Chapter 315 The Storm Arrives
You're just one person...
Qiu Heng's heart trembled.
During the ten years of the Great Xia Dynasty, which was shattered, and in the three years since I returned, the heavy burden that weighed me down for thousands of days and nights, and the unspeakable grievances, finally found an outlet at this moment.
"Brother Ling, I'm sorry."
She shouldn't have doubted him so easily during that period.
"No need to apologize." Ling Yun gazed at the girl whose eyes were slightly red. "Aheng doesn't need to apologize to anyone. Go back. Don't come to the Prince's Mansion again recently, and don't worry about your elder brother. The new emperor isn't a heartless person; he won't take my life."
"Alright, Brother Ling, take care of yourself. I'll go visit my godmother and then head back home."
Qiu Heng bid farewell to Ling Yun and went to the main courtyard with Princess Jiayi.
"Aheng is here." Princess Kang held Qiuheng's hand, looking haggard. "Aheng, you're so thoughtful. I knew you were a good child."
It's not surprising that Qiu Heng treated Princess Kang with such unusual kindness.
The heir of Prince Kang is a disciple of a sorcerer. This sorcerer killed the late emperor. Regardless of what the new emperor thinks, punishment of Prince Kang's family is inevitable, and in severe cases, he may even be stripped of his title.
The fact that the new emperor values Xue Han, the Imperial City Envoy, is common knowledge among all officials.
At such a time, when the beloved of the Imperial Envoy came to the Kang Prince's residence, the Kang Prince's wife naturally welcomed her.
Qiu Heng didn't care about her adoptive mother's snobbishness; the presence of Brother Ling and the Jiayi County Princess and her brother was enough to make her maintain basic respect for the Princess Consort of Kang County.
"Godmother, don't worry too much. Your health is more important than anything else..."
After offering a few words of comfort to Princess Consort Kang, Qiu Heng left the Prince's residence.
Not far from the imperial city, one can faintly hear the chanting of monks and Taoist priests.
Emperor Jingping's body will remain in his sleeping quarters for twenty-seven days, and the new emperor will lead his relatives, nobles, and civil and military officials to pay their respects every day.
As time passed, news of Emperor Jingping's death and the new emperor's ascension to the throne was relayed through the postal system, reaching the entire world.
Twenty-seven days later, Emperor Jingping's coffin was moved out of the palace and buried on a chosen day. People resumed weddings and entertainment, and took off their mourning clothes.
The uproar caused by the death of the old emperor seemed to have subsided and everything had returned to normal for the common people, but for some, the storm was just beginning.
In the main hall, the new emperor, dressed in a dark robe, sat high on the dragon throne, listening to Xue Han's report.
"Your Majesty, the official in charge of delivering the imperial edict, Wang Changhai, has confessed that the forged edict was orchestrated by Chancellor Zhu..."
These words caused an uproar in the hall, and even in such an occasion, the ministers could not stop whispering and discussing among themselves.
"Summon him." The new emperor glanced at Prime Minister Zhu expressionlessly.
Zhu Xiang lay limp on the ground, his face ashen, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word of protest or pleading for mercy.
It was over. He knew it was all over the moment the crown prince successfully ascended the throne before his spirit tablet.
As the days passed and the new emperor remained silent, he was like a frightened bird, living in immense fear. Gradually, he couldn't help but feel a sliver of hope that the new emperor might not make the matter public.
But now he knows that it was all just self-deception.
"Summon the disgraced subject Wang Changhai to an audience—"
As Wang Changhai was being brought up, the new emperor's gaze lingered briefly on Prince Fu's face before returning to Prime Minister Zhu.
The person lying on the ground trembled all over, like a lump of mud, utterly devoid of any dignity.
This man, however, had the courage to forge an imperial edict to trick and kill the crown prince.
These days I've been incredibly busy, with very little time to sleep, but whenever I have a moment of quiet, the new emperor can't help but think about that day.
He almost died in vain.
If he dies, his good uncle will have his wish fulfilled.
The new emperor thought this through without revealing any emotion on his face.
"Your Majesty, I, Wang Changhai, am guilty... I pay my respects to Your Majesty..."
The new emperor looked down at the prostrate messenger and asked, "Why did you forge an imperial edict on the day of the Immortal Gathering Banquet, intending to poison me?"
The change in status from crown prince to new emperor made the once aggressive messenger seem like a completely different person. He stammered, "Yes, it was Prime Minister Zhu who instructed me..."
The ministers immediately began to discuss the matter.
"It really is Prime Minister Zhu!"
"He is already the head of all officials, why would he do this?"
"To dare forge an imperial edict and plot against the new emperor is truly audacious and unimaginable..."
"Your Majesty, this is the confession of the disgraced official Wang Changhai." Xue Han took out a confession sheet.
"Bring it here."
Xue Han presented the offering paper to the new emperor.
The new emperor read it word by word and said coldly, "Show it to Zhu Youwei."
Xue Han walked over and threw the offering paper in front of Zhu Xiang.
Zhu Xiang reached out with trembling hands to take the offering paper. The paper seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, and after only one glance, it fluttered and fell to the ground.
The gleaming gold bricks reflected a face even more hideous than a dead man.
"Zhu Youwei, do you have anything else to say?" the new emperor asked.
"Your Majesty... I deserve to die a thousand deaths, I deserve to die a thousand deaths..." Prime Minister Zhu kowtowed repeatedly.
The new emperor stared intently at Prime Minister Zhu: "Zhu Youwei, you are already the head of all officials and the regent, why do you want to harm me?"
Zhu Xiang opened his mouth.
Why harm the new emperor when he was still the crown prince?
How did Fang Yuanzhi become prime minister after his downfall? It was inseparable from the secret assistance of Prince Fu; they had long been allies of interest.
When the Crown Prince was regent, he did not approve of some of the Crown Prince's political views. With the late emperor keeping the Crown Prince in check, and the Crown Prince being the head of all officials and a regent, what would happen after the Crown Prince ascended the throne?
Having weathered the ups and downs of officialdom and finally reached the top, who would want to turn back?
Even though he was willing to leave, Prince Fu wouldn't allow it.
“You sinful subject—” Zhu Xiang glanced at Prince Fu out of the corner of his eye.
Prince Fu wore the same shocked and sorrowful expression as the other ministers, and gently stroked the sandalwood beads on his wrist.
Zhu Xiang's eyelids twitched as he recalled a private conversation he had with Prince Fu after Emperor Jingping's incident.
He knelt on the ground, begging Prince Fu to think of a solution.
He lost his temper and angrily cursed Prince Fu for ruining him.
But no matter how he knelt down and begged or how he cursed, he knew very well that he couldn't escape, he couldn't escape.
He couldn't escape, and of course he was unwilling to let Prince Fu remain uninvolved.
It was Prince Fu who harbored rebellious intentions; Prince Fu was the mastermind, while he was merely an accomplice who was threatened and misled. Why did he suffer the fate of having his family's property confiscated and his clan exterminated, while Prince Fu continued to live as a wealthy and powerful prince?
However, his resentment and desire for everyone to suffer together were dispelled by the promise of the Prince of Fu.
Prince Fu promised to protect his youngest grandson.
During this time, he waited for the sword hanging over his head to fall, while his youngest grandson had already been secretly arranged by Prince Fu to leave the capital.
No matter how much he resented Prince Fu, he had to admit that if Prince Fu hadn't fallen, he could at least have protected Sun Quan, something the Prime Minister's residence, which was already under the secret surveillance of the Imperial City Guard, couldn't do.
If something happens to Prince Fu, the Zhu family line will be completely severed.
He's a sinner, a sinner to the Zhu family.
Zhu Xiang wept bitterly: "This sinful subject was worried that Your Majesty would no longer rely on me after ascending the throne, and in a moment of confusion, I committed a grave error. I deserve to die a thousand deaths..."
The new emperor closed his eyes, concealing his disappointment.
As expected, he didn't reveal his good uncle.
"You truly deserve to die," the new emperor said calmly.
(End of this chapter)
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