NFBE Chapter 541 Joy of Life 97
Chapter 541 Joy of Life 97
Emperor Qing wanted to use the sacrifice at Mount Dadong as bait to get rid of Si Gu Jian and Ku He.
Chen Pingping, on the other hand, hoped to take advantage of Emperor Qing's trip to Da Dong Mountain to incite several princes to rebel, so that Emperor Qing could personally experience the pain of being betrayed by his family and friends and killing his own flesh and blood.
If handled well, it could even allow Fan Xian to quell the rebellion and achieve merit, further consolidating his position in Emperor Qing's heart.
Li Chengze's goal was very direct: to take advantage of Emperor Qing's absence from the capital and ascend the throne directly.
Therefore, Chen Pingping's plan and Li Chengze's plan were contradictory.
The former intended to create chaos, while the latter needed to stabilize the situation to ensure a smooth succession.
Therefore, in order to ensure that his plan would go perfectly, Li Chengze had no choice but to get rid of Chen Pingping, this troublemaker, as soon as possible.
******
Gong Dian, as the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards, was not a top-tier martial artist, only possessing the cultivation level of the eighth rank. However, he was steady in his actions, meticulous in his thoughts, and utterly loyal to Emperor Qing.
After the Niulan Street incident, Emperor Qing ordered him to secretly investigate clues about gunpowder.
At first, Gong Dian thought it would be a piece of cake, but several months passed and the clues about gunpowder disappeared without a trace, and the mission made no progress at all.
As time passed, Gong Dian was already prepared for the Emperor's reprimand after his failure.
Just then, things took a turn for the better.
The dispatched imperial guards reported back that gunpowder had been secretly manufactured in the west of the city.
Upon hearing this news, Gong Dian's heart sank, and he immediately led his troops to the west of the city without hesitation.
Gong Dian was meticulous and feared that making a move would alert the enemy and ruin everything.
Therefore, as they approached the target location, he and the others changed into civilian clothes and traveled light to the place where gunpowder was made, where they saw Shadow leading a group of people conducting experiments.
Gong Dian waited patiently for a long time until he witnessed the shocking scene of the gunpowder explosion, then hurriedly returned to the palace and eagerly reported what he had seen and heard to Emperor Qing in detail.
Emperor Qing: ...
When Emperor Qing heard Li Chengqian say that the two explosions in Niulan Street might have been caused by Fan Xian, he already became suspicious of Fan Xian, Chen Pingping, and others, believing that the incident in Niulan Street was very likely a carefully planned scheme by Chen Pingping for Fan Xian.
The fact that Shadow was secretly manufacturing gunpowder further confirms Emperor Qing's suspicions.
That "old dog" actually betrayed him and secretly manufactured gunpowder!
What does he mean by that? What is he trying to do?
Emperor Qing was seething with rage, wishing he could eliminate him immediately, but on his face he maintained that all-knowing, calm smile: "Are you sure the person you saw was the Shadow of the Overwatch Council?"
Gong Dian prostrated himself on the ground. After hearing this, he quickly weighed his options and finally decided to answer truthfully: "Your Majesty, I dare not deceive you. That person is indeed a shadow of the Censorate."
At this point, he took out a paper packet containing a powdery substance from his pocket, held it up above his head and presented it: "Your Majesty, this is some gunpowder that I secretly obtained from there. Please take a look."
Emperor Qing's gaze swept lightly over the paper package without making any move, but a barely perceptible glint of cold light flashed in his deep eyes.
"Send word—Chen Pingping!"
……
"His Majesty summons me to the palace? Now?"
As Chen Pingping looked at the young eunuch delivering the imperial edict, a sense of foreboding suddenly welled up in his heart for some reason.
"Alright! Let me change my clothes, and then I'll go to the palace with you immediately."
He placed his hands on the wheels of the wheelchair, preparing to push it back to his room.
However, before he could finish speaking, the eunuch who came to deliver the decree lowered his eyes and said, "Dean Chen, His Majesty specifically instructed that you do not need to wash or change clothes, and can directly enter the palace with us."
This seemingly ordinary sentence struck Chen Pingping like a bolt from the blue, causing his heart to sink.
What happened in the end?
His Majesty didn't even give him time to change his clothes.
Chen Pingping said softly, then slowly lowered her head, concealing the complex expression in her eyes, and placed her hands back on the blanket covering her knees: "...Okay."
Seeing this, the young eunuch waved his hand behind him, and immediately a member of the Imperial Guard stepped forward to take the wheelchair and push Chen Pingping to follow behind the young eunuch.
The accompanying imperial guards quickly surrounded the three, and the group hurried away.
Yan Ruohai happened to witness this scene. His eyes flickered slightly, and he asked loudly, "Dean?"
Chen Pingping did not answer, but gave him a meaningful look, and then silently followed the little eunuch out of the Censorate.
Yan Ruohai watched the departing figure, recalling Chen Pingping's glance just now. He gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and whispered, "Someone, summon the heads of the other seven departments here immediately. There is an important matter to discuss."
On the other side, when Chen Pingping arrived at the Imperial Study with the eunuch, he found that all the palace servants in the hall had been dismissed by Emperor Qing, leaving only the emperor and his minister in the empty hall.
The slowly closing palace gates shut out the pattering rain outside.
Looking at Emperor Qing's gloomy face, Chen Pingping felt that the ominous premonition he had felt earlier had suddenly become a reality.
Gong Dian stood at the entrance like a stone statue, intently watching for any movement around him, deliberately ignoring the conversation between the two inside the hall.
He knew that the conversation taking place in the hall at this moment must be extremely important.
He had just witnessed the power of gunpowder in the west of the city, just like the explosion on Niulan Street.
It is obvious that the explosion was caused by Dean Chen.
He didn't understand why Dean Chen did this, especially since he had killed so many Red Knights and members of the Overwatch Council.
But it is not important.
He only knew that he had completed the task assigned by His Majesty, and that was enough.
Just as Chen Pingping stepped into the palace gates, Yan Xiaoyi, fully armed, had already surrounded the Censorate with his men, while Qin Heng, the current garrison commander of Kyoto, rushed to the west of the city with his men.
The two acted swiftly, launching a surprise attack on the behemoth that was the Censorate, taking advantage of the fact that the entire city of Kyoto was completely unprepared.
Before the people from the Censorate could react, they were all dumbfounded when they saw Yan Xiaoyi leading his troops to surround the gate.
After realizing what had happened, he was both shocked and furious.
Someone pointed at Yan Xiaoyi and angrily said, "How dare you! This is the Censorate, how dare you act so presumptuously here?"
Despite saying that, everyone had a vague idea in their hearts.
The Censorate was directly under the Emperor, independent of the other departments of the court, and the Imperial Guards and city garrisons were also under its control.
Without Emperor Qing's imperial edict, Yan Xiaoyi absolutely could not have mobilized troops to surround the Censorate.
Sure enough, Yan Xiaoyi sat firmly on his horse, shook the reins, took two steps forward, and looked down at the crowd, coldly announcing: "By order of His Majesty, from this moment forward, no one from the Censorate is allowed to enter or leave!"
The official who had previously rebuked Yan Xiaoyi instantly changed his expression, and the surrounding crowd looked at each other in shock.
His Majesty first summoned the head of the Censorate to the palace for an audience, and then ordered people to surround the Censorate. What is he trying to do?
Is this a move against the Control Yuan? Or is it just targeting President Chen himself?
The thought of the latter possibility was like a dark cloud obscuring the sun, causing the faces of everyone present to immediately darken.
Some hot-tempered individuals had already gripped their weapons, their eyes fixed on Yan Xiaoyi like knives, as if they were about to take the life of this person who dared to act so presumptuously at the gate of the Supervisory Council.
Chen Pingping, who was in charge of the Censorate, had long since made it as impenetrable as an iron barrel. Although the people in the Censorate claimed that "everything is for the Qing Kingdom," in reality, they were all his trusted henchmen, loyal only to him.
Today, the Control Yuan has become a place where "everyone knows Director Chen, but no one knows Emperor Qing."
Faced with this sudden turn of events, these people did not delve into why Emperor Qing would take action against Chen Pingping.
What angered them was the fact that Emperor Qing actually attacked Chen Pingping.
No matter how high-sounding the Emperor's reasons may be, in the eyes of this group, harming Chen Pingping was crossing their insurmountable bottom line.
Because no matter the reason, no one can harm Dean Chen, not even the Emperor himself.
At this moment, no one felt the slightest fear or apprehension; only anger and resentment filled their hearts.
With the strength of the Censorate, they could easily storm the palace, rescue Director Chen, and then elope with him.
Even if we fail in the end, at worst we can use the three poisons left behind to throw into the water sources of Kyoto. Within an hour, this prosperous capital will be turned into a dead city.
At that time, not a single person will be left alive, whether it be the emperor in the palace, the officials in the court, or the people in the city.
For those loyal to Chen Pingping, this extreme idea was not just empty talk, but a viable option.
Yan Xiaoyi naturally sensed the intense killing intent emanating from the crowd before him. He raised his hand, took the longbow from his back, and locked his gaze on the crowd of the Supervisory Council like an eagle, seemingly searching for a target.
The Imperial Guards behind him were not to be outdone, gripping their spears tightly, the sharp tips pointing directly at the members of the Censorate.
For a moment, tensions rose between the two sides, and the air was thick with an atmosphere of impending conflict.
A major battle is imminent.
The sky seemed to sense the intense killing intent as well, and the fine drizzle gradually intensified, with raindrops pounding the ground, adding a touch of grimness to the standoff.
At this critical moment, Yan Ruohai rushed out and shouted to the people from the Censorate, "No one is allowed to make any rash moves—"
……
A cold autumn rain.
The light drizzle carried a hint of chill as it gently fell, clinging to people and sending shivers of cold air through them.
Chen Pingping sat in a wheelchair. He had gotten wet on the way there, and his clothes were sticking to his body, making him feel very uncomfortable.
However, at this moment he had no mind to care about these trivial details, and focused all his attention on Emperor Qing.
It was still raining outside, and the gray sky was devoid of any sunlight, making the Imperial Study dim and unusually dark.
Only the flickering candlelight around them offered a faint glow to the monarch and his minister, who had been together for decades.
In the past, when they met, they discussed matters of national importance, and every word they uttered could stir up a storm outside.
Today, however, the two remained silent for a long time, an unusual stillness filling the air, so quiet that only the faint sound of the candlelight could be heard.
The two tightly closed palace gates shut out the storms and disturbances of the outside world, placing the emperor and his minister in a secluded space.
Emperor Qing sat upright on the couch, his gaze calmly fixed on Chen Pingping in the wheelchair below.
His face showed no anger or any unusual emotion; he simply gazed quietly at the minister who had served him for decades.
After a long while, he slowly reached out and tossed the paper packet containing gunpowder on the table to the person in the wheelchair.
The paper packet landed right next to Chen Pingping. Because it was thrown with considerable force, a crack appeared at the crease of the packet upon impact, and some gunpowder spilled out, filling the air with a strong odor.
"Do you have anything to explain to me about this?" Emperor Qing's voice rang out softly, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable air of authority.
Now that things have come to this, Chen Pingping certainly knows why Emperor Qing summoned him.
It turns out that Emperor Qing had learned about Shadow's gunpowder-making activities.
Gunpowder was a major concern for Emperor Qing. In order to study it, he did his best to work on it personally, risking his life and being blown up countless times.
Emperor Qing would never allow anyone else to develop gunpowder on their own, let alone Chen Pingping, who was not only secretly researching it but also preparing for large-scale production.
This is no longer just a matter of overstepping authority; it directly touches upon the bottom line that Emperor Qing fears most.
In other matters, there might be room for maneuver, but in this particular case, Emperor Qing would never easily let it go.
Chen Pingping sighed inwardly, realizing that he had indeed been too hasty and had not acted carefully enough, which allowed Emperor Qing to seize on his weakness.
Now that he's been caught red-handed, it seems Emperor Qing has no intention of letting him go.
His only thought now is to do everything he can to prevent this matter from involving Fan Xian.
With this thought in mind, Chen Pingping closed his eyes slightly and exhaled heavily.
Logically, he should have felt scared at this moment.
But the truth is, he felt no fear whatsoever; on the contrary, he felt a sense of relief.
Because of something he had kept hidden in his heart for over a decade, he was finally able to speak it out.
"Your Majesty," Chen Pingping said softly.
Emperor Qing looked at him calmly, but a faint hint of reminiscence flickered in his eyes:
"There is still one thing I don't understand. Back then, you were sent by the palace to monitor Prince Cheng's residence. Why did you ultimately choose to betray your former master and instead wholeheartedly assist me, even going so far as to help me turn against Eunuch Hong?"
In this matter, I should be grateful to you. Without your loyalty, my father might never have had the chance to ascend the throne, and I would certainly not be where I am today.
In the past, the Qing Emperor's royal family often sent palace eunuchs to reside in the various princely residences, ostensibly to serve, but in reality to secretly monitor them. This practice was only abolished after the Qing Emperor ascended the throne.
That's how Chen Pingping arrived at Prince Cheng's Mansion.