What Bad Intentions can the Yandere Crown Prince have?-Chapter 419 - 415: What Is There to Fear?

"The Crown Prince is here?"

The Emperor repeated the question, his stunned demeanor revealing a trace of aged foolishness on his well-maintained face.

"Yes, he has arrived at the palace gates—"

The Emperor abruptly stood up.

"How many troops?"

"A hundred from the Xuan Yi Guard..."

"A hundred?"

"Indeed... Shouting at the front lines... The Crown Prince led a hundred from the Xuan Yi Guard, crossed Ba Bridge, and came to see Your Majesty with the general..."

The Emperor was dumbfounded.

Did he come just on a shout?

Bringing only a hundred from the Xuan Yi Guard?

Was he obedient or arrogant?

"Let him in," the Emperor frowned and said, "Let him come in alone!"

But when Li Mu truly appeared alone before him, fear suddenly grew in his heart, which then turned to anger: "How dare you!"

He grabbed something and threw it at Li Mu.

Li Mu didn’t even blink, raising his hand to catch the pen he hurled between his two fingers.

It was the Imperial Brush Red Seal.

The red ink splattered on the corner of the young man’s eye.

He raised his hand to wipe it, leaving a smear of red like blood that swept past the mole at the corner of his eye, strangely sinister.

The Emperor suddenly shrank back, voiceless, as an unbelievable thought formed in his mind.

This child, is he truly the blood of the ailing, kind, and benevolent Emperor Hui Zhao?

How dare he come alone?

How dare he be so dismissive of the Son of Heaven?

As this thought crossed his mind, he saw the pen in Li Mu’s hand fly out suddenly, with a "crack," landing back on the imperial desk.

The young man lifted his dark eyes, looked indifferently at him, and uttered a bolder remark: "Issue an edict of abdication, and I will honor you as the Supreme Emperor—"

"Insolence!" The Emperor was enraged.

Li Mu remained calm: "I came here this time, and I’ve brought Princess Runan, who was confined in the Princess Mansion."

At the mention of Princess Runan, the Emperor’s expression changed.

"Princess Runan was confined in the Princess Mansion for just a month, attacked thirteen times, later saved only by Prince Jin moving the King’s Guard to protect her," he slightly hooked his lips, "Why not let Princess Runan reveal to the civil and military officials what she uncovered that led Your Majesty and the Yan Family to try to eliminate her?"

The Emperor chuckled coldly: "How could the civil and military officials believe the wild tales of you children?"

Li Mu’s expression remained unchanged: "What about the Empress Dowager then?"

The Emperor’s face finally changed.

"Your Majesty can send someone to check; perhaps the Empress Dowager has already risen."

The person behind Zhen Su was already clear to him.

Regarding Emperor Hui Zhao’s death, such matters couldn’t be easily concealed, and the number of informed individuals must be very few.

If others could know, why couldn’t the Empress Dowager?

"Attend me—" the Emperor called out.

The Empress Dowager had been bedridden for a long time, unable to move or speak, with an Imperial Physician checking her daily; if there was improvement, someone would have reported it to the court following protocol.

The Emperor had never suspected before, but now that image was collapsing.

Since he ascended the throne, due to the Empress’s incompetence, many parts of the harem had remained under Empress Dowager Wang’s control, and deception was not impossible.

If the Empress Dowager had evidence, combined with Princess Runan...

It might be better to take advantage of Li Mu being alone—

"After August this year, there were many movements among the Imperial Guard in the Capital," Li Mu suddenly said.

The youth’s dark and cold eyes pulled the Emperor’s thoughts back to the confrontation on the first of August.

That time, without any preparation, the palace guards, city gates, and even his personal guards were infiltrated by this young man in front of him.

One step away from forcing an abdication.

But at that moment, Li Mu stepped back.

Afterward, he did a cleansing of the Capital’s Imperial Guard, at least ensuring that a few close units were clean.

But now that Li Mu mentioned the Imperial Guard again, the Emperor felt a chill climb up his spine.

"Your Majesty wonders why I only brought a hundred from the Xuan Yi Guard?"

The Emperor’s heart jolted, and he shouted, "Attend! Summon Li Qing, Liu Tai!"

The palace maid outside had just responded when the sound of a blade being unsheathed silenced her departing footsteps.

The Emperor’s face turned deathly pale.

Li Mu was quite surprised too.

Indeed, he had arrangements among the guards at this palace, but none so close to the Emperor.

Then these people—

"Your, Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has arrived!"

Li Mu was slightly dazed.

It was indeed the Empress Dowager...

The Emperor was quiet for a moment, then slowly sat back on his throne.

Li Mu retracted his gaze: "Abdication, or deposition, consider it—" a slight pause, "But my patience is limited."

Lingering too long might bring the Crown Princess Consort to the rescue with troops.

"Aren’t you afraid of the ministers’ censure?"

If the Emperor chose to abdicate, and accordingly, Li Mu would not publicly tie Emperor Hui Zhao’s death to the current Emperor, thus the abdication would surely be contested.

Especially since the Crown Prince entered the Capital without decree and arbitrarily moved the Qinzhou Army, those are facts.

Li Mu’s eyes were indifferent: "What do I have to fear?"

Fearless...

The Emperor closed his eyes.

If he had been fearless then too...

He let out a sigh and asked softly, "What about Beauty Shu?"

In the moment when he was unseen, Li Mu pulled a mocking smile, coldly saying: "She bewitched the Crown Princess Consort to pass information, what do you think, Your Majesty?"

The Emperor opened his eyes: "Spare her! I... agree to your terms..."

...

In the sixteenth year of Taixing, on the day of the Guihai in the eleventh month, a decree was issued passing the throne to the Crown Prince. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

...

Late at night, while the ministers were urgently summoned to the front hall of the temporary palace, a hastily written letter was sent from within the palace, racing towards the Capital City.

Tang Xiaobai received the letter, listening to the envoy report the situation at the palace as she eagerly opened it.

It was a handwritten letter from Li Mu, not long, just fourteen words—

"I’ve secured the edict, will ascend the throne, rest well, I return at dawn."

The handwriting was flamboyant, nearly tearing the paper.

Tang Xiaobai was a little taken aback.

This... was too fast, wasn’t it?

Had they forced the Emperor to abdicate without even fighting?

Even though she had brought Princess Runan to Li Mu, the truth was that Princess Runan was unaware of the situation, and she had made up the words on the spot, they might not have been useful at all.

Tsk...

This little wolf cub was even fiercer than she imagined.

Yet thinking of the ruthless Crown Prince, it brought inexplicable joy, and she curved her lips, rereading those brief fourteen words before reluctantly putting the letter away.

"Return to the palace!"

Off for a restful sleep!

...

That day, from day to night, there were waves of changes inside and outside the city.

The people of the city retired early, and even the households of the nobles were dimly lit.

Tang Xiaobai, stepping through the cold and silent night, returned to the Eastern Palace, just as dawn was approaching.

In front of Lizheng Hall, she suddenly stopped, turning her head to look in the direction of Taiji Palace.

After a long moment of thought, she called out to Tao Zi—

...

At first light.

On the official road outside the city, horses galloped, kicking up snow and mud.

Inside Taiji Palace, Tao Zi, dressed in Eastern Palace Lady attire, led a group of palace maids arrogantly into Liluo Palace.

The candles inside Liluo Palace had burned all night, and Zhen Su was still in the front hall, having not moved since Tang Xiaobai left, slumped in a daze.

The palace maid who had kept her company all night was utterly exhausted and, seeing someone enter, was about to greet them.

Suddenly, seeing the items held by the three palace maids walking behind the Eastern Palace Lady, her tired red eyes were instantly filled with fear—