Chapter 116: Climbing and Biting

The emperor was stunned for a long time, and sat down suddenly, his legs unable to support him anymore. He said with difficulty: "You...what did you say?"

His eyes were filled with disbelief.

Duan Zhisu looked at him indifferently, and in a trance he seemed to have returned to the moment when the emperor of his previous life was dying.

Even though the emperor was dying at that time, he was able to keep the overall situation firmly in his hands and did not leave Sui Yan a chance to survive - although Sui Yan did not want to fight him again while still alive.

Duan Zhisu repeated, "Your son says that my fifth brother Duan Xichen was murdered by me and my second brother, which led to his tragic death."

Duan Ruwang: “…”

Duan Zhisu lightly pulled Duan Ruwang into the water, without a change of expression on his face, as if he was just exchanging casual greetings as usual.

Duan Ruwang looked at Duan Zhisu, and finally laughed softly.

Before one wave of anger subsided, another wave arose. The emperor laughed in anger, covered his chest and coughed a few times, then said in a sharp voice: "You two... do you really take me seriously?! You are so capable of killing your brothers, you... cough!"

Duan Zhisu had a blank expression on his face and said, "Since your Majesty wants to bring up the past, why not do it all at once? Anyway, the punishment given to my fifth brother by my second brother using the incense to frame him was extremely light. I am guilty, but it is also an indisputable fact that my second brother and I killed my brothers together. Your Majesty might as well punish them all now."

Duan Ruwang: “…”

Duan Ruwang originally just wanted to sit back and watch the fight, but he didn't expect to be bitten by Duan Zhisu like this. He was stunned for a moment before he tilted his head and smiled.

He stood up, but did not kneel down. He said calmly, "It is true that I used the medicinal incense to harm my fifth brother. My father's punishment made me suffer enough. Why is it that when it comes to my third brother, it becomes a 'very light punishment'?"

The emperor held his chest and looked at them with a gloomy face.

Sui Yan was already drowsy, and seeing this dog-eat-dog drama, he pinched his thigh desperately to stay awake.

Duan Mingchong: “Hiss…”

Sui Yan tilted his head: "I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"

Duan Mingchong whispered, "It doesn't hurt. Just be quiet and we'll leave right away."

Sui Yan dazedly reached his hand to his thigh, pinched it gently to keep himself awake, and whispered, "Wait a moment, I want to watch the show."

The two of them whispered to each other, completely ignoring the complicated expressions of the ministers beside them.

Duan Zhisu said calmly, "This matter is not over yet, but Second Brother has just crossed the river and destroyed the bridge. Is he afraid that I will also reveal the matter of the Princess of Southern Xinjiang in the previous dynasty?"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the ministers were shocked again, and even Duan Mingchong and Sui Yan stopped looking at him.

Duan Ruwang smiled strangely and said, "Third brother, everyone knows that you and Wanggui were very close when you were young. Even if you want to exonerate him, you don't have to put all the blame on yourself and drag me into this, right?"

Duan Zhisu smiled and said, "Second brother is right."

The emperor was too weak to stand up. He threw the pen holder beside him and said angrily, "Duan Zhisu! Tell me! What is going on with the Princess of Southern Xinjiang?!"

Duan Zhisu's face was cold, and he said, "Your Majesty, why don't you think about it? What kind of friendship and relationship do Sui'an Hou have with Princess Nanjiang? Why would Princess Nanjiang look for a powerless and dissolute marquis to plot to kill the king?"

Sui Yan was confused when he heard it, but he still held the grudge with a strong will: You said I was a playboy, fine, just wait for me.

"Moreover, the princess of the previous dynasty had been living in Jiangnan for several years, and was brought back to the capital by the second emperor a few years ago." Duan Zhisu said, "That woman is not stupid. Between a prince with high position and power and a marquis who does not care about court affairs, which one can help her achieve great things? I believe that anyone with a discerning eye can see it in their hearts."

The emperor's eyes flickered slightly, and his expression was inexplicable.

Duan Ruwang smiled and said, "Why would I want to kill Your Majesty?"

Duan Zhisu asked in return: "Then why would Wanggui want to harm your Majesty who has protected him for so many years?"

He just gritting his teeth when he said the word "protect". His eyes were filled with uncontrollable coldness and hostility.

Duan Ruwang smiled and said, "There are many reasons."

He glanced obliquely at the prince who was holding Sui Yan tightly.

Duan Mingchong was too lazy to pay attention to them, and his eyes were all on Sui Yan.

"If there is a reason to kill the king," Duan Zhisu tilted his head and looked at Duan Ruwang, and said lightly, "Does the second prince really not have one?"

Duan Ruwang's eyes turned cold, and he looked up at Emperor Bei Lan who was sitting on the dragon throne with some indifference.

When the emperor heard Duan Zhisu's words, he was also stunned.

Duan Zhisu still had that cold expression on his face: "Second brother's mother was from the previous dynasty of Southern Xinjiang. When Beilan fought with Southern Xinjiang, Southern Xinjiang suffered heavy losses, and several princes died on the battlefield. Someone took advantage of the situation and seized the main city. When the war report reached the capital, Southern Xinjiang had already changed dynasties. It was said in the palace that the queen could not bear the shock and hanged herself in the bedroom with a white silk."

Duan Ruwang, who had not changed his expression just now no matter what Duan Zhisu said, suddenly became gloomy. He stared at Duan Zhisu with sinister eyes and shouted, "Shut up!"

Duan Zhisu was unmoved: "Although the second brother has never said this publicly over the years, he actually always thinks that it was His Majesty who killed the queen."

Duan Ruwang: "You..."

Duan Zhisu asked: "Isn't this a reason?"

Duan Ruwang looked at him almost fiercely, but did not deny it.

The emperor looked at Duan Ruwang in astonishment, then struggled to stand up again.

He was so shocked that he didn't even notice that his three sons had stopped calling him father.

Perhaps the emperor was too angry, for for a moment he could not feel any anger at all. Instead, he felt dejected and powerless, and it was difficult for him to breathe.

With shaking hands, he pointed at Duan Ruwang and said in a gloomy voice, "Ruwang...you actually missed me so much in these years?"

Duan Ruwang's face was filled with strange gloom. He looked directly into the emperor's cloudy eyes and confessed directly, "Isn't it? Your Majesty, I have known what to say and what not to say since I was a child. Now all the civil and military officials are here. Do you want me to tell you everything I saw that night when the battle report was sent to the capital?"

The emperor looked at him in amazement.

Duan Ruwang said coldly, "Father personally taught me and his son, and he discarded useless chess pieces at will. I never wanted your position. What I wanted from the beginning to the end was that no one could live in peace."

Duan Zhisu had stood up at some point and was standing aside, looking at the carved incense burner, wondering what he was thinking about.

After hearing Duan Ruwang talk about what happened back then, the emperor seemed to have aged many years.

All the civil and military officials in the court were staring at him. This was the first time he felt panic while sitting on the throne of the emperor.

After a long time, he closed his eyes slightly and said with difficulty: "This matter..."

Everyone looked at him.

"All authority is at the disposal of the Crown Prince."

After saying this, he struggled to sit up, shook off the support of the palace maid beside him, and staggered out of the front hall.

The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment.

Sui Xun closed his eyes slightly and breathed a sigh of relief.

Duan Mingchong and Sui Xun exchanged glances, then picked up the drowsy Sui Yan and walked quickly towards the East Palace.

Sui Xun looked at Duan Ruwang and Duan Zhisu, sighed imperceptibly, and said to the Dali Temple Minister: "Sir, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has important matters to attend to, so I'll leave this to you."

The Dali Temple Minister had a very good personal relationship with Duan Ruwang. He was stunned for a long time when his stall was suddenly smashed. Then, with a complicated expression, he asked someone to invite the two men to leave.

Duan Zhisu gave Song Xian, who was almost jumping up with anxiety, a soothing look, turned around and left.

Duan Ruwang stood there stiffly for a moment before closing his eyes and turning away.

Soon, the entire Hall of Supreme Harmony was empty. Jiang Enhe originally wanted to stay and talk to Sui Xun, but as soon as Shanye was taken away, he didn't care about anything else and immediately ran after him with tears in his eyes.

Sui Xun took care of the rest of the things before slowly walking out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Outside the palace gate, several deputy generals were standing guard. They saw Sui Xun coming out from a distance and immediately went to greet him.

"General."

"How is the young master? Has he been convicted?"

Several people all pressed the hilts of the knives at their waists, looking stern.

Sui Xun shook his head and said softly, "Nothing."

Everyone was stunned for a moment before they breathed a sigh of relief.

Sui Xun tilted his head slightly, glanced in the direction of the capital city's gate, and let out a breath softly.

In a wilderness in the capital, a silver-white army with a banner with the Chinese character "Year" fluttering in the wind is ready to go like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath. With just one order, they can fight to the death and destroy the prosperity of the capital.

"Withdraw."

"yes."

.

East Palace.

Doctor Meng Yu had been waiting for a long time. Seeing that Sui Yan was dazed by the fever, he hurriedly gave him some ginger tea that he had prepared.

Duan Mingchong was so anxious that his hands were shaking. Seeing Doctor Meng Yu giving the acupuncture slowly and Sui Yan also shaking in a daze, he wished he could take his place.

The secret guard came out and saluted, "Your Highness, the city defense troops have been replaced, and the imperial guards have also withdrawn."

Duan Mingchong said: "I understand."

The previous emperor passed away in the 39th year of Fengxing, which was only two or three years ago. He was exhausted by the trivial matters in the court and his health was no longer as good as before. Since the crown prince entered the court to govern, he gradually handed over some court affairs to Duan Mingchong to handle.

Duan Mingchong had been wary of him four years ago, and the emperor, perhaps feeling that he was gradually becoming more powerful, allowed the crown prince and Duan Ruwang to fight overtly and covertly in the court and hinder each other, which also made it easier for Duan Mingchong to secretly control the new officials in the court.

Although there may not seem to be any big disturbances today, there are undercurrents surging inside, and a slight mistake may lead to a world of difference.

Duan Mingchong gave instructions on all the finishing touches and was about to go back to see Sui Yan when a palace maid came in hurriedly with an anxious look on her face and said, "Your Highness, Lord Song Xian is waiting outside and said he wants to see Your Highness for something important."

Duan Mingchong said coldly: "No."

Palace maid: "But..."

Duan Mingchong was just about to leave when there was a commotion outside. He turned around and saw Song Xian rushing in.

Song Xian was an important official in the court. When the guards of the Eastern Palace saw him breaking in, they did not dare to stop him with brute force, and actually let Song Xian break into the front hall of the Eastern Palace.

Duan Mingchong watched coldly.

When Song Xian saw Duan Mingchong, he pushed away the servant who was blocking him, took a few quick steps forward, and knelt down on the ground.

"Your Highness, please show some mercy!"

Duan Mingchong looked down at him, his eyes full of coldness: "Who are you pleading for?"

"For the Third Prince." Song Xian straightened up, his forehead covered with sweat, and said anxiously, "I am the Third Prince's tutor, and we grew up together. I know that the Third Prince would never do such a thing. I hope that the Crown Prince will show mercy to the Third Prince for the sake of Wang Gui..."

Duan Mingchong was silent for a long time before he said, "He took the initiative to come to me."

Song Xian was stunned and opened his eyes wide in surprise.