roccoschili Chapter 391 2 Princes
Chapter 391 2 Princes
The second prince was taken away by the Imperial City Guard as soon as he left the Xiao residence.
Li Ge leaned against the imperial city wall, looking at the emperor he had chosen, feeling neither joy nor sorrow.
Why did he choose the second prince? Was it because he had the talent to be an emperor?
of course not.
He simply didn't want power to fall into the wrong hands, causing turmoil in the country and internal strife.
"If Your Highness runs back like this and is discovered, you will only face certain death."
The second prince said indignantly, "Not coming back is also a dead end."
He told Li Ge what he had overheard, and the latter was not surprised, because it seemed like something the eldest princess would do.
The eldest princess is much more ruthless than her younger brother and more cunning than the Prince of Zheng.
It was only because the eldest princess was personally guarding the imperial mausoleum for the sake of putting on an act that he was able to have smooth sailing in the capital.
"Since Your Highness is preparing to launch an uprising, it would be best to strike decisively tomorrow, otherwise we will be in danger."
The second prince was aware of this.
"The commander of the Imperial Guards in the palace has been replaced by the Emperor's man. How can our people enter the palace smoothly?"
The second prince has been hiding for so long, he must have some trump cards up his sleeve. If they were to clash head-on, it would surely end in mutual destruction.
"Tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), have His Highness's men wait in Qianjia Village outside the city. I will arrange for them to enter the city."
The city walls are strong; a direct attack from the outside would not only have a low chance of success, but would also take too long.
Only by breaching the walls from the inside can they be quickly captured.
Within the palace, the imperial guards were not entirely loyal to King Zheng.
Many of those here were Zhao Jinxiao's confidants, as well as some of the Marquis of Pingyang's men. With just one order, the Imperial Guards would fall apart.
The second prince grew up in the capital and had many people he secretly cultivated relationships with.
He did not fully trust Li Ge.
To these high and mighty royals, Li Ge was nothing more than a servant.
He was too clever, too cunning, and had betrayed several masters in succession. Anyone would worry about his loyal subjects.
“Master Li, I heard that you killed the retired chief minister yesterday. Do you know that his status in the hearts of civil officials is no less than that of Headmaster Tong?”
Li Ge sneered: "So what? The Emperor took a liking to his granddaughter, but he repeatedly refused and even secretly married her off."
"If it were Your Highness, could you tolerate such a thing?"
The second prince's face turned bright red with anger. "I would never do such a thing!"
The former prime minister had taught him when he was a child, and had earned his approval. He was even willing to act as a go-between for him, giving him the opportunity to showcase his talents.
But now, his mentor has been killed by Li Ge.
It's impossible not to hate.
But he also knew that Li Ge was not free to do what he wanted.
He had to do this to gain the King of Zheng's trust.
"When you leave your post, you should consider your future before taking action. Otherwise, even if you are doing it for the sake of the people, no one will appreciate your efforts."
"Your Highness's words will be kept in mind by this servant."
Li Ge casually agreed, but in his heart he didn't really believe it.
Who would plead for a eunuch? Who would believe that a rootless person could have feelings?
His end was destined to be bad, so why not live life to the fullest while he was alive?
Rather than being treated like meat on a chopping board, it's better to take the initiative and plan for the future you want.
Li Ge gave a wink to the guard beside him.
He said to the second prince, "Your Highness, please stay at the place I have arranged for you tonight. Tomorrow morning, someone will escort Your Highness to the palace."
The second prince refused his offer.
"Over the years, I have had several places to stay in the capital that others cannot find, so you can rest assured that I am in charge."
Li Ge didn't insist; his master's trust wasn't really important.
Each of his masters valued only his outstanding methods.
Li Ge returned to the palace.
"Li, the Emperor has been waiting for you for a long time."
As soon as he entered the palace gate, a eunuch immediately came to greet him.
This eunuch Ying served King Zheng; if it weren't for him, the position of holding the seal of office should have been his.
Whether he hates himself or not, he doesn't know, but it's certain that he dislikes him.
"It's been so long since I left the palace to take charge of affairs. I wonder where I've been all this time?"
Li Ge flicked his sleeves and replied bluntly, "These are all confidential matters; it's best if Eunuch Ying knows as little as possible."
"Oh, it's my fault, I shouldn't have asked. But when His Majesty asks, I should at least come up with a decent answer."
The Emperor is not someone easily fooled like a servant.
"Thank you for reminding."
Halfway there, Li Ge was brought his official robes by his henchman.
As he walked, he changed his clothes. Dressed in a purple palm print outfit, he exuded an aura of authority without needing to be angry.
Grandpa Ying secretly kept a lot of crickets. Li Ge, at such a young age, has such a status, which is unique throughout history.
Shen Lan saw Li Ye slumped over the table and helped him to lie down in the guest room.
She took out silver needles and pricked several acupoints on him to ensure he would sleep soundly until dark the next day.
She took off Li Ye's clothes and began to dress herself up.
To look exactly like a person, one must not only work on the face, but also put in a lot of effort in terms of body shape and expression.
In the early hours of the morning, Shen Lan stepped out of the courtyard. It was still dark when a member of the Imperial Guard ran towards her.
"Lieutenant Li, it's our team's turn to be on duty today. The Imperial City Guard just sent word that we must be in the palace by 5 a.m. to be on duty."
Shen Lan nodded and replied, "Okay."
As darkness fell, the imperial guards noticed nothing amiss and entered the palace with Li Ye.
The civil and military officials entered the palace in a sparse manner, and most of them were not in good spirits.
They all knew how long the guards' ears were, so they didn't dare to gather together and whisper among themselves.
The imperial guards patrolling the palace passed by from time to time, and the oppressive feeling they brought made the officials subconsciously perk up.
After the new emperor ascended the throne, he appeared to be amicable on the surface, but in reality, he was narrow-minded.
Although most officials were promoted, every government office was short-staffed. Each of them was doing the work of two or three people, and they were exhausted every day.
No one noticed that a young official dressed in the robes of a fifth-rank official had blended into the group.
Some new faces have appeared in the court.
After King Zheng ascended the throne, he promoted some of the officials from his former residence to important positions.
No one dared to say anything.
The young official walked briskly with his head down, and if anyone had seen his eyes, they could have seen that he was both nervous and excited.
Xiao Ji and Shen Lan entered the palace almost one after the other.
He saw Li Ye, but in an instant he knew that this person was not Li Ye.
When he caught up to try and identify them, the imperial guards had already disappeared from sight.
He went to court with a feeling of unease and soon found the Second Prince.
"The Emperor has arrived... Kneel..."
"Long live my emperor, long live long live..."
"If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court is dismissed..."
The leading civil officials stepped forward almost simultaneously.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial City Guard has been indiscriminately killing innocent people and failing to distinguish right from wrong. We request that all powers of the Imperial City Guard be abolished."
“Since its establishment, the Imperial City Guard has been unusable except during times of turmoil. Its secret guards supervise all officials and have the power to execute first and report later. In reality, it is used to satisfy the selfish desires of certain people and to kill innocent people indiscriminately. I urge Your Majesty to severely punish Li Ge, the commander of the Imperial City Guard.”
"A eunuch wields absolute power and kills indiscriminately; this is the root of chaos in the country! I beg Your Majesty to execute this man!"
Today, it seems everyone is pointing the finger at Li Ge.
It was his increasing number of killings that led to the dissatisfaction and fear among officials.