NOVEL NEXT Chapter 833 - 833: Father Emperor, How Could It Be You?
Chapter 833: Chapter 833: Father Emperor, How Could It Be You?
The elder woman on the other side of the prison cell remained silent for quite a while.
Liu Sisi breathed a sigh of relief and carefully felt for while, as it seemed that after Niuniu drank some water, she gradually calmed down and fell into a deep sleep.
Footsteps sounded again from outside the cell door, as the Prison Chief of the sky prison was changing guards.
Chou Chou, who was sleeping beside, turned over and got up, apparently still confused about his whereabouts.
“Chou Chou, are you awake? Do you feel unwell anywhere?”
Liu Sisi was worried to death; the child had slept for most of the day.
“Mom…”
Chou Chou threw himself into Liu Sisi’s arms. “Mom, they are so mean, they wouldn’t let Niuniu and me sleep, incessantly questioning Niuniu and me. Niuniu and I didn’t say anything…”
“Our Chou Chou is such a good child…”
This child, not even five years old, had already become so sensible!
Liu Sisi felt both relieved and a pang of sorrow in her heart. Were these young children, like ephemeral flowers, about to wither before they could fully bloom?
By midnight, Niuniu’s fever had slowly receded.
Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ƝονǤ0.ᴄᴑ
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Inside the sky prison, darkness prevailed as if there was no day or night, and one day was no different from two days.
At the moment, the imperial court looked as though a storm was on the horizon.
The news of His Majesty’s sudden disappearance could not be concealed and quickly spread throughout the imperial court. Various rumors also swiftly swept over the entire city.
Some said that His Majesty’s death was strange; he had been well before and suddenly was pronounced dead—there were too many intricacies in the matter.
Others claimed that His Majesty must have died with eyes wide open, hence ‘risen from the dead’…
There were also whispers that the reason His Majesty’s body vanished was that he had transcended the mortal realm and joined the ranks of the immortals…
All sorts of rumors quickly swept through the streets and alleyways, and soon enough, all factions began to take action.
It was said that the Empress personally sought Taoist Master Zhu at Qingfeng Temple but was turned away at the main entrance, unable to even enter.
Rumors had it that the Empress, her phoenix body heavy, situated Sixth Prince Zhao Xian in a position of imminent danger, preparing him to ascend the throne in Chuigong Hall and establish the new era name “Yi,” planning to bury the late Emperor at the Imperial Mausoleum three days later.
Stories circulated that this move triggered strong dissatisfaction in Thirteenth Prince Zhao Zhen, who rebelled on the day Zhao Xian was enthroned. With Yang Yiqing, Yang Yitong, and the Imperial Guard at his side, they stormed the Golden Luance Hall in a palace coup and successfully killed Sixth Prince Zhao Xian, subsequently taking the throne for himself. A real-life drama of brotherly strife ensued.
Seven days later, Zhao Zhen was enthroned, naming the year “Li,” and appointed the former Empress as the Empress Dowager, who moved into Fukning Palace. The now-deceased Zhao Xian was buried on the outskirts of the Imperial Mausoleum with the rites of a prince…
Tales claimed that Prince Fenyang and Prince Qing, under the banner of cleansing the Emperor’s side, led an army of 300,000 troops, completely surrounding the entire Palace, initiating a siege…
Zhao Zhen caressed the throne he had longed for, feeling as though he was still in a dream.
In just a few days, he had gone from a prince who looked at people’s faces to his heart’s content to the supreme emperor, yet even sitting on the dragon chair, Zhao Zhen couldn’t feel a trace of reality.
He straightened up and looked down, his heart immediately surged with anger!
In the imperial court, there stood only a handful of court ministers, most of whom were his confidants. Thinking back to when the late Emperor was alive, the court was filled with civil and military officials… Compared to that, the difference was like heaven and earth.
He felt a burning sting on his face, a blatant slap in the face!
“Come here! Come here, has everyone died off? Where are all the ministers? Why are they not attending court!”
The attendant next to him approached, trembling with fear, “Your Majesty, the court ministers are ill, so, so…”
“Ill? If one or two are sick, that’s reasonable, but now this bunch of elder ministers are sick? They really think I, Zhao Zhen, am easy to manipulate!”
Zhao Zhen’s face was filled with severity, “Deliver my order, anyone who is sick should bring their head to see me. Those who wish to keep their heads should crawl to this court even if they’re sick. Tell these traitors that even if one is missing, the land still belongs to the Great Zhao!”
“Yes, yes, yes…”
The eunuch dared not to delay and shakily backed away.
Soon after, aside from those unafraid of death, the assembled court ministers, upon receiving the Imperial Decree, were dragged one by one into the hall, where they had no choice but to kneel before Zhao Zhen on the dragon chair…
There were also upright ministers who refused to kneel, and quickly on the floor of the main hall, a bloody scene unfolded as they smashed against pillars and died within five steps.
Zhao Zhen’s fury grew even fiercer! He issued another decree to have those disobedient ones dragged out from Wu Gate and beheaded…
Suddenly, there was dead silence above the imperial court, and not a single dissenting opinion could be heard.
For several consecutive days, those who should be killed were killed, and those who should be beheaded were beheaded, and soon his own people replaced them in every position. Zhao Zhen finally felt satisfied, and with a smug look, he scanned the court before giving a side glance to the attendant next to him.
The attendant hurriedly stepped forward and gave a command: “If there’s any matter, report it; if not, court is dismissed!”
An elder minister tremblingly stepped out from the ranks.
“Your Majesty…”
“Hmm? Do you have a petition to present?” Zhao Zhen asked, raising his eyebrows at the elderly minister.
The elder minister shuddered, stammered for a while, and then replied, “I have no petition to present, Your Majesty.”
“Very well! Since there is no petition, then court is dismissed!”
Zhao Zhen was so eager he could hardly wait to return to the Imperial Harem; the beauties presented by the court ministers last night were truly captivating, and he was already impatient!
But just as he had risen from the dragon chair, a eunuch rolled and scrambled into the main hall.
“Your Majesty, it’s terrible—Prince Qing’s and Prince Fenyang’s horsemen have stormed into the Palace! They intend to force an abdication; we must flee at once!”
Zhao Zhen almost tumbled down from the Golden Luance Hall in shock.
“Force an abdication? Where are they? Aren’t Yang Yiqing and Yang Yitong holding them back outside?”
Yang Yiqing and Yang Yitong were Provincial Military Commissioners; didn’t they command an army of 200,000?
How could they fail to hold back Prince Qing and Prince Fenyang?
Zhao Zhen looked around, and the court ministers whose eyes met his quickly lowered their heads.
It was the elder minister who had wanted to present a petition earlier who spoke up, “Your Majesty, deploying troops requires not just the Imperial Decree but also the corresponding military tokens. When Your Majesty sent the two Imperial Uncles to mobilize the troops, those rebels tied them up without a second word, claiming to punish those who falsely deliver Imperial Decrees!”
Military tokens?
Zhao Zhen had only been a prince of leisure before; how could he know about the necessity of military tokens?
“Where do these military tokens come from, then?”
He impulsively blurted out the question, causing shock among all the civil and military officials of the court! The Emperor didn’t even know about the military tokens?
“A great question! Where do these military tokens come from? What a bold spirit indeed, truly a worthy descendant of the Great Zhao!”
An abrupt voice suddenly came from outside the hall.
Zhao Zhen’s whole body jolted, and he could no longer sit still on the dragon chair. Trembling, he turned his head toward the direction of the voice and cried out in shock.
“Father Emperor! How could it be… you…”
Against the light, a familiar, majestic figure was approaching slowly from outside the hall.
Step by step, it was as though he was trampling on Zhao Zhen’s heart, causing agonizing pain!
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