Read Novel Full ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 151
ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 151
The night rain poured heavily, like a torrent cascading down from the palace eaves, drenching the palace lanterns. Their light appeared increasingly dim and haunting, flickering uncertainly in the wind.
Inside the palace, the faint sound of a woman sobbing came from behind a screen. Following the sound, Li Zhizhi glanced over, but Consort Rong, seeing her reaction, pouted and said, “Don’t you dare feel sorry for her. If she hadn’t poisoned the Seventh Princess, the Emperor might never have uncovered her and Prince Ning’s conspiracy.”
Li Zhizhi had no intention of pitying Consort Chun. Hearing this, she simply smiled and remarked, “I don’t understand why she targeted A’yang.”
Given A’yang’s simplicity, she couldn’t possibly pose a threat to Consort Chun. If she had harmed Consort Rong or the Emperor instead, Li Zhizhi wouldn’t have been surprised. But of all people, she chose a naive little fool.
Consort Rong lowered her voice and said, “Actually, there was a time when she met secretly with Prince Ning, and A’yang happened to pass by. She had a guilty conscience and feared A’yang might tell the Emperor about her affair and shame her—”
A soft cough suddenly sounded from the inner chamber. Consort Rong immediately fell silent, rose, and entered the room with a cheerful smile. “Is Your Majesty thirsty?”
The Emperor replied, “What were you talking about?”
“Oh, just some idle chatter with the Princess.”
“I heard you saying I was being cuckolded?”
Consort Rong couldn’t hold back her laughter. “Your Majesty has sharp ears, catching even that.”
The Emperor said no more. Li Zhizhi imagined the Emperor’s expression and guessed it must be quite entertaining. She chuckled to herself and glanced toward the palace doors. The rain outside was loud and relentless. She wondered where Xiao Yan and the Grand Princess were now.
Though she knew everything had been arranged, she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of worry in her heart.
At that moment, the palace doors were suddenly knocked upon, causing Li Zhizhi’s heart to skip a beat. She heard someone outside announce, “Your Majesty, Prince Ning requests an audience.”
Li Zhizhi glanced at the two eunuchs nearby and signaled to them with her eyes. The two immediately moved behind the screen, one covering Consort Chun’s mouth while the other grabbed her hand, dragging her to the back.
“Your Majesty, Prince Ning requests an audience.”
Li Zhizhi steadied herself, walked over, and softly said, “The Emperor is resting.”
The knocking on the palace doors resumed, the thudding sound echoing even more distinctly in the silent hall. The muffled voice of the person outside came through, “I have urgent matters to report and seek an audience with His Majesty.”
The person outside was indeed Prince Ning. Behind him stood a squad of Imperial Guards, rainwater trickling down their armor and pooling on the ground. The glint of their weapons and armor under the lantern light reflected sharp, piercing coldness, glaring and intense.
After a long moment, the palace doors were finally opened by the guards. Warm yellow light spilled out from inside, falling onto the hem of Prince Ning’s robe and casting a thin, elongated shadow on the ground. The luxurious and resplendent decor of the hall became faintly visible. On Prince Ning’s usually mild and courteous face, there appeared a faint smile as he stepped into the hall.
The air grew still, with only the quiet flickering of the candles. Perhaps due to the rain, the lighting was not very bright, especially behind the few screens, which appeared pitch black and impenetrable at first glance.
Without waiting for the guards to lead him, Prince Ning strode directly toward the inner hall, his steps quick and urgent—an urgency even he was unaware of, as he had endured for so long, finally waiting for this moment…
The curtains in the inner hall were drawn down. Just as Prince Ning reached out to lift them, a familiar voice rang out from within: “Insolence!”
The voice carried an inherent authority that struck fear into Prince Ning. It was a voice etched deeply into his mind, commanding both respect and dread. The suddenness of it caused his hand to tremble, and for a moment, he dared not proceed.
Behind the curtain came the sound of coughing, which gradually subsided after a moment. The Emperor Jing Ming said, “So late at night—what matter compels you to risk my wrath by insisting on reporting it?”
At first, his voice seemed no different from usual, but upon closer discernment, one could detect its weakness, its lack of vigor. This was a tiger already on the brink of death; there was no longer a need to fear him as before. Prince Ning lowered his head and said, “Your Majesty, my son is dead. He was murdered.”
“Oh?” Emperor Jing Ming said. “Who killed him?”
“The Crown Prince,” Prince Ning said resolutely. “The Crown Prince Xiao Yan murdered him. I plead with Your Majesty to deliver justice and punish the Crown Prince!”
“Do you have evidence?”
Prince Ning stared intently at the curtain, barely able to make out the silhouette of the figure behind it. He said, “I have captured several bandits, and they have confessed without a doubt that the Crown Prince was the mastermind.”
“If that is the case, the Ministry of Justice may investigate the matter.”
Prince Ning’s hand clenched tightly within his sleeve as he said, “Xiao Yan is currently serving in the Ministry of Justice. How can the case be properly investigated? Moreover, he is the Crown Prince—who would dare to judge him?”
The Emperor coughed twice before speaking slowly, “The law applies equally to all. Even if he is the Crown Prince, he must still be judged according to the law.”
“Your Majesty—”
From behind the curtain came the Emperor’s thunderous roar: “Get out!”
The sudden sharp and severe tone made Prince Ning shudder, an entirely instinctive reaction. Even though the Emperor was gravely ill, his imposing authority remained undiminished, striking fear into others. However, at this point, the courtyard outside was filled with the Imperial Guards—his own men. How could he retreat now?
Prince Ning steadied himself, his gaze growing dark as he said, “Father, Wen’er died unjustly. I can no longer wait. Today, I demand a resolution.”
The Emperor Jing Ming roared in anger, “What resolution do you want?”
Prince Ning responded, “I ask that you punish Xiao Yan, depose him as Crown Prince, and pass the throne to me.”
“Hah,” Emperor Jing Ming let out a cold laugh. “I’m not even dead yet, and you’re already in such a rush for the dragon throne?”
Prince Ning lifted his chin slightly and said, “Didn’t you do the same, Father? You forced Emperor Mao to abdicate to Emperor Shun, then later killed Emperor Shun and took the throne for yourself. I’m merely following your example.”
“Is that so?” Emperor Jing Ming seemed a little regretful. “But what a pity—you only learned ambition from me. Deep down, you’re nothing more than an irredeemable fool.”
As he spoke, the curtains slowly parted, finally revealing the entire inner chamber. Emperor Jing Ming was reclining on the bed, flanked by guards on either side. Bows were drawn, arrows nocked, all aimed in Prince Ning’s direction, ready to fire at any moment.
Prince Ning’s eyes widened, his expression one of utter shock and disbelief. He stammered, “No… Father, you…”
He had barely taken a step back when more guards emerged from behind the screens on either side. Armed with long blades, they pointed them at him, ready to cut him down in an instant at the slightest move.
Just then, a loud shout came from outside the hall: “Watch out! It’s an ambush!”
In an instant, chaos erupted. Shouts, the clash of steel, screams of pain, and the sound of weapons colliding filled the air, blending with the torrential rain. The cacophony created a chaotic scene, making one’s heart pound with unease.
Prince Ning’s face had already lost its color, and although he wanted to withdraw, all the exits were blocked. He was completely surrounded by the royal guards, not leaving a single gap.
Until the palace doors were pushed open again, someone entered from outside, walking step by step toward Prince Ning. The corners of the person’s dark-colored robe were soaked, dripping water incessantly. Soon, a small puddle formed on the ground, faintly tinged with red. It was unclear how many people he had killed.
Prince Ning slowly raised his head, his gaze landing on the person’s face. His brow furrowed slightly, suppressing a pair of cold, sharp phoenix eyes, the pupils dark and unyielding. The killing intent hadn’t yet dissipated, making the person’s features appear even sharper, like a drawn sword, its edge glaringly evident.
Xiao Yan’s eyes still carried traces of fresh blood at the corners. He hadn’t had time to wipe it off. He slightly curved his lips, asking with a smile that seemed neither here nor there, “Fourth Brother, I heard I’ve gotten myself into a manslaughter case?”
Prince Ning, realizing the situation was hopeless, staggered a step back and hurriedly said, “No…”
With so many Longhu Guards, several thousand men, how could they have been so easily defeated? How could they all be killed so quickly? Xiao Yan wasn’t a useless person, was he? Where did he get his forces from?
Suddenly, Prince Ning remembered the shout earlier—was there an ambush?!
He abruptly looked up, his eyes nearly splitting with rage as he shouted, “You knew about this from the start? How is that possible!”
Just as he was losing control, Li Zhizhi stepped out from behind the screen. Xiao Yan immediately noticed her and walked over. Li Zhizhi furrowed her brow, observing him carefully, and softly asked, “Are you alright?”
“No problem,” Xiao Yan lowered his head to look at his sleeve, which was covered in blood, and explained, “It’s all from others. My aunt is still outside organizing the soldiers, so there’s no need to worry.”
Li Zhizhi breathed a sigh of relief and said, “It’s getting dark, and it’s raining heavily. I thought you all had delayed the time.”
“It won’t happen,” Xiao Yan smiled faintly, with a hint of confidence in his expression, appearing somewhat arrogant. “I could make it here even with my eyes closed.”
On the other side, Emperor Jing Ming was still half-leaning on his bed, his gaze full of disgust and contempt, sharp as a knife, piercing through Ning Wang and making him feel utterly humiliated. The Longhu Guards had already been slaughtered, and Liu Bao was probably dead as well. All his confidence had vanished completely, and his fear of Emperor Jing Ming surged again. Ning Wang immediately knelt down, repeatedly begging for mercy, saying, “I, your son, deserve to die. I know my mistake. Please, Father Emperor, spare my life!”
“Know your mistake?” Emperor Jing Ming remained unmoved. Although he was sitting, his gaze was high and mighty as he looked down, saying, “Where did you go wrong?”
“I was momentarily foolish. I should not have misunderstood that the Crown Prince had plotted against Wen’er. I was blinded by hatred and made such a great mistake. Please forgive me, Father Emperor. I truly know my mistake!”
Emperor Jing Ming looked at him, disappointment in his voice. “I thought you would dare to speak up. You’ve committed regicide1act of killing an emperor and rebellion, yet you still won’t admit it?”
Ning Wang’s body stiffened, and suddenly, Emperor Jing Ming spoke again. “Fine, rebellion is something I could still forgive you for.”
Ning Wang’s face immediately showed wild joy. Xiao Yan frowned slightly, looking toward the inner hall at Emperor Jing Ming, who continued, “As long as you drink this cup of wine.”
As he finished speaking, he waved his hand, and a servant quickly brought forward a lacquered tray, upon which was a golden dragon-rising-cloud sun-rising wine cup, filled with a fragrant cup of wine.
Emperor Jing Ming spoke indifferently, “This is Xiaomei wine.”
In that instant, Ning Wang’s face suddenly changed drastically, his whole body trembling. Xiao Yan also showed a look of suspicion, his gaze fixed on the wine. Li Zhizhi asked in confusion, “What’s wrong with this wine?”
Xiao Yan whispered, “When the eldest prince died, he drank Xiaomei wine. I saw it with my own eyes.”
The wine was placed in front of Ning Wang, but he was terrified, trying to back away, repeatedly saying, “Father Emperor, Father Emperor, I know my mistake, I know my mistake…”
“Did I not say this before?” Emperor Jing Ming’s voice was low. “I don’t hold a grudge over your rebellion today. All you need to do is drink this cup of wine, and everything will be forgiven. What, you unwilling?”
Prince Ning trembled all over, and Emperor Jing Ming, with an implicit meaning, continued, “Or do you recognize this cup of wine?”
“Back then, the Zhao family, relying on their merits in the dragon’s rise and their connections with the Empress’s family, with the crown prince in their hands, became increasingly arrogant. They secretly wielded power, formed factions, and engaged in personal gain. When I wanted to suppress the Zhao family, they instigated the crown prince, attempting rebellion, and even forged a dragon robe, just waiting for my death to push the crown prince to the throne.”
At this point, Emperor Jing Ming’s tone softened. “Even so, I wiped out the entire Zhao family, but I didn’t know how to deal with the crown prince. Was he forced into it, or did he have rebellious intentions as well? So, I gave him a cup of wine to test his true intentions, just as I do with you today. But he chose to drink, without begging for mercy.”
Xiao Yan froze, his mind recalling the dripping ink on the rice paper: Ten years with a sword, with loyalty to the heavens, even as death approached, he still bore the Emperor’s grace…
“The crown prince had no rebellious intent, and the wine was not poisoned,” Emperor Jing Ming slightly leaned forward, his sharp gaze fixed on Prince Ning. “So, Xiao Chao, why did the crown prince die of poison?”
Prince Ning dared not meet his gaze, trembling all over, stammering, “I… I don’t know…”
“You don’t know?” Emperor Jing Ming’s expression turned cold, his eyes like daggers, seemingly wanting to see through him. “You really don’t know?”
He grabbed the teacup beside him and hurled it at Prince Ning, shouting, “Then who put poison in the second prince’s residence?!”
The cup hit Prince Ning’s head, shattered on the floor. Prince Ning screamed in fear and quickly shouted, “It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me! It was Xiao Kun! He brought the poison, and he framed the second prince!”
Emperor Jing Ming closed his eyes for a moment, as if too tired to argue, and wearily said, “Speak the truth, and I won’t kill you. Otherwise, you’ll be drinking this cup of wine today.”
Where would Prince Ning dare to drink? He didn’t even dare to look at the wine. Xiao Yan, standing beside him, watched with eyes reddened, filled with hatred. His hand clenched into a fist inside his sleeve, as if he wished he could force that cup of wine down his throat.
Caught between the wolf in front and the tiger behind, there was no way out. Prince Ning, a man in his thirties, cried bitterly. But Emperor Jing Ming remained unmoved, coldly staring at him. Finally, Prince Ning gave in and choked out, “Yes, it was my doing. Father Emperor favored Xiao Jin so much that, even though the Zhao family rebelled, you still refused to kill him. I had no choice… no choice but to poison him. But Father Emperor, the poison in Second Imperial Brother’s residence was placed by Xiao Kun, it has nothing to do with me!”
Emperor Jing Ming nodded slightly, then raised his hand. In an instant, the guards drew their bows and aimed their arrows at Prince Ning. Prince Ning turned pale with fear and began to crawl backward, his face filled with terror as he cried, “Father Emperor, you said you would spare me!”
Emperor Jing Ming, with no expression on his face, looked at him coldly. “I did say that I wouldn’t pursue the matter of your rebellion and palace coup today, just as I spared the deposed Crown Prince Xiao Jin. On this point, I have not been biased in the slightest.”
“But you attempted to kill him,” Emperor Jing Ming paused, then coldly continued, “A prince who breaks the law is no different from a commoner. According to the Da Yan laws, you truly deserve to die!”
With that, he lowered his hand, and in an instant, several sounds of arrows slicing through the air rang out. The arrows whistled and shot away. Xiao Yan suddenly snapped back to his senses, as if remembering something. He quickly pulled Li Zhi Zhi into his arms and covered her ears with his bloodstained hands. Prince Ning’s screams echoed, gradually fading away.
Li Zhizhi lifted her head and saw those familiar phoenix eyes, tinged with a faint red and glistening with barely contained tears. She softly said something, but Xiao Yan didn’t hear it clearly. He lowered his head to look at her. “What did you say?”
Li Zhizhi slightly stood on tiptoe, reached out to cover his eyes, and said, “Don’t be sad.”
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