EBE Chapter 622 The Chosen One (7)
Chapter 622 The Chosen One (7)
Two years later, at the Sixth Prince's residence—
Pei Yun placed his hands behind his back and strolled leisurely into the back garden.
"Master Pei, what brings you to my humble abode today..." The Sixth Prince Zhao Yi was sitting at the stone table in the pavilion, studying the unfinished chess game in front of him. Upon seeing Pei Yun arrive, he smiled slightly, stood up, and bowed.
“What was bound to happen has finally happened. Zhao Chen now needs the Qin family’s help.” Pei Yun sat opposite him.
Having understood Pei Yun's implication, Zhao Yi's faint smile vanished, and he lowered his eyes, concealing the coldness within.
"...How many days does he have left?"
"He has been critically ill for a long time. Even if the imperial physicians are highly skilled, it will not take more than half a month."
"...Does the Taoist priest intend to use the Qin family's power to help Zhao Chen seize the throne?" Zhao Yi asked directly.
"Indeed, there are currently four powerful factions in the capital: the Crown Prince, the Third Prince, the Fifth Prince, and Zhao Chen. The old emperor is critically ill and in a coma. The Yu family, backed by the Fifth Prince, is one of the most powerful families. These families are often related by marriage and have extensive connections within the Six Ministries. Most civil officials, including the Left Chancellor, are on good terms with the Yu family. The Imperial Guards, responsible for guarding the palace, outwardly side with the Fifth Prince, but secretly collude with the Third Prince. The Third Prince pretends to have no ambition for the throne and wholeheartedly supports the Crown Prince, but over the years he has been constantly instigating conflict between the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince, hoping to weaken them both..."
“…The Crown Prince and the Third Prince are both born of the same mother, and are the legitimate sons of Empress Lu. The Lu family will not object to either of them becoming emperor. The Lu family is a noble family, and the people they associate with are naturally also nobles. The army in Xishan Camp on the outskirts of the capital must support the Lu family…As for the Qin family, I think these three forces must have come to test us!” Pei Yun analyzed one by one.
Zhao Yi laughed: "As Master Pei said, the Crown Prince, the Third Prince, and the Fifth Prince all have powerful forces supporting them. So why do you think the Qin family would help a Seventh Prince who has no foundation? Furthermore, why doesn't Master Pei include me in the candidates for the throne? After all, it would be better to become emperor yourself than to support one of them!"
Pei Yun picked up a white chess piece and placed it on the board, then laughed and said, "...If you really had ambitions to become emperor, after I saved you back then, you should have made connections with various forces, instead of using the excuse of being weak and needing to recuperate to hide in your mansion all day seeking peace and quiet... To be honest, you are indifferent to fame and fortune, and kind and gentle to others. Compared to you, Zhao Chen is now far too obsessed with the pursuit of power..."
Zhao Yi's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at Pei Yun in surprise, only to hear the other say, "I came to this world to find the 'Chosen One.' At first, I thought it was Zhao Chen, so I wanted to help him ascend the throne. But now that things have come to this, I have a premonition that I may not be able to complete the mission this time... But I know you have no intention of vying for the throne. You don't want to be entangled in worldly affairs. Even if someone as detached as you becomes emperor, you won't be able to govern this country well..."
"If that's the case, why does the Daoist Master still want my Qin family to help Zhao Chen?" Zhao Yi asked, puzzled.
"...Although Zhao Chen values power too much, he is now using the power in his hands to serve the people. He has done everything I asked him to do. I cannot deny his efforts and contributions simply because of my premonition about the future..."
Pei Yun said, “Looking at the other contenders for the throne, the Crown Prince is arrogant and cruel, often torturing and killing servants. How could such a person be kind to the people? The Third Prince is insidious and ruthless. He appears carefree and unrestrained, but the troubles he stirs up in secret have implicated many innocent victims. The Fifth Prince is narrow-minded and even more ruthless than the previous two… Considering all this, isn’t Zhao Chen the most suitable candidate? You have no interest in the throne, but you can’t be indifferent to the future of the Qin family and your mother, can you?”
Zhao Yi's eyes flickered slightly: "...My uncles are all guarding the border. Half a month is too short for them to help in this urgent situation..."
“But your maternal grandfather is in the capital, and your Qin family’s achievements are so great that they have always been feared by the royal family. They must have some backup plans!” Pei Yun made another move, which directly broke the deadlock and completely revived the game.
……
Ten days later, the grand drama of vying for the throne officially began—
Chaos reigned in the palace. The old emperor had passed away, and the court officials had not yet had time to process the news when Consort Yu and the third prince arrived at the main hall with the Yu family. They read out a forged imperial edict and ordered the imperial guards to strictly guard the palace, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving.
Before she could finish speaking, a eunuch's panicked voice rang out: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince and the Third Prince have stormed into the palace with a large force and are currently engaged in battle with the Imperial Guards at Zhengyang Gate..."
The officials emerged from the main hall one after another, and the fighting was clearly getting more and more intense. Unlike the grim faces of the Third Prince and the Yu family, the ministers present had different expressions. These shrewd people naturally knew that the Yu family had been falsely conveying the imperial edict.
After an unknown amount of time, the Crown Prince stormed in with his troops from the Western Hills. Amidst the fighting between the two factions, he roared in fury, "Zhao Jie, I am the Crown Prince of Zhao! My father has passed away, yet you ordered the Imperial Guards to prevent me from entering the palace, attempting to seize the throne! This is utterly treasonous..."
"Before his death, my father had already designated me as the crown prince..." the fifth prince said, squinting his eyes.
"Ha! What a ridiculous joke! Who do you think you can fool with these words? Do you think the court officials would believe your nonsense..."
"Whether you believe it or not is irrelevant, as long as I am the one who ultimately sits on the throne."
"Let's see how you..." The prince was halfway through his sentence when an arrow flying from afar pierced his back.
The crown prince was startled and turned to look behind him. Wang Wei, the commander of the Imperial Guards, was holding a bow and shot another arrow in his direction.
The prince wanted to dodge, but he had already been hit by an arrow and was seriously injured, so he was powerless to dodge. Another arrow pierced his chest. Only then did he realize that he had been surrounded by many guards protecting him, but now there was no one around.
Before he could figure out what was happening, he slumped off his horse, lying on the ground covered in blood, his eyes wide open in death.
No one expected this sudden accident. Even the Fifth Prince and the Yu family were caught off guard. But after they came to their senses, they were overjoyed. The Crown Prince was the biggest threat. With him gone, who would be their match?
Just as the Fifth Prince and Consort Yu were overjoyed, Wang Wei, the commander of the Imperial Guards, raised his hand and paused. The Imperial Guards below stopped fighting, and the next moment, they all aimed their bows and arrows at the Fifth Prince.
The battlefield situation changed rapidly. The Fifth Prince, whose face was full of smiles, suddenly froze. Looking at the arrows pointing at him, he was filled with fear and anger. He roared, "Wang Wei, what are you doing? Are you trying to rebel?!"
Just then, the Third Prince, who had been hiding in the shadows, came into everyone's view. Behind him were members of the Lu family. He looked down at the Fifth Prince and sneered, "Fifth Brother, now you should know what it means to be the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!"
"It's you?! Zhao Li!" Only then did the Fifth Prince understand why Wang Wei had suddenly taken it upon himself to become his enemy.
"Shoot!" The Third Prince gave him no time to react and gave the order directly.
The third prince and his cronies hastily retreated and hid in the palace, while the officials who were not far away also fled in panic...
"Surround Zhengde Hall. Zhao Li, the Yu family, including Consort Yu, must not be spared."
"Yes."
……
More than an hour later, the Third Prince, supported by the Xishan Camp and the Imperial Guards, successfully killed the Fifth Prince and the Yu family on the spot. The entire Zhengde Hall was filled with the smell of blood, and the bloodstains on the ground were still spreading. The murderous atmosphere in the hall frightened all the officials present!
A greedy glint appeared in the third prince's eyes as he stared intently at the throne at the very front, approaching it step by step...
"It's time to end this!"
Suddenly, a clear voice rang out in the hall.
Everyone present, including the Third Prince, turned to look, only to see the Seventh Prince walking in side by side with a young woman...