son, don't mess around

It was late at night at the Daning Imperial Palace.

Inside the Yangxin Hall.

The hall was brightly lit, while a howling cold wind raged outside, and the flickering lights illuminated this desolate place.

Li Cining was sitting in front of the palace handling government affairs. The weather was getting colder and colder. Even though he was wrapped in thick cotton clothes and the burning stove made the palace very warm, it still couldn't stop the cold air from invading.

His face was pale, and he had lost all his energy; he was clearly terminally ill.

His body was frail and could barely withstand any cold wind. Even the most skilled imperial physicians in the palace felt utterly helpless regarding His Majesty's condition.

His Majesty the old imperial physician's health has long been damaged to the bone; it's a miracle he's still alive. Now, no one knows how much longer he can hold on.

This secret is one that no one dares to, and no one can, spread out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation!

Once this news gets out, it will surely cause turmoil in the court, and may even affect the stability of the government.

The three princes of the north have now joined forces with Prince Xu in a rebellion, intending to purge the emperor of his corrupt advisors. If news were to spread that something had happened to His Majesty, the terrible consequences would be self-evident.

Moreover, His Majesty is currently without an heir. If His Majesty were to pass away at this time, it would be a devastating blow to the court.

It is highly likely that the morale of the northern army suppressing the rebellion will collapse instantly, causing them to crumble. At that time, the third prince of the north will be able to march straight south.

Then, everything will be over!
"Cough cough cough..."

Inside the empty Hall of Mental Cultivation, Li Cining coughed violently. The cough was so intense that it seemed as if he were coughing up his internal organs.

When he removed the handkerchief from his mouth, it was stained with a lot of blood.

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

An old eunuch standing nearby stepped forward with a solemn and worried expression. When he saw the bloodstains on the handkerchief, his face changed drastically, and he immediately turned to call the imperial physician.

"no need!"

Li Cining called out to him, his voice weak and feeble, his face deathly pale.

"I'm fine, I just need to rest for a bit. Go and get me a glass of water."

The old eunuch was deeply worried about His Majesty's health, but upon hearing His Majesty's words, he quickly went to pour him a cup of hot water.

Li Cining brought over the hot water, and as the scalding water went down her throat, her originally pale complexion gradually recovered somewhat.

"I am much better."

Li Cining took a deep breath.

The old eunuch standing to the side had a complicated look in his eyes and pleaded softly, "Your Majesty, your health is already very serious and you can't withstand such torment."

"The dynasty is on the verge of collapse, and Your Majesty is needed to turn the tide. Please take care!"

"To turn the tide?"

Li Cining narrowed his eyes slightly, a complex expression on his face: "I'm afraid I don't have that ability."

His eyes were full of regret.

"I have failed the late emperor's high expectations!"

He still had many ideals and goals. He wanted to inherit his father's legacy and become a valiant monarch like his father, expanding the territory, enriching the people, making the dynasty prosperous, and attracting tribute from all directions.

But he doesn't have that ability!

More importantly, he doesn't have the time!

A look of regret flashed across his eyes. Li Cining closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, his gaze fell on the memorials on the table. His voice was weak as he asked, "How is the situation on the northern front?"

The old eunuch said softly, "Your Majesty, everything is fine at the front. Our army has rallied and is now holding many towns at the front. Xu Wang's rebel army will not be able to advance south for the time being."

"When our troops from all the prefectures and counties across the land gather to quell the rebellion, the rebel army of Prince Xu will be attacked from both sides and will surely be defeated."

"All the prefectures and counties?"

Li Cining muttered to herself, a bitter smile appearing on her face.

How many of the governors and prefects of those prefectures and counties are still willing to listen to the court and obey its orders?

Those people already had doubts about his ascension to the throne as crown prince, and even more so about his father's death. In addition, he lacked prestige and had offended many forces by carrying out a major overhaul of the court.

Normally, due to the pressure from the imperial court, they would still outwardly obey its orders.

But now the imperial court is in trouble and can't take care of itself. The governors and prefects of various prefectures and counties control the local troops and use all sorts of excuses not to send troops or to postpone their deployment.

It would be extremely difficult for the imperial court to mobilize them, and even if they could, it would be hard to say who they would side with.

It is unrealistic to expect them to quell the rebellion.

Li Cining narrowed her eyes, seemingly lost in thought: "How is the situation with the Eldest Princess?"

The old eunuch was clearly aware of all this. As the emperor's most trusted confidant, he was originally not supposed to interfere in politics due to his status as a eunuch. However, as the emperor's health deteriorated, he began to assist the emperor with some state affairs.

Among these were various intelligence reports sent back from the front lines.

"Her Highness the Eldest Princess has arrived at the front lines and, under His Majesty's arrangement, has smoothly entered the military's power structure. Since the Eldest Princess went to the front, intelligence from the front has been arriving, and morale in the army has stabilized considerably..."

"As Your Majesty had arranged, Your Majesty's trusted confidants in the army secretly met with Her Highness the Eldest Princess. With the Eldest Princess's swift and decisive methods, she cooperated with her trusted confidants to secretly execute many disloyal generals."

Li Ci listened quietly, a glimmer of hope appearing in her eyes.

"As expected of her, she never disappoints me."

Li Cining knew very well that his younger sister was more capable and decisive than him, and she would not be easily swayed by her emotions.

Coldness and decisiveness are qualities a qualified emperor should possess!

Her ethereal presence among the frontline troops perfectly embodies these qualities. In such a perilous and treacherous situation, where a slight misstep could lead to utter ruin, her ability to quickly seize military power and win over soldiers from various factions demonstrates her exceptional skills and abilities.

If Father had defied public opinion and passed the throne to Piaomiao back then, perhaps the situation would be completely different now?
Li Cining was filled with emotion.

But there is no if.

Fortunately, it's not too late... It's time for him to correct his father's mistakes!

Li Cining's gaze gradually became more and more determined.

"Piaomiao, I hope you won't disappoint me..."

In the dead of night, in the empty Hall of Mental Cultivation, Li Cining's murmured words could be heard.

……

It's quiet at night.

Within the capital city, most of the people had already fallen into a deep sleep.

Fully armed city guards patrolled the streets and alleys from time to time. A tense atmosphere permeated the entire city.

In the darkness, a stumbling figure appeared. He staggered, hurriedly weaving through the streets and alleys. He seemed to have suffered a very serious injury; his steps were unsteady, and he appeared ready to collapse at any moment.

His clothes were tattered, his body was covered in blood, and his face was pale. With each step he took, a bloody trail followed behind him.

It looks appalling!
The pungent smell of blood permeated the surroundings, indicating the severity of his injuries.

Even so, he still managed to stay upright, avoiding the city's patrolling guards, and staggered quickly in one direction.

Finally, lights appeared not far ahead.

A large mansion gradually came into view, with guards standing watch at the gate. In the surrounding darkness, there were also many hidden guards.

Seeing this, the dark figure forced himself to quicken his pace.

At that moment, the guards outside the door also noticed the staggering figure.

"Who?"

A low, alert shout rang out.

Immediately afterwards, two guards quickly approached the dark figure.

"I...I want to see the world, Your Highness..."

The man in black spoke in a hoarse voice, struggling to utter the words from his throat.

The two guards watched the blood-covered figure warily, looking disheveled and as if he were about to die at any moment.

Do they want to see their Crown Prince?

Who is this person?

What's the purpose?
Soon, one of the guards seemed to notice something, feeling that the person in front of him looked somewhat familiar. He took a closer look and stared at him carefully.

The next second, his expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed, "Chen Changqing?"

"You're the head of the Secret Astronomical Bureau?!"

In an instant, the two guards' expressions changed. The leader of the Secret Observatory?
How did it turn out like this?

Who injured him like this?

The two looked at each other and looked at each other.

"I...I need to see Your Highness...I have...I have something important to discuss..."

At this moment, Chen Changqing's breathing was weak, his whole body was trembling and he was about to collapse. He had almost reached his limit, but even so, he still managed to hold on and did not fall down. His eyes were filled with anxiety.

"Quickly, go and report to His Highness!"

One guard turned and hurried back to the mansion, while another guard stepped forward to support him and ordered someone to quickly fetch a doctor.

As the prince's personal guards, they were naturally aware of the close relationship between the prince and the head of the Secret Observatory.

Therefore, upon learning his identity, they immediately took action.

Meanwhile, Lin Jiangnian, who had just received the news, rushed over and immediately saw Chen Changqing, who was covered in blood and almost turned into a blood-soaked figure.

I almost didn't recognize her!

Lin Jiangnian reached out and touched Chen Changqing's pulse, and his heart skipped a beat.

This injury... is too severe!

All his internal organs were severely damaged, and his external injuries were extremely serious.

It's a miracle that I'm still alive.

What happened?

"What's wrong with you?!"

Lin Jiangnian looked shocked and quickly stepped forward: "Who injured you like this?"

"what happened?!"

Chen Changqing's martial arts skills were not weak; otherwise, he wouldn't have been chosen by Chen Zhao and become the leader of the Secret Observatory at such a young age. Although he was a puppet, it was enough to prove Chen Changqing's excellence.

But how did he become like this?
Who hurt him?
What happened next?
Lin Jiangnian quickly connected this to the actions of the Secret Celestial Bureau outside the city earlier that day and immediately realized that something big might have happened.

Looking at Chen Changqing's current miserable state, it's clear he was attacked and killed.

Anyone who dares to attack the Secret Celestial Bureau and kill its leader must be someone of considerable importance!
"Your Highness, Your Highness..."

Chen Changqing, who was originally on the verge of death, suddenly had a strong glint in his eyes when he saw Lin Jiangnian.

He instinctively grabbed Lin Jiangnian and said in a hoarse voice, "Quick, go, go save His Majesty..."

"The Sixth Prince is plotting a rebellion..."

"Yes, someone is trying to assassinate His Majesty... Quick, hurry and save him, save His Majesty..."

With his last breath, Chen Changqing spoke with difficulty and a hoarse voice.

He knew that Lin Jiangnian was the only one who could save His Majesty. He had to bring this news back to Lin Jiangnian as soon as possible.

After he finished speaking, as if the biggest weight had been lifted from his heart, Chen Changqing could no longer hold on and suddenly slumped down, fainting.

His words reached Lin Jiangnian's ears without missing a single one.

There was silence.

No one said anything.

Clearly, Chen Changqing's words shocked the guards beside him.

Is someone trying to assassinate His Majesty?

It's so late at night... If the news is true, a major earthquake is probably going to happen!

This……

In an instant, all the guards' eyes fell on Lin Jiangnian, awaiting His Highness's instructions.

"Send him downstairs, find a doctor, and do everything you can to cure him. Don't let him die."

Lin Jiangnian spoke calmly.

His face remained calm, without much emotional fluctuation, as if he had already anticipated something.

He stood up, wiped the blood from his hands, straightened his clothes, and looked up at the distant palace with a deep gaze.

"Prepare the carriage, let's enter the palace!"

"..."

late at night.

"Your Majesty, it's time to rest."

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the old eunuch had already reminded them several times.

But His Majesty remained indifferent and continued to handle state affairs, which made the old eunuch extremely anxious.

"You may leave now. I will rest in a while."

Li Cining spoke, and the old eunuch was dismissed.

The old eunuch was very worried, but he had no choice but to obey and leave the palace.

Normally, he would wait respectfully outside the hall.

After the old eunuch left, the hall fell into complete silence, with only the occasional sound of turning the pages of memorials.

By the time all the memorials on the table had been reviewed, the candlelight on the table was almost extinguished, and the surrounding light had become somewhat dim.

Li Cining finally felt tired. He yawned, and his weak face became even paler.

His health was indeed getting worse and worse.

Li Cining sighed, added oil to the lamp on the table, and the lamp shone brightly again.

He looked up at the window; the cold wind still howled incessantly. The swaying shadows of the trees adorned the window paper, rustling softly.

Li Cining stared blankly for a while, and when she came to her senses, a look of bewilderment appeared on her face.

Perhaps realizing that his days were numbered, he began to become somewhat melancholic?
Li Cining sighed softly and came back to her senses.

"Manager Chen?"

He called out softly.

After a while, the outer gate of the hall slowly opened, and the slightly hunched figure of the old eunuch appeared. He walked in from outside the gate and came to the front of the hall.

His voice was deep: "Your Majesty, are you ready to rest?"

Upon hearing this voice, Li Cining slowly raised his eyes, his gaze falling on the old eunuch before him. As if remembering something, he paused for a moment, then chuckled softly: "Chief Eunuch Chen, how many years have you been by my side?"

The old eunuch said in a deep voice, "This old servant can't remember clearly anymore. I was already by His Majesty's side when His Majesty was still young."

"Yes!"

Li Cining sighed, "From the time I can remember, you have always been by my side. You are not only loyal to me, but you also know me very well."

"You are the closest and most trusted person to me. No one in the world understands me better than you."

Li Cining looked at him, paused for a moment, and suddenly said, "But don't I also know you very well?"

"Are you right?"

A calm tone.

After these words were spoken, silence fell over the surroundings.

The trees swaying outside the window also stopped for a moment.

Calm and calm.

The world seemed to fall into a deathly silence.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, all was silent.

The old eunuch's gaze slowly fell on Li Cining in front of him. His eyes were calm, his face was pale, but he seemed to have a sharp glint in his eyes.

"You've finally shown yourself?!"

Li Cining spoke slowly.

"..." (End of this chapter)