With a warehouse full of supplies, I stood alone as king in this chaotic world, gun in hand.

Bei Chenyan was taken aback again. "Father, is there no need to toll the death knell?"

"Didn't you want me to fake my death?" The Southern Qi Emperor glanced at him. "Was it only after I 'passed away' that Prince Jing appeared?"

"It's not good to toll the death knell. As long as I spread the news that you have passed away, I can have the Ministry of Rites prepare for my ascension to the throne." Bei Chenyan stood up when he saw that he agreed to fake his death.

"Please rest and recover. I will bring my three children to have lunch with you later."

"Go, go!" Emperor Nanqi waved his hand at him.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I take my leave." Bei Chenyan bowed and took his leave.

Half a day later, rumors that the emperor had died spread throughout the capital.

The Ministry of Rites received a secret order from the Crown Prince to prepare for the new emperor's enthronement ceremony the following day.

For a time, the people of Kyoto dared not speak or laugh loudly, waiting only for the funeral bell to ring and for the city to be adorned with mourning banners.

However, from noon to night, and then to the early hours of the next day, the death knell was slow to sound.

However, the ministers all received news that the Crown Prince would ascend the throne as Emperor the next day, and all civil and military officials were to make preparations.

As soon as the hour of Yin arrived, all the civil and military officials changed into their brand-new official robes and waited early at the palace gate.

Suddenly, the rapid "thump-thump-thump!" of horses' hooves echoed from afar, sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet of the early morning.

"Who is so audacious as to ride a horse through the streets so early in the morning?" one of the imperial censors asked, quite displeased.

The horse quickly approached, and a minister recognized the person on its back.

"Isn't that Lord Qingzhang, the Imperial City Guard?"

"Why are you running so fast? Could something have happened in the palace?"

The ministers began to discuss it.

Everyone knows that Zhang Qing is the Crown Prince's confidant, so his appearance here at this time must mean something has happened.

"Urgent report! Rebel troops have besieged the city! Open the palace gates immediately!" Zhang Qing shouted as he spurred his horse.

"What? Rebels have besieged the city?" The civil and military officials were immediately shocked.

Prime Minister Xi and Qi Ziyang looked anxious and quickly went to greet Zhang Qing.

"Lord Zhang Qing, what exactly happened?"

Zhang Qing dismounted and said to them, "It's Prince Jing, who has led an army of 300,000 to surround the four city gates, claiming that His Highness the Crown Prince killed His Majesty..."

"What? Three hundred thousand troops? Where did King Jing get three hundred thousand troops?"

The officials were terrified.

"Wasn't Prince Jing already enfeoffed? How come he's in Kyoto?"

"When Prince Jing left, His Majesty was seriously ill. He probably didn't go far because he was worried about His Majesty. Now that he has received bad news, he has rushed back!" an official said on behalf of Prince Jing.

His words immediately drew the ire of other officials.

Qi Ziyang sneered, "Marquis Mingyuan, what do you mean by that? What do you mean by worrying about His Majesty? What is bad news?"

His Majesty has issued a decree that Prince Jing is forbidden from returning to the capital without an imperial edict. Today is the day the Crown Prince ascends the throne, and Prince Jing has suddenly appeared, leading an army of 300,000 to surround the capital. What do you think he intends to do?

Marquis Mingyuan was taken aback that Qi Ziyang would turn his anger towards him, and his face paled. "I was just saying that casually!"

"Just saying that casually?" Qi Ziyang approached him step by step. "In my opinion, you have ulterior motives!"

Seeing his aggressive attitude, Marquis Mingyuan became enraged and shouted, "Qi Ziyang! Don't you dare make false accusations here!"

"Guards!" Qi Ziyang suddenly shouted, "Seize Marquis Mingyuan! Make him explain what constitutes 'bad news'!"

This Marquis Mingyuan is a cousin of Prince Jing. The Crown Prince has long wanted to get rid of him. Now he has just run into the line of fire. If he doesn't take him down, who will he take down?

"Yes!" Immediately, two imperial guards rushed forward and seized Marquis Mingyuan.

"Qi Ziyang, I am only a second-rank marquis! What right do you have to arrest me?" Marquis Mingyuan struggled desperately, his face flushed with rage. "I demand to see His Highness the Crown Prince!"

Seeing that Qi Ziyang was serious, the ministers dared not speak further.

Just then, the palace gates opened, and Eunuch Yu came out and shouted, "His Majesty has decreed that everyone must immediately proceed to the Yihe Hall to discuss the matter of the rebel army's siege of the city!"

"What? It's actually His Majesty's oral decree?"

The civil and military officials were dumbfounded again!

The Crown Prince is to ascend the throne today, and the Emperor did not come out to say a word. Everyone thought the Emperor was dead. Now that he has come to deliver an imperial edict, it means that he is still alive.

Marquis Mingyuan's face turned deathly pale.

The emperor is not dead at all. If Prince Jing leads a large army to besiege Yulong City, wouldn't he be accused of forcing the emperor to abdicate and rebelling?

But now it's all or nothing!

Thinking of this, Marquis Mingyuan suddenly pushed aside the imperial guards, used his lightness skill to leap onto the roof, and headed towards the south gate.

"Trying to run?" Qi Ziyang pulled out his pistol and fired a shot at Mingyuan Hou's back.

"boom--"

The gunshots rang out exceptionally clearly on the quiet street.

"Ah!" Marquis Mingyuan was shot in the back and rolled off the roof.

Several imperial guards chased after him, each grabbing one of his legs and dragging him back.

"Lord Qi, Marquis Mingyuan is dead!"

Qi Ziyang stepped forward and personally inspected the wound, finding that his shot had struck Mingyuan Hou squarely in the back of the heart, killing him instantly.

I feel my marksmanship is getting better and better.

"Leave the body here for now, awaiting His Highness the Crown Prince's decision."

"Yes!" several imperial guards replied.

The civil and military officials looked at the corpse on the ground and shook their heads.

A person who was perfectly fine just a moment ago is now lying here, all because of one extra word!

Knowing full well that King Jing was plotting a rebellion, he still dared to speak up for King Jing, seemingly oblivious to his own mortality. If he doesn't die first, who will?

The palace gates opened, and officials entered the palace one after another.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!" a voice suddenly rang out.

Upon hearing this, all the officials stopped.

Bei Chenyan led Nangong Wu out of the palace, followed by Wei Yang and dozens of guards.

"Greetings, Your Highness, may you live a thousand years!"

"No need for formalities!" Bei Chenyan strode over, his eyes sweeping over the civil and military officials.

"Today, Father will preside over the morning assembly! I have heard that Prince Jing has led a large army to surround the four city gates, intending to rebel. Today's enthronement is canceled. We will discuss it again after I go and take the head of the rebel."

The coronation has been cancelled?

All the officials were taken aback.

But most officials realized what was happening immediately.

His Majesty's fake death and the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne were all a ruse, designed to lure out Prince Jing.

Ignoring the officials' reactions, the Crown Prince walked up to Qi Ziyang and glanced at the corpse on the ground.

"Did you do this?"

"Yes." Qi Ziyang nodded. "Because he deserves to die!"

"Then hang it outside the south gate so that their Prince Jing can see it," Bei Chenyan ordered.

"Yes!" Two guards came forward and dragged away the body of Marquis Mingyuan.

"Come with me to the South Gate and meet Prince Jing," Bei Chenyan said to Qi Ziyang, and together with Nangong Wu, they boarded the horse led over by the guards.

"Alright!" Qi Ziyang also mounted a horse.

Going to court with a bunch of old men is less worthwhile than fighting with them.