Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 795 Lies
The inner hall was dimly lit, with eunuchs and imperial guards standing on either side to protect the emperor on his sickbed.

The King of Qin walked to the bedside and looked down. In just a few days, the Emperor seemed like a completely different person. His cheeks were sunken and his complexion was sallow. He no longer had any of his wise and mighty appearance.

So, even a monarch can eventually fall to this state?

Even so, they still hold the power of life and death with a wave of their hand.

The King of Qin took a deep breath. It was this very Emperor who had shown him clearly what supreme imperial power truly meant. He couldn't help but recall the first time he met the Emperor. The Emperor sat high on his throne, and he entered the hall with a mixture of fear and humility to pay his respects. The Emperor's absolute power, his words carrying the weight of the world, filled him with a hidden longing... He too wished, given time, to become a wise ruler of the vast Liang territory, just like the Emperor. But he knew it was an unattainable dream, until... the Emperor chose him and kept him in the palace to be personally raised.

At that moment, he felt incredibly lucky and was truly grateful to the government.

In the first few years after he entered the palace, the emperor cared for him very much and had eunuchs take good care of him. However, he was also extremely strict. If he neglected his studies or manners in the slightest, he would be punished without mercy.

Although he was trembling with fear and suffered greatly, he also gained a lot from it.

His marriage and childbirth went smoothly afterward, and he made a name for himself in the court several times, gradually gaining fame. More and more officials gathered around him, and it was only in the respect and submission of those around him that he realized he was exceptionally intelligent and diligent.

The emperor was good at recognizing people, and he did not disappoint him. He spent the best years of his life by the emperor's side. He was not a son of man, but he did what a son of man should do. Even the officials and ministers could see that he was an outstanding crown prince.

However, the government has consistently refused to grant him official recognition.

From the imperial court to the common people, rumors circulated that he would become the adopted son of an official, as if his status had already been predetermined. In reality, however, he was never truly recognized within the circle of power.

The emperor's actions stemmed from his unwillingness to accept the situation and his desire for a biological heir to inherit the throne.

The King of Qin took a deep breath.

For the emperor, continuing his bloodline was his greatest hope in this life, but this... was his most terrifying nightmare. If the emperor had an heir, he would definitely try to harm him so that the prince could grow up well and successfully inherit the throne.

He would become a prisoner, or even be executed on some pretext.

From the perspective of the emperor and the princes, he was the one who would covet the throne.

He had no choice. For the sake of his wife and children, and for the officials who had followed him, he had to protect his own interests. That's why some officials advised and pleaded with the emperor to issue a formal decree to adopt him as his son.

As a result, he angered the emperor and was accused of treason and imprisoned in his residence.

From that moment on, the emperor was no longer someone he admired, but an enemy who could take his life at any moment.

"Cough cough."

After a bout of coughing, the emperor finally opened his eyes.

"Your Majesty." The King of Qin showed concern and stepped forward to pat the Emperor on the back.

Jiang, the eunuch, stepped forward to help, and after a long while, finally managed to calm the emperor down.

The Emperor leaned back on the pillow, waved to the eunuch Jiang, and left the Prince of Qin to speak with him.

The Emperor's voice was weak as he stared intently at him: "Is there anything you wish to say to me?"

In a daze, the official's eyes revealed a hint of loving affection, as if he were advising a child who had gone astray, so that he would realize his mistake and return to the right path.

The King of Qin immediately knelt down, feeling a sudden tug at his heartstrings. After a long while, he made up his mind and said, "Your Majesty, I do not know why that Wu woman framed Xie Yisong's daughter. The Empress has been summoning my wife to the palace many days ago and giving her some gifts, but she has never said anything out of line. I have never spoken to the Empress alone."

"I do not know why... things have come to this."

The King of Qin looked earnest and fearful, and prostrated himself on the ground.

As the emperor watched this scene, he looked at the King of Qin with a complicated expression, as if he had returned to the scene many years ago when he chose him from among several members of the royal family.

After the King of Qin entered the palace, he had shown concern for the King's studies and taught him how to handle state affairs. He had also ruthlessly banished the King from the palace, making it clear to the King that power and status could only be given by him, and the King could not take them by himself... It seems he still hadn't taught him well. "Are you guilty?" the Emperor asked again after a long pause.

“Your Majesty, I am guilty,” the King of Qin said immediately. “I beg Your Majesty to punish me.” He admitted his mistake, but it would not soften the Emperor’s heart. He might as well remain silent. That way, even if he were to be convicted, it would not be now.

"The Prince's Mansion once profited by using the merchants under Xia Mengxian's command. After Xia Mengxian was arrested, I was terrified, fearing that His Majesty would find out... After Xia Mengxian and others were imprisoned, I thought the case was over, but I didn't expect Wang Yan to hold on to it. I was frustrated and mentioned this to my servants..."

The King of Qin's voice trembled: "But... I absolutely did not frame the Prime Minister and his son, nor the Xie family, I..."

The King of Qin took out a memorial from his bosom and handed it to the Emperor: "When I entered the palace this time, I wrote this matter in a memorial, intending to apologize to Your Majesty. However, Your Majesty was seriously ill, so I was unable to take out the memorial."

The Emperor looked at the memorial in the Prince of Qin's hand, and Jiang, the eunuch, understood and quickly stepped forward to take it, unfold it, and bring it to the Emperor's face.

Jiang, the eunuch, glanced at the document and, as the King of Qin had said, it detailed the entire affair between Qin and Xia Mengxian. He looked away and then back at the King of Qin, finding him increasingly unfathomable.

"If I intended to frame Prime Minister Wang, I wouldn't have prepared these things..."

The Emperor remained silent. Eunuch Jiang closed the memorial in his hand and stepped aside. The Prince of Qin's meaning was clear: he was shifting all the blame onto the Princess Consort. The Princess Consort had met the Empress, and Lady Wu was her sister-in-law. Therefore, the Princess Consort was free to arrange everything. As for why she did this, it was naturally to share the burden of the Prince of Qin.

The King of Qin was kept in the dark from beginning to end.

But will the government actually believe it?
The inner palace remained silent for a long time, and cold sweat dripped from the King of Qin's forehead onto his robes.

"Let...Prime Minister Wang...recommend...officials...interrogate Wu," the Emperor said, glancing at the memorial in the eunuch's hand, "and give it to Prime Minister Wang as well."

The King of Qin shuddered. Even if Lady Wu did not confess to him, his collusion with Xia Mengxian could no longer be concealed. His reputation would plummet, and he would have no chance of inheriting the throne.

"The King of Qin is ordered to return to his residence to await investigation."

As expected, this was the outcome. The King of Qin prostrated himself in gratitude. Why did he momentarily lose his composure, thinking that the Emperor was going to let him go? Had he done something wrong? If he confessed the truth, would the Emperor cover for him?
No, impossible. If he says it, it will only lead to more serious consequences. He will be immediately charged with treason, unlike now where there is still room for maneuver.

The only thing to blame is that the emperor was conscious at this moment; if he had fallen into a coma, the emperor would have had other options.

The imperial family is the most ruthless place. He had followed the emperor for many years, but in the end, he received no favoritism in return.

"Your Majesty, please!"

Upon hearing Jiang's voice, the King of Qin slowly stood up. He looked at the Emperor on the bed again; the Emperor's eyes were closed, as if he had fallen asleep again.

Such a weak monarch would die in no time if someone simply covered his mouth and nose with a pillow.

The King of Qin clenched his fists, but eventually had to gently release them. If he stepped forward, the Imperial Guards would have attacked him without hesitation.

The moment the Empress was dismissed by the Empress Dowager, he had already lost.

……

Jiang, the palace attendant, handed the memorial to Wang Bingchen and then relayed the Emperor's oral decree.

"It will be hard on you, Prime Minister Wang."

Wang Bingchen nodded.

The Empress Dowager was not surprised by this outcome: "The Emperor is still a benevolent ruler after all." This was also the reason for the discord between mother and son; she and the Emperor had too many differences in handling affairs.

For her, summoning the King of Qin was a pointless exercise.

(End of this chapter)