At this moment, a large number of troops had gathered outside the imperial city and surrounded the palace.
The person in the lead was none other than the Fourth Prince, who had been missing for several days.
Under the dim light of the torches, the Fourth Prince revealed his true colors: his eyes were fierce and sinister, and his expression was eccentric—a typical villain's face.
A soldier on horseback stepped forward and stopped behind him. "Your Highness, the Prime Minister has sent someone to report that he has already stalled the Crown Prince."
"Good, the Prime Minister has succeeded, it's our turn to strike!" The Fourth Prince raised his sword, pointing it at the imperial city. "Today, I will storm this imperial city, and tomorrow I will ascend the throne as Emperor. Those who submit to me will prosper, and those who oppose me will perish! Kill!"
"Kill them!"
Countless voices shouted as they raised their swords and charged into the imperial city.
For a time, the sounds of swords clashing were incessant, some of them quite jarring.
Blood shot into the sky, and blood was splattered onto the earth as if it were free. The aura of death enveloped the imperial city, and in no time, the ground was covered with corpses.
The Fourth Prince's men charged in with shouts, and the Imperial Guards were forced to retreat.
The Fourth Prince, seated on horseback, gripped a blood-dripping sword, gazing up at the sky above the imperial city. The flickering firelight illuminated his blood-stained face, making him appear somewhat terrifying. His eyes held an air of unwavering determination.
Suddenly, he burst into wild laughter, shouted, and spurred his horse into the palace.
Inside the Prime Minister's residence, Qiao Qiu held a wine cup, her ears twitching as if she had heard a slight noise.
Dongfang Wuye had been watching Qiao Qiu closely. Seeing her raise her wine cup but not drink, he couldn't help but ask, "Brother, what's wrong?"
"I drank a bit too much, I'm a little drunk," Qiao Qiu said casually, but her eyes were still very bright.
"A little drunk?" A question mark popped into Dongfang Wuye's mind. Wasn't his elder brother supposed to be able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk? He'd only had a few drinks?
The Prime Minister's heart skipped a beat, and he sounded the alarm. This was a critical moment. If the Crown Prince noticed anything, it would definitely hinder the Fourth Prince's actions.
The Prime Minister laughed, picked up his wine cup, and said, "Your Highness's drinking capacity is well-known in the court. Could it be that you find the wine in my home unpalatable? I know that I often opposed Your Highness in the past, which was wrong of me. But Your Highness, I am trying to correct my ways. Please give me a chance to change, and I will never disobey Your Highness again."
Dongfang Wuye also stood up and chimed in, "Yes, Your Majesty, it's better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester. If you can reconcile with the Prime Minister, I'll be happy too, since we're all family."
Even so, Dongfang Wuye felt something was off, though he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.
Qiao Qiu glanced at Dongfang Wuye, then at the Prime Minister, before slowly uttering a single word.
"good."
After saying that, he tilted his head back and downed the glass of wine in his hand. Then, he turned the glass upside down, and not a single drop spilled.
"His Highness the Crown Prince truly has a great capacity for alcohol!" the Prime Minister praised.
Dongfang Wuye barely suppressed his unease and sat down, without saying anything more.
Qiao Qiu said, "Prime Minister, you flatter me. Since you are so sincere, may I ask where my fourth brother is?"
The Prime Minister paused for a moment as he picked up the wine pot, but quickly resumed his normal movement, lifting the pot again. "How would this old minister know where the Fourth Prince is? Your Highness is joking."
"Oh? Is that so?" Qiao Qiu watched the Prime Minister pour wine, a smirk playing on her lips. "If that's the case, then who was it that secretly met with my fourth brother on the night Princess Gu Ke appeared, seemingly plotting something?"
The Prime Minister gave a forced, unsightly smile as he looked at Qiao Qiu. "Your Highness, don't make baseless accusations."
"Whether I, the Crown Prince, am slandering you or not, you know perfectly well," Qiao Qiu said with a faint smile.
Dongfang Wuye seemed to have thought of something, and suddenly looked up at the Prime Minister.
The prime minister had been in officialdom for decades. He was initially shocked, but by this time, he had calmed down.
"Your Highness, those are all things of the past. This old minister has now come to his senses. I hope that this repentance will gain Your Highness's approval. Please."
Qiao Qiu looked at the cup of wine offered by the Prime Minister and smiled faintly, "I hope the Prime Minister is sincere."
After speaking, he picked up his wine glass and drank it down in one gulp.
After drinking it, Qiao Qiu swayed, raised her hand, but before she could point at the Prime Minister, she closed her eyes and fainted.
Dongfang Wuye hugged Qiao Qiu tightly, crying out anxiously, "Royal brother! Royal brother! Prime Minister, what have you done to my royal brother?!"
Dongfang Wuye raised his head and glared angrily at the Prime Minister. He now understood everything. Damn it, he was the one who had harmed his elder brother.
The Prime Minister laughed gleefully, “What did I do? I merely added a little drug. His Highness the Crown Prince knows far too much.”
"insidious!"
"Hahaha..." The Prime Minister seemed to have heard something hilarious, laughing uncontrollably. "Me, treacherous? I was forced into being treacherous by him!"
The Prime Minister pointed at Qiao Qiu, his eyes filled with hatred.
"If it weren't for him, how could I have encountered so many setbacks these past few years, to the point that even the Emperor has grown increasingly displeased with me and could demote me at any moment? What have I been working so hard as an official for decades? I helped the Emperor stabilize the empire, and this is how they, father and son, treat me?!"
Dongfang Wuye angrily said, "Father Emperor remembers all the good things you've done for me over the years. Even though you've opposed my elder brother for so many years, and even though you haven't accomplished anything, he has never said anything about demoting you. If it were someone else who opposed my elder brother, do you think they could have sat in this position for so long?"
"Shut up! Stop spouting those nice words. Do you think I'd believe you?" The Prime Minister's expression was somewhat crazed, his eyes bloodshot. "Even if the Emperor spares me, will the Crown Prince? The Emperor favors the Crown Prince so much; the throne will inevitably pass to him sooner or later. What will become of me then? I've been at odds with the Crown Prince for so many years; I've long since lost all sense of shame. If he ascends the throne, he can find any excuse to make me suffer a terrible death!"
"Hahaha, since that's the case, why don't I support someone who's on the same side as me to become emperor?" The prime minister laughed loudly, his laughter somewhat eerie.
Dongfang Wuye looked at the Prime Minister and shook his head. This man was simply insane and incomprehensible.
Suddenly, the Prime Minister looked over, smiling gently, "Dongfang Wuye, I not only want to get rid of the Crown Prince, I also want to get rid of you. Why didn't you listen when I asked you to help me deal with the Crown Prince? Do you regret it now?"
Dongfang Wuye smiled and said, "Why should I regret it? I should be grateful. It is my good fortune to be able to die with my brother. It's just that I will be letting down my wife, Qing'er."
"Oh, right, I almost forgot about her. After she took her brother away, she never came back. Did you do it on her behalf?" the Prime Minister asked.
"Hahaha." Dongfang Wuye laughed, "Old thief, you deserve to have no descendants in this life!"
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