FIMA Ch97: Rebellion

Emperor Jianzhao’s birthday was on the fifth day of the tenth lunar month. The Frost’s Descent solar term had just passed not long ago, right at the transition between autumn and winter.

The north wind howled; even within the most prosperous imperial palace, withered yellow leaves were constantly swept down rustlingly.

Xie Xuan gathered his cloak closer around him and stepped down from the horse carriage.

Before entering the palace gates, he looked up at the sky full of dark clouds and smiled lightly: “It truly feels like the wind and rain are coming!”

Just like in the past, the courtiers he met along the way greeted him enthusiastically, and Xie Xuan nodded politely to them all.

Before long, the group arrived in front of the Wenhua Hall, the venue for Emperor Jianzhao’s birthday banquet.

The Eldest Prince, Xie Hong, happened to arrive at the same time. These past two months, because it was visibly clear that Xie Xuan and Emperor Jianzhao had fallen out, Xie Hong had taken the opportunity to gain quite a few benefits, and recently he had become somewhat smug again.

Seeing Xie Xuan, he resumed his former arrogant and overbearing manner.

Xie Xuan had no intention of haggling with him; he nodded and walked toward his own seat.

A moment later, there was a commotion outside; Emperor Jianzhao arrived bringing the concubines of the inner palace.

Today was Emperor Jianzhao’s birthday. Before the banquet officially began, the historians even brought out a booklet and read aloud in front of everyone. It recorded Emperor Jianzhao’s achievements over the past year, taking this exact opportunity to show off a bit.

Only after that did the singing and dancing begin, and the banquet opened.

However, at today’s banquet, everyone was more excited than usual. They completely lacked the intention to dine seriously, all waiting for Emperor Jianzhao’s final announcement.

After a round of dishes was served, Emperor Jianzhao finally spoke: “Presumably all you beloved subjects also know that two months ago, I stated that I would announce the matter of establishing the Crown Prince today.”

Hearing these words, all those present felt a tremor, but their mouths were full of complimentary words: “Your Majesty is in the prime of your life, there is truly no need to be so anxious.”

Emperor Jianzhao shook his head: “I know my own body. The Crown Prince concerns the destiny of the state; establishing one early means I can be at ease early, and all you beloved subjects can feel reassured early.”

Everyone could only continue to shout loudly: “Your Majesty is wise and sagacious.”

At this time, Emperor Jianzhao cast a look at Wang Chengying beside him. A young eunuch walked out from the side hall, holding a bright yellow box in his hands.

Everyone’s breathing became hurried; placed inside was the imperial edict establishing the Crown Prince.

Just at this moment, Noble Consort Lu suddenly walked out from her seat: “Your Majesty, this concubine has a matter to report.”

The crowd exchanged glances. Establishing a Crown Prince was originally a political matter, and the inner palace absolutely shouldn’t participate. However, today was also the Emperor’s birthday banquet, so the imperial concubines were all present here as well.

Emperor Jianzhao’s face sank slightly, and he said coldly: “I am speaking of major state affairs, why don’t you quickly withdraw.”

However, Noble Consort Lu knelt perfectly straight, not retreating in the slightest, and said: “Although what this concubine reports is an inner palace matter, it is also related to the family, the country, and the world under heaven. This concubine wishes to report the Consort Li of Feihong Hall for confusing the imperial bloodline, passing off a wild bastard as dragon seed. If the Emperor turns a blind eye to this, wouldn’t you be handing over the ten-thousand-mile landscape to others in the future?”

These words were too shocking.

The breathing of everyone in the hall hurried a few degrees.

Emperor Jianzhao even stood up directly from the dragon throne. The gaze he used to look at Noble Consort Lu was as if he wished he could swallow her alive: “Slut, what are you talking about?”

The courtiers were even more shocked suddenly hearing these words. In their eyes, Noble Consort Lu was a femme fatale who brought disaster, a vixen who confused the Emperor and corrupted the court disciplines. But looking at His Majesty’s current appearance, how did it seem like that wasn’t the case…

Looking at Emperor Jianzhao, at this man who finally revealed his ferocious face before her, Noble Consort Lu sneered: “Consort Li of Feihong Hall is the Holy Maiden that Nanzhao offered as tribute to Great Liang twenty years ago. She was also the secondary consort of the late Crown Prince Licheng. In the September of the first year of Jianzhao when Your Majesty ascended the throne, Crown Prince Licheng died in confinement in his mansion.”

“Originally, Your Majesty had deep brotherly affection, keeping your brother’s consort and posthumous child hidden in the palace to be raised, which could be considered a meritorious deed. However, the Fourth Prince Xie Huan was born in August of the second year of Jianzhao. At that time, Crown Prince Licheng had been dead for nearly a year, which is enough to prove that his origins are improper and he is not of the imperial bloodline.”

“Unless it’s said that within less than two months of his elder brother’s death, while his bones were not yet cold, Your Majesty forcibly took your brother’s widow. This way, what Consort Li carried in her belly could still be considered imperial bloodline. Otherwise, heh heh…”

“Whoa…”

As soon as these words came out, the Wenhua Hall instantly seemed like boiling water. Discussions came wave after wave and simply couldn’t be quieted down.

The ministers couldn’t stop whispering to each other.

“This… what’s going on here?”

“How could Consort Li be the late Crown Prince Licheng’s secondary consort?”

“Then right now, doesn’t this mean His Majesty…”

Emperor Jianzhao glared viciously at Noble Consort Lu, his peripheral vision sweeping across Xie Xuan’s face.

Good, very good, it truly was found out by them.

Very good, actually truly daring to speak it out directly on such an occasion.

However, Emperor Jianzhao gave a cold sneer: “Slut, what nonsense are you talking about? I see you have lost your mind to madness. What do you mean Consort Li is the late Crown Prince Licheng’s secondary consort? Consort Li is clearly a minor palace maid in the palace! It’s just that when she gave birth to Huan’er, she injured her body, so she hasn’t seen people much. I will immediately summon her to be seen, that’s all.”

Noble Consort Lu raised her eyebrows, glanced at him, and chuckled lightly: “Since this concubine dared to speak out today, could it be I hadn’t thought of this layer yet? Naturally, the one in Feihong Hall right now is not Consort Li, but merely a substitute Your Majesty found from who knows where.”

Emperor Jianzhao’s brows were gloomy. He waved his hand to beckon his attendants and said: “I have spoken yet you still don’t believe it. Knowing fully well I am to establish the Crown Prince today, you deliberately act crazy. It seems I have truly spoiled you too much normally. Men, drag Noble Consort Lu down and lock her up. We will speak of this later.”

“This Prince sees who dares!”

Xie Xuan suddenly stood up. His sharp gaze swept across the surrounding guards, his tone cold to the extreme.

Emperor Jianzhao looked at this mother and son and sneered: “Good, very good. Are you mother and son planning to rebel today?”

Xie Xuan gave a cold sneer: “Rebel? Imperial Father, you pressing your son step by step, isn’t it just for something like today? Thinking that if your son rebels first, you can find a logical reason to deal with your son, so as to make way for your most beloved son, Xie Huan!”

Emperor Jianzhao didn’t expect that all of this had actually been guessed by him long ago.

Since he guessed it, and still pulled such a stunt today, is Xie Xuan that confident?

Impossible.

The Capital Camp and the Imperial Guards are both in my hands; what waves can he make?

Emperor Jianzhao slightly restrained his expression, yet his mouth admitted nothing in the slightest: “What nonsense are you talking about? Why would I fine and well force you to rebel?”

Xie Huan also hurriedly stood up and scolded Xie Xuan: “You yourself are committing high treason, disrespecting Imperial Father, and coveting the throne. Fabricating your elder brother’s background together with your mother consort just now was bad enough, but now you actually have the nerve to push the responsibility for your rebellion onto Imperial Father. Xie Xuan, you truly have not the slightest bit of responsibility.”

Looking at Xie Huan, Xie Xuan chuckled softly.

“Lacking responsibility? I still can’t compare to you, Fourth Royal Brother.”

“In the sacrificial ceremony case, it was you who wanted to smear my reputation, deliberately causing the sacrificial pillar to collapse. As a result, because I had great fortune and a great life, your conspiracy was exposed. In the end, it was our good Imperial Father who worked hard to clean up your mess, planting all of this on the Japanese pirates;”

“In the drill ground fierce tiger case, you wanted to use it to murder and test me. As a result, I survived a disaster because of my great life. In the end, it was still our good Imperial Father who covered up for you, pinning this matter onto the heads of the grassland people.”

“Things like this are too numerous to count. Fourth Royal Brother, words like lacking responsibility, when spoken from your mouth, truly have no convincing power.”

All the ministers, even including the Eldest Prince and Second Prince, all changed their expressions one after another.

Was the truth of the matters actually like this?

Back then when His Majesty handled it so vigorously, they even thought His Majesty did it because he cared about and doted on Xie Xuan.

And because of the sacrificial ceremony assassination case, the Eldest Prince lost the power of the Capital Camp; because of the fierce tiger case, the Second Prince was directly blinded in one eye. They had all been resenting Xie Xuan, never expecting that there was actually someone playing the mantis stalking the cicada, with the oriole behind (someone plotting behind the scenes).

In an instant, the feelings of the two princes were complicated to the extreme.

If this was truly the case, then Imperial Father was too unfair, making the three of them slaughter each other, all while silently paving the way for Xie Huan.

The two of them looked at Emperor Jianzhao in unison, their voices trembling: “Imperial Father, is what Sixth Brother said true?”

Emperor Jianzhao’s face changed steeply. With a cold face, he said: “Do you two also want to learn from this rebellious son Xie Xuan, to doubt me and question me?”

Xie Xuan gave a cold sneer: “If you don’t want your sons to doubt you, Imperial Father, you can make a vow in front of the courtiers, that you will never establish Xie Huan as Crown Prince, and absolutely never entrust the empire to Xie Huan; that will suffice. After all, of your four sons present, except for Second Royal Brother who is blinded in one eye and truly unsuitable, which one is not better than this thing of unknown origins and lacking in affection and righteousness like Xie Huan?”

Hearing this, Xie Hong’s eyes lit up, and he immediately chimed in: “Right, Imperial Father, make a vow.”

Xie Kuan’s face looked bad, but at this moment, he also echoed a sentence: “It’s just one sentence, very simple, Imperial Father.”

Xie Huan’s expression changed instantly.

These people actually…

Emperor Jianzhao also looked gloomily at these three sons: “You three rebellious sons, actually daring to coerce me like this. If I accepted your coercion today, how could I preside over the great affairs of the world in the future.”

Xie Xuan casually drew the waist sword from a guard beside him and slowly slid it across the ground.

He raised his head to look at Emperor Jianzhao, his gaze profound to the extreme: “Imperial Father, don’t say these high-sounding words anymore. After I experienced so many killing intents and accidents, do you think I would still be bluffed by these words? Imperial Father, do you understand how terrifying it is when such a thick and tall sacrificial pillar comes crashing down toward a person’s head?”

“Do you know how scared one feels in their heart when such a massive fierce tiger pounces toward one’s face? Truly laughable; at the time, your son’s first reaction was to run to you and want to save you. But you, Imperial Father, you must have been secretly laughing in your heart at the time, right?”

This single sentence brought everyone back to that night.

Yes, how purely filial the Sixth Highness originally was to His Majesty. At such a life-and-death juncture, yet who knew, it was actually like this…

Truly somewhat pitiful!

Looking at the expressions of the people below, Emperor Jianzhao knew that Xie Xuan had struck a chord in their hearts.

He restrained his expression slightly: “I don’t know what you are talking about. But even if it is so, this is not an excuse for you to rebel and act against your sovereign.”

Xie Xuan sneered: “So, your son should just obediently wait for death? Hmph, then your son tells you, your son is not that kind of person. If someone slaps your son once, your son will inevitably slap back twice.”

Emperor Jianzhao said in a deep voice: “So, you want to rebel?”

Xie Xuan nodded without hesitation: “Yes.”

Emperor Jianzhao also nodded: “Very good, it’s very good that you admit it. According to the laws of Great Liang, rebellion is a first-degree heinous crime; even imperial sons and grandsons cannot be exempted. Men, take the Sixth Prince Xie Xuan and Noble Consort Lu all into custody in the Heavenly Prison of the Ministry of Justice.”

Hearing the imperial command, Imperial Guards immediately wanted to obey orders and strike.

But at this moment, for some unknown reason, the teammates beside them suddenly turned their blades with a backhand strike and mutinied.

Those Imperial Guards who were about to make a move to arrest people immediately fell directly to the ground.

Waves of unhideable bloody stench wafted through the hall.

A person stepped out from the Imperial Guards and said to Xie Xuan: “Your Highness, they have all been dealt with.”

Xie Xuan nodded.

Watching all this, Emperor Jianzhao’s expression remained unchanged. He only muttered: “So it turns out there were actually your people among the Imperial Guards.”

Xie Xuan raised his eyebrows: “Otherwise, did Imperial Father think I was relying on a chest full of solitary courage to rebel? Although the Imperial Guards have been managed by you, Imperial Father, for many years, their initial selection was the responsibility of the Capital Guards Command Division. Before autumn, a new batch of people happened to enter the Imperial Guards. Wasn’t taking the opportunity to replace them just perfect?”

However, Emperor Jianzhao wasn’t angry. When he looked at Xie Xuan, his face was still full of smug hesitation: “But since you knew long ago that I set a trap today, could it be you thought I had absolutely no other preparations besides the Imperial Guards? Haha, the thirty thousand men of the Capital Camp should already be outside the palace gates, right?”

“You and your mother consort, including these rebellious ministers coercing me, and these rebelling Imperial Guards—none of you will be able to live later.”

Hearing this, Xie Xuan also chuckled softly: “Imperial Father, since your son knew perfectly well that you set an ambush and still dared to enter the palace grandly, did you think it was truly only this little bit of men and horses planted within the Imperial Guards?”

Emperor Jianzhao’s face changed slightly: “What do you mean?”

The ministers, however, frowned in irritation. So you father and son are playing matryoshka dolls (Russian nesting dolls) here?

If you have something, just put it directly on the table. Isn’t squeezing out a little bit at a time annoying? End it earlier, so it’s easier for honest people like us to choose a side earlier!

Right at this moment, Xie Xuan raised his head, looked at Gu Siyuan standing beside Emperor Jianzhao, and asked smilingly: “Did you go to the Capital Camp to rally the troops?”

Gu Siyuan nodded: “Naturally I went. There are nearly ten thousand troops in the Imperial Guards, and Guan Zhuoyi is still waiting outside the hall with a large group of people. Upon His Majesty’s order, they would rush in. What use would that tiny bit of people you planted in the Imperial Guards be?”

Xie Xuan nodded and said as if acting spoiled: “When you handle matters, it is naturally the most reliable.”

Watching the exchange between these two people, although Gu Siyuan still had a cold-faced appearance, Emperor Jianzhao could see a hint of doting inside.

These two people…

He glared at Gu Siyuan: “You… you betrayed me?”

Gu Siyuan’s expression remained unchanged, his voice cold: “This general’s mother died early when I was young. After my father married my stepmother, he began to favor my younger stepbrother. Therefore, what this general has always hated the most is biased parents. However, even my father’s bias didn’t reach half of Your Majesty’s.”

“Your Majesty could actually ally with one son over and over again to murder another of your own sons. Every time this general sees the Sixth Highness, I inevitably recall my own difficult childhood.”

“Therefore, this general is not betraying; this general is merely following my heart. As a person, Your Majesty is truly unfit to be a father, unfit to be a sovereign, and even more unfit to be an exemplar for the tens of thousands of common people in cultivating oneself and managing the family. Here today, this general respectfully requests Your Majesty to abdicate and yield to a wiser person!”

Seeing this sudden change.

The courtiers present first thought ‘what the fuck’ in their hearts. Fine, you are all acting emperors.

And then, a portion of the ministers belonging under Xie Xuan’s banner took the opportunity to step out, knelt on the ground, and said in unison: “We request Your Majesty to abdicate and yield to a wiser person! We request Your Majesty to abdicate and yield to a wiser person!”

“Abdicate and yield to a wiser person? You are asking me to abdicate and yield to a wiser person?” Chewing these words in his mouth, Emperor Jianzhao slumped into the dragon throne.

He never expected that Xie Xuan had actually buried such a large nail by his side, dealing him a fatal blow at the critical moment.

His gaze swept past Gu Siyuan and the kneeling courtiers one by one, issuing sneer after cold sneer. Finally, he looked at Xie Xuan: “Yield to a wiser person; yield it to you?”

Xie Xuan nodded, saying without declining out of modesty: “Yes.”

Emperor Jianzhao shook his head in refusal: “You’re dreaming!”

Gu Siyuan looked at Emperor Jianzhao and asked calmly: “Your Majesty is so firm; could it be you are waiting for Guan Zhuoyi to bring people into the hall, capture us as hostages, and then take your warrant to make the Capital Camp army retreat?”

Emperor Jianzhao’s face changed; he indeed thought exactly this.

As the saying goes, ‘the winner becomes king, the loser becomes a bandit’. For the Capital Camp to help Gu Siyuan rebel, they must have received tremendous benefits.

However, if even Gu Siyuan was captured by him, those benefits naturally couldn’t be fulfilled. Would it still be necessary for the Capital Camp to rebel?

A hint of a smile almost rose on Gu Siyuan’s indifferent face: “Your Majesty, could it be you have never seen this general kill people? Look at how far you are from this general now; one step, or two steps? It’s still uncertain who will become the dead soul under the sword first, isn’t it?”

Emperor Jianzhao’s face changed. He was already so used to Gu Siyuan standing beside him that he actually didn’t realize this point?

He stiffened his neck: “If Xie Xuan dares to kill his father, the historians’ precise writings will not forgive him in the future, and the common people of the world will not submit to him either.”

Xie Xuan immediately chuckled lightly: “Killing a father is not okay, but killing a brother should be fine, right?”

As soon as his voice fell, the large blade that had originally been dragged on the ground by him was placed directly on Xie Huan’s neck the next instant.

Perhaps because he didn’t use swords often, Xie Xuan couldn’t control his strength well. The moment the blade touched Xie Huan’s skin, fresh blood immediately seeped out.

Feeling the pain, Xie Huan cried out: “Xie Xuan, you’re crazy!”

Emperor Jianzhao’s face also changed drastically, and he roared: “Xie Xuan, you dare!”

Xie Xuan tilted his head, his expression innocent and harmless, yet looking as if he were a bloodthirsty devil: “At this point, what else does your son not dare to do?”

At this time, Noble Consort Lu also slowly looked toward Emperor Jianzhao, saying softly: “Speaking of which, when this palace passed by Qingwu Pavilion today, a lowly maid suddenly rushed out from inside and offended this palace. She has already been caught by this palace, and this palace is about to have someone go deal with her.”

Emperor Jianzhao was shocked. Staring at Noble Consort Lu with bloodshot eyes, he shouted harshly: “Slut, what have you done to Li’er?”

He originally thought that the most dangerous place was the safest place, so he had the Fish Scale Guards hide Consort Li in advance, hiding her right in the Cold Palace. He didn’t expect that she had actually been discovered by this mother and son long ago.

It must be Gu Siyuan. After Gu Siyuan noticed it, he told them.

Noble Consort Lu raised her drawn eyebrows slightly, saying very innocently: “What Li’er? Didn’t Your Majesty just say earlier that Consort Li is in poor health and has always stayed in Feihong Hall? That palace maid, however, was radiant and physically robust, just a bit crazy and ignorant of advancing and retreating. As a Noble Consort, half-master of the inner palace, dealing with a crazy palace maid in the Cold Palace—is it worth Your Majesty getting so angry over?”

Emperor Jianzhao only cursed continuously: “Slut, slut, if you dare touch Li’er, I will take your life!”

Hearing up to here, and looking again at Emperor Jianzhao’s appearance, what else did the ministers not understand?

Emperor Jianzhao actually truly forcibly took his elder brother’s secondary consort, and even made her pregnant less than two months after his brother’s death. It was simply unbrotherly and unrighteous to the extreme.

A few old-fashioned Imperial Censors immediately stood up: “Your Majesty acting like this will simply make the people of the world laugh at you. How can you educate the common people in the future? We subjects also request Your Majesty to abdicate and yield to a wiser person!”

Subsequently, the other civil and military officials exchanged glances and also all knelt down: “We subjects request Your Majesty to abdicate and yield to a wiser person!”

Xie Xuan chuckled softly, completely full of cheerfulness inside.

He looked at Emperor Jianzhao and suggested sincerely: “Imperial Father, don’t go crazy anymore. For your sake, and for your beloved woman and your beloved son, you should also conform to the trend of the times. Issue the edict to abdicate the throne!”

Emperor Jianzhao leaned back on the dragon throne and fell silent.

Xie Huan’s face changed abruptly.

He knew his Imperial Father had wavered.

In his entire life, his success was truly due to his mother consort, and his defeat was also due to his mother consort. If his mother consort hadn’t been caught, given his Imperial Father’s temperament, he wouldn’t have wavered so quickly.

Not knowing how long had passed, the Wenhua Hall gradually quieted down.

Outside the doors, the Imperial Guards carried away several corpses.

Palace servants constantly splashed water and swept the ground.

The civil and military ministers had all evacuated. The edict establishing Xie Xuan as the Crown Prince was about to be transmitted throughout the world.

Gu Siyuan raised his hand and wiped Xie Xuan’s cheek: “When did you get stained with blood?”

Xie Xuan rubbed his cheek against his palm and smiled playfully: “Your wish is about to be fulfilled. Are you happy?”

Gu Siyuan glanced at him: “Whose wish?”

Xie Xuan stuck out his tongue and licked the center of his palm: “The General’s. Didn’t the General say a long time ago that you wanted to try it in the Jinluan Hall (the main throne hall)?”

Gu Siyuan: “…”

This matter, you’ve actually remembered it all along.

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