NFBE Chapter 438 I am the New Emperor
Chapter 438 I am the New Emperor
Disappointment was already overflowing in Emperor Wenjing's eyes.
"What a wonderful way to align with the will of the people!"
"Li Mubai, you colluded with powerful families, were driven by them, and led troops to force the emperor to abdicate. Is this what you call following the will of the people? Do you think that by ascending the throne you can control everything? And that you can turn around and suppress these powerful families?"
Do you think you're more capable than me?
At this point, Emperor Wenjing suddenly became agitated, his eyes burning with anger. "I have been lying low for many years, trying to weaken the power of the aristocratic families and even to gain control of the Great Zhao court, but I have failed. Do you think you can?"
"You have seized the throne by forcing your way out today, and the powerful families have already used this against you. Even if I were to give you this position today, you would only become a puppet in their hands, and your every word and action would be controlled by them!"
King Qi was startled by these words.
He never expected that his father would analyze the drawbacks of powerful families seizing power with him.
Seeing the hesitation in the Prince of Qi's eyes, Li Zhuoyue felt a chill and immediately said, "Your Highness, you have no way out now!"
Upon hearing this, King Qi glanced at Li Zhuoyue, the hesitation in his eyes slowly fading, leaving only ruthlessness.
Yes, he has no way out.
If he cannot ascend to that supreme position, he will face certain death, and he does not want to die.
He said no more to Emperor Wenjing and asked Li Zhuoyue, "Have you obtained the imperial seal?"
Emperor Wenjing's expression changed slightly.
His eyes blazed with rage, and he pointed abruptly at the Prince of Qi, shouting, "You've been delaying me here because you're after the Imperial Seal?!"
Originally, the Imperial Seal was controlled by the Cabinet, but behind the Cabinet, aristocratic families were actually secretly manipulating it, and the Imperial Seal was essentially in the hands of these families.
However, during this period, Emperor Wenjing suddenly became less incompetent, and the imperial seal returned to his hands.
Emperor Wenjing knew that it was not safe to keep the imperial seal by his side. After much deliberation, he secretly sent the imperial seal to Xie Shifu.
Emperor Wenjing did not actually fully trust Xie Shifu, but he believed in Xie Shifu's character.
Xie Shifu was wholeheartedly devoted to the people and had only righteousness in his heart. He would never use the imperial seal for evil purposes.
Li Zhuoyue glanced at Emperor Wenjing and whispered to Prince Qi, "We've already obtained it."
Upon hearing this, a hint of joy flashed across the King of Qi's face, but he quickly regained his composure and smiled, "Father, if we cannot find the Imperial Seal, I may give up. But my men have already obtained the Imperial Seal."
"Since things have come to this, you should obediently write the abdication edict. You are my father, and I do not want to make things difficult for you."
Emperor Wenjing's face turned extremely ugly as he watched as the Prince of Qi's men brought up the imperial seal.
Accompanying them was an eunuch carrying a bright yellow blank imperial edict.
Prince Qi glanced at Liu Haifu, who was slumped on the ground, and said coldly, "Eunuch Liu, what are you standing there for? Grind the ink for the Emperor."
The hall was filled with Qi Wang's men, and Liu Haifu dared not disobey. He scrambled to his feet, trembling, and walked to the table to begin grinding ink. However, his hands shook so badly that he spilled a lot of ink.
Emperor Wenjing looked at the absurd scene before him, his eyes reddening and his chest heaving violently. He laughed in anger, his laughter filled with sorrow: "Li Mubai, you have disappointed me too much."
He looked up and met the gaze of the Prince of Qi, and sighed, "I have always doted on you and your mother. Of all the princes, you are the one I favor the most."
"Originally, I was thinking that once those aristocratic families were eliminated, I would make you the crown prince."
Upon hearing this, the King of Qi's smug expression froze instantly, and a look of disbelief flashed in his eyes.
He subconsciously clenched his hands, his gaze fixed on Emperor Wenjing, as if trying to find a trace of a lie on that face full of grief and indignation.
"Father, are you... are you telling the truth?"
His voice trembled involuntarily.
Emperor Wenjing laughed, his voice full of sarcasm, "At this point, what reason do I have to lie to you? I have suffered greatly because of the constraints imposed by powerful families, but you are my most beloved son, and I do not want you to face the same situation as me."
"I heavily relied on Yun Shang and the others to lure out those with ulterior motives, while secretly weakening the power of the aristocratic families, paving the way for your future ascension to the throne. I originally planned to smoothly hand over the throne to you after everything was arranged, but I never expected..."
Emperor Wenjing could not continue speaking.
Looking at Emperor Wenjing, who had aged in an instant, King Qi suddenly felt as if all the strength in his body had been drained away.
Yes.
He was the emperor's most beloved prince, and his mother was the emperor's most favored concubine. Why was he so determined to seize the throne?
"No, this is impossible..."
He muttered to himself, a fierce internal struggle beginning to unfold within him.
Seeing this, Li Zhuoyue knew in her heart that something was wrong. She quickly stepped forward and said urgently to Prince Qi, "Your Highness, don't be fooled! This is just a trick by the Emperor to buy time. You must not be soft-hearted!"
The King of Qi's gaze darted back and forth between Emperor Wenjing and Li Zhuoyue, his heart filled with conflict.
Just then, a fierce battle cry suddenly erupted outside the previously quiet hall.
King Qi suddenly snapped out of his daze.
Li Zhuoyue rushed to the palace gate and glanced inside. Her expression changed drastically. "Your Highness, it's Yun Shang! He's brought his men in!"
King Qi frowned deeply. "How could he be in the palace?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the King of Qi seemed to have thought of something and suddenly turned to look at Emperor Wenjing.
Emperor Wenjing was sitting behind his desk, looking at him with a deep and somber expression.
That look seemed to see through everything, yet it also seemed to carry a hint of disappointed pity.
In that instant, King Qi understood everything.
He couldn't help but burst into laughter, "Hahaha, Father! Father, I actually believed what you said just now, and even started a rebellion. How could I have been so naive!"
He laughed so hard he almost fell over, but a look of madness and determination gradually crept onto his face: "Good, good Yun Shang, what a meticulously planned scheme! What a beloved prince!"
"Father, you forced me to do this!"
King Qi turned around, suddenly grabbed the sword from the guard's hand, and strode toward Emperor Wenjing.
"Father, will you write this abdication edict yourself, or will I force you to write it?"
Emperor Wenjing straightened his back and sat upright on the dragon throne. His eyes were no longer as kind as before, but only cold: "Prince Qi, I have one last piece of advice for you: do not be so stubborn."
"What I just said was not all a lie to you."
"I don't believe a single word you say!" Prince Qi roared, his sword pointing directly at Emperor Wenjing's neck. "Father, will you write it or not?!"
The blade was only inches away from Emperor Wenjing's neck. The fighting outside the palace grew more intense. Emperor Wenjing gave him a deep look and picked up the pen that Liu Haifu handed him.
Emperor Wenjing held the pen in his hand, but it hovered in mid-air for a long time before he finally made a stroke.
After watching Emperor Wenjing finish writing the edict and affix the imperial seal, Prince Qi snatched it without hesitation and strode to the outside of the Hall of Longevity.
Seeing the soldiers locked in a chaotic fight, he shouted, "Stop fighting! My father has abdicated the throne to me. From this moment on, I am the new emperor!"
His voice echoed outside the Hall of Longevity, trembling slightly, whether from excitement or guilt was unclear.