"What are you saying, Lord Kang? Of course I trust you, Lord Kang." Lord Zhongyong bowed to Kang Hongda and showed an ambitious smile.
The Yun family is weak now. As the patriarch of the Yun family, Earl Zhongyong knows it very well. Although the Yun family seems to be prosperous, but as a distinguished earl, it is actually running out of money. If the situation is allowed to continue, the Yun family is doomed to repeat the mistakes of the Chu family and fall into the quagmire.
Whenever Lord Zhongyong thought about this, he tossed and turned. Over the years, he had been looking for a good opportunity to make their Yun family rise again.
For a few years, Earl Zhongyong placed his hopes on his illegitimate son Yunzhan. Yunzhan was the most promising one among the next generation of Yun family. He had made many military achievements in the north and was valued by Prince Gu Jue. He was appointed as a colonel. As a result, Earl Zhongyong was also regarded more highly and was often complimented for having a promising son.
Therefore, Earl Zhongyong was moved.
He felt that for the Yun family, joining forces with Prince Chen was actually a very good choice.
If Gu Jue wins the game with the emperor, then their Yun family will have the merit of following the emperor, and their rapid rise to prominence is a piece of cake; and if Gu Jue loses, they will just have to give up a bastard son.
Earl Zhongyong even prepared the family tree early on, thinking that if Gu Jue failed, he would tell everyone that Yun Zhan had been expelled from the family long ago and removed from the family tree. In this way, the entire Yun family would not be implicated.
For this reason, he endured the fact that Yun Hao had his hand crippled by Gu Jue, and he also persuaded his wife and the Yue family to give in, and did not hold a grudge against Gu Jue and Yun Zhan about the matter.
Bo Zhongyong decided to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight.
However, he waited and waited, and this wait lasted for nearly a year. Gu Jue had been hiding in the Prince Chen's Mansion, and he came out to see people very few times. He neither attended court nor participated in politics. It seemed that he had no interest in state affairs, nor did he show any ambition to usurp the throne. He was like a wandering wanderer.
In fact, Earl Zhongyong had tried to sound out Yunzhan's attitude several times, but Yunzhan was too tight-lipped and nothing could be learned from him. Earl Zhongyong could only try to hint at things, but Yunzhan pretended not to understand and didn't respond to his words at all. Later on, this boy never returned to the Earl's house except to visit his aunt during the holidays, and he didn't even show up during this Chinese New Year to wish him a happy new year.
Yunzhan is such an unfilial boy, he doesn't even have him as his father! There was a gloomy light in the eyes of the loyal and brave uncle, he suppressed his dislike for this rebellious son, and smiled even more deeply, complimenting Kang Hongda with a smile: "Prince Chen is too young after all, how can he be as wise as Lord Kang!"
When Kang Hongda heard the other party say "old", he felt unhappy and thought: This loyal and brave uncle can't even speak, no wonder the Yun family has fallen to such a state! He paused for a moment with the folding fan in his hand, then shook it three times faster and said lightly: "Uncle, you are too kind."
Earl Zhongyong thought he had said the right thing, and he kept praising Kang Hongda and belittling Prince Chen. Half of the time he did this to please Kang Hongda, and the other half he did to belittle Gu Jue was all from his heart.
In just one year, Lord Zhongyong's evaluation of Gu Jue changed drastically. He felt that Gu Jue really lived up to the saying: A great reputation is not worthy of one's reputation!
Once upon a time, Earl Zhongyong had full confidence in Gu Jue. After all, Gu Jue refused to hand over the military command when he returned to Beijing last year. He was arrogant and thought that Gu Jue's move must be a rebellious intention!
Therefore, he initially thought that Gu Jue was just lying in wait, waiting for the right opportunity... It was not until the emperor fell seriously ill during the New Year that Earl Zhongyong saw through Gu Jue, the paper tiger.
The emperor was clearly so ill. Even if Gu Jue initially suspected that the emperor was faking illness, more than two months had passed. Various rumors and the emperor's weak appearance in the Golden Throne Hall that day all proved that the emperor was really about to die.
For Gu Jue, now is the best time to usurp the throne.
But Gu Jue did not move. He still lived like a wealthy and independent man, allowing the prince to grow more and more powerful, and allowing the prince to stabilize the government bit by bit.
This Gu Jue has absolutely no ambition at all. Perhaps the peace and comfort in the capital over the past year has worn away Gu Jue's bloodiness. The rumored ruthless and ruthless Prince Chen is just a figurehead.
It can be imagined that Gu Jue’s future will just be that of an idle member of the royal family!
By now, Earl Zhongyong has clearly realized that there is no hope by relying on Gu Jue and Yun Zhan.
So he turned to think of other ways out.
The first person he thought of was of course Crown Prince Gu Nanjin. The problem was that even if he had this intention, it was already several steps too late.
The emperor is seriously ill and is about to die. The prince is about to ascend the throne and is only one step away from becoming the emperor. If the Yun family steps forward at this time, it will not be considered a contribution of support. I'm afraid the prince won't even look at them.
After much deliberation, Zhongyongbo decided to settle for the second best option and set his sights on Kang Hongda again.
More than half a month ago, when he went to see Kang Hongda, Kang Hongda simply ignored him. He asked for an interview three times but failed to see him. On the fourth time, Kang Hongda finally saw him and asked him contemptuously: "What do you think you can give me?"
This question left Earl Zhongyong speechless and extremely embarrassed.
Fortunately, he has a useful son.
Thanks to Yunzhan’s value, he was able to get in touch with Kang Hongda.
Thinking about what had happened during this period, Uncle Zhongyong couldn't help but feel his blood boiling and his heart agitated.
He had just finished a conversation and felt a little thirsty, so he picked up the teacup. The movement of his hand pulled the wound on his left upper arm, causing a dull pain.
The sword wound left by Yunzhan that day has not healed yet. His left arm is wrapped with several circles of white cloth. When he raises his arm, a slight bulge can be vaguely seen in his sleeve.
Suddenly, Kang Hongda stopped fanning himself and asked with some concern, "Master, won't there be any problems with Yunzhan?"
Earl Zhongyong quickly put down his teacup, patted his chest and assured: "Master Kang, please rest assured."
"Yun Zhan is the confidant of the King of Chen. When he went to the North to join the army, he joined the King of Chen's army."
Lord Zhongyong had deep eyes and a determined smile.
The fifth son of his family was loyal to Gu Jue, but everyone had their own selfish desires and differences in closeness and distance. Yun Zhan might not be as close to him as Gu Jue in his heart, but Yun Zhan still had his biological mother and sister in the Yun family.
Mr. Zhongyong smiled and said seriously, "Yunzhan listens to his aunt the most, there will be no problem."
If it weren't for Aunt Sun, Earl Zhongyong really wouldn't have the confidence that he could coax Yunzhan.
He has six sons, both legitimate and illegitimate. Some of the illegitimate sons are clever and sweet-spoken. Yunzhan is the most stubborn among his sons.
Uncle Zhongyong still remembered that when Yunzhan was six years old, he bumped into his stepmother. He asked Yunzhan to admit his mistake to his stepmother, but he refused to do so. He was punished to kneel in the yard. It started to rain at night, but he refused to admit his mistake even in the rain. Finally, he fainted and had a high fever...
In the past, a son like Yunzhan, who was not good at speaking but stubborn, was not in the eyes of Earl Zhongyong at all. It was not until Yunzhan was admitted to the Imperial College on his own that he began to look at him differently.
Later, when Yunzhan was sixteen years old, despite his family's opposition, he insisted on going to the north to join the army, leaving only a letter.
Bo Zhongyong didn't care about him anymore, because he didn't need any filial sons anyway.
It was only because Yunzhan sent gifts from the north to the mansion every New Year and other festivals that Earl Zhongyong was sure that his son was still alive.
Several years passed silently until four years ago, when a piece of good news came from the north. The name "Yunzhan" was on the news, which caused a huge stir in the Bo's Mansion.
The past flashed back in Zhongyongbo's mind, and he felt the sword wound on his left arm hurt even more.
That day, he took advantage of being injured by Yun Zhan and coaxed Yun Zhan back to the Yun family. He used hard tactics first and then soft tactics. Yun Zhan refused to give in at first and the two sides almost had a falling out. It was not until he proposed to split up the family and let Yun Zhan take Aunt Sun away that Yun Zhan finally gave in.
He knew this bastard best. Yunzhan had been stubborn and hard-headed since childhood and was inflexible.
With Yunzhan's personality, he will either agree or refuse, and he won't be perfunctory.
"That's good." Kang Hongda put away the folding fan, placed it casually on the coffee table beside him, and then picked up the teacup elegantly.
The drizzle has stopped and the spring breeze is cool.
The wind carrying raindrops blew in through the window, falling on Kang Hongda's hair like dewdrops. He didn't care at all and still had a faint smile on his face.
The sky after the rain at dusk was darker than usual. A sheep-horn lantern was lit in the house, but the light was dim, making his face look mysterious.
Uncle Zhongyong said that he trusted Yunzhan, but Kang Hongda couldn't be as sure as Uncle Zhongyong that Yunzhan was fine, and he still had some reservations in his heart.
Since ancient times, the imperial guards have been directly under the emperor's jurisdiction, responsible for guarding the emperor, the palace and the capital, and only obeying the emperor's orders.
Today, Yunzhan secretly brought the Black Armor Army into the capital and dared to directly fight against the Imperial Guards, which is tantamount to rebellion, and there is both witnesses and evidence.
From the current perspective, Yunzhan has dragged Prince Chen's Mansion into a trap.
毕竟玄甲军所为，就等于是顾玦的意思，现在顾玦落了这么一个天大的把柄在自己手里，也就意味着，自己可以随时对宸王府出手，师出有名。
康鸿达慢慢地喝着茶，茶水中沉沉浮浮的茶叶倒映在他眼眸里，瞳孔随之变幻莫测。
他知道把赌注押在云展身上，有风险，而且风险还不小。
他这次也是孤注一掷了。
如果是平时，他会用更多的时间仔细筹谋，给自己多留好几条退路，问题是现在的局势已经到了十万火急的地步。
皇帝没多少时日了，留给自己的时间实在不多了，一旦皇帝在短时间内驾崩，那么就算没有皇帝的遗旨，太子登基也是理所当然的事。
等到了那个时候，一切就来不及了，他就会和云家、楚家一样，再没有这些年的荣光。
若是他胜了，他大可以扶持一个听话且年幼的皇子，由他来做摄政王，手掌朝政。
康鸿达的心底一阵激越，眸中精光四射。
一个男人一旦尝过权力的滋味，再想让他松手，重新归于平淡是绝不可能的，更何况他现在爬得高得罪的人也不少，有多少人等他落魄的时候，等着想睬他一脚。
他决不会让自己沦落到那个境地，他必须抓住这次的机会！ 他跟顾玦不同，顾玦出身皇室，天生高贵，对顾玦来说，权力富贵什么的自小都是唾手可得，也正因为如此，顾玦明明有野心，有手段，偏又在乎名声，生怕遗臭万年，瞻前顾后地不敢争这皇位，所以他才会接受太子的示好。
只要太子登基，以太子的性情，总少不了顾玦此生的荣华富贵，宸王之名也可以作为大齐大败赤狄的功臣名将名垂青史。
而他姓康。
他的一切只能靠他自己去争，去抢。
康鸿达稳稳地将茶盖合上茶盅，又道：“只要云展那边不出岔子的话，我会转告皇上伯爷的忠心耿耿。”
他这句话等于是在担保云家的荣华富贵。
忠勇伯连连应是，心喜若狂。
放下茶盅后，康鸿达又抓起了茶几上那把收拢的折扇，仿佛抓着一把利剑似的，起身笑道：“该找个时候去会会宸王殿下了。”
他倒要看看顾玦胆敢在调遣自己的人马在京城与禁军动手，顾玦到底有什么倚仗！！就是太子也无权对抗禁军！ 忠勇伯自是识趣地告辞。
从康鸿达这里出去时，外面的天空更昏暗了，层层阴云沉甸甸地堆砌在天际，沉重得仿佛随时要掉下来似的。
整个京城风声鹤唳，毕竟城中有军队出入的消息根本就瞒不过人，消息一传十，十传百，百传千……大部分人都或多或少地嗅到了风雨欲来的气息，人人自危。
京城的街道上空荡荡的，百姓们闭门不出。
那些朝臣们更是人心惶惶。他们最初是以为康鸿达仗着皇帝对其的宠信，私自调兵，以报私仇，但是，接下来这件事闹得越来越大，禁军连续围了楚家、宸王府，还在城门严查，一连串的大动作声势赫赫，却不见太子出面。
于是，朝臣们开始有了各种揣测，有人试着进宫面圣，有人想求见太子，但都被拦下，高大的宫门固若金汤，没有人得以进去一窥究竟，只能暗地里揣测着、议论着。
难道康鸿达只是“明枪”，皇帝才是那把“暗剑”，其实是皇帝要对顾玦出手？！
不得不说，这个可能性是有的，而且还大有可能。
礼亲王以及六部尚书等一干重臣彼此通了气后，也有了动作，于次日一起进宫。他们都是王亲重臣，进午门和太和门不成问题，直到被拦在乾清门外。
乾清门的另一边，皇帝依旧身在养心殿，他虽然足不出户，但早就命锦衣卫留心京中的动向。
锦衣卫指挥使陆思骥把京中的异变都禀给了皇帝，目不斜视，没去看一旁的太子顾南谨。陆思骥是皇帝心腹，太子被皇帝软禁在养心殿的事，自然也是知道的。
他心里发出沉重的叹息声：这一次，大齐是真要变天了！
禀完后，陆思骥就悄无声息地退了出去，听到太子沙哑的声音自身后传来：“父皇，不能这么下去了……”
顾南谨已经被皇帝关在养心殿一天两夜了，这两夜，他都没睡好，形貌憔悴，眼窝处是深深的青影。
他的心情其实比外表还要疲惫的，还要无力，可他只能勉强振作起精神，艰难地接着道：“您……您这是在迫着九皇叔反。”
顾南谨心急如焚，觉得皇帝简直是在玩火。
他的眉宇间露出几道深深的褶皱，一种无力的感觉席卷他全身。
自皇帝病重后的这两个多月，顾南谨过得并不容易，大齐江山压在他的肩头，他又是初掌朝政，因此步步小心，步步谨慎，每天只睡不到三个时辰，与太子妃、皇长孙除了每日的问安，就没说过几句话。
虽然忙碌，虽然疲惫，但顾南谨也是有成就感的，看着一切都在往好的方向发展。
事实证明他太天真了，“改善改进”是一个漫长的过程，可“毁灭”往往只需要“一朝一夕”！ 顾南谨感觉自己就像是亲眼看着这万里江山上出现了一道巨大的裂痕，这裂痕正在急速地扩张，而他，宛如笼中的困兽，只能眼睁睁地看着，却无力阻止。
这种无力绝望的感觉像是一把利刃在劈开他的心脏。
皇帝根本看不到顾南谨的绝望，他也同样皱起了眉头，满脸失望地斥道：“太子，你实在是目光狭隘！你的性子太优柔寡断了！”
“你就看着吧，顾玦他就是不安份，狼子野心，他把持北地军虎符不放，还将太后接回宸王府，就是为了有朝一日起兵逼宫！”
“他分明是看朕龙体不适，终于按捺不住野心了，否则，他又怎敢在京城中跟禁军动手？！”
“朕是在宸王府病的，一定是在顾玦给朕下毒……”
皇帝越说越激动，语无伦次，气息粗重急促，双眸中的血丝如蛛网似的急速蔓延扩张，显得如恶鬼般狰狞可怕。
“……”顾南谨几乎无言以对。
别人不知道皇帝是中了丹毒，顾南谨却是再清楚不过了，太医们全是这么说的。偏偏皇帝走火入魔，就是不信太医，非要信玄净那个妖道，现在竟然把莫须有的罪名冠到了顾玦的身上！
这……这未免也太厚颜无耻了！
皇帝认为太子的沉默就是无法反驳，是一种默认，怒火高涨，尖声道：“没错，是顾玦在王府的熏香里下毒，才会导致朕怒极攻心！！”
顾南谨的眉头皱得更深了，发现皇帝不仅双眼通红，面色也变得越来越潮红，形容癫狂，那种从骨子里透出的疯狂劲让他心一沉。
顾南谨不禁想到了几个太医告诉他的一些话，他们说，皇帝丹毒攻心，口腔中、背部的毒疮会越来越密集，五脏六腑也是如此，会导致皇帝食欲不振，焦虑易怒，甚至于产生癔症。
而现在皇帝分明是病入膏肓，所以开始产生癔症，胡言乱语了。
顾南谨觉得越发不妙。
平日里，正常的皇帝已经对顾玦怀有偏见，现在陷入癔症的皇帝只会雪上加霜。
“倪公公，赶紧宣太医！”顾南谨连忙吩咐倪公公道。
倪公公也觉得皇帝的状态不太对，正要应，就听皇帝怒然斥道：“不许宣太医！”
皇帝刚才说了一会儿话，精力似乎被耗费了大半，疲惫不已地喘着粗气，胸膛剧烈起伏着。
皇帝目光阴鸷地瞪着顾南谨，觉得太子非要在这个时候要宣那些个无能的太医一定是别有所图。
“父皇，你不能一错再错了……”顾南谨头疼欲裂，不知道该怎么劝皇帝，但更知道不能让皇帝再这么糊涂下去了。
难道父皇真以为光凭驻守京营的禁军就能轻松剿灭在京的六万玄甲军吗？ 若是顾玦真的被皇帝逼得不惜背水一战，那么可想而知，等待大齐的就将是一场恶战！ 一场以京城作为战场的恶战！ 无论谁胜谁败，都只是在内耗，死伤的是大齐的将士与百姓，损耗的是大齐的资源。
这场内战一旦开始，就必然要分出胜负。
若是顾玦胜了，不至于容不下自己；但若是顾玦败了，顾玦是必死的，必会以谋反罪祸及宸王府满门。
顾南谨艰难地深吸了一口气，身心俱都压着沉甸甸的巨石。
在他看，父皇是真糊涂了，糊涂得近乎天真。
To put it another way, if Gu Jue died, would Da Qi be at peace? The surrounding barbarian countries and Nan Hao were all hungry wolves, eyeing Da Qi covetously. After they knew about the civil war in Da Qi and that Prince Chen had been beheaded, they would probably wait for an opportunity to strike.
After the war, how long will it take for Da Qi to recover from this heavy blow? ! Such a simple and obvious truth, but my father could not see through it. He had been completely blinded by illness, prejudice and resentment.
Gu Nanjin was tired of communicating with the emperor, and the emperor was the same. He just felt that there was no point in talking, so he waved his hand and said, "Okay, I'm tired, you can go down."
What he meant by "going down" was not to let the prince go back to the Eastern Palace, but to let the prince go back to the temporary house in the Yangxin Palace.
After Gu Nanjin bowed, he quietly left the East Warm Pavilion. Two middle-aged eunuchs followed him like a shadow. For the past day and two nights, whenever Gu Nanjin left his room, there was always someone following him.
He should have walked west, but this time he walked straight towards the main hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation with big strides.
He couldn't be trapped in the Yangxin Palace any longer! He was the crown prince, and he had his mission.
The two middle-aged eunuchs also sensed something was wrong and tried to catch up with Gu Nanjin from behind: "Your Highness!"
Gu Nanjin was accompanied by a personal eunuch brought from the Eastern Palace, and the eunuch quickly helped Gu Nanjin stop the two men.
Gu Nanjin walked quickly to the door of the main hall, but before he crossed the threshold, he was stopped by four Jinyiwei guarding outside the hall.
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"Your Highness, please stop." One of the Jinyiwei said politely.
Gu Nanjin suddenly raised his voice and shouted in a dignified manner: "Get out of the way! Who dares to stop me?!"
Several Jinyiwei looked at each other with embarrassment.
The Jinyiwei only obeyed the emperor and were his personal guards. But the man in front of them was the crown prince after all, and everyone knew that the emperor's health was failing...
“Pah pah pah…”
"The prince is really so majestic!"
At this moment, there was a burst of gentle applause and the emperor's familiar voice from behind. The voice was still so weak, but it revealed a sinister taste.
Gu Nanjin and several Jinyiwei all looked over when they heard the sound.
The emperor was carried out on a sedan chair by two eunuchs. He leaned tiredly on the back of a chair, his body was haggard and his cheeks were sunken, like an old man in his seventies who had been tortured by illness for decades.
The emperor stared at Gu Nanjin intently, his cold eyes seemed to be saying, you are indeed in collusion with Gu Jue!
The sedan chair was placed ten feet away from Gu Nanjin.
The father and son are obviously very close to each other, but they seem to be separated by thousands of mountains and rivers. The father and son, who should be the most familiar and intimate, are like enemies.
The emperor said slowly with disappointment: "I treat you as my son, with a loving father's heart, but what about you? You don't treat me as your father, so you are planning to rebel with Gu Jue!"
The emperor used an affirmative tone rather than a questioning one.
He did not give the prince a chance to speak, and ordered in a cold voice: "Come here, capture the prince for me!"
After just a few words, the air suddenly turned cold, as if winter had come again.
Two of the Jinyiwei stepped into the Yangxin Palace, and the two middle-aged eunuchs behind also approached Gu Nanjin, attacking him from the front and back.
Gu Nanjin shouted again: "Who dares to attack me?!"
Normally, the prince's character was famously gentle and praised by others. Even though he had been questioned, ignored, and confined to the East Palace by the emperor before, he had never taken it to heart and had never lost his composure. But at this moment, a fierce aura emanated from him.
He is completely different from usual person.
The two middle-aged eunuchs who were facing him were so frightened that they stopped three steps away from him.
This scene was like adding fuel to the fire, making the emperor even angrier.
"Get it!"
"The crown prince is plotting a rebellion. Capture him for me."
"In Da Qi, I am the emperor."
The emperor's voice was sharp and high-pitched, with a kind of hysterical madness.
It's gloomy again today. The sky is covered with dark clouds and there are strong winds. The wind is so cold that it is almost impossible to tell whether it is morning or dusk.
Gu Nanjin turned around again, without looking at the emperor, and walked straight out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, intending to force his way in.
He believed that he was the crown prince and these Jinyiwei did not dare to touch him.
Gu Nanjin strode over the high threshold of the Hall of Mental Cultivation with his head held high and walked straight forward.
Sure enough, several Jinyiwei only tried to stop him with their scabbards and did not dare to use their swords to hurt him. Instead, the Jinyiwei were forced to retreat step by step and staggered down the white marble steps.
When he walked out of the shadow of the eaves, Gu Nanjin discovered that there was a drizzle in the air that was too light to be seen with the naked eye. The drizzle felt cool on his face and neck.
Seeing Gu Nanjin's resolute back, the emperor was extremely angry and gnashed his teeth and said, "Whoever dares to let the prince go today will be punished by me!"
Eunuch Ni could only repeat the emperor's order truthfully, his voice so loud that it echoed throughout the open space in front of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity.
Almost the next moment, dozens of tall and mighty Huben Guards rushed out from the direction of Yuehua Gate in front, half of them holding swords and half holding bows. They formed a human wall at the fastest speed, blocking the front like a solid wall, and also blocking Gu Nanjin's way.
Each of the Tiger Guards had a blank expression on his face, and exuded a murderous coldness from their bodies.
“Whoosh!”
No one knew which Tiger Guard shot the arrow, but the arrow hit accurately two inches in front of Gu Nanjin's right foot.
The warning is obvious.
If Gu Nanjin took one more step forward, the arrow would hit him and pierce his instep.
The young eunuch beside Gu Nanjin gasped, feeling a little scared and even more worried. Even he realized that today might not end well.
At the same time, the emperor was carried out of the main gate of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and then sat down on a throne under the eaves, wearing a red cloak.
The emperor showed a cold smile of victory on his face, and then said: "If the prince dares to trespass, he will be killed without mercy."
These few words lacked any fatherly love and were cold and merciless, as if he was facing an enemy instead of his son.
The drizzle continued, and the rain gradually decreased from being invisible to as thin as needles.
Gu Nanjin felt that the raindrops hitting his face were like needles, cold and prickly.
At this moment, it was as if a bolt of lightning struck him, and his heart became clear.
I see!
So that's it! These Tiger Guards have been waiting here for a long time. The emperor set up this trap not only to deal with Gu Jue, but also to deal with himself, the prince! Gu Nanjin looked at the emperor on the white marble steps, his father who was high above him, in despair.
Since last year, the emperor had become increasingly displeased with me, but even if he disliked me, even if he had once ordered me to be placed under house arrest in the Eastern Palace, he had never looked at me with such eyes, which seemed to be filled with deep hatred.
The kind of hatred that makes you want him to die.
Gu Nanjin couldn't help but hear the emperor's affectionate words to him the night before: "Prince, I am about to die. The future of Da Qi depends on you."
"You are my son. Everything I do is for your own good and for the sake of this great Qi country."
"Jin'er, just wait. I will give you a stable court. This is the last thing I, your father, want from you."
“…”
Thinking about it now, Gu Nanjin found it extremely ironic and sad.
These words were all false. Although the emperor seemed to care about him, he actually had already decided to kill him.
Gu Nanjin had also speculated whether the emperor would issue an order to depose him as the crown prince, but what he didn't know was that his father hated him so much that he wanted to kill him.
Gu Nanjin felt as if he was torn apart from the inside out.
He stood there blankly in the drizzle, which half-drenched his hair and clothes.
He suddenly asked: "Father, what did I do wrong?"
The emperor's mouth curled into a twisted smile, as if he was looking at a toy in his palm, or as if he was looking down at a loser, and said sternly: "Prince, you are disrespectful to your father, disloyal to your emperor, not fulfilling your duties, not cultivating your virtues, and you intend to collude with the prince to rebel, you have a rebellious heart!"
The emperor spoke a lot in a high-sounding manner. As he spoke, his hair and beard trembled. The flush on his cheeks spread rapidly to his neck, and the bulging blue veins seemed about to burst.
The old, crazy and out-of-control emperor in front of him made Gu Nanjin feel so unfamiliar.
There is no father and son in heaven.
Throughout history, there were many princes who killed their fathers, and even more emperors who killed their sons.
Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs, but the emperor is more cruel than a tiger. He only tolerates young princes. When the princes grow up and become a threat to the emperor, they will be guarded against and rejected.
All that bullshit about being unfaithful to the king and so on is fake, it's just a fig leaf!
The emperor wanted to kill him simply because he was the crown prince. He was younger than the emperor and he would not flatter the emperor but always went against him. The emperor felt that he was dying soon and he, the crown prince, was still alive and wanted to inherit his throne, so the emperor was unwilling to accept this!
Just now, the emperor claimed that Gu Jue poisoned him. Maybe he even suspected me...
Gu Nanjin felt extremely cold, so cold that his limbs seemed as if they did not belong to him anymore.
He was deeply aware of one thing: the man in front of him who had gone mad because of erysipelas was no longer the father he remembered.
No, it would be more accurate to say that he was completely consumed by power and desire rather than being controlled by the poison.
"What if I must go out today?" he asked tiredly. His voice seemed so distant and strange at this moment, as if it came from another person's mouth.
Gu Nanjin's words were like a slap in the face of the emperor in front of so many people.
The emperor was so angry that his mouth was trembling and his face was full of hatred. He felt that the prince was really determined not to give up and would not repent even when facing death.
In anger, the emperor uttered three words: "Kill without mercy."
At the emperor's command, all the Tiger Guards moved. Those holding bows and arrows surrounded him on both sides, while those holding knives approached him step by step, pointing the tips of the knives, which were coated with a layer of moisture from the rain, at Gu Nanjin's chest.
Gu Nanjin was wearing an apricot-yellow dragon robe, and his figure was still as straight as a white birch.
Standing among the dense crowd of Tiger Guards, this bright apricot-yellow outfit looks so eye-catching and yet so lonely.
Gu Nanjin's eyes were calm and his heart was bitter: This is what the prince's loneliness is like.
"Your Highness..." The young eunuch beside him trembled in fear, but still bravely stood in front of the prince, even though he knew that he could not protect the prince by himself.
The rain gradually got heavier, and the fine raindrops hitting the branches and leaves made a rustling sound, as if the sky was crying, or like a dirge.
The entire palace was shrouded in misty drizzle.
Prince Li, royal princes, and other important officials who were waiting outside the Qianqing Gate were also a little uneasy. There were people beside them holding oil-paper umbrellas to protect them from the rain, but even so, many of them still got their clothes wet.
None of them could stand still. Some of them were walking around in circles, some were looking inside the Qianqing Gate, and some were whispering and talking to each other.
"It's been so long, and no one has summoned us. The emperor is ill, but what about the prince? The prince has always been diligent..."
"Could it be that the Emperor's illness has relapsed? I heard that there are several imperial doctors guarding the Yangxin Palace every day this month..."
"I don't think so. If the emperor is ill, can Kang Hongda remain so calm?"
When the Minister of War said this, everyone fell silent and looked at him, thinking that his analysis made sense.
If everything Kang Hongda did in the past two days was at the emperor's suggestion, then the person who is most concerned about the emperor's health should be Kang Hongda. Otherwise, if the prince ascends the throne, Kang Hongda's actions in the past two days will become a joke.
Several eyes looked towards Qianqing Gate again, but from their angle, they could not see Yuehua Gate or Yangxin Palace at all.
"Has the Emperor made up his mind to do this to Prince Chen..." Another official asked in a deep voice, but he stopped talking halfway. Everyone else knew what he had left unsaid.
As a result, all the royal family members turned their eyes to Prince Li, and each of them had a splitting headache.
Apart from other things, Gu Jue had been behaving himself in the past year since he returned to the capital. He had not done anything except not handing over the military power. Even if he held on to the military power, the people in the north were also very peaceful. Gu Jue did not seem to be plotting a rebellion. In fact, it was the emperor who pressed on and oppressed him repeatedly.
The emperor was so deceitful, but Gu Jue didn't do anything... He just took the empress dowager out of the palace and temporarily lived in the prince's mansion during the New Year. It was the emperor who poisoned the empress dowager first.
This time, Gu Jue first refused to hand over Chu Yunyi, and then ordered the Black Armor Army to enter the city and confront the Imperial Guards. It seemed that he was really forced into a corner.
Even a rabbit will bite when it gets angry, not to mention Gu Jue's intolerant personality.
When he was young, he was never a good-tempered person. He would beat up anyone who provoked him, even if the other party was an elder of the royal family! If the other party dared to report to the late emperor, Gu Jue would dare to lay out the evidence clearly, so that the whole family of that person was sent by the late emperor to guard the imperial mausoleum.
Until this moment, everyone couldn't help but sigh: If Gu Jue was the eldest prince, the late emperor wouldn't have to hesitate so much, and perhaps Da Qi would be a different scene now.
In this dull and depressing atmosphere, some people's thoughts wandered inadvertently, while more people were worried about the most difficult problem -
At that time, which side will the royal family stand on? !
Judging from the current situation, although the emperor has many faults, the prince has always been diligent in government affairs and there is nothing wrong with him. The prince can become a benevolent monarch.
Prince Shun walked back and forth again in annoyance and whispered, "Why hasn't the crown prince shown up yet?"
He said this to Prince Li and other royal relatives.
Prince Li's eyes flashed, and he thought: If their previous speculation was correct and the emperor was safe, then the reverse conclusion was that the crown prince was "ill", so the crown prince did not show up.
An idea popped up in his mind. He swallowed and said his guess: "The emperor will not put the prince under house arrest again..."
When Prince Li said this, several royal relatives were all shocked and looked at each other.
Yes, if the prince was under house arrest in the Eastern Palace like last time, it would explain why he has not shown up yet. Moreover, the emperor is also capable of doing such a thing.
Since the emperor had placed the prince under house arrest, it was natural that the prince had angered the emperor. The question was, why had the prince angered the emperor? The answer was obvious. The prince had helped the prince to speak well of the emperor, which went against the emperor's will.
“Xiao Xi…”
The raindrops were as light and thin as silk and willow twigs, forming a wet mist that seemed to penetrate into people's spleen and lungs.
(End of this chapter)