Chapter 1597
The Prince 19
The Fifth Prince was dumbfounded.
This has really been quite a rollercoaster ride!
What surprised him most was that Emperor Qianming was actually a hidden master.
Even if Emperor Qianming hadn't known about the Crown Prince's coup attempt earlier, the Crown Prince wouldn't have been able to succeed.
At that time, the crown prince was so close to Emperor Qianming that the emperor could easily have made him the crown prince.
If the crown prince is captured, what can his subordinates do?
Emperor Qianming, however, was only concerned with putting on an act, and did not even reveal his martial prowess when the fourth prince was killed by Li Zhi.
That's heartless...
The Fifth Prince knew that there was no kinship in the royal family, but at this moment he still couldn't help but shiver.
He desperately hoped that the grandmaster's desperate attack would harm the emperor.
He feared that if he continued to live under such a cold-hearted emperor, he might one day follow in the footsteps of the fourth prince and become one of those sacrificed by the emperor.
Emperor Qianming was a powerful figure with true qi protecting his body. His physique was better than that of ordinary people, and he would live longer.
Emperor Qianming is not yet fifty years old. With his top-notch cultivation, living another fifty years is not a problem.
During this period, he could have even more sons and raise more consumables like the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince.
Even if I were to become the crown prince now, could I bear to be the crown prince for fifty years?
It seems they might be following in the footsteps of Aisin-Gioro Yinreng.
Liu Tong stepped forward, patted the Fifth Prince on the shoulder, and said, "The show is over, we're leaving now. Take care."
The fifth brother should thank him; it was he who gave him the opportunity to rise to power.
With that grandmaster's final move, he originally wouldn't have been able to harm Emperor Qianming.
However, Liu Tong secretly channeled a burst of true energy into the Grandmaster, giving him the strength to unleash a desperate attack that struck Emperor Qianming.
This is a desperate attack from a grandmaster!
Emperor Qianming's inner court suffered a severe blow, and even if he survived, he would need to recuperate for a long time.
During this period, someone will definitely need to oversee the country.
Liu Tong was well aware of Emperor Qianming's disdain for the eldest prince, so this important task naturally fell to the fifth prince.
If the Fifth Prince seizes the opportunity and takes advantage of this time to win over important officials in the court, he might have a chance to sideline Emperor Qianming and make him an emperor emeritus.
The Fifth Prince did not understand what Liu Tong meant, but he saw Liu Tong and Xiao Luzi float out of the palace so easily, like immortals.
Fifth Prince: "..."
Indeed, heroes use their martial arts to break the law.
These chivalrous figures had no respect for imperial authority.
Once he becomes emperor, he must find a way to restrict the martial arts world.
Should he bring out the explosives and artillery?
But he knew the simple gunpowder formula; he had learned it from reading time-travel novels.
But he didn't know how cannons were made!
The fifth prince, preoccupied with his own thoughts, ran to the emperor's bedchamber.
The most important thing now is to be a filial son to Emperor Qianming.
When he arrived at the palace, the imperial physicians were already treating Emperor Qianming.
The imperial physicians and court doctors were always on standby next to the emperor's bedroom.
Emperor Qianming was prepared for any eventuality.
Although he had confidence in the two grandmasters of the palace and the defenses, he still prepared for the possibility of injury.
After examining Emperor Qianming, the imperial physicians reached the same conclusion as Liu Dong.
Emperor Qianming was seriously injured this time and could only stay in bed to recuperate. He wouldn't be able to get out of bed for at least six months.
Emperor Qianming was furious and ordered his men to drag the corpse of the master who had injured him out to feed to wild dogs.
Emperor Qianming: "Fifth Prince."
The Fifth Prince quickly stepped forward and said with concern, "Father, I am here. Please take good care of your injuries. I will always be by your side to attend to you."
Emperor Qianming: "You've put your heart into this."
Emperor Qianming: "While I am recuperating, you shall oversee the country."
The fifth prince was taken aback at first, then overjoyed, but he couldn't show it and respectfully agreed.
The Fifth Prince was a clever man, and his thoughts were the same as Liu Tong's; he wanted to seize this opportunity to take control of the court. News of the Emperor's injury quickly spread throughout the capital.
After all, everyone was watching the palace, waiting for the outcome.
A fight between grandmasters can create a huge commotion.
Those outside the palace could feel its power.
Everyone also realized that the royal family had powerful trump cards and was not someone that could be easily provoked.
Sure enough, the bodies of the three grandmasters were dragged out of the palace by the guards.
Then, news of the emperor's injury came out of the ship.
No one dared to cause trouble while the emperor was injured, as the royal family had a grandmaster in charge.
The high-ranking officials thanked the royal family for not following the martial arts world's rule of "might makes right" and for not sending a grandmaster to deal with them.
The next day, all the ministers went to the palace to attend the grand court assembly.
They knew they wouldn't see the emperor, but they wanted to know what his plans were.
The emperor's trusted chief eunuch, Dai Quan, accompanied the fifth prince as they came out.
The ministers understood that the emperor had chosen the fifth prince.
As expected, Dai Quan issued an imperial edict appointing the Fifth Prince as regent.
Although the ministers were puzzled, they accepted it nonetheless.
Only the eldest prince could not accept it.
He's the boss, so why isn't he the regent?
The eldest prince immediately jumped up, wanting to go to the emperor to express his grievances.
The fifth prince stopped the eldest prince: "Brother, Father needs to rest. He doesn't see outsiders."
The eldest prince roared, "I am his son? How can I be an outsider? It must be you, you despicable fellow, who bewitched my father to gain the right to oversee the country."
Fifth Prince: "Brother, do you think Father is someone who can be easily fooled?"
The eldest prince said, "You must have made Father make this decision while he was seriously injured and in a coma."
Fifth Prince: "Eunuch Dai is right here, and can prove that Father Emperor was of sound mind when he issued the decree."
The eldest prince said, "Anyway, it was you who misled Father."
The Fifth Prince didn't bother to say anything more to the First Prince; he was just a fool.
Back when the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince were still around, they didn't include him in their games.
She herself had cooperated with him and taken advantage of the eldest prince because of his stupidity.
As a result, this guy treated him like his subordinate.
That's quite a big face!
The Fifth Prince ignored the First Prince and led a group of important officials to a side hall to discuss official business.
The eldest prince turned around angrily and headed towards the emperor's bedroom.
Unfortunately, he was stopped outside the palace.
The emperor refused to see him.
The eldest prince left the palace dejectedly and returned to his own residence.
His advisor stepped forward: "Your Highness, what has happened?"
The eldest prince asked, "Why did Father Emperor choose that纨绔 (wán kù, a spoiled brat) fifth son instead of me?"
The strategist thought to himself: Because you're stupid.
On the surface, the strategist reassured the eldest prince: "It must be the fifth prince who has used some treacherous scheme."
The eldest prince firmly agreed: "I underestimated that guy. Mr. Zhang, think of a way to get rid of the fifth prince."
Mr. Zhang: "Your Highness, in fact, instead of eliminating the Fifth Prince, it would be better to take it one step at a time."
The eldest prince frowned: "What do you mean?"
Mr. Zhang: "Your Highness, this is an opportunity." (End of Chapter)