Chapter 91: Chaos in the Imperial Court (IX)

A moment later, a burst of hurried footsteps echoed, and Liu Wen rushed in with a squad of death warriors clad in dark armor.

"Your Highness, the area around the bedchamber is completely under our control, and all the guards have been captured."

The Ninth Prince nodded in satisfaction and gently patted Liu Wen on the shoulder. "Well done."

Immediately, he turned his gaze back to Emperor Rende on the bed, his expression suddenly turning cold.

"Father, will you choose to yield to the circumstances and name me Crown Prince, or… shall I ensure that no one leaves this hall alive?"

Emperor Rende gritted his teeth, his whole body trembling as his rage threatened to consume him entirely.

He had never imagined that the child who had grown up at his knee would show him such a hideous and terrifying face.

"You… do you really think… I will… yield to you?"

He spoke intermittently, his voice filled with sorrow and despair.

The Ninth Prince frowned slightly, sighed softly, and then waved his hand.

"Liu Wen, bring that thing up here."

Liu Wen understood and immediately brought in a thick scroll of silk from outside, presenting it with both hands.

The Ninth Prince took the silk scroll and slowly unrolled it. It was an imperial edict written in the vermilion ink unique to the royal family, but—the space where the Imperial Seal should have been stamped was currently blank.

"Father, as long as you stamp the Imperial Seal here and name me Crown Prince, Princess Zhaoyang will be safe and sound. Otherwise…"

The Ninth Prince's voice gradually turned cold.

"Princess Zhaoyang is currently heading toward Fengyue Ridge; without your support, Father, I fear she will find it difficult to return alive."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Rende's expression shifted unpredictably. He took a deep breath, finally raised his head, and stared coldly at the Ninth Prince.

"Jiu'er, you have gone too far."

The Ninth Prince smiled slightly. "Father, you taught me that only those who stand at the Peak can protect everything they care about most. What I have done today is merely learning the methods you used in the past."

He slowly held the edict out in front of Emperor Rende. "Father, please."

Emperor Rende closed his eyes tightly, sighed deeply, and with a trembling hand, lifted the Imperial Seal and slowly stamped it onto the edict.

"Take it! Save your sister and treat the common people well."

A flash of triumph crossed the Ninth Prince's eyes; he immediately snatched the edict back and carefully examined the bright red mark of the Imperial Seal.

He smiled softly, nodded in satisfaction, carefully rolled up the edict, and handed it to his trusted aide, Liu Wen.

"Liu Wen, immediately send this edict to Wenlin Hall and announce it to the world. The Emperor has officially named me Crown Prince."

The Ninth Prince's voice was low, yet filled with unquestionable authority.

"I obey!" Liu Wen took the edict with both hands and hurried away, his steps firm and swift.

After Liu Wen left, the Ninth Prince turned his gaze back to Emperor Rende.

At this moment, Emperor Rende seemed to have aged decades in an instant; his back was slightly hunched, his expression desolate.

There was no longer any rage in his eyes, only profound exhaustion and sorrow.

"Father, you have made a wise decision."

The Ninth Prince leaned down slightly, his tone carrying a hint of gentleness, yet it appeared even more chilling.

"I will treat the common people well, and I will also treat Princess Zhaoyang well; I will never let her suffer any harm."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Rende suddenly opened his eyes and glared at the Ninth Prince.

"You… if you dare touch a single hair on Princess Zhaoyang's head, I will not let you go… even as a ghost!"

The Ninth Prince laughed, his laugh relaxed and casual. He straightened up and shook his head:

"Father, rest assured, I will not hurt her. As long as she behaves and Bai Fan does not cause trouble, they will be the guardians of our Imperial Dynasty."

He paused, his gaze suddenly darkening, his voice turning cold. "But if Bai Fan dares to have any untoward intentions, I would not mind dealing with him personally, or… using Princess Zhaoyang to threaten him."

"You! You—"

Emperor Rende was panting heavily with rage, his finger trembling as he pointed at the Ninth Prince, but he could not utter a complete sentence.

Seeing this, the Ninth Prince sighed softly, stepped forward, reached out to press down on Emperor Rende's hand, and slowly lowered his weak arm.

"Father, you are too tired; rest early. By tomorrow, you will see how I clear away all obstacles for this empire."

After speaking, he stood straight, took one last deep look at Emperor Rende, and then turned and walked toward the door of the bedchamber.

"Someone come!" the Ninth Prince shouted loudly, and the death warriors outside immediately swarmed into the bedchamber.

"Everyone, listen to my orders! From today on, I will not permit anyone to step foot into this bedchamber!" The Ninth Prince scanned the crowd coldly, his gaze like a blade. "Those who disobey will be executed without mercy!"

"Understood!" the death warriors replied in unison, swiftly surrounding the entire bedchamber.

The Ninth Prince nodded in satisfaction, took one final look at Emperor Rende—a flash of complex emotion appearing in his eyes—and then flicked his sleeves and strode out of the bedchamber.

…

Inside the bedchamber, it was terrifyingly quiet.

Emperor Rende lay half-reclined on the bed, his face deathly pale, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, as if his very spirit had been completely drained away.

He slowly raised his hand, reaching toward the Imperial Seal he had once been so proud of, only to realize it no longer belonged to him.

His fingers gently brushed the cold edge of the bed, as if trying to grasp something, but ultimately to no avail.

"Undutiful son… undutiful son…" he murmured, his voice filled with powerlessness and sorrow.

I do not know how much time passed, but suddenly, a soft knock came from the door of the bedchamber.

"Your Majesty…"

It was his most trusted old eunuch, Eunuch Fu.

Emperor Rende turned his stiff neck and spoke with difficulty: "Come in…"

Eunuch Fu pushed the door open silently. Seeing the haggard appearance of Emperor Rende, his heart tightened, and his eyes instantly filled with tears.

He took a few steps forward, knelt beside Emperor Rende, and choked out, "Your Majesty, why must you suffer so…"

Emperor Rende waved his hand weakly, his voice extremely frail. "Forget it… everything is over…"

"Eunuch Fu…"

Emperor Rende's gaze was unfocused; he seemed to no longer be looking at the old eunuch before him, but rather recalling everything from the past.

"Was I wrong after all? Was I wrong to… dote on Princess Zhaoyang? Or… was I wrong to never truly trust… Jiu'er?"

Hearing this, Eunuch Fu could not stop his tears from flowing.

He lowered his head and choked out, "Your Majesty, you were not wrong. His Highness has simply lost his way for a moment; one day, he will wake up to the truth…"

Emperor Rende shook his head with a bitter smile, his lips trembling slightly, but he could no longer speak.

His gaze gradually dimmed, and everything before him became blurred.

He stared at the trampled, wrinkled scrap of the edict, took a deep breath, and finally buried his head deep within his arms.

"Princess Zhaoyang… Princess Zhaoyang… Father is sorry for failing you…" he murmured, his tears falling silently onto the bed, soaking through the Dragon patterns embroidered in gold thread.

"Your Majesty, please take care of your health…"

Eunuch Fu was sobbing uncontrollably but did not know how to console him; he could only gently support Emperor Rende's trembling shoulders and weep silently with him.