Under pressure from the Third Prince, the Emperor wrote an abdication edict. The Third Prince finally found the imperial seal in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. It turned out to be in a secret compartment behind the desk. “Hahahaha… I finally found it… I found it!” The Third Prince was surprised and delighted. He quickly took it to the table, spread out the abdication edict, and was about to cover it with it: “Wait, Third Brother, you are so bold! You are trying to usurp the throne!”
"Li Yunhong, my father's throne should have been passed on to me." The third prince said angrily.
"Come here, take down the third prince." The prince had just finished speaking.
"Come here, take the prince down." Wei Shou couldn't wait to order the guards to surround the prince.
"What do you want to do? I am the prince." Li Yunhong shouted loudly.
"Hmph, you are no longer the crown prince." Wei Shou sneered.
"How dare you betray me!" the emperor shouted angrily.
"Your Majesty, you should abdicate and let someone more capable govern the country," said Wei Shou.
"I will never give up my throne to you traitors," the emperor said firmly.
"Then don't blame us for being rude." Wei Shou waved his hand, and the imperial guards rushed towards the emperor and the prince.
Xiao Shi took advantage of the chaos to leave the Yangxin Palace, intending to send a signal to the army outside the city. Unfortunately, before he could send the signal, he was captured by another group of guards brought by Commander Guan.
Commander Guan led his men to fight with Wei Shou's men.
At this moment, the Crown Prince blew a whistle, and the secret guards in the Yangxin Palace jumped out and started fighting with Wei Shou and the others. The Crown Prince took the opportunity to run to the Emperor's side and asked, "Father, how are you?"
The emperor's face was pale, his lips were black, and his eyes were closed.
The prince looked at his father with heartache, his eyes filled with worry and anger.
The prince drew his sword and thrust it into Doctor Liao's neck. "Tell me, what happened to our father? Was it you who murdered him?"
Doctor Liao was so frightened that he peed his pants. He knelt down and said with his head lowered, "Prince, spare me. I'll tell you, Your Majesty has contracted a chronic poison. This poison accumulates over time. Someone must have tampered with Your Majesty's diet."
"Do you have the antidote?" the prince demanded.
Doctor Liao replied tremblingly, "Your Highness, this...this poison has no antidote, but if we can find the person who poisoned it, perhaps we can solve the problem at the source."
The Crown Prince's heart sank, a flicker of determination in his eyes. He turned to gaze upon the chaotic battle scene, determined to uncover the culprit behind the incident and avenge his father. At the same time, he was also concerned about the situation outside the city. If the situation could not be brought under control in time, the consequences would be disastrous. "No, Your Highness, spare my life! I just gave Your Majesty acupuncture, which will delay the onset of the poison for a while." Imperial Physician Liao kowtowed repeatedly, hoping only to save his own life.
The prince put down his sword and whispered in the emperor's ear, "Father, do you believe me?"
The emperor didn't say a word. Li Yunhong took out the antidote pill from his bosom and stuffed it into the emperor's mouth. Eunuch Xu looked at the prince in astonishment, thinking to himself, "The prince is quite courageous. If anything happens to the emperor, there will be no way to wash it off. But at the same time, I admire the prince. It turns out that the emperor's love for the prince is not in vain." Thinking about it, he also snorted with tears, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, how are you? I am scared to death!"
After the emperor swallowed the detoxification pill, he felt as if his internal organs had been cleansed. He felt unprecedented comfort and immediately regained consciousness. "I'm fine, much better. Eunuch Xu, help me up."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Eunuch Xu was surprised and happy, because he saw that the emperor's complexion and spirits were obviously much better, and his lips had regained their rosy color.
The emperor stood up, stretched his muscles, and felt his body full of strength. He looked at Li Yunhong gratefully and said, "Yunhong, this time thanks to you! If you hadn't arrived in time, I'm afraid I would have died."
Li Yunhong replied modestly, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. This is what I should do. As long as Your Majesty is safe and sound, I will be satisfied."
The emperor nodded with satisfaction, very satisfied with Li Yunhong's performance. He knew that this son was not only smart and brave, but also kind-hearted and a trustworthy heir.
Soon, all the people in the Third Prince's group were captured. The Crown Prince went outside the Yangxin Palace and sent a signal into the sky. Wen Youyi in the capital saw the signal and ordered the secret guards to close the net.
"Yes, Pavilion Master." Several secret guards went to Xiaohuang Tower.
Outside the city, Cheng Ji saw the signal and shouted to the soldiers in the tent, "Here, we are sent by the Emperor. You are surrounded. Surrender now! Your General Xiao has returned to the capital without His Majesty's permission. This is a capital offense, and He has been apprehended by His Majesty. Consider your families and lay down your weapons. His Majesty is kind and will certainly show leniency."
All the soldiers in the tent laid down their weapons, and the deputy general took the lead to say that they were all following Xiao Shi's orders to return to the capital and beg the emperor to forgive them.
Cheng Ji looked at these soldiers and couldn't help but sigh. He knew that these soldiers were just following orders and they were not wrong. However, they were in trouble because of Xiao Shi's wrong decision.
Cheng Ji took a deep breath and tried to sound gentle. "Don't panic, everyone. I will report your situation to His Majesty truthfully. Please trust that His Majesty will make a fair judgment. Now, please follow my soldiers to the designated location and await further instructions."
The soldiers looked at each other, but ultimately chose to believe Cheng Ji's words. They laid down their weapons and followed Cheng Ji's soldiers out of the camp. Cheng Ji watched them leave, praying silently in his heart, hoping that this incident could be properly resolved.
Outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, corpses littered the ground, blood flowed like a river, and the pungent smell of blood filled the air. Inside, the emperor sat upright on the dragon throne, his face gloomy, his gaze dignified as he gazed down at the kneeling figures below. His voice was cold and stern: "Xiao Shi, you dared to lead the army back to the capital without my permission. You have committed such a heinous crime. According to the law, you should be executed and your entire clan exterminated."
The emperor's words echoed like thunder in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The faces of those kneeling on the ground turned pale, their hearts filled with fear and despair. They knew that the emperor's anger could no longer be quelled, and their fate seemed sealed.
The emperor turned his gaze to the kneeling Third Prince, a flicker of disappointment and anger in his eyes. "And you, this rebellious son, I've always been kind to you, yet you actually want to rebel. Come, throw the Third Prince into the Sky Prison and await your fate!"
Before the emperor could finish his words, Concubine Xiao arrived in a hurry, her face stained with tears. She rushed into the Yangxin Palace and plopped down on her knees, begging for mercy: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, please spare Pei'er! Please!" She knelt and sobbed, her voice miserable and desolate. Then, she crawled to the emperor's feet, hugged his legs tightly, and pleaded bitterly: "Your Majesty, Wanwan has never begged you before. Wanwan only has Pei'er as her son. Please... please!"
Xiao Guifei's tears flowed like a flood, and her voice was filled with endless sorrow and despair. Her plea made everyone present feel sad, but the emperor's face remained unchanged. He looked at Xiao Guifei coldly without saying a word.
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