The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 141 Heaven bears witness, my words are true.
As the King of Han shouted sternly, a thunderclap boomed outside the palace, as if it had exploded right outside the palace gates, and torrential rain poured down with the sound of the thunder.

Zhu Di listened quietly to his son and nephew arguing, his hands behind his back. A smile appeared on his lips as he looked out through the slightly ajar door at the overcast sky.

The Prince of Han continued, “Li Xianmu, you speak such arrogant words here that even Heaven cannot bear to hear them. If thunderbolts were to strike, would you truly be fearless? How dare you utter such disrespectful words to the Prince of Zong in this very hall, before His Majesty, and before so many ministers!”

"Your Majesty, I only know to revere Heaven and follow the ancestral laws, and to be sincere to the Sovereign. The Sovereign is Heaven. Even under the torrential rain, thunder, and gale, I dare to say what I just said. If any word is false, may the heavenly thunder destroy me in that very moment."

Strangely enough, after Li Xianmu said those words, the deafening thunder suddenly disappeared, while the rain became even more intense.

"Li Xianmu, stop making trouble here. I am talking about the Crown Prince's affairs. What does it have to do with you?"

The King of Han remained fierce, but his words revealed a willingness to back down, clearly indicating that he sensed the disadvantage and wanted to avoid battle.

Zhu Di turned back with slight disappointment. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Li Xianmu sneer, "What Your Highness the Prince of Han said is really unreasonable. In private, you and His Highness the Crown Prince are both my cousins."

The brothers are on good terms. I do not wish for you to bear the infamy of attacking your elder brother. This is what a younger brother should do, and you need not thank me.

As far as the emperor is concerned, His Highness the Crown Prince bears the weight of the nation's fate. He was personally chosen by His Majesty as the heir apparent, making him a figure of paramount importance to the entire nation!

Of the weight of the world, Your Majesty possesses eight-tenths, the Crown Prince one-tenth, and the rest of the people one-tenth. Although the Crown Prince is insignificant compared to Your Majesty, he is still far beyond our reach.

If we allow him to remain mired in the mire without taking action, and if the Crown Prince is uneasy, the court and the country will surely be in turmoil. As a minister of the state, I have a duty to protect the Crown Prince, not just the person himself, but the position of the state!

If Your Highness were the Crown Prince today, and someone slandered you, I would speak on your behalf. Even if Your Highness is not the Crown Prince, as a prince of the nation, if someone framed the King, I would defend him, just as my late father, when he was Prince Xiangxian, argued vehemently before the establishment of the commoners. This is my duty as a subject, my duty as a person. Your Highness, please do not misunderstand!

The Prince of Han was about to speak when Zhu Di stopped him, saying, "You are just a rough and violent man who fights and kills. How could you be a match for the top scholar whom I have personally selected? Throughout the two capitals and thirteen provinces of my Great Ming Dynasty, there are very few people who can surpass your cousin in words. You may leave now."

The Prince of Han harbored a deep resentment, yet he knew that what the Emperor said made perfect sense. He could only suppress his anger and step aside, coldly watching Li Xianmu.

Zhu Di, with his hands still behind his back, walked towards the palace gate and, before the eunuchs at the door could react, forcefully pushed open the gate of the Wuying Hall.

First, a gust of wind swept in, making Zhu Di's robes flutter wildly, even rolling up his sleeves and causing his hair to fly. Upon seeing this, the officials in the hall hurriedly rushed over from behind.

"Your Majesty, be careful of the wind and rain, and don't catch a cold."

"Your Majesty, it is cold outside. Please return to the palace quickly."

The two chief eunuchs serving Zhu Di rushed forward to shield him from the wind, but Zhu Di gently pushed them away and laughed loudly, "It's just a little wind and rain, what's the big deal? I've walked through mountains of corpses and seas of blood without ever flinching, how could this wind and rain overturn me!"

The emperor's words had a hidden meaning, and everyone fell silent again.

Feeling the fierce wind rushing towards them from outside the hall, which stung their faces, followed by the wind whipping up rain, a few drops eventually landing on their faces.

"Listen to the sounds of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning outside the palace. Today, a torrential downpour has suddenly begun, and thunder is constantly rumbling in the Forbidden City. This is Heaven speaking to us, Heaven giving us a warning. It knows that some discord has occurred between fathers and sons in my Ming Dynasty."

It could even affect the entire world.

Whose fault is it? Whose mistake is it? Whose crime is it?

Li Xianmu!
Regardless of your personal feelings or public intentions, whether for the Crown Prince, for me, or for the Ming Dynasty and its ancestral temples, I know you want to speak up for the Crown Prince.

I am giving you this opportunity, right here in this thunderstorm, amidst this lightning and thunder, right here in the Wuying Hall, which is under the watchful eyes of Heaven, I am giving you the chance to defend the Crown Prince!
Heaven is watching you; you must speak the truth, you must speak what's in your heart.

"I have never told Your Majesty a single lie. If I have, may the heavens strike me to dust, so that I may never be reincarnated!"

Li Qi watched this scene from the heavens above, a smile playing on his lips. He thought, "Even if there were any heavenly gods with their own will, they should be on the side of the Li family. Who knows who would be reduced to dust?"

The incense in his hand became increasingly ethereal, subtly altering things in minute ways.

For most people, this small advantage might not be enough to change anything, but for Li Xianmu, it was already the greatest help.

With just a small fulcrum, it can turn the tide of the entire situation!
These were two eunuchs in front of the palace gate. They had already pulled up the gauze curtain to block the rain, and then called to two other eunuchs on the other side to scramble out of the palace.

Another bolt of lightning ripped across the sky, as if splitting the heavens, illuminating the entire Forbidden City for seven or eight breaths, and revealing the faces of everyone in the hall clearly.

The emperor's face held an indescribable expression—was it indifference, expectation, or indignation? He was like a statue of a deity in a temple, expressionless yet concealing a compassion fueled by blood and fire.

With his back to the crowd, no one knew what he was thinking. They only felt that his upright spine, like a spear drawn from its sheath, carried an aura of formidable strength that inspired a sense of urgency in everyone. The Prince of Han looked as if he had lost his parents; he never imagined that his questioning of the Crown Prince would lead to this situation.

Today should not have been like this. The emperor should have reprimanded the crown prince and then deposed him from his position as heir apparent. As the second son of the legitimate wife, he should have ascended to the throne. But now everything has changed. Although the emperor still harbors deep suspicions about the crown prince, there are now signs that these suspicions have been overturned.

in case……

The Prince of Han couldn't help but look at Li Xianmu. He had already experienced Li Xianmu's eloquence and persuasiveness several times. If Li Xianmu could really turn the tide and save the collapsing edifice, and overturn all the accusations against the Crown Prince, and if he could really persuade the Emperor, what would happen?
The King of Han couldn't even imagine what that scene would be like. He had been planning for years and finally got this opportunity, which was almost perfect in terms of timing, location, and people. Would there be another time when such a sorcery would happen?

Will there be another political event like this that has caused such a sensation throughout the Ming Dynasty in such a short time?

The opportunity to seize the throne is fleeting, but there's nothing he can do now. The emperor has already decided to give Li Xianmu a chance to speak. Can he possibly reject the emperor's suggestion?

He wanted to seize the throne, but he couldn't let the emperor so obviously discover his naked thoughts and disregard his brotherly affection.

Even if he were foolish, he would understand that this was something the emperor deeply feared. This outcome was due to the suspicion between the emperor and the crown prince. But if the emperor were to turn his suspicions toward him, or even suspect that he had orchestrated everything, then all the anger and consequences would be directed at him.

At that time, it wouldn't be the Crown Prince who would be finished, but the Prince of Han. He could only keep an eye on Li Xianmu and see if he could find a flaw in him. He could only pin his hopes on Li Xianmu's mistakes and incompetence!
The paleness on the King of Han's face was clearly visible to all the ministers except for the emperor, who had his back to them. They remained silent in this situation, only slightly lowering their heads. No one knew what these people were thinking.
Especially a group of nobles.

They should have been the obvious choice to support the King of Han, but they were strangely silent at this moment, as if they had never appeared in the hall today.

Especially the Duke of Ying, Zhang Fu, who was at the head of the group, was a true god. He was expressionless and his eyes were dull, making it impossible for anyone to figure out what he was thinking. Only when he occasionally looked at Li Xianmu would a slight fluctuation appear, revealing his truest thoughts.

He may not necessarily support the Crown Prince, but he has never been close to the Prince of Han. He is quite politically astute and can see how much weight Li Qi and his son Li Xianmu have placed on the Crown Prince. As a result, he also unconsciously leans towards the Crown Prince.

Given his influence in the Ming Dynasty and his prestige among the nobles, the fact that he did not speak up for the Prince of Han was already a great loss to the Prince of Han!

The emperor seemed to have finally grown tired of appreciating the storm.

He turned around.

And so the scene inside the hall changed once again.

Zhang Fu, the Duke of England, whose face was usually expressionless like a deity, showed a hint of respect.

A rosy hue appeared on the pale face of the Han King.

Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi remained prostrate on the ground, only now his posture was even more crouched.

The other ministers all bowed their heads deeply.

This is the majesty of the emperor. When he does not look at the people, they all have their own way. When he looks at them, they must bow down and obey.

Whether you are a prince or a nobleman, a marquis or a relative of the emperor, you are no different from the common people and ordinary citizens of the world!
It's nothing more than wearing fine silks and satins, enjoying fine wine and delicacies, and having beautiful women by your side; yet, life and death, dignity, honor and disgrace are all in your hands.

The emperor walked into the palace, and a gust of wind lifted the hem of his robe behind him.

Everyone followed behind the emperor, standing, sitting, or sitting in their previous positions.

Zhu Di swaggered back onto the throne, then looked up at Li Xianmu and said, "Now you can speak up about the matter of the Crown Prince."

Zhu Di's gaze swept down, passing over everyone.

Almost everyone felt a chill run down their spines. They all understood what it meant to serve a ruler like a tiger. Zhu Di was even more terrifying than Li Xianmu had been when he first entered the palace!
This is a crucial moment for the crown prince's position to be secured!
Everyone felt it.

Li Xianmu felt as if all the blood in his body was flowing backward, rushing to his mind.

At this moment, his consciousness was clearer than ever before. He listened to the wind whistling in his ears, the rain falling on his heart, and the occasional thunder that pierced the night sky. He was actually thinking!
Is this the highlight of my life, Li Xianmu?

Is this the moment in my life when I, Li Xianmu, will be remembered in history and admired by the world?

Time and again, since entering the palace, every step has been fraught with danger. He debated with the emperor and the Prince of Han, and finally got this opportunity.

I will win!

(End of this chapter)