Chapter 0241: Only Benefiting Father Emperor, Yet Father Emperor Still Passed Away
“This is the Life-Preserving Pill given by maternal uncle. There were only two pills in total, and Mother Consort’s has already been used.” He looked at Xie Chengze and spoke slowly, “Originally, I intended to save it for Second Brother, but Mother Consort said if Father Emperor dies and you ascend the throne, Empress Mother won’t let you off easily.”
“This Life-Preserving Pill should be able to sustain Father Emperor for a few more months.”
Xie Zimiao’s youthful face remained earnest, his dark eyes fixed intently on Xie Chengze as he asked with stubborn determination, “So, Second Brother, do you want Father Emperor to live?”
Having spent years outside the palace, Xie Zimiao was closer to his maternal uncle Jiang Henan. Emperor Jian, preoccupied with state affairs and showing more favor to the Second Prince, shared only a limited father-son bond with Xie Zimiao.
The Life-Preserving Pill was extremely rare and precious. His uncle had gone through great difficulty to obtain two pills. When Consort Hua went mad and injured herself, nearly dying, the imperial physicians were useless—it was only through Mother Consort’s Life-Preserving Pill that her life was saved.
He had inquired and learned from the imperial physicians that this pill could indeed help His Majesty hold on for a few more months.
If Second Brother didn’t wish to ascend the throne yet or needed time to make preparations, then this Life-Preserving Pill would only benefit Father Emperor.
Xie Chengze remained silent for a moment. Of course, he wanted to use the Life-Preserving Pill to save Emperor Jian, but… “Are you truly willing to part with it?”
Xie Zimiao nodded, revealing an obedient and gentle smile. “If I weren’t willing, I wouldn’t have brought it to Second Brother.”
He had originally intended to save it for Second Brother anyway. It was up to Second Brother to decide.
“Good. I owe you a favor.” Xie Chengze breathed a slight sigh of relief. “But it’s inconvenient for me to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation again. I’ll have to trouble you to deliver this medicine to Father Emperor.”
“No problem.” Xie Zimiao nodded immediately.
His prompt agreement basically confirmed Xie Chengze’s suspicion that Rou Fei had people among the Cao family’s imperial guards.
It made sense—Rou Fei and the Jiang family weren’t fools; they surely had their own informants.
Soon, good news came from Xie Zimiao: Emperor Jian’s condition had temporarily stabilized, and Cao Qingran was actively summoning imperial physicians to prolong the emperor’s life.
Surprisingly, Sheng Shihai showed little reaction. Xie Chengze sent Hu Lai to contact him, only to receive a message urging him to remain calm and wait, as Sheng Shihai had his own arrangements.
“Your Highness need only wait quietly. This subject will naturally pave the way for Your Highness’s ascension to the throne.”
After conveying the original message, Hu Lai couldn’t help but sigh, “How is this any different from a confession? Look, Your Highness, this is the empire I’ve conquered for you! Don’t you feel moved hearing such words?”
Moved by what?
Moved by Sheng Shihai, or moved by the prospect of ascending the throne?
Whichever it was, the outcome of being moved would be the executioner’s block.
After all, he knew very well that Shen Yuan only wanted a descendant of the Xie family to ascend the throne, and the candidate he most favored for emperor was Xie Jinyu.
“Let’s just lie low.” Xie Chengze patted Hu Lai’s shoulder and said meaningfully, “Once you become emperor, you can’t freely spend money from the inner treasury anymore. Who’s going to pay you such a high salary to support your twenty-eight concubines?”
Hu Lai thought it over and agreed, finally setting aside his ambitions.
Xie Chengze had thought Emperor Jian’s stabilized condition would buy them considerable preparation time for future conflicts. But who could have predicted the unpredictability of fate? That night, just as he was about to retire, Hu Lai suddenly burst in and told him Emperor Jian had passed away.
“What did you say?!”
Xie Chengze swiftly rose to his feet, his brow furrowing deeply as he asked with visible anxiety, “Wasn’t his condition stable? How could he suddenly pass away? Did Sheng Shihai poison him?”
It shouldn’t be possible. He and Shen Yuan had specifically assigned people to closely monitor Emperor Jian’s meals and medicinal soups. Aside from the Empress and the physicians she trusted, no one could enter the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
And the Empress was undoubtedly the last person who would wish for Emperor Jian’s demise.
So how did Sheng Shihai manage it?
“The details are still unclear, Your Highness. The Crown Prince’s faction has already rushed to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, intending to proclaim his ascension. The news will spread quickly, and your supporters will immediately enter the palace.”
The matter of the imperial decree had long been public knowledge. The Second Prince’s faction, vying for the merit of protecting the rightful heir, would inevitably seize this critical moment to enter the palace and safeguard Xie Chengze, ensuring their status would rise with this “dragon-protecting” achievement once he ascended the throne.
“The imperial guards have begun assembling, Your Highness. Shall we wait here in Cheng Huan Palace or proceed to the Hall of Mental Cultivation?”
“Let’s wait here.” Xie Chengze sat back down on the bed, massaging his throbbing temples.
The thought of the palace soon being drenched in blood made his head ache.
Meanwhile, Sheng Shihai and the Second Prince’s faction, with the help of their inside contacts, quickly and safely entered the palace and arrived at Cheng Huan Palace.
They then had Xie Chengze bring the imperial decree and march confidently to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, declaring that with the decree in hand, the Second Prince was the legitimate successor to the throne.
“Crown Prince! This decree bears the late Emperor’s Imperial Jade Seal as proof and was witnessed by numerous high-ranking officials. If you refuse to acknowledge it, are you attempting a coup?” The Minister of Rites’ voice was firm and resonant as he shouted at the Crown Prince.
Xie Jinyu glanced at the decree. The once gentle-eyed young man now wore a gloomy expression after just a few days. Standing before the imperial guards, he said calmly, “His Majesty was gravely ill and disoriented in his final days. Who’s to say Shen Yuan didn’t secretly coerce him into issuing this decree?”
“The handwriting on this decree is clear and the ink has long dried—how could it have been written in a state of confusion?” The Minister of Rites flicked his sleeve in displeasure. “I respect Your Highness for your benevolence, wisdom, and military prowess, but the late Emperor’s decree explicitly favors the Second Prince as successor. I implore you not to defy the late Emperor’s final wishes!”
Many officials echoed his sentiment: the late Emperor’s decree had named the Second Prince, who should rightfully ascend the throne!
“Preposterous! Who knows if this decree is forged or if Shen Yuan forced His Majesty to imprint the Jade Seal!” The officials supporting the Crown Prince had now arrived and retorted sharply, “After all, everyone knows Shen Yuan is your Second Prince’s man! His actions could all be under the Second Prince’s orders! The Second Prince is the one scheming to usurp the throne!”
“And you, surnamed Sheng! Your family is close with the Shens. For the sake of wealth and power, you’ve discarded all shame, colluding with the Shens in rebellion—you deserve death ten thousand times over!”
“Bullshit!” Seeing the Minister of Rites momentarily speechless, Hu Lai immediately screeched, spewing slander and fabrications, hurling baseless accusations: “I think you’re just jealous! You secretly tried to defect to our Second Prince, but he didn’t want you, so now you’re twisting love into hatred and framing him!”
The official: ???
“You’re talking nonsense!” The minister’s face flushed crimson with rage. “Don’t you dare slander me! Your Highness the Crown Prince, I have absolutely never secretly pledged allegiance to the Second Prince. My loyalty to you is unwavering! You must not believe this villain’s words!”
“Whether I’m slandering you or not, you know best in your heart!” Hu Lai shouted loudly. In truth, the person who knew best whether the minister was being slandered was Hu Lai himself.
Not only did he use his words, but he also took action. Stealthily approaching the minister, he seized the moment when the minister raised his hand and suddenly threw himself to the ground, wearing an expression of disbelief as he cried, “You actually hit me? Colleagues, this is unbearable! We must strike back!”
The two factions argued incessantly. With Hu Lai, the troublemaker, taking the first swing, the ministers began brawling with one another, none willing to back down. The cursing and shouting instantly turned the solemn imperial palace into a noisy vegetable market.
It wasn’t until Cao Qingran’s sharp voice rang out, accompanied by the heavy footsteps of the imperial guards entering the Hall of Mental Cultivation, that order began to restore. Her gaze was piercing as she stared at the chaotic mess of ministers. “What is going on here! The Emperor has just passed away—how dare you carry on in such a disgraceful manner?”