son, don't mess around

In Beijing, the autumn winds are getting stronger.

After the morning court session, the palace was solemn, as if a dark cloud was hanging over the imperial city, weighing heavily on everyone's heart.

Things have changed!
It's not just the sky that's changed.

News of the major defeat of the local forces on the northern front had not yet reached the capital, but many people had already heard rumors. This morning at court, the court was deserted; not a single person mentioned the matter.

The atmosphere was terrifyingly oppressive; a storm was brewing!
After the morning court session, the emperor returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The desolate and silent hall was empty and utterly deserted.

"Cough cough cough..."

A series of coughs echoed through the hall.

"Your Majesty, please take care of your health!"

The chief eunuch, his face full of worry, quickly stepped forward to attend to His Majesty.

"I'm fine."

Li Cining coughed for a while, his face growing paler, and he spoke with difficulty.

Since the weather suddenly turned cold, his health has deteriorated day by day.

The medicine that Piaomiao brought from Ruyi Tower was gradually losing its effectiveness, and the side effects were beginning to appear. Especially after the weather turned cold, the chill in his body began to become increasingly difficult to control.

His face was extremely pale during the morning court session this morning. After forcing himself to finish the meeting, he returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, but could no longer hold on.

"Your Majesty, please have a bowl of hot soup to warm yourself up."

An old eunuch brought a bowl of hot soup prepared by the imperial kitchen to His Majesty's side and served him the medicine.

The hot soup gradually soothed Li Cining's thin, trembling body, and the chill within her body lessened considerably. A touch of color returned to her pale face.

However, his condition was still not to be underestimated, and the old eunuch was very anxious about it.

His Majesty's health is truly terrible, and it's uncertain how much longer he can hold on. Right now, His Majesty needs to rest and recuperate. However, His Majesty completely disregards his physical condition and continues to diligently review memorials every day, forcing himself to continue.

As a result, His Majesty's health deteriorated rapidly, and what if...

The old eunuch dared not think about it anymore.

He wanted to offer some more advice, but His Majesty never listened. In this world, no one can persuade His Majesty anymore.

After her complexion regained some color, Li Cining glanced at the old eunuch beside her, a look of dazed emotion on her face.

"Don't worry, I won't die."

"There are still many things waiting for me to do."

Li Cining muttered to herself, but the anxiety and worry in her eyes could not be concealed.

No time!
He's running out of time.

Li Cining didn't know how much longer he had to live, but his condition was very serious, and he wasn't sure if he could hold on until then...

He can't die yet!
At the very least, he cannot die before his plan is accomplished and before Piaomiao has fully established itself.

But right now, he really doesn't have much time left.

The situation in the north is becoming increasingly dire. The imperial army is no longer able to quell the rebellion of Prince Xu, and the local army has suffered a major defeat, which has further dampened the morale of the troops.

We are now at a critical juncture, facing life or death! If anything goes wrong at this time, the consequences will be unimaginable.

"I cannot die yet..."

Li Cining muttered to himself, his gaze falling on the densely packed memorials and intelligence reports laid out on the table, and he regained his focus.

He hasn't cleared all the obstacles yet; he must do so as quickly as possible, while he's still alive.

Thinking of this, Li Cining's gaze gradually hardened.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the hall. The old eunuch beside him glanced at His Majesty, then quickly walked outside.

A moment later, the old eunuch hurried back, came to Li Cining's ear, and whispered something.

A strange look gradually flashed across Li Cining's face, which had been calm at first. Then, a dazed, muttering expression crossed her face.

"He's finally here."

A smile appeared on Li Cining's face.

"Let him come to see me."

"..."

A cold wind howled, and within the imperial city, the oppressive atmosphere lingered for a long time.

Lin Jiang, now old, entered the palace and arrived outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Looking up at the familiar yet unfamiliar palace before me, I felt somewhat dazed.

I'm back here again.

A year ago, the Third Prince launched a rebellion, and the Hall of Mental Cultivation was severely damaged and destroyed. Now, it has been rebuilt.

Familiar, yet undergoing earth-shattering changes.

The guards outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation had changed, and even the palace maids were not the same people as before. Returning to this familiar place gave Lin Jiangnian a sense of things being different and things having changed.

"Your Highness, His Majesty is already waiting for you. Please go in quickly."

A sharp, husky voice rang in his ears. Lin Jiangnian looked up and finally saw the familiar old eunuch.

A eunuch who had followed Li Cining for many years and was extremely loyal to him had now risen to prominence and achieved great success.

"Thank you, father-in-law."

Lin Jiang chuckled lightly, then stepped into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The temperature inside the hall was very high!

A cold wind howled outside, but the Hall of Mental Cultivation was warm inside, filled with steam. Even so, the empty hall still gave off an indescribable sense of loneliness.

It wasn't a physical cold, but a chill that came from the spirit.

"Dengdengdeng!"

Lin Jiangnian's footsteps echoed loudly on the ground. A familiar figure gradually appeared in his line of sight ahead.

Li Cining!
Li Cining, dressed in a dragon robe, sat at the dragon table, smiling at him. He looked familiar, but had changed quite a bit from a year ago.

She's even weaker now!

Lin Jiangnian could tell at a glance that the emperor's physical condition was very serious. His breath was weak and his blood was thin, making him look like he was terminally ill and would not live much longer.

It seems that the emperor's health condition is much more serious than imagined.

Many thoughts flashed through Lin Jiangnian's mind. He withdrew his gaze and slowly stepped forward.

"See Your Majesty!"

"Brother-in-law, it's been a long time! How have you been?"

On the dragon throne, Li Cining's gaze was warm, and his smile was gentle and bright, as if he had seen an old friend and was overjoyed.

As he spoke, he rose from the dragon throne and came to Lin Jiangnian's side.

"Your Majesty, this is unacceptable."

Lin Jiangnian quickly stopped him: "You and I are not on equal footing as ruler and subject, Your Majesty..."

"Is my brother-in-law being so polite to me?"

Ignoring Lin Jiangnian's politeness, Li Cining said with delight, "It's hard to believe that a year has passed since I was drinking and chatting with my brother-in-law! Time really flies!"

Hearing Li Cining's感慨 tone, Lin Jiangnian remained silent.

This emperor seemed somewhat unpredictable; his sudden enthusiasm left Lin Jiangnian somewhat bewildered. A little over a year ago, Lin Jiangnian arrived in the capital and met Li Cining, who was then the crown prince. The two hit it off immediately, sharing drinks and conversation. Li Cining considered Lin Jiangnian his brother-in-law, addressing him intimately.

The two were indeed very close when they were in the capital.

...At least on the surface!

But that was in the past.

Now that the former crown prince is the emperor, he should no longer act as he did in the past. But the emperor seemed unconcerned about such formalities, his expression still warm: "It's been a year since we last met. How has my brother-in-law been?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Everything is fine."

"When did my brother-in-law arrive in the capital? Why didn't you send someone to inform me so I could send someone to pick him up?"

"Your Majesty is busy with countless affairs of state, and I dare not trouble Your Majesty."

"Hey, don't be so formal. We're all family, no need for formalities."

"..."

The emperor's enthusiasm was beyond Lin Jiangnian's expectations.

He didn't even display the slightest air of an emperor. It was as if the person before him was still the same enthusiastic Crown Prince from back then, with nothing changed.

When Li Cining saw Lin Jiangnian, she was excited, and even her face became rosy.

After exchanging pleasantries and asking about each other's well-being, Li Cining was very enthusiastic, while Lin Jiangnian was flattered. The relationship between the ruler and his subject was extremely harmonious and pleasant.

Until Lin Jiangnian asked about the whereabouts of the eldest princess.

Li Cining paused for a moment, his smile gradually fading. After a long while, he sighed softly, "To be honest, brother-in-law, Piaomiao went to the northern front."

The emperor's composure surprised Lin Jiangnian: "The front lines?"

Why did Her Highness the Eldest Princess go to the front lines?

"Now that Prince Xu has rebelled and is holding my third brother hostage with the intention of usurping the throne, the Great Ning Dynasty is on the verge of collapse. I have failed my father's expectations, and I am not able to support this vast empire on my own."

"Piaomiao, she did it to share my burdens..."

Li Cining looked dejected and sighed as he spoke. He did not hide Li Piaomiao's whereabouts. He even told her the purpose of sending Li Piaomiao to the front line.

This was almost exactly what Lin Jiangnian had guessed.

"I am not a qualified emperor, and I have no face to face my ancestors in the future. This vast empire will ultimately have to rely on a mere woman..."

Lin Jiangnian calmly said, "Your Majesty need not worry too much. The rebellion of Prince Xu and the Third Prince is against the will of Heaven and is not legitimate. The righteousness of the world is on Your Majesty's side, and their scheme will not succeed."

"I would also like that, but..."

Li Cining gave a bitter smile: "The situation is far more serious than you, brother-in-law, know. The imperial court is now powerless to quell the rebellion."

Lin Jiangnian looked astonished: "How could this be?"

"Brother-in-law, you may not know this, but the imperial treasury is now empty, and the situation is extremely precarious..."

"I am truly powerless to help myself..."

"..."

Something is wrong!
Twelve out of ten things are wrong!

The emperor's reaction today was completely unexpected by Lin Jiangnian.

Li Cining not only told him about Li Piaomiao's whereabouts and purpose, but also made no attempt to hide the current predicament of the imperial court.

Doesn't he know what this means?
The imperial treasury is empty, suppressing the rebellion is difficult, and the trump card has been revealed. Now, facing numerous crises... Under such circumstances, how could he dare to tell such a truth to the son of a vassal king?
Doesn't he worry about being taken advantage of in his vulnerable state?
Aren't they afraid that the Prince Lin's Mansion, having learned the court's secrets, will take advantage of the situation and invade?

Li Cining may not be a suitable emperor, but he is definitely not a foolish one. He couldn't possibly have done such a thing, so...

At this moment, Lin Jiangnian suddenly had a strange feeling. The emperor before him didn't seem to be wary of him, the son of a vassal king. Instead, it seemed more like he was… trying to recruit him?
"His Majesty!"

After a long silence, Lin Jiangnian raised his eyes and looked at the emperor in front of him, who was not much older than him but was already nearing the end of his life. His eyes were somewhat complicated.

He spoke in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, aren't you curious about the purpose of my return to the capital this time?"

"Of course I'm curious."

Li Cining nodded, looked at Lin Jiangnian, and chuckled, "Brother-in-law, you just returned to the Prince Lin's residence, why have you suddenly come to the capital again? Could it be that there is something important?"

Lin Jiangnian calmly said, "Two months ago, I was attacked by a group of mysterious assassins in Chujiang City, Jiangnan. Is Your Majesty aware of this?"

Li Cining's expression darkened slightly: "I have heard about it. I never expected there to be such a rampant assassin who dared to assassinate my brother-in-law. He deserves to die!"

"I wonder if my brother-in-law is injured? How serious is it?"

Lin Jiangnian stared at Li Cining's concerned gaze and calmly said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to escape this calamity and did not die at the hands of the assassins."

"That's good!"

Li Cining breathed a sigh of relief: "If something had happened to you, brother-in-law, the consequences would have been unimaginable, and I would have been unable to answer to Piaomiao."

Immediately, a hint of indignation appeared on his face: "Brother-in-law, have you found out where the assassins are? Who is their mastermind?"

"I found it."

Lin Jiangnian nodded calmly.

"who is it?!"

Li Cining's eyes narrowed, a sharp, cold glint flashing across them: "Brother-in-law, just tell me, and I will definitely stand up for you and give you justice! No matter who the other party is, I will never let him off the hook."

Lin Jiangnian gazed silently at the emperor before him, remaining silent for a long time. His eyes were calm and composed, gradually deepening in depth.

"Ok?"

Seeing that Lin Jiangnian didn't speak, Li Cining first showed a hint of doubt. Then, as if sensing that Lin Jiangnian's gaze was still on him, the doubt in his eyes became even stronger.

until……

The two locked eyes.

Then, the smile on Li Cining's face gradually disappeared and froze.

Then, silence fell.

The two stared at each other in silence. The Hall of Mental Cultivation was warm, yet a chill ran through them.

A deathly silence followed, lasting for an unknown duration.

Li Cining's voice gradually calmed down. He spoke in a low voice, his face expressionless: "Brother-in-law, do you perhaps suspect that the assassin was sent by me?"

"It's not a doubt."

Lin Jiangnian spoke calmly, without a trace of emotion.

Looking at the emperor before him, his eyes held a complex expression. Many things had been brewing for a long time, with clues appearing from the very beginning.

As the truth is gradually revealed through careful examination, the truth slowly comes to light.

Back when they were still in Chujiang City, when they first discovered the Tao family, Lin Jiangnian followed the clues and began to have suspicions.

What a coincidence!
Many things are just too coincidental.

A series of coincidences and a combination of factors led Lin Jiangnian to begin to doubt the emperor.

Until the appearance of the Sixth Prince, almost all of Lin Jiangnian's guesses were confirmed.

At this moment, Lin Jiangnian remained calm. There was no anger, nor any emotional fluctuation.

He gazed at the emperor before him and calmly said, "Actually, I have always been unwilling to believe it, and for the past few months, I have been trying to find out the truth about this matter. But the deeper I investigate, the more the clues lead me to have doubts..."

"Now that I have arrived in the capital, I would like to ask Your Majesty a question..."

"Could you give me a reasonable explanation?"

"..." (End of this chapter)