Chapter 495 Step Over My Corpse First
The Prime Minister's study was also brightly lit, but unlike the Prince of Lingnan, the Prime Minister was extremely busy. He was writing letter after letter, then had them delivered. After finishing and sending out the last letter, he stood by the window and looked out at the dark night.
Gazing at the impenetrable darkness of night, I could only hope this was the last vestige of darkness before dawn. Tomorrow, I hope this battle can cleave through the inky blackness and unleash the light of day.
The autumn morning was chilly. The Fourth Prince, Fifth Prince, and Seventh Prince walked through the morning dew to the Emperor's bedchamber, rubbing their hands together involuntarily. After a brief exchange of glances, they reached the bedchamber entrance and asked Zhao Fuquan, who was guarding there, "How is Father Emperor?"
Zhao Fuquan bowed to the three men and then said, "His Majesty's health is still as good as before."
His airtight answer greatly displeased the three men, but they dared not say anything. Although they suspected the emperor was likely unconscious, what if he was?
"Has Father gotten up yet?" the Seventh Prince asked.
Zhao Fuquan bowed and replied, "Not yet."
The three men's eyes met for a moment, then they stood at the entrance to the sleeping quarters, just as they had done in the past few days. Zhao Fuquan knew that they wouldn't leave no matter what he said, so he remained silent.
After a while, the Fourth Prince asked the Fifth Prince, "Have you heard any news?"
The Fifth Prince paused for a moment before asking, "What news?"
The Fourth Prince frowned and hesitated, then mouthed "Lingnan." The Fifth Prince nodded slightly upon seeing this, then fell silent. The Fourth Prince also fell silent. The Seventh Prince glanced at the two of them, then looked up at the east; the sun wouldn't rise for quite some time.
Outside the palace, all was quiet, with the three princes standing silently. The autumn chill enveloped their bodies, causing goosebumps to rise on their exposed skin.
Half an hour later, golden sunlight broke through the clouds, bringing a touch of warmth to the earth. The Seventh Prince squinted at the sun, moved his somewhat stiff body, and wondered when these days of getting up early every day to guard this place would finally end.
Just then, he heard a series of hurried footsteps. He turned his gaze away from the sun and saw the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince standing opposite him, their bodies ramrod straight, looking as if they were facing a formidable enemy. He couldn't help but tense every muscle in his body as well.
The footsteps grew closer, and soon a group of people entered. Leading them were the Crown Prince, the Prime Minister, and the Prince of Lingnan, whose face was bruised and purple. Behind them followed a group of officials and Zhu Junning. Upon seeing them, the three instinctively assumed defensive stances.
"Your Highness, Your Excellencies," Zhao Fuquan stepped forward and bowed.
The crown prince glanced at him, then looked towards the entrance of the bedchamber and asked, "How is Father? Has he woken up yet?"
Zhao Fuquan glanced at the group, knowing they must have come with ill intentions, but still bowed respectfully and replied, "Your Highness, His Majesty's health is as before. He should still be asleep."
The Crown Prince stepped forward and said, "I have not seen my father for many days and I am very worried. I will go in and see him."
As he spoke, he reached the entrance of the sleeping quarters. Zhao Fuquan quickly blocked his way, saying, "Your Highness, the Emperor has decreed that no one except Prince Rui is allowed to enter."
The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Step aside. Father has not attended court for many days, nor has he seen any ministers. As the Crown Prince, I am worried about Father's health. What's wrong with me going in to see him?"
"Your Highness, this is the Emperor's decree." Zhao Fuquan's tone was somewhat forceful, and he stood firmly in front of the Crown Prince.
"Zhao Fuquan, are you determined to stop me?" The Crown Prince gritted his teeth and glared fiercely at Zhao Fuquan.
Zhao Fuquan remained silent, bowing low, but showed no intention of moving aside. Seeing this, the Crown Prince snorted coldly, drew his sword, and pointed it at Zhao Fuquan's nose. "Get out of the way."
Zhao Fuquan remained hunched over, motionless. The Crown Prince tightened his grip on his sword, a surge of excitement welling up inside him. Neither Prince Rui nor the Emperor had emerged yet; the Emperor was likely still unconscious. His eyes gleamed with excitement as he thrust his sword towards Zhao Fuquan's shoulder.
"Your Highness!"
"Crown Prince!"
Two voices rang out simultaneously, one from the Prime Minister and the other from Prince Rui. However, neither of them could stop the Crown Prince's actions; he plunged his sword down, piercing Zhao Fuquan's shoulder through.
"Someone come here!"
Prince Rui shouted, and dozens of imperial guards rushed in. The deputy commander of the imperial guards, who was in charge, bowed to Prince Rui and said, "Your Highness."
"Take the Crown Prince away..."
"Your Highness Prince Rui!"
The Prime Minister interrupted Prince Rui, stepped forward, and stood beside the Crown Prince, saying, "Your Highness Prince Rui, please calm down! We are not causing trouble. It is because His Majesty has not attended court for a long time and has not seen his officials. Memorials to the court are piling up, and urgent reports on local disaster relief and border defense have not been approved."
Rumors are rampant in the capital, and the court officials are filled with unease; even local officials are beginning to have doubts! His Highness the Crown Prince, concerned not only for his father's health but also for the safety of the realm, requests only an audience to ascertain the Emperor's condition and reassure the court and the people. How can Your Highness so readily threaten to 'arrest'? The Crown Prince is the foundation of the state; to harm him would shake the very foundation of the nation.”
"The Prime Minister is certainly good at spreading alarmist rumors!" Prince Rui sneered, his tone as cold as ice: "His Majesty has only caught a slight cold and is in a minor health condition. Although there have been no court assemblies these past few days, the three provinces and six ministries have been performing their duties. The Ministry of Revenue has been distributing grain, and the Ministry of War has been mobilizing troops. Has anything been delayed?"
Furthermore, His Majesty has been on the throne for over a decade, working tirelessly day and night, even handling state affairs on New Year's Eve. Now that he's ill and taking a few days off, does it bother anyone?
"His Majesty has been diligent in his duties all his life; it is only natural that he should take a few days off." The Prime Minister's gaze fell on the tightly closed doors of the imperial bedchamber, his voice deep and resolute:
"But the emperor and his ministers have been separated for many days, and even the medical records from the Imperial Medical Academy have not been made public to the court officials. The entire court is anxious day and night, and there are even rumors in the capital that His Majesty's health is failing and the country is on the verge of collapse! We do not wish to disturb His Majesty's rest today, but only ask to see him from afar, even if it is just to hear a single imperial edict, so that we can return to court to appease the officials and quell those unfounded rumors. This is also to stabilize the hearts of the people!"
Prince Rui squinted at him, "The Emperor has decreed that I shall not see anyone during my convalescence."
"Uncle, why are you so determined to stop us? Could it be that you're taking advantage of Father's serious illness to monopolize the throne, isolate yourself from the outside world, and plot to usurp the throne?!" The Crown Prince pointed his blood-stained sword at Prince Rui.
"You stormed into your elder brother's bedchamber with a blood-stained sword, shouting threats of violence against the imperial family and relatives. What is this if not a coup d'état?"
Prince Rui pressed the sword tip against his chest without moving, his gaze like a knife piercing the Crown Prince. "Your elder brother raised and taught you, only to let you use a bloodstained sword to disturb the Emperor and frame your own family? With me here today, if you want to take a single step into this palace, you will first have to step over my dead body!"
His words carried weight and silenced the room for a moment. This stirred a sense of unease within the Crown Prince, the Prime Minister, and the Prince of Lingnan. At this point, with the Emperor still not appearing and Prince Rui so adamant, it was highly likely that the Emperor was truly unconscious or had already passed away.
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