Prince Liang was greatly shocked, his mind filled with doubt, not knowing whether Li Mingrui was feigning surrender to Bai Jinxiu or had truly betrayed him.
As the father and son Li Mao and Li Mingrui faced each other, Li Mao pressed his lips tightly together, anger suddenly flaring, but the fury dissipated in moments… He immediately understood his son’s intentions. After the anger in his eyes faded, his gaze toward his son held comfort and approval.
Only by having father and son stand on opposing sides could the Li family be preserved, regardless of whether Prince Liang or the Crown Prince ultimately became king.
Sacrificing one person’s life for the benefit of the entire clan was a profitable transaction.
It seemed that… in this lifetime, they were fortunate to have the chance to compete against each other, to see who had bet on the right person.
Li Mao feigned indignant rage, scolding Li Mingrui: “Li Mingrui, how can you so wrongly accuse your father! Are you even human?”
Li Mingrui’s eyes brimmed with tears, his throat choked with emotion, unable to speak.
Seeing the Emperor stare at him with widened eyes, Li Mao assumed a composed appearance: “Your Majesty, this minister’s loyalty can be witnessed by heaven and earth. Your Majesty must not be misled by petty people!”
“Misled?!” The Emperor hated two things most in his life: first, being restrained and controlled by others, and second, being deceived. The Emperor gritted his teeth, furious to the extreme, “Your conspiracy with Prince Liang to rebel is also others misleading you?!”
“All soldiers! His Majesty has said… Prince Liang and Li Mao are rebelling!” Bai Jinxiu shouted.
Today, when Prince Liang brought the Emperor out for an appearance, some Yuanping soldiers had already begun to waver, but considering the deterrent presence of the Shuoyang army brought by Ji Tingyu, they reluctantly convinced themselves to believe Bai Jinxiu’s words about Prince Liang’s rebellion. Now… with the Emperor speaking these words himself, the Yuanping soldiers no longer had any doubts.
Seeing Li Mao’s face turn iron-blue, Bai Jinxiu deliberately spoke to further provoke Prince Liang: “Prince Liang, you are now coercing His Majesty. When I storm into the imperial palace, I will surely have you subjected to death by a thousand cuts to vent His Majesty’s and the Crown Prince’s anger!”
“Father Emperor, if you don’t say something now, with us being besieged by Bai Jinxiu like this, we might not be able to hold out until the Pingyang army comes to our aid! You… also won’t be able to ascend the Nine-Tiered Platform! At the Nine-Tiered Platform… perhaps the virgin boys and girls have already been gathered, just waiting for Father Emperor and the Imperial Preceptor to arrive so the immortality elixir can be refined.” Prince Liang turned to look at the Emperor, whose face had turned ugly.
Upon hearing these words, the Emperor clenched his fists at his sides, his murky eyes streaked with blood vessels suddenly constricting as he asked: “Bai Jinxiu, will you withdraw your troops or not?!”
“Bai Jinxiu swears to protect His Majesty and the Crown Prince unto death!”
The Emperor’s gaze turned cold and stern as he looked at the Crown Prince: “Someone! Hang the Crown Prince from Wude Gate!”
Upon hearing these words, the Crown Prince looked at his Father Emperor in disbelief, his legs going weak: “Father Emperor?!”
Prince Liang shouted: “What are you standing there for! His Majesty has issued an edict to hang the Crown Prince from Wude Gate!”
“Father Emperor! Father Emperor! Father Emperor, save me!” The Crown Prince screamed in terror at the Emperor, struggling and writhing as he was still pushed up onto the Wude Gate wall, tears and snot streaming down his face.
The imperial guards atop Wude Gate tied ropes around the Crown Prince’s body and pushed the terrified Crown Prince, who kept shrinking backward, right off the edge.
The Crown Prince fell through the air with terrified screams, plummeting halfway before being jerked tight by the rope, nearly vomiting from the impact. He felt his crotch grow warm as hot liquid dripped down along his undergarments and the hem of his soiled robes. Shame, humiliation, and fear intermingled as the Crown Prince lost control and wailed: “Father Emperor! Father Emperor, save your son! Your son doesn’t want to die yet!”
“Prince Liang! You still dare say you’re not coercing His Majesty!” Bai Jinxiu suddenly stood up, pointing at Prince Liang atop Wude Gate, “Even a vicious tiger doesn’t eat its cubs. How could His Majesty be the kind of beast who would treat his flesh and blood this way?! Only you, Prince Liang, this disloyal, unfilial, inhumane, and unrighteous shameless cur, would treat your elder brother like this!”
Prince Liang was almost amused by his anger, not expecting Bai Jinxiu to be even better at performing than he was.
“Bai Jinxiu!” The Emperor, thinking of the Nine-Tiered Platform, cast aside all other concerns and shouted: “Will you withdraw your troops or not?!”
“Unless His Majesty and the Crown Prince safely emerge from the imperial city, otherwise… Bai Jinxiu swears to protect His Majesty’s and the Crown Prince’s safety unto death and will not retreat!” Bai Jinxiu gripped the sword at her waist and shouted, “Only in this way can Bai Jinxiu confirm that Prince Liang is not rebelling and feel at ease!”
The greatest leverage Prince Liang currently held was having the Emperor and Crown Prince in his grasp. Would Prince Liang release the Emperor and Crown Prince?
Hah…
With Prince Liang’s understanding of the Emperor, he surely knew that this Father Emperor of his… could even abandon the Crown Prince, let alone him, a prince who had never been favored.
“Prince Liang, since you claim you’re not rebelling, do you dare release His Majesty and the Crown Prince from the palace? If so, Bai Jinxiu will immediately hand over military authority to His Majesty! I’ll submit to whatever punishment awaits!” Bai Jinxiu shouted.
Strike the snake at its vital point – Bai Jinxiu knew clearly that Prince Liang wouldn’t dare.
“I will leave the palace!” The Emperor said anxiously, eager to reach the Nine-Tiered Platform.
Prince Liang turned to look at his Father Emperor, and sneered: “Father Emperor leaves the palace to go to the Nine-Tiered Platform, leaving Bai Jinxiu to focus on dealing with your son?”
How could Prince Liang not understand his Father Emperor’s character? He had forced the palace and usurped power, causing him such great humiliation. If he had no leverage over this Father Emperor, wouldn’t his Father Emperor want to tear him to pieces?
“I will immediately issue an edict to pass the throne to you!” The Emperor lowered his voice, “Isn’t this enough?!”
“Father Emperor… with troops at the city gates, even if you immediately abdicate to me, it depends on whether Bai Jinxiu acknowledges it…” Prince Liang’s gaze fell on Bai Jinxiu below Wude Gate, “Besides, after Father Emperor leaves the city and changes his mind, you are the Emperor – who could do anything to you?”
The Crown Prince, hanging from the city wall, was still wailing. The Emperor had already left with a flick of his sleeves, his heart full of rage. What the Emperor hated most in his lifetime was being restrained and controlled by others. In the past, when Bai Weiting was around, he had constrained him at every turn…
Now his most cowardly and filial son had suddenly transformed… into the greatest threat to himself.
Prince Liang looked deeply at Bai Jinxiu and shouted, “Just hang the Crown Prince here. When Bai Jinxiu withdraws, then we’ll let the Crown Prince down!”
After speaking, Prince Liang also turned and left.
Li Mao followed behind Prince Liang, lowering his voice to speak with him: “Your Highness, we can’t delay any longer… we must find a way to force His Majesty to abdicate and let Your Highness ascend the throne! The Pingyang army should already be on its way here. If the Pingyang army arrives… Bai Jinxiu, with her persuasive words, might convince the Pingyang army to ask His Majesty to leave the city first. Once His Majesty escapes our control, we lose! Only before the Pingyang army arrives, if Prince Liang ascends the throne, and His Majesty passes away! Your Highness would at least have legitimate authority with the Anping army!”
Prince Liang’s steps halted, he turned to look at Li Mao, his brows carrying a hint of mockery: “The Left Chancellor is afraid that if this attempt fails, you’ll be torn to pieces by Bai Jinxiu and others! Did you conspire with my second imperial brother to usurp the throne?”
Li Mao knew the weight of the Second Prince in Prince Liang’s heart and quickly calculated in his mind how he should respond.