Faced with the domineering presence of the Fourth and Fifth Princes, the concubines were so frightened that they began to cry loudly.
The people outside seemed to want to put some pressure on the people in the palace, each of them holding up their large swords and desperately pounding on their shields.
The Third Prince frowned deeply.
Seeing the current situation, Eunuch Qin's face was extremely grim.
At that very moment, the officials who supported the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince rushed in one by one.
They first knelt on the ground, performed a grand salute, and then obediently stood behind the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince, clearly indicating their support for them.
"Third Prince, the entire palace has been captured by our men. Do you still not intend to surrender?"
The Third Prince remained silent.
He waited until he saw a signal being sent out from the city before a disdainful smile appeared on his lips.
"Fourth Prince, Fifth Prince, you're celebrating too soon..." The Third Prince clapped his hands.
The moment his slap landed, a large number of guards dressed in black appeared from all directions.
The moment they appeared, they quickly engaged in battle with the forces of the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince.
When the fourth and fifth princes saw the scene outside, their expressions turned extremely ugly.
"It seems that my third brother was already prepared!"
"It wasn't that I was prepared in advance; my stance from the beginning was very clear: I support the Crown Prince. This is also my father's dying wish. If my father supports either of you, then I will support you as well!"
Upon hearing his words, the fourth and fifth princes wore disdainful smiles and instinctively rushed out, eager to fight the guards.
But when they came out and saw the scene, their faces immediately turned extremely ugly. Almost all of their men had been slashed and wounded by these black-clad guards. And these black-clad guards were still coming in from all directions.
In no time at all, all the soldiers around them were captured by these black-clad guards.
"Your Highness, we've captured them!"
"Tie all these people up, and we'll wait for the next prisoner!"
All the wounded soldiers were tied together with a rope and piled up in the entire palace, where they were immediately brought under control by the Third Prince's men.
Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief at this moment, but they still waited patiently.
About fifteen minutes later, the earth trembled slightly, and a vast army of soldiers surged toward the palace like a raging black tide.
Their steps were initially synchronized and heavy, like the workings of a giant machine, "Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Each step was accompanied by a dull thud, as if it were about to crush the road beneath their feet.
As they drew closer to the palace, their pace quickened, becoming rapid and powerful, like a frantic drumbeat.
The soldiers' faces were filled with determination and fanaticism, their eyes fixed on the direction of the palace.
Their footsteps kicked up clouds of dust, which, under the sunlight, resembled a pervasive yellow mist.
After their footsteps stopped outside, General Xu, who was at the head of the group, and others hurriedly headed towards the direction of the palace.
When they arrived outside the palace, they immediately knelt on the ground. After each of them performed a deep bow, they stood up menacingly.
The general waved his hand, and then the soldiers behind him brought people to the scene one by one.
"Your Majesty, this old minister has lived up to everyone's expectations and has captured all of the Second Prince's men!"
As soon as Xu Jinxiang finished speaking, the Second Prince and all those who had sheltered him from the rain were thrown onto the scene. Their condition was even more miserable and wretched than that of the Fourth and Fifth Princes.
When the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince saw this scene, their faces turned extremely ugly. Only then did they realize that General Xu was actually in cahoots with the Third Prince and his group.
No one could have imagined that General Xu had joined forces with the third brother so early on.
"Hmph, since you've already joined forces, why bother with this pretense?"
"Exactly. What a two-faced jerk, he's disgusting!"
The fourth and fifth princes were also extremely annoyed and began to curse.
"We are loyal to the Emperor, and the Third Prince is also loyal to the Emperor. Whoever the Emperor passes the throne to, that is who we will be loyal to."
"Third Prince, Fourth Prince, you don't need to say such unpleasant things here. Just listen to the Emperor's decree of succession and then make a decision!" General Xu was not intimidated by them.
After all, in his eyes, these guys were traitors.
At this moment, Eunuch Qin quickly produced the edict of succession.
The Third Prince quickly pulled the Crown Prince, who was behind him, over.
"This is the edict of succession that His Majesty personally issued in front of this old servant before his death. This old servant can guarantee with his life that during the celebration before His Majesty issued this edict of succession, there was no third person besides this old servant and the Emperor."
"Gentlemen, receive the decree!"
The crowd immediately knelt down on the ground.
The Qin eunuch unfolded the imperial edict.
Edict of succession
"I have been entrusted with the mandate of heaven and ruled the world for several decades. Thanks to the blessings of my ancestors, the assistance of my ministers, and the support of my people, I have worked diligently to govern. However, time flies by, my health is declining, and my weariness is increasing day by day."
I hereby depose the Crown Prince and establish him as the Prince of Hua, with Yongzhou as his fief. The Third Prince, Qi Mo, is intelligent, benevolent, filial, quick-witted, studious, and possesses both virtue and talent. From a young age, he has been well-versed in the classics and history, and harbors lofty ambitions to govern the country and bring peace to the people. I have observed his conduct and discerned his character, and I am deeply confident that he will be able to inherit the throne, glorify the ancestral rites, and benefit all people.
After careful consideration, I have decided to abdicate in favor of the Third Prince, Qi Mo. I hope that all my civil and military officials will uphold their duties and wholeheartedly assist the new ruler. The new ruler should be mindful of reverence for Heaven and ancestors, diligence in governance and love for the people, promote frugality and thrift, oppose extravagance, promote beneficial policies and eliminate harmful ones, extend benevolence and virtue, and strive to ensure peace and prosperity for the nation, preserve the stability of our state, and prolong the reign of our imperial family.
So be it!
Everyone was stunned by the outcome; no one expected it to be like this, yet it also seemed to be within everyone's expectations.
The Third Prince showed no extra expression. He knew that the Crown Prince was not capable of taking the position, and the Second Prince, Fourth Prince, and Fifth Prince had rebelled. The Emperor would definitely not choose them, and in the end, the throne would fall into his own hands.
He did gamble to some extent, but in the end, he won.
"Your Highness, please accept the imperial decree!"
"Your subject receives the decree!" He bowed deeply and raised both hands, and Eunuch Qin handed the imperial edict to him.
The crown prince stood up, holding the imperial edict in his hand, and looked at the group of people kneeling behind him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
