Dongfang Zhan's smile froze, and he softened his tone: "Father, haven't you always wanted to pass the throne to your son? Why then do you oppose your son becoming emperor?"
"I do wish to pass the throne to you, but that is a willing decision. If I no longer wish to pass it on, you cannot take it from me." The emperor stood with his hands behind his back, his lips slightly pursed, exuding an imposing and majestic aura, as if he were a sovereign over the world.
"Father, I also wanted to wait until the day you were willing to pass on the throne, but the situation forced me to disobey you because I had no time!" Dongfang Zhan said slowly, his tone low, as if he had really encountered a matter of life and death.
The emperor snorted coldly, turned his head away, and ignored him. The emperor was the lord of Qingyan, holding the fate of everyone in Qingyan in his hands. Whenever Dongfang Zhan encountered any difficulties, the emperor could help him solve them. But Dongfang Zhan was different. He never asked him for help even once. Instead, he directly poisoned him, led a large army to attack the palace, and forced him to abdicate. A desperate act? No one would believe his baseless lies.
"Father, please forgive your unfilial son. I will make it up to you after I ascend the throne." Dongfang Zhan's low voice was filled with boundless sorrow, yet it chilled the hearts of those who heard it.
The emperor also keenly sensed something was wrong: "Dongfang Zhan, what are you doing?"
Dongfang Zhan took out a black pill and held it to his fingertip: "This is a pill that can paralyze someone on one side. If Father Emperor takes it, he will be unable to speak or move. At that time, I will frame the Crown Prince and have the Crown Prince and the entire Ye family executed..."
Dongfang Zhan didn't say what was to come, but the emperor guessed it. A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. He was paralyzed, the crown prince was killed, and the fourth and sixth princes were mediocre. The one most capable of ascending the throne was Dongfang Zhan. He would stop at nothing to get the throne, not even sparing his own relatives.
"Dongfang Zhan, I am your biological father. To murder your father and seize the throne is a crime punishable by Heaven." The emperor was furious as he looked at the black pill getting closer and closer. To become emperor, his most trusted son actually wanted to turn him into a paralyzed cripple. How despicable!
"Your subject does not wish to harm Your Majesty. If Your Majesty would simply affix your imperial seal to the edict of abdication, Your Majesty, I will spare Your Majesty." Dongfang Zhan placed a bright yellow silk scroll before the Emperor.
Looking at the clear, bold characters written in a vigorous, flowing style, the emperor laughed wildly. Dongfang Zhan had planned everything perfectly, just waiting for the final result. His wishful thinking was truly ingenious.
"I will not affix the imperial seal." The emperor's words were filled with boundless hatred, as if they were being spat out from between his teeth.
"Father, this is your own choice, don't blame your son!"
Dongfang Zhan's face was terrifyingly gloomy, and his cold voice sent chills down people's spines. Before everyone could recover from the shock, Dongfang Zhan had already come to the emperor, reached out and pinched his chin, trying to stuff medicine into his mouth.
Nangong Xiao's eyes narrowed, and he swung his palm at Dongfang Zhan. He never expected that after he exposed Dongfang Zhan's conspiracy, he would just happen to catch Dongfang Zhan's rebellion. No matter what, he could not let Dongfang Zhan's conspiracy succeed, otherwise, not only he and the King of Yunnan would be in trouble.
A strong, ominous wind swept in, and Dongfang Zhan frowned, but remained standing still, coldly uttering, "Stop him."
Several black-clad guards appeared out of nowhere in front of Nangong Xiao, blocking his path. They held long swords that gleamed with cold light and thrust them straight at the major acupoints on his body.
In this perilous situation, Nangong Xiao no longer cared about concealing his martial arts skills. He swiftly opened his folding fan, the white fan surface weaving back and forth in front of the guards. Wherever it passed, it stirred up patches of bloody light, yet his fan remained pristine white, without a trace of blood.
The emperor, Prime Minister Li, and the guards all looked at him with astonishment. In just a few breaths, he had killed so many powerful secret guards. His martial arts were truly unfathomable. Was he really the former playboy and womanizer, Nangong Xiao?
Nangong Xiao stood facing the wind, holding a folding fan, and coldly looked at Dongfang Zhan: "If you know what's good for you, take your people and get out of the palace, otherwise, I, the young master, will go on a killing spree."
Dongfang Zhan turned to look at him, a warm smile flashing in his sharp eyes: "I didn't expect that Prince Nangong would have such high martial arts skills. It's really beyond my expectations. However, I have brought thousands of troops with me. Prince Nangong alone cannot change the outcome."
As soon as he finished speaking, a large number of guards rushed up and surrounded Nangong Xiao. In the courtyard, a large number of guards were still pouring in. Nangong Xiao gritted his teeth in hatred. No matter how high his martial arts skills were, he couldn't withstand such a relentless attack from so many people. He wouldn't be killed, but he would be exhausted to death.
Outside the crowd, Dongfang Zhan had already reached the emperor. The emperor had been poisoned by a slow-acting poison and was weak and powerless, with no ability to resist. Just as Dongfang Zhan was about to squeeze the medicine into his chin, Nangong Xiao was extremely anxious. He shouted angrily and was about to rush past the guards to save the emperor when suddenly a fierce clash of weapons came from the peaceful courtyard.
Dongfang Zhan paused, "Go see who's causing trouble?" He had clearly brought everyone under control after entering the palace. Could it be that someone broke free and came to rescue the emperor? They're really overestimating themselves...
"Bang bang bang!" Before the guards who went to investigate the situation had even left the imperial study, several guards flew backwards through the wide-open courtyard gate, crashing heavily into the group of guards and vomiting blood.
Suddenly, a large gap appeared at the crowded courtyard gate. The guards, looking terrified, retreated hastily, unknowingly making way for the guards.
A white robe fluttered by, and a familiar figure appeared before everyone. His face, sculpted from white jade, made the sun in the sky pale in comparison, and the icy, chilling aura surrounding him inspired fear in all who beheld him.
"Dongfang Heng!" Dongfang Zhan frowned in shock. Shouldn't Dongfang Heng be fighting on the border and in the southern frontier? How come he's in the palace?
As the God of War of Qingyan, Dongfang Heng commanded 400,000 elite troops, which was the biggest obstacle to his ascension to the throne. When he killed Qin Junhao, he devised two plans. One was that Qin Ruoyan would control the people and force Dongfang Heng to his death, thus eliminating the threat and allowing him to ascend the throne smoothly. The other was that Dongfang Heng would kill Qin Ruoyan, causing the war between the Southern Frontier and Qingyan to break out. As the instigator of the war, Dongfang Heng would inevitably have to go to the border to quell the chaos.
Either way, he could kill or get rid of Dongfang Heng, which would make it easier for him to carry out his plan to force the emperor to abdicate. But he never expected that Dongfang Heng would suddenly return to the capital and just happen to run into him committing regicide and forcing the emperor to abdicate, catching him completely off guard.
"Prince An." The emperor was first shocked, then overjoyed. He was back, and Dongfang Zhan's schemes would never succeed again.
Looking sideways at Nangong Xiao, who was wholeheartedly protecting him, the emperor felt a surge of guilt. The Prince of Yunnan was loyal to Qingyan, yet he doubted their motives. Dongfang Zhan wanted to kill his father and usurp the throne, yet he trusted him without question. Alas, he was getting old, unable to judge people clearly, and unable to distinguish right from wrong.
Nangong Xiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the armored guards continuously emerging from behind Dongfang Heng. Dongfang Heng was back, which would greatly reduce his pressure. He was confident that he could kill all the guards in the courtyard within an incense stick's time. He might expend some internal energy, but he would definitely not be exhausted to death.
"Your presence in the palace seems to surprise Prince Zhan!" Dongfang Heng walked slowly toward the Imperial Study, his gaze sharp and cold. Wherever he went, the guards automatically made way for him, and no one dared to stop him.
Dongfang Zhan silently berated the guards for being useless, and coldly looked at him: "As the leader of the army, Prince An disobeyed the emperor's orders and left the border without permission, resulting in the southern border attacking Qingyan and the fall of many cities. What should be his punishment?"
"Your Highness need not worry, Qingyan. The war in the Southern Frontier has ended. I will return to the capital, and the Southern Frontier will never attack Qingyan again." Dongfang Heng's lips curled slightly, revealing a mysterious smile.
"Dongfang Heng, the people here aren't fools. The war between Nanjiang and Qingyan is extremely complicated; it's not something that can be stopped so easily." Qin Junhao and Qin Ruoyan are the Crown Prince and Princess of the royal family. Their tragic deaths in Qingyan are no small matter. Nanjiang will not rest until Qingyan is completely crushed. How could they possibly agree to a ceasefire?
Faced with Dongfang Zhan's suspicion and questioning, Dongfang Heng remained calm and unhurried: "Qin Junhao's death is very suspicious. I persuaded the prince of the Southern Frontier who commands the three armies to return to the capital with me to find the real culprit, Qingyan. The war in the Southern Frontier will naturally stop."
"What?" The Emperor, Dongfang Zhan, and Prime Minister Li all stared in shock. The Southern Border Prince was known for his cruel, strange, and stubborn temper. How could he have been persuaded by Dongfang Heng?
After a brief moment of shock, Dongfang Zhan was the first to react. He looked at the wide-open courtyard gate and saw only Qingyan guards; there was no sign of any Southern Frontier people. A mocking sneer appeared on his lips.
"Dongfang Heng, you should stop lying..." Before he could finish the word, a figure slowly walked into the courtyard. He wore a white jade crown, had an incomparably handsome face, and was dressed in a white robe embroidered with the vine flowers unique to the Southern Border royal family. However, his flowers were silver, representing his status as a prince. A gentle breeze blew by, and his white robe fluttered, making him look ethereal and otherworldly, like a god descending to earth.
"Qin Junxi from the Southern Frontier pays respects to the Azure Emperor." The man in white smiled slightly, bowed to the emperor, and spoke in an elegant and melodious voice.
Qin Junxi, the legendary fourth prince of the Southern Frontier, known for his extreme personality, eccentric temperament, and unpredictable nature! Dongfang Zhan was secretly surprised. He had been inquiring about the situation of royal families in various countries and knew that Qin Junxi was more powerful than Qin Junhao. However, Qin Junxi liked to travel around and was rarely seen. He wanted to cooperate with him but could not find him.
Isn't he usually so extreme? Upon hearing that his brother and sister had been murdered, he should have been furious and ordered his troops to raze Qingyan to the ground. Why did he listen to Dongfang Heng's advice, suppress his anger, and come to Qingyan to find the real culprit?
"No need for formalities." The Emperor, as the supreme ruler, remained calm and composed. Dongfang Heng's abilities had long exceeded his expectations, so he wasn't too surprised that Dongfang Heng could persuade Qin Junxi to come to the capital. "Does the Fourth Prince believe that Crown Prince Qin was not killed by Prince An?"
Qin Junxi smiled slightly: "Prince An is my good friend, and of course I trust his character. He said he didn't kill the Crown Prince, so he definitely didn't. The real culprit is someone else who is trying to be clever and provoke a war between the two countries. We must not let him have his way."
The group exchanged glances, their eyes filled with shock. They knew Dongfang Heng was incredibly powerful, but they never expected that he and the Fourth Prince of Southern Xinjiang were good friends.
It is said that Qin Junxi is proud and fearless of imperial power. Apart from the emperor of the Southern Frontier, he is indifferent to everyone else. This time, he calmly told the emperor that we are on the same side as the emperor.
In fact, Qin Junxi and Dongfang Heng's acquaintance began in Subei. As a prince of the Southern Frontier, Qin Junxi liked the Gu techniques and medical skills that the people of the Southern Frontier loved, but he disliked the power struggles in the palace. After he turned fifteen, he used the excuse of improving his Gu techniques and medical skills to travel around.
One night at the border of Qingyan and Subei, he failed to catch a poisonous insect and was bitten instead. Just then, Dongfang Heng led a group to inspect the military camp and saved him at the critical moment. Dongfang Heng was upright, righteous, and had outstanding abilities, which earned him Qin Junxi's deep respect.