mtl008 Chapter 889 Everyone is here
Chapter 889 Everyone is here
"Okay, very good!"
The emperor never expected that the Third Prince would say such a thing.
He was overcome with anger and frustration, and the veins on the back of his clenched hands bulged out.
He stared coldly at the Third Prince, remaining silent for a long time.
"Father, I'll give you a quarter of an hour to consider. If you don't agree within that time, I've already ordered my brothers to be brought here. If it takes another quarter of an hour, I'll kill one of them. Then you'll have no choice!" The Third Prince had already gone this far and there was no way he could back down.
He also knew that he had forced nearly half of the Imperial Guards to defect to him by relying on the power left behind by Duke Xiao, but this power was not stable enough. He had to act quickly and obtain the edict of succession as soon as possible. When the dust settled, these people would have no choice but to accept it.
Moreover, Zong Que is currently on a northern expedition, and judging by the time, he should be almost in the north by now. The battle will soon reach its most intense stage. If the Emperor does not want internal strife in the court, he will have to compromise with him.
He never thought he would come to this point, but what could he do when his father was so biased?
If he had been made crown prince two years earlier, he wouldn't have been forced into this situation!
"You unfilial son!" Upon hearing this, the emperor could no longer contain himself: "Zongchen, have you made up your mind to become a traitorous rebellious subject?!"
"Father, you forced me to this!" the Third Prince shouted. "I've been plotting for years. You gave me hope, and then you extinguished it all bit by bit!"
Looking at the aging emperor on the dragon throne, the Third Prince recalled the scene he had seen from afar: how the emperor doted on the crown prince.
Despite his maternal grandfather's illustrious family background and his mother's control over the harem, he should be the most favored prince in the harem!
But ironically, his father showed him absolutely no favoritism!
He showed all his favoritism to the crown prince!
Even though there were schemes and disagreements between the Emperor and the Crown Prince, in the Emperor's heart, his son was always only the Crown Prince. He never paid any attention to anyone else!
The jealousy, resentment, and bitterness that had accumulated over the years finally erupted at this moment: "Father, ask yourself honestly, did you ever, even for a single moment, want to make me the crown prince? Did you?"
The emperor scoffed disdainfully, "Are you worthy?"
"Hahahaha!" The Third Prince burst into laughter. "See, Father, you forced me to this! You made my mother manage the harem, and you gave my uncle power and status. In the harem, which prince is more qualified to sit on the throne of Crown Prince than me! Before the Crown Prince was injured, I couldn't compete with him, and I accepted that. But he was injured and broke both his legs. Father, can you say that you didn't condone this?"
"You wicked child! Have you gone mad? What nonsense are you spouting!" the emperor roared.
"Father, you dare not admit it?" At this point, the Third Prince had nothing to hide: "Your subject is not talented, but I know how heavily guarded you are, Father. If it weren't for your indulgence, how could the few assassins I have gotten close to you? And the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince has always been meticulous. He would never allow such a lapse to occur during the Winter Festival, unless it was a lapse that he couldn't control! It was a lapse that you deliberately made!"
"Shut up!" The emperor grabbed an inkstone from the table and threw it at the Third Prince.
The Third Prince dodged the inkstone that was thrown at him and laughed out loud: "I admit that I was instigated to kill the Crown Prince, but afterward I couldn't believe that the matter could have gone so smoothly. Although the Crown Prince didn't die, he was crippled as a result, completely losing his position as heir apparent! At the time, I thought that even God was on my side!"
"But how could Heaven be so kind? The Crown Prince not only injured both legs, but there was no one to treat him, and he even nearly became addicted to the medicine. To tamper with the Crown Prince's medicine and make him dependent on forbidden drugs is worse than killing him! I don't think I could come up with such a thing even if I racked my brains, but it happened anyway. Doesn't Father find it strange at all?!"
"If Father Emperor is not satisfied with the Crown Prince, why can't he make me the Crown Prince?!" the Third Prince demanded frantically.
"In terms of civil administration and military prowess, in what way can you compare to the Crown Prince?" the Emperor retorted.
"I can't compare! How could I possibly compare to the Crown Prince, whom Father Emperor raised on his lap!" The Third Prince's eyes were red with jealousy. "From childhood to adulthood, Father Emperor has always called the Crown Prince 'Father,' while everyone else who calls you 'Father' only receives your cold stares. In Father Emperor's eyes, he is only father and son with the Crown Prince, and with us, we are merely ruler and subject! Such favoritism and injustice—does Father Emperor truly not understand our feelings at all?! Dare you say you have no resentment towards the late Emperor or Crown Prince Chongwen?"
These words truly struck a nerve with the emperor.
No matter how calm he had been before, he was overcome with anger and rage, and coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Your Majesty!" Startled, Eunuch Feng rushed forward to check on the emperor's condition, only to have a sword held to his neck by the Imperial Guards.
"Father, the quarter of an hour will soon be up. Your Majesty, I have prepared the imperial edict. You only need to affix your imperial seal to it." The Third Prince instructed someone to place the prepared imperial edict on the Emperor's desk.
"Father, you'd better think this through. If you don't affix your seal today, I guarantee you'll only have me as your son!" the Third Prince threatened, demanding, "Have you brought everyone with you?"
Soon, the Imperial Guards brought over all the young princes and princesses. "Your Highness, apart from the Fifth Prince and the Sixth Prince who are outside the palace, the other princes are all here."
"Very well, go and bring the Fifth and Sixth Princes here." The Third Prince looked at the Emperor. "Once they're all here, kill them one by one!"