“Rest assured!” Liu Rushi gently patted Fan Yugan’s hand. “If it truly comes to that, Liu Rushi will never allow himself to become a burden to Great Zhou!”

Fan Yugan immediately understood that Liu Rushi was determined to die if necessary. Just as he was about to speak persuasively, he saw Liu Rushi look up at his attendant standing stunned at the door: “What are you standing there for? Pull Lord Fan away!”

Liu Rushi was the chief envoy among the Great Zhou envoys. If he stayed, he might still be able to negotiate with the Second Prince after his ascension. But if all of them from Great Zhou left, allowing Tianfeng country and Yan country to whisper poison in the Second Prince’s ear, Great Zhou and Dongyi might truly go to war, which would be entirely disadvantageous to Great Zhou during its gambling campaign. He would have failed Bai Qingyan’s trust.

Furthermore, Liu Rushi also worried this might be some conspiracy. His staying… could also stabilize the new Dongyi ruler’s mind.

“My lord!” Fan Yugan felt inexplicably panicked.

“This is an imperial command!” Liu Rushi said with resolute expression, then looked down at the severely injured messenger: “You stay too!”

If this matter truly was some conspiracy, Liu Rushi would tie this person up and hand him over when the time came!

“Send someone to treat his wounds and watch him carefully… don’t let anything go wrong!” Liu Rushi instructed the guards.

Fan Yugan was pulled away by Liu Rushi’s attendant. Wrapping themselves in cloaks, the group hurriedly departed.

After the sixteen people, including Fan Yugan and Lu Fenglang, boarded the ship, Lu Fenglang found time to ask: “Why did my lord have us leave Dongyi overnight?”

“Our Great Zhou’s alliance with Dongyi’s Empress to promote the Seventh Prince has been discovered by the Second Prince! I estimate… the old Emperor probably isn’t going to make it, and wanted to change the succession to the Seventh Prince at the last moment, so the Second Prince acted preemptively!” Fan Yugan said quietly, watching Dongyi country grow more distant.

Lu Fenglang’s expression immediately changed. It wasn’t that the old Emperor wanted to change succession to the Seventh Prince at the last moment – Lu Fenglang had learned from Dongyi’s Empress that… the old Emperor wouldn’t last three more days, so she gave the Empress an idea!

She told the Empress to stay by the old Emperor’s side day and night, and when the old Emperor was in a daze, to stamp the state seal on a pre-written edict. When certain the old Emperor was dying, she should pretend he had something to say and retrieve the edict from under his pillow. At that time… since the Seventh Prince was legitimate, it would be rightful and proper.

Probably some step in this process went wrong, causing the Second Prince to stage his coup.

Lu Fenglang originally thought she was just giving advice. Whether the Seventh Prince could ultimately ascend depended entirely on heaven’s favor. Even if the Seventh Prince couldn’t ascend, Great Zhou still had the First Prince and Second Prince. But she never expected it would drive the mad Second Prince to directly rebel.

What about the First Prince? Did the First Prince not react at all?

Where did Dongyi’s First Prince have any chance to react? When the old Emperor was only breathing out with no breath coming in, the Empress frantically hid the edict under the old Emperor’s pillow and had people urgently summon the princes and important court ministers to the palace.

The First Prince, fearing the Second Prince would cause trouble when the old Emperor passed, hurriedly rushed to the palace.

The Empress originally intended to present the edict in front of court ministers and princes while the old Emperor still had breath… paving the way for her son to rightfully ascend the throne.

To make the edict appear authentic, following Lu Fenglang’s suggestion, she even added language stating that after the Empress Dowager raised the Seventh Prince to adulthood, she would need to go to the imperial tomb for martyrdom to accompany the Emperor. But she never expected the Second Prince to come prepared, having quietly replaced all the palace guards and imperial guards with his people.

The Second Prince was inherently mad – things like rebellion, forcing the palace… usurping the throne – he wasn’t afraid of being recorded in history books as eternally infamous.

Therefore, when the Empress retrieved the edict from under the old Emperor’s pillow and had the court ministers read it aloud before everyone, the Second Prince said he wanted to verify the edict’s authenticity. After respectfully receiving it, he directly set the edict on fire.

The Second Prince looked coldly at the Empress with a sneer: “The Empress truly spares no expense. To make the Seventh Brother rightful and proper, you’re even willing to sacrifice your own life! Where is the Seventh Brother?”

The ministers were in panic. The First Prince stood to rebuke him, but sounds of armor and sword clashing rang outside. Soon, imperial guards rushed into the hall. The fully armored, blood-stained imperial guard commander respectfully saluted the Second Prince, reporting that the guard change was complete.

Only then did the First Prince understand that with them all gathered in the palace, they had been trapped by the Second Prince.

“Are you mad? Father Emperor is still… you’re staging a rebellion?” The First Prince’s eyes were bloodshot with rage.

Without many words, the Second Prince coldly drew his sword, pressing the blade against the First Prince’s neck and forcing him to kneel. He looked at the First Prince, who limply knelt with complete disdain.

The Empress, acting tonight, dared not keep her son nearby. She also feared some mishap – if the old Emperor had a final burst of energy, her treasonous act might implicate her son. So she entrusted her son to a loyal servant, agreeing that if they succeeded, the servant would bring her son back to the palace to inherit the throne. If they failed… he would take her son and flee to Great Zhou.

In the hall where lamp shadows flickered, the old Emperor’s chest wheezed with phlegm as he breathed rapidly, as if hearing this chaos and becoming so angry he wanted to pound the bed and rise.

Bed curtains of gold and deep red were gathered by golden beast hooks on both sides of the imperial bed. The Empress sat on the bed’s edge, wearing a dark green jacket with golden begonia patterns and a rouge-colored skirt embroidered with auspicious clouds in gold thread. She appeared dignified and composed, showing none of the terror displayed by the First Prince, maintaining complete imperial dignity.

The ministers were all like gourds with sawed mouths, not making a sound.

The Empress lowered her eyes and smiled as she spoke: “Your younger brother is young and has already retired for the night. Fortunately, he didn’t come, because over a succession edict… his brother would draw sword against his flesh and blood. How frightened he would be if he saw this.”

The Second Prince smiled slightly: “The Empress now doesn’t worry whether Seventh Brother’s life can be preserved, but worries whether Seventh Brother would be frightened.”

“The Second Prince burned that edict well!” The Empress looked at the Second Prince, who held his sword to the First Prince’s neck. “I never expected that, despite being husband and wife with His Majesty, though I dare not claim I could surpass the former Empress, I have been dutiful. But unexpectedly… His Majesty would have me martyred after Little Seven comes of age! Since becoming Dongyi’s Empress, I haven’t enjoyed a single day of fortune with His Majesty, constantly toiling in the harem. And in the end… His Majesty still wants to use me to the fullest, having me raise Little Seven to adulthood before going to die!”

The Second Prince watched the Empress’s earnest performance, his smile growing wider.

“This palace doesn’t want to die. Given the current situation, Little Seven probably can’t become Emperor either! If the Second Prince wishes to ascend… feel free!”