bookrebus Chapter 182 The Fate of the Third Prince
Chapter 182 The Fate of the Third Prince
The emperor was furious: "You! You are rebellious! Didn't you ever think about being condemned by the people behind your backs?"
The Third Prince laughed wildly and arrogantly: "How could anyone speak ill of me behind my back? Today, no one here will leave alive except for my men. Who would know?"
"You! You actually intend to massacre the entire palace!"
"What do you mean by 'massacre of the palace'? Your Majesty, I was merely eliminating spies for you."
"Father, I advise you to obediently write the abdication edict now, so that I can spare you some suffering, otherwise..."
"To entrust the empire to a tyrant like you would be tantamount to destroying the legacy of our ancestors, absolutely impossible!" The emperor patted his chest heavily. "I truly grieve for having given birth to such a thing as you."
"You? Ha, you really think you're my biological father?"
Upon hearing this, the emperor's eyes widened as he looked at the third prince: "What?"
“You never consummated your marriage with my mother. Not only me, but even my second sister is not your child.”
"Back then, the Empress Dowager drugged you, wanting to consummate our marriage. But even when you were unconscious, you wouldn't touch me, you couldn't even get an erection. Helpless, I had to find pleasure elsewhere. I was out with that man right under your nose every day, yet you still felt sorry for my father's weak health and let him stay in the palace for so long, hahahaha..."
The emperor's face turned ashen with anger, and he swayed, almost losing his balance.
He pointed at the Third Prince with one trembling hand: "You you you you..."
Su Tiyu, who was beside him, immediately patted him on the back and whispered a few words in his ear.
The emperor managed to calm himself down.
"In that case, guards! Seize this rebellious son immediately! I will strip him of all his status and titles, demote him to a commoner, and imprison the Third Prince to await his fate!"
"Hahaha, Father, don't be so naive. You're about to pass away, what means do you have to imprison this prince?"
Su Tiyu, standing beside her, said angrily, "Don't be so naive!"
"Me? Hahahaha..."
The Third Prince laughed loudly, "How can these people not see the situation clearly!"
As he laughed, he suddenly realized what was happening and pointed at the emperor in shock: "You, you're actually alright? That shouldn't be the case. I've already activated the Gu worms, and I was so angry with you, it should have taken effect long ago."
"Yes, but I'm perfectly fine!"
"So what if nothing's wrong? At worst, I'll just kill you. But before you die, I should let you see your son's coronation ceremony. You won't be able to see the coronation ceremony, so at least watch me don the yellow robe."
He directly referred to himself as "朕" (Zhen, the imperial "I").
Immediately, a servant brought over a yellow robe that had been prepared beforehand and draped it over the Third Prince.
The Third Prince laughed triumphantly: "See? Your kingdom has been inherited. You can go in peace now."
His arrogance intensified, and with a wave of his hand, he loudly ordered: "All Imperial Guards, follow me to seize this throne! You will be granted titles and honors."
The Imperial Guards, who had been standing around, marched forward in perfect unison, their footsteps echoing through the empty hall, making people tremble.
The third prince raised his head and laughed triumphantly, his laughter echoing wildly throughout the hall: "Father, I am determined to take this throne today, so you should obediently abdicate!"
The laughter was full of arrogance and smugness, as if victory was already in their grasp.
Just then, an unexpected event occurred!
Zhang Duan shouted, "We are the Emperor's soldiers, not puppets of rebels!"
The imperial guards, just a few steps away from the Third Prince, suddenly turned around in unison. The gleaming swords in their hands were no longer pointed at the Emperor, but instead were all aimed at the Third Prince.
The Third Prince's laughter stopped abruptly, and the smugness on his face was instantly replaced by shock and anger.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the scene before him, roaring, "What are you doing? Don't you all want to live? Zhang Duan, how dare you betray this prince?"
Zhang Duan laughed and said, "Third Prince, you jest. We are all loyal to the Emperor. You are not even of the Emperor's blood, so how dare you stand here and call yourself 'this prince'?"
The emperor watched this scene, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
He slowly stood up and said in a majestic voice, "Don't forget whose food you eat and whose country you protect! I have always treated you well, how can I allow this rebellious son to bewitch you? As long as you lay down your weapons and submit to me now, I will forgive and forget your past mistakes!"
Upon hearing this, the Imperial Guards laid down their weapons and knelt down in worship.
Even some of the soldiers around the Third Prince who were initially wavering made their choice at this moment and switched sides one after another.
Inside the vast hall, only the Third Prince's loyal attendants remained, standing faithfully behind him.
Seeing the scene of betrayal and abandonment by everyone, the third prince was filled with despair and resentment.
He shouted at the top of his lungs, "You traitors, if you don't help me today, you'll regret it later!"
But all that answered him was silence.
The emperor looked at the stubborn third prince, a hint of pity flashing in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure: "Take him down!"
At this command, a large number of soldiers rushed forward and surrounded the Third Prince and his henchmen.
The third prince and his henchmen fought back fiercely.
In an instant, another chaotic battle broke out inside the hall.
However, outnumbered, the Third Prince and his entourage were soon subdued and brought before the Emperor.
The third prince knelt on the ground, still glaring fiercely at the emperor: "You think you've won? You don't even have two more years to live!"
The emperor looked at him and sighed, "I had hoped that you would become a pillar of the nation, but I never expected that you would be blinded by power and end up like this."
Ultimately, the third prince was imprisoned for life for treason.
The emperor also took the opportunity to eliminate those forces that supported the third prince.
This dramatic palace coup ended in victory for the emperor.
With everyone present, the emperor immediately summoned his ministers to discuss and reward their contributions.
Xia Li, Zhao Jihua, and Zhou Xianya were greatly rewarded by the emperor for their heroic performance in this coup.
Just then, Xia Li said, "Your Majesty, I would like to ask for a favor."
"what?"
You didn't say anything, you just waved.
Shangguan Qianqiu stepped out from the crowd, bowed and kowtowed: "Your Majesty, I am Shangguan Qianqiu. I have come today to clear the name of my Shangguan family."
"You are... Qiu'er?" The emperor's eyes reddened slightly. He had been strictly taught since childhood, and only the Grand Tutor had ever cared for him. The Grand Tutor was not only his teacher but also his confidant and father. The two Shangguan brothers were whom he had watched grow up, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they were like half sons to him.
But just when the Grand Tutor's affair was exposed, he fell ill. By the time he returned to the court, the matter had already been settled.
Shangguan Qianqiu's eyes also reddened: "It's Qiu'er."