Imperial power and position have always been a matter of life and death!
Jing Xian was shocked.
He had thought Jing Yi, unwilling to be imprisoned for life, had committed suicide in prison. He never imagined it was actually Jingrong who had done it.
And so—
His heart began to waver!
His fists clenched tightly!
“Then… what do you want me to do?”
He agreed!
Duke Yuguo said, “Jingrong will dig up my tomb before His Majesty goes to the mausoleum, then rebury the coffin before the ancestral rites. However, when the coffin is carried out of the tomb, I will immediately arrange for the abbot of Guang’an Temple to have an audience with His Majesty, saying that Duke Yuguo’s tomb faces the wrong direction and must be exhumed and reburied before the ancestral rites. His Majesty believes in Buddhism and will certainly believe this without doubt. When Jingrong learns of this, he will definitely panic and rush to rebury the coffin that was just carried out. At that time, you must send people to intercept it midway, preventing them from successfully returning the coffin to the tomb. When the exhumation takes place, they will discover the inside is empty. When His Majesty investigates, he will know that Jingrong sent people to dig up the coffin. Then you can have Master Yu’s students who serve as officials at court pressure His Majesty, and Jingrong will be convicted! As for how severe the charges are—that depends on you.”
His tone was filled with murderous intent!
Jing Xian nodded in understanding.
Duke Yuguo continued: “This is the best opportunity. If you miss it, there will not be another. Once Jingrong falls from power, the position of heir apparent will belong to none other than you.”
Since ancient times, the position of heir apparent, the position of Emperor, has always been built upon countless people’s blood.
It has always been a matter of life and death!
Jing Xian’s eyes flickered slightly. He slowly sat down, his clenched left fist pressing against the tea-soaked table.
For the throne, to avenge his mother consort, he needed to do this!
Afterward, the two began plotting secretly in the room.
Half an hour later, Duke Yuguo put his conical hat back on and left Prince Xian’s residence.
At this moment, heavy snow began falling again.
He walked into the snow, then suddenly stopped, turning to look at the plaque of Prince Xian’s residence.
At this moment, beneath the conical hat, that fire-scarred face was sinister and malicious, his lips curling into a cold, grim smile.
“Imperial Brother, oh Imperial Brother, back then you took everything from me. Today, I will make you watch helplessly as your sons slaughter each other, dying one by one. I will make you taste the pain of losing your beloved and your kin!”
His voice rolled through the cold air, chilling to the bone.
…
Seven days until the ancestral rites.
Prince Rong’s residence.
Jingrong had arranged everything and told Ji Yunshu: “Commander Xiao and I have already made plans. In two days, Duke Yuguo’s coffin will be transported from Ji Mountain to an empty residence outside the city. At that time, you can claim illness and not go to the Ministry of War. When I return from court, we will leave the city together. When the hour of zi arrives, Lang Bo and Ziran will bring Duke Yuguo’s coffin. But we only have two days, because in four days, Father Emperor’s imperial procession will arrive at Ji Mountain. We must rebury the coffin before then. Otherwise, if we are even a step late, I fear complications will arise.”
She firmly memorized the timeline.
However—
Jingrong was somewhat worried.
He said, “If any unexpected problems arise, you must escape completely unharmed.”
“Nothing will happen.”
“Prepare for the worst-case scenario.”
She nodded.
Two days later.
Just after court dismissed, Jingrong hurriedly prepared to return to his residence, because he needed to rush to the outskirts of the city with Ji Yunshu.
But he had barely left the palace when Jing Xian stopped him!
“Jingrong, do you have time?”
“What is it?”
“As you know, I usually do not have many hobbies. I just enjoy brewing wine. Some time ago, I stored several jars. Today happens to be the day to open them. In previous years, Muruo would carry them away jar by jar, but today he is rather busy. He says a particularly difficult patient came to Yuhua Pavilion. So I wanted to invite you to come taste some. You have never tasted wine I brewed. If you miss this opportunity, you will have to wait until next year.”
“I…”
Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted. “I see you are not busy these days, so do me this honor just this once.”
Before he could refuse, he was forcibly dragged to Prince Xian’s residence.
At the residence, there was indeed a lot of brewed wine. Jing Xian opened a jar and began drinking heartily with him.
Jing Xian was extremely hospitable, toasting him cup after cup.
But his mind was elsewhere.
“What is wrong? Is the wine not good?”
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
Jingrong lifted a cup of wine and said, “Jing Xian, I will not hide it from you—there are still some matters at my residence that I need to hurry back to handle. Let me toast you with this cup first.”
He drained it in one gulp!
With that, Jing Xian could no longer keep him.
However—
After Jingrong finished the wine in his cup and stood up to leave, the moment he rose, his head became dizzy and his steps unsteady.
He stumbled a few times.
“Hm? How… could this be?”
His vision suddenly blurred.
Jing Xian across from him quickly asked, “What is wrong with you?”
“I…”
“Jingrong?”
He vigorously shook his head. His body collapsed powerlessly into the chair, his head falling onto the table.
He passed out.
Jing Xian touched him and called to him several times.
No response!
Jing Xian smiled wickedly. “Someone come.”
A servant hurried over.
“Go to Prince Rong’s residence. Tell them Prince Rong drank too much here. After he wakes up, this prince will send someone to escort him back.”
“Yes!”
The servant quickly delivered the message to Prince Rong’s residence.
Ji Yunshu felt strange. Why had Jing Xian suddenly invited Jingrong to drink wine?
Jingrong’s alcohol tolerance was not that poor, was it?
But seeing that if she waited any longer, once the city gates closed she would not be able to leave, she packed her sandalwood box and decided not to wait any longer. She could only leave the city first with Shi Zijin.
After finding that residence, she quietly waited for the hour of zi!
Ji Mountain.
Deep into the night, the area outside the mausoleum was heavily guarded. Not even a fly could get in. Seeing that the hour of zi had arrived, a group of guards walked over in orderly formation.
The lead guard, who was heavyset, said to the guards watching the mausoleum, “You can go rest now. We will take over here.”
“Alright.”
Those guards had been standing all day and were utterly exhausted.
So after the shift change, they left.
After they left, the heavyset guard covered his mouth and imitated a crow’s call.
“Caw!”
A short while later, seven or eight people dressed in black night clothes flashed out from the darkness.
Leading them were Lang Bo and Shi Ziran.
The two of them led their people smoothly into the mausoleum, precisely and quickly locating Duke Yuguo’s tomb.
But because Emperor Qizhen had specifically instructed Liang Zongzheng to send people to guard Duke Yuguo’s tomb, at this moment, four guards were standing watch beside the tomb.
Lang Bo and Shi Ziran hid in the darkness, exchanged glances, and with perfect coordination pulled out small bamboo tubes, placed them to their lips, and aimed at the necks of two of the guards.
One blow!
A gleaming silver needle immediately shot out, piercing the necks of those two men.
Then they quickly aimed at the necks of the other two guards.
One blow!
All four guards silently collapsed.
All the black-clothed figures hidden in the darkness emerged, preparing to exhume the coffin.
In the mausoleum, aside from the coffins of past emperors which were in the underground main palace, the coffins of other imperial relatives were arranged in a circular pattern, buried in the earth beneath stone slabs. Apart from ornate tombstones, they were hardly different from ordinary family grave mounds.
Everyone pried open the large stone slab behind the tombstone. Their movements were swift and efficient as they lifted out the coffin, then resealed the surface.
Not a trace could be seen!
Commander Xiao had already made all arrangements, so they smoothly carried the coffin down Ji Mountain toward the residence that had been prepared outside the capital.