Chapter 105 Extra Five
Parallel time and space.
Liu Che was a little dazed. He had just had a nap, and when he woke up, everything around him had changed, becoming both strange and familiar.
The strangeness lies in the fact that the place where he lives is not the palace he is familiar with, and the servants around him are not the eunuchs he usually uses; the familiarity lies in that he does not feel repulsed by all this, but instead has an inexplicable sense of belonging, as if this is his daily life.
And whenever he had a doubt, the answer would automatically pop up in his mind.
For example, if he was wondering where this place was, his brain would tell him that this was Ganquan Palace, a temporary palace he renovated and rebuilt on the basis of Qinlingguang Palace, and it was his frequent summer resort in recent years.
For example, if he wondered who the two eunuchs serving him were, his mind would tell him that they were Su Wen and Wang Bi, his most trusted attendants in recent years, and they were quite popular with the emperor.
Some images corresponding to Ganquan Palace and Su Wen and Wang Bi even emerged in his mind. The images were fragmentary and not very coherent, and probably not all of them.
He had no recollection of this, yet he inexplicably knew that this was his memory, and was even certain that it was a real memory, not a figment of his imagination.
This feeling is wonderful and strange.
But that's not all. The strangest thing, and the one that shocked Liu Che the most, was that there was a bronze mirror not far to his left.
Yes, it was not the glass mirror he was used to, but a bronze mirror from earlier times. The bronze mirror was polished to a smooth surface, and although it was not as good as a glass mirror, it could still clearly reflect the image of the person.
He saw himself in the mirror, with gray hair on his temples, an old face, and even a hint of illness.
He clearly remembered that he was about 47 years old before he went to bed, but he looked at least 60 years old, almost 10 or 20 years older.
Liu Che frowned. Was he ill and had forgotten everything, forgetting the past ten or twenty years? How could he have suddenly jumped from forty-seven to over sixty?
What happened in the meantime?
Liu Che was uneasy, perturbed, and terrified. But after decades as an emperor, he still had a basic grasp of facial expression. No matter how anxious he felt, he never showed it in public, his expression remaining calm.
It's just that there are some things he can't control. For example, when people are in a panic, they will subconsciously look for the person they trust the most and who can give them the most sense of security.
Liu Che asked casually, "Where is the Crown Prince now? Tell him to come and see me."
This was a very common question, and Liu Che even pondered it in his heart before speaking. He felt that no matter what the current situation was, at least it was still the Han Dynasty and he was still the emperor, so there was nothing wrong with asking this question.
Who knew that just as the words fell, Su Wen and Wang Bi
The reaction was huge, and they all knelt down with their faces changing constantly.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. The Prime Minister has received the imperial edict and is currently leading his troops to quell the rebellion. I believe we will soon be able to stabilize the situation, defeat the Crown Prince's rebellious plot, and bring him before Your Majesty.
Liu Che was shocked and his eyes widened.
Rebellion... The Crown Prince plotted treason... Capture...
He recognized every word, but putting them together made him completely unbelievable. Er'er was plotting a rebellion? How could it be possible!
Liu Che opened his mouth and was about to summon Prime Minister Shi Qing to ask him questions. His lips moved slightly, but before he could open his mouth, he felt a sudden pain in his head.
He suddenly remembered the relevant information. The current Prime Minister was not Shi Qing, the former Prince's Tutor, as he had thought, but Liu Qumao, a member of the imperial clan. And Er'er...had Er'er really rebelled?
No, anyone can rebel, but it is impossible for me to rebel!
Ruer is already the crown prince and it is a foregone conclusion that he will ascend to the throne. Why would he rebel?
Liu Che didn't believe it. Waves of pain continued to come, and the pain continued to grow stronger and more severe; the information that came with it also fell into his mind like snowflakes.
Liu Che covered his head and trembled uncontrollably.
Su Wen, Wang Bi and the others were all horrified and shouted in panic, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, call the physician! Quickly call the physician!
The hall fell into chaos, and in this chaos, Liu Che felt as if his soul slowly left his body and floated into the air. He watched with his own eyes as Su Wen and Wang Bi moved his body to the bed, and watched with his own eyes as several doctors came and went to treat him.
Liu Che was about to step forward and return to his physical body when a sudden, immense suction force came from nowhere, sucking him out of the inner hall and blowing him high into the sky. He saw the figures and scenes in Ganquan Palace below him constantly retreating, and the sun and moon scenes rapidly changing.
He was like a cloud, floating in the wind, passing by Ganquan Palace, passing by the mountains, passing by the city, and finally arriving in Chang'an.
Chang'an was in a state of panic at this moment.
Jiang Qi, oh no, Liu Che's mind told him that the man he saw was now named Jiang Chong. He watched Jiang Chong lead a large group of alchemists and wizards to dig up dolls everywhere.
No matter what kind of puppet it is, once discovered, the entire family will be arrested and tortured with cruel methods.
He saw many people being tortured into confessing, the people being forced to falsely accuse one another, the officials being forced to impeach one another. He saw Jiang Chong leading the alchemists and sorcerers, acting tyrannically and causing chaos in the capital, where everyone was in danger.
Liu Che was furious and cursed, but he could not reach anyone, and no one could see him or hear his voice.
He was like a lonely soul wandering outside, and could only be a spectator, letting these people, under the name of "Your Majesty",
The banner of "Down" was waved everywhere to arrest, kill and rob.
Yes, His Majesty's flag.
Liu Che wanted to say that this was a treacherous villain and he had never issued such an order. But a voice in his head told him that it was indeed you.
Liu Che was horrified. Seeing this "farce" that had already involved tens of thousands of people and cost them their lives, his face turned pale and his body swayed.
How could this be his order? Er has exposed the alchemists and wizards so many times, so how could he still trust them and let them harm the Han people?
Tens of thousands of people. As a feudal ruler, Liu Che did not care much about this group of civilian ants, but he knew that this number and this behavior were enough to cause chaos in Chang'an and even the world.
He also had a sinister premonition that Jiang Chong and the others were up to something more than just this, that they might have a bigger conspiracy. This premonition was so strong that it made his heart ache.
As expected, just as the thought came to his mind, Jiang Chong pointed the finger at the palace, using the mouths of alchemists and wizards to say that there was poisonous air in the palace and someone was using witchcraft to cause harm, and proposed a thorough investigation of the entire palace.
Liu Che saw himself nodding in agreement.
This left him dumbfounded. He had agreed to this? How could he have agreed to this? Was he blind? Otherwise, how could he not see that these people had ulterior motives?
Impure purpose?
Just as he was about to go forward and shake himself awake, the scene changed. He was already in the Weiyang Palace.
Jiang Chong led his men to dig the land inch by inch, and after digging the Ye Ting, they went to the Jiao Fang.
Pepper Room! That's the Queen's bedroom! Jiang Chong, where do you get the guts?
Liu Che paused after cursing and said, "Yes, it was he who gave Jiang Chong the courage. He said it himself, regardless of their identities."
Regardless of identity... is that...
Liu Che suddenly woke up Jiang Chong and Jiang Qi'er. Could his target be Juer?
The scene changes as the mind thinks. Jiang Chong digs out the spell puppet from Changle Palace.
Perhaps having guessed this, Liu Che wasn't as surprised as he had been before. He discerned carefully, and indeed, he saw the smugness and smugness hidden in Jiang Chong's eyes, and the shock and disbelief of Ju'er after he learned about the puppet.
He had no idea how such things could be found in his own palace. This was beyond his expectation. But he quickly realized that someone had framed him, and the person who framed him was most likely Jiang Chong.
Liu Che saw that everyone in the East Palace suggested that Liu Ju kill Jiang Chong. Liu Che nodded silently. This traitor deserved to die, and the prince had every right to kill him.
But Liu Ju did not respond to his hesitation and made a decision: "I will go to Ganquan Palace in person to explain to my father."
Staff and guests
Liu Ju tried to stop him, but he said, "The emperor has been in Ganquan Palace for many days, and we have no idea what his current situation is. At least... at least I can take this opportunity to meet the emperor.
"At least we need to know whether everything happening in the capital is the emperor's intention, or whether Jiang Chong and others are using the emperor's order to pursue their own interests. At least I need to confirm the safety of my father.
Liu Che was stunned. He faced Liu Ju. Liu Ju couldn't see him, but he could see Liu Ju's red eyes and the worry in them.
Even now, Zier still wonders if he is safe.
But...but he...
Liu Che shook his head and said he couldn't go.
He began to fear. If he were his current self, he would agree with Liu Ju's decision. A simple meeting between father and son would resolve everything. But Liu Che wasn't sure what his now-demented self in Ganquan Palace would do.
Even though the other party's current actions did not involve Liu Ju for the time being, his behavior was too absurd and unbelievable. The ominous premonition intensified layer by layer, making Liu Che doubt himself and dare not trust him.
"You can't go. Ju'er, at least not like this. Where's Zhongqing, where's Qubing, and where are your Eastern Palace guards? Gather them, kill Jiang Chong and his host of alchemists and sorcerers, take control of the capital, stabilize the situation, and then come to see me at Ganquan Palace. You can't go alone!"
He subconsciously rushed forward to stop Liu Ju, but his hands passed through Liu Ju's body and missed.
At this moment, just after he finished speaking, the stabbing pain in his head came again.
Liu Che was horrified to discover that Qubing... his title of Marquis of Guanjun died before he was 24 years old; Zhongqing, his great general also passed away many years ago; and the so-called Eastern Palace Guards had never existed.
The Eastern Palace now does have guards, but they are not as large and elite as he remembers, and are not Liu Ju's personal guards.
How could this be...how could this be?
Before Liu Che could figure out what was going on, Liu Ju had already left. Liu Che had no time to think about it, so he could only suppress his doubts and follow him out.
Then what did he see?
Liu Ju asked Jiang Chong to go to Ganquan Palace to meet him in person and explain the situation to him. Jiang Chong refused. A treacherous minister rejected the reasonable request of the crown prince, and his demeanor was hard to conceal, even pressing forward.
Your Highness, a cursed doll was found in your palace, suspected of cursing Your Majesty. Now the details of the case are unknown. How dare we let Your Highness meet Your Majesty in person and disregard Your Majesty's safety?
This matter should be reported to His Majesty. If His Majesty says he wants to see Your Highness, then we will dare to let him go.
What do you mean His Highness is now a suspect and should bear the crime in the Eastern Palace? I will find out the truth and then...
Report this to Your Majesty for your decision.
Such things as this, calling him "Your Highness" all the time, but neither his expression nor his tone showed the respect that should be shown to the prince. Instead, it was more like treating a loser or a prisoner.
Liu Che felt that he was not the only one who had gone mad, but the whole world had gone mad too. Otherwise, how could he, the crown prince of the Han Dynasty, be suppressed by a humble minister? How ridiculous! How dare Jiang Chong, a humble minister!
Not only was he angry, Liu Ju was also angry.
Liu Ju grabbed Jiang Chong by the collar and said, "Jiang Chong, I am the crown prince. It is not your turn to convict me. The only person in this world who can convict me is my father. Don't think I don't know what you are thinking. Do you really think I dare not kill you?"
"I didn't touch you because you are a close minister to my father. If you make another mistake, as a son, I must report it to my father and let him punish you. I don't want to kill first and report later. I don't want you, a small traitor, to affect our father-son relationship and cause a rift between us.
"But you have repeatedly prevented me from seeing my father. You deserve to be killed!"
A cold light flashed, and Liu Ju had drawn his sword and slashed Jiang Chong's neck.
Blood splattered on Liu Ju's cheek. He closed his eyes and then slowly opened them. He immediately made a decision: "Kill all of Jiang Chong's accomplices. Leave no one alive."
He then called his personal maid, Feng He, and said, "Go to Weiyang Palace, enter through the Changqiu Gate, and see the Empress. Report what has happened here, obtain the Empress's seal, mobilize the royal carriages, and accompany me to open the armory."
The East Palace's subordinates had previously advised Liu Ju to kill the treacherous officials, but opening the armory would mean...
Someone stepped forward and asked, "Your Highness, is this inappropriate?"
"If there were any other way, I wouldn't have come to this. My father has been staying at Ganquan Palace for many days. Apart from messages from Jiang Chong, Su Wen and others, he has never appeared in person.
"I've requested permission several times, but was always turned down. Do you think it's really because my father is ill and needs to recuperate that he doesn't want to see me, or is there someone who doesn't want my father to see me?"
Liu Che was shocked. What did he mean? When Jiang Chong tried to stop him, Liu Che had already sensed that Jiang Chong wanted to prevent him from meeting Liu Ju. He had never imagined that this had happened before.
Jiang Chong... How could Jiang Chong possess such immense power? Or did he truly harbor disloyalty towards the Crown Prince?
Liu Ju scoffed coldly: "Jiang Chong can't do it alone, I'm afraid the Li family must be behind it."
Liu Che: ...Li family? Who?
The faces of the East Palace's subordinates changed drastically: "Prime Minister Liu Qumao and the Li family are related by marriage. If this situation was set up by them, then we..."
Liu Ju took a deep breath and said, "I have already done some testing. Jiang Chong wants to frame me for witchcraft and curse my father. Logically,
The orphan should be taken to Ganquan Palace to be punished.
"So I volunteered to go, but he refused, even if it meant anything. Instead, he used words to pressure me, wanting to directly accuse me of murder. In this situation, do you think I could really see Father if I followed conventional means?"
Answer: No.
"If I hesitate when I should act, I will suffer the consequences. How could I not understand the implications of opening the armory and mobilizing the guards? But right now, I have no other options, and no time for careful planning."
"The capital is in chaos. What about Ganquan Palace? What is the situation in Ganquan Palace? What is the situation of the emperor? I must find out. I only hope that the emperor is safe. I also only hope... I only hope that I can see the emperor and that he will trust me."
Liu Ju gritted his teeth and said, "Just do it."
The East Palace servants knelt down and accepted the order: "Yes."
Liu Ju lowered his eyes and clenched the weapon in his hand. Liu Che keenly sensed his worry, anxiety, helplessness and uneasiness.
He was afraid that something might happen to his father, and he was also afraid that his father would not believe him.
Opening the armory and mobilizing the guards would be tantamount to treason if one did not gain the emperor's trust.
Liu Che suddenly understood. Perhaps this was the ultimate goal of the people behind the scenes. They wanted to completely cut off his contact with Juer, leaving Juer in isolation, unaware of his situation or his thoughts.
They wanted to force Ruer into a desperate situation, forcing him to take risks, and then naturally accuse him of "treason".
So, will he believe it?
As the thought flashed through his mind, Liu Che's body soared into the air, floating into the clouds again, and was blown into Ganquan Palace by the wind.
Inside the hall, Su Wenzhen was prostrating himself on the ground, crying bitterly as he recounted the prince's "crimes."
It was said that many cursed dolls were found in the East Palace, and that the prince was furious.
He made no mention of the Crown Prince's defense or his request to come to Ganquan Palace. Instead, he described the Crown Prince's counterattack as follows: "The Crown Prince, seeing his deeds exposed, simply went all out and killed Jiang Chong, and he also wanted to kill us all. I finally managed to save my life, and now I have the honor of seeing Your Majesty again."
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has rebelled, and Chang'an is in chaos."
Liu Che clenched his fists and stared at "himself" closely, as if he would go forward and fight to the death if he believed in him.
But I saw "myself" frowning: "The Crown Prince must be afraid and has always resented Jiang Chong, so he acted like this. Send an envoy to Chang'an to summon the Crown Prince."
Liu Che breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it was okay. Fortunately, although he had lost his mind, it was not completely demented. However...
Angry at Jiang Chong? Did he know that the Crown Prince and Jiang Chong were not on good terms, and did he have any grudge against him?
Since he knew this, he still kept such a person by his side as a trusted attendant.
Why did he allow him to conduct a large-scale search in Chang'an and even thoroughly investigate the entire palace?
He must be crazy! Didn't he know that someone who was hated by the Crown Prince and had a grudge against him would be involved in this? Or was he so conceited that he thought no one would dare to deceive him or do anything? Or... maybe he just wanted to test the Crown Prince?
The last possibility popped up in Liu Che's mind and his heart suddenly ached.
He clutched his chest and tried to comfort himself, saying, "Don't worry, don't worry." The envoy had already gone to summon Ju'er, and as long as Ju'er came, there would be a chance.
Their feelings are so deep that there is nothing that cannot be explained.
But could it really be possible? Could the envoys really summon Juer? Did they really stand a chance?
Liu Che was trembling all over and was a little unsure.
And the scene before him seemed to change with his thoughts, just like before.
He saw the envoys. He had heard of the chaos in Chang'an and dared not enter. He hid outside for a while and then returned to report: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince... The Crown Prince has indeed rebelled. He refused to come with me to Ganquan Palace and wanted to kill me. I escaped back."
Liu Che was shocked.
The man on the opposite side was also greatly shocked and instantly filled with rage. He immediately issued an imperial decree ordering Prime Minister Liu Qumao to send troops to capture the rebels and arrest the prince.
Liu Che's eyes were red as he silently cried out, "Are you stupid? He lied to you. He never entered Chang'an and didn't see Ju'er. Think about it, use your brain.
"At that time, the Eastern Palace was in turmoil, and Juer had just ordered Su Wen to react in time and take the opportunity to escape. How did this envoy also escape with his life? Juer is not a loser. If he really had rebellious intentions, how could he let so many people flee to Ganquan Palace to report the news!
"Where's your brain? Is it filled with straw? You believe whatever others say. You don't believe your own son, but believe the cowardly parasites and the treacherous flatterers with ulterior motives!"
Liu Che screamed, stepping forward and wishing he could strangle himself to death. Death would be better, a clean death. What's the point of keeping such an idiot alive? It would be better to kill him and let Juer ascend the throne.
Liu Che stretched out his hand to grab "himself" by the neck but he didn't have time to exert any force. The moment he touched "himself", his body fell forward uncontrollably and instantly merged into this body.
Boom.
Liu Che fainted and lost consciousness.
The author has something to say
Author: Ahem, let me interview myself and tell you what it feels like to scold and pinch myself.
Liu Che: ...I refuse to answer and want to kill you.
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