Ноw could this bе! Shi Ноngwеi shоok his head in disbеliеf: "Therе have bееn nо unusuаl mоvеments in Lidu, how сould you have arrаngеd reinfоrcеmеnts in аdvаncе!"
"Indееd, thеrе havе been no unusuаl mоvemеnts in Lidu." Someonе enterеd from outsidе, rаinwаtеr strеаming dоwn his armor, sрlаshing evеrуwhеre, thе iron сlаnging with a resоnаnt, boоming voice: "Вut once Нis Нighnеss issued thе rescue оrdеr, thе Impеriаl Guаrd аnd thе Сity Gаrrisоn had nо chоice but tо resроnd!"
Shi Нongwеi frоwnеd, аnd upon clеarly seeing the mаn's face, his еxprеssion dаrkеned: "Сommander Lian."
Lian Heng removed his helmet, first saluting Yin Gezhi, then frowning as he said, "Lian Heng bears the responsibility of defending Lidu and, more importantly, ensuring the safety of the imperial family. Prime Minister Shi, you have privately mobilized troops to surround Longtai Mountain. May I ask what your intentions are?"
Shi Hongwei fell silent, his eyes darting anxiously as if searching for a countermeasure.
The Empress grew anxious and spoke in a delicate voice: "The Emperor has passed away. In terms of status and position here, it should be I who holds the highest authority. When did it become the turn of princes and ministers to raise their voices?"
"Before His Majesty's passing, there was an edict: the inner palace must not interfere in state affairs." Feng Ming clasped his hands and said, "Forgive my bluntness, Your Majesty. It would be best for you to listen and refrain from speaking recklessly."
"You!" Empress Shi glared at him, staring at Feng Ming as she scolded: "When did matters of the imperial family become something for you to interfere in?!"
"Your Majesty." Feng Ming raised an eyebrow. "This humble official is the consort of Princess Nan Ping."
He is also a member of the imperial family, so why can't he intervene?
Empress Shi's face turned pale with anger. She gritted her teeth, about to speak again, when a loud shout came from outside: "The imperial physician has arrived—"
Everyone's hearts skipped a beat. Shi Hongwei snapped back to attention and, without a word, reached out to block the imperial physician and the coroner behind him, shouting angrily: "How dare you! His Majesty has already passed away. How can his sacred body be recklessly examined by others?!"
"Prime Minister Shi." Yin Gezhi spoke calmly: "Are you afraid that someone will discover that His Majesty died from a slow-acting poison?"
Shi Hongwei stiffened slightly, then sneered: "Why should I be afraid? What if it was a slow-acting poison?"
"If it was a slow-acting poison, then it has nothing to do with me or Guan Qingyue." Yin Gezhi looked up, fixing his gaze on Yin Chenjue beside him: "Slow-acting poison takes effect gradually and requires a large dosage. Only someone who has been by His Majesty's side for a long time would have had the opportunity to administer it."
The person who had been by the Emperor's side all along would be someone from the palace. Coincidentally, during this period when the Emperor was unwell, it had been the Empress who had been attending to his medicine.
Empress Shi's face turned slightly pale, and Yin Chenjue grew even more flustered, beads of cold sweat covering his forehead.
"Speaking of which, I also find it strange." Feng Ming shrugged and spoke loudly: "Just now, when His Majesty suddenly collapsed and still had a breath, His Highness ordered someone to find the imperial physician. I searched everywhere but couldn't find any trace of him. According to protocol, the Emperor usually has an imperial physician accompany him on outings. May I ask, Prime Minister Shi, why was there no imperial physician among the entourage you arranged? Did you know something would happen to His Majesty and deliberately prevent the physician from providing aid?"
The imperial relatives erupted in an uproar, and the people standing beside the Empress and the Crown Prince instantly stepped back.
Shi Hongwei remained silent.
He had thought today's plan was flawless. The Emperor had taken his final dose of medicine in the morning and, according to his calculations, would pass away. He could then conveniently pin the blame on Yin Chenbi and proceed to install the Crown Prince on the throne.
Everything should have proceeded smoothly, so how did it end up like this?Should one blame Yin Chenbi and Feng Ming for their silver tongues? Or should one blame Lian Heng for arriving too quickly? Or perhaps blame his own inability to mobilize sufficient troops to fight Yin Chenbi to the death?
Blame them all! Blame everything! These matters were entirely beyond what he could have anticipated! If Yin Chenbi and Feng Ming had remained silent, he would have already incited the officials to solidify Yin Chenbi’s guilt! If Lian Heng had not come, these five hundred soldiers would have been enough to execute Yin Chenbi on the spot! If he could still mobilize more troops, he would still have a chance to turn the tables...
However, it was too late for any of that. In this battle, he had lost.
Somewhat disheveled, he clutched the imperial physician’s robe, unwilling to let him pass. Yet the old physician was quite strong, and with Feng Ming pulling him aside, it wasn’t long before the old physician broke free and stepped forward to examine the emperor’s remains.
All the imperial relatives turned away. Yin Chenjue trembled as he grasped the hem of his mother’s robe, whispering, “Mother...”
Empress Shi, her expression panicked, tightened her grip on him, signaling him to stay silent, her mind a complete blank.
After what felt like an eternity, the coroner and the imperial physician behind them re-covered Emperor Wen of Wei’s face with the silver robe embroidered with three-clawed dragon patterns. They then bowed to the assembled crowd and said, “His Majesty died from poisoning. The poison had deeply penetrated his lungs and organs. The dosage was significant, and the ingestion occurred over a prolonged period, causing His Majesty’s internal organs to deteriorate day by day... When this humble official previously examined His Majesty, I only noted his weakened constitution. Upon inquiring about his diet, nothing seemed amiss, and I dared not suspect poisoning. Now, upon seeing this... it is my negligence!”
Nan Ping, hearing this, finally snapped back to reality. Her eyes reddened as she glared at the Shi family: “Empress!”
Startled by this rebuke, Empress Shi trembled and retreated, shaking her head. “This has nothing to do with me!”
Was there any use in denying it now? None! Nan Ping, somewhat hysterical, let out a sharp cry and lunged at the empress, disregarding all decorum. She wept as she struck her: “Give my father back to me!”
Yin Chenjue wanted to step forward, but as soon as he moved, a hand closed around his throat.
“To assassinate the sovereign is disloyalty,” Yin Gezhi’s voice whispered like a ghost behind him. “To kill one’s father is unfilial.”
Terrified, his legs giving way, Yin Chenjue shook his head repeatedly, pointing accusingly at Shi Hongwei. “It was all the Prime Minister’s idea! It has nothing to do with me or my mother! He said that if Father died, I could ascend the throne sooner. I... I was forced into it!”
His face ashen with rage, Shi Hongwei cursed, “A hopeless fool!”
They could have stubbornly denied everything. Who knew this useless Crown Prince would sell him out first?
Furious to the point of seeing stars, Shi Hongwei glanced around. Since it was already a dead end, what did he have to lose?
Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Princess Nan Ping, who was still grappling with the empress. With two fingers pressed against her throat, he roared, red-eyed, “Don’t anyone move!”
Feng Ming was restraining the empress, and Yin Gezhi had the Crown Prince in his grip. Neither could react in time before Nan Ping was seized by Shi Hongwei and dragged aside.
“Prime Minister Shi!” Lian Heng shouted sternly. “Are you rebelling?”
“Rebelling?” Shi Hongwei laughed bitterly, gnashing his teeth. “Having come this far, what does it matter whether I rebel or not? There will be no good outcome either way.”
“Brother...” Empress Shi’s face turned deathly pale, her entire body trembling.Letting out a relieved sigh, Shi Hongwei looked at Yin Gezhi: "Your Highness has won. And won quite splendidly. With your superior numbers, you could easily execute us all right here. With the Crown Prince gone, you can smoothly ascend the throne. Excellent, truly excellent!"
Yin Gezhi watched him expressionlessly. He remained silent, as if waiting for him to finish speaking.
Outside, the rain grew heavier, the atmosphere unbearably oppressive. The womenfolk had begun to sob softly, and the imperial relatives all hid behind Lian Heng, watching the confrontation on the other side with fearful eyes.
Turning to look at the remains of Emperor Wen of Wei placed on the nearby table, Shi Hongwei sneered: "A self-proclaimed eternal wise ruler, dying so miserably—truly unprecedented."
"Prime Minister Shi," Nan Ping, whom he held captive, gritted her teeth and spoke: "My father treated you well. How can you utter such treasonous words while his noble spirit remains unsettled?"
"Noble spirit?" Hearing this term, Shi Hongwei laughed: "A princess raised in the palace truly has it good, knowing nothing, genuinely believing your father was a wise ruler? If he were a wise ruler, he wouldn't have persecuted scholars from the common people, wouldn't have appointed treacherous ministers and petty men, wouldn't have driven loyal ministers and capable generals to desperation, forcing them to abandon their posts one after another!"
Nan Ping was stunned, her eyes wide open, somewhat bewildered as she looked toward her imperial brother across from her.
Yin Gezhi frowned: "Prime Minister Shi, choose your words carefully."
"When Emperor Wen of Wei was still alive, I was careful enough with my words." With a sneer, Shi Hongwei clenched his teeth: "When I first entered officialdom, wasn't I also wholeheartedly devoted to serving the country? And what about him? He promoted Zhao Xu but refused to promote me! What great use could a useless coward like Zhao Xu possibly have? Our emperor didn't look at anything else—he only looked at handwriting! If your calligraphy was good, you got an official post! Does Your Highness know how I obtained this Prime Minister position? Hah! I practiced calligraphy for two years, wrote a memorial praising His Majesty, and with some favorable words from the imperial consort at the time—that's how I got it!"
"Tell me, should such an emperor die or not? How many upright officials remain in the court? Isn't it all because he forced them out! What's wrong with me poisoning him!"
Yin Gezhi fell silent. Nan Ping gasped several times, staring blankly as she listened, momentarily unable even to cry.
"My Shi family, reaching this point—was it ever easy?" Laughing until tears streamed down his face, Shi Hongwei shook his head: "After so many years as an official, I never dared to make a single misstep. The Shi family members in the court had little contact with me, fearing the emperor would think I was forming cliques for personal gain, threatening his imperial power. But today, all these years of planning are ruined, destroyed by your hands! Your hands!"
Turning his furious gaze toward Yin Gezhi, Shi Hongwei said somewhat maniacally: "If you won't let me live, then your most beloved imperial sister will die with me!"
The last few words were roared so fiercely his voice cracked, Shi Hongwei's expression turning ferocious, the veins on his hands bulging. Nan Ping immediately turned pale from his choking, struggling in agony!
Yin Gezhi's pupils contracted sharply, and he angrily grabbed Yin Chenjue, demanding: "You don't even care about the Crown Prince's life anymore?!"
"My own life is hardly secure, why should I care about others?" Giving a low laugh, Shi Hongwei exerted force, intending to send Nan Ping to her death!
However, at that very moment, a long sword suddenly shot forth from behind with a chilling aura, slashing fiercely into the back of his neck! The blade cut through skin and flesh, severed tendons, and struck bone with a resounding clang.The air around them seemed to freeze in that instant. Shi Hongwei’s grip loosened, and he stared blankly ahead. He wanted to turn and look behind him, but he feared that if he did, his head would be gone.
He couldn’t process what was happening. Dazed, he rolled his eyes, thinking, how could this be? Who could react so quickly, coming to kill him at this moment? Yin Gezhi and Feng Ming were both standing right in front of him…
The blade was pulled from the back of his neck, blood splattering everywhere. He slowly fell backward, his eyes wide open, utterly bewildered.
As his vision spun, he saw the painted dome of the temple. Then, as he continued to fall, he caught sight of a face covered in a thick beard.
He had seen this face before. When they were capturing Guan Qingyue, he had been on the streets with Lian Heng, inspecting the commoners. He had been very diligent—a member of the City Garrison.
Huh… why was this City Garrison soldier tearing off his beard? And why was he raising his blade again, slashing fiercely toward him?
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