Please call me Your Majesty!

Chapter 307 The Northern Barbarians are defeated and the Emperor ascends the throne! (The Finale)

Li Batian was just straightforward, not really stupid. Knowing he couldn't figure it out, he simply stopped thinking about it.

Although Zhao Wenguang is younger than me, he is much smarter, so listening to him shouldn't be a mistake.

After half an incense stick's time, the enormous blood pillar in the middle of Xueyuan Pass, which resembled a writhing venomous snake, began to gradually shrink until it disappeared, and the blood rain finally stopped.

Chu Shizhao immediately mounted his horse, drew a sword from the saddle, and raised it high: "Soldiers, the enemy is in disarray, follow me and kill them!"

Having said that, he charged ahead towards Xueyuan Pass.

The ordinary soldiers of Xueyuan Pass were initially startled by the explosion at Xueyuan Pass.

However, once they realized that this was all a trap set by their own prince, they were all instantly energized, their eyes turning red with excitement.

Now that Chu Shizhao is leading the charge, how could they possibly not follow?

Immediately, they followed Chu Shizhao and charged towards Xueyuan Pass.

With fewer than two thousand people, the momentum they displayed was no less than that of a thousand troops.

Although the Northern Di cavalry responsible for defending the city were not affected by the bloodshed, they witnessed the changes that occurred within the city.

At this point, although they were barely holding onto the city walls, they had no morale whatsoever.
With a roar, Li Batian cleaved the city wall in two. The Northern Di cavalry guarding the wall immediately collapsed.

Tuoba Lie tried desperately to stabilize the army.

However, more than half of the 10,000-man commanders in the army were killed or wounded, and the officers, most of whom were out arranging military affairs at the time of the explosion, also suffered heavy casualties.

Without junior officers, he, the newly appointed commander-in-chief of the armed forces, lacked sufficient prestige.

Just at this crucial moment, Chu Shizhao arrived with his men.

Even though the Northern Di cavalry still numbered in large numbers, they had lost all will to fight.

They were like helpless sheep, easily driven out of Xueyuan Pass by Chu Shizhao and his men.

The seemingly tall and mighty Northern Di cavalry were relentlessly pursued and slaughtered by the soldiers of Xueyuan Pass, with almost no one daring to turn around and resist.

The Northern Di army that had been driven out of Xueyuan Pass retreated like the tide.

They couldn't even manage the basic task of assembling into a formation.

After fleeing all night, Tuoba Lie took stock of his army at dawn and despairingly discovered that of the original 100,000 Northern Di cavalry, only less than 60,000 remained.

Furthermore, these 60,000 men had no will to fight whatsoever and had completely collapsed.

All supplies were destroyed, and the morale of the army plummeted.

They have been utterly defeated in this battle.

He had no choice but to retreat.

Thinking of the consequences of his defeat, Tuoba Lie turned pale, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and collapsed from his horse, unconscious.

In stark contrast to them, the entire Xueyuan Pass was filled with jubilation.

But this joy didn't last long.

A messenger dressed in magnificent armor, holding a gold medal, rode into Xueyuan Pass, shouting repeatedly.

"His Majesty has decreed that the Fourth Prince must return to the capital immediately!"

"His Majesty has decreed that the Fourth Prince must return to the capital immediately!"

Upon hearing the messenger's words, Chu Shizhao raised an eyebrow. Why did this scenario seem so familiar to him?
Most importantly, the imperial edict arrived just as they had driven away the Northern Di cavalry.

It took him a lot of racking his brains and countless brain cells to figure out a way to drive away the Northern Di cavalry.

Otherwise, he would probably have already retreated to other cities.

With the Great Zhou army suffering repeated defeats, the fact that he, the person in charge, was to be transferred would inevitably cause chaos in the army's morale.

Even if his adoptive father, the emperor, was truly senile and foolish, there was absolutely no way he could issue such an imperial edict.

"Very well, let's go and meet the guy hiding behind the scenes."

They probably never imagined that their plan would backfire so badly.

Now that the Northern Di cavalry has been defeated, whether Chu Shizhao returns to the capital or not will have no impact on the overall situation.

On the way back to the capital, messengers carrying gold medals kept arriving.

It was as if they were afraid that Chu Shizhao would disobey the imperial edict.

Even at the main gate of the capital, Chu Shizhao bumped into a messenger rushing out from the opposite direction.

This is already his tenth gold medal.

While not quite on par with a certain loyal minister of all time, he received essentially the same treatment.

Upon returning to the capital, Chu Shizhao went straight to the palace without even having time to drink a sip of water.

Upon seeing Emperor Yongjin, even though he was prepared, Chu Shizhao couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

Although it hadn't been long since they last met, Emperor Yongjin seemed to have become a completely different person. He was so thin that he was unrecognizable, just skin and bones.

Standing beside Emperor Yongjin were dozens of ministers, each a pillar of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

However, one person dressed in a yellow Taoist robe, looking like an old immortal with white hair and beard, stood out conspicuously.

At this moment, the man was taking Emperor Yongjin's pulse.

Judging from his furrowed brows and sighing expression, Emperor Yongjin's current situation is probably not optimistic.

When Chu Shizhao arrived, the faces of the officials showed joy.

"It's the Fourth Prince."

"Great, His Highness the Fourth Prince has finally made it in time."

Chu Shizhao strode forward and nodded to the ministers. After all, they were important officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and Chu Shizhao would not be impolite.

Chu Shizhao's gaze lingered on the man in the Taoist robe for a moment before he asked warily, "If we don't find this man, where did Father Emperor find this swindler?"

Everyone forced a smile, knowing that Chu Shizhao was in a bad mood, and no one dared to provoke him.

The man in the yellow Taoist robe was not angry. Instead, he stood up and greeted Chu Shizhao: "Your Highness, please do not be offended. I am just a mere Taoist priest. It is only because His Majesty is seriously ill and the imperial physicians are helpless that I was sent here to see if there is any way to help."

Chu Shizhao's lips curled into a cold smile: "So, you have a solution?"

"There's no perfect solution, but we can certainly do everything in our power to extend His Majesty's lifespan by three to five years."

"His Majesty is in a hurry to see Your Highness. Please, Your Highness."

The Taoist priest in the yellow robe stepped aside, giving Chu Shizhao space to communicate with Emperor Yongjin.

Chu Shizhao strode forward, passing the man in the yellow Taoist robe, seemingly not paying him any attention.

Emperor Yongjin, lying on his bed, sensed someone approaching. His cloudy pupils darted around rapidly, as if trying to pinpoint the location of the newcomer.

"Father, the second lining is late." Chu Shizhao grabbed Yongjin Emperor's hand. A prince who had fought on the battlefield for a long time cried like a child, his voice as sorrowful as a lamb kneeling to suckle.

All the ministers who heard Chu Shizhao's cries felt a pang of sorrow in their hearts.

The Fourth Prince is a good boy. Despite being treated that way by Emperor Yongjin, he harbored no resentment and remained loyal and filial.

"Fourth Prince, I'm dying." Emperor Yongjin's weak voice was drawn out, as if each word required all his strength to utter.

While wiping away his tears, Chu Shizhao retorted, "Father, I won't allow you to say that. You are still young and in the prime of your life. Let's focus on getting treatment; we can definitely cure you."

After delivering the message, he roared furiously, "Where are the imperial physicians? Where have they all gone? Summon them here! If they can't cure my father, I'll make them pay with their lives!"

The ministers all sighed helplessly.

Emperor Yongjin was already on his deathbed, and the reason he had been holding on until now was to wait for Chu Shizhao to return.

Why is this? Isn't it because, looking at the entire court, only Chu Shizhao is qualified and capable of inheriting the throne?
Emperor Yongjin forced a smile and slowly shook his head, saying, "No need. I know my own body best. I know you have some complaints about me, your father..."

Chu Shizhao quickly shook his head: "Father, your son has no such idea."

"Alright, we've been father and son for a long time, is there any need to hide anything now?"

However, Emperor Yongjin did not dwell on the matter, and waved his hand with a smile, saying, "Whatever my difficulties were, they are all in the past now. These things have nothing to do with you."

"All you need to know is that I won in the end."

"Now, and in the future, will..." As he spoke, an unnatural flush appeared on Emperor Yongjin's face.

Then, with a "pfft," he suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood, his head lolled to the side, and he fell silent.

They were talking peacefully when the person suddenly disappeared, and the ministers immediately panicked.

"Help! Where is the imperial physician?"

"Send it to the doctor quickly!"

A man dressed in a yellow Taoist robe quickly stepped forward to take Emperor Yongjin's pulse.

Then he suddenly widened his eyes in disbelief and pointed at Chu Shizhao in shock: "Fourth Prince, what do you mean by this? His Majesty's days are numbered. Even if you have any ideas, can't you wait until His Majesty has passed away before saying them?"

"Aren't you even willing to wait this little bit of time?"

His shocked expression truly startled many people. Wasn't this blatantly telling everyone that Emperor Yongjin was killed by Chu Shizhao?

Although everyone understood Emperor Yongjin's intention in summoning Chu Shizhao back this time.

But who can truly understand the thoughts of an emperor? What was Emperor Yongjin, who ruled the Great Zhou for so many years, really thinking?
Moreover, Chu Shizhao is so young, it's not impossible for him to take that position ahead of time, is it?

The atmosphere in the room immediately became tense.

Some people thought a little more deeply, even though in the eyes of the court officials, Chu Shizhao was indeed the most suitable person for that position.

However, Emperor Yongjin might not think that way.

At that very moment, the yellow-robed Taoist priest spoke up, his words seemingly striking a chord with everyone: "I understand now. Is it because His Majesty has no intention of passing the throne to you that you, in your desperation, plotted to kill His Majesty?"

Faced with the accusations from the yellow-robed Taoist priest and the suspicious looks from the ministers, Chu Shizhao remained unconcerned and instead asked with interest, "What evidence do you have to prove that I plotted to harm His Majesty?"

At this moment, the Minister of War suddenly stood up and said: "His Majesty once told me that he had already made a secret edict. If anything happens to His Majesty, we can follow the secret edict to support His Majesty's successor to ascend the throne."

"At the time, I didn't understand what was going on. It turns out that His Majesty knew this day would come, so he had been on guard against certain people all along."

This statement caused a huge stir, and everyone stared in disbelief.

Those who are here today are all the most trusted ministers of Emperor Yongjin.

Among them, the one with the least seniority was actually this Minister of War.

But how could the Minister of War know so much about something so important that these ministers who had served Emperor Yongjin their whole lives were unaware of it?

The situation is becoming increasingly bizarre.

"His Majesty's secret decree is placed on the plaque in the main hall. As long as we produce the secret decree, the truth will naturally come to light."

As they were talking, Emperor Yongjin's bedroom was already surrounded by hundreds of Imperial Guards.

As for who they are preventing, everyone knows the answer.

"Someone, bring His Majesty's decree immediately!" In front of everyone, an Imperial Guard leaped onto the roof beam and took out something wrapped in yellow cloth from behind the plaque.

The chief eunuch beside Emperor Yongjin quickly went over, took the document, and opened it.

No one raised any objections. Under the current circumstances, he was probably the only one who could read the imperial edict and thus be the most convincing person to do so.

The chief eunuch opened the yellow cloth bag, inside which was oiled paper wrapped tightly.

Only after the oil paper was unwrapped was the scroll of the imperial edict revealed.

Upon seeing the appearance of the imperial edict, the ministers knew that it was at least genuine and could not be forged.

Imperial edicts are extremely important documents. Every imperial edict is kept on file in the palace, with all the regulations and formats clearly written down. If it doesn't match, the punishment is execution.

However, the moment the imperial edict was taken out, before the chief eunuch could even open it and read it aloud, Chu Shizhao suddenly sneered, "There's no need to read it."

His voice wasn't loud, but everyone present felt a jolt in their hearts.

The head eunuch froze in his tracks as he opened the imperial edict.

The yellow-robed Taoist sneered, "As expected, you harbor wolfish ambitions. His Majesty Chu Shizhao's imperial edict is here. Can't you keep up the act any longer?"

The ministers in the room also glared angrily at Chu Shizhao. They had initially thought highly of this prince, but they never expected him to harbor such wolfish ambitions.

Chu Shizhao smiled coldly: "Actually, I don't need to look at it to know the contents of this imperial edict. This imperial edict will establish the sixteenth prince, Chu Shimeng, as emperor."

"I find it strange. Even if Father didn't pass the throne to me, he couldn't be so senile as to abandon so many of my brothers and instead pass it on to a prince who is only four years old and not yet an adult."

When the ministers heard about the sixteenth prince, they all sensed that something was wrong.

None of the people who have reached their positions are fools.

Of course I know, there's something strange about this.

However, since the imperial edict was genuine, they did not activate it despite knowing that something was amiss.

The Minister of Rites sighed deeply and said, "Your Highness..."

Before he could speak, Chu Shizhao turned to look at the yellow-robed Taoist: "You really went to great lengths for this throne. A young prince knows nothing, so of course he's easy to control."

"At that time, whether we seize the emperor to control the world or create an accident to cause the emperor's untimely death, it will be very simple to pass the throne to you."

The ministers present were somewhat confused by Chu Shizhao's words. No matter how strange the struggle for the throne was, it was a matter for the royal family and had nothing to do with a sorcerer.

Is this Fourth Prince out of his mind?
Just as they were filled with doubt, Chu Shizhao's words struck them like a bolt from the blue.

"Am I right? My good royal uncle? Or should I call you Prince Li?"

Upon hearing this name, the ministers exclaimed in surprise.

Prince Li, Chu Tianyang, was Emperor Yongjin's own brother and one of the most powerful contenders for the throne back then.

However, he disappeared after the coup that seized the throne. Some say he died in the chaos of war, while others say he escaped the capital and went into hiding.

But no one expected that this Prince Li would actually appear in the palace.

Moreover, they even had this person treat Emperor Yongjin's illness...

Just thinking about this makes many people's backs soaked with sweat.

What difference is there between them and watching Prince Li plot against His Majesty?
However, even more exciting news awaits them.

Chu Shizhao said jokingly, "Or should I call you the leader of the Dark Night Cult?"

hiss!
A series of gasps filled the room.

Ordinary people may not know how powerful the Dark Night Cult is, but these people certainly do.

In recent years, many major and minor events in the imperial court have been linked to the Dark Night Cult.

With his identity exposed, King Li simply stopped pretending.

"As expected of the offspring of that despicable Yongjin, I have been paying close attention to you, but I still underestimated you."

Chu Tianyang sighed deeply. His face twitched and quickly transformed from a Taoist priest with an air of otherworldly elegance into a sinister-looking man with scars on his face and a gloomy gaze that bore at least fifteen-tenths of the resemblance to Emperor Yongjin.

Many ministers felt a chill run down their spines just by looking at that face.

"I originally thought of resolving this matter peacefully, but now it seems impossible." Chu Tianyang grinned maliciously at the ministers in the room.

"If you want to blame someone, blame that little bastard Chu Shizhao. If he hadn't exposed my identity, I would have kept you alive. But now... I have no choice but to send you to see Yongjin."

The ministers were on the verge of tears; the struggle for imperial power was indeed cruel.

But you uncles and nephews can fight it yourselves, why drag us into it?

Chu Shizhao's hearty laughter rang out at this moment, as if instantly dispelling most of the darkness.

He laughed while wiping away his tears: "Hahaha... I was so young back then. I say, Uncle, when you competed with my father for the throne and lost, didn't you reflect on it at all afterward? Didn't you think about why you failed and why my father succeeded?"

Chu Tianyang's expression twisted into a ferocious grimace, the scars on his face turning crimson: "That's because I'm not as despicable or shameless as him!"

Chu Shizhao slowly shook his head, his eyes filled with pity: "If that's all you think, let alone giving you another chance, even if you were given ten or a hundred more, you would never be able to compete with my father."

"Don't rush to refute. I don't know about the past. Let's take what just happened as an example."

Chu Shizhao pointed to his head: "I really don't understand why you immediately admitted it after I just explained your identity?"

"Please, you yourself have admitted that you are a traitor, a loser who was defeated by my father. Even if these ministers wanted to support you, they wouldn't dare. Wouldn't that be openly supporting a traitor?"

"Anyway, if it were me, I would never admit it, no matter what. I would only accuse the other party of talking nonsense, trying to muddy the waters, and trying to cover up the fact that I killed my emperor and father."

"As long as you don't admit it, even if others know you're lying, as long as you're in a favorable position, they can simply pretend they don't know and go with the flow."

"Perhaps not everyone will help you, but as long as you can win over one or two more people, your strength will increase and the enemy's strength will decrease."

"Such a simple truth, how can you not understand it?"

"With your brains, if you really became emperor, I really can't imagine what the Great Zhou would become."

Chu Tianyang's face darkened further without Chu Shizhao saying a word. He gasped for breath, his whole body trembling.

Judging from his appearance, he gives the impression that he might be so angry that he could die at any moment.

"You sharp-tongued little bastard, I'll tear you to pieces today! I want to see if your mouth will always be this stubborn! Guards!"

Chu Tianyang dared to reveal his identity because he had been prepared.

The Dark Night Cult had meticulously planned and arranged for many years. While they may not have completely taken control of the palace, the number of people they had planted within it was certainly considerable.

The ministers were all pale, their eyes filled with despair.

Chu Shizhao chuckled and said, "See, Imperial Uncle has fallen for it again. When you have the advantage, act quickly. Don't talk nonsense or listen to others. Don't you know the saying that villains die from talking too much?"

"If you had made a move earlier, I would have been in a difficult position. But now that I've stalled for so long, my men have already arrived."

A sharp cry sent tremors through the palace.

"Li Fengning of the Li family of Jinyang, ordered to rescue the emperor, those who block my way shall die!"

On the other side of the palace, the same voice followed closely behind.

"Heng Yi of Liangzhou, ordered to rescue the Emperor, will be considered a treasonous act if disobeyed!"

The two men, one from the south and one from the north, swiftly stormed into the imperial city.

Upon hearing Li Fengning's name, Chu Tianyang's expression changed instantly; this Valkyrie was truly not to be trifled with.

Even though the Dark Night Cult was deeply entrenched in the palace, it could not ultimately stop the regular army.

Not to mention the troops brought by Li Fengning.

Right now, he wanted to finish the job quickly and kill everyone before Li Fengning arrived.

Chu Tianyang said sternly, "Kill everyone, leave no survivors."

At the same time, his aura rapidly increased.

"Even if I don't get the throne, I will still kill you, you little bastard, today."

The reason he was able to escape during the chaos and build such a large organization as the Dark Night Cult when he had nothing was because of his superior martial arts skills.

Even before making a move, Chu Shizhao could feel the terrifying pressure emanating from the other party.

He was certain that he was no match for this guy.

Fortunately, Chu Shizhao was prepared.

The eunuch who was stopped by Chu Shizhao had been hiding behind Chu Tianyang the whole time.

Everyone assumed that he was one of Chu Tianyang's men.

But just as Chu Tianyang's attention was focused on Chu Shizhao...

Suddenly, the head eunuch drew a short knife and plunged it into Chu Tianyang's lower back.

This happened so fast that even the experts around Chu Tianyang didn't have time to react.

Taking advantage of their momentary daze, Chu Shizhao suddenly moved.

He touched the ground with his toes and rushed to their midst in an instant, his hand speed so fast that it left afterimages.

The flying needles, shooting in all directions, turned these people into hedgehogs.

The old eunuch also joined in, finishing off these people one by one with a single cut.

His strength was actually above Chu Shizhao's.

Chu Tianyang could feel his power rapidly dissipating. He turned his head with difficulty and looked at the old eunuch in disbelief.

"you……"

He simply couldn't believe that this old eunuch was actually one of Chu Shizhao's men.

Soon, Chu Tianyang seemed to realize something, and his eyes widened in horror.

If the old eunuch was Chu Shizhao's man, he should have known long ago that he was going to harm Emperor Yongjin.

That being the case...

How was he able to succeed?
Meeting Chu Shizhao's indifferent gaze, he made a shushing gesture with a half-smile.

Chu Tianyang suddenly felt relieved. He considered himself ruthless, but compared to this father and son, he was nothing.

"Chu Tianyang is dead. Anyone who is not a member of the Dark Night Cult must surrender immediately and all past transgressions will be forgiven. Otherwise, they will be treated as traitors and their entire family will be executed!"

The Imperial Guards outside rushed into the house and saw Chu Shizhao holding Chu Tianyang's head.

Most of those who could become members of the Imperial Guard came from respectable families.

There aren't many people who are truly determined to join the Dark Night Cult.

Now that Chu Tianyang is dead, why would they risk their lives for the Dark Night Cult?

Immediately, they knelt down in droves.

Only those members of the Dark Night Cult, knowing they were doomed, fought to the death.

However, their resistance seemed futile in the face of Li Fengning.

He didn't even need the large army behind him; Li Fengning alone on horseback slaughtered them.

Chu Shizhao was stunned. How come his wife's strength seemed to be even stronger than before?

It seems that things will be quite peaceful in my harem from now on.
After all, any woman with a sound mind wouldn't dare to go against Li Fengning.

After killing Chu Tianyang.

Emperor Yongjin's eunuch produced the imperial edict again, and this time, the person to be succeeded was naturally Chu Shizhao.

As for what the inside story is,

All the ministers tacitly remained silent.

The Minister of Rites was the first to step forward, kneeling on the ground with a thud: "Your Majesty, a country cannot be without a ruler for a single day. Now that the late Emperor has been murdered by treacherous officials, I beg Your Majesty to ascend the throne immediately to reassure the people."

The other ministers secretly cursed the Minister of Rites as a cunning old fox, regretting their slow reaction.

They immediately knelt down and begged Chu Shizhao to ascend the throne.

They all had an attitude that said, "If you don't listen to us, we'll die right in front of you."

"Absolutely not! My father was murdered by treacherous people, and his body is barely cold..."

The necessary procedures still need to be followed.

Chu Shizhao sternly refused, but the ministers earnestly begged him to become emperor for the sake of the people.

After being asked and declined three times, Chu Shizhao finally "reluctantly" agreed.

In the inner palace, Li Fengning was somewhat clumsily arranging Chu Shizhao's imperial robes for his coronation.

Although she was still a bit clumsy, it was clear that she had learned the skills specifically for Chu Shizhao.

While tidying up, she remarked, "Although I had a feeling, I really didn't expect you to do it so quickly."

Chu Shizhao suddenly cleared his throat solemnly and winked mischievously at Li Fengning: "Please address me as Your Majesty, my lady!"

End of the book

(End of this chapter)