Love Lock

Chapter 197 Is he even worthy of vying for the throne?

The King of Jingzhou straightened his sleeves, walked slowly to the center of the hall, bowed to the Imperial Noble Consort on the high seat, and then looked around at the other kings.

"Brothers, you've been arguing for days. Have you ever considered why the late emperor and the Marquis of Champion's family were suddenly killed in an explosion?"

The Golden Palace fell into complete silence.

The princes exchanged bewildered glances, and even the Prince of Liangzhou temporarily suppressed his anger.

“This…” the Prince of Liangzhou hesitated, “Hasn’t the Ministry of Justice already determined that it was caused by lightning…”

"Thunder and fire?" The King of Jingzhou's lips curled into a sneer. "Both the Marquis of Champion's residence and Weiyang Palace were struck by thunder and fire? Did it rain on those two days? What kind of coincidence could there be?"

He glanced at the crowd. "In my opinion, this throne is not an honor, but a death warrant. I've had my fill of sightseeing in the capital these past few days. My brothers, enjoy yourselves. I must return to Jingzhou now."

Having said that, he turned to face the Imperial Noble Consort and bowed deeply: "Your Majesty, I have no intention of participating in the struggle for the throne. Whichever brother ascends the throne, I am willing to serve him faithfully. I have come today to take my leave, and I beg Your Majesty's permission to take my mother, Consort Hua, out of the palace to care for her."

As soon as this statement came out, the whole palace was in an uproar.

The King of Liangzhou was the first to react, laughing loudly, "Good! Seventh Brother is indeed sensible! Rest assured, once I ascend the throne, I will ensure the safety of your fiefdom of Jingzhou!"

The King of Xuzhou also revealed a rare smile: "Seventh Brother's indifference to fame and fortune is admirable. If I were to ascend the throne, I would never forget your kindness today."

The other vassal kings also expressed their opinions, as if the withdrawal of the King of Jingzhou had instantly lightened the burden on their shoulders by half.

"Your Majesty, sister-in-law," the Prince of Liangzhou bowed to the Imperial Noble Consort, "Please understand the pain of my seventh brother and his mother's separation over the years, and grant my seventh brother's request!"

The King of Liangzhou pleaded for the King of Jingzhou, eager for him to leave quickly and withdraw from the conflict. The other vassal kings naturally shared this sentiment and echoed his sentiments.

The mother of the King of Jingzhou was just a palace maid. Seeing that the princes were in agreement, the Imperial Noble Consort remained silent for a moment and then nodded in agreement.

“Since that is the case, it is a good thing for Consort Hua to leave the palace to recuperate, given her advanced age. I grant her permission.”

The King of Jingzhou bowed again: "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your grace."

As he turned, he gave the several vassal kings a meaningful look. "Your Majesty, I await good news of the new emperor in Jingzhou. However..."

He paused, then bowed to them again: "I hope you will remember my words today: whoever ascends the throne, you must treat your brothers well."

The Prince of Liangzhou waved his hand impatiently: "Of course! Why worry so much, Seventh Brother? Go quickly, the Dowager Consort Hua must miss you very much."

The King of Jingzhou smiled slightly, turned around, and strode out of the Golden Palace.

As the palace doors opened and closed, a wisp of morning breeze swept in, stirring the robes of several vassal kings.

They soon fell into a heated argument, their voices carrying far through the heavy palace gates.

As the King of Jingzhou walked along the palace road, he heard the faint sounds of arguing behind him and shook his head.

The personal guard leaned closer and whispered, "Such a great opportunity, Your Highness, are you really just going to give it up like this?"

“Give up?” The King of Jingzhou chuckled, turned to look behind him to make sure no one was there, and then said in a low voice, “If we don’t have the skills, we shouldn’t take on the job. Have you ever seen wild dogs fighting over food? In the end, the one that gets the bone is usually not the one that barks the loudest.”

He looked up at the somewhat gloomy sky: "Just wait and see, this good show has only just begun. The explosion at Weiyang Palace... is not so simple."

"Oh!" The guard nodded, seemingly understanding.

The King of Jingzhou patted him on the shoulder: "Let's go, let's go fetch Mother Consort. We can't stay in the capital any longer."

He knew better than anyone the bloodshed and cruelty of the struggle for the throne.

Long before Emperor Jing ascended the throne, those turbulent days had taught him the most profound lesson.

His mother, Consort Hua, was merely a lowly palace maid with no illustrious family background and no powerful connections in the court.

He saw through the game of power early on, and while the other princes fought tooth and nail for the throne, he chose to remain on the sidelines.

It was precisely because of this clear-headedness and ability to assess the situation that he not only survived to this day but also received the title of a vassal king.

Emperor Jing was suspicious, and although he lived a life of constant anxiety, he was also quite content.

He still remembered those brothers who, failing to see the bigger picture, recklessly participated in the struggle for the throne—

The fourth prince died "accidentally" from a fall from his horse during a hunt, the fifth prince died suddenly from a "serious illness," and the eighth prince's residence mysteriously caught fire late at night.

Now, the weeds on their graves must be incredibly tall.

These brothers who were granted the title of princes either came from powerful maternal clans or were born of the same mother as Emperor Jing.

Since they have the ability to compete, let them fight to the death! He will remain an outsider this time.

Moreover, the entire Marquis of Champion's family died under mysterious circumstances, and the emperor and empress in the deep palace would be blown to pieces even under heavy guard.

This dragon throne requires climbing over mountains of corpses and seas of blood to reach, and once seated, it can be reduced to ashes at any moment.

Being the emperor of the Great Jing Dynasty is truly a high-risk profession. How could anyone be as carefree as he is now?

After securing the distribution rights for Drunken Immortal Wine and accompanying snacks with Han Lei, they watched as piles of money flowed into their pockets.

I wouldn't trade this kind of life for an emperor!
The argument in the Golden Palace continued until noon, and in the end... it was another day without any resolution.

The throne in the Golden Palace, the one that had caused the brothers to turn against each other, remained vacant.

The princes glared at each other as they left the palace and returned to their respective residences.

But as dusk fell, the King of Xuzhou emerged from the back door, wearing a cloak and hood, and secretly appeared in the Prime Minister's residence as the streetlights came on and the place gradually quieted down.

Wei Chengchao leaned back in his rosewood armchair, his fingertips caressing a gilded snuff bottle, but his gaze followed the burly figure in a dark cloak through the carved window lattice.

"The prince is here!"

Before the butler's hushed announcement had even finished, the King of Xuzhou had already lifted his hood and strode into the flower hall.

His temples were bulging with veins, and his gaze was deep; he was clearly still furious.

He was the eldest son of the late emperor, but was born to Consort Wei. Before Emperor Jing ascended the throne, the Prince of Xuzhou was his strongest rival in the struggle for succession.

Although the King of Xuzhou had the support of the Wei family, Emperor Jing also had the Su and Sun families as his backers.

With Emperor Jing's two powerful families against the Prince of Xuzhou's single powerful family, and Emperor Jing being the Empress's legitimate son, the Prince of Xuzhou was naturally defeated in the end.

After Emperor Jing ascended the throne, although he was also granted the title of a prince, Emperor Jing sent him to the remote Xuzhou, which was a neighbor of Cangzhou, separated only by a river.

The King of Xuzhou had always harbored resentment over this. Now that the opportunity had come again, how could he possibly let it slip away?

"Uncle!" That's how the King of Xuzhou addressed Prime Minister Wei.

He ripped off the cloak's sash and tossed it to the servant standing beside him.

"Today, that bastard third son dared to say in front of all the officials that I am unworthy of my position!"

He grabbed a celadon teacup from the table and drank it all in one gulp, the tea dripping down his beard and onto his lapel. "And that sixth brother, that reckless fool, he's getting more and more aggressive today. Doesn't he even consider whether he has the ability to back it up?"

Prime Minister Wei stroked his beard and gestured to the maid to quickly serve tea. The ice chest in front of the sandalwood screen emitted a cool breeze, but it could not quell the heat between the brows of the Prince of Xuzhou.

"Your Highness, please calm down." Prime Minister Wei's withered fingers tapped lightly on the rosewood table.

“But, Uncle.” The King of Xuzhou snorted and sat down on the chair next to him.

"As you saw today, that bastard third son is not giving an inch, clearly determined to seize the throne. I cannot swallow this insult."

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Wei's pupils suddenly contracted.

He said thoughtfully, "Speaking of the Prince of Liangzhou's determination to obtain the throne, I am reminded of something."

"Oh? What is it?" the King of Xuzhou asked hurriedly.

Wei Chengchao, who was sitting to the side, also leaned forward and pricked up his ears to eavesdrop.

Prime Minister Wei stood up from his armchair and recalled, "On the night of the explosion at the Marquis of Champion's residence, the suspect escaped from Liangzhou through the south gate and was never seen again."

"Liangzhou?" the King of Xuzhou murmured, looking at Prime Minister Wei with confusion: "Uncle, what do you mean..."

Prime Minister Wei glanced around and lowered his voice.

"Since they all used the same method, could the explosions at the Marquis of Champion's mansion and the palace have been carried out by the Prince of Liangzhou? I suspect that the Prince of Liangzhou's purpose was to eliminate His Majesty and then ascend the throne as His Majesty's compatriot."

Upon hearing this, the King of Xuzhou was furious. He slammed his teacup on the table with a loud "bang!", splashing tea everywhere.

He gritted his teeth and said, "In my opinion, this is almost certainly true. Otherwise, why would the suspect have fled to Liangzhou? He must have gone back to report to the Third Prince. That bastard even dared to frame the Wei family. Now that I think about it, he wanted to kill two birds with one stone and take the opportunity to eliminate my backer. How despicable!"

Prime Minister Wei nodded repeatedly, a barely perceptible hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

"When the entire Wei family was imprisoned that day, I was completely bewildered. Only now do I understand the crux of the matter. That boy, the Prince of Liangzhou, looked refined and scholarly, but I never expected him to be such a hypocrite."

Wei Chengchao, who was sitting to the side playing with his snuff bottle while eavesdropping, twitched at the corner of his mouth when he heard this. He raised his hand to touch the bridge of his nose to hide his unusual behavior, but said nothing.

After all, he had no evidence to prove that it was that bitch Han Lei who did it.

But he also knew that it was absolutely impossible for the King of Liangzhou to have done this.

Because Emperor Jing and the Prince of Liangzhou were born of the same mother. The Marquis of Champion's family was Emperor Jing's backer, and naturally, also the Prince of Liangzhou's backer. And how could the Prince of Liangzhou possibly eliminate his own backer?

"Uncle," the Prince of Xuzhou approached Prime Minister Wei and asked urgently in a low voice, "What should we do now?"

"What should we do?" Prime Minister Wei looked at the darkness outside the house, his gaze becoming deep, and thought to himself, "Since that brat is so ruthless, then don't blame me for being unjust."

As he spoke, he turned and glanced at Wei Chengchao, who was reclining on the armchair playing with a snuff bottle, and gave the Prince of Xuzhou a wink.

"Come with me to the study to talk."

The two entered the study, and the mahogany door creaked shut. Four guards with swords stood watch at the door, and no one knew what they were saying inside.

An hour later, the study door opened again. The Prince of Xuzhou put on a cloak and a hood, and quietly left through the back door of the Prime Minister's residence.

Immediately afterwards, two trusted confidants of the Prime Minister's residence also slipped into the thick darkness of the night...

As the moon sets and the sun rises, the first rays of dawn have just swept across the glazed tiles of the Golden Palace, and civil and military officials are already lined up outside the palace.

The heavy palace gates slowly opened, creaking and groaning, as if foreshadowing that today's court assembly would be extraordinary.

The chief eunuch Li Zhongxin's voice rang out in the main hall.

"The Imperial Noble Consort has arrived! Prime Minister Wei has arrived!"

The civil and military officials exchanged glances, conveying a tacit understanding.

Since Emperor Jing turned to dust, it has been seven days since a new emperor ascended the throne. All state affairs are temporarily handled by the Imperial Noble Consort and Prime Minister Wei.

Inside the Golden Palace, the Imperial Noble Consort, dressed in a crimson phoenix robe, sat regally on a gilded chair to the left of the throne.

On the right is Prime Minister Wei, dressed in his official robes, his half-white hair tied under his black gauze hat.

After dealing with the various memorials from civil and military officials, he sat on the gilded chair and closed his eyes to rest, seemingly oblivious to the quarrels and noise in the hall.

"Your Highnesses, please be quiet!"

The Imperial Noble Consort raised her voice, but it was quickly drowned out by the quarrels of the princes.

The King of Liangzhou slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups clatter. The usually refined and scholarly man was now filled with rage, his face contorted with rage.

"I am the eldest son of the late emperor. In terms of status and ability, who else but me deserves the throne? If you do not believe me, you can go to Liangzhou and see for yourselves. Under my rule, the people live in peace and prosperity, and taxes have been increasing year after year!"

“Ha,” King Qi sneered, “How can a country be governed by brute force? Half of the ministers in the six ministries support me. Only with capable ministers to assist me can I govern the world.”

The King of Jizhou gritted his teeth and rolled his eyes. He didn't seem to have any of the bargaining chips these guys were offering, but he was still unwilling to give up.

The atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly tense, and the civil and military officials remained silent, none daring to utter a word.

The Imperial Noble Consort was having a terrible headache from these daily brawls that resembled the shouting of shrewish women.

She rubbed her temples and looked to Prime Minister Wei for help, only to find that the old prime minister was still resting with his eyes closed, as if he were detached from the matter.

Just then, the King of Xuzhou, who had been silent all day, suddenly stood up. His dark robe made his already furious face appear even redder, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"Have you all had enough of arguing?" The King of Xuzhou's voice wasn't loud, but it instantly silenced the hall.

The King of Liangzhou glanced at him disdainfully, his tone extremely arrogant.

"Brother, you have no right to speak here. Your Xuzhou is nothing but a poor, remote place; how dare you contend for the throne?"

The King of Xuzhou curled his lips into a cold smile and slowly walked towards the King of Liangzhou. His steps were as light as a cat's, without making a sound.

“Third brother is right,” the King of Xuzhou said, stopping three steps away from the King of Liangzhou. “Xuzhou is indeed a remote and impoverished place, but… I am tired of this kind of arguing.”

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly sprang into action! His figure flashed in front of the King of Liangzhou like a ghost, and his right hand gripped the other's throat like an iron clamp.

Caught off guard, the King of Liangzhou's face flushed red instantly, and he instinctively tried to pry the King of Xuzhou's fingers off, but they wouldn't budge.

"Prince of Xuzhou! What are you doing?" The Imperial Noble Consort was so shocked that she stood up from her seat, the pearls and jade on her phoenix crown shaking violently.

The King of Xuzhou looked up at the high platform, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

He narrowed his eyes and threatened the Imperial Noble Consort sitting on the high seat, uttering each word with deliberate pause.

"Your Highness, if I cannot inherit the throne today, my third brother will have to be buried with the late Emperor."

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