Quick Transmigration: Underdog Turns out to be Untouchable-Chapter 1206 - 1116: Lady Chancellor 54
Commander Fang, of course, doesn’t want to faithfully perform his duties. Although his loyalty to the Emperor is unquestionable, loyalty doesn’t mean he isn’t afraid of death or willing to die.
Standing on the city wall of the Palace, Commander Fang shouted loudly in the direction of the Eldest Prince without much hope.
"Eldest Prince, don’t do anything foolish. Even if you succeed in rebelling today, you won’t ascend to the throne. None of the ministers in the court will acknowledge your status, and the various generals outside will also dispatch troops to serve the King.
Eldest Prince, you are the Emperor’s son and already have the right to aspire to the throne, so why can’t you see through this and start a rebellion?
If you stop now, as the Emperor’s own flesh and blood, the Emperor surely wouldn’t kill you. But if you continue, you’ll truly become a criminal for eternity. Throughout history, no prince who has committed patricide has ever ascended the throne."
The Eldest Prince felt bitter in his heart; he understood well that rebellion was a bad path. Ascending the throne through proper channels would be best, but unfortunately, he’s been schemed against, and that path is no longer feasible. Now, he can only blindly follow the path of rebellion.
The Eldest Prince sneered coldly: "Commander Fang, do you think I’m an idiot? Don’t you know how heartless the Emperor is? If the Emperor had any regard for family ties, how would the Fourth Prince end up imprisoned?
Besides, when did I ever intend to commit patricide? Once I ascend the throne, the Emperor will become Supreme Emperor, and I will certainly be filial to him.
Commander Fang, you absolutely can’t hold on today. If you choose to stop resisting, I promise that once I ascend the throne, you will have a prosperous future. Why do you struggle so bitterly?"
Commander Fang was unwilling to surrender or abandon his loyalty to the Emperor, and the Eldest Prince couldn’t turn back either. Ultimately, neither could persuade the other, and both could only remain silent as one attacked and one defended.
Inside the Palace, the Emperor’s face turned red with anger as he coughed occasionally, while palace maids and eunuchs huddled together in despair.
Song Lianfeng worriedly stood by the Emperor’s side, while the Emperor slapped the bedside, coughing and furiously cursing: "This traitorous son, this traitorous son! I am not dead yet, and he dares to rebel! Traitor! Traitor! Cough cough..."
Song Lianfeng quickly helped the Emperor catch his breath, worrying about his own and the Emperor’s fate, and simultaneously developed a disdain for the Eldest Prince.
He always wondered why the Eldest Prince frequently visited the Palace to inquire whether the Emperor was ill, yet never pressured the Emperor to appoint him to supervise state affairs due to the Emperor’s illness. It turned out the Eldest Prince desired more; he aimed to become the Emperor directly!
The Emperor’s Palace was under threat, and in the Capital City, the residences of those loyal ministers were about to be broken into by the Eldest Prince’s maternal uncle.
During this crisis, outside the Emperor’s Palace, General An Da, armored and leading his troops, arrived from behind, attacking and encircling the Eldest Prince’s forces together with Commander Fang at the front.
Meanwhile, at the gates of the loyal ministers in the Capital City, various soldiers suddenly appeared and arrested the rebel troops attacking those ministers’ residences, alleviating the numerous crises faced by these ministers.
The troops brought by the Eldest Prince were fewer than General An Da’s, and they were quickly defeated, with the Eldest Prince captured by General An Da’s men.
Once the crisis was resolved, the Emperor summoned General An Da to the Palace, while the Eldest Prince remained uncalled upon, directly imprisoned by the Emperor.
Seeing General An Da, who hadn’t been present in court for many years, the Emperor sighed, as he hadn’t expected General An Da would come to the rescue. As to why General An Da arrived so promptly, the Emperor harbored no suspicion of any hidden agenda.
Though holding military power, General An Da didn’t command the Jingxi Camp, but any large troop movements would inevitably alert General An Da. If he couldn’t be aware of this crucial information, the Emperor wouldn’t be so guarded against General An Da’s military power.
General An Da’s timely rescue decreased the Emperor’s suspicions of him significantly.
Looking at General An Da, the Emperor was pleased and said directly: "My loyal subject has rendered great service in saving the Emperor. Are there any rewards you desire?"
The Emperor’s words lacked any probing intent. Sometimes his speech was convoluted, leaving people guessing about his thoughts, while other times he spoke directly. Being Emperor afforded him the luxury of being capricious.
Kneeling on the ground, General An Da presented the Tiger Talisman prepared in advance from his sleeve, raising it to the Emperor: "It is my duty to be loyal to the Emperor. I desire no reward; instead, I request that the Emperor take back the Tiger Talisman from my hands."
The Tiger Talisman symbolizes military power, and General An Da’s action is equivalent to voluntarily surrendering command over the troops.
The Emperor had coveted General An Da’s military authority for a long time, but he hadn’t anticipated that General An Da would voluntarily surrender military command after achieving merit in rescuing the Emperor.
This left the Emperor somewhat bewildered by General An Da, his brow slightly furrowed: "What do you mean by this action, my loyal subject?"
"Emperor, I know that you have always thought of me as an ally of the former Crown Prince, always loyal to him. But Emperor, my loyalty has always been to you. When I served the late Emperor, I was loyal; when I served the former Crown Prince, I was loyal; and now, I am loyal to you, the current Emperor.
In the past, I clung to military power not out of a desire for it, but out of necessity. I know you esteem fairness above all, and now I will certainly enjoy the Emperor’s protection, allowing me to surrender the military power with confidence." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
General An Da spoke with genuine feeling, recalling when a girl once smiled lightly on a mountaintop and advised him that being forthright would win the Emperor’s trust more than evasive talk.
Indeed, as soon as General An Da said those words, the Emperor’s gaze softened immediately. He had never thought from General An Da’s perspective, which is why suspicion lingered.
Now, with General An Da’s action showing his loyalty, the Emperor considered things from General An Da’s angle for once.
To be fair, General An Da wasn’t mindful of political affiliations among the Princes. His loyalty to the former Crown Prince was decreed by the late Emperor.
After ascending the throne, General An Da had never disrupted affairs, honestly staying at home, while many in court sought to bring him down. No wonder General An Da was reluctant to relinquish military power.
Yet, having achieve the merit of rescuing the Emperor, instead of seeking rewards, he immediately surrendered military authority, demonstrating what a true loyal subject he was.
To love someone to the point of wanting them to live or to hate someone to the extent of wishing them dead — this is the Emperor’s nature. At this moment, seeing Genera An Da appear loyal, the Emperor viewed him favorably.
"My loyal subject is indeed a rare loyalist. Rest assured that with your loyalty to me, I will never let anyone disgrace you."
General An Da’s face reflected deep gratitude as he bowed deeply: "Your servant thanks the Emperor."
Within General An Da’s heart, he was full of admiration for Yin Shuangshuang at this moment. Now, he had the Emperor’s protection and had saved those important ministers, some of whom were his political adversaries.
Having received his help, whether grateful or not, they would at least refrain from attacking General An Da further, lest they be seen as ingrates, and nobody would want to deal with such individuals.
After this event, General An Da became not only a trusted confidant of the Emperor but also resolved his factional enemies in the court, thereby eliminating all his worries.
Yin Shuangshuang’s strategy was a triple triumph, helping the Second Prince out of a predicament, and allowing General An Da to remove hidden perils. With the Eldest Prince thoroughly brought down, Wang Zhongxuan, being the Second Prince’s confidant, naturally need not die.
