knife

Chapter 235 Undercover
The wick popped open with a snap, instantly brightening the dimly lit room.

Akdun looked at the cloaked figure sitting in the light, facing the person shrouded in darkness opposite him.

"Is it confirmed?"

"Yes!" The black-robed man's voice was somewhat hoarse. "His Majesty's health is deteriorating day by day, so we have been making hasty arrangements for his passing."

Akdun chuckled, "I come and go from the palace every day, and I'm always in front of my father, but he never pays any attention to me. Azashi, tell me, I've devoted myself to this cause all these years, why doesn't my father value me?"

Do you really want to know what His Majesty thinks of you?

“Of course I want to!” Aktun nodded.

"His Majesty says that you seem to have a broad mind, but in reality you are narrow-minded and vindictive, lacking the magnanimity of a ruler. When discussing matters of state, you seem to have profound thoughts and make eloquent pronouncements, but in reality you are confined to your own narrow perspective, only concerned with what is right in front of you, and unable to consider the bigger picture. If the Great Yuan were handed over to you, it would surely decline within ten years, and within thirty years it would be in danger of being destroyed. His Majesty says that you are not even as good as His Highness Jebe."

With a snap, Akdun grabbed the teacup on the table and slammed it to the ground.

"Does Father look down on me that much?"

Azaxi remained silent.

"So, the second child has already been decided?"

“Yes, His Majesty’s will has been written and is hidden behind the Zhengda Guangming plaque in the Qin Zheng Hall. His Majesty gave me a list of thirty people. He will arrange to see two or three of them every day, mainly depending on their health.” Azaxi took out a list from his pocket and placed it in front of Akdun.

Looking closely at the list, every single person on it was a heavyweight figure in the Yuan Dynasty who was currently in Yandu.

“Seven out of ten of these people support me!” Aktun sneered.

“They did before, but after His Majesty met with them, it’s hard to say whether they will still support you!” Azaxi said calmly. “These people were all promoted by His Majesty over the past few decades. Their loyalty to His Majesty is unquestionable. They supported you before only because the Second Prince has Qin blood. If His Majesty’s mind is made up, they will probably become the Second Prince’s staunch supporters.”

Akdun took a deep breath: "So, they can't enter the palace, or rather, they can't see the Emperor."

Azasi stared at Akdun: "His Majesty is only physically weak, but not confused. Do you want to cut off the connection between the inside and outside? I'm afraid it will be difficult."

Akdun stood up, pushed aside the bookshelf, revealing a small hole in the inner wall. Akdun took out a small box from inside and placed it in front of Azaxi.

Azaxi opened the box, looked up abruptly at the two gray pills inside.

"Isn't it exactly the same?" Akdun laughed.

“Poisoning is not a good idea!” Azasi said. “Attila is a master of medicine; no poison can fool him.”

“This is not poison!” Akdun said, “but it fits perfectly with Father Emperor’s current situation. The medicines of the old immortal Fu are life-saving, but this medicine is fatal. If someone takes this medicine, even if the old immortal Fu comes to investigate, the person who died will only have died from an unfortunate cerebral hemorrhage.”

Who gave it to you?

“I have already tested the medicine on Master Fu’s disciple!” Akdun said with a smile. “Azashi, I will never break my promise to you. After I ascend the throne, your niece will be selected to enter the palace as a concubine. As you know, my current queen has only given birth to two daughters. If your niece can have a son in the future, he will be the next ruler of the Great Yuan!”

Azaxi held the small box tightly in his hand, stood up, looked at Akdun for a long time, and then said, "You have three days. After three days, His Majesty will pass away!"

“Three days is enough!” Akdun’s eyes flashed with malice: “The power to defend Yandu is in my hands, and now the power to defend the palace is in your hands. After three days, lure the second son into the palace and kill him with one blow, and everything will be fine. Then, as long as you take over the imperial guards outside the city with the will, the matter will be settled.”

"The people on this list?"

“Since Father can no longer see them, then it is only natural that I should visit them one by one!” Akdun said with a smile. “Azashi, this is our wealth, and we must not allow any mistakes to occur.”

Azaxi carefully hid the small box close to his body, pulled down his cloak to cover himself completely, pushed open the door of the secret room, and went out.

Akdun sat quietly in the secret chamber, his mind replaying the emperor's evaluation of him that Azaxi had just relayed.

That's not how it works.
How could I have become like this?
I have always been concerned about the world, always humble and modest, and always respectful to the virtuous and talented. My good reputation has spread throughout the world. How come in my father’s eyes, it’s all fake and not worth mentioning?

The emperor favored the second son, which, to put it bluntly, was because of his Qin bloodline.

The emperor hoped that when the Yuan Dynasty launched its southern campaign, the Qin bloodline in his second son would minimize the resistance of the Qin people, thus subduing them without a fight.

With a bang, Aktun slammed his fist on the table, knocking the oil lamp off the table to the ground.

Would the Qin people buy into this mixed-race bastard's ideas? What a joke!
This is a life-or-death struggle between two ethnic groups for control of the world; nothing but blood and death can subdue the opponent.

The lights went out, and Akdun sat quietly in the darkness.

A soft knocking sound came from outside the door.

"Come in!" Akdun said in a deep voice.

An elderly man with gray hair walked in, his body hunched over. The light from outside cast his long shadow in the room, half on the wall and half on the floor.

"Your Highness, there is a man named Zhou Yi who wishes to see you!"

Zhou Yi?

Li Dachui's men remained in Yandu.

He is also someone who always deals with himself.

Akdun stood up, walked out of the secret room, took a few steps, then turned back and instructed, "Uncle-Master, Phagpa will be staying at the manor for a few days tomorrow. You and he are old acquaintances, so please keep him company."

"The Imperial Advisor?" The old man was both surprised and delighted. "He will come to the manor? Congratulations, Your Highness! As soon as he enters the manor, Your Highness's great cause will be more than half accomplished."

"Years of hard work must have paid off! Even if the Grand Preceptor is otherworldly, he can't escape the shackles of the mortal world. In essence, the Grand Preceptor is no different from people like Azaxi. It's just that Azaxi has been wallowing in worldly riches and honors, and only I can help him climb to the next level. He offended the Second Prince badly in the past, and now that the Second Prince is about to take over, how could he not be anxious?"

Zhou Yi bent down, picked a foxtail grass from the garden, and waved it in his hand. In the blink of an eye, he had been in Yandu for more than half a year and had been waiting for more than half a year. Now, the struggle for the crown prince position in Yuan Kingdom should come to an end.

According to Master Fu's assessment of Yingzhuo's health, Yingzhuo should be nearing the end of his life.

Based on the young master's assessment of Akodun, he should also take action against Yingzhuo.

Even if Yingzhuo dies, he will probably arrange things clearly and neatly after his death.

But if that's the case, then Akdun will have no chance.

Therefore, Akdun only had one path to take.

The young master has already made arrangements for him.

"It's common to see people picking flowers, but rare to see someone picking herbs. Manager Zhou, your hobby is certainly unique!" came Akedun's voice from behind.

Zhou Yi turned around, bowed, and said, "Grass may be cheap, but it is the most tenacious. As long as it is given a little rain and dew, it can bloom with the most beautiful brilliance. Flowers may be beautiful, but they are delicate and can easily be blown away by the wind and rain. So I only want to be a wild grass that can grow tenaciously with just a little rain and dew."

Akton laughed: "Even the flowers in the garden are of different kinds. Some flowers need to steal nutrients from others to survive and grow, and they need to occupy other people's space to thrive. Such flowers are not delicate at all. On the contrary, they are very domineering and do not care about wind and rain at all, because they have grown up in the wind and rain since they were young. Those weak ones have long been eliminated in the process!"

Zhou Yi nodded: "That's true. The remaining three are indeed evenly matched, a battle of equals. Is Your Highness ready to make a move?"

"Did you come here today to offer me some help?"

"Of course, if I hadn't come today, Your Highness's important matter would likely have collapsed halfway through and ended in failure, and Your Highness would have ended up with regrets," Zhou Yi said calmly.

Aktun laughed loudly: "Li Dachui's usual tricks. Tell me, what does Li Dachui want to trick me out of this time?"

Zhou Yi stared at Aktun and said, "This time, we sincerely hope you will ascend the throne. Your Highness, beware of Wutu!"

“Wait a minute?” Aktun’s pupils suddenly contracted.

Wutu was in charge of the defense of Yandu and was the most important figure under Akdun.

"What do you mean? What happened to Wutu?"

“Wu Tu has long since pledged allegiance to the Second Prince!” Zhou Yi said with a smile. “Back then, when Astu exiled Wu Tu, Wu Tu repeatedly begged you to serve him, but you ignored him in order to win him over. At that time, the Second Prince took advantage of the situation. You probably never imagined that one day Astu would be killed, and that Wu Tu would break through to the ninth rank of the Profound Origin Realm under such harsh conditions, right? Your Highness, Wu Tu is not your ally; he is your death warrant!”

"Is everything you're saying true?" Aktun's face turned deathly pale.

"Whether it's true or false, you can summon Wutu to your residence and find out by asking him!" Zhou Yi laughed heartily. "I believe that he doesn't yet know that you already know his undercover identity, so he won't be on guard at all. Perhaps he will keep deceiving you until the very end, so that you won't even know how you died!"

(End of this chapter)