I play the role of Jiajing in Zongwu: What crime have I committed?

In the dead of night, Zhuo Dingfeng, the commander of the patrol battalion, quietly entered the palace.

The only two Grandmasters in the Great Liang Dynasty, with their brows furrowed and faces full of worry, looked at Xiao Jingxuan.

"What brings Your Highness to summon me so late at night?"

Xiao Jingxuan grabbed Zhuo Dingfeng's arm and said solemnly.

"Commander Zhuo, my father wants to depose me, and I need your help, Grandmaster!"

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Dingfeng's pupils constricted sharply: "Your Highness, please be careful with your words. His Majesty has only placed him under house arrest, not deposed the Crown Prince. There is still room for maneuver in this matter."

"A turnaround?"

Xiao Jingxuan's face was extremely sinister.

"These rumors have already spread throughout Jinling City, and I know my father's temperament better than anyone."

"The royal family has lost face, which is tantamount to a slap in the face. How could he let me off so easily?"

Chapter 130 The Crown Prince's Rebellion

"Commander Zhuo, you have been supporting me both openly and secretly all these years."

"If I were to fall from power now, no matter who the new crown prince is, you will certainly not fare well."

Xiao Jingxuan pressed on, saying, "At this moment, the only option is to strike first. I assure you, once I ascend the throne, you will be the Pillar General, second only to the Emperor!"

"The Six Guards of the Eastern Palace are already fully prepared; now all that's missing is you, Grandmaster, to oversee things."

"The Imperial Preceptor Xiaomeng is currently at the Taoist ancestral temple in Raozhou; this is truly a godsend!"

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Dingfeng secretly shook his head.

He knew better than anyone that, in addition to the Imperial Preceptor, the royal family was also secretly enshrining two other Grandmasters.

If I were to actually join the Crown Prince in rebellion, I fear my own head would be displayed on the city gate tomorrow.

But since the emperor has concealed the whereabouts of the two grandmasters, this matter cannot be told to anyone.

Including the prince.

"Your Highness!"

Zhuo Dingfeng knelt on one knee and earnestly said, "His Majesty only wants you to reflect on your mistakes behind closed doors. If you act rashly now, you will be cutting off your own path to survival."

Upon seeing Zhuo Dingfeng's attitude, Xiao Jingxuan's face instantly turned ashen.

"Then you must promise me that you will not stop me."

"As long as you don't take sides, what I just said still stands. When I ascend the throne, you will be the Pillar General of the State."

Looking into the Crown Prince's crazed eyes, Zhuo Dingfeng knew that this heir apparent had completely embarked on a path of no return.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"Very well, Your Highness, I promise not to take sides."

He hadn't expected that he had just agreed to the Crown Prince's request a second ago.

But as soon as he stepped out of the Eastern Palace, Zhu Houcong controlled Zhuque to block his way.

Zhuque looked at him with a half-smile.

"Lord Zhuo, you have quite the nerve! The Crown Prince is still under house arrest, yet you dare to meet him in the dead of night. Are you perhaps plotting a rebellion?"

Zhuo Dingfeng was startled when he saw Zhuque.

He never expected that the royal retainers would be lying in wait there.

Foreign officials meeting with the crown prince in private is a capital offense, let alone when the crown prince is under house arrest.

For a moment I didn't know what to say, so I could only remain silent.

"What, Commander Zhuo, aren't you going to say anything?"

"Don't forget, you still hold the future of Tianquan Manor and the Zhuo family in your hands. If you know anything about it and don't report it, it's a serious crime."

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Dingfeng sighed and had no choice but to tell the truth.

"Yes, the Crown Prince summoned me here to discuss a rebellion, but I have already firmly refused."

"Oh?"

Zhuque laughed and said, "Commander Zhuo has stood on Xie Yu's and the Crown Prince's side all these years, and now he's even getting along very closely with the Crown Prince. Do you really think he can just refuse like that?"

"I disdain lying."

"Why doesn't Commander Zhuo hurry to the palace to see the Emperor and accuse the Crown Prince of treason?"

Zhuo Dingfeng was immediately in a dilemma.

He had just promised the Crown Prince that he would not help either side; if he were to immediately turn around and report him, wouldn't that be going back on his word?

Before he could weigh the pros and cons, Zhuque's face turned cold.

"how?"

"Was what Commander Zhuo just said false?"

Ever since Zhu Que discovered him, Zhuo Dingfeng knew he was in a predicament.

If they fail to report the information, the Zhuo family will also be implicated once the Crown Prince begins to rebel.

He can only make choices that benefit himself.

Just as Zhuo Dingfeng was heading to Wanshou Palace, dozens of his trusted confidants gathered inside the East Palace.

Xiao Jingxuan was clad in iron armor, holding a sword, his brows furrowed with determination.

"Gentlemen, the Emperor has been misled by Yan Song and his cronies, and now he intends to depose me, the Crown Prince."

"You are all direct descendants of the Crown Prince, and your fates are already intertwined with mine."

"If I am deposed, you will all be implicated."

"Therefore, tonight I urge you all to join me in eliminating the treacherous officials and restoring order to our Great Liang!"

"Your Highness, please reconsider!"

The elderly Crown Prince's tutor tried to dissuade him, but Xiao Jingxuan pierced his chest with a sword.

"Issue the order: the six guards of the Eastern Palace shall immediately accompany me to storm the imperial city and purge the court of corrupt officials."

Not far away, Zhu Houcong could see the firelight of the Eastern Palace through the Zhuque's perspective.

My dear eldest son has not disappointed me after all.

The six guards of the Eastern Palace are the left and right guards of the Crown Prince, the left and right imperial guards, and the left and right traffic guards.

It is an elite army personally commanded by the Crown Prince.

The six forces combined numbered several thousand armored soldiers.

Over the years, Crown Prince Xiao Jingxuan, through the hand of Lou Zhijing, the Minister of Revenue, used all the embezzled silver to manage the soldiers under his command.

Therefore, at this time, the soldiers of the Six Guards only knew of the Crown Prince, not the Emperor.

This was also what gave Xiao Jingxuan the courage to rebel.

With the Crown Prince's order, the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace followed the example of the Duke of Qing last year and prepared to storm the Forbidden City through Xuanhua Gate.

The power he wields is far greater than that of the Duke of Qing back then.

If the Duke of Qing could storm the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he believed that storming the Palace of Longevity would be no problem for him.

Thousands of armored vehicles moved at the command, surging towards Xuanhua Gate like a black torrent.

"Archers, prepare!"

Xiao Jingxuan pointed his sword at the city gate: "Shoot down the imperial guards defending the city!"

In an instant, a rain of arrows covered the sky and obscured the moon.

Before the imperial guards could react, they were nailed to the city wall.

After Yan Song informed him, Zhuo Dingfeng entered the Wanshou Palace with heavy steps.

"Your Majesty, I have important matters to report."

Zhu Houcong, who was reviewing memorials, said without looking up, "Speak."

"His Highness the Crown Prince intends to rebel."

Zhuo Dingfeng squeezed out these words with great difficulty, as if he had used up all his strength.

Zhu Houcong's vermilion brush suddenly stopped on the memorial.

He slowly raised his head, his sharp eyes fixed on Zhuo Dingfeng.

"Do you know what a grave crime it is to falsely accuse the crown prince?"

"Your Majesty, I dare not speak presumptuously, but the Crown Prince has indeed mobilized the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace, intending to seize the palace under cover of night."

"absurd!"

Zhu Houcong suddenly slammed his hand on the table and strode up to Zhuo Dingfeng.

"I know my son best."

"Although Jingxuan is unruly, he would never do such a treasonous thing!"

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.

Chen Chun stumbled into the hall, disregarding all decorum, and cried out in a trembling voice, "My lord, something terrible has happened! The Crown Prince... the Crown Prince..."

"Stop panicking! Explain yourself!"

"The Crown Prince has led the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace in rebellion and is currently launching a fierce attack on Xuanhua Gate."

"what?"

Zhu Houcong swayed and staggered back several steps until his back hit the dragon table, barely managing to stand up.

His fingers gripped the corner of the table tightly, his face filled with grief.

"You unfilial son, this unfilial son!"

Yan Song quickly said, "Please, Master, move to a safe place."

At this moment, Chen Chun continued, "Your Majesty need not worry too much. This servant has already arranged for the Tengxiang Four Guards to go and assist, and the Crown Prince's forces will not be able to break through for the time being."

"Ugh!"

Zhu Houcong sighed deeply, tears streaming down his face.

"The six guards of the Eastern Palace are all fine sons of our Great Liang; they cannot be sacrificed in vain because of the Crown Prince's wolfish ambitions!"

Then he said to Zhuo Dingfeng, "Zhuo Qing, I misunderstood you just now."

"Only you can quell this disaster without bloodshed at this moment."

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Dingfeng was shocked. He looked up and saw that Zhu Houcong's face was full of the heartache of a father.

"I want you to capture him alive. I want him to tell me himself why things have come to this!" Zhu Houcong said, heartbroken.

Zhuo Dingfeng took a deep breath.

Since the Tengxiang Four Guards have already rushed to Xuanhua Gate, it means that the Crown Prince's plan is bound to fail.

In order to prevent innocent people from being implicated, he agreed to Zhu Houcong's arrangement.

"Your subject obeys the decree!"

Chapter 131 Eliminating the Crown Prince

Zhu Houcong stood with his hands behind his back on the high steps of Wanshou Palace, watching Zhuo Dingfeng's departing figure, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

This man, a grandmaster, actually believed in the so-called legitimate or illegitimate lineage.

Despite the princes' overt and covert attempts to win him over, he always stood firmly on the side of the crown prince.