flstandardbreds Chapter 111 The dove takes over the magpie's nest
Chapter 111 The dove takes over the magpie's nest
"Hahaha, Father, stop making futile struggles. Fourth brother is already dead, and look at that good-for-nothing third brother, still hiding under the table, not daring to move. If you don't pass the throne to your son, who else can you pass it to!"
Upon seeing that the old man had eliminated all the imperial guards, the Second Prince's arrogance quickly swelled again.
"The Old Man of Despair?" The battle-hardened, aged emperor didn't even glance at his blustering but cowardly son. Thinking of the title he'd heard, he repeated the old man's name with a puzzled look in his eyes.
"Old man of death, why are you interfering in royal affairs?" The imperial guard who had crippled Shi Wen's hand heard the Second Prince's shout when the Old man of death attacked. He instantly concentrated all his inner energy to protect his heart meridian, thus saving his life.
He knew who the Old Man of Death was, and he also knew that he was no match for him.
After struggling to his feet, he stood shakily in front of Hua Di, trying to persuade the unconventional master in front of him to back down.
However, his plan was immediately seen through by the strange old man in front of him.
"My affairs are none of your business, junior!"
"You once said that you wanted the world to see that your ultimate skill was truly the best in the martial arts world. You kill those of us whose martial arts are inferior to yours. No one in the martial arts world will acknowledge how powerful your ultimate skill is. Instead, they will only think that you are a bloodthirsty bully who preys on the weak and fears the strong."
"Hehehe! If your talent were half as sharp as your tongue, I might have spared you today. But as I said, I do what I want, and unless someone beats me, nobody can stop me from killing whoever I want!"
From beneath the black robe came a hoarse, terrifying laugh. When the laughter ceased, the old man's chilling words, like the Grim Reaper knocking on the door, sent shivers down one's spine.
The old man, not immediately killing the person before him, turned his face away from the Second Prince, his black robes obscuring his features, and spoke in an icy tone:
"One more time."
The second prince shivered at these chilling words, his arrogant face turning ashen. But he quickly regained his composure and threatened Emperor Hua:
"Father, please write an imperial edict immediately to abdicate in favor of your son. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee the lives of my mother and sisters."
Faced with this inhuman threat, Emperor Hua's domineering and dignified gaze turned to his son for the first time.
"You're going to kill your sister?"
"Yes, so what?!" The moment the Second Prince met Emperor Hua's imposing gaze, the Emperor's accumulated power was so great that just one look from him made the Second Prince tremble unconsciously.
But the more afraid he became, the angrier he got. With a glance, he signaled two guards standing next to Consort De to go behind Prime Minister Yao, kick aside a young official, and pull out Princess Yongle who was hiding next to that official.
When the rebellion first broke out, Princess Yongle was sitting with Consort Li. Suddenly, they heard rebel soldiers rushing in outside the door, and Prince Consort Yao rushed in to protect her and help her escape.
Princess Yongle was worried about her father and mother, and in the struggle, the two were swept towards Prime Minister Yao's side.
After the Fourth Prince was killed by the Old Man of Death with a single blow, Prince Consort Yao tightly covered Princess Yongle's mouth before she could blurt out her question, and hid her in the crowd.
However, no matter how large the Five Sacred Mountains Palace is, there is a limit to the number of people it can accommodate. Moreover, Princess Yongle is wearing a unique cloud brocade robe with a hundred phoenixes, which is the only one of its kind in the world.
Her whereabouts have long been known to those who are interested; she cannot be hidden by simply lowering her head and remaining silent.
"Let me go! Let me go now! How dare you defy your superiors! I will exterminate your entire family!"
Princess Yongle was quickly dragged to the Second Prince's side.
Seeing his sister, who usually treated him with arrogance, being subdued by his men like a dog, the second prince felt a surge of satisfaction.
"Third sister, are you scared? If you want to live, call me your good brother and beg me properly. Maybe I'll take pity on you for a moment and let you live a little longer by finding someone else."
The guards gripped her roughly, and Princess Yongle's hand ached from the force of their pull. Having never experienced hardship before, she completely disregarded the advice of her husband, Consort Yao, to be patient. Her temper flared, and she immediately began to curse:
"You are not worthy to be my brother! Lu Zigui, you shameless scoundrel, a good-for-nothing who only knows how to sleep with women. If you dare to touch a single hair on my head, I will definitely make Father Emperor demote you to a commoner!"
"Shut up! Lu Lanyu, you're the one who's just a slut who knows how to act cute and silly. What else can you do besides tattle!" Even though she's in his hands, she still dares to be so arrogant and curse him. Lu Zigui was suddenly reminded of his childhood by Princess Yongle's words.
However, these memories are not pleasant; they are filled with the grievances of being bullied by this younger sister since childhood.
Fueled by both old and new grudges, he was so angry that his hands trembled, and he stepped forward and slapped Princess Yongle several times.
Princess Yongle, having been slapped for the first time, was consumed by rage. The humiliation overwhelmed her, making her oblivious to everything else.
"That's because my father and mother love me. You want to complain but no one will listen. You're a pitiful wretch with no one to love you. What are you pretending for? You even want my father to pass the throne to you? Bah! You're just dreaming. Let me tell you, even my third brother can have that position, but you can't!" As she spoke, she raised her swollen face, her eyes full of disdain for Lu Zigui.
"What gives you the right to look down on me! I am the most suitable successor to Father Emperor, the future emperor of China, and what gives you the right to look at me like that!"
The contemptuous look in his eyes, as if he were looking at a servant, instantly ignited Lu Zigui's anger and rage. "I'm telling you! You're not allowed to look at me like that again!"
Seeing the Second Prince break down, Princess Yongle's eyes grew even more disdainful, and she continued to add fuel to the fire by cursing:
"Lu Zigui, you are not worthy at all! If you want to know why, you might as well ask your good mother why you are called Lu Zigui!"
What do you mean by that?!
"Guier, don't waste any more time." Since Shi Wen was knocked away, Consort De has not said a word.
The moment she spoke, Hua Di's gaze fell back on her, making her feel a chill run down her spine.
"Mother, what exactly did Third Sister mean by that?!"
The usually composed and elegant mother awkwardly avoided his gaze.
For some reason, Lu Zigui suddenly remembered that from childhood to adulthood, his father had held even his third brother, but never him.
No matter how hard he tried, it was difficult to get a word of approval or praise from his father. But his fourth brother and third sister could easily make their father laugh out loud by simply acting silly.
He was jealous and envious; it was a fatherly love he had never received.
He always thought it was because his mother was not favored by the emperor.
Could it be that it's not like this?
The doubts in his heart were like secrets hidden behind a thin sheet of paper; it seemed that once the veil was lifted, the answer he had long anticipated would appear before him.
"Don't ask anymore. Yongle has always been outspoken and willful. Don't you know her personality? Go and see how your adoptive father is doing. Leave this to the Empress Dowager. She will definitely make your father pass the throne to you."
"No, you have to speak! Speak now! Otherwise I'll kill you!" Lu Zigui snatched the knife from the guard's hand and held it to Princess Yongle's neck.
The stench of blood from the knife made Princess Yongle want to vomit. Hatred overwhelmed her fear, and her mocking eyes were filled with malice.
"Who do you think you are! You are not my father's child, you are not worthy to be my brother, Zigui, you are just a cuckoo who has usurped my place!"
Princess Yongle's words caused everyone to regret being in this hall. Lu Zigui, the person directly involved, looked at Consort De with utter shock.
"Mother...is what Yongle said true?"
"Guier..."
"Don't call me that! What am I... what have I been all these years?" Even though he had already guessed it, Lu Zigui simply couldn't accept this fact.
With a frenzied tremor, the sharp blade instantly severed Princess Yongle's neck.
Blood flowed from the wound, and Princess Yongle turned pale instantly, her eyes filled with terror of death.
"Father, save me!"
"Father... Father! No, your son is your child, isn't he? Third sister is lying to me, she's talking nonsense! Father, if you pass the throne to your son, your son will prove to you that you are the best heir to the throne."
Ignoring his beloved daughter's pleas for help, the aged emperor showed no pity in his eyes. His authoritative and cold tone shattered Lu Zigui's self-deceptive illusions:
“I am not your father; your biological father is lying behind you.”
Lu Zigui subconsciously turned around, and on the floor in the corner of the palace wall lay his "adoptive father" Shi Wen.
Recalling the lack of respect and admonition shown to him by this person, and looking at his mother's face filled with undisguised guilt, there was nothing he couldn't understand.
Lu Zigui took a few steps back, knife in disbelief, but he had never been so clear-headed.
When he looked up again, for the first time, he resembled a competent politician, with only a desire for power remaining in his eyes.
For the sake of power, he dared to betray all humanity and conscience:
“Father, I will give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to consider. If you do not write an imperial edict to pass the throne to your son after that time, I will kill one person for every ten counts.”
Before the second prince could finish speaking, his frantic actions reached people's ears even faster than his words.
With a "thud," Princess Yongle, who was begging Emperor Hua to save her, didn't have time to say another word before the bloody knife pierced through her body and was quickly pulled out.
The blood-stained knife drew out her blood, which dripped onto the carpet of the stage, leaving a wet patch.