The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 1229 - 655: A Resounding Slap
Why should it be me who dies?!
Inside the Imperial Study Room, Xu Jianwen had a cold smile at the corners of his mouth. He slumped on the ground, but his gaze was like a knife, piercing directly at the Empress’s face.
This is bad!
Zhao Douan’s heart stirred, and he hurriedly looked at Zhenbao with some worry, fearing to see any trace of sympathy on the Empress’s face.
One must admit, Xu Jianwen’s words were indeed moving.
If this were a stage play, Zhao Douan believed that the audience sitting below would surely applaud and praise, altering their perspective on this prince who conspired to usurp the throne.
Zhao Douan also did not deny the truthfulness of Xu Jianwen’s words.
Looking through the history books, since ancient times, fratricide was inevitable in imperial families, and it was not always due to ambition, but often out of necessity.
However, based on what he knew about Xu Jianwen, this person was definitely not someone of tenderness.
During the two pursuits at Hu Ting and Border City, Zhao Douan had long understood that he was a hero who had no feelings for his subordinates and would fight desperately even in dire situations.
Therefore, he astutely judged that Xu Jianwen’s words were a performance, a performance targeting the Empress’s character flaws!
The purpose was to seek a way out in a desperate situation.
If the Empress were truly swayed by him and became merciful... While Zhao Douan was secretly breaking out in a cold sweat...
Xu Zhenguan spoke coldly.
She showed no expression, like a statue on a shrine:
"I know what you’re saying, but I know even more clearly that you are still trying to deceive me at this very moment."
She said calmly:
"Father did indeed elevate you, but did you truly have no way out? From a young age, you were exceptionally intelligent, the first among many princes to show great aptitude. Your biological mother taught you the ways and schemes of power struggle from an early age, which I’ve always seen and remembered, never forgetting.
So precocious was your nature, was it because Father selected you, making you stand against the Crown Prince?
Or did you see Father’s intentions early on, so you deliberately stood out, made friends, and excelled in all things?
You worked hard to stand out among many siblings, and as a result, were chosen and supported by Father?
You know this best in your heart."
Xu Jianwen remained silent.
Xu Zhenguan paused slightly, as if recalling that snowy winter of the Xuanmen Coup:
"Take a step back, even if you were indeed forced to initiate a coup for self-preservation. But what did you do?
In truth, if it weren’t for my intervention to break the situation, you would have already succeeded that day.
At that time, you could have fabricated an edict to ’exile’ the Crown Prince, sending him to be enfeoffed in Lingnan, replacing him yourself. Even if you wanted to eliminate future threats by killing the Crown Prince, that would have been one thing, but you also killed the other brothers and sisters in the palace.
How did they threaten you?
You didn’t even spare two of the princesses... Such conduct, ha-ha, does not in the least bit appear ’forced’!"
The Empress paused again, seeming to return from memory, and the slight pain of witnessing that day’s bloody scene dissipated, as she mockingly said:
"But even though the Xuanmen Coup failed, you still had a way out.
Because you didn’t die, you were really smart, even preparing for your potential failure, and at this point, having faked your death and fooled everyone, you could have hidden your identity, left the confinement of the Royal Family, but you didn’t.
You hid behind Zhuang Xiaocheng, using the Kuangfu Society to continuously cause trouble, not hesitating to implicate many people to death for this.
No, not just that, let me guess, Prince Jing and the others’ rebellion, you secretly instigated that too, didn’t you?"
Xu Zhenguan’s eyes flashed with a color called "contempt," as she said:
"You surely understand that relying solely on the Kuangfu Society could not have caused a major upheaval, so even though you were alive, you still hid and twisted the truth, tarnishing my name...
I once thought this tarnishing was just pure vilification, only realizing later that you were building momentum, paving the way for the Eight Princes’ rebellion.
Only if my ascension were deemed unjust would Xu Wen and Xu Jingtang have thoughts of seizing power, and your real goal was to drive the tiger to swallow the wolf, making the court and the Eight Princes kill each other while you hid in the shadows.
Just waiting for both sides to be drenched in blood, greatly weakened, and even waiting for me to be overthrown, allowing you to stage a magnificent return with the Liao Clan’s military divine weapons delivering a miracle...
Ha, at that time, you would have the military backing of the Liao Clan, along with a legitimate prince’s righteous claim; truly a well-calculated plan!"
Xu Jianwen opened his mouth as if to say something, but was interrupted by the Empress:
"It’s a pity you didn’t expect Yu Country to have someone like Mr. Zhao.
Your grand scheme was shattered. When Xu Jingtang died, you had nowhere to hide, so you took the risk to reveal yourself, meeting Xu Wen, actively surrendering, and attempting to kill Mr. Zhao, but you still miscalculated.
Xu Wen died, and your plan almost failed.
At that point, you already had a way out; you could have hidden in the Southwest Territory, living comfortably under the protection of the Great La Ba.
But the Western Regions people’s invasion gave you new hope, so even risking the wrath of the world, you still chose to deploy troops at this critical juncture, wanting to exploit the situation, even at the cost of turning your blade against the people of Yu Country.
No... it wasn’t that you didn’t care, you never cared about how the flames of war sweeping Yu Country would destroy countless families or kill innocent people, you never cared.
Just like you’ve never cared for those in the Kuangfu Society loyal to you, only treating them as tools.
