N-A-A Chapter 1815 He Made His Move
Chapter 1815 He Made His Move
At this time, in the Eastern Palace.
The crown prince looked at the Imperial Guards charging in with swords drawn, closed his eyes, and felt a deep sense of sorrow.
I never expected that this day would come.
The Emperor truly did not let him "guess wrong," and would really go to such lengths for him.
Qingxiao was still beside him. Seeing this, he stepped forward and asked the Crown Prince in a deep voice.
"Your Highness, should I escort you out first?"
"Need not."
The crown prince shook his head.
The Crown Prince recognized the young man who led the Imperial Guards; he was the man his father trusted most.
He looked at the Crown Prince and said coldly, "Your Highness, I am here on His Majesty's orders to ask you to stay at the temporary palace. His Majesty said that you should reflect on your mistakes while you are there, and you will be allowed to return when you realize your error."
The crown prince was taken aback.
He thought his father had sent someone to "invite" him to the imperial study to be scolded, to throw a few "crimes" at him in front of him, and then to bring up the matter of deposing the crown prince.
He thought his father wanted to seize this opportunity to depose him from his position as crown prince.
Unexpectedly, his father didn't even want to see him and wanted to send him to the imperial palace.
Is this a plan to confine him in the imperial palace?
"I wish to see my father," the Crown Prince said.
"His Majesty has instructed the Crown Prince to depart for the temporary palace immediately. I will escort him along the way, so Your Highness need not go to see His Majesty."
"I wonder what offense His Highness the Crown Prince has committed?" Qing Xiao asked in a deep voice. "The Emperor must have a reason for sending His Highness to the temporary palace."
The commander glanced at Qing Xiao, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
"You're a guard from the Prince of Jin's residence, aren't you? Prince Jin and His Highness the Crown Prince are indeed very close, as he immediately sent someone from his side to inform His Highness the Crown Prince after something happened?"
"Insolence!" The Crown Prince's face darkened. He could say whatever he wanted about him, but a mere commander dared to speak ill of his imperial uncle! "Is the Prince of Jin someone you can criticize?"
"I spoke out of turn." The commander offered a perfunctory apology, but his attitude only fueled the anger. "However, though my words may be harsh, they are true. Your Highness, even the Emperor did not expect you to be so narrow-minded as to be unable to tolerate the Fifth Princess gaining His favor."
It was indeed because of the Fifth Princess.
After Qingxiao arrived, he told the Crown Prince everything that had happened on the west side of the city wall, including what the Fifth Princess had done. The Crown Prince was fully aware of all of this.
The only thing they don't know is that they are still waiting for the results of the Prince of Jin's investigation.
We need to determine whether the Fifth Princess was actually a boy.
But now it seems the Emperor won't give him that chance at all; he's in a hurry to frame him and send him to the imperial palace first.
"Your Highness, they want to send you to the imperial palace, where there must be some danger," Qingxiao warned in a low voice.
Otherwise, the Emperor could simply place the Crown Prince under house arrest in the Eastern Palace, preventing him from leaving or letting anyone in. Then, at the morning court session tomorrow, the Emperor could fabricate charges against him and announce to the court officials that he would depose the Crown Prince.
This is the more normal procedure.
Now the Emperor actually wants to send the Crown Prince to the imperial palace—
This shows that what he was most eager for was not to depose the crown prince, but to get into trouble with him.
Whether to injure him or kill him is still unclear.
But whether he is injured or killed, it is a blow to the crown prince.
"I haven't seen my fifth sister at all these past two days. Besides, she's a princess, why would I want to harm her? Father Emperor used to favor my second brother and sixth sister more. When have I ever disapproved of them?"
The Crown Prince looked coldly at the commander. "Father has probably heard some strange things. I need to explain this to him in person."
"Guards! Please escort the Crown Prince to the temporary palace!" The commander waved his hand and gave the order, showing no respect to the Crown Prince whatsoever. "Your Highness, the Emperor has said he will not see you. Write a letter after you arrive at the temporary palace, and I may be able to deliver it to the Emperor for you."
The guards of the Eastern Palace were furious when they heard this.
This mere commander dares to disregard the Crown Prince so much.
However, the Imperial Guards surrounded them, gripping the hilts of their swords, as if they would slaughter anyone in the Eastern Palace who showed the slightest resistance.
Their disregard for the Crown Prince's Palace must be at the Emperor's behest.
This time, the Emperor truly cannot tolerate the Crown Prince.
The people in the Eastern Palace felt grief and indignation, but also deep bewilderment.
What exactly is the Emperor's reason?
Clearly, besides the crown prince, he has no other suitable candidate to inherit the throne!
Doesn't the emperor worry about having no successor to the throne?
Does this mean it should be handed over to the young prince?
The little prince is only a few years old! He's still learning to recite poetry in his baby voice! Besides, the little prince's mother's background isn't good enough.
The Crown Prince is the Empress's legitimate son!
“Your Highness, if you don’t leave, don’t blame me for using force. Please have some understanding of us. We are just following orders.”
The commander stared threateningly at the crown prince.
Qingxiao clenched his fists.
It's simply too much of a lie.
He also sensed some subtle movement around him.
It's likely that these were secret guards planted in the Eastern Palace by the Crown Prince. Seeing this, the guards also wanted to take action.
But the crown prince made a gesture subtly, and the commotion around him subsided.
Qingxiao also knew that at this time, the Crown Prince could not confront the Emperor head-on or resist, otherwise he would really give the Emperor a reason to depose him.
After all, the emperor has only sent him to the imperial palace to reflect on his actions.
If even the crown prince orders his men to draw their swords in rebellion, then whatever he says afterward will be in the wrong.
"Alright, I'll wait for you to leave."
The Crown Prince said in a deep voice and glanced at Qingxiao.
Qing Xiao nodded slightly.
"Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness."
“However,” the commander looked at Qingxiao again, “although this brother is from the Prince of Jin’s mansion, since he is now in the Eastern Palace, I suspect that he may actually be under His Highness’s command. I can only ask this brother to come along as well.”
“He is a guard from the Prince of Jin’s residence. He only came to deliver a few words for the Imperial Uncle. You have no right to take him away,” the Crown Prince said.
"His Majesty said that I can arrest anyone in the Eastern Palace who is suspected of being suspicious."
The commander laughed, "I only asked him to come to the palace with polite words because he is from the Prince of Jin's residence. If it were anyone else, I could have just pinned him to the ground."
The crown prince cracked his knuckles, about to speak, when Qingxiao stepped forward and said, "Alright, I'll go with you."
Yeah.
He had already suspected there was danger in the palace, and by going along, he could actually protect the crown prince.
The prince should receive the news soon.
After all, there are other spies in the palace, just like the prince.
The Crown Prince and Qingxiao were taken directly out of the palace and headed towards the temporary palace.
Inside the Prince Jin's residence, the Imperial Guards were about to force their way in; one team was to find the Prince Jin, and the other was to search the residence for the Fifth Princess.
Qinglin and the others strode out and drew their swords with a clang.
"Who dares to act recklessly in the Prince of Jin's residence!"