PFC Chapter 390 The oriole is behind
Chapter 390 The oriole is behind
Chapter 390
Eunuch Su didn't seem to think much of it. After hearing the Third Prince's words, he nodded heavily and said, "Of course. Your Highness the Third Prince is so concerned about state affairs. It is a blessing for our Great Zhou. However, it will be very difficult for Your Highness."
The Third Prince waved his hand and said with a righteous expression, "It's not hard. As the son of the Emperor, this is my duty for the sake of the country and the people. It's just..."
Eunuch Su was always good at reading people's expressions. Seeing that the Third Prince was speaking with a hidden meaning, he quickly asked with a smile, "What is it, Your Highness?"
The Third Prince sighed, "It's just that my father is in a coma and hasn't left a single word. If I were to rashly take charge of state affairs, I'm afraid some ministers would object."
At this point, the Third Prince paused slightly, a calculating look flashing in his eyes. "However, if I can obtain the Hidden Dragon Guard token, then I can legitimately take charge of state affairs."
Everyone in the Great Zhou knew that the Hidden Dragon Guard answered directly to Emperor Yuancheng. Since its inception, the Hidden Dragon Guard had been like an unstoppable blade in the emperor's hand. Many matters that ministers found inconvenient to handle were handled by the Hidden Dragon Guard. With the Hidden Dragon Guard's token, the Third Prince could command the Hidden Dragon Guard to do his bidding. With this trump card, who would dare question his legitimate role in managing state affairs? He wasn't as foolish as the First Prince, who was solely focused on the imperial edict of succession. After all, His Majesty was already unconscious; this was no secret, and the ministers knew he was incapable of writing an imperial edict. Under such circumstances, producing the imperial edict would be sheer folly.
In his view, whether the ruler of the world could hold onto the throne depended on the will of the people. So, as long as the ministers all bowed to him, what did it matter whether there was a so-called imperial edict of succession?
After all, looking at the current royal family of the Zhou Dynasty, he is the only one who can shoulder the heavy responsibility of governing the world.
"This..." Unexpectedly, after hearing what the third prince said, Eunuch Su's face immediately showed embarrassment.
The Third Prince withdrew his thoughts and returned his attention to Eunuch Su. He frowned slightly, staring at him intently, and asked, "Why? Are you unwilling to cooperate with me?"
Eunuch Su gave a wry smile and quickly waved his hand to explain, "No, Your Highness has misunderstood! It's not that I don't want to, but I simply don't know where the Hidden Dragon Guard token is. It's always been kept by His Majesty himself, so I really can't give it to you."
The Third Prince heard this and stared at him sinisterly. Seeing that he was calm and had no intention of dodging, the doubts in his heart gradually subsided.
The Third Prince asked, "Then in your opinion, where would Father place this token?"
Eunuch Su quickly shook his head, his face terrified: "I really don't know. Your Majesty has never told me."
Seeing this, the Third Prince didn't bother to ask any further questions, and cursed him inwardly, "Waste." He then waved his hand impatiently, and the guards beside him immediately understood. The Third Prince coldly ordered, "Search! Find the token for me."
"Yes!" After receiving the order, the guards quickly dispersed and searched the palace. However, a quarter of an hour later, they still found nothing.
The guards reluctantly stepped forward to report, and the leading guard knelt on one knee, "Your Highness, we haven't found the token."
The Third Prince frowned, looked around sharply, and asked, "Is there anything we haven't searched yet?"
Upon hearing this, the guard subconsciously glanced behind him in the direction of the dragon bed. The Third Prince followed his gaze and instantly understood what he meant. Without hesitation, he ordered, "Go, move Father out of the way."
"Yes!"
Just as the guards agreed, Eunuch Su hurried forward, blocking the dragon bed and frantically dissuading them, "No, Third Prince! His Majesty is already critically ill. We must not disturb him any further. Please look elsewhere."
Seeing that he was only one step away from success, the Third Prince was unwilling to listen to Eunuch Su's dissuasion. He waved his hand impatiently again, and the guards immediately stepped forward and pulled Eunuch Su away.
Then, regardless of Emperor Yuanzhen's frail body, they directly carried him and his blanket to the ground. Immediately afterwards, the guards climbed onto the dragon bed and began to search carefully. After some searching, they finally found a token in the secret compartment at the head of the bed.
When the guard presented the token, the Third Prince took it and examined it carefully, then revealed a look of great joy: "It is indeed the token of the Hidden Dragon Guard!"
Then, completely ignoring Emperor Yuanzhen who was still lying on the ground, he waved his hand and ordered in a cold voice: "Go!" After that, he strode out of the hall.
Seeing this, the guards hurriedly followed.
Eunuch Su, who was released by the guards, looked at the people leaving with a sorrowful look on his face. He cried and threw himself beside Emperor Yuan Cheng, muttering, "What a sin, what a sin..." However, no one paid attention to his cries.
As the guards left, they didn't forget to take the eldest prince, who now had no strength to shout, with them. With a triumphant look on their faces, they strode out of the Taiji Hall. Just as they were about to pass through the palace walls and corridors, they found themselves blocked.
The Third Prince narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone filled with doubt and questioning, "Didn't you receive orders to help Fifth Brother control the flood? Why are you still here?"
He not only knew that Ye Yunzhou had been sent to assist his fifth brother in flood control, but he also knew that his mother had secretly facilitated this. After all, as long as Ye Yunzhou stayed by Emperor Yuanzhen's side, their plans would be difficult to achieve. Now, seeing Ye Yunzhou appear before him, it was obvious that he had hurried back after receiving the news.
But so what? It was already too late. Thinking of this, he subconsciously touched the Hidden Dragon Guard token in his sleeve, and a sneer appeared on his face unconsciously.
Ye Yunzhou saw through the smugness and disdain in the other's eyes, but his expression remained calm and his tone was as cold as usual: "I will report the reason for my return to Your Majesty, so there is no need for you, Third Prince."
As he spoke, his eyes swept over the people behind the Third Prince. With a half-smile, he said, "It's the Third Prince who trespassed into the palace late at night. I wonder what's going on?"
According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, after a prince reaches adulthood and establishes his own residence, he cannot enter the palace without an imperial decree. However, he not only violated the rules, but also gathered a group of martial arts practitioners, which was a major taboo.
If Emperor Yuanzhen were healthy, the Third Prince, no matter how many thoughts he had, would never dare disobey him. The princes' power and position all came from their father, but now Emperor Yuanzhen was terminally ill and beyond cure. The Great Zhou dynasty had always been ruled by the Zhou family, and the Third Prince, believing himself the legitimate heir to the throne as a biological son, now held the military mobilization token, he had nothing to fear.
The Third Prince loathed the man before him. He was clearly his father's biological child, yet his father valued him far more than any of his own sons. He was filled with jealousy and resentment. If his father had valued him so highly from the beginning, the crown princeship would have been his long ago. So, why would he risk this? If he failed, he would be accused of patricide and forcing the emperor to abdicate, a legacy of eternal infamy.
Despite the countless jealousies and calculations swirling within him, the Third Prince knew that now was not the time to confront his allies. He would tear this man into pieces once he ascended the throne.
As he thought this, he put on a look of deep sorrow and slightly turned to reveal the eldest prince being held captive by the guards. His expression was filled with grief. "Lord Ye, you may not know, but I was resting in the palace today when I heard a commotion outside. I sent someone to inquire and learned that my eldest brother had ignored my father's illness and forced his way into the palace. He even coerced Eunuch Su into writing a decree of abdication!"
"Your Highness was worried about the safety of our father, so he immediately gathered the palace guards and rushed to rescue him. Fortunately, we arrived in time, preventing my eldest brother from killing my father and usurping the throne!"
At this point, his eyes reddened slightly, and he looked heartbroken. "My eldest brother's actions have truly broken Father's heart! Father, grateful for my filial piety, braved his illness to hand over the Hidden Dragon Guard token to me, ordering me to govern the country. He also said that the country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and asked me to govern the world together with the other ministers. When Father recovers, I will return the token to you."
As if afraid that Ye Yunzhou would become suspicious, he deliberately raised his arm and held the token high, slowly turning it under the silvery moonlight, ensuring that Ye Yunzhou and the Hidden Dragon Guards behind him could clearly see the coiled dragon emblem and the black iron texture on the token.
Hearing his nonsense, the eldest prince suddenly raised his head, struggling hard. However, his mouth was blocked, and he could only whimper and growl, but could not utter any words to defend himself.
Everyone present could clearly hear the First Prince's struggles and sobs, but Ye Yunzhou didn't even glance over. As if completely unaware of the abnormality, he stared directly at the Third Prince, who looked so arrogant and confident of victory, and suddenly smiled.
Unlike the usual sneers, mockery, and ridicule, this smile seemed genuine. "If so, Your Highness, the Third Prince, is truly filial and commendable. I have underestimated Your Highness over the years."
On the surface, his words expressed sincere admiration for the Third Prince's filial piety and regret for his previous misjudgment. However, there was a subtle veil in his words, making the Third Prince feel uneasy, yet he couldn't find any fault in his rebuttal. The situation was pressing, and he was eager to gain control, leaving him no time for further debate with Ye Yunzhou. Even though he felt a tinge of strangeness and depth in his words, he could only suppress his doubts for the time being.
"It's okay. Your Highness is a magnanimous person and will not bear it with you." The third prince spoke in a haughty tone and looked up at the night sky as if inadvertently.
He continued, "It's getting late. I'll take my eldest brother back first and wait until Father wakes up before taking any action. Since Lord Ye is here, please clean up these troublemakers in the courtyard."
After the words fell, the Third Prince strode forward without waiting for Ye Yunzhou's response, intending to pass Ye Yunzhou and his group and leave the palace directly.
But when he approached, the Hidden Dragon Guards behind Ye Yunzhou moved in unison, standing shoulder to shoulder in a row, like an indestructible human wall, blocking his way.
The Third Prince stopped abruptly, his expression darkening instantly. His gaze pierced Ye Yunzhou like a sharp blade, "Master Ye, what do you mean by this? Could it be that since Father is not well, you are trying to take advantage of this opportunity to kill the Emperor and seize the throne?"
The Third Prince was mercilessly accused of regicide and the throne. Regardless of Ye Yunzhou's actual plans, as long as word of this got out, he would be accused of harboring rebellious intentions.
An ordinary person would have been terrified to hear the Third Prince's words and would have dared not to intervene. However, Ye Yunzhou's expression remained unchanged, his face devoid of any fear. He remained calm and composed, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Ye Yunzhou looked calm, raised his chin, looked directly into the Third Prince's eyes, and spoke slowly, "The Third Prince is only a prince now, and has not yet ascended the throne to become the Emperor of the Great Zhou. It is too early to convict me of any crime."
Ye Yunzhou's tone was calm, but every word was as sharp as a needle.
The Third Prince felt this was a naked mockery, his cold gaze piercing him. He sneered, murderous intent surging in his eyes. "It's a little premature, but if I were to convict you, no one in the Great Zhou would dare to stop me!"
The Third Prince took a quick look, calculating silently. His personal guards were a vast force, roughly estimated to number in the hundreds; in contrast, Ye Yunzhou's men numbered only a few dozen. While the Hidden Dragon Guards were all highly skilled and top-tier, two fists were no match for four. Facing their own sheer numerical superiority, they were also skilled fighters. Even if the Hidden Dragon Guards fought ten to one, they wouldn't necessarily emerge victorious from this chaotic battle.
The Third Prince had previously been dealing with Ye Yunzhou for a long time, simply out of caution, fearing that the situation would deteriorate. Now that the other party was being so ignorant and obstructive, why should he be polite anymore?
The Third Prince strode backward, his guards immediately surging forward like a tide, layer upon layer, tightly protecting him. The two sides were on edge, with the guards and the Hidden Dragon Guards facing each other a few steps apart. The air seemed to be thick with a murderous aura.
Ye Yunzhou did not retreat at all. He stood alone in front and before the person on the opposite side could stand firm, he took the lead and rushed into the team of guards swiftly.
Seeing this, the Hidden Dragon Guards behind him leaped forward like nimble cheetahs, charging into the group of personal guards. The situation instantly became tense. Several of the personal guards retreated repeatedly, protecting the Third Prince, while also not forgetting to drag the First Prince along with them. After all, the First Prince still had value at this point, and the Third Prince would naturally not abandon him unless it was a crucial moment.
The Third Prince was ultimately overconfident. He had assumed that, even if his troops couldn't completely crush the enemy, they could at least tear them apart. But who could have foreseen that, in the blink of an eye, his men lay sprawled on the ground, their lives or deaths unknown.
Upon seeing this, the Third Prince's face suddenly changed and his eyes became stern. He no longer cared about anything else and hurriedly signaled his guards to send out a signal for help.
Throughout the palace, the imperial guards, who were supposed to maintain security, had long been replaced without anyone noticing. Upon hearing the distress signal, these men, like machines receiving orders, swarmed towards the Taiji Hall in a well-trained manner.