Chapter 110 The Events of That Year (Part 7)
The news of the emperor's serious illness reached almost every prince.
They all coveted the throne.
That day, with tears streaming down his face and his eyes red from crying, Eunuch Li walked out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation and shouted in a hoarse voice to the group of ministers standing outside the hall, "His Majesty... has passed away!"
The ministers outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation knelt down in a rush, and their cries immediately filled the air.
At this point, the question of who would inherit the throne became a mystery.
The Minister of Rites knelt down as Eunuch Li emerged from the Hall of Mental Cultivation and said, "Eunuch Li, the Emperor has passed away. Which prince will inherit the throne? A country cannot be without a ruler for even a day!"
Eunuch Li wiped away his tears and said in a shrill voice, "Minister, you are mistaken. The Emperor has only just left. Why are you in such a hurry? Anyone who doesn't know better would think you have ulterior motives."
The Minister of Rites was stunned, gritted his teeth, and his face turned pale with anger.
This Eunuch Li...
Eunuch Li, however, no longer paid attention to the Minister of Rites's attitude. Instead, he took out an imperial edict from behind him and began to read it aloud.
Even the Minister of Rites, who had just been displaying a vicious expression, now shut his mouth, his small eyes staring intently at the imperial edict.
"By the grace of Heaven and Earth, the Emperor decrees: The Ninth Prince, Su Li, is gentle and approachable, which I greatly admire. Therefore, I hereby pass the throne to him. So be it—"
As soon as the words were spoken, the ministers kneeling in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation looked at each other in disbelief.
The other princes, especially, were even more incredulous when they heard that Su Li had ascended the throne and gained their father's favor.
The eldest prince asked, "Eunuch Li, are you sure you haven't mispronounced it?"
Eunuch Li snorted coldly, "Hmph! This old servant is a servant by the Emperor's side. Even if you gave me a hundred lives, I would not dare to disobey the imperial decree and allow someone else who shouldn't have such thoughts to take the position."
The eldest prince was furious that even a servant by his father's side would dare to offend him like this. He almost cried out in anger, "I don't believe it! I am the eldest son of the emperor, and he clearly loves me very much. How could he possibly pass the throne to that good-for-nothing Su Li!"
Eunuch Li's face instantly darkened. "Are you doubting the Emperor?"
The eldest prince still looked incredulous, and even reached out to snatch the imperial edict from Eunuch Li's hand. When he looked down and saw that the contents of the edict were indeed consistent with what he had said, he sneered inwardly.
Father Emperor has probably been blinded!
Seeing the eldest prince snatch the imperial edict, Eunuch Li immediately stepped forward, intending to take it back as well. "Your Highness, this is the late emperor's order. Please do not make things difficult for this servant."
The eldest prince raised his head, gave Eunuch Li a cold look, and said in a voice so cold it was almost dripping with malice, "What if I don't?"
Upon hearing this, everyone in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation was stunned.
Is the eldest prince plotting a rebellion?
The others were utterly shocked by the prince's audacity.
Eunuch Li was stunned. "What does the First Prince mean by that?"
The eldest prince said, "It means exactly what it says."
"The literal meaning?" A glint seemed to flash in Eunuch Li's narrow eyes. "Could it be that the Crown Prince intends to rebel?"
Looking at the cold-faced eunuch in front of him, the eldest prince's disgust for him reached its peak.
The sky seemed to reflect the atmosphere in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, with dark clouds pressing down on the Forbidden City and lightning tearing the clouds into several cracks.
It looks like it's going to rain.
Su Li knelt in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, watching the confrontation between Eunuch Li and his eldest brother. He made up his mind and walked straight over.
He reached out, trying to snatch the imperial edict from his elder brother's hand, but the man in front of him saw through his intentions. The eldest brother looked at Su Li and asked, "Ninth brother, what are you trying to do?"
The emperor's aura wafted over him, and under normal circumstances, Su Li would have been so frightened that his legs would have gone weak.
But he is not the same person he was before.
Su Li raised an eyebrow and said sarcastically, "Elder brother, don't you know what I'm planning? Now, you should call me Emperor."
The eldest prince sneered, "The enthronement ceremony hasn't even taken place yet. Who knows if Father's last will and testament has been tampered with?"
He became sarcastic again, "Hmph, so that's why Ninth Brother suddenly disappeared for a while. Turns out he was hiding his true abilities."
This is outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Eunuch Li is still holding the imperial edict. Su Li thought that even if his elder brother was bold, he wouldn't rebel so soon after his father's death.
Thinking of this, Su Li became bolder. "Elder brother, you flatter me too much. But you are right, since I have not yet had my coronation ceremony, I am still your brother."
The eldest brother sneered, "Brother, you've finally told the truth. It's just a pity that you won't be able to hold onto this throne."
Su Li was shocked. "Brother, what do you mean by that? Father's body is barely cold, what do you mean by that?!"
The eldest prince's eyes changed slightly, and he drew his soft sword from his waist. The cold light flashed before his eyes. Su Li looked in disbelief at his eldest brother, who had been relatively polite to him in the past, with the sharp sword in his hand pointing straight at his chest.
He never expected his elder brother to treat him like this, and his body seemed to freeze in place, completely motionless.
Eunuch Li was terrified, and his voice became even shriller, "Guards! Quickly! Protect the Ninth Prince!"
The incident happened so suddenly that the surrounding guards didn't even have time to react.
"Thud—" That was the sound of a sharp sword piercing flesh.
Su Li stared wide-eyed at his elder brother, the emperor, and coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Intense pain swept through his body, blood kept gushing from his throat, and the metallic smell of blood filled his nose and throat, making him tremble all over.
The temperature inside his body seemed to be dissipating inch by inch, and Su Li felt very cold.
He was finally about to ascend the throne, could it be that he's going to die because of his carelessness?
The eldest prince seemed unsatisfied, and forcefully pulled the sword that had pierced Su Li's chest out, a ruthless smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "Brothers, charge! This throne, if not mine, will be mine!"
The eldest prince was ruthless and decisive, and he had the support of many people in the court.
With a single call, hundreds responded. As soon as he finished speaking, many of those who had been bowing their heads in submission below stood up, drew their swords, and charged towards Su Li.
Eunuch Li stared in disbelief at the dark-clad soldiers charging towards him, a cold sweat instantly beading on his forehead. "You... the late emperor's body is barely cold, and you're rebelling!"
He then looked at Su Li, who had been stabbed, and rushed forward to support him, "Ninth Prince, how are you?"
"Quickly, Imperial Physician, Imperial Physician, come quickly!" Eunuch Li wanted to help Su Li into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, but was stopped by the First Prince who stepped forward.
"Eunuch Li," the eldest prince said with a wicked smile, "Ninth brother, he will surely die."
The sword, still dripping blood from its blade, had just pierced flesh. The eldest prince pointed the blade at Eunuch Li, his tone threatening.
A piercing pain spread from his chest to every part of his body. Su Li looked at Eunuch Li beside him and whispered, "Eunuch Li, you, you should leave quickly..."
"But……"
While Eunuch Li hesitated, the sharp sword had already come hurtling towards him.
Eunuch Li immediately shielded Su Li with his body, and at the same time shouted to the imperial physician who had been guarding the late emperor, "Quickly save the Ninth Prince!"
As he spoke, he shoved the still-injured Su Li hard into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Looking at Eunuch Li who was protecting him, Su Li felt a deep sense of despair.
He's still too weak.
A deep sense of powerlessness enveloped him. He was so frightened that he hid in the Hall of Mental Cultivation and was helped up by the imperial physician, but he watched as the sharp sword pierced into Eunuch Li's chest.
"Eunuch Li..."
Su Li murmured, tears of regret welling up in his eyes.
Outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Eunuch Li looked at the sword pressed against his chest, and steeled his heart, "Your Highness, do you really intend to kill this old servant?"
His face flashed with unwavering resolve, but no one knew that Eunuch Li's palms were practically covered in cold sweat.
The Ninth Prince absolutely cannot die; he must complete the task entrusted to him by the late Emperor.
The eldest prince burst into laughter as if he had heard something hilarious. "Where did that arrogant demeanor of Eunuch Li go? So... you value your life too."
The eldest prince wiped the blood from his hands and coaxed, "As a eunuch by Father Emperor's side, you naturally know many things, right? I do not intend to kill you, but Su Li must die. However, if you support my ascension to the throne, I might spare my younger brother's life. Eunuch Li, what do you think?"
The eldest prince wasn't stupid. Seeing the furrowed brow of Eunuch Li, he guessed something. "Don't think that by not telling me, you can buy time for the person inside. It's all in vain, Eunuch Li, do you understand?"
Having his thoughts guessed, Eunuch Li, having served the late emperor for many years, remained calm and said, "Your Highness is right, but do you know that doing this in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation is a capital offense?"
Upon hearing this, the eldest prince burst into laughter, "Beheading? If I were to sit on this throne, how could I possibly behead someone?!"
Eunuch Li: "You...Your Highness, you...Eh!"
Chaos reigned within the Forbidden City. Upon receiving the news, Yan Jue arrived at the Forbidden City on horseback, his brow furrowing.
He was followed by three thousand imperial guards. He gave some instructions to these soldiers and then used his lightness skill to reach the roof of the Hall of Mental Cultivation by himself.
When Yan Jue saw the unfamiliar man pointing a sharp sword at Eunuch Li, he frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled.
He received news that Su Li was injured and that the eldest prince had rebelled. After thinking about it, he wondered if the person holding the sword was the eldest prince.
Thinking of this, Yan Jue's lips curled into a cold smile.
How dare you bully his brother? Die!
The Forbidden City was surrounded by rebel forces. The sky was dark and gloomy, and the sounds of killing echoed within the high palace walls. It seemed isolated from the world, but this was a critical period for the fate of Dongyue.
The palace guards, lacking proper training, were no match for the well-prepared rebels and quickly found themselves at a disadvantage.
In addition, the rebels kept shouting the news that Su Li was injured, which shook the morale of the soldiers who were on Su Li's side. Some ran away, some fled, and the army was completely routed.
"Boom!" Thunder roared in the sky, echoing through the clouds.
Dark clouds gathered, and soon large raindrops began to fall in torrents. A sense of gloom swept through the entire capital, casting a heavy, oppressive atmosphere over the already turbulent Forbidden City.
Yan Jue frowned as he glanced at the sky, slowly raised his hand, and murmured, "It's raining."
This seems to be a harbinger, foreshadowing that a bloodbath will surely erupt in the capital today.
Yan Jue watched as Eunuch Li grew increasingly agitated, and the smug look on the unfamiliar face, and sneered inwardly as rainwater slid down his armor.
With his sword drawn from its sheath, he remained hidden in the shadows, watching as the rebel army broke through the ranks of soldiers and charged toward the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
The crisp sound of rain echoed in his ears as Yan Jue turned to the side, listening to the conversation between the two.
The eldest prince looked at Eunuch Li in front of him, glanced at the soldiers sweeping up behind him, and burst into laughter, "Eunuch Li, you dare to entrust the Emperor's last edict to your ninth brother so confidently, it must be because the Emperor still has a backup plan, right?"
Eunuch Li's somewhat desolate expression turned to surprise. He snorted coldly, "Your Highness is mistaken. The late emperor's edict was only ever this one. I was merely following orders."
"Ha! Eunuch Li, you think you can fool me?" The eldest prince couldn't contain his smugness as he listened to the increasingly loud sound of iron hooves. "I advise you to tell the truth and hand over the late emperor's edict. I can spare your life and that good-for-nothing's."
"Your Highness, why don't you just kill this servant now? That way, even if you ascend the throne, it will be in vain. Let the people of the world see how you came to power."
These words seemed to have struck a nerve with the eldest prince. His eyes instantly turned bloodshot, his body trembled with rage, and a terrifying aura emanated from him.
He raised his hand, and with a sudden movement, he swung the gleaming, rain-washed sword at Eunuch Li's vulnerable neck.
A sword was pressed against his neck, its sharp blade leaving a red mark on his delicate skin, from which a trickle of blood oozed.
A cold smile curled at the corner of Eunuch Li's lips. The Emperor had told him before that if anyone wanted to rebel and usurp the throne, they must be killed so that there would be no evidence against them. This would make the person's actions illegitimate and risk being condemned by the whole world, thus solidifying the charge of treason.
"Eunuch Li, will you speak or not!" the eldest prince roared, his large hand trembling, as if he were about to strike at any moment.
The light in Eunuch Li's eyes had died, but his expression was resolute. "Your Highness, do you already know the answer in your heart whether you want this servant to die or live?"
"Ah!! I want you dead!" The eldest prince was furious when he saw that a servant was being threatened by him and still wouldn't give in.
Because he is the eldest prince, his mother had high hopes for him since he was a child. The servants and maids around him also said that he would become the emperor in the future. But why!
Why did his father love him so much, yet refuse to give him the throne, instead giving it to that useless ninth brother?
He is not convinced!
He lost his mind, raised the sword in his hand, and swung it towards Eunuch Li's neck.
But the next moment—
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