually became somewhat unreal and slowed down. She saw the Second Prince Zhu Heng walking towards her.
His black hair flew in the wind; he was a handsome young man with a smile on his lips. He spoke softly to her that after he ascended the throne, he would bestow upon her the title of Imperial Concubine, bringing glory to her entire Ye clan.
But now, she has been killed by Zhu Zhi.
The illusory image gradually dissipated, and with a thud, Consort Ye crashed to the ground.
...
On the streets of Shengjing, Qi Shaocheng led more than 5,000 Northern Army soldiers rushing toward the imperial palace.
The once bustling streets of Shengjing City were now deserted as shops hurriedly closed their doors and windows, with shopkeepers either peering out from behind cracks in the doors or watching intently from behind windowsills as rows of black-clad soldiers surged toward the palace.
"Why are they black-clad soldiers? Aren't they the Northern Army? Weren't they supposed to be attacking Chen? Why are they in Shengjing? Are they heading to the palace?"
The woman tightly covered the child's mouth to prevent the crying from disturbing the soldiers outside. Her hands trembled, her face pale, and she murmured softly, "Is the capital of Shengjing about to change?"
The man's face hardened: "What nonsense are you spouting? This is the Northern Army, the Northern Army that drove the Northern Qi out of the Great Zhou and protects the country and its people!"
The woman nodded as if she understood, and released her hand from the child's.
The man crouched down and looked at the child, saying, "Don't be afraid."
The young child couldn't understand the man's words, but he believed his father was right and nodded earnestly.
The black-clad soldiers passed by in rows, and just as the man had said, none of them harassed the civilians.
The hoofbeats and the soldiers' armor and footsteps made a sound like muffled thunder, appearing exceptionally orderly and awe-inspiring in the empty long street.
They were moving at an extremely fast pace.
At the same time, at the city gate, Lu Xiaoyun took the reins from Jiang Chuan, mounted her horse, patted the phantom's head, and galloped off towards the outskirts.
Behind her, Feng Yan and his black-clad warriors followed like a tidal wave.
The biggest threat to this palace coup is Zhu Heng's 50,000 private soldiers, who are currently lying in wait on the outskirts of Shengjing City, ready to flood into the palace as soon as the signal is given.
They killed several of their princes and forced the old emperor to abdicate in favor of Zhu Heng.
Twenty thousand Northern Army soldiers surged toward one place in perfect unison, like rolling black thunder.
In the mountain valley, Xiong Haiquan, riding on horseback, saw the person leading the troops and his heart sank. How could it be Prince An, Zhu Yu!
Didn't the Second Prince say he was paralyzed and bedridden?
Upon seeing that dark mass of armored soldiers again, my premonition grew even worse. Wasn't that the Northern Army?
"General, have we fallen into a trap?" Xiong Haiquan's adjutant couldn't help but ask.
Xiong Haiquan tightened his grip on the knife at his side: "What nonsense! His Highness has been planning for many years, it's impossible for him to fall for a trap."
He stopped looking at his deputy, his face grim. He brandished his broadsword and charged towards Lu Xiaoyun and the others, shouting, "The Crown Prince has forced the palace and rebelled! Prince An is aiding and abetting the tyrant! We are here to protect the Great Zhou and the Emperor! Kill them!"
The lieutenant immediately echoed, shouting, "We are protecting the Great Zhou, protecting the Emperor! Kill!"
Zhu Heng's private soldiers immediately surged forward with shouts of battle, as if they had been injected with chicken blood.
"Kill Prince An, Zhu Yu! Kill him!"
"Kill them!"
Lu Xiaoyun looked up and a cold smile appeared on her lips. At the front, there was a burly man with a full beard. He was wielding a knife with great skill and charged towards her with a spur of his horse.
This man is Xiong Haiquan, the commander of Zhu Heng's 50,000 private troops!
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