There is a god in the sky

Chapter 354 Palace Change 7

"After all, we are brothers by blood. Our father just passed away, and I don't want to be too ruthless."

Lu Changzhi, fearing that Prince Zheng would interfere, gave special instructions.

King Zheng then fell silent.

"It's rare for Uncle to come back to Beijing, so why don't I show you around?"

King Zheng asked with a half-smile, "Your father has just passed away, do you dare to go out and play?"

"It's just a stroll. Even someone whose father has died needs to eat and sleep normally."

King Zheng stood up, flicked his sleeves, and said, "What are we waiting for? Let's go now and let me see the scenery of the Bian River."

As soon as the two stepped outside, they saw the princess's carriage returning.

King Zheng strode forward, reached out to help the eldest princess down from the carriage, and then knelt before her and kowtowed three times respectfully.

"Sister..."

King Zheng's voice went hoarse as soon as he opened his mouth.

He was raised under the watchful eye of the eldest princess, and the two siblings shared a deep bond.

"Get up, come inside and talk."

The eldest princess looked somewhat tired; the series of bad news, even though none of them were from people she cared about, had kept her busy for quite some time.

The siblings entered the study, and Lu Changzhi wanted to stay with them, but the princess chased him out.

King Zheng shook his head upon seeing this.

"Changzhi is already in his twenties, is your older sister still not letting him know about that matter?"

"He doesn't need to know; it has nothing to do with him."

King Zheng was somewhat angry. "How can it be unrelated? You and I are siblings. If I were to die, does my sister think you and your son would survive?"

"His surname is Lu, not Zhao."

"Ha, how could my elder sister utter such foolish words? If you want to protect him, why did you help me seize the throne?"

The eldest princess pressed down on his shoulder, looked into his eyes, and said, "I want to help you; that position should have been yours."

King Zheng was deeply shaken; his eyes reddened, and he hugged the princess tightly, just as he had when they were children.

"The emperor is in poor health, and none of his sons are outstanding. In that case, why can't we give it a shot?"

"The Crown Prince is one thing, but didn't you praise the Second Prince before?"

The eldest princess sighed, "He looked promising when he was young, but he became mediocre as he grew up. It's because he was suppressed too much by the crown prince."

She abruptly changed the subject, a sharp glint in her eyes, "The Emperor has long been wary of the Tong family. This time, the Crown Prince has made a grave mistake, and the Emperor will definitely eradicate the entire lineage of the Crown Prince!"

"Isn't he afraid of having no one to carry on his legacy?"

"Hmph, as long as you're comfortable while you're alive, who cares about what happens after you die? Did you bring the soldiers I told you to?"

"An army of 100,000 is stationed a hundred miles away. With just one order from me, they can enter the city!"

“Good! The Imperial Guards are now under the command of Marquis Pingyang, so we do need to be wary of him. However, he is already a sick cat. Now that Consort Li is dead, we only need to shift the blame onto the Crown Prince and put Marquis Pingyang and the Crown Prince at odds, then he will be no threat.”

“Sister thought it through carefully, and that person arranged it the same way.”

The eldest princess raised her eyes, a hint of a smile in them.

"I never expected that you would have planted your confidants around the Empress so early on. Who would have thought that the Empress's loyal dog would be one of your people?"

"I think he just wants to use me to get rid of the Empress and the Crown Prince."

"It's alright, those with the same goal are allies, but this person is treacherous and cunning, so we must be wary."

"Don't worry, elder sister. He is nominally the Empress's man, but once the Crown Prince is eliminated, this 'loyal servant' will surely be buried alive with her."

King Zheng had long planned to discard the bridge after crossing the river.

The eldest princess had no objection to this; the path to power was always paved with blood, and a mere eunuch was not worthy of sympathy.

Li Ge had just given the Empress her medicine.

She briefly regained her senses and asked about the Crown Prince and then about the Emperor.

She said she saw the emperor holding her hand with concern and treating her very gently.

Her eyes were filled with nostalgia and emotion, as if she had returned to the first few years after entering the palace.

She was newly married to the emperor, deeply in love, and enjoyed his exclusive favor in the harem.

Without hesitation, Li Ge told her about the Crown Prince killing Consort Lin.

"Now that the Crown Prince is imprisoned in the Imperial Prison, Old Master Tong and Minister Tong knelt outside the Imperial Study all night but were unable to see the Emperor's face."

While the palace was busy preparing for Consort Li's funeral, the Emperor fell ill from excessive grief and refused to see anyone.

Your Majesty, you must recover soon, otherwise the Crown Prince…

Overwhelmed with emotion, the Empress vomited blood and grabbed Li Ge's hand, asking, "How could this happen? The Crown Prince killed Lin Miaoniang? Who framed him?"

Li Ge said helplessly, "This servant is also investigating, but it was indeed the Crown Prince who summoned Consort Lin away that day, and His Majesty witnessed him committing the murder. I'm afraid it will be very difficult to overturn the case."

"What a joke! He's the Crown Prince! So what if he kills one of his concubines?"

"I'm afraid that's not what His Majesty thinks."

"Does he intend to depose the Crown Prince? Cough cough..." The Empress clutched her chest and coughed violently.

Li Ge patted her back while adding fuel to the fire.

"This servant has discovered that His Majesty intends to frame Old Master Tong for the prescription he obtained back then."

If the Crown Prince hadn't made a mistake, the Emperor might still have had some reservations. But now, with this clear situation, the Emperor has sufficient reason to depose the Crown Prince.

The Empress gripped Li Ge's sleeve tightly and whispered a command in his ear.

"These are the last people I have left. I'm entrusting them all to you from now on. You must protect the Crown Prince for me!"

Li Ge's gaze was dark as he nodded. "Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant knows what to do."

The empress fainted after saying those words.

Li Ge let go, allowing her to lie down on the bed, and then called in a palace maid to tidy up.

He walked out of Kunning Palace with his hands behind his back, and even the moonlight seemed more beautiful than usual.

Eunuch Zhang ran over and whispered, "Sir, Prince Zheng's men say that the prince wishes to see you tonight."

"Alright, let the prince wait at the palace."

Prince Zheng also had a palace in Bianjing, but he had not returned for many years, and the servants in the palace had become more and more undisciplined year by year, and even the garden had fallen into disrepair.

The steward servant trotted behind King Zheng, repeatedly repenting and apologizing.

"Alright, get out of here. If you can't even manage a mansion, then get the hell out of here!"

The main courtyard where King Zheng lived was still carefully tidied up. Since he was the only one returning, he didn't need to pay too much attention to where he stayed.

Moreover, this place is only a transitional one for him; he will eventually live in the imperial city.

midnight.

All sounds are silent.

Li Ge, dressed in black, entered the palace, avoiding attention as he went, and met with Prince Zheng in the study.

The two had not seen each other for many years.

King Zheng hadn't changed much, except that he had gained a few more pounds.

Li Ge has matured a lot since he was a young boy, and he has become even more beautiful.

"Tsk tsk, such beauty, no wonder the Empress is so enamored." Prince Zheng reached out and removed Li Ge's hat.

Li Ge's face glowed white in the night, with red lips and white teeth, making it impossible to tell whether he was male or female.

Li Ge took a step back, bowed, and said, "Your Highness, please don't joke with this servant."

King Zheng became serious and sat down properly. "Alright, let's get down to business."