A commotion immediately erupted in the hall as people whispered and discussed among themselves, their faces showing shock and fear.
After all, killing one's father to seize the throne is not only against human ethics and morality, but also a serious crime. Once verified, it will surely cause a huge uproar.
At that moment, everyone's eyes turned to the eldest prince, Hua Long, who was standing at the front of the crowd.
Hua Long's face was gloomy, his brows were furrowed, and he seemed somewhat at a loss in the face of the questioning gazes of the crowd.
In a corner of the hall, the Third Prince Hua Yuan, who had been silent all along, had a slight, almost imperceptible smile on his lips.
It turns out that all of this was a conspiracy meticulously planned by the second prince.
He first secretly sent someone to poison the old king, causing him to die from the poison.
Immediately afterwards, a fake royal decree was forged, passing the throne to the eldest prince, Hua Long.
Then, he deliberately described in detail the old king's symptoms of poisoning in front of everyone, leading them to suspect the eldest prince.
Now, he has successfully incited the anger of the people, directing all the blame at the eldest prince and making him the target of everyone's ire.
In this way, he could openly eliminate those rebels and put his brother to death.
Once the mission is accomplished, he will be able to rightfully ascend the throne based on his outstanding military achievements.
However, his elder brother Hualong had the same thoughts. As the saying goes, the one who strikes first gains the advantage, while the one who acts later will suffer disaster.
Whoever takes the first step will gain the initiative and have the upper hand.
At this moment, the eldest prince Hua Long was so angry that he trembled all over. He knew in his heart that this was undoubtedly a carefully planned conspiracy. The other party actually tried to use such despicable means to pin the crimes of murdering his father, usurping the throne, and being disloyal and unfilial on him!
Enraged, he shouted, "As the eldest son of a powerful army, it is only right and proper for me to inherit the throne. Why would I commit such a heinous and unethical act to seize the throne? This is clearly a malicious frame-up!"
Hearing Hua Long's impassioned words, Hua Yuan couldn't help but shake his head and sigh inwardly, thinking that his simple-minded but physically strong older brother was now completely finished.
If he honestly cooperates with the investigation, there might still be a glimmer of hope.
But now he's acting so impulsively and speaking so recklessly, isn't he clearly telling everyone that he has a guilty conscience? Isn't this just like the old saying, "He's hiding something here"?
As expected, after hearing the eldest prince's words, everyone present began to consciously or unconsciously widen the distance between themselves and him, eager to draw a line between themselves and him, for fear of being implicated and punished in the future.
Upon seeing this, the eldest prince turned ashen with rage, his whole body trembling. He glared at the second prince, his eyes wide with fury, and roared through gritted teeth, "Second prince, how dare you spout such lies and slander! Without any evidence, you falsely accuse me of patricide and usurping the throne, committing such an unforgivable, unfilial act!"
"As the eldest prince, I bear the power and responsibility of the legitimate heir. Today, I will exercise this right to eliminate you, my rebellious son, to uphold the family tradition!"
Before he could finish speaking, the eldest prince suddenly waved his sleeve and shouted, "All generals, listen to my command! Seize the second prince immediately, interrogate him thoroughly, and investigate his accomplices! Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!"
As the eldest prince gave the order, a series of heavy footsteps resounded, and a group of generals clad in heavy armor and wielding gleaming weapons stormed into the hall like tigers descending a mountain.
They all had fierce looks on their faces, their eyes fixed on the second prince, as if they would pounce on him and tear him to pieces at the first prince's command.
However, just as the group of generals were about to rush towards the second prince, several shouts suddenly rang out in the hall like thunder: "Let's see who dares to touch a hair on the second prince's head!"
Immediately afterwards, three figures appeared in the center of the hall like ghosts. Upon closer inspection, everyone realized that it was the three patriarchs of the Bai, Cheng, and Qin families!
All three had white hair, but they were vigorous and exuded a powerful aura that made people's hearts tremble. It was a terrifying pressure that only Saint-level experts could possess!
"Hmph! The Second Prince only wants to find out the real reason for the King's death, yet the First Prince is so eager to arrest and convict people. Could there really be some unspeakable secret hidden here? Could it be that the King's death is indeed related to the First Prince?"
The Bai family patriarch's gaze was sharp as he coldly questioned him.
Faced with the questioning of the three patriarchs, the eldest prince panicked and stammered, "You...you...stop talking nonsense! I am loyal to my father, heaven and earth can bear witness! How could I do such a heinous thing?"
"Quickly subdue these treacherous officials!"
Suddenly, a furious shout rang out. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the eldest prince's face was flushed red, and his eyes seemed to be spitting fire. His anger was palpable.
He gripped the sword hilt tightly with both hands, as if he were about to draw his sword at any moment and fight to the death with the person in front of him.
The atmosphere between the two sides was becoming increasingly tense, to the point where a conflict was imminent and swords were about to be drawn.
At this critical moment, Hua Yuan, who had been standing quietly in the corner, suddenly stepped forward. His expression was solemn as he slowly spoke, "My two brothers, please calm down and listen to what I have to say."
Upon hearing this, both the eldest and second princes were slightly taken aback, and then turned their gazes to Hua Yuan.
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