Chapter 883 - 782: Major Case

Chapter 883: Chapter 782: Major Case

The brothers had their own schemes, all mocking and sneering at Prince Cheng.

Leaving the Capital City at this time, it’s hard to say if he’s smart or foolish. Heading to provide disaster relief now seems like trying to gain tangible benefits, after all, that’s real gold and silver, and he can earn a reputation for doing practical work in front of the King Kang.

But whether smart or foolish, having such a fool shielding them up front saves them trouble.

The Emperor’s favored son unwilling to shoulder this burden, an opportunity ready-made to gain prestige and public favor, yet he’s unwilling to act, instead it’s Old Fifth, impulsive and inflexible, truly wanting to share the burden with him.

The favored son only fixates on that position, while the unfavored son shows great tact, whether for the people or for him as the Emperor, it’s genuine effort.

This makes the Emperor feel quite melancholic.

Nevertheless, after twice deposing the Crown Prince, this third time to establish one is to be extremely cautious, otherwise, how can the court affairs withstand another upheaval?

But merely a disaster relief issue now causes him to hesitate about the Crown Prince he originally intended to appoint. If this Crown Prince shows no concern for state affairs, no focus on disaster situations, only on that position, only on supreme power, can such a Crown Prince be the blessing of Nanxia?

He understands his sons; none are fools, rather, it’s the eldest who is the most mediocre.

Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many disturbances.

Lately, the Emperor has frequently summoned Prince Xin, Prince Lu, and Prince Li, making it clear to the courtiers that he plans to choose one of them as the Crown Prince.

For a time, the winds in the court shifted suddenly, with some perceptive individuals already beginning to take sides.

Yet, which among the three really is the Emperor’s favorite remains hard to discern, essentially a gamble; if successful, it’s aligning with the dragon, if not, their entire family’s fortunes and lives are at stake!

Yet, in the face of such overwhelming benefits, although the risks are great, many are still tempted.

The three princes naturally are running about at this time, each confident in themselves.

Prince Li visits the Imperial Palace more frequently, compared to Prince Xin and Prince Lu, he has several more advantages, after all, he previously enjoyed more of the Emperor’s affection and visited the palace more often than his own mansion!

His mother is Imperial Concubine Zhou, with high status in the palace, and although younger than Prince Xin and Prince Lu, his mother’s rank is higher than their mothers, each with their own advantages.

In the Capital City, the three princes are fiercely competing, while Prince Liang is indifferent and Prince Zhuang watches coldly, creating a strange situation.

The Emperor feels his health has declined significantly, but his originally seemingly harmonious sons now meet each other with sharp opposition, causing him headaches.

The princes who once seemed quite agreeable now, at the thought of each eyeing his position, hoping he would die sooner, it’s quite an unpleasant feeling.

The Emperor knows all this chaos is due to the Crown Prince’s undecided status, yet choosing a Crown Prince under these conditions leaves him uneasy.

However, as the situation becomes more uncontrollable, the Emperor finally makes up his mind. He writes the name of the proposed Crown Prince into the Crown Prince’s decrees. Preparing to announce the appointment in three days at the early morning court session, regarding the choice, even his closest Eunuch Feng is unaware.

After deciding in his heart, the Emperor finally felt somewhat relieved.

His sons all have capabilities; no matter whom he chooses, with the title of Crown Prince, they can each handle the current situation well, which reassures the Emperor.

He even entertained some schadenfreude, letting these little brats all focus on his position, so they could experience the hardships of being in this role first!

The Emperor, rarely with a bit of a childlike heart, finds amusement watching his sons competing to show off in front of him, each demonstrating their talents.

In two more days, at the grand court meeting, he feels a bit of anticipation for the brilliant expressions on his sons’ faces when the Crown Prince’s decree is read out.

If it weren’t for the Seventeenth Princess’s lingering illness, and no one daring to treat her even with the public notice posted, the Emperor’s mood would be even better!

However, even such delightful days the Emperor only enjoyed for one night.

The Capital Governor turned almost completely white overnight.

In the Capital City, a shocking case occurred.

The Prince Kang Mansion was burgled, and the White Jade Guanyin, a gift from the previous emperor, was stolen; the Prince Ning Mansion was also burgled, where the current Emperor, grateful for Prince Ning’s offering of his daughter as a proxy for the Princess’s marriage alliance with East Tang, had gifted a pair of Blood Jade Bracelets, which Prince Ning stored in a treasury, and the treasury was ransacked with the Blood Jade Bracelets stolen.

If it were merely theft of property, it would still be manageable, but what truly shocked the court and society was that Prince Lu and his son were attacked while returning to their mansion from the Imperial Palace. Prince Lu was seriously injured, and his son, covered in blood, was desperately rescued by people from the Lu Prince Mansion, but before reaching the mansion, Prince Lu succumbed to his injuries.

Simultaneously, a poisoning incident occurred in Prince Xin Mansion, where Prince Xin and his son nearly fell victim, but only a food-tasting maid died. If it weren’t for Prince Xin and his son’s caution, they might have both perished!

Prince Xin Mansion conducted a thorough investigation into this matter, finally discovering that a stewardess from the kitchen was responsible, but the stewardess had already taken poison and died. In his fury, Prince Xin ordered the execution of the stewardess’s family.

These four incidents on the same day, except for the internal resolution of the poisoning at Prince Xin Mansion, the attack on Prince Lu and his son could not be concealed.

Such a shocking case left the Capital Governor Wen Yuanting in mortal fear. He knew he couldn’t keep his official cap, and even his family’s lives were doubtful.

The assassination and death of Prince Lu reached the Imperial Palace first, shocking the Emperor, who nearly fainted, his already frail health further devastated by grief.

Luckily, with Eunuch Feng’s assistance, as soon as the Emperor caught a breath, he immediately ordered the Imperial Hospital to send people to treat Prince Lu’s son. Meng Zhang, leading three or four Imperial Physicians, arrived at the Lu Prince Mansion, seeing seven or eight wounds on Prince Lu’s son, although they were external injuries, the blood flow was ceaseless, and the sight was truly frightening.

The Emperor decreed that there must be no loss to Prince Lu’s son! Having lost a son, he cannot lose this grandson.

After handling these matters, the Emperor breathed a sigh of relief, followed by thunderous outrage. This was the Capital City, under the feet of the Emperor, supposed to be the safest place. Unexpectedly, another street assassination of a prince occurred following the prior street assassination of Huangfu Jingchen.

King Kang was also stunned upon hearing the news; such a huge problem in the city’s defense implicated inescapable responsibility on both the City Patrol and the Capital Guard. However, the City Patrol Team arrived immediately after the assassination and captured a straggler.

The Emperor urgently summoned King Kang and Capital Guard Commander Pei Yichang to the palace, severely reprimanded them, and ordered thirty lashes each. He mandated a strict interrogation of the straggler to uncover the mastermind and ordered the Capital City to be under martial law, inspecting suspicious individuals. The case must be solved within ten days, or they should prepare their coffins!