Chapter 373: The Emperor Issues an Imperial Decree
The grand hall's doors slowly closed.
Gao Gonggong stood at the entrance and said softly, "His Majesty is quite fond of Princess Consort Zhuang. With Princess Consort Zhuang staying to attend to His Majesty's illness, His Majesty will recover more quickly. Your Highness the Crown Prince need not worry."
Chu Yi nodded. "I'll trouble Gao Gonggong to keep a close watch. If anything happens, report to me immediately."
"Yes, Your Highness."
After leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Wu Yun spoke up. "Your Highness, were you contemplating killing someone earlier?"
Chu Yi made no attempt to conceal it. "She resides in the Hall of Mental Cultivation and can freely enter and leave His Majesty's bedchamber. There are too many things she could do. She must die."
"She carries the secondary gu worm. If the host dies while His Majesty still has affection for her, the gu worm in His Majesty's body will become agitated and damage the Dragon Body. We must eliminate the gu worm first." Wu Yun's voice remained calm. "It will take about seven days for me to develop the antidote. Please be patient, Your Highness."
Chu Yi's gaze was heavy.
As the Emperor's third son, he had never received excessive paternal affection while growing up, but His Majesty had never treated him harshly either.
Whether from the perspective of father and son or ruler and subject, he did not wish for His Majesty to die unexpectedly.
After seeing Wu Yun off, Chu Yi summoned his counselors.
The current Junior Tutor, Junior Guardian, and Junior Preceptor were all holdovers from before. Since being appointed Crown Prince, Chu Yi had never met with these people privately.
"Greetings to Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
The Crown Prince's faction included fifty to sixty notable figures—all high-ranking officials dedicated to advising the Crown Prince.
However, most of them had been promoted by the late Empress, with some members of the Gongsun family among them.
Chu Yi sat in his seat, looking at the group with a faint smile curling his lips. "Junior Guardian Li wrote to my elder brother yesterday. What was written in that letter?"
Junior Guardian Li was stunned.
He had secretly written to the former Crown Prince—now Prince Ren—in what he believed was an extremely discreet manner. How could the current Crown Prince possibly know about it?
Caught completely off guard, he stammered, "Your—Your Highness, I merely wrote to Prince Ren to extend greetings, nothing more."
"Is that so!"
Chu Yi coldly slammed a letter onto the desk.
Junior Guardian Li was so terrified his eyes widened, his knees buckling as he dropped to the floor.
"Urging Prince Ren to return to the capital and persuading him to reclaim the position of Crown Prince—this is what you call 'extending greetings'?" Chu Yi lifted his foot and coldly kicked Junior Guardian Li over. "Inciting conflict between me and Prince Ren, attempting to stir rebellion—what punishment do you deserve!"
"Your Highness, please calm your anger! Have mercy!"
Junior Guardian Li knelt and begged for forgiveness.
He had served the former Crown Prince for over a decade, managing all his affairs. After the former Crown Prince was deposed, he had nearly wished to follow him in death.
In his view, a martial artist lacked intelligence and could never properly govern a nation. Although the former Crown Prince was mediocre, he was still far better than a martial artist.
Most importantly, the former Crown Prince had been his protégé—he could never switch allegiance to another...
Thus, he had continuously written letters, hoping to bring the former Crown Prince back to the capital and gradually scheme anew...
Unexpectedly, he had been caught red-handed by the current Crown Prince.
"Since you have no intention of serving me, there's no need for either of us to force it." Chu Yi's voice was detached. "I will send you to Prince Ren's domain, allowing you to continue as his counselor. Your family will accompany you."
Junior Guardian Li looked up abruptly.
He stared at Chu Yi—the cold expression was not a threat but a genuine declaration of intent.This was not a discussion with him, but rather informing him of the outcome.
He wanted to say something.
But then he heard Chu Yi continue, "This palace knows that some among you are still corresponding with Prince Ren, some remain loyal to Gong Xi Prince, and there are even loyal ministers supporting my long-deceased fourth brother. Step forward now and tell me if you do not wish to remain loyal to the Eastern Palace. I will respect your honesty and send you to your true masters."
"But if you continue to hide—" his voice gradually turned cold, like shards of ice, "this palace will have no choice but to send your entire clans to meet King Yama."
Crack!
As he spoke, the brush in his hand snapped in two.
The sound shattered the fragile hearts of many.
"This palace gives you twelve hours. The offer expires after that!"
He stood up, flicked his sleeves, and left.
He did not return to the prince's residence but instead went personally to meet several court officials.
These were individuals he intended to promote to his side—trustworthy and loyal ministers.
Under Chu Yi's swift and decisive measures, disloyal members of the Eastern Palace were expelled, and key ministers were elevated to serve him.
At the same time, the antidote for the Nine Black Gu was successfully developed.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Crown Princess, there are two types of antidotes," Wu Yun presented two porcelain bottles. "The white pills suppress the main gu, preventing it from further corroding the Emperor's body. They must be taken in nine doses. With each dose, one black spot on the Emperor's chest will disappear until they are completely gone. The black pills are used to kill the secondary gu. Only one pill is needed for those infected with the secondary gu. The gu will die inside the body, and the connection with the Emperor will be automatically severed."
Chu Yi quickly expressed his gratitude, "Thank you for your hard work, Doctor Wu. I will take the white antidote into the palace immediately."
His greatest concern was still his father's health.
Just as he was about to leave, Cheng Xu hurried in, "Your Highness, Gao Gonggong has arrived with an imperial decree from the Emperor."
Chu Yi and Yun Chu exchanged glances.
They both saw surprise in each other's eyes. Why would an imperial decree arrive at this time?
The two changed into formal attire and immediately went to the front courtyard to receive the decree.
"By the decree of the Emperor, mandated by Heaven: The Eastern Tomb Kingdom now openly covets the territory of our Great Jin, has abducted our princess, and threatens the safety of our people. We have pondered this day and night, finding it hard to rest. Crown Prince Chu Yi is brave and skilled in battle, a master of military strategy. We hereby appoint the Crown Prince as the Vanguard General, with the Valiant General as his deputy, to lead eighty thousand elite troops to the eastern coast and subdue the Eastern Tomb Kingdom, showcasing our nation's might! So it is decreed!"
Yun Chu was utterly astonished.
Since ancient times, emperors and crown princes rarely took to the battlefield. If the ruler or heir apparent had to go to war, it meant the conflict was deadlocked and the nation was at a disadvantage, requiring the ruler's presence to boost morale.
But now, before the war had even begun, the Crown Prince was being sent to the front lines. This defied logic.
Moreover, and most importantly, there were few princes left in the capital. No matter how one considered it, it was impossible for the Emperor to send Chu Yi to lead troops against the Eastern Tomb Kingdom.
"Yes, your son accepts the decree. Long live the Emperor, ten thousand years!"
Chu Yi raised his hands and accepted the decree.
"The Emperor's oral command: The Crown Prince shall depart in three days!" Gao Gonggong helped Chu Yi to his feet. "The Emperor is gravely ill and will not see you off in person."
Chu Yi's voice was calm, "Farewell, Gao Gonggong. We will not see you out."
The gates of the prince's residence slowly closed.Yun Chu spoke up, "We must immediately kill the Gu larvae to turn the situation around."
The person behind this used Gu insects to make the Emperor issue the imperial decree. Their sinister ambition is clear—because Chu Yi discovered the existence of the Gu poison, they want to eliminate Chu Yi and have the Emperor appoint a new Crown Prince.
"The Gu larvae must be eliminated, and the Eastern Tomb Kingdom must be punished." Chu Yi gently stroked Yun Chu's hair. "As long as the Eastern Tomb Kingdom remains undefeated, our children will never be safe. This imperial decree—I have no choice but to accept it."
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