Chapter 237 You have a dead aura
Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Civil and military officials were whispering to each other, and everyone's face was filled with unconcealable worry and exploration.
"What happened to the prince? It's already the second day and there's still no news."
"I heard that he was trying to protect the emperor, but he injured his roots. I'm afraid... he's in great danger."
"Hush, be careful with your words. Your Majesty is also not in good health. Now that the court is without a leader, if this continues, the country will no longer be a country."
Just as everyone was talking and feeling uneasy, an old voice broke the noise in the hall.
"quiet."
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Xiao Mu, the great uncle of the current emperor, who was personally named "Wise King" by the previous emperor, slowly walking out from among the officials with a dragon-headed cane.
The old wise king had white hair and beard, and he always presented himself as a non-confrontational, virtuous and generous person. But at this moment, he looked around at everyone with a sad face and said with great sorrow.
"My fellow officials, the country is on the verge of collapse. The Regent has been wounded for the country, and the Emperor is ill. As ministers of the Great Chu, we eat the emperor's salary and bear his worries. How can we stand here and gossip like women in the market and disrupt the order of our court?"
He spoke so righteously that many officials lowered their heads in shame.
Censor Qian quickly stepped forward and echoed, "Your Highness is right, but now we are leaderless and our orders are not being implemented. We are also extremely anxious and don't know what to do."
"Yes, Your Highness the Xianwang Palace, you are the head of the royal family and are highly respected. Please make an idea for us." Immediately, several ministers who have always been on good terms with the Xianwang Palace spoke up.
The old wise king slammed the ground heavily with his dragon-headed cane.
"Alas," he sighed deeply. "His Royal Highness the Regent has worked tirelessly and made great contributions, and this time he even achieved the unprecedented feat of protecting the emperor and suppressing the rebellion. However, he is seriously injured and can no longer govern. This is an indisputable fact."
"And the Emperor, faced with such a great change, needs to rest and recuperate, and should not worry about state affairs."
"A country cannot be without a ruler for a single day, nor can the state be without a ruler for a single day. To ensure the stability of our Great Chu and the well-being of our people..."
The old wise king paused slightly when he said this.
"I am an old man of humble talent, but I am willing to temporarily assume the position of regent with my frail body. When the prince and His Majesty recover, I will return to power and retire to my hometown."
When these words were spoken, everyone in the room was shocked.
Temporarily acting as regent.
How is this different from treason?
The expressions of Xiao Yu's trusted aides, including Minister of War Lin Yuan, changed instantly.
"No." Lin Yuan immediately stepped out and retorted in a deep voice, "The prince is only temporarily unconscious, and the Imperial Preceptor is doing his utmost to treat him. Your Highness the Virtuous Prince's actions are neither justified nor tolerated by law."
"Minister Lin is wrong." An imperial censor immediately stepped out from behind the old sage king and said confidently, "The Imperial Preceptor is proficient in the mystical Dao, not the art of medicine. No one can predict the extent of the prince's injuries. Are we going to let the entire Great Zhou wait for an uncertain outcome? If anything goes wrong, who will bear the responsibility?"
"That's right. Your Highness, the Wise King, temporarily managing state affairs as a member of the royal family is the safest solution at this moment."
For a time, there were clear barriers in the court.
The faction supporting the old wise king and the faction loyal to Xiao Yu were arguing fiercely.
The old wise king watched coldly, Xiao Yu, Xiao Yu, you are still too young after all.
Just when he thought the situation was settled and was about to speak again, a clear girl's voice came from outside the hall.
"Who said our prince is unable to govern?"
The noisy court suddenly became quiet.
Everyone looked towards the palace entrance.
A little girl in a light blue dress walked in, holding an exquisite white porcelain soup bowl.
The person who came was Ajiu.
Her little face was still a little pale, but her big black eyes were unusually bright. She calmly swept over the civil and military officials in the hall with different expressions, without any fear or timidity.
"How dare you!" The imperial censor behind the old virtuous king immediately jumped out, pointed at Ah Jiu and shouted, "This is the Hall of Supreme Harmony, a very important place in the imperial court. Who are you to dare to trespass?"
Ajiu didn't bother to look at him, and walked straight to the center of the hall, carefully placing the soup bowl in his hand on the tray in the hands of a palace servant beside him.
She turned her head to look at the gloomy old king and said calmly, "I'm here to bring ginseng soup to His Majesty on the orders of the Regent. The prince said he's just a little tired and wants to rest for a few more days. I'll trouble you all to discuss the affairs of the court first. I'll handle them once he's rested enough."
She said this lightly, but it shocked everyone's heart.
The Regent... is awake.
The old wise king's face turned ugly in an instant.
"That's nonsense." He snorted coldly, "Little girl, do you know what deceiving the emperor is? The Regent is clearly seriously injured and unconscious, yet you dare to forge the king's order? What are your intentions?"
"Wise Prince."
Ajiu did not answer his question, but took two steps forward and looked at him carefully with his little head tilted.
"My lord, you look very energetic," she said suddenly.
The old wise king was stunned by her nonsensical words.
"But..." Ah Jiu changed the subject, his voice filled with confusion, "Ah Jiu, it seems like there's a hint of death around you."
Dead air?
The old sage king was furious. "How dare you, you little brat, to deceive the people and curse me! Come, drag this witch away and slap her in the face."
Ah Jiu, however, seemed not to have heard him and continued to speak to himself, "Although this deathly aura is very faint, it is very troublesome."
She stretched out her fingers and counted carefully.
"Within three days." She raised her head and looked at the old wise king's face, which was twisted with anger. "Your most beloved thing will be shattered."
After saying this, she blinked innocently.
The entire Hall of Supreme Harmony was deathly silent.
Everyone was shocked by Ajiu's shocking remarks.
"Crazy... Really crazy..." The old virtuous king was so angry that he was shaking all over. He pointed at Ah Jiu and shouted to the imperial guards on both sides, "Are you all dead? Hurry and capture her."
Minister of War Lin Yuan took a step forward and stood in front of Ajiu.
"Your Highness, please calm down." He said in a deep voice, "This Miss Ajiu is the most trusted person by the prince. Her words are the prince's will. Since the prince is just tired, we, as his subjects, should wait patiently for his recovery. As for the matter of regent, I think we should...take a long-term view."
Other officials loyal to Xiao Yu also reacted and immediately echoed.
"Minister Lin is right. We will just wait patiently for the prince."
"That's right, it's just a few days, I can afford to wait."
The old wise king was so angry that he felt dizzy when he saw the situation which was taking a turn for the worse.
He stared at the little girl who was protected behind him, feeling both surprised and angry.
He really couldn't understand why Xiao Yu would send such a crazy little girl to deliver the message.
Deceiving the public with lies...
The next day, at Prince Xian’s Mansion.
In the study, the old wise king was furious because of the setback he suffered in the court yesterday, and he threw a precious celadon vase to the ground.
"You're all useless." He cursed, "You can't even handle a little girl."
Just as he was furious, an extremely slight "crack" sound came from his chest.
The old wise king's movements suddenly froze.
He stretched out his hand tremblingly and took out an ancient jade pendant from his underwear.
This jade pendant is a token of his loyalty passed down from generation to generation in the Xiao royal family. It is also a symbol of his identity and status. He regards it as his life and never leaves it.
In the center of the jade pendant, a crack as thin as a hair quietly appeared.
Then, under the old sage king's horrified gaze, the crack rapidly expanded and spread...
“Pah.”
A soft sound.
The precious jade that had been passed down from generation to generation was broken into two pieces in his palm.
A biting chill instantly rushed to the top of his head.
He remembered the little girl's words that were like a curse in the Hall of Supreme Harmony yesterday.
"Within three days, your most beloved possession will be broken into pieces."
Fear and panic completely overwhelmed him like a tide.
He immediately issued an order, announcing to the public that he had caught a cold and needed to close the door to visitors and not attend court for the time being.
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