12dz Chapter 189 The overall situation has been decided
Chapter 189 The overall situation has been decided
Li Lingxiao's face was pale, with resentment and resentment still lingering in his eyes, but he could only tremble under Li Zeqi's cold gaze.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something harsh to save some face, but his throat seemed to be choked by something and he couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.
Seeing this, everyone in the hall breathed a sigh of relief.
The guards who had been standing behind Li Lingxiao, ready for battle, now put down their weapons and dared not make any unusual movements.
Mu Lanfeng walked quickly to Li Zeqi's side, her eyes full of joy. She gently pulled Li Zeqi's sleeve, as if only in this way could she confirm that everything before her eyes was real and not an illusory dream.
Li Zeqi felt her touch, turned his head slightly, and his eyes instantly softened when he looked at Mu Lanfeng.
He nodded gently at Mu Lanfeng, indicating that she didn't need to worry.
At this moment, the shouting and screaming outside the hall became louder and louder, and then a group of royal guards led by Zhou Yitian rushed into the hall.
When Zhou Yitian saw Li Zeqi restraining Li Lingxiao, he quickly knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and saluted, saying: "Your Highness Prince Yan, I am late in coming to your rescue. I hope you will forgive me! Your Majesty..."
Li Zeqi raised his hand to interrupt him, "No need to say more, it's important to rescue father as soon as possible."
"Yes!" The general responded and immediately led his royal guards towards the depths of the palace to look for the imprisoned emperor.
Soon, there was a burst of cheers. It was obvious that the emperor had been rescued. The emperor slowly walked into the hall surrounded by the crowd.
Although the emperor looked a little haggard after experiencing this ordeal, his eyes still revealed majesty.
He glanced at everyone in the hall, and when he saw Li Lingxiao being restrained by Li Zeqi, a trace of pain and disappointment flashed in his eyes.
"Rebellious son, rebellious son, how could you do such a heinous thing!" The emperor was so angry that he was shaking all over, pointing at Li Lingxiao and shouting.
Li Lingxiao seemed to have finally found some courage. He stiffened his neck and shouted at the emperor, "Father, I am the legitimate heir to the throne. Why do you want to make my fourth brother the crown prince? This is unfair!"
The emperor snorted coldly, "Whether I should change the appointment of a crown prince is up to me. I have seen everything you do on a daily basis. You are narrow-minded and cruel. With such a character, how can you be worthy of the responsibility of being the ruler of the world?"
Li Lingxiao still wanted to argue, but looking at the emperor's unquestionable eyes and the contemptuous looks from the people around him, he finally closed his mouth and lowered his head.
Seeing this, Li Zeqi released the tip of the sword that was pressed against Li Lingxiao's throat, bowed to the emperor and said, "Father, please make your decision."
The emperor nodded slightly, "Zeqi, you have made great contributions this time, and I am very pleased. As for Ling Xiao, such a traitor should not be forgiven easily. First, throw him into the sky prison, and I will make a decision after careful consideration."
"Yes, father." Li Zeqi responded, and then the guards came forward and took Li Lingxiao away.
A few days later, the emperor walked to the Heavenly Prison alone.
His expression was solemn, his brows were slightly furrowed, as if a thousand thoughts were entangled in his mind.
The eyes that used to show supreme majesty now revealed a pain that was difficult to conceal.
He took slightly heavy steps, and each step seemed to carry the many decisions he had to make as an emperor.
His face was serious and his mouth was tightly pursed. He no longer had the calmness and composure he usually had in the court. Instead, he looked deeply lonely, as if he had suddenly aged a lot. The traces of time seemed to be more deeply engraved on his face at this moment.
The emperor walked slowly towards the cell where Li Lingxiao was with a solemn and complicated expression, to face the son who had once been highly expected of him but had now committed treason.
A foul smell filled the dark and damp prison. Li Lingxiao curled up in a corner. His originally gorgeous robes had become filthy and his hair was disheveled. He no longer had the majestic appearance of the prince he used to have.
Hearing the approaching footsteps, Li Lingxiao slowly raised his head. When he saw that it was the emperor, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, which was then replaced by indifference.
He snorted coldly and turned his head away, unwilling to look at the emperor.
The emperor stood quietly outside the prison bars, looking at his son, whom he had once placed high hopes on but now had ended up extremely disappointed in, with mixed feelings in his heart.
After a long while, he slowly said, "Ling Xiao, have you ever regretted it?"
Li Lingxiao's body stiffened, but he did not respond, only his clenched fists trembled slightly.
The emperor sighed softly upon seeing this, and continued, "I thought that as the crown prince, you would understand the responsibilities you shoulder and would know how to restrain your temper for the sake of this country, but you still disappointed me in the end."
Li Lingxiao turned his head abruptly, his eyes full of anger, "Father, how am I inferior to Li Zeqi? Why did you choose him as the crown prince? If you were not so unfair, how could I have come to this point?"
The emperor frowned and looked serious. "Your problem is that you only see the throne, but not the people behind it. You imprisoned me and attempted a rebellion for your own selfish desires. How can such behavior be expected of a qualified crown prince?"
Li Lingxiao opened his mouth and wanted to refute, but he swallowed the words back.
He knew in his heart that he had done something wrong, but his obsession with the throne made him unwilling to admit it.
The emperor looked at him with a trace of regret in his eyes, "I gave you chances, but you missed them time and time again. Now, you have committed such a serious crime. Although I am sad, the law of the country cannot tolerate it."
Li Lingxiao's eyes gradually dimmed. He lowered his head and murmured, "I know that this time there is no way to survive..."
The emperor was silent for a while, then slowly said: "I came here not to scold you, but to make you understand the consequences of your actions. This world cannot be secured by conspiracy and intrigue, but requires a heart that seeks the welfare of the people."
After saying this, the emperor turned around and was about to leave.
Li Lingxiao suddenly raised his head, with a pleading look in his eyes, "Father, I know I was wrong. Please give me another chance. I will definitely turn over a new leaf and be a good person..."
The emperor paused for a moment, but did not turn around. He just said calmly, "It's too late. Some mistakes, once made, cannot be undone. You'd better take care of yourself!"
The emperor stared at Li Lingxiao quietly for a moment, and finally just sighed deeply. Then he slowly turned around, dragging his body that seemed to be filled with endless fatigue, and slowly walked away.
When the emperor's figure completely disappeared at the end of the passage of the sky prison, Li Lingxiao seemed to have been drained of all his strength. His body suddenly collapsed, and he slowly slid down to the ground, leaning against the prison bars.
However, in just a moment, the suppressed rage burst out again like a volcanic eruption.
His eyes were red and bloodshot, and he roared like a trapped beast.
"Why? Why is this happening!" Li Lingxiao grabbed his messy hair tightly with both hands and pulled it hard, as if he wanted to vent all the anger in his heart.
He swung his fist violently and smashed it hard against the wall beside him, again and again. The "bang! bang!" sounds echoed in the silent prison. His knuckles were soon broken and bleeding, but he seemed to feel no pain at all.
"The throne is mine, it's mine! Who the hell is he, Li Zeqi?" He kept muttering to himself with a crazy look on his face. His mind kept flashing back to the glory days when he was the crown prince and his vision of ascending the throne in the future. But now, all of this has come to nothing, just because of the so-called "treasonous" act.
He recalled the emperor's sad and disappointed look, and the anger in his heart burned even more fiercely, "Humph, do you think you can convict me like this? You are biased towards Li Zeqi, you are unfair! You forced me to do all this!"
But no matter how furious he was at this moment, or how hysterically he vented, the cold and hard cell still trapped him tightly, and the sin he committed had already been committed, the facts were set, and no matter how he struggled, he could no longer change this cruel ending.
He could only stay in this dark prison, slowly being swallowed by endless regret and despair.