Emperor Qizhen’s arm trembled as he gripped the sword tightly in his hand, slowly raising it to strike at Jinghua’s neck.

The next moment, Jinghua cried out, “Father Emperor, your son knows he was wrong! Please spare your son! The Chengqing Hall matter, the attempts to assassinate Jingrong—they have nothing to do with your son! Father Emperor, you must believe your son!”

Tears streaming down his face!

The guards on both sides released their grip, and Jinghua immediately threw himself at Emperor Qizhen, embracing his legs.

He called out “Father Emperor” over and over again.

His cries made Emperor Qizhen’s hand go weak.

This beast—after all, he had raised him by his side since childhood. To kill him just like this, he still felt somewhat unable to bear it.

His hands trembled, unable to strike down!

Finally steeling his heart, he kicked Jinghua away and pointed the sword at him.

“Even now, you still don’t know repentance. You could besiege the palace to force me to my death—what else couldn’t you do? If I don’t kill you today, how can I silence the masses?”

Kill!

He must still kill!

Otherwise, where would the Son of Heaven’s dignity go?

Jinghua’s body shuddered as he looked at the sword blade so close before him. His pupils contracted, displaying the fear of one facing imminent death.

His mouth muttered, “It wasn’t me, your son didn’t do it, your son is wronged…”

Emperor Qizhen showed an expression of profound disappointment!

He prepared to kill him.

Seeing this, Jingyi stepped forward and cupped his hands. “Father Emperor, though the Crown Prince’s treason is utterly unconscionable, the Crown Prince was also deceived by Yan Weiyi, which led him to commit all these wrongs. Moreover, the Crown Prince is, after all, the heir apparent. Your son humbly begs Father Emperor to show leniency and handle this matter with clemency.”

Of course, stripping the Crown Prince title was the best solution!

The Crown Prince’s face showed disbelief—heaven knows why Jingyi would help him?

He raised his right hand, swept his sleeve, and pointed fiercely at Jinghua. “This Crown Prince doesn’t need your fake concern. You framed and entrapped me—how utterly despicable.”

“Crown Prince, there are eyewitnesses to this matter. What you’ve done, you thought you could conceal completely, but Yan Weiyi and Minister Zhang have revealed all your crimes. It’s not me framing you.”

“Nonsense! I don’t know any Yan Weiyi, and I never thought of harming Jingrong. The Chengqing Hall matter was definitely not my doing. Jingyi, I’m not stupid. You want to use this incident to pin all the crimes on me—this is clearly your deliberate scheme.” Jinghua’s fury knew no bounds.

He turned and embraced Emperor Qizhen’s legs again.

Anxiously explaining, he said, “Father Emperor, your son truly didn’t do these things. You know your son’s character.”

Know?

Emperor Qizhen said, “Yes, precisely because I understand you, know you clearly, I believe you could be instigated by others to pursue and kill Jingrong, plot rebellion, and intend to kill me to ascend the throne.”

“Father Emperor, your son truly…”

Before he could finish, Emperor Qizhen kicked him again.

Emperor Qizhen said angrily, “If I don’t kill you today, I would be failing the people under heaven.”

The sword in his hand was raised again!

But the motion of bringing it down seemed to lack some courage once more.

Jingyi also knelt down directly, pleading earnestly, “Father Emperor, though the Crown Prince has committed countless wrongs, he was also bewitched by treacherous people. Father Emperor, considering that the Crown Prince has been by your side since childhood, spare him.”

“Jingyi, you still dare plead for him?”

“The Crown Prince is your son’s elder brother. The bond between brothers cannot be severed. Your son also knows Father Emperor is extremely disappointed in the Crown Prince, but if Father Emperor truly brings down this sword, could you bear it?”

Of course he couldn’t bear it!

That beast was one he raised himself.

Emperor Qizhen hesitated somewhat. His hand trembled several times, and the sword lowered slightly.

Jingyi continued to strike while the iron was hot. “Father Emperor, the Crown Prince’s crime doesn’t warrant death. I humbly beg Father Emperor’s mercy, spare the Crown Prince’s life.”

As his words fell, he prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing.

The Crown Prince completely collapsed to the ground. What was the point of saying anything more? What was the point of refuting?

Opening his mouth would be like trying to make stones bloom.

In short, three words—finished completely!

Emperor Qizhen looked at Jingyi prostrate on the ground, then at Jinghua slumped on the floor. The fire burning in his heart had gradually been suppressed.

His gaze also moved downward, looking at the sword gripped in his hand.

He laughed bitterly.

To Jinghua, he said.

“I followed the late Emperor in campaigns north and south, pacifying barbarians, settling Kangshan. Border nations all pledged allegiance. This sword—I obtained it from the King of Li over thirty years ago. This sword is called the Zhichi Sword. I gave it to you so you would remember the root cause of the Li Kingdom’s downfall, to use this sword to continue conquering the realm—not to kill me with it.”

Jinghua was stunned into stupor!

“All these years, I gave you chance after chance, letting you follow me in handling state affairs. Back then, when there were floods in Jiangnan and droughts in Weibei, I entrusted these matters to you, hoping you would find ways to govern. But you only cared about pleasure, daily comfort and ease. Even though I was utterly disappointed in you, I still considered your pure and kind nature and firmly upheld you as Crown Prince. Even if you were mediocre and inferior to others, now you worried I would replace you as Crown Prince and besieged Fuyang Hall. Your actions cut my heart like knives. How can I still view you as the future heir to Great Lin’s realm? You’re simply not worthy!”

Just as he finished this heartfelt speech.

Emperor Qizhen’s face went pale as he pressed his chest, coughing violently.

And the next moment!

Clang—

Emperor Qizhen’s wrist tightened, he swung forward, released his palm, and threw the sword to the ground.

The candlelight reflected on the sword blade, the refracted silver light flashing precisely on Jinghua’s ashen profile.

His hands withdrew into his sleeves, supporting himself on the ground. In his ears was a buzzing sound.

Yet he heard extremely clearly the order Emperor Qizhen transmitted.

“Now, the Crown Prince has conducted himself without virtue, a mediocre talent who loves ease, plotted rebellion and regicide without remorse. Immediately strip the Crown Prince title, confine him to the Eastern Palace. Without my command, he shall not leave the Eastern Palace by even half a step.”

Strip the Crown Prince title?

Like a bolt of lightning, it struck viciously upon the Crown Prince’s head.

He had plotted this entire drama to ascend the throne as emperor. But in the end, it was all empty joy.

He was wrong!

Completely and utterly wrong!

In this world, the one person he should never have rebelled against was his own father!

Just after issuing the decree, Emperor Qizhen’s body finally couldn’t support itself and fell backward. Zhang Quan was first to support him, followed by Jingyi and the guards.

A swarm of people surrounded Emperor Qizhen.

And in Jinghua’s field of vision, that group of figures became increasingly blurred, their movements increasingly slow…

His pupils lost their focal point. His head spun dizzily several times as his body also fell backward.

Above his head were magnificent murals, but they seemed like an enormous vortex, stirring all his thoughts and consciousness into it.

Until—

His body was dragged up from the ground by several guards and pulled out of Fuyang Hall.

Just like a puppet at the mercy of others!

The Eastern Palace inner hall!

Jinghua didn’t know how he was dragged to the Eastern Palace.

Then he was directly thrown to the ground.

Those guards had no extra words, nor any other actions. They left the inner hall, preparing to close the door.

But Jinghua seemed blown somewhat awake by the wind. He rose from the ground and ran toward the door.

Only to be blocked in time by the guards.

“Move aside! This Crown Prince must see Master Pan! Go find him, go find him!”