Too high to reach

Chapter 400 Crisis lurks everywhere
"emperor!"

Empress Dowager Qian stood up abruptly and shouted loudly.

His voice trembled almost imperceptibly.

Everyone in the hall looked over...

"I've been sitting here listening for ages, and the more I hear, the more outrageous it becomes! Li Jing, what kind of tone is that? What kind of attitude is that?!"

This usually noble, kind, witty, and forgetful old lady suddenly became stern and fierce, shocking the emperor.

The Empress Jiang and the Crown Prince, who were performing a tragic role, were also shocked.

The mother and son, along with Princess Yu'an, also went to see the old lady.

Li Jing suddenly chuckled...

The perceptive and observant Empress Jiang noticed... that although the Empress Dowager was speaking to the Emperor, her eyes were... fixed on her...

What's wrong with that old hag now?

"You are the ruler, he is the subject. You are the father, he is the son!" Empress Qian was truly a different person from usual. "Whether it's the imperial family or an ordinary family, what kind of conversation is this?! In my opinion, this is more than just being spoiled! It's downright arrogance!"

For some unknown reason, her chest heaved, and her emotions were fluctuating wildly!

The Emperor looked at the Empress Dowager and nodded slightly involuntarily. The Empress Dowager was absolutely right! He then turned to look at Li Jing…

He held the letter, a bright smile on his face, and looked at Empress Dowager Qian with amusement.

This is so incongruous... The Emperor's temples throbbed.

"Today's events are clearly... orchestrated by Li Jing." The Empress Dowager was calmer than before, but her voice was still high-pitched and sharp.

With a cold and shrewd expression, she pointed at Tanlang, "Even this lowly slave might have been arranged by him, specifically to seduce Yu'an. For so many years, Dongfang Dexiang has dared to humiliate Yu'an so brazenly under his protection! This is just a continuation... His goal is to destroy his own sister!"

Her exaggerated description quickly calmed the Empress down; something unexpected had happened...

Otherwise, how could that old hag speak like that? She saw it all just now; that old hag was just sitting there watching the show. She wanted to see them fight it out, hoping they both would be badly injured, so she could make room for her grand-nephew-in-law!
So, what is this all about?
But Princess Yu'an took it seriously, and she tried hard to recall how she met her "lover".

Tanlang is no ordinary male prostitute from a brothel. Don't let his current unambitious appearance fool you; he's skilled in playing various musical instruments and singing...

While she was lost in thought, Empress Dowager Qian confidently and authoritatively concluded, "In the end, it's nothing more than the title of Crown Prince. Emperor..." Empress Dowager Qian, with a hint of reproach, stepped down from her seat.

"Look at the occasion today..." She held up her finger adorned with jeweled rings, her opulent attire shimmering with the movement. She gently gestured to the crowd, "Imperial relatives, high-ranking officials, noble ladies, and the Niu family... who have traveled thousands of miles to the capital to marry Yu'an!"

"Besides, how long did the Empress work on this? How much manpower and resources did she expend? What a grand occasion it was... and he ruined it all for his own selfish reasons! He made the imperial family lose all face! And now, you actually want to listen to his sophistry!?"

His words were so powerful and righteous that they left the emperor speechless.

That's right...

Why should I listen to his nonsense?!
"Empress Dowager Qian..." Li Jing began jokingly, "How come the letter in my hand is like a thread, pulling at you as soon as I took it out? Look how excited you are? After all this commotion, weren't you sitting firmly on your high platform, watching all this as a show?"

"How come... upon realizing I'm about to become a character in a play, my senses suddenly sharpened, and my amnesia was cured?!"

He then turned to the Emperor, "Father, have you noticed that our Empress Dowager's illness... can fluctuate wildly, sometimes improving and sometimes worsening, entirely based on her own interests and gains?"

"Your Highness, please be careful with your words!"

Someone shouted.

Upon closer inspection, everyone realized that it was a member of the Empress Dowager's family who had come out to speak.

The newly appointed third-ranked scholar, Qian Nianzu, stepped forward and bowed to the Emperor, saying, "Your Majesty!"

Then she turned to Li Jing, "Your Highness Prince Qi... no wonder the Empress Dowager had to speak up for justice... regardless of the cause and effect, the tone you used when you spoke to the Emperor and your attitude towards the Empress Dowager were extremely disrespectful! It's not an injustice to accuse you! Even I, your humble servant, couldn't stand it."

Many people nodded in agreement...

“You are a prince, of noble status, but with great status comes even greater responsibility…” Qian Nianzu began to ramble on.

Everyone in the room turned to look at him. Empress Dowager Qian gave the Empress a sharp wink and gestured towards what Li Jing was holding. Her expression was one of anxiety and fear; her eyes were bulging, and her eye bags looked rather alarming…

It felt like the end of the world was coming.

The Empress was already on guard, and now, with Empress Dowager Qian's explicit guidance, she looked at Li Jing's hands...

Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, ah!? Could this be...?

She nearly choked on her breath and didn't even have the mind to blame the old hag: how could she have lost this deadly thing?!

He immediately stepped forward, grabbed the prince, and whispered in his ear, "Do it, quickly!"

The crown prince looked at her, bewildered.

"Hurry! Otherwise, it'll be all over!" The Empress glared, gritting her teeth.

Li Jing completely ignored Qian Nianzu's quotations and instead silently watched the Emperor.

He shook it slightly: "Father, it seems that it was indeed the letter in my possession that alarmed the Empress Dowager. Would you like to know its contents?"

"Emperor!" Empress Dowager Qian shouted, "Isn't this enough of a disgrace? If you want to be a kind father, then I'll be the wicked grandmother! Guards! Take Prince Qi away and let him reflect on how he should treat the emperor and his elders!"

“Father?!” Li Jing raised the letter again.

It's just a thin piece of paper with words on it, so light that it could fly away with a strong breath.

But the emperor's gaze was heavy. He was old, in poor health, and lacking in energy; he was also constantly worried about the stability of his power and felt anxious about losing it. But he wasn't foolish…

Something big is going to happen...

His instincts kicked in, and regardless of who was right or wrong, he knew he had to get the situation under control first...

"Guards! Protect the Emperor!" he roared.

But what followed was a loud whistle.

The voice seemed to be right next to his ear. The emperor looked up and saw that the crown prince had a whistle in his mouth. "Crown Prince? What...what are you doing?"

An unknown commotion came from outside, and chaos began to erupt inside the hall...

People slowly moved closer to Li Jing and the emperor. Although they were quick and their movements were small, they would get a little closer to you if you paid attention to a certain spot.

"What's going on?" Everyone looked at each other, quite frightened, unsure whether to stay where they were or run away...

"Protect him! Protect him!" someone shouted.

"Everyone, stay where you are!" Li Jing shouted and then made his move... A person who had just approached him fell to the ground.

Several people quickly surrounded Li Jing and protected him.

People also surrounded the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

Li Jing's high position did not control the scene. As soon as they saw blood, the women panicked, screaming and crying.

All of this happened in an instant. With a "whoosh" sound, a troop of imperial guards ran in from outside the palace.

The cold glint of the blade chilled the heart.

The leader was Commander Wu, a trusted confidant of the emperor.

He strode in, shouting, "Everyone in the main hall, stand still and don't move!" He then whispered a few words in the emperor's ear.

The Emperor looked on in surprise and anger, glancing at the Crown Prince, then at Li Jing…

Good...this is truly my good son!

I'll post one chapter first, and the other later.

(End of this chapter)