Chapter 1122
Change of Succession
Empress Wang flew into a rage: "Get him out!"
Her husband was dying, and as his son, the second prince thought of power, not his father.
Empress Wang considered herself virtuous and fair, and that she had taught her sons and daughters well. As a result, when nothing went wrong, they were all filial and respectful to their brothers. But when the emperor fell seriously ill, their former filial piety and respect became a joke.
When the emperor was still asleep, she was able to control her temper and manage the overall situation. But once the emperor woke up, the empress could no longer control her temper.
Having been married for twenty years, how could Zhu Qiyu not understand her?
He immediately pressed her hand down and said to the eunuch, "Help me change my clothes and carry me out."
The palace servants immediately sprang into action, helping the emperor change his clothes and carrying him out on a chair.
The second prince was shoving Cheng Jing, insisting on entering the emperor's bedchamber to see him.
"My father is seriously ill, and I must attend to him. How dare you all obstruct me!"
He then shouted loudly inside, "Mother Empress—Mother Empress—please allow me to see Father Emperor. If you have anything to say, just come to me. Do not harm Father Emperor—"
She called out again, "My eldest sister and third sister are still waiting for me in the palace. I miss them dearly. They are my father's own daughters. Please don't hurt him—"
"Your Highness, please don't make a scene. His Majesty is perfectly fine..." Cheng Jing was furious and wanted to hit him, but he was the second prince, and he had the will but not the courage.
Cheng Jing glared at the Imperial Guards who stood by and watched, and roared, "What are you standing there for? The Second Prince has gone mad! Quickly send him out of the palace! Can you bear the consequences of disturbing His Majesty?"
The imperial guards exchanged glances, and one of them was about to step forward to stop the second prince when he was pulled back by another.
The Imperial Guards replied with grim faces, "We are only guarding the Imperial Palace."
"If the Second Prince wants to see His Majesty, wouldn't it be easier to resolve this matter by having Eunuch Cheng report it?"
Amidst the commotion, the doors of the main hall opened, and four eunuchs carried the emperor out, with the empress beside him.
The second prince felt a chill in his heart. Wasn't it said that his father was already too ill to stand and was in a coma?
He couldn't see his father's face clearly from behind the nine steps, but when he spoke, the emperor's powerful voice came from above: "What are you all doing?"
The eunuchs immediately stepped back, stood sideways, and bowed their heads respectfully.
The Imperial Guards' expressions changed, and they lowered their heads and knelt down.
The second prince's lips trembled slightly. Coming to his senses, he hurriedly said, "Father, I heard you are ill, but the Empress forbids me from seeing you. I am worried..."
"What are you worried about? I'm just sick, not dead!"
Zhu Qiyu showed no mercy, his sharp gaze sweeping across the Second Prince's face before settling on the Imperial Guards, and he asked in a deep voice, "Where is Chen Huai?"
"Commander Chen fell from his horse and was injured; he is currently on leave to recuperate at home..."
“He is only injured, not dead. Let him come to see me,” Zhu Qiyu said in a deep voice. “If he cannot manage the Imperial Guards, I will not mind replacing him with a different commander.”
The Imperial Guards bowed their heads in response.
Although Zhu Qiyu was gentle in nature, his power and prestige during his eighteen years as emperor were unmatched by ordinary people. Hearing the coldness in his words, the imperial guards broke out in a cold sweat, their ambitions, which had been stirred up by Shi Heng, shattered.
Just as they were about to bow their heads and beg for forgiveness, Shi Heng, with a sword at his waist, strode over with his personal guards.
More than a hundred imperial guards, all clad in heavy armor and with swords at their waists, marched forward in orderly formation, their footsteps echoing on the stone slabs before them.
The sound echoed in their ears, and the kneeling imperial guards steadied themselves, raising their heads to look at the emperor above.
Zhu Qiyu also lifted his eyelids and glanced indifferently at Shi Heng who was approaching. His fingers unconsciously gripped the armrest of his chair. Shi Heng stopped in front of the steps, looking at the emperor high above him through the two rows of eunuchs blocking his way. After a moment, he clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I have come to protect you."
"Protect the Emperor?" The Empress stepped forward and shouted angrily, "Shi Heng, are you trying to commit treason under the guise of protecting the Emperor?"
Shi Heng remained expressionless and said in a deep voice, "The Empress colluded with the Imperial Advisor to hold the Emperor hostage. I am the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards and have been ordered to restore order."
The Empress clenched her fists, and the Emperor reached out and grabbed her wrist, saying to Shi Heng, "I am well. The Empress is attending to the sick by order. Aren't you all going to leave?"
Shi Heng did not back down, but instead took two steps forward, pressing Cheng Jing's face directly: "Your Majesty, you are being coerced by the Empress, and the Second Prince has come to seek help. I will escort you to the study to summon the cabinet for a meeting."
Having said that, he drew his sword with a whoosh and said to the bewildered Imperial Guards, "The sword is drawn; there is no turning back."
These words were not only spoken to the imperial guards who followed him, but also to the Second Prince, whose heart was chilled.
Sure enough, the second prince hesitated for a moment, then stared at the emperor on the steps with red eyes and said, "Father, your son has come to save you—"
Having said that, he kicked Cheng Jing and charged forward first, while Shi Heng's eyes flashed and he slashed his sword to clear a path...
The eunuchs immediately spread their arms to block the attack, using their bodies to shield the knife.
A white light streaked through the air and collided with Shi Heng's sword with a bang. The blade snapped instantly, and Shi Heng felt his vision recede before he felt pain all over his body. He and his men behind him collided and fell to the ground.
In mid-air, Pan Yun carried the Crown Prince out of the Three Treasures Cauldron and landed lightly in front of the Emperor and Empress.
As soon as he landed, the crown prince turned around and rushed to the emperor: "Father!"
Zhu Qiyu saw his expression relax, raised his hand to stop him, and looked at the Grand Preceptor.
When the Imperial Guards saw the Grand Preceptor appear, their desperate spirit shattered instantly and vanished completely.
Before Shi Heng could react, the Imperial Guards had already scrambled to their knees, slamming their foreheads heavily onto the floor in submission.
Shi Heng clutched his chest, raised his head, and couldn't help but spit out two mouthfuls of black blood.
His eyes were bloodshot as he looked at Pan Yun, gritting his teeth as he said, "Pan Yun, as a cultivator, you keep interfering in worldly affairs. Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning?"
Pan Yun: "Whether I'll be struck by lightning or not, I don't know, but you will definitely die before I am struck by lightning."
Pan Yun was right; Shi Heng was indeed doomed. He probably knew this too. He picked up his sword, ready to slit his own throat on the spot, but the Crown Prince coldly said, "If you dare to commit suicide, I will make the entire Shi family pay with their lives!"
Shi Heng just couldn't bring himself to be ruthless.
At this moment, Chen Huaicai arrived with his Imperial Guards, limping along.
The Crown Prince ordered him to imprison everyone, and Shi Heng and the Second Prince were sent to prison.
The second prince, his face pale, had collapsed to the ground the moment Pan Yun and the Crown Prince appeared. Only after being dragged to his feet by the imperial guards did he remember to beg for mercy: "Brother, brother, I was bewitched by Shi Heng! He lied to me, saying you were murdered in Jiangnan and that Father was being held hostage by the Empress and the Imperial Advisor! I did this to save Father! Father, please save me! Please save me! I am your son—you only have three sons—"
The emperor's face was ashen, his chest heaving, but he remained silent.
The Crown Prince quelled the unrest in the palace with lightning speed. Pan Yun had Tao Yanbai perform acupuncture on the Emperor so that he could comfortably get through the night before leaving.
She did not interfere with the Crown Prince's arrangements.
The emperor watched Pan Yun's figure disappear before ordering the cabinet and all officials to enter the palace for a proclamation. (End of Chapter)