mtl008 Chapter 802: King Xu Dingliang of Yan is the True Dragon
Chapter 802: King Xu Dingliang of Yan is the True Dragon
Prince Jing's smile lines stretched from the corners of his mouth to the corners of his eyes, like an old knife scar. The emperor, huddled in his dragon throne, curled up even further, the hem of his robe piled at his feet like a crumpled dark cloud.
"You can't possibly have a genuine imperial edict of succession. There isn't one at all. It's all fake. Imperial guards, arrest Prince Yan and Prince Jing. They're planning a rebellion."
The voice sounded weak, without a trace of the majesty of an emperor. The leader of the imperial guards who was in a stalemate did not move, but the sword in his hand dropped a little. Seeing this, the other imperial guards who were in a stalemate took a step or two back.
The emperor's voice, mingled with the fishy smell of rain drifting in from outside the palace, clung to everyone's eardrums. The commander of the imperial guards lightly tapped the ground with the tip of his sword, leaving a barely perceptible white spot on the gold brick, like a grain of crushed rice.
"Today, eight people will be nominated by all the officials in the imperial court. They will be divided into two groups and will come forward to personally inspect the authenticity of the imperial edict. In the future, the edict will be framed and engraved with colored glaze for all officials to admire."
These words were like ice, calming all the commotion.
As he spoke, three members of the royal family immediately stepped forward. One of them was Prince Feng, who was older than Prince Jing and rarely attended court. The other two were cousins who were older than Prince Hong.
Prince Feng's court robes were stained with the scent of aged incense, wafting a little with every step, as if he had crawled out of an ancient tomb. His knees creaked under the weight, but he stubbornly held his back straight. The coiled dragon on his patch rose and fell with his breathing, and the scales seemed to stand up one by one.
Next to come out were the Grand Councillors, Hanlin Academy officials, and Cabinet Grand Secretaries.
The remaining officials were relatively young. Several of them took a step forward and then stepped back. All the officials had seen the late emperor's handwriting, but not everyone was sure that they could authenticate it.
"I'm so proud to ask if you can take a closer look at the late king's will." An old, distinctly clasped voice suddenly came from behind a tall pillar, and all the officials looked over.
Eunuch Fang's voice was like a rusty saw, sawing through the air with the smell of iron filings. When he moved out of the shadows, the air was stagnant.
This was Eunuch Fang, the former eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department. He was even older than Eunuch Li and of the same generation as Madam Zhou. He had been dismissed from his post for many years and now only managed the palace's miscellaneous items. He looked much older, having once held the power to approve documents.
The wrinkles on his face were deep enough to trap falling incense ash, and each line held secrets from the previous dynasty. The keychain hanging from his waist jingled as he walked, like a spirit-calling bell on the road to the underworld.
Seeing no one speaking, and no one objecting, Prince Jing spoke up, "The person most familiar with the late king's handwriting is none other than Eunuch Fang. He is naturally qualified to shoulder this important responsibility."
As Prince Jing spoke, his eyes swept over the emperor, intentionally or unintentionally, as if he were looking at an animal to be slaughtered. Upon hearing this, Eunuch Fang bowed deeply, his waist almost bent in half.
Although Prince Yan, who was sitting next to the dragon throne, had a blank expression on his face, he nodded slightly towards Eunuch Fang's position and would approve his departure next time.
Including the left prime minister in the front, there are eight people in total.
When the left prime minister stood still, the crane on the patch was facing the dragon throne, with its beak slightly open, as if it was about to cry out blood in the next moment.
Prince Jing slowly raised his arms, and the five-clawed golden dragon on the bright yellow brocade glowed coldly under the candlelight in the hall.
With trembling hands, he turned the imperial edict over, and the end of the jade-inlaid scroll left a deep red mark on his palm.
The will was solemnly placed on the chest of the prince's formal dress embroidered with four dragon patterns, just three inches below the heart, as if to use his flesh and blood to protect this certificate that concerned the foundation of the country.
The cloud patterns embroidered with gold thread flickered between bright and dark during the movements, just like the strange situation in the hall at the moment.
Prince Feng and his two companions immediately stepped forward, holding up the corners of their robes. The hem of his robe with golden python patterns swept across the undried bloodstains on the steps.
Prime Minister Xiao had already stood in the center, his old hands clenched into fists, his nails dug deep into his palms, his eyes fixed on Prince Jing's chest.
The four men's necks were practically pressed against the icy blades of the imperial guards, leaving thin red marks on their skin. They stared eagerly at the imperial edict a foot away, even making out the faint smudges around the edges of the four cinnabar seal characters "冯天承运" (By Heaven's Will, Cheng Yun) on the decree.
Prince Feng's cloudy eyes were bloodshot due to overfocus, and his Adam's apple rolled hard beside the blade.
The remaining four people also stood behind them, almost sticking to their backs, looking forward through the gap between their heads.
The hall was as still as a grave. All the officials below the red steps leaned forward, their necks drawn together as if by invisible threads. They stared not only at the blinding yellow, but also at the profiles of the four important officials, trying to read any clue from Prince Feng's trembling eyelids or the sudden stiffening of Prime Minister Xiao's back.
The four people who were watching the imperial edict seemed to be under a spell of immobilization, even the folds of their robes were frozen in place, as if they were four terracotta warriors shrouded in the shadows of the golden nanmu pillars of the palace.
After an unknown amount of time, there was a sudden, muffled thud like a thunderclap. Prime Minister Xiao fell to the golden brick floor, his ivory tablet tumbling three feet away, as if his bones had been pulled out.
There were large stains of sweat on the back of his official uniform as he turned his back to the crowd. His head with disheveled white hair was lowered deeply, making it impossible to tell whether he was shocked or desperate.
The man on the dragon throne had completely fallen off at this moment, and his dragon robe with twelve chapter patterns was piled up in front of the steps. On his pale face, even the black eyebrows that symbolized the majesty of the emperor had revealed a deathly gray color.
"Your Majesty! I...I failed to protect you well..." Prince Feng's hoarse wail suddenly broke the silence. His legs, like dead branches, trembled and bent, and two clan members hurriedly supported his shaking body.
On the left, the veins of the Li prince bulged, while on the right, the left shoulder of the Rui prince's clothes had been torn. The two men coordinated to slowly lower the old man to his knees, as if slowing down the pace. The jade belts of the three men hit the ground one after another, making a crisp sound of jade.
Prince Feng knocked his forehead against the ground three times, and when he looked up again, his old voice suddenly became stern: "The handwriting and seals of the imperial edict have been verified to be correct. King Yan Xu Dingliang Fang is the true dragon!" He pointed his skinny finger at the limp man, "This man who killed his father, usurped the throne, and murdered his brothers -"
The words stagnated in his throat for a moment, and finally turned into thunder: "Put the criminal Xu Dingjia in prison!" This pause was like the moment when a knife or axe was hanging around his neck, even the crows circling outside the hall stopped crowing.
The armored guards advanced, their armor clanging. The deposed emperor suddenly struggled violently like a fish out of water, his gilded robe ripping into several tears. "I'm only taking back what's due!" he roared, blood splattering on the guards' visors. "It was I who served the retired emperor for those two years! I was indispensable in handling all matters!"
Before he could finish his words, Prince Hong had run up to him and said, "It was you who poisoned the late emperor." He tore off his apricot-yellow handkerchief and stuffed it into his mouth, but the blood-stained silk could not stop his beast-like whimpering.