On the third day of the fifth month in the eighteenth year of Xuanjia, the scouts who had left Chancellor Li Mao’s residence had been sent early to Great Liang to investigate the movements of the great army returning to the capital city. They reported to Li Mingrui that Princess Zhenguo and Liu Hongzheng were leading their forces in a rapid march back to the Kingdom. Moreover, the matter of his sending word back had already become known to the common people and officials along the route—the news of Prince Liang’s treasonous plot was causing heated discussions everywhere.
Li Mingrui clenched his fists tightly, knowing he could no longer afford any delays. He petitioned Prince Liang to order Fan Yuhuai to immediately spare no effort in attacking the imperial city, insisting they must enter the palace at once to force the Emperor to issue an edict transferring the throne to Prince Liang.
Who would have expected that just as Fan Yuhuai gave the order to attack the imperial city, the gates of Wude Gate would open by themselves…
Xie Yuchang and Fu Ruoxi emerged from within Wude Gate. Xie Yuchang’s expression was extremely grim as he said, “His Majesty has issued an edict, requesting Prince Liang to enter the palace.”
The imperial palace had already run out of provisions yesterday, which wasn’t particularly significant. However, the saltpeter the Emperor used for refining elixirs was insufficient and needed to be transported in from outside the palace, so the Emperor commanded Xie Yuchang to relay the order for Prince Liang to enter the palace.
Chancellor Lu, the Minister of War, and Xie Yuchang had all argued with the Emperor based on reason and logic, but it was completely useless. The Emperor, who had become utterly obsessed, actually ordered Xie Yuchang to arrest Chancellor Lu, the Minister of War, and all the other officials. Chancellor Lu, normally such a tactful minister, was so enraged that he directly cursed the foolish ruler.
The Emperor took advantage of this to strip Chancellor Lu of his position as prime minister, then asked Xie Yuchang whether he only listened to the Crown Prince and didn’t recognize him as the Emperor—whether he intended to defy the imperial command and resist the edict.
Such a weighty accusation came crashing down, and it was Fu Ruoxi who held back Xie Yuchang, who was prepared to die remonstrating. She accepted the command and accompanied Xie Yuchang out of the city to invite Prince Liang.
But deep in their hearts, whether it was Fu Ruoxi or Xie Yuchang, both had become completely disappointed in this Emperor and this dynasty. They were also unwilling to have these soldiers sacrifice their lives for such an Emperor, so they came out to invite Prince Liang according to the Emperor’s demands.
Although the Crown Prince couldn’t be considered a wise and enlightened ruler, at least he wasn’t someone like Prince Liang, who was skilled in schemes, treachery, and disguise. Sometimes when ministers offered counsel, the Crown Prince could still listen.
But if Prince Liang were to ascend the throne, who knew what the state of Jin would become?
Prince Liang was cautious and meticulous by nature. Upon hearing that the Emperor was inviting him into the palace, he feared there might be some deception involved. He first had Fan Yuhuai send people to take control of several gates of the imperial city, then had Xie Yuchang and Fu Ruoxi arrested before bringing heavy troops into the imperial palace, leaving Fan Yuhuai outside the palace to establish defenses.
The Emperor sat upon the throne in the treasure hall, watching Prince Liang, who had entered from outside the hall with heavy troops and was now kneeling and performing the ritual prostration before him. He patted the armrest of the dragon chair and spoke: “You led troops to force your way into the palace this time—is it because you want this dragon chair?”
At this moment, though Prince Liang maintained a respectful attitude before the Emperor, he had completely lost the panic and terror of previous days. After kowtowing, he said, “Your son requests that Father Emperor abdicate…”
“Good! Truly good…” The Emperor’s turbid eyes gazed at Prince Liang. He truly hadn’t expected that he would so completely misjudge this son of his. “Prince Liang is truly my good son. That submissive and timid appearance you usually display—it was all an act!”
Prince Liang maintained his kneeling position with head bowed, motionless, displaying a humble attitude of allowing the Emperor to vent his fury.
“You wanting this imperial throne is not impossible! I have conditions…”
Upon hearing the Emperor’s words, Prince Liang’s face showed joy as he hurriedly said, “Father Emperor, rest assured—your son will certainly not make things difficult for Crown Prince Brother!”
But the Emperor shook his head, saying, “What I want to discuss is not the Crown Prince, but my Nine-Tiered Platform! The Nine-Tiered Platform… must be completed no matter what! So… if you want control of government affairs, I can issue an edict right now for you to lead the administration. But the imperial throne… whenever you complete the Nine-Tiered Platform and find me a thousand virgin boys and girls, that’s when I’ll abdicate and let you become this Emperor!”
Prince Liang had thought the Emperor was going to plead for the Crown Prince, never expecting that what he cared about most was still his Nine-Tiered Platform for seeking immortality and the Dao!
A trace of pity for the Crown Prince arose in his heart. So it turned out… the Crown Prince wasn’t particularly special in Father Emperor’s heart either—he was still someone who could be abandoned at will.
Seeing that Prince Liang didn’t respond, the Emperor continued, “If you’re unwilling, then… kill me, this Emperor, and then ascend the throne yourself! However… I’ve already sent a personally written secret edict out of the palace, ordering the Crown Prince to use the imperial edict to command garrison forces from various locations to rush to our aid! Thus… in the future, your reputation as a traitorous minister and rebel will never be able to be cleansed.”
Prince Liang didn’t quite believe the Emperor’s words, feeling the Emperor was deceiving him. The Crown Prince had already fled for over a month—if he truly held an imperial edict that could mobilize troops, they would have arrived at the capital long ago.
Li Mingrui, kneeling behind Prince Liang, actually felt the Crown Prince might truly possess an imperial edict. That reinforcements hadn’t arrived by now might mean the Crown Prince was still within the capital!
Li Mingrui’s heart skipped a beat. He raised his eyes to glance at Prince Liang, immediately developing selfish thoughts. He wanted to send people from the Li residence to secretly search for the Crown Prince. If he could obtain the secret edict in the Crown Prince’s hands, when Prince Liang ascended the throne in the future, this secret edict… would be the most powerful leverage the Li family could use to control Prince Liang!
Li Mingrui calculated in his mind the time for Bai Qingyan’s army to advance, then lowered his voice to speak to Prince Liang: “Your Highness… as long as His Majesty remains alive, when Your Highness ascends the throne, the people of the realm will consider it proper and legitimate. Otherwise, with the Crown Prince still uncaptured and the Emperor dead in the capital… when Your Highness ascends the throne, others will think Your Highness’s imperial position came improperly and illegitimately, harboring other intentions… Those loyal to the Crown Prince, such as Princess Zhenguo, would have sufficient excuse to rebel against Your Highness!”
Prince Liang pressed his lips together without speaking. But that Nine-Tiered Platform would still need over a month to complete construction. If Princess Zhenguo managed to return in time during that month or more…
Prince Liang raised his eyes to look at the Emperor.
By then, his position with the Emperor would be reversed—at that time, he would only be at the mercy of the Emperor’s manipulation.
Li Mingrui, as if knowing Prince Liang’s concerns, said in a low voice, “Your Highness, if the Minister of Works supervises the construction urgently, the Nine-Tiered Platform can be completed within twenty days!”
Prince Liang knew that the Minister of Works was Left Chancellor Li Mao’s man. Li Mingrui had joined him in this undertaking—if they failed, it would mean the extermination of entire families. Presumably, if it couldn’t be completed within twenty days, he wouldn’t dare speak so boldly.
“Your Highness might as well agree to His Majesty and gain proper legitimacy! The Nine-Tiered Platform and a thousand virgin boys and girls are not difficult matters!” Li Mingrui advised again.
Upon hearing this, Prince Liang looked toward the Emperor and kowtowed again: “I request that Father Emperor issue an edict to capture the Crown Prince who intends treason. Your son will certainly handle the matter of the Nine-Tiered Platform and the thousand virgin boys and girls within twenty days!”
The Emperor’s eyes turned cold and stern: “Within ten days!”
Prince Liang gritted his teeth tightly, slightly turning his head to look at Li Mingrui behind him.
Li Mingrui calculated in his mind—if they could conscript more common people to build together and have them reach the Nine-Tiered Platform within three days, perhaps… they might be able to complete construction within ten days.
The difficulty lay in these thousand virgin boys and girls. Li Mingrui had previously heard this Celestial Master mention that what was needed were virgin boys and girls between the ages of five and ten, and they had to come from families with clean backgrounds. Moreover, rumors had previously spread that the Emperor wanted to use the lives of these thousand children to refine elixirs. To gather these thousand children within ten days would indeed be quite difficult.