Emperor Rongsheng stared wide-eyed at the scene before him in disbelief.
Every three days, the beautiful and charming Consort Zheng would personally deliver various kinds of soups that he loved to drink.
At first, Emperor Rongsheng always seemed to want more after each drinking session.
Consort Zheng's soup-making skills were superb, and Emperor Rongsheng had a particular fondness for it.
Sure enough, just as the stinky Taoist priest had said, the highly skilled Imperial Physician Zhou had never been able to detect poison in the soup.
Thus, Emperor Rongsheng unknowingly drank poison for a full three months.
Finally, on a dark and stormy night, the toxins in his body erupted completely, causing him excruciating pain as if a thousand ants were gnawing at his heart.
When the poison took effect, Emperor Rongsheng looked around and found that only Duke Zheng and Lin Mushen were by his side.
At this moment, they were no longer as respectful and humble as before, but instead completely revealed their hideous and terrifying true colors.
Lin Mushen, sword in hand, pressed closer and closer, forcing Emperor Rongsheng to write a will bequeath the throne to him.
Meanwhile, the Duke of Zheng stood to the side, a smug smile on his face, with the jade seal, a symbol of supreme power, already prepared in his hand.
"You..." Emperor Rongsheng suddenly realized what was happening.
So, both the Prince of Jin and his mother wanted him dead!
Poor Wang Defu loyally guarded Emperor Rongsheng's side, but unfortunately, he was cruelly suffocated to death by these two heartless beasts who covered his mouth and nose.
At this moment, Emperor Rongsheng was utterly helpless, with no one to turn to for help.
The entire Ganlong Palace was already filled with their henchmen and confidants, leaving him nowhere to escape.
Faced with such a desperate situation, Emperor Rongsheng cried out in despair, "The imperial seal, the dragon robe, the throne... I'll give them all to you! Quickly, give me the antidote!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Mushen burst into laughter, a laugh that sounded like the wailing of an owl, sending chills down one's spine.
He said coldly, "Father, don't be delusional. From the moment I decided to poison you, I never intended to spare your life."
"You rebellious beast!" Emperor Rongsheng was so angry that his eyes were about to burst, and he tried to struggle to get up from the bed.
But unfortunately, his whole body was limp and powerless, and he could not even move his fingers.
At this moment, the Duke of Zheng slowly spoke up: "Your Majesty, you should save your energy. Since ancient times, two tigers cannot share one mountain; there can only be one ruler in this world."
Now that we've come this far, there will be no more sentimentality. Today is your death day!
Duke Zheng's face was ashen, a resolute glint in his eyes. He looked coldly at Emperor Rongsheng, turned around without a word to fetch paper and pen, then slammed them on the table and said sternly, "Write it! Only by writing this edict can you depart peacefully and be spared further torment."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Rongsheng felt a pang of sorrow, but at the same time, a stubborn spirit arose within him.
He glared fiercely at Duke Zheng and Lin Mushen, and sneered, "Hmph! I am the ruler of a country, how could I be threatened by you? Either way, I am going to die, and I will never let you traitors get what you want!"
Having said that, he turned his head to the side and refused to look at the paper and pen again.
Upon seeing this, Lin Mushen's lips curled up slightly, revealing a sinister smile.
He slowly began to speak: “Father, you really are asking for trouble. Let me tell you, in two hours, the poison you have been given will take effect. At that time, the pain will be like being pierced by a thousand arrows, making you wish you were dead.”
As he spoke, he deliberately paused, observing the changes in Emperor Rongsheng's expression.
Lin Mushen knew that Emperor Rongsheng was timid and afraid of pain by nature, and would make a fuss even if he was just bitten by a mosquito.
Therefore, he firmly believed that once the poison took effect, Emperor Rongsheng would be unable to withstand the excruciating pain and would obediently submit.
Sure enough, time passed by, and two hours flew by.
At this moment, Emperor Rongsheng's face was already ashen, and large beads of sweat kept rolling down his forehead.
He felt as if countless steel needles were piercing his entire body, and every inch of his skin was throbbing with excruciating pain.
This feeling was absolutely terrifying, a hundred or a thousand times more horrifying than death.
Emperor Rongsheng, who had been hoping for a rescue, was now in utter despair.
Because no one has come to rescue him yet.
As time went on, Emperor Rongsheng's body trembled more and more violently, and painful groans came from his throat from time to time.
At this moment, for him, living even one more moment is an unbearable torment.
"I'll write it, please spare me!" The high and mighty Emperor Rong Sheng only wanted a quick death.
The Duke of Zheng quickly laid out the paper and brush neatly, then respectfully handed them to the emperor, asking him to write.
However, at this moment, the emperor was suffering from excruciating pain, his hands were trembling uncontrollably, and he could not even perform a simple action such as holding a pen.
Upon seeing this, a barely perceptible glint of cunning flashed in the eyes of the Duke of Zheng, who then took out a small pain-relieving pill from his robes.
Without hesitation, he threw the pill at the emperor. The emperor caught it with difficulty, swallowed it, and the pain seemed to be relieved slightly.
But the good times didn't last long. Just as the emperor finished writing, the excruciating pain surged back like a tidal wave, even more intense than before.
The emperor groaned in agony, "Please... kill me!" This once mighty emperor, who held the power of life and death over the world, was now so humble that he only begged for a quick end to this endless suffering.
Emperor Rongsheng knew he was at his wit's end and there was nothing he could do to reverse the situation. Helpless, he could only comply with Lin Mushen's wishes.
He watched helplessly as Lin Mushen received the imperial edict with ecstatic joy, his heart filled with sorrow and resentment. Not long after, Lin Mushen ascended the throne as he had so desired.
The first thing the new emperor did after ascending the throne was to launch a bloody purge of the previous emperor's children.
He ruthlessly ordered the execution of all the princes, including the Prince of Yu, who had repeatedly distinguished himself on the battlefield and was known for his bravery and fearlessness.
Prince Yu spent his life fighting on the battlefield, risking his life for the country, but in the end, he was falsely accused of treason by Lin Mushen.
In fact, Lin Mushen knew very well that Prince Yu, Lin Muheng, was both intelligent and brave, and his strength should not be underestimated. If he were to be kept alive, he would surely become a major threat to him.
Therefore, no matter what, Lin Muheng must die.
Therefore, Lin Mushen meticulously planned a conspiracy and finally found an excuse to put Lin Muheng, who had just made great achievements and was at the height of his fame, to death.
Thus, the lineage of the former emperor was completely severed, and Lin Mushen sat firmly on the dragon throne that symbolized supreme power.
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