0p0 Chapter 329: Sudden Change in the Capital
Chapter 329: Sudden Change in the Capital
The next morning, the sun shone through the clouds onto the palace ground, casting a golden glow. However, unlike usual, the court was exceptionally quiet today, and the prince did not appear as everyone expected.
Prime Minister Li Mingfu stood in the court, his face solemn, his eyes revealing a trace of worry. He took a deep breath, and then slowly said: "My dear ministers, there are two important things I need to announce to you. First, Emperor Wen is in a critical condition, on the verge of life and death, and I'm afraid he won't have much time left."
As soon as these words came out, a murmur suddenly sounded in the court. Emperor Wen has always been the central figure of the country, and his health is of vital importance to the entire court and the country. Now that they heard the news that he was critically ill, everyone felt uneasy and worried.
Li Mingfu waited quietly for the noise in the court to subside, and then continued: "Secondly, a serious incident happened last night. The King of Qin actually instigated the King of Wu'an and his wife to assassinate the prince!"
This news was like a bolt from the blue, shocking all the civil and military officials in the court. They stared at Li Mingfu with their eyes wide open in disbelief. For a moment, the court was completely silent, with only the sound of heavy breathing echoing in the air.
Li Mingfu's eyes were cold and sharp. He scanned the ministers below, as if trying to find some clues from their expressions. However, most officials remained silent and did not dare to express their opinions easily. After all, this involved a struggle within the royal family, and the slightest mistake could lead to death.
Seeing this, Li Mingfu did not wait any longer and directly issued an order to the imperial guards: "Come here, arrest Wu'an Prince Xiao Jinghan! The rest of you immediately go to Wu'an Prince's Mansion and capture Luo Lingyue!"
His voice echoed in the court with unquestionable majesty.
After receiving the order, the imperial guards quickly arrested Prince Wu'an. Xiao Jinghan was shocked and shouted loudly for justice, but no one paid attention.
The court fell silent again. Everyone looked at each other, their hearts filled with doubt and worry. What kind of impact would this sudden change have on the court? And did the Wu'an prince and his wife really participate in the conspiracy to assassinate the prince? Everything was still unknown...
After receiving the order, the imperial guards acted quickly. They rushed towards King Wu'an like wolves and tigers and easily captured him. Xiao Jinghan showed astonishment on his face and shouted loudly that he was wronged, but no one was willing to listen to his explanation.
Afterwards, Xiao Jinghan and Luo Lingyue were imprisoned in the imperial prison together with other members of the Luo family.
Luo Lingzhang sat in the cell, looked at Xiao Jinghan calmly, and asked, "Is His Royal Highness Prince Qin going back to Beijing?"
Xiao Jinghan raised his eyebrows, smiled at his third uncle, and replied: "When His Royal Highness Prince Qin returns, it will probably be the crown prince's coronation ceremony!"
Luo Lingzhang's voice was low and serious: "If His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin raises an army, the people of Dazhao will be plunged into war!"
Luo Lingyue smiled gently and comforted him, "Don't worry, third brother! The prince won't be able to cause any trouble!" Her tone was firm and confident, as if everything was under control.
On the day when Prince Wu'an and his wife were imprisoned, the capital city was quiet, but beneath this calm there was a turbulent undercurrent.
At this time, after receiving the order from the prince, the commander of the imperial guards, Ma Wei, immediately led a team of imperial guards and went door to door to invite the families of civil officials and military generals into the palace.
Faced with sudden changes, many people feel confused and uneasy.
A military officer could not help but ask, "Commander Ma, why did the prince ask my family to go to the palace?" His voice was filled with a hint of nervousness and confusion.
Ma Wei had a cold face and looked at the general with icy eyes, and replied grimly: "Your Majesty is in danger, they went to the palace to pray for Your Majesty!" After that, he no longer paid attention to the general and turned around to continue his mission.
When everyone heard the news, they couldn't help but feel nervous. They knew that the emperor was seriously ill, but they didn't expect the situation to be so critical. Many people began to worry about the safety of their families, and at the same time they were full of uncertainty about the future.
Ma Wei finally went to the Xianwang Mansion. After he saw the Xianwang, he conveyed the Crown Prince's order with a cold face: "The Crown Prince has ordered that the Xianwang and the Xianwang Consort enter the palace immediately!"
When the virtuous king heard the news, he was shocked. He quickly explained, "My princess is about to give birth. Is it too much to ask her to go to the palace now?"
Ma Wei lowered his voice and replied, "The genius doctor Xi Ruming has been invited to the palace, so Princess Xian's going to the palace is the best option at the moment!"
Finally, the virtuous princess Xu Lian, who was about to give birth, was carried into the palace in a sedan chair, while the virtuous prince followed her into the palace with a frown on his face.
At this moment, all the officials knew that the situation in the capital was about to change! Although His Majesty had not yet passed away, the prince might be eager to take power!
The families of civil and military officials were forcibly taken to the harem by a group of guards, while the officials were politely invited to the court.
The court was in complete silence, with all officials standing quietly, not daring to make a sound. Their eyes were focused in front of them, where the pale, nervous-looking prince sat.
The prince's voice was sharp and gloomy: "My dear ministers, His Majesty is now critically ill and needs your prayers and support. From now on, everyone stays here and prays for His Majesty together, and prays to God to bless His Majesty to be safe and sound."
After saying this, he glanced at a eunuch next to him. The eunuch immediately understood, lowered his head, and quickly left the court and headed for Emperor Wen's bedroom.
After the eunuch entered, he said to Jin Xiaohe, "My Lady, you may now begin!"
Jin Xiaohe nodded, then walked to the incense burner and lit the incense in the burner. As the fragrance spread, the whole room was filled with a faint fragrance.
Emperor Wen was lying on the couch, and after smelling the fragrance, an intoxicated expression appeared on his face. He slowly closed his eyes, as if he had entered a wonderful dream.
However, as time went on, Emperor Wen's face became paler and paler, and his breathing became rapid.
His body began to tremble, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He struggled to sit up, but found that he had lost his strength.
At this moment, Emperor Wen suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes full of fear and anger. He looked at Jin Xiaohe, pointed at her, and shouted at the top of his lungs: "You vicious woman! How dare you do this to me!"
Jin Xiaohe was startled and quickly looked towards Emperor Wen. The eunuch next to him suddenly stepped forward, grabbed a soft pillow, and pressed it hard on Emperor Wen's face.