After a "click," the entire Fengtian Hall fell silent.
Whether it was the master of ceremonies or the envoy of the imperial edict, everyone raised their heads and stared at the Crown Prince's astonishing actions, not daring to move for a long time.
The treasure box contained the register of the Crown Prince, which served as proof of the Crown Prince's status, and its value goes without saying.
But what surprised people the most was Zhu Changhong smashing the treasure box.
His face was flushed, and his chest heaved as he looked over, amidst the screams and shouts outside, he resembled a vengeful demon king returning from a bloodbath.
Chang Yan narrowed his eyes imperceptibly, sensing that something was amiss.
Among the six siblings' speculations, Zhu Changhong had long been considered an outcast of the Ju family. His performance at the wedding banquet that day further revealed his inherent stupidity and cowardice.
Even when the Crown Prince was being appointed, it was the Second Prince who started the trouble, with the Ju family assisting. Zhu Changhong should have lost control and collapsed after a brief moment of shock. How could he be so aggressive as he is now?
Especially in this silent hall, he deliberately stomped heavily, stepping over one step at a time, which frightened everyone in the hall so much that they dared not breathe.
Only Changyan casually probed, "Are the rebellious imperial guards outside the eldest prince's men?"
"Yes." Zhu Changhong said expressionlessly, "Once we control the civil and military officials, they will rush into the main hall."
"Eldest brother is so confident." Changyan raised the corner of his mouth. "But I'm not so sure. Could you call two people to come and take a look?"
Zhu Changhong stopped and turned back to give the guard a look.
The guards immediately rushed in, shouting, "Stop! Stop it all!"
The clanging and banging outside really stopped.
The civil and military officials and courtiers seemed to catch their breath. A group of people, led by Jiang Chengfeng, escorted Xu Mo and Jiang Sheng to the door and said solemnly, "Your Highness, the Imperial Guards have rebelled."
The Imperial Guards not only betrayed the Emperor, but they also betrayed him along with the Crown Prince.
Chang Yan still felt something was amiss, and frowned, saying, "Was this arranged by the Ju family?"
“Of course.” Zhu Changhong’s eyes changed slightly. “Who else could it be but the Ju family?”
With Consort Ju as an inside agent, it was indeed not difficult to place people in the Imperial Guard under such great favor.
The eldest prince played dumb to deceive everyone, first feigning complete ignorance, then revealing his true colors at the crucial moment, catching everyone off guard.
Including Zhu Changyu.
The prince, who disguised himself as dull and honest, was now hiding in a corner, his eyes wide with suspicion and his face ashen, clearly wondering about the direction of the plan.
"Stop struggling. The entire capital is now under the control of the Ju family." Zhu Changhong glanced at the trembling master of ceremonies and the imperial edict envoy. "Don't be afraid. I won't harm you. I'm waiting for you to reissue the Crown Prince's edict."
Their wolfish ambitions are blatantly obvious.
But something still doesn't feel right.
Lost in thought, Chang Yan didn't notice that the elderly Grand Secretary Sun stood up and spat in Zhu Changhong's face. "Bah! The Crown Prince is plotting a rebellion! You are a complete traitor, a rebel! You will be infamous and remembered for your infamy for eternity!"
He wiped his face with a hint of helplessness. "Grand Secretary Sun, please don't get agitated. You're already so old. I never intended to hurt you."
"If you have the guts, kill me on the spot, otherwise I will never acknowledge you as a traitor, and I will never grant you the title of Crown Prince!" Grand Secretary Sun roared.
Even though he is nearing seventy, his voice is still loud and clear.
Chang Yan's thoughts were interrupted, and he decided to take the initiative. "Doesn't the eldest prince know that the Ju family has long since joined forces with the second prince? You are just a scapegoat right now."
Zhu Changhong chuckled as if he had heard a joke, but quickly composed himself. "My mother was willing to run into a pillar for the sake of the Ju family, so how could the Ju family possibly abandon us?"
“You have underestimated the bond between my mother and my uncle, and you have also underestimated my mother as a person.”
What does that mean?
While those around were still confused, Chang Yan quickly grasped the key point and exclaimed in horror, "Empress Ju is awake?"
Only with Consort Ju's advice could the Ju family be truly loyal and dare to devise this scheme within a scheme—first, having Zhu Changhong pretend to be a fool to disrupt the wedding banquet, and then having the Ju family join forces with the Second Prince, while in reality, she planned alone to use the Second Prince's name as a pretext to rebel on the day of the Crown Prince's investiture.
In the eyes of the people, the charge of treason belonged to the second prince, but the real beneficiaries were the first prince and the Ju family.
It must be said that this plan was brilliant.
But what makes the Ju family and Consort Ju so certain that the Second Prince, who has been able to lie low for over a decade, would be so easily tricked and manipulated?
Chang Yan glanced out of the corner of his eye and noticed that Zhu Changyu in the corner had stopped his surprise and doubt at some point, and half of his body was buried in the shadows.
How interesting!
Today's investiture ceremony for the Crown Prince was even more interesting than he had imagined.
“My mother has indeed woken up. You can pretend to be sick to take the imperial examination, and you can also pretend to be sick to hide in the West Third Palace. Why can’t we?” After Zhu Changhong finished speaking, no pride appeared on his red face. Instead, he hesitated for a moment. “Now the entire Fengtian Palace is under control. Not even a fly can get in. You’d better not make any rash moves.”
Today is the day of the investiture of the Crown Prince. All the civil and military officials and the Crown Prince's trusted confidants are here.
If controlled properly, even the guards outside would have difficulty noticing; Consort Ju's methods were indeed superb.
Chang Yan glanced at his brother and sister out of the corner of his eye and shook his head to signal them not to make any rash moves.
With the decisive battle at its peak, he didn't believe the Second Prince could patiently remain hidden any longer. If he missed this opportunity, he would lose the throne forever.
"Go and keep a close watch on all the civil and military officials. Go and ask the Emperor for the Imperial Seal. Go and prepare to rewrite the Crown Prince's register..." Zhu Changhong was arranging the guards in an orderly manner.
When he gave the order, only ten of the original thirty guards with swords turned around.
The remaining twenty men simultaneously drew their blades and stabbed their comrade who had turned away.
The tragedy happened in an instant, and blood stained the entire hall.
Even Grand Secretary Sun was stunned. After realizing what had happened, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "What a disaster! What a disaster!"
To kill each other when they are both bodyguards, to turn against each other when they are brothers—what else could this be but a sin?
Zhu Changhong was stunned by this turn of events. He subconsciously took two steps back and exclaimed in astonishment, "Who? What's going on? How dare you!"
Grand Secretary Sun sighed and turned his head away.
Things eventually spiraled out of control. The sounds of swords and spears rang out again, accompanied by incredulous roars and screams, leaving behind corpses lying prostrate on the ground.
Consort Ju's nephew was covered as he fled into the main hall, clutching his wound and staggering to the bottom. "Your Highness, the alliance we had agreed upon has betrayed us. Li Qiang from the Third Team has taken action and wiped out all the people the Ju family had planted over the years."
Zhu Changhong's face gradually turned from crimson to pale. He staggered two steps again, muttering, "I told you not to take such extreme measures, I told you not to be so radical..."
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