He forced himself to attend court today in order to demonstrate the emperor's authority.
Emperor Ji gripped the armrests of the dragon throne tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, and a look of heartache flashed in his eyes.
The atmosphere in the imperial court was heavy. All the ministers lowered their heads and remained silent, afraid of angering the emperor who was in a fit of rage.
"By imperial decree, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review is to immediately conduct a thorough investigation into this case, find the mastermind behind it, and punish him severely!" Emperor Ji's voice echoed in the empty hall, carrying an unquestionable majesty.
He then ordered people to send a lot of precious medicinal materials and sent an imperial physician to the scholar's residence to show his condolences and care.
Emperor Ji has already ordered the construction of a prince's mansion.
Yesterday, in order to appease Xiao Cheng, he directly bestowed upon Xiao Cheng the title of Prince Zhen and granted him the Prince Qin's Mansion.
According to the rules, Xiao Cheng, as the emperor's son, should have lived in the palace.
However, he chose to live in the Grand Secretary's residence, citing fear of being reminded of past events.
He had just been granted the title of Prince when the Seventh Prince was assassinated. This was a blatant disgrace to the Emperor! This enraged and angered the Emperor.
Fortunately, despite having been a wanderer for years, Xiao Cheng has performed remarkably well.
He not only possessed outstanding literary and military talents, but was also proficient in mechanical arts and divination, which made the emperor look at him with new respect.
"Excellent, excellent! My son is indeed no ordinary man. He is a blessing to our dynasty and a boon to our people." The emperor was overjoyed and felt much better.
For the past two years, Li Xi has arranged for him to practice martial arts, starting with the most basic horse stance.
He had to practice for more than an hour every day, and then gradually increase the difficulty and time, so that he could practice various martial arts techniques such as fist techniques, palm techniques, and sword techniques.
In addition to martial arts training, Li Xi also taught him some internal energy cultivation techniques to help him improve his internal strength and physical fitness.
At the same time, she would also guide him on how to use his internal energy to enhance his attack and defense. When she was too busy, she would find someone else to teach him.
After two years of arduous training, he has mastered certain martial arts skills and internal strength, but he still has a long way to go to be a true master.
With the martial arts experts arranged by Qin Xiaolin, he easily subdued the men in black.
This was part of their plan.
Emperor Ji had fifteen sons and eight daughters. The eldest prince was already in his thirties, while the youngest had just learned to walk.
However, he has yet to appoint a crown prince, and there are seven princes who are actually involved in the struggle for the throne, not including the seventh prince who has just returned.
The most likely candidate to move into the Eastern Palace is Xiao Yan, the fifth prince born to the Empress.
Just as Emperor Ji was seriously ill, the situation in the court underwent a major change.
Emperor Ji surprisingly appointed his fifth son as regent, entrusting him with the management of state affairs.
The news caused an immediate sensation throughout the government and the public.
People are speculating whether Emperor Ji's move means he has already regarded the fifth prince as the future heir to the throne.
For a time, the Fifth Prince became the focus of everyone's attention.
However, the power struggles within the court are never as simple as they appear on the surface.
Although the Fifth Prince seemed to have the Emperor's trust, in reality, the court was rife with undercurrents, concealing countless schemes and ambitions.
Xiao Cheng knew that the struggles in the palace were often accompanied by intrigues and conflicts of interest, and that the forces behind these might have an impact on him.
The emperor's true purpose in summoning him back gradually became clear.
Since that's the case, he granted their wish!
As a prince who had just returned to the palace, Xiao Cheng did not have a prominent maternal family background. His mother had passed away early, and his maternal grandfather was just a Grand Secretary with no real power. He seemed to pose no threat to the other princes vying for power.
However, Emperor Ji placed great trust in the newly enthroned Prince Zhen, whose health had recovered very well since Xiao Cheng returned to the palace.
After passing the examinations of the three Grand Tutors, Grand Preceptors, and Grand Protectors of the Princes, the Seventh Prince Xiao Cheng not only made rapid progress in martial arts, but also demonstrated extraordinary talent in both literary and military arts. Therefore, he no longer needed to study in the Imperial Study.
Emperor Ji was overjoyed upon hearing this and praised Grand Secretary Gu for his effective teaching.
He always consulted with Prince Zhen on state affairs and attended court sessions with him, giving the impression that the country was entrusted to him.
This move naturally aroused dissatisfaction among other princes' factions, causing undercurrents to surge within the court.
Various forces were eager to make their move, speculating about the deeper meaning behind Emperor Ji's actions.
Those princes who originally thought highly of themselves and had powerful backgrounds couldn't help but feel an indescribable sense of fear and resentment as they watched Xiao Cheng, this seemingly weak prince, gradually emerge.
Fifth Prince Xiao Yan, with his maternal family's deep roots in the court, has always been a popular candidate for the position of crown prince. At this moment, he looked gloomy and secretly gathered his confidants to devise a countermeasure.
He knew that if Xiao Cheng continued to develop in this way, his dream of becoming the crown prince would be shattered.
"Father favors Prince Zhen so much, could it be that he really has his eye on the 'helplessness' behind him? Hmph, what a joke! In the end, it is strength that speaks in this world." Xiao Yan sneered, his eyes flashing with a resolute light.
Meanwhile, the fourth prince, Xiao Yi, adopted a more covert approach.
He began to secretly contact some old ministers in the court who were dissatisfied with Emperor Ji's decisions, attempting to undermine Emperor Ji's trust in Xiao Cheng from within.
He knew that direct confrontation would only provoke his father's displeasure; only by outsmarting him could he achieve his goal.
Beneath this undercurrent, Xiao Cheng seemed oblivious to the impending storm.
He continued to diligently attend to state affairs every day, discussing governance strategies with the emperor, striving to make more contributions to the people of Beiji Kingdom within the limited time available.
After returning to his residence, he wrote down what he had found about the Red Lotus Sect and gave it to Qin Xiaolin's men to send back to Jingyuan by carrier pigeon.
The emperor assigned him to work in Shuntian Prefecture and asked him to assist the prefectural magistrate in handling official business.
This gave him access to information that would normally be difficult to obtain.
The news from Qin Xiaolin gave him a clear understanding of the Red Lotus Sect's infiltration in Northern Hebei.
Given the Red Lotus Sect's ambitious nature, after annexing Jingyuan, their next step will definitely be to target Beiji.
Therefore, the most urgent task at present is to conduct an in-depth investigation into the Red Lotus Cult's sphere of influence and action plans.
Li Xi, as the Holy Maiden of the Red Lotus Sect, was assigned to spread the doctrines near Kyoto.
Many regions are currently experiencing drought and crop failures, leading to a surge of refugees heading to towns near Kyoto in hopes of finding a way to survive.
Li Xi wore a light red lotus embroidered robe and a lotus crown with gold and silver trim, exuding an extraordinary and refined temperament with every step she took.
Wherever the saint went, the disaster victims looked upon her with awe and hope. Her voice was gentle yet firm, like a spring of water found in the desert, offering solace and hope to the people's hearts.
"Fellow villagers, I am Luo Yue, the Holy Maiden of the Red Lotus Sect. I know that you are suffering unprecedented hardships. Natural disasters are merciless, but humanity is full of love. The Red Lotus Sect upholds compassion and is willing to overcome these difficult times with you."
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