son, don't mess around

The atmosphere inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation was somber.

Behind the screen, beside the imperial bed, several elderly imperial physicians stood with grave expressions, shaking their heads and sighing.

On the dragon bed, Li Cining was wrapped in a thick quilt, revealing only a pale face, devoid of any color or spirit.

Even his breathing became extremely weak, and he was on the verge of death.

The imperial physicians beside him had long since run out of options. His Majesty's health was nearing its end, and even with their miraculous skills, they could not bring him back to life.

The atmosphere was heavy at that moment.

Li Cining lay on the dragon bed, his eyes closed for a long, long time before he finally opened them with difficulty. He was still so young, but his eyes were already filled with lifelessness, devoid of any luster!
"You all, go down."

Li Cining's voice was weak and feeble, and she could barely speak.

The imperial physicians standing nearby were pale-faced, exchanging glances, but none of them left.

"Go down."

A deep voice came from behind him.

The imperial physicians turned around, and their expressions changed when they saw Prime Minister Zhao and Elder Li walking in from outside.

"Prime Minister Zhao, Your Highness, His Majesty..."

Senior Li glanced at them and said calmly, "You may all leave now. There's nothing more for you here. Someone, escort the imperial physicians back to rest."

Very quickly, several fully armed Imperial Guards appeared outside the door.

The imperial physicians immediately realized what was going on upon seeing this.

What happened tonight must not be leaked. These imperial physicians who have treated His Majesty must naturally be taken into custody.

However, the imperial physicians present were already aware of this matter and didn't say anything more. They packed up their medicine boxes and left with the imperial guards.

Inside the room, after the imperial physicians left, the surroundings gradually quieted down.

Zhao Xiang stepped forward first, approached the dragon bed, and bowed deeply: "Your Majesty, how are you feeling?"

On the dragon bed, Li Cining's gaze gradually lost focus. He looked at the three people who had appeared beside the bed, and he tried to force a smile.

No matter how hard he tried, he could never manage a smile.

He no longer had the strength to laugh.

"Zhao, my dear Minister Zhao..."

Li Cining's voice was extremely weak as he looked at the current prime minister who had practically watched him grow up.

To him, Zhao Xiang was not only the pillar of the dynasty and the hope of the country, but also the mentor who taught him from childhood.

He was also the only teacher in the world he could truly trust!
"I...I'm leaving...From this day forward, the Great Ning Dynasty will depend on you..."

"His Majesty……"

Zhao Xiang's heart sank. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Li Cining: "I...I know what you're thinking, but...but I don't have time left..."

“Piaomiao, she is the best choice. I also believe that she can be a good emperor…”

At this point, Li Cining raised her head with difficulty, her gaze falling on Lin Jiangnian behind her.

"I am not a qualified and good emperor... I have failed my father and my ancestors..."

"From now on, this world will be in your hands..."

As Li Cining spoke, his voice gradually lowered, and his whole body trembled slightly, as if he was enduring some intense pain, his life force rapidly fading away.

"His Majesty……"

At this moment, Zhao Xiang, a veteran of three dynasties, finally showed emotion on his weathered face.

He gazed at the emperor before him, a young emperor he had watched grow up, now tormented by illness and passing away before him.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured."

Zhao Xiang's voice trembled slightly, his aged body seeming to contain some intense emotion. He took a deep breath, his gaze gradually sharpening: "Your Majesty, I will certainly live up to your expectations, do my utmost to support Her Highness the Princess in ascending the throne, pacifying the world, stabilizing the Great Ning Dynasty, and bringing peace and prosperity to the people!"

Zhao Xiang's voice was calm, yet resounding.

At the end of the emperor's life, Zhao Xiang finally made a decision.

Li Cining's previously dimmed expression seemed to brighten slightly. A strong glint flashed in her eyes, as if she had finally let go of the last heavy weight on her heart!
Immediately, a feeling of dizziness washed over me.

"I'm so sleepy..."

Overwhelmed by drowsiness, Li Cining slowly closed her eyes as all her strength was drained.

Until, the hand on the dragon bed fell off.

Finally, there was silence.

silence!

The room maintained an eerie atmosphere; no one spoke, and no one moved.

Until, Zhao Xiang, standing before the dragon bed, slowly extended his slightly trembling hand and placed it on the dragon bed, near Li Cining's nostrils. As if understanding something, Zhao Xiang swayed violently, his face turning completely pale.

He stumbled two steps, then fell to his knees with a thud.

"This old minister respectfully bids farewell to His Majesty at the end of his life!"

Zhao Xiang's head slammed heavily against the ground, his voice low and filled with grief and indignation.

Li Cining is dead!
The emperor of the Great Ning Dynasty has passed away!

He will die tonight, in the dead of night.

now!

There were only three people in the room.

Lin Jiangnian stood there quietly, watching the scene unfold before him, silent and without uttering a word.

He felt heavy-hearted and wanted to say something, but didn't know where to begin.

It wasn't until he looked up that he noticed that the old man next to him was staring at the dragon bed with a strange expression.

In Lin Jiangnian's memory, Senior Li was always very carefree. He had an indescribable composure, like the temperament of a hermit who had long seen through the vanities of the world.

But at this moment, his usual carefree demeanor seemed to have vanished. He simply stared at Li Cining, who was already dead on the dragon bed, without uttering a word.

Until Zhao Xiang, who had been kneeling on the ground, slowly stood up, his weathered old face and eyes slightly reddened.

"Your Majesty, this old minister will certainly live up to your expectations!"

Zhao Xiang's tone was heavy, yet incredibly firm.

Then, he turned around and looked at Lin Jiangnian and Senior Li. His deep, sharp eyes gradually materialized.

The grief gradually subsided, replaced by composure and calm. This seasoned prime minister, who had weathered countless storms, was now calmer than anyone else.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor has passed away!"

Zhao Xiang said in a deep voice, "This news must not be leaked out for the time being; not a word of it can be allowed to get out!"

"No one in the palace is allowed to leave tonight. Anyone who makes a move will be killed without mercy!" Zhao Xiang's icy tone sent a chill down everyone's spine.

This Prime Minister Zhao displayed an extremely powerful killing intent!
Lin Jiangnian and Elder Li had no objection to this. Before Li Piaomiao ascended the throne, the news absolutely could not be leaked.

Right now, we need to start racing against time!
"Now that the palace guards are in my hands, I have ordered the palace gates to be sealed off, and not a single word of news will get out."

When Elder Li spoke, he revealed that he had already taken over the Imperial Guards under Li Cining's instruction long before His Majesty's health deteriorated tonight.

After realizing that his days were numbered, Li Cining began to plan for authorization early on.

"However, I'm afraid we can't keep it a secret for long."

Senior Li looked at Lin Jiangnian and Prime Minister Zhao: "After dawn, the commotion in the palace will surely arouse suspicion from others. At that time, it will inevitably arouse suspicion."

"We need to act quickly!"

"Enough before dawn!"

Zhao Xiang's gaze swept over the two men, and he said in a low voice, "This matter should be handled quickly rather than slowly. There will be a court assembly as usual after dawn today, and this morning court session is the best opportunity!"

Upon hearing this, both Lin Jiangnian and Elder Li were somewhat taken aback. They seemed surprised that Prime Minister Zhao would be so decisive.
Now that His Majesty has passed away, the best course of action is to conceal the news of his death for the time being. While the palace is currently under the control of Elder Li, we should immediately send someone to secretly deliver the edict of succession to the front-line army. Once Li Piaomiao receives the edict at the front, he can ascend the throne before the troops.

Once the matter has settled down, Zhao Xiang and others in the capital can then make the news public.

In this way, the eldest princess's ascension to the throne became a fait accompli, and she also held control of the court's military. Even if there were any objections later, all that was needed was to forcefully suppress the small number of dissenters, and everything would proceed smoothly.

Unexpectedly, Prime Minister Zhao is planning to announce this news immediately?

Is there anything inappropriate about this?
"Many people have been questioning His Majesty's health lately. If His Majesty does not appear at the morning court session this day, it will surely arouse their suspicions again."

"Instead of doing that, it's better to cut the Gordian knot!"

Zhao Xiang had clearly made a plan. He looked at Lin Jiangnian for a few moments and said, “I still do not agree with the eldest princess ascending the throne, but the dynasty is in danger now, and this is His Majesty’s last edict. Considering the heavy responsibility of the dynasty, the eldest princess is indeed the best choice.”

"But this matter is fraught with difficulties, and I can only do my best. As for whether it will succeed, that depends on you!"

"I?"

Lin Jiangnian was stunned for a moment, but before he could speak, Zhao Xiang had already looked away.

"There are less than three hours until dawn. Time is running out. At the morning court, I will announce the news of His Majesty's passing and proclaim His Majesty's last edict to the world!"

"Your Highness, the Imperial Guards are under your command. I need your cooperation during the morning court session to stabilize the situation. Also, just in case, I need to mobilize the city's defense forces. The matters in the palace will be handled by you."

Zhao Xiang's voice was calm, but Lin Jiangnian gleaned a crucial message from it.

Today's morning court session will likely be filled with fierce competition and heated debate!
Lin Jiangnian remained silent.

Senior Li nodded and said, "Prime Minister Zhao, please rest assured. I have the palace under control, and there won't be any trouble at the moment."

"This matter is of utmost importance; we must be extremely cautious!"

At this moment, Prime Minister Zhao looked extremely serious. After giving instructions to Elder Li, he turned his gaze to Lin Jiangnian: "Young Master, there are a few things that also need your attention."

Lin Jiangnian quickly replied, "Prime Minister Zhao, please give your instructions."

At this crucial moment, both of them have put aside their past grievances.

Without any politeness, Zhao Xiang spoke directly: "I need you to mobilize your Prince Lin's spies and intelligence personnel in the capital to secretly send His Majesty's edict of succession to the front lines as soon as possible, so that Her Highness the Eldest Princess can immediately be appointed to the throne in front of the army and take control of the court's troops! If there is any disturbance in the capital, immediately order Her Highness the Eldest Princess to lead the troops back to the capital!"

"There are many spies in the court, so only you can handle this matter."

"We must act quickly, and there must be absolutely no unrest, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable."

Right now, the most important thing is a smooth transition of power. It is imperative to ensure that the throne is passed to the eldest princess without any mishaps.

After listening, Lin Jiangnian immediately nodded: "No problem, I'll take care of it."

"besides……"

Zhao Xiang called out to Lin Jiangnian again, a sharp glint in his eyes: "Your Prince Lin's mansion has a team of elite guards in the capital. The time has come to need their help!"

Lin Jiangnian was surprised that Zhao Xiang could even find out this, but he didn't care too much about it for the moment.

"Don't worry, Prime Minister Zhao, I will order them to enter the city and be ready to cooperate with your orders at any time."

"That's OK!"

Zhao Xiang nodded, took a deep breath, glanced at the two men, and said in a deep voice, "Time is running out. We should set off immediately!"

"Your Highness, I'm entrusting this palace to you!"

"..."

The emperor has passed away on this snowy night!
Meanwhile, the entire palace was bustling with activity in silence.

After settling everything in, Prime Minister Zhao was the first to leave the palace.

There were still three hours before the morning court session, and he had a lot to do. Before entering the palace, he had already arranged everything, and now he needed to finish up the final tasks to ensure that nothing would go wrong during the morning court session.

This silent transfer of power was carried out quietly under the cover of darkness.

When Lin Jiangnian walked out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, it was late at night and the snow was falling even harder!
Snowflakes fluttered down from the sky, turning the sky into a world of swirling snow.

Snowflakes fell on my body, icy cold.

Lin Jiangnian swiftly moved towards the palace gates and left the palace!
Li Cining has passed away, and it has also reached the most crucial part of his and Li Piaomiao's plan!
Therefore, Lin Jiangnian did not linger at all, and soon arrived outside the palace gate.

With the token given by Elder Li, the imperial guards at the gate barely checked him before respectfully escorting Lin Jiangnian out of the palace.

Outside the palace gates, there were carriages that had been prepared long ago!
Lin Jiangnian walked quickly to the carriage, and just as he was about to get in, he suddenly realized something, paused, and turned around.

Outside the palace gates, on the bank of the moat bridge, a solitary figure stood in the distance. Amidst the swirling snowflakes, that figure stood there, seemingly oblivious to the falling snow.

They stood quietly, as if waiting for something.

Lin Jiangnian's heart skipped a beat. He quickly stepped forward and came to the bridge bank.

"A kite?!"

Lin Jiangnian asked in a surprised and distressed tone, "What are you doing here?"

In sight, the slender figure on the bridge bank was none other than Zhiyuan.

She was dressed in a simple white robe that covered her slender figure. Her skin was fair, her face was bare, and her dark hair fluttered in the cold wind.

When Lin Jiangnian came into view, a glint of light appeared in his usually calm and collected eyes.

It was as if he couldn't hide his joy, and a barely perceptible sigh of relief.

The whole person felt relieved.

"Your Highness, you..."

Zhiyuan's gaze fell on Lin Jiangnian, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible concern: "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!"

Lin Jiangnian shook his head, seeing that Zhiyuan was covered in snowflakes and her face was red from the cold, and felt very sorry for her.

"Alright, get in the carriage and warm up first. I have something very important to tell you."

...(End of chapter)