r18novel Chapter 241: The Emperor Can Only Benefit His Father, But He Passed Away
Chapter 241: The Emperor Can Only Benefit His Father, But He Passed Away
"This is the life-saving pill my uncle gave me. There are only two pills in total, and my mother's pill has been used up." He looked at Xie Chengze and said slowly, "I originally wanted to leave it for my second brother, but my mother said that if my father died and you ascended the throne, my mother would not let you go."
"This life-saving pill should be able to help Father stay alive for a few more months."
On Xie Zimiao's young face, his dark eyes stared at Xie Chengze, and he asked seriously and persistently, "So, second brother, do you want our father to live?"
Xie Zimiao was outside the palace all year round and had a closer relationship with his uncle Jiang Henan. Emperor Jian was busy with state affairs and showed more favor to the second prince, so Xie Zimiao had some father-son affection for Emperor Jian, but not much.
Life-saving pills are extremely rare and precious. My uncle had a lot of trouble getting two of them. Back then, when Concubine Hua went crazy, she cut herself and almost died. The imperial physician was incompetent, and he was only able to survive thanks to Concubine Hua's life-saving pill.
He went to ask, and the imperial physician said that this life-saving pill could indeed help His Majesty survive for a few months.
If my second brother does not want to ascend the throne, or needs time to plan, then this life-saving pill will have to be given to my father.
Xie Chengze was silent for a while. Of course he wanted to use the life-saving pill to save Emperor Jian, but... "Are you really willing to do that?"
Xie Zimiao nodded, showing a well-behaved and gentle smile, "I'm reluctant to give it to my second brother."
I originally wanted to leave it for my second brother, so he can decide.
"Okay, I owe you a favor." Xie Chengze breathed a sigh of relief, "It's just that I can't go to the Yangxin Palace anymore, so I might have to trouble you to deliver this medicine to my father."
"No problem." Xie Zimiao nodded immediately.
With his unhesitating nod, Xie Chengze could basically confirm that there were Concubine Rou's men in the Cao family's imperial guards.
I think Concubine Rou and the Jiang family are not fools, they must have their own spies.
Good news soon came from Xie Zimiao, saying that Emperor Jian's condition was temporarily stable, and Cao Qingran was also actively summoning imperial doctors to prolong Emperor Jian's life.
What was rare was that there was no response from Sheng Shihuai. Xie Chengze sent Hu Lai to contact him, but all he got was a reply telling him to be patient and that he had his own arrangements.
"Your Highness, just wait patiently. I will pave the way for your ascension to the throne."
After Hu Lai finished speaking, he couldn't help but sigh, "What's the difference between this and a declaration of love? Look, Your Highness, this is the world I conquered for you! Your Highness, are you really not moved when you hear such words?"
What are you excited about?
Are you attracted by the prosperous Huai Dynasty, or are you attracted by the ascension to the throne?
No matter which one, the result of falling in love is the guillotine.
After all, he knew very well that Shen Yuan only wanted the bloodline of the Xie family to ascend the throne, and the candidate for emperor that he most favored was Xie Jinyu.
"Let's just lie down." Xie Chengze patted Hu Lai's shoulder and said earnestly, "When you become the emperor, you won't be able to spend the money in the inner treasury casually. Who will give you so much salary and support twenty-eight concubines?"
Hu Lai thought about it and it made sense, so he stopped thinking about it.
Xie Chengze originally thought that Emperor Jian's condition was stabilizing, which could buy a lot of time for preparations for future battles. However, unexpected events occurred. That night, just as he was about to go to bed, Hu Lai suddenly rushed in and told him that Emperor Jian had passed away.
"What did you say?!"
Xie Chengze stood up quickly, frowned, and asked anxiously, "Isn't his condition stable? How could he die suddenly? Did Sheng Shihuai poison him?"
This shouldn't have happened. He and Shen Yuan specially sent people to keep a close eye on Emperor Jian's meals and medicine. Except for the empress and the imperial physician she trusted, no one could enter the Yangxin Palace.
The Queen was definitely the person who least wanted Emperor Jian to die.
So how did Sheng Shihuai do it?
"It is still unknown, Your Highness. The Crown Prince's people have already rushed to the Yangxin Palace, intending to announce his accession to the throne. The news will spread soon, and your people will enter the palace immediately."
The matter of the imperial edict had spread long ago. In order to compete for the credit of protecting the dragon, the second prince's followers would certainly take advantage of the situation to enter the palace to protect Xie Chengze and ensure that after he ascends the throne, their status would also rise because of this credit.
"The Imperial Guards have begun to gather. Your Highness, should we wait in the Cheng Huan Palace or go to the Yang Xin Palace?"
"Wait." Xie Chengze sat back on the bed and rubbed his aching temple.
He got a headache when he thought about the bloodshed that would soon flood the palace.
On the other side, Sheng Shihuai and the Second Prince's followers, with the help of an insider, quickly entered the palace safely and came to Chenghuan Palace.
Afterwards, he asked Xie Chengze to take the imperial edict to the Yangxin Palace in a heroic and vigorous manner, announcing that the imperial edict stated that the second prince was the legitimate heir to the throne.
"Your Highness, this imperial edict is witnessed by the late emperor's imperial seal and witnessed by many important ministers. You don't acknowledge it. Are you trying to force the emperor to abdicate?" The Minister of Rites shouted to the prince in a sonorous and powerful voice.
Xie Jinyu glanced at the imperial edict. After not seeing him for a few days, the young man with gentle features had a sinister look. He stood in front of the imperial guards and said calmly, "My father was seriously ill and had been unconscious for a few days before his death. Who knows if Shen Yuan secretly forced my father to issue this edict?"
"The words on this imperial edict are clear, and the ink has been there for a long time. How could it be written when he was unconscious?" The Minister of Rites said dissatisfiedly, "I respect the Crown Prince for his benevolence and virtue, and his military and literary skills. However, the late emperor's will is here, and he prefers the Second Prince to be the king. I hope the Crown Prince will not go against the late emperor's will!"
Many ministers followed suit and agreed. The late emperor's will had established the Second Prince, so the Second Prince should ascend the throne!
"What a joke! Who knows if this imperial edict is forged, and if Shen Yuan forced Your Majesty to stamp the imperial seal!" The ministers who supported the crown prince had also arrived at this time and refuted loudly, "After all, everyone knows that Shen Yuan is your second prince's man! Everything he did could have been instructed by the second prince! The second prince is the one who is plotting to usurp the throne!"
"And you, Sheng! Your family is on good terms with the Shen family. For the sake of wealth and glory, you have lost all your dignity and even conspired with the Shen family to rebel. You really deserve to be put to death!"
"Bah!" Seeing the Minister of Rites choke, Hu Lai immediately yelled at the top of his voice, slandering and spreading rumors, throwing a basin of unfounded dirty water at him, "I think you are jealous! You secretly came to our Second Prince, and our Second Prince didn't want you, but you turned love into hatred and framed our Second Prince!"
The minister: ???
"You're talking nonsense!" The minister was so angry that his face turned red and his neck became thick. "Don't slander me! Your Highness, I definitely did not secretly surrender to the Second Prince. I am absolutely loyal to you! Please don't believe what this villain says!"
"You know best whether I have slandered you or not!" Hu Lai shouted. In fact, the person who knew best whether the minister was slandered was Hu Lai himself.
Not only did he talk, he also took action. He approached the minister calmly, and when the minister raised his hand, he threw him to the ground. He said in disbelief, "You actually hit me? Colleagues, this cannot be tolerated, we must fight back!"
The two sides were arguing fiercely. With Hu Lai, the troublemaker, taking the initiative, the ministers started to wrestle with each other. No one would give in. The cursing turned the solemn palace into a noisy vegetable market in an instant.
Until Cao Qingran's voice rang out sharply, accompanied by the heavy footsteps of the imperial guards stepping into the Yangxin Palace, she looked sharply at the ministers who were in a mess, "What are you doing! His Majesty just passed away, how can you be so disrespectful?"