Chapter 780 Clash - Taking Action
The young eunuch nodded and took a few steps forward to stand before the emperor.
While the emperor was still reeling from the shock of the truth, the young eunuch had already opened the hidden compartment and taken out a bright yellow scroll, along with the imperial seal that had been inside.
"Your Highness!"
Upon approaching the Fourth Prince, the young eunuch respectfully presented the two items.
The fourth prince nodded and accepted the imperial seal. He examined it for a long time before speaking to the emperor, saying, "I never expected that Father had written the imperial edict so early on. It's just a pity that this edict will never see the sun tomorrow."
The fourth prince slowly opened the imperial edict, thinking that it would be the emperor's decree to pass the throne to Gu Renjie.
But after seeing what was inside, the fourth prince's expression changed, and he threw it hard to the ground.
"To silence the gossip among the court officials, you actually want him to be the legitimate heir?"
The imperial edict was not the succession decree he had intended, but rather a public announcement that the emperor wished to adopt his second son, Gu Renjie, into the empress's family.
For so many years he had been alone and helpless, and the emperor had never thought of finding him a mother in name only. If it weren't for Lu Youming's death and Consort Liu's insistence on adopting him, he would probably still be just an overlooked prince.
Gu Renjie not only grew up safely in the Yi'an Marquis's mansion, but now the emperor wants to adopt him into the empress's family.
As a prince himself, the fourth prince once again felt his insignificance in the royal family. Although he should have been used to it by now, a sense of desolation still welled up in his heart.
The Emperor was awakened by the Fourth Prince's actions. Looking at his son, whose face was filled with anger and resentment, the Emperor said indifferently, "Consort Yun is a princess of Wei, and her children are naturally legitimate. As for you..."
The emperor looked the fourth prince up and down, and replied in a weak voice, "How can the son of a lowly servant like you be compared to the son of Consort Yun?"
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, instantly enraging the fourth prince.
They say his mother was a lowly servant, but she was a noble descendant of the Li people and a holy woman skilled in witchcraft. Yet, until her death, she only received such a despicable title.
Enraged, the fourth prince twirled his fingers, slowly closed his eyes, and uttered some incomprehensible musical notes.
After he made this move, the emperor immediately fell to the ground, curling up and rolling around.
"You unfilial son, what have you done to me?"
Even if the emperor was slow to react, he realized that the fourth prince was acting strangely. He felt ants biting his body, and the veins on his forehead and neck bulged as if they were about to explode.
After the emperor rolled around on the ground several times in exhilaration, large beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, and he no longer had the strength to struggle.
"Your Highness."
Sensing the emperor's faint breath, Sun Ruoyun quickly called out. Upon hearing this, the fourth prince slowly opened his eyes, but he did not give up on controlling the Gu worms.
Nodding to Sun Ruoyun, the Fourth Prince slowly walked to the Emperor and squatted down, saying in a condescending tone, "Do you know why you are in so much pain? It's because I've put a curse on you."
The Fourth Prince's words made the Emperor's already weakened body sway again. Then the Fourth Prince continued, "Didn't you disregard my mother? If she had really wanted to, you, as the Emperor and Empress, could have taken your lives with just a flick of her finger."
"Aren't you curious why I can also control Gu? As a member of the Li ethnic group, how could I not know how? If I hadn't shown mercy all these years, you would all be dead long ago."
The fourth prince's words were arrogant and left no room for doubt, while the emperor just looked at him as if he were looking at a devil.
The pain in his body had not disappeared, and he remained curled up in a ball.
“You Li people should all die.”
The emperor practically spat out those words through gritted teeth. He had heard the late emperor mention the power of the Gu worms, but he never imagined that he would one day experience it firsthand.
The feeling of being torn apart inside his body continued. Looking at Lu Changqing in front of him, the emperor no longer felt like a father looking at his son.
Seeing the emperor's pained expression and his vicious words, Lu Changqing controlled the Gu worms to intensify the emperor's pain once again.
"Don't worry, I will definitely make you die today."
The fourth prince's voice rang out slowly, as if he were facing not his father but his enemy.
Just then, the palace doors were suddenly pushed open forcefully from the outside.
"stop."
Yun Yichen's voice suddenly rang out. Upon hearing of his arrival, the Fourth Prince and the Emperor had completely different feelings.
The Fourth Prince acted very discreetly today, thinking that even if Yun Yichen knew he had entered the palace, he wouldn't think much of it. But Yun Yichen still came, and the Fourth Prince's heart sank.
When the emperor saw Yun Yichen appear, he quickly reached out and called out "Yu'er," but Yun Yichen ignored him completely and walked straight toward the fourth prince.
Gu Renjie followed closely behind and entered. When he looked at the emperor, he gave a slight bow and then walked towards the fourth prince.
"Stop right there!"
The fourth prince panicked and quickly reached out to stop the two while taking a step back.
"What? You don't intend to struggle, do you? Or do you think you can touch us?"
Yun Yichen's words made the Fourth Prince feel as if he had sunk to the bottom of a valley. There was no sound of fighting coming from outside, which meant that his people had either betrayed him or were being controlled by Yun Yichen and his group.
The fourth prince rolled his eyes and finally withdrew his hand.
The emperor's pain vanished instantly, and he let out a long sigh of relief. As he got up from the ground, he smiled at Yun Yichen and Gu Renjie.
“I knew you would come to my rescue.”
The emperor's face showed relief and satisfaction, but Yun Yichen's gaze as he turned to look at him was icy.
"Your Majesty is mistaken, we are not here to save you."
The chilling tone plunged the emperor, who had just caught his breath, into an icy abyss.
He already knew Yun Yichen's identity, but he didn't believe what the Fourth Prince said.
"Yu'er..."
The emperor dared not meet Yun Yichen's gaze and could only look at his mask.
Upon seeing this, Yun Yichen's lips curled up slightly, and he tapped his mask twice. "Does Your Majesty wish to see my true face? Then Your Majesty should prepare yourself."
The emperor's words made Yun Yichen swallow hard. Then he saw Yun Yichen slowly slide the mask, which he hadn't taken off for seven years, down from his forehead, eyes, and then his face.
A familiar yet unfamiliar face appeared before him. He could tell at a glance that Yun Yichen was indeed the eldest princess's son.
only……
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