Ning Dao Covered with Snow

Chapter 431 The Last Edict
Yan Ciwan and Si Buping were brought before Li Baizhou.

Li Baizhou was in a terrible predicament. Due to his internal injuries, his lips were pale, and he coughed softly every now and then.

He was furious when he heard that Si Buping was planning to secretly run away with Yan Ciwan.

He walked up to Si Buping and coldly asked, "Why would even you betray me?"

Si Buping's hands were tied behind his back. He knelt on the ground with his head down. He had several wounds on his body, and his usually meticulously combed hair was now quite disheveled.

"Your humble servant only wishes to repay a debt of gratitude."

Li Baizhou laughed in anger: "Back then, I overturned your case and got you out of prison. Later, I promoted you all the way, giving you the power and status you have today. Is this how you repay my kindness?"

"Back then, it was because Crown Prince Renxian pleaded with Emperor Wen that I was given the opportunity to overturn the verdict."

Si Buping revealed the truth, which only fueled Li Baizhou's anger: "So what if Li Xuanhe pleaded for you? He only talked the talk. I was the one who actually investigated the case! I was the one who ran around searching for clues, and I was the one who uncovered the truth and cleared your name! Why do you only remember Li Xuanhe's kindness and not mine?"

Yan Ciwan spoke up: "If Crown Prince Renxian hadn't spoken up, you wouldn't have gotten involved in Si Buping's case at all. It was Crown Prince Renxian who gave you the opportunity to make a contribution, but after you succeeded, you didn't mention Crown Prince Renxian at all. You took all the credit for yourself."

Li Baizhou looked at her, his eyes bloodshot: "How do you know I don't want to mention him? He's the one who acted high and mighty and rejected my good intentions. I've done so much, why can't you see it? Why do you only see Li Xuanhe? What is it about me that I'm inferior to him?"

Yan Ciwan suddenly said, "Is this your reason for killing Crown Prince Renxian?"

Li Baizhou fell silent.

Just then, a general clad in armor rushed in.

“Your Majesty, the Right Army has arrived at Xuanhua Gate, but Xiao Wenyi has produced the edict left by Emperor Wen and read it aloud to the public.”

Li Baizhou looked at him, a bad premonition rising rapidly in his heart. He said with a gloomy face, "Qiao Yi, where did this will come from? Father Emperor clearly only left one will back then. In the will, he passed the throne to me. The will in Xiao Wenyi's hand must be fake!"

This general named Qiao Yi was Empress Qiao's younger brother and Li Baizhou's brother-in-law.

After Li Baizhou gave up Pei Yan, he replaced Pei Yan with Qiao Yi, who now controls the entire Left Jinwu Guard.

Qiao Yi was frightened by the fierceness in the other person's eyes, and hurriedly lowered his head to tell the truth.

"Xiao Wenyi said that Emperor Wen actually left two edicts before his death. Only Xiao Wenyi knew about this. The edicts not only had the imperial seal and the emperor's private seal, but also the emperor's handwriting."

Li Baizhou felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

He laughed out loud with red eyes: "Haha, so Father never truly believed in me until his death. Even in death, he still dug such a big pit for me."

Yan Ciwan never expected there would be a second imperial edict.

She asked, "What did Emperor Wen say in his will?"

Qiao Yi dared not utter a sound.

Li Baizhou sat back on the dragon throne, his smile fading, only his eyes still red. He said, "Speak, I also want to know what kind of trap Father Emperor dug for me in the end?" Qiao Yi wished he could bury his head in his stomach, and he stammered.

"In his will, Emperor Wen said that the sixth son of the Xiao family was the orphan of Crown Prince Renxian, and his eldest grandson. He wanted to appoint his eldest grandson as the Crown Prince to replace... replace..."

As he spoke, his legs went weak, and he silently knelt on the ground, trembling all over.

Li Baizhou replied expressionlessly, "Does Father Emperor want him to replace me?"

Qiao Yi's forehead slammed heavily against the ground, and he replied in a trembling voice, "Yes."

Li Baizhou could no longer control the hatred in his heart, and swept all the writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones on the table to the ground.

The inkstone fell right next to Yan Ciwan, splashing ink onto her skirt. Without even looking at her stained dress, she asked Qiao Yi a question.

"What else did Xiao Wenyi say?"

"He said he had already told Emperor Wen about Xiao Liulang's true identity, but at that time Xiao Liulang was still an infant and had no power to protect himself. Emperor Wen was also paralyzed and bedridden and could not protect him. So Emperor Wen let Xiao Liulang stay in the Xiao family and entrust him to Xiao Wenyi for upbringing and education. Before his death, Emperor Wen instructed Xiao Wenyi to continue to investigate the truth about the murder of Crown Prince Renxian. If it was found that the real culprit was not related to the Fifth Prince, then Xiao Liulang's true identity should never be exposed, and he should be allowed to live peacefully in the Xiao family. Otherwise, the second imperial edict should be announced to the world."

Upon hearing this, Yan Ciwan finally understood why Xiao Wenyi was able to gather so many helpers. It turned out that it was because he possessed the imperial edict left by Emperor Wen, which was his greatest trump card.

Once this edict is proclaimed to the world, it will be tantamount to completely erasing Li Baizhou's status as the legitimate successor.

Yan Ciwan pressed on, "What was everyone's reaction after hearing the will?"

This question hit the nail on the head. Li Baizhou raised his bloodshot eyes and stared at the Jinwu Guard kneeling on the ground.

Qiao Yi stammered, "The Right and Right Armies put away their weapons. They said... that their duty was to protect the safety of the east side of the palace and that they could not leave their posts for too long. Therefore, they all withdrew to the outside of the Nine Immortals Gate."

Upon hearing this, Yan Ciwan couldn't help but laugh: "It seems that the Right Third Army intends to stand by and watch. That makes sense. Their loyalty is to the emperor, and whoever becomes emperor in the end will be the one they listen to."

That being said, the fact that the Right Third Army chose to stand by and do nothing at this critical juncture is tantamount to indirectly helping Xiao Wenyi and Xiao Wang.

Li Baizhou's most capable general was Pei Yan. Pei Yan was brave and skilled in battle and a master strategist. If he and Si Buping had cooperated, Xiao Wenyi would not have been able to break into the palace so easily, and the three armies would not have dared to side with Xiao Wenyi so quickly.

But now Pei Yan is dead, and Si Buping has also betrayed them.

The only usable general left for Li Baizhou was Qiao Yi.

He looked at Qiao Yi, who was kneeling on the ground trembling, and slowly asked, "Now that the Right Third Army has retreated to the Nine Immortals Gate, those rebels will surely advance with unstoppable momentum. What do you think we should do now?"

Qiao Yi was covered in cold sweat. After hesitating for a while, he mustered up his courage and slowly said, "As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood. Your Majesty, I will lead the Left Jinwu Guard to stop the rebels. Your Majesty, take this opportunity to leave the palace and make a comeback in the future after accumulating strength."

"Are you telling me to run away?"

"Your Majesty, I know that doing this is unfair to you, but the rebels are coming on strong right now, and my small force is not enough to fight them. It would be better to avoid their sharp edge for now and make a comeback later."