lcionline Chapter 209 Fornication
Chapter 209 Fornication
The emperor, with a solemn expression, accepted the paper.
He had just picked up the paper and hadn't even had a chance to look at it closely when Little Li suddenly knelt down, as if he saw the gates of hell beckoning to him.
Seeing Li Zi's appearance, the emperor's heart skipped a beat, and then he saw the contents of the paper.
At the same time, the Empress also looked over.
Upon seeing this, the Empress exclaimed in surprise, "How is this possible?"
As the emperor looked at the brief sentence on the paper, the same thought popped into his mind as the empress's—how could this be?
How could Consort Zhang possibly have an affair with the Second Prince?
The emperor's face was pale, and just as he was about to speak, everything went black before his eyes.
Fortunately, the Empress and Li Dehai reacted quickly and helped him up from both sides.
"Your Majesty!" the Empress advised, "Perhaps Jing Han has made a mistake."
But even the Empress herself couldn't believe these words once they were spoken.
Xie Jinghan is a steady and reliable person, especially when it comes to such an important matter. How could he make a mistake?
The emperor opened his mouth, about to speak, when he felt a sense of powerlessness rise from the bottom of his heart.
“There’s no mistake.” The Emperor murmured. “Jing Han isn’t that kind of person. He would never tell me this if he wasn’t absolutely certain.”
"I'm afraid..." The emperor's words caught in his throat, but he couldn't bring himself to say them.
What he wanted to say was that Xie Jinghan had probably witnessed the two of them committing adultery in the harem.
The Empress caught a glimpse of the Emperor's unpleasant expression and swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
With the emperor in such a state, how could she dare to offer any advice?
It should be noted that Consort Zhang was the emperor's most favored concubine. She had enjoyed continuous favor since entering the palace. The Zhang family's ability to establish themselves in the capital was entirely due to Consort Zhang's favor in the palace.
But now Xie Jinghan is saying that Consort Zhang is having an affair with the Second Prince. Whether it's for love or for profit, the Emperor must be on high alert.
A favored concubine colluding with a prince—the power involved is considerable.
The Empress's expression changed several times. Just as she was about to offer some advice to the Emperor, she saw him sitting blankly in his chair.
After a moment, the emperor murmured, "I'm afraid the second son has harbored rebellious intentions."
Having been a prince himself, he naturally understood the ulterior motives of his sons.
The Prince of Yan's rebellion was already common knowledge, and his sons were also wavering in their resolve.
But he never expected that the person the Second Prince was colluding with was not a minister or a noble family, but his favorite concubine!
The emperor's face darkened, and after a moment he chuckled softly: "Very well! They all think I'm old!"
He wasn't even dead yet, and Consort Zhang was already in a hurry to find a new lover, while his son was busy seducing the concubines.
That's absolutely disgusting!
"Your Majesty!" the Empress hurriedly advised, "Jing Han sent the letter not just to ask you to execute them, but also to have you use a scheme to wipe them out along with Prince Xin."
Upon hearing this, the emperor came to his senses, his eyes dark and unreadable.
Seeing the change in his expression, the Empress said considerately, "Jing Han probably already knew about the affair between the two of you. The reason he reminded you now must be for tonight's plan."
"You must not let anger cloud your judgment," the Empress advised. "Actually, if you think about it carefully, Consort Zhang's actions are not entirely unreasonable. She has no children and her family is powerless. She can only rely on her beauty to carve out a path for herself."
The emperor's face turned ashen, and he ignored the empress's remaining advice.
He simply said in a deep voice, "I will not act impulsively."
"Li Dehai!" the emperor ordered sternly, "Send men to keep an eye on those two! If they make any move, execute them on the spot!"
Between Consort Zhang and Xie Jinghan, the Emperor naturally trusted Xie Jinghan unconditionally.
Since Xie Jinghan sent a message saying that Consort Zhang and the Second Prince had an affair, he did not hesitate to treat the two as dead.
There's no need to listen to the explanations of the dead.
The empress sensed his obvious murderous intent and, after a pause, stopped trying to persuade him.
Since the emperor has made his decision, unless it is Xie Jinghan, even she cannot dissuade him.
Li Dehai was drenched in cold sweat, his clothes already soaked through. If others were to find out about such a shocking scandal...
He shuddered at the thought and immediately looked at Little Li.
Little Li immediately understood the meaning behind Li Dehai's terrifying gaze and quickly shook his head.
He's still young, and he wants to live longer; he would never reveal what happened today.
After his initial rage, the emperor calmed down.
"Has Firwood made all the arrangements?"
After he asked the question, Li Dehai nodded quickly: "Commander Leng has already led the Imperial Guards to set up an ambush at the exit of several secret passages. As soon as Prince Xin and the others make a move, a barrage of arrows will be fired, and none of them will be able to escape."
Upon hearing this, the emperor nodded: "What about Prince Jing?"
"There has been no news yet, but three days have passed since the last message that he was returning to the capital. The prince should be arriving in the capital soon."
The Prince of Yan had 30,000 men under his command, and even though they were all a motley crew, they were still a considerable force.
To ensure that the capital remains firmly in the emperor's hands, Xie Jinghan must return before the Prince of Yan makes his move.
The emperor nodded slightly: "Jing Han must be waiting for an opportunity."
Waiting for an opportunity to wipe these people out in one fell swoop.
The emperor's eyes were dark and unfathomable.
Meanwhile, on the Yanshan Mountains.
"Any news from Quanshui Manor?"
Before setting off, Xie Jinghan asked a question in a low voice.
Upon hearing this, the subordinate beside him hurriedly said, "The princess has already captured Wen Yitong, and the five hundred guards sent by Prince Xin have all been captured by the princess."
"Don't worry." The subordinate, quick to read the room, immediately added, "The Princess is safe and sound."
From the Yanshan Mountains, one can only see the lights of the capital city in the distance; the small Quanshui Village is completely invisible when viewed from above.
Even so, Xie Jinghan stood on the hilltop, facing the direction of Quanshui Manor for a long time.
It wasn't until his subordinate cautiously urged, "Your Highness, it's almost time," that the prince finally understood.
"Assemble the troops and depart immediately." Xie Jinghan turned around, his handsome face icy cold. "Once the palace sends a signal, lead the troops to storm the palace!"
The Yan King's army outside the city... was never considered a threat by Xie Jinghan.
……
Late at night.
The King of Yan looked at the crescent moon overhead and clenched his fist tightly.
“It’s time,” he said in a low voice. “If we can take Xuanwu Gate today, the capital will be under my control.”
After much deliberation, he decided to believe the defense map.
The reason was simple: the 30,000 troops were unable to take the capital by force and had to resort to opportunistic tactics.
This defense map is like a timely rain.
The King of Yan decided to take a gamble.
He beckoned to his trusted men behind him, and several men lined up and stood behind him.