Chapter 1085: Chapter 1075: Crown Prince (1)
"Big brother." The Third Prince was anxious, tugging at Min’s sleeve: "Do you think father might..." After all, he was still young and had never encountered such situations, so it was inevitable that he felt nervous.
Min looked at the Third Prince’s still somewhat childish face, his hands tightly clenched with worry and anxiety. He smiled and patted his head, his tone slow and steady: "Don’t worry, father will be fine."
The Third Prince inexplicably felt relieved, nodded and sat down beside Min.
But in Min’s heart, there was great concern. Every thirty steps in the palace, there was a guard post, and even the Divine Strategy Camp had been mobilized. Whether it was the Jinyi Guards or the Yulin Guards, they all had a look as if facing a great enemy. Even though he had not experienced it before, he knew that when an emperor approached the end of his life, the palace would go on lockdown, even if there wasn’t a coup. It was still customary.
Ever since the Emperor fainted, he had not been able to see the Emperor. Lord Shi, under the orders of Chief Chang, blocked everyone outside, so all they could see was the Imperial Physician going in and out of the Imperial Hospital, yet no news came out... The palace was so heavily guarded...
He couldn’t help but think more about it.
Chief Su stood silently at the door, slightly shaking his head at Min. Min saw him and nodded. He had sent Chief Su to monitor the Second Prince, and Chief Su reported that the Second Prince had made no movements and had remained in the sleeping quarters.
The Third Prince followed Min’s gaze and saw Chief Su outside. He immediately jumped up, asking, "How is it, is there any news?" They were princes, and now that their father was ill, they couldn’t even see him—how absurd.
"Your Highness." Chief Su bowed and replied, "Not yet, Lord Shi is guarding outside, not even a fly can get in."
The Third Prince sat down in frustration.
Min didn’t have the heart to comfort him either, only holding the tea to his lips without taking a sip.
Chief Su saw this and retreated to guard the door. Outside, a little eunuch peeked inside, and Chief Su frowned, tiptoed out, and whispered, "What is it?" Then he looked around and pulled the little eunuch to the corner of the garden wall.
"Your Grace." The little eunuch was also full of tension: "It’s... it’s Grand Commander Xiao who has come." Saying this, he quickly pressed a letter into Chief Su’s hands.
Grand Commander Xiao in the palace? Chief Su’s chaotic mind immediately felt straightened out, and he let out a long breath. He quickly stuffed the letter into his robe and pushed the little eunuch: "Go quickly, don’t let anyone see you."
The little eunuch nodded and, saying no more, crouched and exited the garden’s door.
Min noticed something unusual with Chief Su, looked at the Third Prince and warmly suggested, "Why don’t you rest in my room for a while? No need to return for now." Then he instructed the eunuch standing by: "Attend to the Third Prince for some rest."
The Third Prince was somewhat reluctant, pouting, but indeed he was tired. It had been a whole day, and he didn’t know how the night would go. He thought for a moment before standing up and heading to Min’s inner chamber.
Min sat for a moment before getting up and heading to the study, where Chief Su followed him, casually closed the door, and took out the letter from his robe: "Grand Commander Xiao has entered the palace."
Min’s eyes lit up. He took the letter, sat back, and read it by candlelight. After reading, his expression grew increasingly solemn. Chief Su asked, "Your Highness, is there anything amiss?"
Min pondered for a moment and did not hide it from him, saying, "Not only the palace but even outside it is being guarded. The Three Thousand Camp and West Mountain Camp seem ready for action." He didn’t know what had happened; if it was just the Emperor being severely ill, why go through so much trouble...
Could it be because there’s no Crown Prince, no Testament, and the Emperor is guarding against them brothers?
Min’s face gradually darkened.
Chief Su’s face changed and he asked, "Your Highness, what should we do now? Did the Great Governor leave any instructions?"
Min rubbed his forehead and said in a low voice, "We must not act rashly, and without the Emperor’s summon, we must not leave." He paused and added, "He has already met with Lord Shi, and if there is any news, he will inform us immediately."
The room fell into silence.
In the same way, the Second Prince was restless. If the Emperor truly passed in such circumstances, without a Testament, he was already unable to maneuver, and Min’s ascension was almost certain.
What about him, what arrangements would be made for him?
Would he be randomly bestowed a remote barren land, spending his lifetime there, with no audience and no Imperial Decree, unable to leave his fief half a step?
He shook his head, feeling at a loss and even more panicked.
No, even if he were exiled from the Capital, he must not be sent to some godforsaken place; he couldn’t allow the new Emperor to dispose of him. If that happened, he would never have another chance in his life.
The grievances of the Shen Family, the injustice towards his mother...
This enmity, he could not forget and dared not forget... A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years, but in the upcoming ten years, he must have the ability to plot.
He had to fight once, and he couldn’t sit idle, letting others control his fate!
But how to fight? His people had been oppressed and driven away by Fourth Master Xiao, and even Mrs. Chen had fallen in front of him. He now had no one he could use, truly isolated and helpless.
There was only Qin Mu, who was close to him when his uncle was alive and had protected him favorably in the court. He hadn’t dared to find him, fearing that this last hope might also shatter.
Moreover, Qin Mu had been in the court for many years; whether he could help him, he wasn’t sure. Such a person wouldn’t take risks without seeing tremendous benefits!
The Second Prince paced the room like a headless fly, suddenly stopping in frustration and resentment: "If only grandmother were here." Thinking of how he had been humbling himself like a dog before Min, his dignity shattered, his eyes reddened.
He had to rely on himself.
He must get into Jiaotai Palace immediately to see the Emperor; only then would he have peace of mind and be able to plan what to do next.
Thinking of this made his heart pound.
He wasn’t sure the Emperor would see him, and even if he did, he wasn’t sure he could convince the Emperor to leave a Testament or even bestow a title.
He paced around, anxious and uneasy, kicked over a stool that was blocking his way, and the stool rolled to his feet, suddenly recalling the last time he visited his grandmother. His grandmother had hugged his uncle’s ashes jar, looking at him with lifeless eyes, devoid of any light.
He stayed silently for a moment, someone outside urging him, he reluctantly left, but his grandmother suddenly caught his hand, pointed to a black bundle on the table, her voice hoarse: "...This was your uncle’s long-time robe, take it back, as a memento."
Comments