Forcing the emperor to abdicate and requesting an imperial decree
Xiao Zhian is leaving the palace.
Lin Shifeng made an excuse to refuse to accompany him.
The vixen hadn't left yet, and Du Yu brought another new woman. Lin Shifeng wanted to take advantage of Xiao Zhian's absence to find out exactly how many women he had.
The Imperial Guards protecting the Eastern Palace naturally became their eyes and ears. Following the crowd's directions, Lin Shifeng, under the pretext of checking security, found his way to the side hall where Lin Huaiyin was.
Upon hearing that the vixen had immediately come looking for a new woman, Lin Shifeng smiled slightly—the two women were about to fight. Fortunately, his third sister was in seclusion at the Holy Water Temple, so he wouldn't be disgusted by her presence.
Lin Shifeng lingered seemingly casually, looking around as if on patrol. The palace door creaked open, and Du Yu withdrew.
Their eyes met, and Du Yu was inexplicably enraged.
As the person in charge of military affairs for the Eastern Palace, he was always busy outside—protecting Zhao Yanxiu, monitoring Princess Pingyang's residence, monitoring the Liu family, receiving Bai Zhizhi, and sending people to various places to retrieve Mu Zhanjuan's secret report...
Du Yu was very busy, constantly overseeing various clandestine fronts. When he finally saw Lin Huaiyin, he was astonished and realized that the rumors circulating in the capital about His Highness having a woman were actually about His Highness and Miss Lin getting married.
At this moment, Lin Shifeng was furious outside the palace. He instantly understood what the other party was angry about—the Third Miss Lin was serving in the Eastern Palace without any official status. No brother could swallow such a thing, let alone the Lin family.
Lin Zhenlie's Taizu Golden Spear still gleamed in the sunlight. Du Yu thought of the scene of beating the Grand Secretary and piercing Shen Congyun's flesh to draw blood for writing a letter of divorce. He felt inexplicably worried for his master.
The Lin family's daughter is not to be trifled with, and the Lin family's men are all extremely ruthless. Your Highness is so meticulous in everything you do, how could you be caught out in such an important matter?
Faced with Lin Shifeng, Du Yu also felt intimidated, thinking that he should first lay the groundwork for his master and explain the situation.
"General Lin, you may not know this, but the Shen family's case is far from over, and His Highness the Crown Prince is currently preoccupied with dealing with Shen Congyun." He wanted to suggest that His Highness was busy with Shen Congyun's case and asked for some time, and besides, His Highness couldn't possibly handle Shen Congyun's case while simultaneously marrying Shen Congyun's ex-wife...
But Lin Shifeng interpreted these words in a completely different way.
Lin Shifeng crossed his arms and sneered, "Hmph, what Lord Du said is true. The case of my sister being bullied by the Shen family is a small matter, but His Highness the Crown Prince's heir is a big matter. As a subject, how dare I complain?"
Originally, Lin Shifeng was only angry that the Crown Prince had deceived his third sister and found a new lover. Now, the Crown Prince has not only found a new lover and is now surrounded by women, but he has also put aside Shen Congyun's case.
Very good, excellent.
As a man, he started a relationship and then abandoned it.
As the crown prince, he was dissolute and immoral.
Lin Shifeng's anger flared up, and his face grew increasingly grim.
Du Yu, standing nearby, pondered Lin Shifeng's meaning: "The matter of the imperial heir is of utmost importance," implying that Miss Lin was pregnant. This... this happened after their consummation last night? And she's pregnant today???
Du Yu didn't understand this kind of thing. All the men in the Eastern Palace were bachelors. Du Yu instinctively felt that the speed was bizarre, but he also habitually believed that his master was omnipotent.
Miss Lin is pregnant with the imperial heir. This is a matter of great importance and cannot be delayed for even half a day. She must be given a title as soon as possible, otherwise the imperial grandson she gives birth to may not be able to be included in the imperial genealogy.
Du Yu finally understood why Lin Shifeng was so angry. He knew how much his master valued Miss Lin the Third, and even more so that she had an imperial heir. The Emperor would probably allow Miss Lin the Third to enter the Eastern Palace. Otherwise, given Miss Lin's past of being trapped by traitors and then marrying Shen Congyun, frankly speaking, it was almost impossible for her to enter the Eastern Palace as the principal wife.
Upon hearing this joyous news, Du Yu immediately clasped his hands in congratulations: "General Lin, please calm down. To be frank, the royal family is small in number. With Miss Lin carrying an imperial heir, His Majesty must be overjoyed. He might even be drafting an edict to appoint the Crown Princess right now. Congratulations!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Shifeng snorted coldly and stepped aside, his smile forced and his teeth seemingly wanting to bite Xiao Zhian to death.
The Crown Prince is a chatterbox, has no official title or status, and everyone in the Eastern Palace knows that his third sister is pregnant. Knowing that she is pregnant, he still goes out of his way to find women. Where does that leave his third sister?
Hmph, he's only happy when there's an heir, but since there isn't, why is Third Sister following him without any explanation?
The Crown Prince's palace is crooked from top to bottom; there's not a single good person among them.
Lin Shifeng grew angrier the more he thought about it. His cold gaze froze Du Yu in place. He turned and left in a huff.
Whoever wants to congratulate, go ahead and congratulate them. The Lin family doesn't care about any crown princess. Lin family daughters don't marry outside the family and don't share a meal with other women.
Lin Shifeng planned to go to Shengshui Temple immediately to explain things to his third sister, but unexpectedly, the temple door creaked open again.
Filled with rage, Lin Shifeng turned around in astonishment and saw Lin Huaiyin leaning against the door with one hand and lifting her skirt with the other, her eyes red-rimmed.
Third sister? ??
Third Sister!!!
Lin Shifeng's mind exploded—his third sister was in the Eastern Palace? Wasn't she supposed to be practicing asceticism at the Holy Water Temple? Was she a vixen or a new woman? ???
He strode over in two strides, reaching out to support Lin Huaiyin's trembling arm. Lin Shifeng's heart trembled—"Third Sister, what's wrong?"
"You all pass on a message to His Highness," a woman's voice came from inside the hall—"If he wants me to continue making accusations, he will only do so if he takes me as his Crown Princess."
Before she could finish speaking, Lin Huaiyin fell into Lin Shifeng's arms.
Lin Shifeng was half-conscious, with only one thought in his mind—someone is bullying his third sister!
With a "whoosh," the sword was drawn.
The sword flashed, and Du Yu raised his blade to block it.
"Heh." A cold laugh echoed from inside the hall.
——
Golden Immortal Palace.
Xiao Zhian served medicine to his father at his bedside.
He served as regent for nine years and as an imperial physician for nine years.
The medicinal scent that Xiao Zhian had smelled was second only to the ambergris and borneol in the incense burner of Jiade Hall.
At such times, he was tepid and silent, like the sun, the moon, the gentle breeze outside the window, or the incense burner by the pillow, silently recording the gradual collapse of the imperial monarch's body.
His pupils were cloudy, his voice was hoarse, and when he breathed, there was a sound of tiny bubbles bursting as the air from his chest and lungs rubbed together. When he swallowed, his Adam's apple trembled up and down. His neck was covered with only a thin layer of skin, on which brown spots appeared one by one. The skin was loose and unable to hold on, so it drooped off the bones.
The emperor of the Great Xing Empire was fifty-one years old.
Twenty-five years ago, a new emperor ascended the throne and appointed a commoner orphan girl as his empress.
Fifteen years ago, the orphaned empress suddenly passed away, and the new emperor finally seized power, unleashing the desires that had been suppressed for thirty-seven years.
Before the funeral hall, the new emperor used the cold, lifeless body of the empress and a fresh, beautiful body to complete his ultimate coronation.
Outside the mourning hall, the young princess and prince, who had just lost their mother, with tears still wet on their faces, were forced into this scene by fate, embracing a brand new and real world.
Then, the princess entered the palace, slammed the doors shut, and faced her fate.
The prince was covered in the mouth and carried away by Lin Zhenlie, watching helplessly as fate took away his only blood relative in the world, unable to utter a single sound.
From this point on, you all bid farewell to the old era.
From now on, you will each have your own path.
Now, in the bowl of medicine he has held for nine years, Xiao Zhian sees a face that is completely different from his past self.
He pinched the silk handkerchief; the Emperor's lips were wrinkled and could not be wiped clean.
Looking up, the palace remains as magnificent as ever.
But he's leaving, never to return, never to come again.
"Father."
At a respectful call, Xiao Zhian stood up, stood still on the imperial steps, and remained motionless.
He remained still, and the emperor on the dragon bed could only lie in the shadow of his tall son, unable to move and unable to see the light.
Unable to see the light, the dragon's already cloudy eyes vaguely sensed what was about to happen, and his hand, hidden under the covers, quietly groped for the rope.
The groping and pulling of the rope was subtle and secretive, yet it couldn't hide the trembling. Xiao Zhian saw it and his lips curled up slightly. The owner of the dragon eyes then tilted his head back as if to retaliate provocatively.
Xiao Zhian accepted the provocation. He was the emperor and the subject, and the relationship between emperor and subject, father and son, was governed by ancient etiquette. He should step down.
So Xiao Zhian withdrew, stepped down from the imperial steps, bowed and said, "Father, I have something to report to you."
"Speak," the emperor said, trying to calm his son. A putrid smell rose from his throat as he continued to fumble around in the shadows.
Xiao Zhian slowly raised his head and said, "Your subject was ordered to investigate the case of former Grand Chancellor Shen Congyun's collusion with the White Lotus Sect to plot a rebellion, and the investigation has led to Pingyang."
Before the words were finished, the air on the dragon bed seemed to freeze, time stood still, and the emperor's cloudy, yellowish eyes narrowed into tiny pores.
"Pingyang confessed that fifteen years ago, when you imprisoned her in the imperial mausoleum's ancestral hall, she had a chance encounter with Shen Congyun."
Ten years ago, after assisting Shen Congyun in achieving the highest rank in the imperial examination, Pingyang instructed Shen Congyun, who was then serving as the Imperial Diarist, to secretly poison you. Your ten years of confinement to your sickbed were all due to Pingyang's covert machinations.
"For the past ten years, taking advantage of your illness, Pingyang has colluded with Shen Congyun, cultivated her own faction, and framed loyal officials, plotting to overthrow the throne. When I questioned Pingyang, I couldn't understand why she harbored such a wolfish heart, disregarding the proper relationships between ruler and subject, and the bond between father and daughter—"
Xiao Zhian seemed indignant, horrified, and extremely surprised, his raised voice suddenly stopping at a critical point.
The old face on the dragon bed trembled, the brocade quilt covering the true dragon emperor rose and fell, and air rushed in and out of his fragile throat, making a constant friction sound. But as Xiao Zhian suddenly stopped, the dragon bed suddenly fell silent, as if seeing lightning or waiting for thunder.
After resting for a while, Xiao Zhian slowly uttered, "Father."
The sound wasn't loud, but the dragon bed suddenly trembled.
“Father,” Xiao Zhian said respectfully, his voice slow and full of confusion and bewilderment, “I asked, but Pingyang refused to tell me, only saying that you know. Please forgive my impertinence, but do you really know why Pingyang has fallen to this state?”
Why has Pingyang fallen to such a state?
Xiao Zhian knew, but he wouldn't say; he asked.
The emperor understood, but he didn't answer; instead, he pulled the rope.
Suddenly, the silver bells rang, the doors and windows shattered, and dozens of axemen rushed in, their sharp blades gleaming, and they placed their arms around Xiao Zhian's neck.
Lin Zhenlie stood outside the hall, his fists clenched, his brows furrowed.
The Crown Prince arrived alone, dismissing all attendants. At that moment, the Emperor summoned executioners, and the Crown Prince's life was in grave danger.
Without the emperor's decree, anyone who enters without permission shall be put to death.
Should we storm the Golden Immortal Palace or not?
Should we save the Crown Prince or not?
Inside the Golden Immortal Hall, Xie Xincun, perched on a beam, had silver light shimmering at his fingertips.
The Crown Prince of Xingchao wanted to be his brother, and to put Xingchao on par with Hu Shoulin. He wanted to see if he was qualified.
"Oh."
Xiao Zhian smiled.
The executioners dared not move.
Xiao Zhian's gaze followed a patch of light on the ground, focusing on the broken window at its source. He had long wanted to open the window to dispel the decay and rot on his father's body, but now he realized that wind alone was not enough; light was also needed.
Then let it see the light of day.
"Your subject suddenly remembered."
Xiao Zhian bowed and clasped his hands in greeting.
The axemen dared not harm him, and the swordsmen yielded to his attack.
The emperor tried to stop it, but he had already exhausted his strength from pulling and tugging.
"Pingyang said you would protect her because she has something on you that you can't hide, which seems to be—"
Xiao Zhian fell silent, glanced around at the axe-wielders beside him, and coldly reprimanded, "What, do you want to hear this too?"
Before the words were even finished, in a flash, the emperor struggled and roared – “Take him down!”
"The Crown Prince is disrespectful! Seize him immediately! Seize him!" The Emperor was pale and coughed violently, clutching his chest.
"Cough cough cough!" Crimson blood gushed out, staining the dragon bed with blood, and the foul blood foam spewed from his mouth fell back onto the emperor's face.
The emperor's face was stained with blood.
The crown prince stood tall and proud.
The swords and axes stared at each other in bewilderment, and then, with a clang, they fell to the ground.
"Your subordinate wouldn't dare!"
The axe-wielders, unarmed, lunged at Xiao Zhi'an.
No one dared to listen to the "handle" he mentioned, the royal secrets; hearing them would mean being silenced. Since they couldn't listen, they could only leave. Leaving meant disobeying the emperor, and disobeying the emperor meant they might as well switch sides.
Everyone keeps a mental record of things.
His Majesty's health was failing, and he lost both the Censorate and the Secretariat, leaving him empty-handed and without anyone to rely on.
His Highness the Crown Prince was in his prime. He had just defeated the White Lotus Rebels at Crane Cry Mountain, reformed the court, and won the hearts of the people.
The young executioners had their own futures to strive for; even if the emperor grew old, there would be a new one. They needed to earn money to support their families; there was no need to sacrifice themselves and their clansmen.
Xie Xincun watched a battle that never truly began, then pressed the silver needle back into her fingertips and gracefully departed.
When Lin Zhenlie made up his mind to come to the rescue, the executioners had already picked up their weapons and lined up to await orders.
Xiao Zhian slowly walked up the steps, then pinched a silk handkerchief and wiped the bloodstains from his father's face.
"Father, please take care of your health." He spoke very softly, and his movements were gentle.
The emperor's eyes were sinister, but his body trembled uncontrollably, fearing that the handkerchief in Xiao Zhian's hand would suddenly turn into a noose.
The more afraid he was, the gentler Xiao Zhian became.
"Marriage is not permitted during the period of national mourning."
Xiao Zhian comforted his father, speaking gently and kindly: "Father, even for the sake of my marriage, you must persevere. I still need to ask you for an imperial decree to grant the marriage. Please write that the three daughters of the Lin family have made meritorious contributions to suppressing bandits at Heming Mountain, which is of great benefit to the country. The eldest son of the emperor and the Crown Prince who will oversee the country should marry them as a reward from the court."
Upon hearing this, the emperor's cloudy dragon eyes widened instantly.
His murky pupils reflected Xiao Zhian's face, and in a daze, the emperor seemed to see his first wife—the late Empress Zhao.
That repulsive, virtuous empress's face was etched in the flower-adorned coffin, cold and bluish.
She was dead, and he attended her funeral. That day was etched in his memory. He buried that woman with his own hands, and she no longer had to be at his mercy. Now, her son has even learned to look like her.
The emperor hated this kind of tone the most—affected, unhurried, using the court and achievements as a pretext, spouting a bunch of righteous principles, staring at him with sincere eyes that seemed pious but were actually provocative, even oppressive, to force him to bow his head.
He is the emperor, the Son of Heaven, a true dragon incarnate. His will is the law of heaven. Why should a woman, a lowly commoner, point fingers at him and tell him what to do?
That pretentious woman gave birth to a pair of vicious children. They shouldn't have been kept alive in the first place; they should have been made to die with her.
Over the years, Pingyang never mentioned it again, and the Crown Prince never asked about it. The Emperor always thought that Pingyang dared not speak, and the Crown Prince was unaware of the situation. He asked Lin Zhenlie, severely punished him for his poor protection, and allowed Pingyang to enter the mourning hall.
Lin Zhenlie said that only Pingyang was present, and he believed him. Now that the emperor has removed the mud seal and looked back, he saw that Pingyang had not run away. Instead, she went into the mourning hall and closed the door. It turned out that the Crown Prince was standing next to her.
Pingyang lied to him.
Lin Zhenlie also lied to him.
The Crown Prince has been pretending to be deaf and dumb for so many years, which is also deceiving him.
The emperor finally understood everything. He realized that for the past fifteen years, everyone had been deceiving and betraying him. He had been living in lies, suffering from a serious illness. The crown prince was respectful but not close. It turned out that the crown prince had been waiting for this moment. He served him medicine every day and wished he were dead. Lin Zhenlie protected him every day but secretly despised him.
For nine whole years, the Crown Prince was by his side every day, watching him weaken, waiting for his death, and anticipating his defeat, all for this day. Yet, he forced the abdication and gave up the throne, and actually married into the family for a woman.
I don't want the throne, I don't want the royal surname.
The Crown Prince marrying into the Xiao imperial family—where does that leave their reputation?
His son wants to change his name and become someone else's son, and he even needs to issue an imperial decree for this. Such a violation of human ethics is unacceptable! How will the court discuss this? How will the officials view it? Won't it become a laughingstock for the entire world? What kind of rumors will spread?!
"Outrageous! Outrageous!" The emperor vomited blood and suddenly fainted.
"Summon the imperial physician."
Xiao Zhian handled the situation calmly.
At the entrance of the palace, Lin Zhenlie, whose hearing was astonishing, experienced tinnitus, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. He took two steps back while leaning against the wall, but finally could not hold on and fainted on the spot.
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