12dz Chapter 234 Deep Palace
Chapter 234 Deep Palace
Zhao Hengzhen called in his great companion Wu Wei and the commander of the Guard Division, Cao Dezhi, and the three of them held a tense discussion in the imperial study.
Wu Wei's face was solemn, his brows furrowed, and his eyes were filled with deep worry. He said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince now has many followers and has been operating in the palace for a long time. We must be extremely cautious. If we are not careful, the situation may become unmanageable."
Cao Dezhi cupped his hands, his expression serious, and his tone heavy, he said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I have strengthened the palace's defenses, increased manpower at each checkpoint, and increased patrols. However, I'm afraid the Crown Prince has a backup plan. After all, he has been planning this for a long time, and I'm afraid he has many more arrangements in the dark."
Zhao Hengzhang's brow furrowed, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyes filled with anger and anxiety. "I will never allow this rebellious son to succeed. Lord Cao, you must immediately send someone to investigate the Queen's poisoning and uncover the true culprit."
Cao Dezhi took the order and left.
Wu Wei whispered quietly, his face filled with anxiety and worry, "Your Majesty, why not seize this opportunity to eliminate the Crown Prince's power in one fell swoop to prevent future trouble? Otherwise, the longer the night, the more trouble we may face."
Zhao Hengzhen pondered for a moment, his expression solemn and his eyes flickering. He said, "Don't act rashly. We need to wait for the right moment to avoid alerting the enemy. If we can't catch them all in one fell swoop, there will be endless trouble in the future."
At this moment, Xu Hu of the Dark Cavalry Division hurried in with a report. He looked anxious, his forehead covered in sweat, and his eyes filled with panic: "Your Majesty, I have discovered that the Crown Prince and several ministers are having a secret meeting.
They were in a remote compound, heavily guarded, and I did not dare to approach too close, fearing discovery.
But judging by the tense atmosphere and their furtive demeanors, they must be plotting something ulterior motive."
A cold glint flashed in Zhao Heng's eyes. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white. He gritted his teeth and said, "Keep a close watch on them and see what they are planning. If there is any new movement, report it immediately."
Xu Hu responded, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Not long after, more news came. Xu Hu hurried into the imperial study again, panting and saying, his face full of fear:
"Your Majesty, this is bad. The Crown Prince seems to be mobilizing troops outside the city. I have seen some of his trusted aides frequently entering and leaving the military camp, secretly contacting the generals."
Zhao Heng's heart tightened, and his face became increasingly gloomy, as if water could drip out of it:
"This rebellious son is truly ambitious. Wu Wei, convey my decree. I order the troops stationed outside the city to strictly guard the city and not to obey the Crown Prince's orders. Anyone who disobeys will be charged with treason!"
Wu Wei hurried to do it.
……
Crown Prince Zhao Kang paced back and forth in the mansion like a trapped beast, his face so gloomy that it seemed as if ink could drip out of it. He was anxious and restless, like an ant on a hot pan.
"Why has the situation become so difficult to control? All signs are strange. Could it be that this prince has been exposed?"
His forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, his eyes were full of panic and anxiety, and his heart was pounding as if it was about to jump out of his throat.
The counselor pretended to be calm, but the worry in his eyes was hard to hide. He said comfortingly:
"Don't worry, Your Highness. Maybe it's just some accidental coincidence, and it may not have been exposed. Besides, our plan has always been very secret." But his heart was actually full of fear.
Zhao Kang suddenly stopped and glared at the counselor, his eyes blazing with anger, his voice almost roaring:
"If it's truly exposed, you and I will both be dead without a burial place! By then, all our wealth and glory, all our great plans, will be gone!"
At the same time, the second prince Zhao Wei learned of the prince's conspiracy. He was overjoyed and couldn't help but smile.
Advisor Liu Sansheng said with a shrewd glint in his eyes:
"Your Highness, this is a godsend opportunity. We should seize this opportunity to gather evidence and expose the Crown Prince's crimes before His Majesty, leaving His Majesty completely disappointed in him.
In this way, Your Highness's status in His Majesty's heart will undoubtedly be greatly enhanced, and your chances of winning the battle for the throne will be much better."
Liu Sansheng secretly thought that if he could help the second prince succeed, he would be able to rise to great heights in the future, and a hint of pride appeared on his face.
Zhao Wei nodded slightly, his eyes flashing with excitement and anticipation, but there was still a trace of concern, and his brows were slightly furrowed:
"That makes sense, but how can we ensure that everything is foolproof? After all, the Crown Prince has been operating in the court for many years, and his influence cannot be underestimated."
Liu Sansheng's eyes rolled, and a plan came to his mind, with a sly glint in his eyes:
"Your Highness, we can send people to secretly monitor the Crown Prince's every move and find solid evidence. At the same time, we can win over those ministers in the court who are dissatisfied with the Crown Prince and strengthen our power.
Those ministers are usually suppressed by the Crown Prince, and they must be resentful. If Your Highness promises them benefits, they will definitely turn to our side."
Zhao Wei tapped his fingers lightly on the table in thought, weighing the pros and cons in his mind: "Well, in your opinion, which minister should we start with?"
Liu Sansheng lowered his voice and said, "I believe that Lord Lu, the Minister of Rites, has long held grievances against the Crown Prince. He has clashed with the Crown Prince many times due to political differences. We can start by opening up a gap with him."
Zhao Wei clapped his hands lightly, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he praised:
"Excellent! I'll leave this matter entirely to you. Remember this: act with extreme caution and don't let any word leak out."
Liu Sansheng bowed and accepted the order, then turned around and left with steady steps, his heart full of anticipation.
On the other side, Crown Prince Zhao Kang was restless in his mansion, like an ant on a hot pan, racking his brains for a countermeasure, his face pale.
Just at this moment, a burst of hurried footsteps broke the silence in the room, and followed by a chilling piece of news - the second prince Zhao Wei was making moves in the dark, and seemed to be brewing a conspiracy against him.
Zhao Kang was furious when he heard this. He slammed the table so hard that the tea set on the table began to tremble and his eyes turned red.
He gnashed his teeth, his eyes wide open, and said hatefully:
"This Zhao Wei usually pretends to be indifferent to fame and fortune and live in peace with the world, but now he wants to step on me! Humph, I, Zhao Kang, am not someone who allows others to bully me! I will make him know that it is not his turn to run wild in this world!"
After saying this, he suddenly stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, feeling extremely flustered, secretly thinking about how to resolve this sudden crisis.
Just as Zhao Kang was getting worried, the pale-faced Wu Wei arrived and announced, "Your Highness, the Emperor has decreed that you should enter the palace immediately and appear before the Emperor in the Imperial Study."
Zhao Kang's heart skipped a beat and he became panicked in an instant, his face pale, but he did not dare to disobey the imperial order. He had to pretend to be calm and followed Wu Wei into the palace in a hurry.
In the imperial study, Zhao Hengzhen sat upright in front of the desk, his face calm as water, but his eyes were like a bottomless cold pond, unpredictable and chilling.
Zhao Hengzhen slowly opened his mouth, his tone calm yet packed with immense power. "Crown Prince, while I commend your courage in defending your position, I must also harshly criticize your methods."
Zhao Kang's body shook when he heard this, and he knelt on the ground with a plop. His body trembled involuntarily, and his voice trembled like a leaf in the wind. His heart was filled with fear.
"I acknowledge my guilt and beg Your Majesty to be magnanimous and forgive me."
At this moment, his heart was churning, fear and regret intertwined into an impenetrable web, making him unable to guess how much of his secrets his father had already seen through.
Zhao Hengzhen sighed slightly, and that sigh hit Zhao Kang's heart like a heavy hammer, his face full of disappointment:
"Kang'er, your biggest mistake is that you always think that the obstacle to your advancement is me. In fact, you are completely wrong. The real obstacle is your own character and methods.
You are too eager for success, don't know how to restrain your edge, and don't know how to win people's hearts."
Zhao Kang's forehead was covered with sweat, and beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks. He stammered, his eyes full of helplessness: "Your Majesty, I am stupid. Please enlighten me, Father."