good season

The Third Prince is about to go crazy!
Fan Qiuyun's affair has put his position in jeopardy. He killed the retired emperor and framed Zhao Guanyue, taking a desperate gamble. He could only succeed and could not fail. He thought he had succeeded. He thought today was his lucky day. He thought he would turn the tide and become the new crown prince, and would eventually succeed his father and sit on the dragon throne.

For this day, even if Consort Qiao was confined to her quarters, even if Feng Jiahe committed suicide, even if he was despised, even if the Feng family was doomed, he didn't care about any of it. He used all his cunning and schemes!

But the reality was that not only did his plan fail, but even the background he had been so proud of since childhood was a lie.

His grandfather was a lecher, and his father was a fraud!
The Third Prince was devastated, but there was nothing he could do. He could only vent his anger on Consort Li, not only because Consort Li was the cause of all this, but also because among everyone present today, apart from Xu Lin and his son, Consort Li was the only one he could afford to offend.

The moment Consort Li uttered the word "Xu Lang," her crime was confirmed.

Consort Li is beyond redemption!

The Third Prince was eventually subdued by the Broken Stone Brothers. The Emperor Emeritus did not want Consort Li to die, otherwise it would be too easy for her.

The third prince stared blankly as the brothers who broke the big stone tied him up.

The pain from the leather rope digging into his flesh finally cleared his mind, and his unfocused gaze gradually focused on Zhao Guanyue.

Just now, the person who was tied up was Zhao Guanyue!
But Zhao Guanyue looked elsewhere, at Emperor Yongjia!
Emperor Yongjia pursed his lips slightly and subconsciously looked towards the doorway.

Zhao Guanyue's voice suddenly rang out, carrying the joy of a young man: "You're looking for Lu Qian, aren't you? He's dead. I just happened to see him when I came in."

Emperor Yongjia seemed not to hear, and looked past Zhao Guanyue at the retired emperor: "Father, forty years have passed, is there not even a trace of fatherly affection between us?"

The Emperor Emeritus snorted coldly: "Father-son relationship? Zhao Xuan, didn't our father-son relationship vanish the moment you had Lady Wang smear me? Tell me, did you already know then that you weren't my biological son?"

Back then, Lady Wang married the Crown Prince of Wu while pregnant. She poisoned her husband, but refused to reveal the identity of her lover until her death.

The more she tried to hide it, the more people believed that the child in her womb was the Emperor Emeritus's.

This was because she frequently visited the palace and often stayed there.

Lady Wang was the Empress's niece, and the Emperor Emeritus was her uncle. However, she was betrothed by the Emperor Emeritus to the Prince of Wu.

When the King of Wu led his troops into the capital, the retired emperor faced the greatest crisis since his ascension to the throne. Although it ended with the execution of the entire Wang family and the deposition of Empress Wang, the retired emperor's reputation was damaged, and he became obsessed with cultivating immortality, which led to his later abdication.

This was the first time the retired emperor had mentioned the matter in public after many years. Before this, it was a taboo subject in both the court and the harem.

Emperor Yongjia had not expected the retired emperor to bring up this matter, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

Back then, he disliked Crown Prince Zhao Xian. He was clearly more outstanding than Zhao Xian, but the old ministers valued Zhao Xian and completely disregarded him.

When the old ones were no longer viable, he turned to winning over the younger generation, and he set his sights on the heir apparent of the King of Wu.

At that time, the Crown Prince of Wu had reached the age to marry and return to Wu, which was a good opportunity to win him over.

He tried to curry favor with the Crown Prince of Wu, but the Crown Prince was unmoved and showed no mercy. In his words, the Crown Prince directly accused him of plotting to seize the position of Crown Prince.

Enraged, he thought of Lady Wang, who was betrothed to the Crown Prince of Wu.

Lady Wang was lively and cheerful, while the Crown Prince of Wu was serious and dull. Lady Wang disliked the Crown Prince and was even more dissatisfied with the marriage. At that time, he already had a principal wife and concubines and was experienced in women. Lady Wang often went in and out of the palace, so it was not difficult for him to find out her preferences. He catered to her tastes, and the two hit it off immediately.
Seeing that Emperor Yongjia remained silent, the retired emperor sneered: "After Lady Wang killed the Prince of Wu, it was you who had people create public opinion, pointing the finger at me, making everyone in the court believe that the Prince of Wu's death was caused by my incestuous relationship!"
I had doubts about you then, but I dismissed them because I had mistakenly trusted the father-son relationship between you and me.

Zhao Xuan, now that I think about it, you already knew about your background back then, didn't you?

"No, no!" Emperor Yongjia denied it. This time he was not lying. At least at that time, he had never doubted his origins.

From childhood to adulthood, although his father disliked his mother, he was very fond of him.

In many instances, his father's affection for him even surpassed that for the crown prince.

More importantly, the Crown Prince's birth mother had passed away, leaving him without the support of any powerful relatives. Consort Li, though out of favor, was alive and well. More importantly, the Wei family behind Consort Li, while lacking real power, was an established noble family. Although Consort Li was adopted from a collateral branch, the Wei family provided her with unwavering support.

At that time, he was close to and grateful to the Wei family.

When did he begin to despise the Wei family?

It was after he ascended the throne that the old head of the Wei family passed away, and the new head of the family acted arrogantly and conceitedly, acting as his uncle. In a fit of anger, he sent the male members of the Wei family to serve as officials in various places under different pretexts. In the capital, only the old lady of the Wei family, who had married into the Baoqing Marquis's mansion, remained.

Without the Emperor Emeritus's restraint, Consort Li's greedy and foolish nature was exposed. She demanded everything, resorting to crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide to seek benefits for the Wei family and the Marquis of Baoqing's mansion, while leaving him to clean up the mess.

He grew annoyed and fed up, becoming increasingly indulgent towards the Wei family and the Baoqing Marquis's mansion. He also secretly sabotaged their affairs, making the male members of the Wei family increasingly useless, while Zhu Yu of the Baoqing Marquis's mansion became a good-for-nothing wastrel.

Over the years, the Wei family has not produced a single capable descendant, and Zhu Yu has become a pariah!

While he played a part in this, the more important point is that both the Wei family and the Baoqing Marquis's mansion were rotten to the core.

He is the winner, always has been!
He defeated Zhao Xian, defeated his own father, and defeated those powerful relatives of the emperor, thus securing his throne!

Emperor Yongjia met the rebuking gaze of the retired emperor, his eyes revealing an innate coldness.

“Father, you have a powerful mother who paved the way for you and fought bloody battles. You only need to hide behind her to sit high in the court. But I don’t. My mother only holds me back and creates all sorts of trouble.”

But Father, in the end I still replaced you, which is enough to prove that I am a born king, while you are not.

Father, you lack the wisdom expected of an emperor, and you have failed to fulfill the responsibilities of an emperor.

If it weren't for Empress Dowager Qi's efforts to rectify the court and the old ministers she left behind, could you have remained firmly in power for twenty years?
Look, after Empress Dowager Qi passed away, everything about you fell into chaos. Even Consort Li managed to switch things out right under your nose. Isn't that ridiculous and absurd?

As for Consort Li, if it weren't for your favor towards Consort Meng, why would she have done such a thing?
It all started because of you; you are the original sin.

This wasn't the first time the Emperor Emeritus had been exposed. Back in Tongzhou, Zhao Shiqing had done the same thing once before. However, these were two different matters. In his eyes, Zhao Shiqing was just an innocent young girl, and she had no conflict of interest with him.

But Emperor Yongjia was different. This was the bird he had raised, a cuckoo, a bastard he despised. Now this bastard was accusing him, saying he was unworthy to be emperor.

A surge of anger rushed to the top of his head, and the Emperor Emeritus felt a blur before his eyes. He swayed and fell into a thin but warm embrace.

A cool, pleasant fragrance wafted to his nose, and the Emperor Emeritus's breathing gradually calmed down. Zhao Guanyue held him and whispered, "Grandfather, during your reign, you never wrongfully killed a single person. You were grateful and repaying kindness, ensuring that all the old ministers left by the Empress Dowager died peacefully. You treated the people kindly, reducing exorbitant taxes and levies on numerous occasions. You were good at recognizing and employing talent, promoting a group of capable officials without any background. More importantly, during your twenty-year reign, you did not allow the barbarians to seize an inch of land. You were prudent, kind, and benevolent. The Empress Dowager would be proud of you even in the afterlife."

Zhao Guanyue knew that Empress Dowager Qi had a huge influence on the retired emperor, and only by bringing up Empress Dowager Qi could the retired emperor feel at ease.

Zhao Guanyue knew even better why Emperor Yongjia was deliberately provoking the retired emperor at this time.

Just now, the retired emperor almost fell into his trap.

Once the retired emperor falls, the situation on the field will change dramatically.

Neither the Prince of Fu nor the Prince of Lu could control Emperor Yongjia.

Wang Daban ran out quickly, and a moment later, Imperial Physician Han came in. He quickly inserted silver needles into the acupoints, and the mist in the Emperor Emeritus's eyes gradually faded, and his old eyes regained their light.

Emperor Yongjia sneered and looked at the doorway again.

The tightly closed door was slammed open from the outside, and a group of men in black rushed in.

The leader bowed to Emperor Yongjia, saying, "We, the people of our mountain gate, encountered some obstruction and were delayed. We are late in escorting Your Majesty."

Emperor Yongjia nodded and pointed at Zhao Guanyue: "Seize this boy!"

Zhao Guanyue smiled, remaining unmoved. Suddenly, a huge iron net descended from the sky, separating Emperor Yongjia and the Empress, along with the men in black, from the outside, as well as the Third Prince who was bound hand and foot, and Consort Li who was still sobbing.

Since the retired emperor was able to fall into a coma here, attracting Emperor Yongjia to come here, this place must have been prepared in advance.

This mechanism was originally part of Wuji Temple. Back then, the retired emperor often came here, but the guards at Wuji Temple were far less than those in the palace. The abbot at the time was skilled in mechanisms and worried that the retired emperor might encounter danger in the temple, so he designed this mechanism. Unfortunately, after the mechanism was completed, the retired emperor never came again until many years later, when it finally came into use.

Looking at the crowd on the other side of the net, Emperor Yongjia clenched his fists. Today, he had been tricked from the very beginning.

He thought the Third Prince's scheme had succeeded and that the Emperor Emeritus was truly poisoned, but he never expected that the Emperor Emeritus had already taken precautions against the scheme.

But how exactly was this information leaked?

Prior to this, only he and the Third Prince knew about this matter.

He wouldn't reveal it, so it must be the Third Prince.

He really is a good-for-nothing!

Emperor Yongjia really wronged the Third Prince. The Third Prince was also puzzled; he didn't know how the matter had been leaked.

At this moment, the Divine Bird General had a hearty meal at the Third Prince's residence and left reluctantly, keeping his merits and fame hidden.

He quite liked this place, but unfortunately, his mother said he couldn't come here anymore, because there wouldn't be a Manchu Han Imperial Feast here anymore.

Using his family's secret techniques, Physician Han administered acupuncture before the illness even manifested. The Emperor Emeritus had already recovered. Physician Han said to Zhao Guanyue, "The Emperor Emeritus is fine. In the future, please refrain from getting angry."

Zhao Guanyue thanked Imperial Physician Han, then heard the Emperor Emeritus ask, "These men in black, are they the mountain gate you mentioned?"

Zhao Guanyue nodded: "That's right. The mountain gate was founded by the royal family of the previous dynasty. Zhao Xuan learned about their background and used it to blackmail them into submitting to him. Over the years, the mountain gate has killed many people for him."

The retired emperor said with some regret, "It's a pity that Qing'er isn't here."

When the plan was originally discussed, Zhao Shiqing volunteered to come to the event, but it was ultimately rejected by a unanimous vote, and she was deprived of her opportunity to appear today.

"Your Majesty, I have come to your rescue! Wang Qiancheng is dead; the Imperial Guards are on standby!"

The Duke of Dingguo and the Duke of Weiguo stood at the door, covered in blood. The Duke of Dingguo was holding a severed head in his hand—the head of Wang Qiancheng, the leader of the Imperial Guards.

Emperor Yongjia's eyes darkened. Wang Qiancheng, like Lu Qian, was someone he had personally promoted.

Most of the leaders in the Imperial Guard came from military families, and the Duke of Dingguo's family and the Duke of Weiguo's family were the two major military families in the Dayong Dynasty, holding a superior position among military officers. With Wang Qiancheng dead, the rest of the Imperial Guard naturally defected.

"Your Majesty, I am late in coming to your aid. The five battalions of the Capital Guard have assembled. I have led two battalions into the city and have already surrounded Wuji Temple. We are just waiting for Your Majesty's order to bring the other three battalions into the city to protect you!"

Emperor Yongjia's eyes flashed with murderous intent. It was none other than the Earl of Changping who had arrived!

"Lord Changping, I have treated you well! Have you forgotten who exiled you to the border for twenty years, separating you from your family, and who transferred you back to the capital to take charge of the capital's guards? Is this how you protect the gates for me?"

The Earl of Changping's gaze was firm, and he said each word clearly: "Prince Xuan, have you forgotten how the Earl of Changping's title came about? The title of Earl of Changping was personally bestowed by the Emperor Taizu. My Earl of Changping's family has been loyal to the descendants of Emperor Taizu for generations, and we have been guarding the land and the gates of Emperor Taizu! Prince Xuan, are you worthy?"

The Duke of Dingguo and the Duke of Weiguo exchanged a glance, both expressing their admiration. This man even stopped calling Zhao Xuan.

He was neither the emperor nor Zhao Xuan; he was merely Prince Xuan. If the Earl of Changping hadn't arrived late and not known the name Xu Kun, he would surely have been referring to Xu Xuan by now.

Lu Qian is dead, Wang Qiancheng is dead, and the Imperial Guard and the five major battalions of the Capital Guard have all defected. All that is left for Emperor Yongjia are these twenty-odd people from the mountain gate.

And who can say that these people from the mountain sect were able to get here despite being surrounded, if not a trap?

They opened their pockets and let them in.

Emperor Yongjia took two steps back. The situation was hopeless. This time, it truly was hopeless!
If time could be turned back, he certainly wouldn't have rushed over so excitedly upon hearing the news of the Emperor Emeritus's poisoning.

(End of this chapter)