"I believe that since this concerns the safety of both of you, Your Majesty will not blame us. If we do not leave now, it will be too late once Your Majesty passes away!" Zhou Chang said urgently.
"Prime Minister, there's no need for further words. I cannot leave, nor can the King of Zhao." Lady Qi thought to herself that His Majesty was about to kill Fan Kuai and seize Lü Zhi. If she then whispered something in his ear, Ruyi might even become the Crown Prince. At that time, it would be Liu Ying who would go to Zhao.
Zhou Chang inwardly cursed the woman's narrow-mindedness, "Why? His Majesty is seriously ill and may pass away within a few days. Relying solely on this old minister..."
"You audacious subject! How dare you curse His Majesty to have only a few days left to live!" Lady Qi roared.
Zhou Chang quickly apologized, "This humble subject misspoke, but does Your Majesty not know the extent of your injuries?"
"Hmph, of course I know. His Majesty is vigorous and healthy, so Lord Zhou need not worry too much," Lady Qi said with a smile.
Zhou Chang looked completely bewildered; he had no idea what was wrong with Liu Ji's condition.
"In that case, this old minister shall take his leave."
"Go down," Lady Qi waved her hand.
Zhou Chang sighed inwardly. He had done his duty, and there was nothing he could do if the other party wouldn't listen. He could only leave it to fate.
...
In the Han army camp, Fan Kuai was making preparations for the expedition. Liu Ji's trust in him and entrusting him with military power deeply moved Fan Kuai. He felt that he was indeed the most trusted person by His Majesty. He had made up his mind to do his best to pacify the Yan Kingdom.
At this moment, a soldier came to report, "Reporting to the General, the Imperial Physician Chen has come to deliver an imperial edict and has arrived outside the camp."
"Oh? Chen Ping is here at this time..." Fan Kuai's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that His Majesty is critically ill?
Fan Kuai dared not delay and hurriedly led his officers to receive the imperial edict.
However, the decree read by Chen Ping was that Liu Ji would replace Fan Kuai with Zhou Bo to lead the troops. Fan Kuai and the other generals were dumbfounded. Was this some kind of game, changing generals on the eve of battle?
It wasn't until Zhou Bo appeared from the carriage that the crowd dared to believe it was real.
"Pass down the order to the entire army that this expedition against Yan is now under my command. General Fan Kuai has other important matters to attend to. The army shall continue preparations for the expedition and will set off soon!" Zhou Bo announced loudly.
"Yes, sir." The generals bowed and accepted the order.
"Prime Minister, Lord Chen, what exactly is going on?" Fan Kuai was completely confused.
"Let's go inside the tent and dismiss everyone before we talk," Zhou Bo sighed.
...
Only Fan Kuai, Zhou Bo, and Chen Ping were inside the central command tent.
Fan Kuai asked impatiently, "What exactly happened? Why did His Majesty change generals at the last minute?"
"General Fan, you should take a good look at the imperial edict yourself," Chen Ping sighed.
Fan Kuai opened the package and his head buzzed. "Execute Fan Kuai immediately?! This, this..."
“That’s right. His Majesty suspects that you and the Lü family are conspiring to rebel after His Majesty’s death, so he ordered the two of us to kill them.” Chen Ping told the truth.
On the way here, he had already discussed it with Zhou Bo, and Fan Kuai should not be killed for the time being.
Liu Ji's idea was for them to kill Fan Kuai as soon as they entered the military camp, and then have Chen Ping take Fan Kuai's head back to report.
But Chen Ping and Zhou Bo said, "Fan Kuai is His Majesty's old subordinate, and has made great contributions. Moreover, he is Empress Lü's brother-in-law, which means he is a member of the imperial family and holds a high position. Right now, His Majesty is angry. What if he changes his mind?"
Besides, His Majesty is so ill, and Fan Kuai is Empress Lü's brother-in-law. Those two sisters will surely stir up trouble around His Majesty, and we'll inevitably be blamed. Unless His Majesty punishes and executes Empress Lü as well, but is that even possible?
Upon hearing this, Zhou Bo was at a loss and asked, "Are we going to defy the imperial decree and release Fan Kuai?"
Chen Ping, who already had a plan, replied, "Releasing him is out of the question. Instead, we should tie him up, put him in a prison cart, and send him to Chang'an. We can then let the Emperor decide whether to execute him or pardon him."
Therefore, Chen Ping and Zhou Bo did not announce Fan Kuai's execution in public to avoid causing chaos.
"This is outrageous! I'm going to see His Majesty right now and demand an explanation!" Fan Kuai was furious. People say that a dying man's words are good, but how come Liu Ji's words are like this?
"General Fan, please don't put us in a difficult position," Chen Ping advised.
“If General Fan insists on doing this, then cut me with your sword and charge out,” Zhou Bo said, blocking the doorway.
Fan Kuai clenched his fists. "What do you two intend to do with me?"
"I intend to find a dilapidated prison cart to escort General Fan back to the capital. We can then delay him on the road for a few more days until His Majesty's anger has subsided. General Fan can then explain the situation to His Majesty. Alternatively, His Majesty may have already passed away by then, and Empress Lü will certainly not make things difficult for you. Everything will then be resolved easily," Chen Ping said, bowing.
"This is the best solution, General, please bear with it for now," Zhou Bo advised.
No matter how resentful Fan Kuai was, he couldn't do anything to Chen Ping and Zhou Bo, who had been kind to him, so he could only bow and thank them.
...
At Weiyang Palace, Empress Lü suddenly arrived with her trusted confidantes to visit Liu Ji.
Liu Ji instinctively pretended to be critically ill; it's a habit he's developed over many years that's really hard to break.
Empress Lü smiled slightly as she looked at the dying Liu Ji, then leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Did His Majesty send Zhou Bo and Chen Ping to kill Fan Kuai?"
Liu Ji shuddered. Who the hell snitched on him?!
Chapter 210 Death
"Useless trash!" the black dragon roared.
"Dragon God, please calm your anger! Even if this woman finds out, it will be too late to stop him. Fan Kuai is doomed!" Liu Ji reasoned to himself.
"Foolish! Only you and Chen Zhou know about this. Do you even need to ask how Lü Zhi found out? Besides, they've been gone for so long. If nothing unexpected happened, they should have killed Fan Kuai long ago. If Fan Kuai were dead, his luck wouldn't be so much less." Black Dragon roared.
"Uh, this..." Liu Ji was speechless.
"No need to wait any longer, prepare to breathe your last. This body is nearing its limit. After taking the divine medicine, your body will die soon. You will be able to move again in three days after your divine body is fully formed. Remember to have Lü Zhi bury you as soon as possible to avoid any strange phenomena that might disturb mortals." After saying this, the black dragon spat out a speckled pill and placed it into Liu Ji's stomach.
Liu Ji slowly opened his eyes. "The Empress has come at the right time. I am dying. If there is anything you do not understand, please ask me quickly..."
Empress Lü smiled coldly, putting on quite a show. "I can let bygones be bygones regarding Fan Kuai's matter, but can Xiao He be reinstated as Chancellor?"
"Okay." Liu Ji secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"After Prime Minister Xiao's death, who will succeed him?" Empress Lü asked again.
“Cao Can is acceptable.” Liu Ji’s face grew even paler.
Empress Lü frowned. "And after Cao Can?"
“Wang Ling is acceptable, but he lacks wisdom and strategy. Chen Ping can assist him. Although Chen Ping is wise, he cannot make decisions on important matters. Zhou Bo is not good at speaking, but he is honest and kind. He will definitely be the one to stabilize the Liu family's empire in the future. Let’s appoint him as Grand Commandant.” Liu Ji said weakly, a sense of fear rising in his heart. He was afraid that he was really going to die!
"And what about after that?" Lü Zhi's face was grim, and Liu Ji's face instantly aged considerably, also emitting an unpleasant odor.
"Hehe, you'll never know what will happen in the future. Ah Zhi, bury me as soon as possible, and make sure there are plenty of things to be buried with me..." Liu Ji's voice grew softer and softer, and then he slowly closed his eyes.
After a long pause, Lü Zhi gently placed her index finger in front of Liu Ji's nostrils. "Your Majesty? Your Majesty! Hiss..."
Xiang Yu, dressed in the armor of the imperial guards, walked in. "Hmm? Why isn't it here? The Black Dragon ran so fast?"
"No, the Black Dragon hasn't come out yet, and Liu Ji isn't dead! Let's retreat!" Hao Jiu put away the red instant-kill item.
Xiang Yu quickly left the room and hid. "Why did Liu Ji fake his death?"
"It's probably Heilong's doing," Hao Jiu said vaguely.
At this moment, inside Liu Ji's body.
A tiny figure that looked exactly like Liu Ji was excitedly examining an enormous black dragon.
"The Dragon God is truly majestic and awe-inspiring!" Liu Ji exclaimed.
"Now you should believe me, right? After I collect these last few waves of fortune, I will take you to the Immortal Realm." The black dragon revealed its true form to gain Liu Ji's trust.
"Haha, that's for sure. I've always believed in the Dragon God's words. Hmm? Why is there a light at the edge, and a faint sound coming from there? Can I hear sounds even when I'm dead?" Liu Ji asked curiously.
The black dragon chuckled, "What's so strange about that? That's your ear piercing. You can see what's outside once you go to the entrance. But remember, you mustn't go out. Once you do, you'll quickly dissipate, and even I, the god, won't be able to save you then."
"Hiss... Is it that dangerous? Don't worry, Dragon God, I promise I won't go out. Besides, there's no point in going out anyway." Liu Ji said, then approached the cave entrance and listened carefully to the sounds outside. "Oh, I didn't expect Lü Zhi to have such deep feelings for me. She's crying so sadly."
Empress Lü wiped away non-existent tears. "Damn it, even death is so sudden. Men, prepare the carriages and horses; His Majesty will travel to Changle Palace. Also, seal off Weiyang Palace; no one is allowed to enter or leave without authorization! Send someone to the main camp to find Chen Ping and tell him that His Majesty is critically ill and that he must return to Changle Palace to see me immediately."
"Here you go!"
Liu Ji, “…”
"Hehe, I advise you to stay away from that cave entrance. If you can't hear it, you won't be bothered. You're already dead. Even if you achieve divine power, I won't let you run around. Just take mortal matters lightly. Everyone has their own fate," the black dragon laughed.
"Hmph! That woman Lü Zhi must be up to some trick, daring to conceal the news of my death! And Chen Ping, when exactly did he get involved with Lü Zhi, and why did I call Chen Ping back at this crucial moment?" Liu Ji became angrier the more he thought about it, never expecting that Chen Ping would dare to betray him.
"Perhaps you're overthinking it. Chen Ping is the Imperial Physician, responsible for the security of the palace. It's the perfect time to find him. Besides, if you want to arrange a burial, you'll have to find Chen Ping. Alright, I'll just take a nap. Remember, don't go out, or your soul will be scattered." After saying this, the black dragon fell silent.
"I know, I know, I'm not stupid," Liu Ji said impatiently. "After the burial, even if I wanted to see it, I wouldn't be able to. What's there to see in the tomb?"
After returning to Changle Palace, Empress Lü still felt uneasy, so she hurriedly sent a trusted confidant to inform Marquis Jiancheng, Lü Shizhi, of the death of Liu Ji and to urge him to come to Chang'an as soon as possible.
Then they summoned Xiao He, Shen Shiqi, and others to discuss the next steps.
"In my humble opinion, there are two most important things at present: one is to prepare for the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne, and the other is to bury His Majesty as soon as possible." As Xiao He spoke, he glanced at Liu Ji's corpse. It was a truly gruesome death, and it even smelled a bit bad.
“What the Prime Minister says is absolutely right. The matter of the Crown Prince’s ascension to the throne cannot be delayed, otherwise it will be easy for others to take advantage of the situation,” Shen Shiqi said, bowing.
Empress Lü nodded and said, “There’s no time to lose. I’ll trouble the Prime Minister to prepare for the Crown Prince’s ascension to the throne. Once everything is ready, we can announce His Majesty’s death later. I will arrange for someone else to bury His Majesty. Although the imperial mausoleum is not yet finished, it should be usable, so there shouldn’t be any major problems.”
"In that case, this old minister shall take his leave." Xiao He bowed and slowly withdrew, inwardly marveling at how extraordinary Liu Ji was, able to foresee such a sudden death.
Liu Ji listened to the sounds outside through the ear canal, thinking, "At least this woman still has some conscience; she hasn't forgotten about burying me."
"Lord Biyang, I have some important matters to attend to... Ah! You audacious scoundrel, aren't you afraid that Liu Ji will turn into a vengeful ghost and come to claim my life?" Before Lü Zhi could finish speaking, she was startled by Shen Shiqi.
"Hehe, what's there to be afraid of? We finally got to see him die, so we don't have to sneak around anymore." Shen Shiqi glanced at Liu Ji's corpse and practiced his grip strength with a hint of provocation.
Liu Ji's eyes widened instantly. "Examine! Eat! It!"
"There's no need to rush, is there?" Lü Zhi closed her eyes, as if in a dream.
...
"Oh dear, as the saying goes, spring's beauty cannot be confined within the garden walls; a branch of red apricot blossoms peeks over the wall. Given this situation, if Liu Ji was faking his death, he probably couldn't keep up the act any longer, could he?" Hao Jiu smiled slightly.
"I'm afraid he'll be willing but powerless, and can only watch helplessly." Xiang Yu casually poked his palm with a small knife, making a soft clicking sound.
"Haha, Liu Ji must be furious!" Hao Jiu imagined it for a moment, and oh dear... how tragic!
"Ahhh! Shen Shiqi! I will kill you! Kill you two filthy men and women! Why do this!" Liu Ji, hearing the familiar song, went mad. He tried to rush out of the cave several times, but in the end, he could only keep cursing.