Chapter 549 Hatred Erosion
Concubine Ling has always been afraid of the dark. Every time the sun sets, the entire Yanxiang Palace will be brightly lit with candles, leaving no trace of darkness, and only then will she feel at ease.
Now, in the entire inner hall of Yanxiang Palace, there is only one candle lit in front of the bed.
The swaying light and shadows faintly illuminated the bed.
Prince Yu stood at the door of the inner hall, listening to the wailing of the palace maids, staring at the bed without blinking. He saw Concubine Ling lying silently on the bed, the blood on her chin reflecting a bluish tint on her gray face. Even the candlelight in front of the bed could not add a touch of warmth to her pale face.
Every time my mother saw him coming, her radiant face would reveal a variety of expressions, including joy, sorrow, jealousy, and worry, depending on her mood that day, and she would then affectionately place her hand on his arm.
Now, one of her hands fell to the side of the bed, a rosary clenched in her fingers.
As if holding her lifelong faith.
She would never wait at the palace gate again and grab his arm: "Jing'er, you are here."
In the past, he always felt that this sentence was redundant.
He's clearly already here, why are you asking so many questions?
But now, it has become a luxury for him to want his mother to say such an extra word to him.
Why?
There is still a quarter of an hour left.
Why, he was still late.
Prince Yu couldn't believe this fact and wanted to get closer to take a look at his mother.
He walked step by step to the bed.
Take one more step forward to be closer to my mother.
At this moment, the rosary stuck in Concubine Ling's finger fell to the ground with a "thump" and rolled to Prince Yu's feet, as if saying to him: "Jing'er, you're here."
Suddenly, Prince Yu's eyes turned red.
That "bang" sound hit his heart so hard that it was almost impossible to breathe.
Prince Yu stared at the rosary at his feet in astonishment, then looked at Concubine Ling's pale face, and had to accept this cruel fact.
The hope in his eyes was shattered and filled with grief.
"Your Highness, what brings you here?" Huichun knelt beside the bed, looking up at the blood-soaked Prince Yu. Suddenly realizing something, her expression changed dramatically. "Are you trespassing into the Forbidden Palace?"
She originally wanted to say that Prince Yu's actions had let down Concubine Ling's painstaking efforts.
But now that things have come to this, no matter what you say, it will not help.
Huichun's face was covered in tears as she choked up as she spoke of Concubine Ling. "Madam Ling had Xiudong put lily powder and poison in the bird's nest that the Empress ate. Initially, the imperial physician only diagnosed the Empress's discomfort as being caused by the lily powder."
"Later, the Empress began coughing up blood again, so I quickly sent for the imperial physician to treat her. However, the palace servant who sent her back came back to say that none of the imperial physicians were available; they were all out seeing patients."
"I didn't give up and went to the Imperial Hospital myself, but I still couldn't get a doctor to treat the Empress... If... If the doctor had come, the Empress wouldn't have passed away a quarter of an hour ago."
At the end of the story, Huichun burst into tears.
"A quarter of an hour ago..."
Prince Yu clenched his hand around the porcelain vase, veins bulging.
When he learned that his mother was poisoned, he immediately sent the Minister of Household Affairs to the palace to deliver medicine to his mother. At that time, there were still two hours before his mother's death.
At that time, Emperor Jing'an did not see the Chancellor, and he felt neither hatred nor resentment in his heart.
But he came to the palace gate in person and specially asked the imperial guards to report the situation to Emperor Jing'an.
As long as Emperor Jing'an still has some affection for them mother and son and allows him to enter the palace to deliver medicine, he can rescue his mother in time.
But Emperor Jing'an did not waver in his determination.
Forced him to break into the Forbidden Palace.
It was still a step too late.
All of this was caused by Emperor Jing'an.
It was Emperor Jing'an who killed my mother.
Emperor Jing'an boasted that he saw clearly that the mother and son were ambitious and had no tolerance for others, and would do anything to achieve their goals. But did Emperor Jing'an ever consider whether, given his cruel nature, he would rebel if he was forced into a desperate situation?
Or had Emperor Jing'an already thought of all this, so he disregarded his mother's life and used her life as bait to lure him into the trap?
Kill two birds with one stone and completely eliminate the mother and son.
From now on, Emperor Jing'an and the third prince can rest easy?
Prince Yu's eyes were sinister, and hatred raged in his chest.
At this time, a burst of hurried footsteps was heard outside Yanxiang Palace, accompanied by the "clang" sound of armor and weapons colliding.
Prince Yu turned his head and saw that the Imperial Guards had surrounded Yanxiang Palace in three layers.
The commander of the Imperial Guards shouted outside: "Surrender and you will not be killed."
Prince Yu's face tightened when he heard the words shouted by the commander of the Imperial Guard.
While waiting for the Chancellor to deliver medicine to the palace at the prince's mansion, he prepared for the worst.
If Emperor Jing'an disregarded their friendship and refused to allow the Chancellor, or refused to allow himself to enter the palace to deliver medicine to his mother, he would certainly break into the Forbidden Palace without permission.
Given Emperor Jing'an's attitude towards them, the moment he broke into the Forbidden Palace, Emperor Jing'an would have determined that they were plotting a rebellion.
He was unwilling to go that far unless it was absolutely necessary.
Because he knew very well that if he wanted to increase the chances of success in his rebellion, in addition to precise deployment, it was more important to seize the opportunity.
Emperor Jing'an is now wary of them, mother and son, and will certainly be on guard. It is not a suitable time to rebel.
He originally planned to take it step by step and take back the throne when the third prince was about to ascend the throne.
But now...
Prince Yu looked at the imperial guards, his eyes filled with ruthlessness.
Before entering the palace, he had made preparations for both scenarios and arranged everything carefully.
If he did not send out a signal half an hour after breaking into the Forbidden Palace, his subordinates on standby would act in four directions according to the instructions in his letter.
One group of people controlled the palace gate to prevent reinforcements.
One group of people took control of the palace armory.
A group of people rushed into the Taiji Palace and took the emperor hostage to command the princes.
The last group of people captured the third prince and brought him to Yanxiang Palace.
In addition, he set up two ambushes in the palace.
"Your Highness, please repent and return to your right path. The Emperor, mindful of our father-son bond, will grant you a chance to mend your ways and will not pursue your trespassing into the Forbidden Palace today." The Imperial Guards commander advised Prince Yu, "If you persist in your wrongdoings, even if the Emperor may tolerate you, this world cannot tolerate a traitor who murdered his father and usurped the throne."
"Give me a chance?" Prince Yu sneered, "Would you rather strip me of my title and imprison me, or exile me to a distant land?"
What's the difference between this and death for him?
As early as when he broke into the Forbidden Palace, there was no turning back.
The commander of the imperial guards led the imperial guards into Yanxiang Palace.
The guards all stood in front of Prince Yu.
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense.
The commander of the Imperial Guard was about to give the order, asking the Imperial Guard to kill the rebels on the spot and capture Prince Yu.
Just then, a chaotic and heavy sound of footsteps was heard.
The commander of the imperial guards turned around and saw the guards approaching with the third prince in their arms.
The commander of the Imperial Guards' expression suddenly changed. He didn't dare order the rebels to be killed, nor did he dare to stop the guards. He just watched helplessly as the guards restrained the Third Prince and walked to Prince Yu's side.
After all, Emperor Jing'an wanted to make the third prince the crown prince, and he was afraid that if he gave the order, the third prince would be beheaded.
The commander of the Imperial Guard was about to send someone to inform Emperor Jing'an when he heard Prince Yu say, "Send a message to the Emperor, asking him to come to Yanxiang Palace. Within two quarters of an hour, the Third Prince's head will appear before him."
The commander of the Imperial Guard did not dare to delay and immediately sent someone to convey the message to Emperor Jing'an.
The third prince's pale face became even paler.
After Emperor Jing'an rejected Prince Yu's request today, he lost interest in discussing state policy and went to Wenyuan Pavilion to discuss state affairs with his ministers.
He knew in his heart that Prince Yu was a madman at heart, and the only person he cared about was Concubine Ling.
Now that the news of Concubine Ling's serious illness has reached Prince Yu's ears, he will certainly try every possible means to enter the palace. However, the Forbidden Palace is not a place where Prince Yu can enter just because he wants to. The only way is to break into the Forbidden Palace without permission.
He was in the Taiji Hall, reading "Laozi" while waiting for news of Prince Yu's trespassing into the Forbidden Palace.
As expected, Prince Yu broke in.
However, he was waiting for the news that Emperor Jing'an had captured Prince Yu, but what he got was several poison chimneys, which forced him out of Taiji Hall, causing him to fall into the hands of Prince Yu's men and be taken to Yanxiang Palace.
"You won't succeed." The Third Prince was terrified, but he said stubbornly, "Father has been prepared for this. You are doomed to fail. As you are my brother, I advise you to stop now. It's not too late."
Prince Yu twitched his lips and sneered, "Instead of worrying about my fate, you might as well think about how you'll die first."
When the Third Prince saw the murderous look in Prince Yu's eyes, his heart was in his throat.
Suddenly, the Third Prince caught a glimpse of the dead Concubine Ling from the corner of his eye. He was slightly surprised, and then a sense of pleasure arose in his heart.
My mother's death has been avenged.
At the same time, he also understood where Prince Yu's strong hatred came from.
He felt happy, but also afraid that he would die.
The third prince secretly prayed in his heart that Emperor Jing'an could wipe out the rebels as soon as possible and rescue him from Prince Yu.
"Protecting the Emperor——"
At this moment, a rough voice was heard.
The commander of the Imperial Guard had a murderous look in his eyes as he rushed over with a part of the Imperial Guard. He saw rebels rushing out from all directions, like a huge army approaching.
The long swords in their hands carried sharp murderous intent and stabbed fiercely at Emperor Jing'an.
The commander of the Imperial Guard reacted extremely quickly, leaped suddenly, and stood in front of Emperor Jing'an, starting a fierce fight.
However, these rebels were all highly skilled and ruthless.
Their target was Emperor Jing'an, and they used the human stacking tactic, advancing one after another towards Emperor Jing'an.
Suddenly, an arrow flew through the air and hit Emperor Jing'an right in the middle of his eyebrows.
Emperor Jing'an was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and fell off the sedan chair, unable to stand firmly.
There was a flash of silver light, and with a "puff" sound, a spear with a cold and eerie light pierced into his shoulder.
Emperor Jing'an screamed in pain and rolled on the ground.
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
Several rebels thrust their spears swiftly.
Emperor Jing'an wanted to hide, but found his back against the cold wall and he had nowhere to retreat.
He could only watch helplessly as the spear stabbed down.
"ah--"
Eunuch Cao screamed and fell on Emperor Jing'an.
Emperor Jing'an stared blankly at Eunuch Cao's back, which had been pierced like a sieve.
-
On Prince Yu's side, he heard Emperor Jing'an's screams, which meant that he had already secured victory.
The troops he sent to other places were just a deception.
The real death trap prepared for Emperor Jing'an was right on the road that he had to take to get to Yanxiang Palace.
If it weren't for the need for the third prince as bait to lure Emperor Jing'an to Yanxiang Palace.
He had already taken the third prince's head.
Prince Yu was certain that Emperor Jing'an could not escape this disaster, so he drew the sword from the waist of his guard.
The guards tactfully escorted the Third Prince to kneel at Prince Yu's feet.
Prince Yu thrust the long sword in his hand fiercely at the Third Prince.
The third prince screamed "Ah" and closed his eyes in fear.
I felt a pain on my cheek and warm blood flowed down.
He opened his eyes and saw only a strand of hair falling to the ground.
The third prince's heart was in his throat and he didn't dare to breathe.
Because he heard his father's screams, he was afraid that something bad was happening to him.
When Prince Yu saw the Third Prince's cowardly look, the hatred in his heart did not dissipate in the slightest.
The third prince's eyes were filled with despair: "Emperor..."
The cold sword was pressed against his throat.
If he were to move forward, he would be covered in blood.
The third prince didn't dare to move.
Suddenly, Prince Yu moved his hand.
"Wait."
At this time, a voice came from outside the hall.
Prince Yu suddenly turned his head and saw a majestic and imposing army, escorting Emperor Jing'an.
The dragon robe on Emperor Jing'an was dyed red by blood, which only made his majesty even more prominent, making people dare not look directly at him.
"How dare you murder your father and usurp the throne?" Emperor Jing'an's eyes were solemn, and he exuded a sense of authority without even getting angry. "In the hundred years since the founding emperor of the Great Zhou, there has never been such a precedent. Today, you have set a precedent."
Long before Tan Rui went to Prince Yu's mansion, he secretly mobilized troops and hid them in the Forbidden Palace to prevent Prince Yu and his mother from colluding with each other and forcing him to abdicate.
In addition, he also relocated all 36 original duty points.
Unexpectedly, Prince Yu had such powerful connections that his influence had even infiltrated the inner court.
If we continue to let Prince Yu lie dormant and wait for a good opportunity, it would be easy to replace him.
Emperor Jing'an felt frightened just by thinking about it.
Prince Yu forced the emperor to abdicate today without any careful planning. He almost succeeded by just setting an ambush.
Originally, he heard the news that Prince Yu was forcing the emperor to abdicate in Wenyuan Pavilion, and quickly ordered the 26 guards to kill the rebels.
When he arrived at Taiji Hall, he received a message from the Imperial Guards: "Your Majesty, Prince Yu has captured the Third Prince and ordered you to go to Yanxiang Palace. If you don't reach Yanxiang Palace within two quarters of an hour, he will kill the Third Prince."
Emperor Jing'an is not a stupid person. If Prince Yu wants to force the emperor to abdicate, he has to kill him.
Going to such great lengths to lure him to Yanxiang Palace must be an attempt to take his life.
Or there is an ambush on the road.
Or maybe Yanxiang Palace has set up a tight net.
He thought that with Prince Yu's military strength, they should not be a threat, so he took a few hundred personal guards to Yanxiang Palace.
As expected, Prince Yu set an ambush on the road leading to Yanxiang Palace.
There were hundreds of people.
If he had not been suspicious of Prince Yu's power, and had not infiltrated not only the Forbidden Palace but also the Beijing Camp, and if the external troops dispatched from the local areas had not arrived to support the king, he would probably have been killed.
"Why have I come to this point?" Prince Yu sneered, "Don't you know?"
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