Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 805 - 756: Deserving of Death

Li Xingsheng continued, "If Prince Xiangyang lets his grandson sit on the throne, little does he know, that throne is not so easy to occupy. He and his son will surely die!"

Li Xingmao said, "That’s why he’s come to ask you, father, did you agree?"

Li Xing’an said, "Father, what is there to discuss? Just agree to it. Rather than letting a worthless person take the throne, why not let our father have it."

Li Xingsheng nodded, "Father, I don’t object."

Li Xing’an added, "I don’t object either!"

Li Xingmao asked, "Father, you already have an answer in mind, don’t you?"

There was no joy on Prince Luling’s face.

He looked at his sons with a serious expression, "But don’t forget, above us is the Empress Dowager. Even if Prince Xiangyang gives his grandson’s position to our family, what about the Empress Dowager? Our relationship with the Empress Dowager has never been good."

Li Xingmao said, "Father, the Empress Dowager is related to the Cui Family. With the Cui Family around, the Empress Dowager should not dare to hastily make an enemy of us."

Li Xing’an was indifferent, "Knowing there are tigers on the mountain, yet insisting on going there, that’s the true nature of a man. Father, where has your old spirit of strength and ambition gone? How come after being a teacher for a few days, you’ve become so cautious?"

Li Xingsheng frowned, "Father is worried that if we gain power, the Empress Dowager’s influence will wane, and she might act against us as she did against Prince Xiangyang?"

Prince Luling nodded, "That’s exactly what I am thinking."

Li Xingsheng’s eyes turned, and he smiled, "I have an idea. Father, do you think it’s feasible?"

Prince Luling said, "Feel free to speak your mind."

Li Xingsheng slyly smiled, "Father, don’t be in a rush to agree. First, let Prince Xiangyang and the Empress Dowager fight it out! Although Prince Xiangyang seems naive and honest, he actually has a group of supporters. If he doesn’t want his grandson on the throne, will his supporters willingly give up?"

"..."

"They are bound to incite Prince Xiangyang. Prince Xiangyang has always been indecisive, listening to whoever incites him. When he causes enough trouble for the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager will actively seek you out, because among the entire Li Family, only your status can intimidate the other princes."

"As expected of the second brother, truly devious!" Li Xing’an chuckled.

"What’s devious? We haven’t done anything, just watching the drama unfold," Li Xingsheng flicked his sleeve, letting out a light hum.

Li Xingmao said, "Father, I think the second brother’s plan is feasible. Let’s go with it for now."

The thought in Prince Luling’s mind was that even if he agreed for now, the throne would still be passed on to his sons in the future.

That’s why he had come to discuss it with his sons first.

Since his sons didn’t agree to accept Prince Xiangyang’s proposal now, he also agreed with their idea.

"Then it’s decided."

.

Prince Luling returned to Mr. Wei’s study.

The anxious Prince Xiangyang immediately walked towards him, "Fourth brother, how did the discussion go with Dalang and the others?"

Prince Luling shook his head and sighed, "Dalang and the others said they are used to living in the countryside and might not adapt to that position. They all opposed it."

"Ah?" Prince Xiangyang almost cried. He bowed deeply to Prince Luling, "Fourth brother, I’m begging you, can you help me? Isn’t sitting on the throne harder than farming?"

Prince Luling nodded, "It really is harder than farming. Farming is simple; whether it turns out well or not is ultimately a matter within my family without others’ criticism. But if the throne is not well managed, there are watchful eyes above and scrutinizing officials below, with the common people outside observing. A single misstep could be recorded by historians and condemned by future generations. But has any future descendant ever criticized an ancestor for poor farming, saying their great ancestor didn’t farm well?"

Prince Xiangyang was left speechless.

Prince Luling patted Prince Xiangyang on the shoulder, "You go back first. If anything happens in the future, I’ll help you."

Despite begging for a long time, Prince Xiangyang couldn’t get Prince Luling to agree, so he left dejectedly for home.

Yet he wasn’t content and went to seek help from other princes.

But which prince dared to agree with him?

In the past, when the palace was stable, his modesty would have made the other princes treat him as a revered ancestor and agree to anything immediately.

But the current situation was not optimistic.

The Emperor had been poisoned, and any future new Emperor would be envied by the Empress Dowager.

Moreover, there was an even more prestigious Prince Luling, who hadn’t yet spoken.

If Prince Luling wanted to play the bloodline card, no one could claim a better qualification than him.

So, despite asking around, Prince Xiangyang was ignored by everyone, each finding various excuses to refuse him.

.

Just as Li Xingsheng had anticipated, the day after Li Can’s funeral, the Empress Dowager began to make trouble for Prince Xiangyang.

She ordered Prince Xiangyang to kneel and reflect in front of Li Can’s father’s tomb.

As for how many days Prince Xiangyang should kneel and guard the tomb, she didn’t specify. She only said it would depend on the degree of reflection.

And the Empress Dowager would decide what degree of reflection was sufficient.

The implication was that the Empress Dowager intended to take action against Prince Xiangyang.

The veteran ministers of the court all understood the Empress Dowager’s intentions.

The Empress Dowager had publicly promised before the civil and military officials that Prince Xiangyang’s grandson would be the next new Emperor, but now she wanted to go back on her word.

Agreeing one moment and regretting the next is not the conduct of a ruler; it will attract the ridicule of the world.

Therefore, the Empress Dowager needed to find a way to back down gracefully.

And this way out needed to be provided by others, be it Prince Xiangyang or the ministers. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Three days later, Prince Xiangyang sent the Empress Dowager a letter of repentance, stating that he lacked the ability to serve as Regent King and that his grandson, being only two years old, could not undertake the heavy responsibility of a new Emperor. He asked the Empress Dowager to select someone else.

The Empress Dowager found her way out and immediately gathered the ministers to ask for their opinions.

The ministers understood that this was the Empress Dowager’s intention to annul the previous imperial decree, and they all said, "Prince Xiangyang tends to listen to slander and cannot serve as Regent King. His grandson is too young and cannot become the ruler of a nation."

All the ministers spoke in unison, and the Empress Dowager made a decision on the spot to strip Prince Xiangyang of his title as Regent King, and at the same time, voided the title of new Emperor for Prince Xiangyang’s grandson.

However, it was not over yet.

The Empress Dowager had refrained from taking immediate action against Prince Xiangyang due to his titles as Regent King and new Emperor. Once these titles were removed, she remembered Li Can’s death and immediately took action against Prince Xiangyang.

She stripped the entire family of Prince Xiangyang of their noble titles and banished them to Bohai in the northeast for penal servitude.

For the family of Prince Xiangyang, apart from the Heir of Prince Xiangyang who had a disfigured face, who suddenly stopped acting insane, the others continued to wail incessantly.

Prince Xiangyang thought of the family of Prince Luling, biting his teeth, "Plant for two years, and maybe in a couple of years, we’ll be back."

On the day the whole family was escorted away, the Empress Dowager ordered the investigation and confiscation of the Yu Wen family, and Princess Consort Yu Wen was given death.

As for the Yu Wen father and son, in her anger, the Empress Dowager ordered the Ministry of Justice to have them quartered.

Outside the Ministry of Justice, a notice of the crimes of the Yu Wen father and son was posted.

Many people gathered there to watch.

Li Yuzhu pulled Mu Yuanxiu along to join the spectacle.

Amidst the commotion, a team of government officials escorted two prisoner carts forward.

Many people picked up rotten eggs and threw them at the insidious and greedy father and son.

Yu Wen Zan was filled with discontent, unable to comprehend why he had lost.

As his prisoner cart passed by Mu Yuanxiu, he saw a pair of cold, grim eyes staring straight at him.

Yu Wen Zan was shocked, those eyes... where had he seen them?

"The wicked will meet their just end, Yu Wen Zan!" Mu Yuanxiu softly said as he gazed at Yu Wen Zan.

The street was noisy and Yu Wen Zan couldn’t hear what was said, but he was clever enough to read Mu Yuanxiu’s lips.

Mu Yuanxiu was mocking him.

"As long as I’m here, you’ll never win!" Mu Yuanxiu softly added another sentence.

Yu Wen Zan understood as well.

At the same time, he suddenly realized that the one who secretly eliminated all his family’s assassins was none other than Mu Yuanxiu!

This mountain lad, what was his background?

Yu Wen Zan suddenly burst into laughter, "Mu Yuanxiu, don’t get too smug! And the Li Family, don’t rejoice too soon, the Beiyang people won’t spare you, hahaha—just wait and see! The Beiyang people will come here sooner or later! Hahaha—"

"Shut up, you lunatic!" A government official, annoyed by the noise, struck him hard on the head with the hilt of a knife.

Yu Wen Zan was knocked unconscious.

Li Yuzhu heard his words and squinted, asking Mu Yuanxiu, "Yuanxiu, why did he suddenly say these things to you? What does he mean?"

Mu Yuanxiu held her hand, "Mad words of a dying man, why bother paying attention? Let’s go, let’s head back."

"Mm, let’s go back." Li Yuzhu took another look at the receding prisoner carts and left with Mu Yuanxiu.

On the Wei family’s carriage, Li Yuzhu was still pondering over the matter concerning the Yu Wen father and son.

"Who would have thought, it wasn’t Li Can who pushed the Li Family into a predicament, but the scheming Yu Wen father and son instead!" Li Yuzhu shook her head, "But they also deserved their end!"