Dayun prospered for forty-seven years.
The late emperor was seriously ill and bedridden.
The court is in chaos. First, the crown prince fell out of favor and was trapped in the deep palace. Then, the second prince returned with his army and was in the limelight. The imperial city of Shangjing seemed stable, but in fact, undercurrents were surging. The trend of two dragons vying for the throne was set. If either side failed, there would be a bloody purge in the court.
"Although the Crown Prince has lived in the palace for a long time, he still has a strong foundation in the court, and many people are still loyal to him. The Second Prince is deeply loved by the generals. The last time he returned from leading the army, the Emperor actually went to receive him in person. It can be said that Jian is in the Emperor's heart. Both sides have their own advantages and disadvantages. It is really difficult to choose."
"If you ask me, the prince is just hanging on. Everyone in the court knows that the second prince is more favored than the weak prince. There have been repeated rumors in the palace about the emperor's dethronement. Although the emperor is seriously ill, he is far from dying immediately... .
"You mean..."
"...Yes, for the sake of his future affairs, the emperor will probably take action in the next few days. Once the imperial edict is announced, the second prince will have a legitimate status, and with the soldiers under his command, there will be another bloody storm in the capital, and who knows how many people will die..."
For a time, discussions like these were everywhere in Shangjing City.
Aristocratic families, important officials in the court, and the inner palace, all of them glared at the emperor, waiting for the bedridden emperor in the palace to decide who will have power in the future. During this period, some people were nervous, some were happy, some were expectant, and some were uneasy.
Some are conscious of having held on to their thighs but are still worried about accidents; some want to change the flag at the last minute; some feel they have no chance of winning and so make peace with the enemy; some are full of confidence and choose to party all night long. All the phenomena in the world and the warmth and coldness of human nature are fully revealed at this moment.
However... .
... Three days passed.
What finally came out of the palace was not the matter of deposing and enthroning the crown prince as everyone had expected.
But... .
"The Emperor has passed away!"
... the news of the late emperor’s death.
"This is impossible!"
In the Second Prince's Mansion, Dayun Second Prince Li Yue had a ferocious look on his face, staring at the inner palace eunuch who came to report the news like a ferocious monster: "What on earth is going on!"
"Why did he die? Although my father was ill, I went to visit him a few days ago and there was no sign of death. How could he die suddenly? Tell me! Tell me everything! Before my father passed away, who went to see him? Was it... the crown prince?!"
"Minion, Minion..."
Boom!
Before the eunuch could reply, a violent roar suddenly came from outside the Second Prince's residence. It was the sound of a wall being pushed down, mixed with screams and roars, and a powerful voice came: "The clan residence is here, where is the Second Prince?"
"The clan house...?"
The Second Prince Li Yue listened to the voice in a daze. For a moment, his mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts, as if it was a mess. He was not awakened until the troops from the clan house completely occupied the entire mansion and a general in heavy armor strode into the inner mansion.
“…Hahaha, hahaha, hahaha!”
“Is that so?”
“That’s how it is!”
"What a cruel brother... What a cruel Li Yun... The son killed his own father, he is worthy of being the crown prince!"
“Hahahahahaha!”
... ... ... ...
At the same time, in the Prince’s Eastern Palace.
"Did you do this?"
A woman in palace clothes and with a veil on her face stood straight in front of the young man, her beautiful eyes filled with murderous intent: "Li Yun! Answer me!"
"Did you kill your own father?"
“… … .”
The young man, or rather the Crown Prince Li Yun, faced the woman's rebuttal with a thoughtful look on his face and did not reply. Beside him, Wang Zhixin, who was about twenty years old and still preparing to become the Grand Commander of the Imperial City, lowered his head and did not look at the man and woman at all.
The luxurious room was filled with a cold murderous aura.
There is also deep sorrow.
"Li Yun... Tell me, answer me, give me an answer, is it you who did it?"
"I'm sure you're not."
"As long as you tell me no."
"Li Yun... Li Yun!"
The woman's voice rose from low to high, resounding throughout the room: "You are Li Yun! The prince of Dayun! You swore that you would find a way out for the people of the world. You said that your dream is for all the people in the world to be like dragons. You should not be the one who killed your own father. You are not!"
"... .right?"
"Please... tell me... Li Yun..."
The woman whispered in an almost pleading tone, and under her pleading, Li Yun, who had been in deep thought, finally raised his head.
"It's me."
“… ..!!!”
"!!!"
Almost at the same time, unspeakable heartache suddenly burst out from the woman's eyes, and Wang Zhixin looked up in horror at the benefactor who had rescued him on a snowy night.
“You, you…”
“It’s a necessary sacrifice.”
Li Yun's expression was extremely indifferent: "If I want to find a way out for the people of the world, I need enough power. If I want to make everyone in the world like a dragon, I need to ascend to that position. But whether it's my father or my brother, they all block my way."
“So they have to sacrifice.”
"nonsense!"
The woman yelled angrily, and the sound echoed in the house, so harsh that Wang Zhixin, who was already a master at this time, still felt unbearable pain in his ears. A terrifying aura spread from the woman, and then a cold light came out of the sheath, and the tip of the sword was actually pointing straight at Li Yun's neck!
clang clang!
The swords collided, and at the critical moment, Wang Zhixin almost subconsciously stood up, wielding the Embroidered Spring Knife to block the soft sword in the woman's hand.
"Wang Zhixin! You heard it too! What on earth did he...what did he do!?"
"Get out of my way!"
"His Highness..."
Wang Zhixin looked conflicted, but he did not retreat even a step in the face of the woman's scolding. In her rage, the woman's aura increased further, and she was about to draw her sword again... .
"That's enough."
A hand as warm as jade suddenly rested on Wang Zhixin's shoulder. The next second, the chaotic true energy in the entire room instantly calmed down. Both Wang Zhixin and the woman found that the true energy in their bodies was no longer flowing, as if it was dormant.
"It's come to this, so let it be."
"The clan officials have gone to Li Yue's house. I will make a special statement to ask them not to be too harsh on him. I will not kill him either."
"Humph! Hypocrisy!"
As intoxicated as she was in the past, she was as disgusted today. The woman completely ignored Li Yun, put away her sword, and strode out of the room.
Wealth, power and status.
An emperor's sword separated a pair of people. From then on, they were separated by vast distances and would never meet again.
only... ..
“It shouldn’t be like this.”
Countless nights.
Countless times of pain.
Yes, it shouldn't be like this.
Your Highness... The Emperor is not wrong.
It's not his fault.
Wrong... .
"It should be me."
Time passed, and Wang Zhixin stood blankly on the Xuanbing Platform, looking at the back of the Master of Wutong Valley at the foot of the mountain. Then he looked into the distance, as if he could see a middle-aged man outside the Tianjue Peak who did not show his face but looked 70% similar to the current emperor.
The closest prince is Li Yue.
“It’s time.”
"The master of Wutong Valley is injured and can only exert 70% of his strength. The mad lion massacre is here, and I am taking the blame for him. He will definitely take action in the end. People in the martial arts world are like this. Soldier Demon, let your compatriots take action. I want to bury his most beloved woman and his most trusted subordinate here at the same time!"