In the vast sleeping quarters, it seemed that apart from Zhou Xuance's footsteps, only Emperor Xiaoxuan's rapid breathing could be heard...
His fingers gripped the brocade quilt beside him tightly. His face, tormented by illness for over a month, was deathly pale and bloodless, with only the veins on his forehead bulging. His eyes, long held by those in high positions, were sharp as a hawk's.
He glared angrily at the person who was slowly walking towards him.
Straightforward
Without any concealment.
Shock, anger, resentment
There was not a trace of the usual brotherly affection between them; he only gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "I did not summon you, how dare you enter the palace without my summons!"
"With Eunuch Gao gone and the Empress, who was your husband, also passing away, you always need someone trustworthy by your side. As your most beloved younger brother, how could he not be by your side at this time?"
"Get out! Get out of here!" Emperor Xiaoxuan pointed at the palace gate.
Zhou Xuance turned a deaf ear.
His face was ashen, his jaw clenched, and he looked at the Crown Prince: "What are you still standing there for? Give him to me..."
result……
The Crown Prince suddenly stood up and respectfully bowed to Zhou Xuance, saying, "Royal Uncle."
Compared to the earlier confrontation between father and son, the Crown Prince's attitude at this moment was quite submissive. As Zhou Xuance approached, he even moved a stool for him to sit down.
Even a fool could see it:
them……
They're in cahoots!
I fear that the madwoman's sudden appearance tonight might be orchestrated by my beloved brother, the emperor, and the son I raised myself.
Although the crown prince was not the legitimate son, he was his eldest son and had been raised by him since childhood. He personally took care of all aspects of the prince's life, and the affection he showed was unmatched by any other prince or princess.
Now he has been betrayed by his son.
He felt his ears filled with deafening heartbeats, his breathing became increasingly rapid, and as his blood surged and boiled to a high point, a salty, metallic taste rose in his throat.
Unable to hold it in, he coughed up another mouthful of blood!
He landed on the bed, causing Zhou Xuance to chuckle softly: "Brother, the imperial physician said that you must remain calm. If you get agitated again, it may be the last two or three days..."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager was so enraged that she fainted!
"The imperial physician diagnosed that the Empress Dowager was old and could not withstand any stimulation, so she needed to rest quietly."
Emperor Xiaoxuan's pupils dilated, and he stared intently at him.
"But Your Majesty, rest assured, I have already sent someone to escort the Empress Dowager back to her palace to rest, and I have also ordered her personal guards to stand guard at the palace gate. Don't worry, not even a fly can get in, and no one will dare to disturb her peaceful rest."
"You..." Emperor Xiaoxuan's throat tightened with blood, "You've gone mad!"
"Zhou Xuance, this is a coup!"
"It's a rebellion!"
"So what?" Zhou Xuance sat on the stool, a slight smile playing on his lips, but his gaze suddenly turned cold and sharp. "So what? Do you think you'll let me go just because I don't rebel?"
"For the throne, you dared to kill your father and son, so what wouldn't I dare to do?"
"If I had to say..."
"Your Majesty, I must thank you. You have taught me well."
"Zhou Xuance!" Emperor Xiaoxuan gritted his teeth. "It's one thing for you to plot rebellion yourself, but you also dare to incite the Crown Prince to join you in rebellion? He is the heir apparent who is destined for greatness."
"Do you consider him the heir apparent?"
“Song Yuxiu, a man who has never been to the battlefield, suddenly went to war with the army. Is he really going to make a name for himself? You know better than anyone who poisoned the Crown Prince. The Third Prince colluded with the barbarians. Do you really know nothing about it?”
"You know, it's just indulgence. After all, everything is under your control. As long as it doesn't threaten your throne, you can turn a blind eye."
"Even if you lose a few battles and some soldiers and civilians die, it doesn't matter to you."
"You're talking nonsense!" Emperor Xiaoxuan looked at the Crown Prince. "Yuanbi, don't listen to his nonsense."
The Crown Prince chuckled softly, "You know perfectly well just how many filthy things the Song family has done for you."
"Zhou Xuance!" Emperor Xiaoxuan glared at him angrily. "What exactly did you tell the Crown Prince?"
"Then do you dare tell him how his birth mother, Consort Xiang, died?"
Upon hearing this,
Consort Xiang?
This title is like a sharp blade, piercing the emperor's heart!
When their eyes met at the sight of a name, Emperor Xiaoxuan's eyes flashed with a hint of shock and panic, which the Crown Prince happened to catch, and he let out a bitter laugh.
"Father, you told me that my mother suffered from postpartum depression and jumped into the lake to her death when I was five years old, but what is the truth?"
“Yuan Bi, don’t listen to his nonsense, your mother is indeed…”
Zhou Xuance suddenly interrupted him, “She was born a palace maid and is of lowly status. How could she be worthy of being the mother of the king? Her life is a stain on the crown prince.”
"Given her status, if the crown prince were to actually ascend the throne, she would inevitably be the subject of gossip and criticism. Perhaps it would be better to..."
"Kill her!"
"This is just your guess. Don't even think about trying to sow discord between me and the Crown Prince." Emperor Xiaoxuan's breathing became increasingly rapid. He had just vomited blood, and his blood was churning, making it difficult for him to calm down for a long time.
Looking at the Crown Prince, he said, "Yuanbi, you know in your heart how your father has treated you all these years. He just wants to usurp the throne and seize the country."
"This position is yours, are you going to just hand it over to someone else?"
"Mine? I'm about to die, how long can I stay in this position!" The crown prince was agitated.
He could no longer control himself when the topic of the illness came up.
“I suffer every day, and outsiders may not know, but don’t you? Since my uncle fell ill, he has been in so much pain. How many more days can I endure this?”
"What use is this empire to me if I'm dead?"
Emperor Xiaoxuan, overwhelmed by anger and emotion, and with his head spinning, blurted out, "I have my own way to keep you alive!"
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