allonlinenovel Chapter 267 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (167)
Chapter 267 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (167)
He almost suspected that he had heard it wrong.
Who's back?
General He Pingyan? Isn't he stationed at the border?
It's no wonder he was so surprised, because both General Zhuang and He Pingyan were not allowed to return to the capital without being summoned, and they had no intention of bringing a large army back to the capital. After all, they had extremely high prestige in the army, and even the emperor was unsure if they would bring troops into the capital.
For so many years, there has been no scene of a large army returning to the capital. Even when they returned to the capital to receive rewards, they only brought back a small troop of people. So... Ji Shuling could not believe her ears.
“How…is this possible? Who allowed him to come back!” Ji Shuling shouted. He sat on his horse and subconsciously looked towards the city gate. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that there was a crowd of people moving around in the darkness.
"It seems the Crown Prince ordered him to return." The general beside him was also extremely anxious.
Who doesn't know the capabilities of the Zhuang family father and daughter and the young general of the He family? If it weren't for them, the army wouldn't have been able to force the Western Rong to retreat step by step. After several years of fighting, the Western Rong have now retreated deep into the grasslands and dare not easily invade.
Not to mention the Western Rong people, even some military generals in the court would change their expressions upon hearing their names.
Because as long as these individuals are around, they cannot rise to prominence! Even if the Emperor harbors reservations, he can only bestow titles and rely on them; no one else can replace them.
Many people are like this: they know they are inferior to others, but they are still unwilling to accept it; they know they cannot bear the burden, but they are jealous of the glory and achievements of others.
Today, the generals who besieged the capital with the Second Prince were thinking the same thing. They dared not lead their troops to confront the ferocity of the Western Rong barbarians, but instead tried to rise above others and gain recognition through political struggles...
What I thought was a sure thing turned out to be a problem for He Pingyan!
What a good thing!
The once imposing group suddenly became anxious, with many envying those who had stopped moving forward earlier. What were they going to do now?
"You...you let He Pingyan come back?" Ji Shuling suddenly turned her head and looked at Ji Shumin.
Yes, it must have been Ji Shumin who did it. How could Ji Shuqin possibly have the ability to order He Pingyan around? Only Ji Shumin, only Ji Shumin who has cultivated deep roots in the court for many years, could command He Pingyan!
Well, what a fine family the He is!
On the surface, they appear aloof and refuse to side with any of the princes, but in reality, they have long been colluding with Ji Shumin! All that aloofness is a facade; it's all a cover for the He family's collusion with Ji Shumin!
They really fooled everyone!
Ji Shuling felt a surge of anger rising within him. He had been deceived... completely fooled without a shred of suspicion! He had previously considered trying to win over the He family, but before he could even put his plan into action, He Diaoyu's rigid and inflexible demeanor made him back down.
Now he's found out it was all an illusion.
“Protecting the emperor and quelling the rebellion is what General He should do. Why can’t General He come back?” Ji Shumin returned the banner that Ji Shuling had raised to him exactly as it was.
He was more composed and took it all for granted.
"You've been in cahoots all along, you've been working together in the same boat!" Ji Shuling rebuked, staring intently at Ji Shumin's face. If looks could kill, Ji Shumin would have torn him to pieces long ago.
"Why are you angry, Second Brother? Just because you did it yourself, does that mean everyone else is the same as you? Just because you know you're dirty, does that mean everyone else is as dirty as you?" Ji Shumin's words were like a fine blade, sharp and cutting, cold and sarcastic.
"Second brother, you colluded with court officials and secretly plotted against them, yet you're trying to pin the blame on others? Do you think I'm the same as you...?"
How arrogant! How arrogant! Listening to Ji Shumin's words and looking at his calm and expressionless face, Ji Shuling felt so angry that she felt dizzy.
Ji Shumin said that on purpose to provoke him!
"Ji Shumin! You despicable person!" Ji Shuling roared.
"Oh? Is that so? So I was the villain..." Ji Shumin sighed softly, as if feeling melancholy. He blinked and nodded: "So, exposing your schemes and tricks, causing your plans to fail and you to suffer the consequences, makes me a villain."
Ji Shumin was unusually talkative today, and every word he said was like a dagger to Ji Shuling: "Could it be that Second Brother ordered people to keep an eye on my wife, preparing to use her life to threaten me into submission? Isn't that the behavior of a villain?"
Ji Shumin was truly enraged. Ji Shuling had actually released archers outside the Third Prince's residence. Through interrogation of those captured, Ji Shuling had revealed that his order was that if the Third Prince's wife tried to escape, she should be taught a lesson and given a bloody punishment so that Ji Shumin could see the miserable state of his beloved wife!
Nothing else could provoke Ji Shumin's anger, but this action made his eyes seem to freeze.
No one should have designs on Li Ruan.
Especially since this struggle for imperial power involves the lives of women, this is not a matter of being upright or dishonest; it is utterly despicable!
"Second brother, when you were plotting against my wife, did you ever consider that your mother is still in the palace? You want people to see how cold-hearted I am if I don't care about my wife? What about you?" Ji Shumin interlaced his fingers, tilted his head slightly, and stared intently with a subtle wickedness in his eyes.
"And who are you?"
"You—Ji Shumin! What do you want to do!" Ji Shuling roared, though he hadn't forgotten about his mother.
However, the Dowager Consort was still in charge of the palace. Even though he didn't have much interaction with her, he knew that she wasn't the kind of person who would stand by and watch innocent people being killed. Over the years, the harem under her protection had remained relatively peaceful, and nothing too outrageous had happened. Even if a palace maid died unjustly in the palace, the Dowager Consort wouldn't let it go easily.
The Dowager Consort was a pillar of the palace, providing support and protection for the women and servants in the harem.
Ji Shuqin wouldn't know either...
He would not threaten himself with his mother's life, even though they were on opposing sides, Ji Shuling knew this.
But Ji Shumin...
He watched as Ji Shumin nodded and beckoned with his finger, and a woman dressed in palace attire was led over by two strong maids, who grabbed her arms.
"Let me go—what are you doing—let me go!" Consort Liu looked helpless, trying to break free but unable to, feeling the nanny gripping her tightly and hurting her.
She wasn't wearing a thick coat and was shivering from the cold as she was dragged all the way to the palace gate.
"Ling'er... Ling'er! Save your mother!" When she saw Ji Shuling, it was as if she had seen her pillar of support. She wanted to reach out, but the nanny grabbed her from behind.
"Mother Consort—Ji Shumin! Release my mother consort! How dare you touch her!" Ji Shuling's eyes were bloodshot with rage. He had not told his mother about his plan.
His feelings for his mother were somewhat complicated. Deep down, he resented her background and lack of favor with the emperor. Consort Liu was not a well-read woman, and she didn't understand the affairs of the court. All she knew was to care about her son and hope that he would achieve great things.
But he was also raised by his mother, who treated him with care and love. It seemed that he was the only one who was truly valued by his mother since childhood. Ji Shuling had a strong desire to make his mother see him as she wished, to become the most successful person...
He felt that his mother knew nothing and could not be of any help to him, but he also felt that his mother was the person who treated him the best, and he had to make his mother proud.
"Why can't I move? Isn't this an example of giving someone a taste of their own medicine?" Ji Shumin had two maids pull Liu Fei to the opposite side of Ji Shuling.
"Ji Shuqin, have you gone mad too!" Ji Shuling turned to Ji Shuqin and shouted, "Anyone who dares to harm my mother, I will fight them to the death!"
“Min’er…” Ji Shuqin frowned and called out softly. He really didn’t know about Ji Shumin’s actions.
"Brother, is his mother's life more precious than Li Ruan's?" Ji Shumin asked listlessly, his expression revealing barely suppressed rage.
He was determined to teach those who dared to lay a hand on Lu Liruan a lesson. Otherwise, if anyone ever had the thought of bullying Liruan again, Ji Shumin would make them strangle themselves before the thought even arose!
"No, but you..." By being so argumentative, don't you seem to be the same kind of person as him? Ji Shuqin wanted to say something, but in front of so many people, he couldn't lose face for Ji Shumin and undermine Ji Shumin's authority.
"Roar--"
The neighing of warhorses came from behind, growing ever closer—it was He Pingyan's army approaching!
The torchlight became increasingly clear, its light reflecting off the cold, sharp iron blade with a blinding chill, casting indistinct shadows.
Ji Shuling looked back and saw that the ranks of soldiers stretched as far as the eye could see. He didn't know exactly how many soldiers He Pingyan had brought back, but it was definitely many times his number...
Besieged on all sides, with wolves in front and tigers behind, Ji Shuling was subdued before he even had a chance to make a move.
A sense of despair welled up inside him. Why...?
He had planned everything perfectly, and it seemed like everything was under his control, so why did he suffer such a crushing defeat?
Ji Shuling was unwilling to accept this.
"Ling'er—have they all been bullying you! Ling'er! Your mother is alright!" Consort Liu looked at everything in front of her, as if she understood something. She was stunned for a moment, and then called out to Ji Shuling.
“Mother Consort…” Ji Shuling stood there, stunned, and murmured.
The army behind them drew closer; it really was He Pingyan who had returned.
He held a long sword behind his back, his other hand gripping the reins tightly, his gaze sharp and imposing as he sat atop his tall horse. His armor was slightly dusty from his journey, giving him a rugged yet powerful presence.
His expression was resolute as he looked around. Everyone he saw couldn't help but lower their heads, unable to meet his gaze.
He nodded to Ji Shumin from afar, and Ji Shumin nodded back; the unspoken understanding between the two was palpable.
"Ji Shumin, release my mother, and I will let you do as you please." Ji Shuling finally said these words, losing his domineering and arrogant demeanor.
“Even if I don’t release you, you’ll still be at our mercy.” Ji Shumin twitched the corner of his mouth, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
"You! Ji Shumin—don't go too far!" Ji Shuling was furious, overwhelmed with emotions, feeling as if he was about to explode.
"Ji Shumin, I lost, but that doesn't mean you're right! Nor does it mean that you, my elder brother, are rightfully on the throne..." he said bitterly.
“We both know what kind of person Father is. He can fool others, but you can’t fool me! It’s just that the timing and the circumstances are different… I can’t outwit you, so I can only watch helplessly as you deceive the world.” Ji Shuling believed from the bottom of her heart that the imperial edict was a forgery.
It was Ji Shuqin and Ji Shumin who found the emperor's hidden seal and forged it.
"This imperial edict is genuine; I can attest to it!"
Suddenly, a calm and gentle voice came from the room, drawing everyone's attention.
The Imperial Concubine, dressed in a magnificent palace gown, stepped down from the palanquin with the help of her nanny and Lu Liruan.
When Ji Shumin saw Lu Liruan, his expression softened. A cool breeze blew Lu Liruan's hair, and she reached out to touch it, only to meet Ji Shumin's gaze.
In that brief moment when their eyes met, they both felt more at ease...
The Empress Dowager slowly walked to Ji Shuqin's side, gently took his hand, and said firmly again, "I can testify that the imperial edict is genuine. It was placed with me by the late Emperor long ago."
The Empress Dowager's voice wasn't loud, but it was firm and clear. To those around her, it conveyed a sense of trustworthiness.
The Empress Dowager is naturally trustworthy and is respected by almost everyone.
Others' testimonies might be useless. But the Empress Dowager's words were as precious as gold, instantly silencing everyone present.
It must really be the emperor's will, which was made long ago.
"How...how is this possible?" Ji Shuling stammered, not knowing who she was asking.
The Empress Dowager took the imperial edict from De Cheng, opened it, and ran her fingers over the words on it. A hint of sadness flickered in her lowered eyes.
This is not the Emperor's handwriting. At that time, the Emperor was no longer able to get up and write, and he did not leave behind this imperial edict. When he handed this imperial edict to the Dowager Consort, it was blank.
After the Empress Dowager visited the Emperor that day, she never went again until one night, almost midnight, when someone invited her over.
When the Empress Dowager saw the Emperor again that day, he was lying there, no longer groaning or convulsing. If it weren't for how haggard he looked, one would have thought he had recovered.
He was already blind, but upon hearing the voice, he slowly turned his head: "Mother... is that you?"
"Your Majesty." The Empress Dowager approached.
"Mother... I have hurt your feelings." He said softly, his voice barely audible, "Mother, please don't be angry with me..."
He was not dwelling on his childhood, but clearly knew what time it was now.
He knew in his heart exactly when his heart had drifted apart from that of the Dowager Consort…
But when he was young and arrogant, he was unwilling to back down. Now, looking back, he truly regrets it.
"People say that death means the end of everything, but I am the Son of Heaven, and I am truly protected by the dragon's aura. I... I will not die, I will just leave my body. Mother, don't you think so?" he asked in a low voice, his empty eyes still revealing his urgency.
"Yes, Your Majesty, do not worry," the Dowager Consort said patiently and gently, just as she had coaxed him when he was a child.
The emperor managed a weak smile, coughing up blood from the corner of his mouth.
"I... want to entrust my mother with something. I only trust my mother with this matter," he said slowly.