Chapter 178 The Noble Young Master of a Marquis's Family (Seventeen) The Noble Young Master's Revenge and Love...
"Quickly summon the imperial physician! Hurry!" Zhao Xuanzhang stumbled over, turned to look at Han Huaiying, the commander of the Imperial Guards, who was standing there dumbfounded, and roared, "Commander Han, what are you standing there for? Quickly send men to guard all the mountain passes and don't let those rampant assassins escape!"
Han Huaiying then seemed to wake from a dream, and scrambled to her feet to arrange for her men to search for the assassin in the mountains.
At this moment, Zhao Xuanzhang had no time to appease the princes, ministers, concubines, and female relatives who were in complete chaos. He followed the imperial physicians to move the seriously injured and unconscious Emperor Jian'an into the imperial tent. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palms.
With each passing moment, his heart tightened.
After an unknown amount of time, the Imperial Physician, covered in sweat, finally emerged shakily from the inner tent and bowed to Zhao Xuanzhang, saying, "Your Highness, His Majesty's life is temporarily out of danger, but the arrow wound is too deep, and he will likely need a long period of rest and recuperation in the future."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xuanzhang's tense body relaxed slightly. He immediately grabbed the imperial physician's arm and asked anxiously, "Has Father Emperor woken up yet?"
"This... His Majesty has not yet awakened." The imperial physician's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xuanzhang frowned and asked with a stern face, "Have you all found out what caused Father Emperor to fall into a coma?"
"Not yet, not yet ascertained."
Before Zhao Xuanzhang could continue his questioning, the Second Prince, Zhao Xuanhong, received news of Emperor Jian'an's assassination attempt. He strode into the imperial tent with his subordinates, his voice fierce as he declared, "If anything happens to Father Emperor, everyone in the Imperial Hospital will be buried with him!"
Upon hearing this, the Imperial Physician dared not rise and hurriedly knelt down, trembling as he agreed.
Just then, Han Huaiying ran back, panting, with a few shallow scratches on his face. He reported loudly, "Your Highness! I have sent men to guard all the exits from the mountain, but... Yanqiu Mountain is too big, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to search it all in a short time."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Xuanhong, who was furious, kicked him to the ground.
"Useless! What use are you Imperial Guards that Father Emperor keeps! You can't even catch a few assassins!"
Han Huaiying knelt on the ground, barely daring to breathe, inwardly groaning. This hunt was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but who could have imagined so many reckless assassins would appear? Moreover, judging from their skills, they were clearly prepared!
Three to five days passed, and Emperor Jian'an remained unconscious. The imperial physicians were extremely busy, but the old emperor's high fever persisted, and he didn't even open his eyes.
The princes and ministers were all panicked, kneeling outside the imperial tent every day, praying for the emperor's speedy recovery.
On the seventh day after Emperor Jian'an's assassination, the head of the Eastern Palace guards and Han Huaiying brought the drugged men in black to the imperial tent to request an audience with Zhao Xuanzhang.
"Your Highness, these thieves couldn't withstand the torture and have confessed one by one!" After saying this, the two looked at Zhao Xuanhong, who stood behind the Crown Prince with a troubled expression.
"Why are you all staring at me like that!?"
Enraged, Zhao Xuanhong drew his sword from his waist and placed it firmly and accurately against the neck of the head guard.
Han Huaiying, standing to the side, remained calm and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, please calm down. This matter concerns His Majesty's health. Please allow us to finish speaking."
With a sharp sword pressed against his neck, cold sweat streamed down his forehead, yet he gritted his teeth and continued, "Those men in black confessed that they were acting on the orders of the Second Prince to commit acts of misconduct against the nobles of the palace..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Xuanhong thrust his sword forward, slashing a bloody gash across the guard's neck: "You're tired of living! My father was assassinated, and you should have been doing everything in your power to find the culprit, but instead you've taken this opportunity to maliciously frame me! Tell me! Who exactly instructed you to do this?"
"Second brother!"
Zhao Xuanzhang slowly rose from beside Emperor Jian'an's bed, his voice icy: "Let him finish what he has to say."
"Your Majesty! What do you mean by this?"
Zhao Xuanhong's expression changed drastically. He threw his sword to the ground with a clang and roared, "This bastard is spouting nonsense! Nonsense! This is clearly someone deliberately framing me!"
The princes and ministers kneeling outside the imperial tent exchanged glances after witnessing this farce.
Since the assassination attempt on Emperor Jian'an, Zhao Xuanhong had been extremely irritable. He frequently punished imperial physicians and palace servants, appearing completely out of control. Some considered him highly suspicious, given the irrefutable evidence; others, however, believed the matter was too suspicious and there must be more to it than met the eye. After all, while the Second Prince acted rashly, he wasn't entirely without sense of propriety.
No matter how furious Zhao Xuanhong was, he was still taken away by the head of the Eastern Palace guards and Han Huaiying and placed under house arrest in a side tent.
Half a month later, Prime Minister Situ, along with many princes and high-ranking officials, submitted a memorial requesting Crown Prince Zhao Xuanzhang to oversee the country and act as regent. Officials from the Second Prince's faction immediately objected, arguing that Emperor Jian'an was currently seriously injured, and for the Crown Prince to attempt to ascend the throne was utterly unfilial! Zhao Xuanzhang's eyes reddened, and he shook his head with a bitter smile, saying that the matter should not be discussed further; everything should be discussed after his father awoke.
However, as everyone waited and waited, almost a month passed, and Emperor Jian'an still showed no signs of waking up. Now, not only the Crown Prince's faction but also the neutral faction was becoming restless.
An army cannot be without a commander for a day, nor can a country be without a ruler for a day. Now that His Majesty is unconscious, the Crown Prince, as the heir apparent, should rightfully inherit the throne to safeguard the foundation of the nation. Therefore, all the officials once again jointly petitioned, imploring the Crown Prince to prioritize the greater good.
Zhao Xuanzhang knelt before Emperor Jian'an's bed, tears streaming down his face. After a long while, under the earnest gazes of his ministers, he trembled as he accepted the memorial, "reluctantly" complying with the will of the people, and ascended the throne as emperor on the imperial platform at Yanqiu Mountain, establishing the reign title of Yongshou.
That afternoon, the court officials escorted Emperor Yongshou back to the capital. After all, such a momentous event as the ascension of a new emperor required a grand ceremony of offering sacrifices of three kinds of animals and nine kinds of rites to Heaven, in order to demonstrate that the Mandate of Heaven had been bestowed upon him and to bring peace to all the people.
Soon, the Empress Dowager, inside the Cirong Hall, heard the sounds of celebratory music and cannons, and her brow furrowed slightly. She beckoned to a head palace maid beside her and asked wearily, "Is today some important day? Why is the palace so lively?"
The head palace maid had received instructions early on, so she naturally dared not say anything more. She simply lowered her head and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, perhaps His Majesty has summoned another concubine, hence the celebration with music and ceremonies!"
"Is that so? In that case, let it be."
The Empress Dowager gently rubbed her temples, then leaned back on the soft couch for a short rest. However, the music and rituals continued unabated, growing increasingly noisy. A sense of unease crept into her heart. His Majesty had done such outrageous things before, so why was the music and rituals for summoning the concubines lasting so long?
No! That's not right!
Just as she was pondering this, she suddenly heard the royal bells in the palace ringing out.
The royal bells were rarely rung, only sounding on momentous occasions concerning the nation's stability, such as the ascension of a new emperor or the death of the previous one. The Empress Dowager abruptly sat up from the soft couch, her face instantly turning pale. She sternly ordered the palace servants beside her, "You all must immediately find out what has happened in the palace!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Soon, the palace maids who had been sent out by the Empress Dowager rushed back in a panic, their faces pale as they knelt on the ground, trembling as they said, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The Cirong Palace is completely surrounded by the Imperial Guards, and they won't allow us to step out of the palace!"
"What?"
The Empress Dowager was struck dumb, her whole body trembled, and she was speechless for a long time.
After a long while, she suddenly turned her head, stared intently at the head palace maid, and asked through gritted teeth, "Chunlan, I have always treated you well, why did you deliberately deceive me?"
Chunlan gave the Empress Dowager a deep look and said softly, "Does Your Majesty still remember Bitao, the second-class palace maid who served in Cirong Palace?"
As the most esteemed woman in the Great Yue Dynasty, how could the Empress Dowager remember the name of a lowly palace maid? Her expression changed slightly as she stared intently at Chunlan, "What exactly do you want to say to me?"
Chunlan looked sorrowful, shook her head and smiled: "That silly Bitao was only praised by the late Emperor for having hands as soft as a knife, and then Your Majesty the Empress Dowager cut off both of her hands and threw them into the dry well in the Cold Palace to fend for themselves."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the low couch, exclaiming incredulously, "For a lowly palace maid, you would betray your master like this? I am only punishing her as a warning to others!"
"Betrayal?" Chunlan laughed, but her voice was as cold as ice: "Your Majesty, the lowly palace maid you speak of is my own sister. Tell me, how can I not avenge such a great grudge?"
"How dare you, you lowly servant! You...you..."
Before the Empress Dowager could finish speaking, a troop of imperial guards entered the Cirong Hall. The leading general knelt on one knee and said coldly, "Your Majesty, His Majesty has decreed that you temporarily move to a side hall to enjoy your remaining years. Without a summons, you are not allowed to move around at will."
"What did you say?"
The Empress Dowager was both shocked and furious, and suddenly said, "I don't believe it! You all must immediately bring His Majesty to see me in person!"
Upon hearing this, the general's face showed a mocking smile. "Your Majesty, His Majesty is currently performing the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Please forgive me for not being able to inform you."
"A ceremony to worship Heaven? What ceremony to worship Heaven? Who ascended the throne? Who was it?"
The general lowered his eyes and remained silent, only raising his hand to signal the imperial guards behind him to step forward. The palace servants inside the Cirong Hall were so frightened that they collapsed to the ground, about to be roughly dragged out of the inner palace by these soldiers.
"Wait, wait!" The Empress Dowager suddenly straightened her back, her voice carrying a forced composure, and said with her eyes closed, "Where is the Second Prince? Is he in the palace? I want to see him!"
"Your Majesty, the Second Prince has been placed under house arrest for treason. His Majesty has ordered that no one is allowed to visit him." As soon as the general finished speaking, several imperial guards stepped forward expressionlessly, supported the limp Empress Dowager, and carried her to a side hall.
Meanwhile, Zhao Xuanhong, who was under house arrest in his residence, was pacing back and forth in his study in agitation.
He kicked over the chair next to him and roared, "This is clearly a frame-up! How could I possibly send someone to assassinate my father! How could I!"
Huai Jing hurriedly knelt down and advised, "Your Highness, the current situation is unfavorable to us. Those men in black have failed and have all been captured alive by the new emperor. In my opinion, you should be patient for now and make further plans later."
Zhao Xuanhong grabbed Huaijing by the collar, his eyes bloodshot. "Endure? How can I endure? Father is still unconscious. Once Zhao Xuanzhang secures the throne, will I have any chance of survival? Who else... no, that's not right, there's the Empress Dowager! There's my grandmother! Huaijing! Go to Cirong Palace immediately and beg my grandmother to come and save me! Go now!"
Huai Jing lowered his head and concealed the gloomy expression on his face, and said respectfully, "Your Highness, the manor is heavily guarded now, and it is really difficult for me to escape on my own."
"No, no..." Zhao Xuanhong slumped into a chair, his eyes bloodshot as he stared intently at Huai Jing, a low growl like a trapped beast escaping his throat: "Useless! All of you are useless! You're my personal bodyguard, how come you can't even do this simple thing? What's the point of keeping you around! Tell me! Huh? Tell me!!"
Upon hearing this, Huai Jing slowly raised his head. The sunlight slanted across his face, and amidst the interplay of light and shadow, a faint, cold smile slowly curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Your Highness, please calm down."
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Author's Note: [Cat emoji][Cat emoji][Cat emoji]
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