Compared to the bustling crowd of court officials, the rear palace was remarkably quiet and peaceful, showing no signs of anything unusual with the Emperor.
Little Six took a deep breath. If his master said Haoyue was problematic, then there must be an issue. He trusted his master's judgment. However, some court officials behind him had gradually stopped following. As the initial impulse faded and they witnessed the tranquil scene within the inner palace, they sobered up. If the Emperor was truly avoiding appearances due to illness, then they...
As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Little Six declared clearly, "Gentlemen may wait for General Zhou. I shall proceed first."
The court officials exchanged glances. Some stayed behind as suggested, but the majority continued to follow. Having come this far, the difference between fifty steps and a hundred steps was negligible.
At this moment, Little Six turned back and surveyed those following him. There were Duke Dingguo and Duke Anguo, the six ministers of the Board, and even the Minister of Rites Wei Congwen hadn't fallen behind. Among them were allies he recognized and ministers he had no prior dealings with. Though they might harbor doubts in their hearts, they had ultimately chosen to follow him—toward either light or the abyss.
Little Six bowed deeply in salute. Regardless of their personal calculations, at this moment, they were genuinely concerned about their sovereign. This was how court officials of Daqing should be. His master once said that internal conflicts behind closed doors didn't matter—loving to compete was in the nature of their people. As long as ministers could discern right from wrong at critical moments, they were usable. He felt these officials before him were exactly the kind his master had described.
The court officials returned the salute in unison. No words were needed—everything was understood without speaking.
Turning around, Little Six never paused in his steps again.
Passing through corridor after corridor and palace after palace, the crowd stopped before the Emperor's bedchamber.
Little Six looked up at the plaque, his expression displaying a calmness beyond his years. Without instructing anyone else, he stepped forward and personally pushed open the heavy palace doors.
Inside, all who should and shouldn't be present were seated. The two parties faced each other across the threshold.
This unexpected scene stunned everyone. The court officials knelt on the ground, waiting with full of trepidation for the Emperor's thunderous wrath.
Little Six's mind went blank for a moment, but remembering his master's words, he steadied himself.
Collecting his thoughts, he stepped across the threshold into the hall, seeing more clearly his father and the Empress Dowager seated in the positions of honor, with the four consorts seated below them. The Imperial Guard Commander Fu Gang stood with his head bowed to one side, and several Seven Constellation Bureau members he recognized were guarding behind the Emperor.
Truly, no one was missing.
Sweeping his robe aside, Little Six knelt and paid respects, "Your son pays respects to Father Emperor and the Empress Dowager."
"Little Six has grown accomplished now," the Emperor said with a mocking smile, his eyes sweeping over the scene outside. "I previously didn't believe you would lead court officials in a palace siege, but now the facts are before my eyes. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Duke Anguo wanted to enter the hall to speak for the Sixth Prince, but Duke Dingguo quickly pulled him down to kneel properly, shaking his head slightly. Any words spoken in the Sixth Prince's defense now would only add fuel to the fire. They had to wait for an opportunity. In this situation, only the Sixth Prince could handle it himself. They hoped he had learned not just courage from Hua Zhi, but also how to conduct himself in times of crisis.
Little Six didn't disappoint him. He raised his head, his tone carrying the unique vitality of youth, "Does Father Emperor know there are remnants of the Chaoli tribe in the palace?"
"Of course I know.""Your son asks again, does Father Emperor know that early this morning, a courtyard was discovered in the city containing not only large quantities of grain and weapons, but also imperial ceremonial robes?"
The Emperor sneered, "Isn't this the trap you set to seize the throne by force?"
"Setting a trap that could be broken simply by Father Emperor showing his face?" Little Six felt his heart turn cold. "Father Emperor hasn't appeared for ten days. Those outside cannot enter, and no news comes from within. Even news of Chaoli remnants in the palace failed to stir any reaction. Reports of rebellion sent into the palace received no response. Rumors spread throughout the capital, officials are panicked. As your son and a prince of Daqing, what should I do? What if you were truly controlled by Chaoli remnants waiting for my rescue? What if you were trapped by some villain's poisonous scheme? You accuse me of attempting to seize the throne - General Sun is currently guarding the frontier pass. I hold no military power and have no one at my disposal. With just one command from you, all five battalions in the capital would obey. In that case, I would only face death. What reason would I have to attempt to seize the throne?"
"You have Hua Zhi behind you planning strategies, the commander of my Seven Constellation Bureau openly standing behind you, military officials, the Lu family, the Zhu family, and support from many court officials - and you call this having no one at your disposal? Little Six, oh Little Six, if not for this trap, I wouldn't have known you had quietly won over half of my court officials without making a sound." The Emperor's face flushed red, his spirit unusually excited. He even stood up and circled around Little Six, appearing somewhat younger than before.
Little Six's mind buzzed. He knew he was caught in a scheme, but someone had already planted this foundation in the Emperor's heart, and he didn't know how to break free.
"Little Six, do you confess your crime?"
Little Six looked up. He had no crime to confess, but if he didn't take responsibility, his mentor, Brother Yanxi, all the officials who followed him, and everyone on his side would suffer. Perhaps this was exactly what the schemers had calculated.
He looked toward Consort Yue sitting in the lower left seat. With her delicate features and obvious pregnant belly due to her seated position, she appeared due to give birth soon. Yet this woman about to become a mother had such a venomous heart.
Under his cold gaze, Haoyue instinctively touched her belly, lowering her head and using a handkerchief to cover the smile at the corner of her mouth. Having come this far, what could his hatred accomplish?
"Your son..."This family believes in Little Six."" The Empress Dowager, who had been sitting with half-closed eyes like a wooden figure, suddenly stood up. She walked to Little Six's side, knelt down, and gently touched his reddened eyes. "He is Consort Zhen's son. Does the Emperor still remember Consort Zhen?"
The Emperor faltered. He hadn't thought of that woman who could live contentedly in her own confined world for many days.
"Among all the consorts in the rear palace, I had the highest hopes for Consort Zhen." I even wanted to push her to the empress position to receive the phoenix seal. But she was extremely intelligent - when I privately hinted at it to her, she skillfully changed the subject. Later, when she was gravely ill and I went to see her, she asked me for one favor."
Haoyue lowered her gaze without rushing to interrupt. Even if this saved Sixth Prince's life, what did it matter? He had no more opportunities. While the Emperor might show mercy to his son, he might not extend the same to Hua Zhi and Gu Yanxi.The Empress Dowager gently patted Little Six's hand. "Consort Zhen begged me that if there was an opportunity to send you far away, even to a remote and impoverished fiefdom, the farther from the imperial city the better. She saw through the life-and-death struggles in the palace early on, only wishing for her son to find peace and stability. Xiao Liu'er, did Consort Zhen ever give you any instructions?"
Little Six bit his lip, stubbornly holding back tears brought on by thoughts of his mother, and said hoarsely, "Mother said the outside world is vast. She told me to see the beautiful sights she never could and taste delicacies from every region. She said men confined to the capital have no future, and urged me to become someone accomplished..."
Little Six lowered his head as tears streamed down his cheeks. He missed his mother dearly.
PS: No need to rush me - this chapter went through four drafts... I must clarify here that I always update with more words, never fewer. Any author's notes unrelated to the plot won't be counted toward billing.
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