Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 34 Conspiracy
The Crown Prince replied in a deep voice, "Father is a highly respected emperor. His long absence from public view can easily cause unrest among the people. His appearance today will quickly stabilize the court."

"I did it as a last resort."

The King of Wei snorted coldly, ignoring the dignified Crown Prince, and beckoned two tall and strong guards to come over and help the dizzy Emperor Xiaowen back to his dragon bed.

Emperor Xiaowen had been in a coma for several days and had just woken up this morning. He sat on the dragon throne in his dragon robe and spoke a few words, which exhausted his energy.

Emperor Xiaowen lay back on his imperial bed and fell into a deep sleep once more.

Empress Liu and Prince Wei were extremely anxious, like ants on a hot pan.

In contrast, the Crown Prince was much calmer.

Empress Liu's current status is entirely due to Emperor Xiaowen's favor. The young Prince Wei's current prestige also relies on Emperor Xiaowen's favoritism. If Emperor Xiaowen were to suffer any mishap, this mother and son would lose their greatest support and immediately find themselves in an awkward situation.

The crown prince secretly hoped that Emperor Xiaowen would die, so that he, as the heir apparent, could inherit the throne.

For the first time in his life, the arrogant and domineering Prince Wei experienced the powerful force of the words "legitimate and justified."

With Emperor Xiaowen in a coma, the Crown Prince naturally took charge of the affairs of state. Empress Liu, who had painstakingly managed the harem for over a decade, found everyone in the palace respecting the Crown Prince. There was only one reason: if Emperor Xiaowen didn't survive, the Crown Prince would inherit the throne and become the new Emperor.

His mother was unreliable; it turned out that even his father couldn't protect him forever.

He had to defeat the Crown Prince and seize the throne. Otherwise, after his father passed away, the Crown Prince would surely turn against him.

Just as King Wei was racking his brains and preparing to make a move, His Highness the Crown Prince made the first move.

His Highness the Crown Prince ordered all the Taoist priests to be arrested and imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison for severe interrogation. One Taoist priest, unable to withstand the torture, testified that Master Tianji had added a potent drug to the Dragon-Tiger Pill, intending to assassinate the Emperor.

Furthermore, a Taoist priest revealed that the Taoist priest Tianji had close ties with the King of Wei and that he was acting on the King's orders.

When the King of Wei learned of this matter, the Crown Prince had already summoned more than twenty important ministers and presented them with several testimonies for their review.

King Wei was furious and stormed into the Golden Palace.

Inside the Golden Palace, the atmosphere was solemn. The officials, divided into civil and military ranks, all wore grave expressions. The Crown Prince was saying something, but the Prince of Wei, completely ignoring him, kicked over a wooden chair with a thud: "I have only filial piety towards my father, how could I possibly collude with the Taoist priest!"

"Which treacherous villain is plotting against me in secret! Step forward now! I will tear him to pieces right now!"

He shouted angrily while staring intently at the crown prince. The implication was clear to those who understood.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, even his father-in-law, Situ Xi, frowned and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, please be careful with your words! His Highness the Crown Prince was just speaking up for you, saying that you have a heart full of filial piety towards the Emperor and would never do anything to harm the Emperor. He asked us not to misunderstand you."

King Wei: “…”

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over him. King Wei felt a chill run down his spine, and three words flashed through his mind.

Fell into a trap!
The crown prince subtly curled the corners of his mouth.

Prime Minister Qi, who had always supported the Crown Prince, stepped forward and said calmly, "Your Highness, the Prince of Wei, you have come at the right time. Since this major case of plotting to assassinate the Emperor involves Your Highness, please prove your innocence."

The civil officials echoed, "The Prime Minister is right."

"Does Your Highness, the Prince of Wei, have any connection with the traitor Tianji? Please explain clearly."

“No.” The Crown Prince, displaying the demeanor of an elder brother, not only disregarded the King of Wei’s previous offensive words but also spoke up for him, saying, “I know my fifth brother’s character and temperament best. He would never do such a thing.”

"These Taoist priests must be making baseless accusations and slanders to sow discord among the imperial family. If I were to truly harbor resentment towards my fifth brother because of this, I would be tempted by their petty intentions."

"Furthermore, Father Emperor's health is not seriously affected. He is resting in bed and cannot be separated from Fifth Brother every day." King Wei, unable to defend himself, looked grim, with veins throbbing on his forehead.

If his father-in-law hadn't repeatedly given him meaningful glances signaling him to be patient, he wouldn't have been able to restrain himself at all.

This was clearly a scheme orchestrated by the Crown Prince to frame him.

What's frightening is that he had indeed already bribed the Taoist priest Tianji, preparing to plot a major witchcraft case and frame the crown prince. He just hadn't had a chance to carry it out yet.

Once thoroughly investigated, his dealings with Master Tianji will be exposed.

By then, who will believe he is innocent?

The Crown Prince looked at the Prince of Wei, a look of satisfaction that only the two brothers could understand, and his voice grew even gentler: "Fifth brother, you go back and take care of Father. Leave this to me. I will make sure no one wrongs you!"

Amidst a mix of anger and fear, His Highness Prince Wei surprisingly calmed down at this most dangerous moment: "Brother is right. Someone must be framing me and trying to sow discord between us brothers."

"Please, elder brother, investigate this case thoroughly and clear my name."

After speaking, he even remembered to bow before leaving.

The Crown Prince stepped forward, righted the chair that King Wei had kicked over, and then said gently to the assembled officials, "Please do not spread today's events. My fifth brother is young and impetuous, and as his elder brother, it is only right that I tolerate and forgive him."

The ministers were all impressed by the Crown Prince's benevolent demeanor and readily agreed.

While praising His Highness the Crown Prince's benevolence, General Situ sighed inwardly.

Compared to the ruthless yet tactful Crown Prince, the Prince of Wei was like a reckless child. Relying on Emperor Xiaowen and Empress Liu, he ran rampant in the palace.

Once Emperor Xiaowen passes away, will the Prince of Wei be able to defeat the Crown Prince?

……

That night, a fire broke out in the prison, burning more than twenty Taoist priests to death.

The Taoist priest Tianji, who claimed to be a celestial being descended to earth, was burned most thoroughly. No coroner came to examine the body, and the palace guards who collected it pretended not to see the pierced chest of the Taoist priest. They wrapped him in straw mats, piled him on a cart, and threw him all into a mass grave to be fed to the dogs.

With all the criminals and witnesses dead, the case naturally couldn't be investigated any further.

Emperor Xiaowen slept for several days before waking up again.

The beloved Empress Liu served him by the bedside without taking off her clothes. Her face was haggard, and she cried, "If Your Majesty does not wake up, I will slit my throat with a knife and go with Your Majesty."

The filial youngest son, the Prince of Wei, cried with red eyes, "Father, Father!"

The senile Emperor Xiaowen was greatly comforted by his beloved wife and son.

Upon seeing the calm and composed Crown Prince, Emperor Xiaowen's mood soured. "I'm being driven crazy, and you're not worried at all. You just want me to die, don't you?!"
The Crown Prince then recounted the case of Master Tianji.

Emperor Xiaowen grew impatient and interrupted the Crown Prince: "The Prince of Wei is filial and sincere, how could he do such a thing? It must be someone who is blind and deliberately slanders and frames him."

"Heaven sent down a fire that burned down the prison; it's too good for these bastards."

"This case is no longer necessary; let's leave it at that."

(End of this chapter)