Worldwide Awakening: My Soul Kinds Are Lost-Chapter 474: An Unfounded Appearance, Suicide_1
Inside the Imperial Palace, during the welcome reception, the atmosphere wasn’t marked by the verbal skirmishes of the morning court, but rather by a scene of apparent joy.
"Your Majesty’s actions must have ulterior motives," Wang Linchi suddenly spoke.
With these words, the music and dancing came to a halt, and the smile froze on Emperor Jing’s face.
Nobody had expected Wang Linchi to spoil the mood at this crucial moment. Everyone was supposed to be indulging in drink and revelry.
"Until you die, my heart will not be at peace," Emperor Jing said viciously, draining his cup of wine in one gulp.
"Why? Everything I’ve done has been for the sake of Dajing, without a shred of selfishness," Wang Linchi counter-questioned, playing his part to the fullest, careful not to give himself away.
SLAM!
Emperor Jing slammed his hand on the table and roared in fury, "But you blocked my path! Who wants to be a puppet emperor?!"
"Your Majesty, you are losing your composure."
"Earlier today at court, I had already returned political power to you. If you hadn’t sent for me, from today onwards, I would have confined myself to my home for three years, not stepping foot outside my residence," Wang Linchi said calmly.
At these words, Emperor Jing was stunned. He had not expected Wang Linchi to say such a thing.
"The late Emperor’s trust in me is a kindness as heavy as a mountain, which I must repay with utmost devotion until death."
"However, it seems Your Majesty misunderstands, believing I harbor selfish intentions. Dare I ask Your Majesty, have I ever acted disrespectfully towards Your Majesty or the Court?" Wang Linchi asked.
Many scenes flashed through Emperor Jing’s mind. Wang Linchi had indeed always shown respect. Even when they were at odds, Wang Linchi would offer him various delicacies. Could that be considered a transgression? Absolutely not.
As for disrespecting the Court, that was even more absurd. Ever since Wang Linchi began his regency these past few years, he had been constantly rushing about, never stopping.
Whatever Emperor Jing desired, Wang Linchi permitted, except for any involvement in power. Apart from that, everything was fine.
"Never..." After a long pause, Emperor Jing finally managed to utter the word.
"Then have I ever failed the trust the late Emperor placed in me, or have I ever neglected the great responsibilities the Court bestowed upon me?" Wang Linchi asked again.
"Never," Emperor Jing admitted. He was beginning to realize where his problem lay.
It seemed he had been thoroughly fooled.
Realizing this now, he wondered if it was too late.
"King Heaven Equivalent, this matter, I can explain. I..." Emperor Jing faltered, at a loss for words.
"Your Majesty, it has long been said that Spirit Masters who achieve top honors three times rarely meet a good end. I once thought this mere superstition, but looking at it now, perhaps it is true." Wang Linchi’s words clearly implied that there would be no forgiveness, not after Emperor Jing had tried to kill him. From that moment on, it was one or the other.
Unfortunately, Emperor Jing seemed not to understand Wang Linchi’s meaning, insisting instead that it was all a misunderstanding.
Emperor Jing now suspected that his Aides might have been planted by the Great Family, intending to use him to kill Wang Linchi, thereby crippling him.
Wang Linchi was indeed aligned with the Great Family, yet he also controlled the distribution of benefits.
The Great Families naturally wanted to seize more for themselves. If Wang Linchi were dead, wouldn’t they be the ones to control the distribution?
The scheme laid by the Great Families is truly unfathomable. I never imagined the Great Families could hate King Heaven Equivalent so much. How I regret my actions! Emperor Jing was filled with remorse.
If not the Great Families, then who else could it be?
In the Court, if one were to divide it, there were essentially only two factions: his own imperial faction and the Great Family faction.
Wang Linchi had balanced these two factions, allowing them to form an interest group.
"Your Majesty, it is all too late. How can a broken mirror be made whole again?" Wang Linchi interrupted Emperor Jing’s rambling thoughts.
Mending a broken mirror might be simple for Wang Linchi, but in this world, which was neither sufficiently advanced in science nor profound in mystique, it was indeed impossible.
Emperor Jing swallowed hard and asked, "Then, King Heaven Equivalent, how do you propose to resolve this? If it is reasonable, I shall consent."
At this moment, he had to concede. Being a puppet to Wang Linchi, who genuinely intended to return power, was one thing. But becoming a puppet to the Great Families meant not only he but possibly his descendants for generations would be puppets.
"My sources are quite reliable. Your Majesty intended to kill me under the trumped-up charge of treason. Today, I shall prove my innocence with my death." As Wang Linchi spoke, he drew a magnificent longsword and pressed it to his throat.
"After I go to meet the late Emperor, I hope Your Majesty will take care. Governing a state is like cooking a small delicacy; it must not be rushed."
As he was about to make his move, Emperor Jing leaped to his feet, shouting, "Stop!!!"
In his haste, he knocked over the table in front of him. The items on it clattered to the floor, creating a tremendous noise.
Many things shattered, including, naturally, wine cups.
"King Heaven Equivalent is rebelling! Join me in eliminating this traitor!"
Previously, Emperor Jing had arranged with his death-sworn warriors that a smashed cup would be the signal. This time, not only cups but bowls, plates, and the table itself were overturned—it was as if the entire table had been flipped. So, they naturally rushed in.
And for the sake of legitimacy, the slogans they shouted were deafening.
Emperor Jing had no time to stop them; the men had already stormed in.
The words had barely fallen when Wang Linchi seemingly slit his own throat. As his head toppled, blood gushed from the severed neck, drenching a large part of the banquet hall.
Emperor Jing was stunned.
If Wang Linchi hadn’t died, Emperor Jing could have continued to be stubborn and maintain his own viewpoint. But with Wang Linchi dead, the problem became significant.
This was a loyal official, and a capable one at that. Now, he had driven him to his death. What was he to do next?
When Emperor Jing came to his senses, he was utterly numb.
The death-sworn warriors who had charged in looked at each other, momentarily speechless.
"Your Majesty, this matter..." an eunuch by his side inquired.
Today’s events were truly too shocking. King Heaven Equivalent had proven his innocence with his death before Emperor Jing could even accuse him of rebellion.
Thus, the one in dire straits was Emperor Jing himself.
"Perhaps there is truth to it... Perhaps there is truth to it!" Emperor Jing began in a whisper, his voice gradually rising to a shout as he solidified his conviction.
"King Heaven Equivalent conspired to rebel. There might be truth to this. Immediately, secure his body. Have the Imperial Censor, the Minister of the Dali Court, and the Minister of Punishments—the Three Laws Department—jointly investigate this."
At this point, Emperor Jing knew: Wang Linchi had to bear the blame.
Of course, this was a way to test the court officials. If the subsequent resistance was particularly fierce, he was prepared to offer a scapegoat. If not, then Wang Linchi would have to be wronged.
After all, Wang Linchi had lived an illustrious life; a small stain on his name after death hardly mattered.
As for Wang Linchi being a loyal official, to Emperor Jing, the man was already dead; his remaining value should be converted into political capital as quickly as possible.
"Y-yes." The eunuch beside him quickly assented.
"Hurry to the Imperial Study Room! Arrest all those treacherous sycophants and interrogate them thoroughly! Find out who instigated them!" Emperor Jing then turned to the group of death-sworn warriors he believed to be under his control. He knew he had been played, but the most important thing now was to capture the scapegoats. If they escaped, he would be in serious trouble without them.
"Yes, Your Majesty." The death-sworn warriors turned and left without hesitation.
They all vanished around an empty corner, leaving only faint traces behind.
As for Emperor Jing’s original Aides, they had long since disappeared. How could they possibly have remained?
Their mission accomplished, they had retreated. Why would they stay to become scapegoats for Emperor Jing?
Emperor Jing, of course, was unaware of these matters. Under immense pressure, he began to handle affairs methodically.
Fortunately, with Wang Linchi ’dead’, his level of control had further increased.
Next, I will have to contend with the backlash from the Great Family and the common people. Damn it, how am I going to solve this?
Do nothing, or issue a confession of guilt?
No, I can’t issue a confession of guilt. I, the Emperor, absolutely cannot be wrong. My only choice is to turn these unfounded accusations into truth!
Emperor Jing stared fiercely at the bloody scene before him. He knew that this time, he had to see this path through to its dark end.
Wang Linchi absolutely could not be exonerated; he *had* to be the one who rebelled.
Mere suspicion wasn’t enough; it had to be presented as undeniable fact.
Then the first step is to silence all witnesses, to prevent word of this incident from spreading. Emperor Jing looked at the female musicians, eunuchs, and palace maids present.
"Oh no, His Majesty wants to silence us!" It was unclear which female musician or palace maid cried out, but in an instant, Chaos erupted. Throngs of people began to flee the banquet hall, leaving Emperor Jing feeling almost suffocated.
He had only just begun to consider it, yet someone had already reacted.
This is bad! The thought flashed through Emperor Jing’s mind, and he bellowed, "All of you, stop!!!"
But no one listened to him; they all stampeded frantically outwards.
Emperor Jing realized then that silencing them was no longer possible; he needed to devise another way to manage the aftermath.
He was now facing the most dangerous moment of his reign. One misstep, and he would be utterly destroyed.
