Chapter 1359: A Storm Is Brewing

Chapter 1359: Chapter 1194: A Storm Is Brewing

“Emperor! You are young, don’t be deceived by this person! Gu Siqing is ambitious, he has long coveted the throne. Previously, he was too close with Prince Gong and Prince Jing. If it weren’t for those two being so shrewd, Gu Siqing might have already joined them. Now that the Emperor has died from the poison, this person is even more difficult to handle.”

Lang Ping was extremely anxious. Being Zhao Guangye’s maternal grandfather, he naturally had a closer relationship with him than with Gu Chengyu.

Lang Ping believed Zhao Guangye was too young and had been tricked by Gu Chengyu. After all, in the past, Gu Chengyu often visited the palace, primarily to see Zhao Guangye.

He is Zhao Guangye’s maternal grandfather. How could he possibly harm his own grandson?

“Gu Siqing’s character is something both my father and I understand. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have promoted him to Regent King to assist me in managing the court. This Holy Decree was drafted personally by my father. Do you intend to disobey the decree? If there are further objections, it would be an affront to my father, and you may as well go honor him at his mourning vigil!”

Zhao Guangye was no fool. How could he not see through the ulterior motives of these individuals? Even if he couldn’t see it clearly, he could sense a person’s goodwill or malice.

No matter even if he was his own grandfather. Once it involves the interests of the Lang Family, could his grandfather still take his side?

Gu Chengyu was different. He came from an obscure background, and his family had no promising members. Without the threat of family influence, he found Gu Chengyu to be much safer and more reliable compared to these aristocratic families.

This was something his father had analyzed with him during their heart-to-heart talks. At the time, he couldn’t take it in, but now, in retrospect, he realized his father had high hopes for him. Even though he had lost his sight, his father had never given up on him.

Gu Chengyu glanced at Zhao Guangye in amazement; this child had visibly matured recently. Originally clever, now with heavy responsibilities, his disposition had become more stable than before.

The Emperor’s choice was wise, passing the throne to Zhao Guangye, not merely because his age was most suitable, but due to his temperament.

“From today on, the court’s affairs will be jointly managed by myself and the Regent King. What you should focus on now is not questioning but preparing for my father’s funeral!”

The ministers looked at Zhao Guangye in shock. The little Emperor was only eight years old, but at this moment, he exuded an air of authority. This small figure had developed the aura of an emperor.

Even Gu Chengyu nodded. This young man had compassion and decisiveness; if properly guided, he would certainly become a wise ruler in the future!

…

Lu Chen entered the forest and found a small stream, where he crouched down and undid his clothes. He looked down and saw that the bandage on his chest was stained red with blood.

Tearing a strip from his hem, he bit his teeth and began to unravel the blood-soaked bandage on his chest.

Despite the pain causing sweat to bead on his forehead and his body to tremble, he didn’t stop his actions.

The continuous travel over the past days had left him physically and mentally exhausted. Moreover, there were many wounds on his body, the one on his chest being the most severe. The constant rush over the past two days left him no time to change his dressing, causing the wound to hurt even more than before.

The bandage had adhered to his flesh with dried blood. Enduring the pain, he ripped it off in one motion. He gasped for breath; although it hurt fiercely and left his mind somewhat faint, it was better than dragging it out slowly. If he were to tear it bit by bit, he might pass out from the pain.

Taking a porcelain bottle from his pack, he used a cloth strip to clean his wound and swiftly applied medicine.

By now, Prince Jing must have reached the Capital. He wondered what the current situation was in the Capital! Before leaving, he spread rumors about Prince Gong’s escape and had someone impersonate Prince Gong, so the court’s people shouldn’t suspect anything for the time being.

With someone diverting the court’s attention, as long as Fengqing Prefecture kept its gates closed, it should be able to hold out for some time. But at most, only a few days! The Wei Jiang Army sent by the court is indeed a scholarly general, so they can only deceive for a short while! Now, I only hope that Prince Jing will act quickly and seize the throne soon.

Thinking of this, he recalled his own kin. He had pre-ordered people to lead his family through the secret passage. If this plan succeeded, the Lu Family would naturally regain its former glory.

But if he couldn’t return, then his kin would have to live incognito, abandon their past glory, and become common people.

Remembering his brother’s resentful gaze, his heart trembled. He knew his family hated him. Even his mother and brother, who usually pampered him, were extremely disappointed, and his father was so angry that he vomited blood.

However, he couldn’t turn back now and had to harden his heart toward his family. As for his other kin, dragged down by him, perhaps they were now facing execution or exile. Thinking of those things, Lu Chen felt truly guilty of great crimes.

Prince Gong asked him if it was worth it. He didn’t know. He had asked himself, but he never found an answer. Yet his nature was such that once he resolved to do something, he wouldn’t give up.

Enduring all his pain and fatigue, Lu Chen put on his clothes, went forward to untie the reins, and prepared to continue the journey.

“Thank you for your hard work!” Lu Chen patted the horse’s head. This horse was a birthday gift from his brother three years ago. The horse was very spirited and was a remarkable steed, accompanying him for three full years.

This kind of travel consumed the horse’s lifespan, but he had no choice now.

Prince Jing had very few reliable people around him, and his suspicious nature meant that if Lu Chen didn’t arrive in time, Prince Jing’s actions would be hindered.

…

“Prince, when will we launch the attack? We just arrived, and the Emperor has passed away – it’s a godsend opportunity!” Captain Tang squeezed his fists tightly, unable to wait.

“Wait a bit longer, until it’s dark! They wouldn’t expect us to return to the Capital now. Striking at night is much easier! The troops still need some deployment; the Capital is under martial law during National Mourning. Although the forces we’ve brought are sufficient, it’s better to cover all bases! Later, go check on them, make sure they’re well hidden, and gather at 9 PM to catch them off guard!”

In truth, Prince Jing was most worried about Gu Chengyu. He had sent someone to gather information and only then realized that the Emperor had drafted a Holy Decree before dying, making Gu Chengyu the Regent King.

His younger brother finally did something right by binding Gu Chengyu and Zhao Guangye together, which was the correct move.

With Gu Chengyu, if you don’t catch his eye, no matter how well you do, he won’t spare you another look. But if you catch his eye, he’ll protect you with all his might.

He was a living example. Despite repeated invitations, such sincerity — it’s hard to believe Gu Chengyu wasn’t aware. Yet Gu Chengyu still didn’t agree, an utterly stone-hearted individual.

“Prince, who knows whether the Second Young Master Lu will succeed!” Captain Tang frowned, recalling Lu Chen.