Inside the Imperial Palace, it was as if flooded by savage beasts. The four gates—east, west, south, and north—were all guarded by heavy troops, already replaced one by one with Prince Yi’s men.

Every palace gate and passageway was already under control.

Torches illuminated the already bright palace even more brilliantly. Orange light pervaded everywhere, as if one were immersed in a sea of flames.

At this moment, fine rain like down began to fall from the sky. Dense threads of rain struck the green tiles of the palace halls, splashing up layer upon layer of thin white mist that shrouded the Imperial Palace’s oppressively heavy atmosphere.

Armored soldiers bearing long swords had now surrounded the palace so tightly that not even water could leak through.

Not even a mosquito could enter.

A great storm was quietly approaching.

At the first quarter of the mao hour, with the sky still dark, Jing Yi wore long boots and strode through the filthy rainwater covering the ground, braving the rain to enter the palace. His hair and his magnificent silk robes were covered with a layer of ice-cold rainwater. He looked as if sharp silver needles were piercing out from his body.

Behind him followed more than a dozen court ministers and several guards bearing torches.

Everyone braved the rain and stopped outside Fuyang Hall.

They stood before and behind, no one making a sound.

Jing Yi straightened his back, lifted his head. Rainwater struck his face like knives, carving it even more coldly severe. A pair of frigid eyes fixed on the closed gate before him. His entire being flowed with an extreme thirst for power.

Now, victory was in his grasp.

Cold wind whistled all around. Those torches struggled to burn in the rain and wind, yet remained steadfastly unextinguished. Their firelight illuminated the heavily tense exterior of Fuyang Hall, seemingly already determining the final outcome.

After who knows how long, that door slowly opened. A young eunuch emerged and called out, “His Majesty is gravely ill. Prince Yi is summoned to enter the hall.”

Jing Yi’s expression was stern. He lifted his rain-soaked robes and ascended the steps, entering the hall step by step.

Inside the hall, several warming braziers burned on all sides. Warmth rushed toward him, enveloping his originally hot-blooded body, which instead grew cold.

He reached out to pat the rainwater from his sleeves and entered the inner chamber.

In the inner chamber stood several people: Consort Xiao by the bedside, several attending young eunuchs, Liang Zongzheng from the Imperial Clan Court, Minister Jiang the palace attendant, the Cabinet Minister who read imperial edicts…

And Emperor Qizhen lying on the bed was already terminally ill. His complexion was deathly pale like white paper. He opened those hollow, deeply sunken eyes, mouth agape, gasping for breath.

Presumably, he wouldn’t last much longer.

“This son pays respects to Father Emperor.” Jing Yi performed the kowtow ritual.

Emperor Qizhen looked at him sideways, coughed several times, and tried to prop himself up. Consort Xiao quickly stepped forward to support him, but he forcefully pushed her away.

He rebuked, “We are not yet dead.”

Consort Xiao looked at her hand, awkwardly suspended in midair after being pushed away. She wasn’t annoyed but simply smiled and retreated to the side.

Old thing who won’t die—you won’t live much longer either.

Emperor Qizhen struggled to sit up, his body leaning against the bed post. He swept his gaze over each person surrounding him. Now, he was like a tiger locked in a cage, at the mercy of others.

After a long while—

“Where is Zhang Quan?” he asked aloud.

A young eunuch beside him said, “Replying to Your Majesty, Eunuch Zhang is unwell. He sent this servant to attend instead.”

Who would believe that!

He wasn’t foolish either. He glanced at the carved, openwork window. Though the sky outside was still dark, several threads of orange light penetrated through. Presumably outside… had already been surrounded.

He laughed bitterly.

He said, “We truly raised a fine son.”

His voice was desolate and pitiful!

Jing Yi stood there ramrod straight, not speaking.

Emperor Qizhen raised his hand and pointed at him. “When Jinghua staged his palace siege, We should have realized—with his courage, how would he dare stage a palace siege? We only blame Ourself for mistakenly trusting you, becoming an incompetent ruler once over.”

“Father Emperor…”

“No need for explanations. We are clear about all you’ve done.” He pressed his chest and coughed again. “Now that you’ve already staged your palace siege, why not simply execute Us with one stroke?”

Jing Yi lowered his eyes. Though victory was now assured, he still respectfully replied, “This son dares not.”

“Dares not?” Emperor Qizhen said, “It’s not that you dare not—you’re worried that if you kill Us within these palace walls, even if you ascend the throne in the future, the people of the realm will call you a ‘treasonous son.'”

His thoughts exposed by these words, there was no need to hide anything anymore. He spoke frankly: “Since Father Emperor already knows, then this son will speak directly. This son does not wish to stage a palace siege and commit regicide like the Crown Prince. After all, Father Emperor has treated this son very well. This son truly cannot bear it. So this son only wishes to entreat Father Emperor to issue an imperial edict. Since the Cabinet Minister is also present, if Father Emperor would issue an edict passing the throne to this son, then this son… can allow Father Emperor to live out his years peacefully as Grand Emperor.”

Bah!

Such wolfish ambition!

And Grand Emperor too!

Emperor Qizhen was disdainful, angrily rebuking, “Grand Emperor? How shameless of you to say it.”

“This son is thinking of Father Emperor.” He raised his head, meeting those fire-spewing eyes, and continued, “This son has already deployed troops inside and outside the capital, and inside and outside the palace. If Father Emperor doesn’t issue the edict, this son will give the command, and at that time, everywhere in the palace will see countless deaths and injuries. But as long as Father Emperor agrees to issue the edict, inside and outside the palace can remain peaceful. After this son receives the imperial edict, naturally this son will ‘sound the gongs to withdraw troops.’ Father Emperor can also peacefully recuperate. Two birds with one stone.”

“You’re threatening Us?”

“At this point, does Father Emperor still have a choice?”

Yes!

What choice did he have left?

This wasn’t a multiple choice question.

Veins bulged on the back of Emperor Qizhen’s hand. He gripped his clothes tightly, as if about to tear them apart.

Seeing this, Consort Xiao, who had remained silently on the side, stepped forward to persuade: “Your Majesty, your health is poor now, state affairs are burdensome, and Yi’er has gained power. Everyone in the court, high and low, obeys his commands. Why doesn’t Your Majesty hand over the realm to him with your own hand?”

Emperor Qizhen glared at her, truly grinding his teeth as he said, “If We remain alive, We will have you sliced to death by a thousand cuts.”

“…” Consort Xiao had no words.

“You think We don’t know? If you hadn’t added poison to the white fungus soup, would We have ended up like this?”

“…” She had no defense.

At this moment, Jing Yi gave a meaningful glance to the Cabinet Minister.

The Cabinet Minister immediately drew from his sleeve an imperial edict prepared long ago and presented it.

Jing Yi: “This son entreats Father Emperor to grant this.”

In his tone was a hint of murderous intent!

Emperor Qizhen snatched the imperial edict and opened it to look. What was written was precisely the edict passing the throne to Prince Yi.

Now, he only needed to add his signature with one stroke and affix the imperial seal, and Jing Yi’s plan would be accomplished.

A eunuch beside him even brought over a tray bearing a brush, ink, and the imperial seal.

For him to sign and seal.

Emperor Qizhen laughed coldly, but the laugh was somewhat feeble. Immediately after, he coughed violently and spat up blood, staining the imperial edict in his hand red.

The next moment, Consort Xiao quickly took the edict from his hand. After spreading it out, she placed it on the tray and urged, “Your Majesty should sign. All the ministers are waiting outside now.”

Emperor Qizhen looked toward Jing Yi, gasping for breath. “What if We don’t sign?”