The emperor's gaze sharpened as he looked at the sky outside, his brows furrowed as if he were pondering Dongfang Zhan's suggestion.
The Crown Prince looked at Prime Minister Li, who was still risking his life for his descendants in his twilight years. He was truly exhausted. He knelt down and pleaded, "Father, Prime Minister Li has served the country and made many contributions. Even if he committed the crime of deceiving the emperor, it does not warrant death. Please, Father, have mercy."
Dongfang Zhan glanced at Dongfang Hong, a mocking smile playing on his lips. The hypocrite, the fake gorilla—if he didn't plead for him, his grandfather wouldn't have died.
The emperor turned to Dongfang Hong: "You also think that Prime Minister Li's crime doesn't warrant death?"
“Your Majesty, Prime Minister Li has dedicated his life to the country. We cannot negate all his previous achievements because of this one mistake. Please, Your Majesty, have mercy and spare his life.”
As the crown prince, Dongfang Hong grew up in the palace and could understand the emperor's thoughts to some extent. The emperor was indeed angry with Prime Minister Li, but he did not intend to kill him. Otherwise, when he killed Yu Xin, he would have broken Prime Minister Li's spine as well.
The emperor needed a reason to pardon Prime Minister Li. Dongfang Zhan was Prime Minister Li's grandson, so his plea was not very convincing. Therefore, Dongfang Hong thoughtfully provided him with a reason.
As expected, after hearing Dongfang Hong's words, the emperor pondered for a moment and looked at Prime Minister Li: "Prime Minister Li is getting old, and his mind is inevitably not clear. I do not want such a foolish thing to happen again. Does Prime Minister Li understand what I mean?"
Prime Minister Li raised the corners of his mouth, a bitter and helpless smile appearing on his aged face, which then disappeared without a trace. He said loudly, "This old minister is getting old and is preparing to resign and return to his hometown. I humbly request Your Majesty's permission."
Qingyan needs shrewd and capable officials. The emperor said that he was not clear-headed and had done foolish things, which was forcing him to resign. Fine, resigning would ensure the safety of the prefecture. So be it.
Dongfang Zhan was startled, a cold glint flashing in his dark eyes. He clenched his fist tightly. The Prime Minister's Mansion had long been deeply rooted in the capital, and most of his power came from it. If his maternal grandfather resigned and returned to his hometown, he would lose the support of the Prime Minister's Mansion. In terms of both strength and power, he would be inferior to the Crown Prince, and his struggle for the throne would not be so easy.
Dongfang Hong remained silent. He had speculated on many possible outcomes, and this one was quite similar to his guess.
"Prime Minister Li has made invaluable contributions to the country and its people. Now that you have resigned from your post and returned to your hometown, I hereby bestow upon you a thousand taels of gold, a thousand bolts of silk, and a hundred acres of fertile land so that you may enjoy your remaining years in peace."
The emperor's voice was clear and loud, but it sounded particularly grating to Dongfang Zhan. His father had actually stripped his maternal grandfather of his official position. He had lost the support of his powerful maternal grandfather and also lost the guards he had carefully trained. It was like adding insult to injury. It was truly a case of misfortunes never coming singly, and Heaven was not on his side.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Prime Minister Li smiled bitterly, knelt on the ground, and accepted the reward. From now on, he was no longer the high and mighty Prime Minister of Qingyan, but an ordinary citizen of Qingyan.
The emperor's sharp gaze swept over Dongfang Hong and Dongfang Zhan, and he sighed softly: Dongfang Hong is the eldest son of the legitimate wife. He is calm and steady, has made meritorious contributions in protecting the emperor on many occasions, and has many loyal ministers assisting him. He is an excellent candidate for emperor.
However, in terms of literary talent and military strategy, Dongfang Zhan is better than him. Even in terms of the scheming and methods of governing the country, he is more skillful.
From an outsider's perspective, the emperor believed that Dongfang Zhan was more suitable to be emperor than Dongfang Hong. He had always been aware of their rivalry, but he ignored it in order to temper their character.
As he grew older, he sometimes found himself unable to handle the many affairs of the court. Qingyan needed a young emperor full of energy, and it was time for him to confirm the candidate for Qingyan's future emperor. But who should he choose?
Personally, he hoped that Dongfang Zhan would inherit the throne, but the Crown Prince was the eldest son of the legitimate wife, and had more powerful backing than Prince Zhan...
The entire Yu family, young and old, master and servants, were all captured, tied up with ropes, strung together in a row, and taken to the prison. Dongfang Zhan looked at the people, young and old, and his sharp eyes suddenly deepened:
Father Emperor spends all his time in the palace and rarely comes out. This time, he went straight to the Yu residence as soon as he left the palace, which means he was obviously reminded by someone. Yu Xin and his maternal grandfather were arrested for discussing a plan. It was not a coincidence, but a deliberate scheme.
The Crown Prince, dressed in full military attire, arrived at the Yu residence to rescue the emperor before him, seemingly the mastermind behind the scenes. However, he knew the Crown Prince's capabilities; the Crown Prince could not devise such a flawless and ingenious plan. Looking across the entire Qingyan faction, only the Qingyan War God, Dongfang Heng, could calculate every detail, devise a plan that was invisible and left no room for error.
Dongfang Heng stole the woman he loved, used someone else to kill his loyal subordinate, and even forced his maternal grandfather to resign and retire to his hometown, causing him to lose powerful support. It can be said that everything he had was ruined by Dongfang Heng.
A chilling glint flashed in Dongfang Zhan's sharp eyes. He would never let Dongfang Heng go in this lifetime.
On a sunny afternoon, Shen Lixue woke up from a nap. The warm sunlight shone through the lattice window onto her, creating an indescribably warm and comfortable atmosphere.
Familiar voices drifted over, and Shen Lixue sat up, looking out through the lattice window. Dongfang Heng and Crown Prince Dongfang Hong were sitting in the pavilion talking.
Prime Minister Li resigned and returned to his hometown. The emperor bestowed many gifts upon him, and he left in a grand and glorious manner. However, Shen Lixue knew that he had lost power, Dongfang Zhan had lost a strong supporter, and many neutral ministers in the court had changed their allegiance to the Crown Prince. The throne was gradually tilting towards Dongfang Hong. Dongfang Hong won this support effortlessly, which was inseparable from Dongfang Heng's secret assistance.
"Prince An, thank you for your help these two times." Dongfang Hong took out two slips of paper and placed them on the bluestone table between the two of them.
A note read: "Che is plotting a rebellion; hurry to the high platform to save him."
With just a few words, Dongfang Zhan's conspiracy was foiled, saving him, the Empress, and the entire Ye family.
Another note reads: "The Emperor is in danger! Quickly take the Imperial Guards to the Yu residence!"
A simple sentence gave him a great opportunity to save the emperor and make a name for himself. It also allowed him to witness firsthand the resignation of Prime Minister Li, the loss of power of Dongfang Zhan, and the weakening of the enemy, which was a great opportunity for him to rise to prominence.
When he first received the note, he didn't know who was helping him. But after thinking about it carefully, he realized that in Qingyan Capital, besides him, the only person who could rival and surpass Dongfang Zhan was the God of War, Dongfang Heng.
"It's a trivial matter, Your Highness need not take it to heart." Dongfang Heng informed the Crown Prince only to facilitate dealing with Dongfang Zhan, and had no other purpose.
"What is a small matter to Prince An is a matter of life and death to me." If it weren't for these notes, the Crown Prince, the Empress, and the Ye family would all have been beheaded for their rebellion.
Text 220: Framed
"That is indeed the case. However, my sixth uncle is exceptionally capable and is in his prime. It would be too early for me to inherit the throne now."
Under normal circumstances, the crown prince will inherit the throne after the prince passes away. The War King is in Qingzhou with Lin Qingzhu and will not return. Dongfang Heng can become the War King at any time.
However, Dongfang Heng was not particularly interested in fame, fortune, or status. Whether he was Prince An or Prince Zhan, it was just a change of title to him, and there was no difference.
The Crown Prince smiled. When the War King was young, he fought on the battlefield and accumulated a lot of power. He did not marry and had no children. After he left the capital, those forces have been lying low in the dark and maintaining neutrality. If Dongfang Heng succeeds to his throne, he can easily rule those forces.
As intelligent as Dongfang Heng was, he must have thought of this long ago, but he was not in a hurry to inherit the throne. In fact, when talking about this matter, he was very calm and composed, as if he had little interest in those forces.
Thinking about it carefully, he is the new generation of war god of Qingyan, commanding 400,000 elite troops and controlling half of Qingyan's military strength. Having the power of the War King is icing on the cake, but it won't have much impact on him if he doesn't have it. He is exceptionally capable, uses troops like a god, and has repeatedly made great achievements on the battlefield. Even without the War King's entrustment, he can still be crowned a king based on his own abilities.
"Be careful of Dongfang Zhan, he won't let this go easily." Dongfang Heng had fought with Dongfang Zhan for many years and knew him very well. The deeply rooted Prime Minister's Mansion collapsed overnight, and his power was instantly weakened by more than half. His hope of ascending the throne was also reduced by 50% to 60%. He would frantically try to turn the tide and would act without considering the consequences.
"I understand." The Crown Prince and Dongfang Zhan had been vying for power for many years, and the Crown Prince knew him well. If he became obsessed with something, he would never give up until he achieved his goal. He would come up with all sorts of strange schemes, making it impossible to guard against them. Moreover, he had coveted the throne of the emperor for a long time and had been planning for it for a long time. At the crucial moment, he would never give up.
"Heng, Your Highness." Shen Lixue walked over slowly, supporting Qiu He's hand. Her eyes were smiling, and her face was rosy. Apart from her protruding belly, her figure had not changed much.
The sharpness in Dongfang Heng's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by tender affection. He stretched out his long arm and gently helped her sit down. His careful and concerned demeanor surprised even Dongfang Hong, who had seen much of the world. The ruthless and cold-blooded God of War of Qingyan was actually so...gentle when facing Shen Lixue...
"Did you rest well?" Dongfang Heng poured a cup of light tea and handed it to Shen Lixue. Light tea is mild and will not harm the fetus.
"I slept for an hour and rested very well." Shen Lixue smiled gently, sipped her tea, and her red lips, like cherries, were moist and alluring: "Are you discussing Dongfang Zhan's matter?"
"Hmm." It wasn't a secret, and Dongfang Heng didn't intend to hide it from Shen Lixue.