OL CH60

The old Emperor was utterly enraged by the First Prince’s attempt to murder his own brother. Given his advanced age, such intense fury caused the already frail Emperor to fall gravely ill.

After recovering, perhaps having finally come to his senses, the old Emperor felt he ought to spend his twilight years in peace. He ceased clinging to court affairs and directly appointed Chen Tian as the Crown Prince.

Simultaneously, he made him the Prince Regent, handing over more than half of the state affairs to him. It was glaringly obvious that he intended to pass the throne to the Crown Prince once the latter became fully accustomed to the role.

Having secured the position of the Crown Prince, the Second Prince’s faction was overjoyed, and his colleagues inevitably gathered to celebrate.

Bai Su, who had been invited by Young General Qi and the Marquis’s Heir, had to decline his lover’s suggestion that they celebrate together. He comforted Chen Tian, promising they could be together when he returned that night.

Under Chen Tian’s resentful gaze, Bai Su boarded the carriage leaving the estate and headed to Young General Qi’s residence.

Although the gathering of courtiers fiercely loyal to the Second Prince appeared to be factionalism on the surface, Bai Su knew clearly in his heart that Huo Tianchen and Huo Kangcheng were fundamentally different. The officials gathered around the Second Prince were predominantly pure ministers who genuinely served the country and its people.

They gathered for a common purpose, fully aware that who sat on the throne was the most crucial choice for the nation and its citizens.

Usually, they were all like-minded colleagues. Recently, with the First Prince pressing them at every turn, everyone had been tense. Now that they had finally achieved their desired outcome, their moods were vastly different.

Gathered together to celebrate and having downed a few extra cups of wine, their conversations became much more relaxed and unrestrained.

“I say, now that His Highness the Second Prince has been established as the heir and Crown Prince, will the Emperor soon bestow a marriage for a Crown Princess? I wonder which noble family’s young lady is worthy of our Crown Prince?”

An elderly civil official stroked his beard and said knowingly, “Our Crown Prince is exceptional in both pen and sword. To match him, it must surely be someone like the number one talented lady of Dongye!”

“Oh, give it a rest!” To his surprise, a military officer beside him waved his hand in strong disagreement as soon as the words fell.

“Isn’t the capital’s number one talented lady the legitimate daughter of Prime Minister Cao? Given that Prime Minister Cao is an old fox, I bet his daughter’s reputation is entirely fake.

If you ask me, a daughter from a military family is the best match for the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince is the God of War of Dongye! How could he marry a woman so weak she could be blown over by a breeze!”

Someone else chimed in, “His Highness the Crown Prince will eventually become the Emperor. By then, what kind of women won’t be available in the palace? Naturally, there should be some romance and poetry. If all the consorts he marries are busy wielding swords and spears, is he going to the inner harem or the battlefield?”

Seeing their lively debate, Young General Qi leaned in and said mysteriously, “Alright, alright, stop your wild guessing.

I heard that the Empress plans to invite all the prominent noble ladies over during the Shangyuan Lantern Festival. They will admire the plum blossoms and lanterns at the imperial villa, allowing the Crown Prince to choose someone to his liking himself.

You lot don’t need to worry about all this nonsense!”

Hearing this, everyone burst into hearty laughter.

Only Bai Su gripped his wine cup tightly. Although he maintained a gentle smile on his face, the cheerful voices and laughter before him felt entirely detached from his reality.

The Shangyuan Lantern Festival, a bestowed marriage, a Crown Princess…

Heh!

Everyone was casually joking about Chen Tian’s marriage. Their words were like sharp blades, piercing straight into Bai Su’s heart.

Even though he and the Crown Prince were currently deeply in love, if the Emperor truly handed down an imperial edict, could Huo Tianchen genuinely defy it?

It was worth noting that the Crown Prince was no longer young, yet his estate still lacked even a single concubine, which had already sparked whispers among court officials.

Although anyone who had recently tried to force women to his sweetheart’s side had been severely reprimanded, if it were the Emperor making the demand, what reason would he have to refuse?

To become an Emperor, one must ensure the continuation of the royal bloodline. If he truly disobeyed, he would certainly be criticized, and his position might even become unstable.

Why must there always be people standing in their way!

No! He absolutely could not tolerate anyone else being by his sweetheart’s side. He could not tolerate the person he loved being touched by other women in the slightest!

At this thought, a ruthless glint flashed in the depths of Bai Su’s eyes.

Recalling the intelligence his subordinates had recently gathered, the timing of the First Prince’s planned conspiracy seemed to coincide exactly with the Shangyuan Lantern Festival. Perhaps he could seize this opportunity.

He had been hesitating because once he took this step, there would be no turning back.

But now, Bai Su had made his decision.

Even if it made that man hate him or resent him, he was going to imprison him by his side for the rest of his life!

Soon, the Shangyuan Festival arrived. Following tradition, the Emperor led the court officials and their families to the imperial villa to host a grand banquet.

Although the First Prince had been confined, the Minister of Revenue’s family had already been convicted, and the Noble Consort in the palace had been demoted as a result.

The old Emperor, getting on in years, had softened somewhat.

Thinking that since the Second Prince had already been established as the Crown Prince, he released Huo Kangcheng and allowed him to tag along to the imperial villa.

Chen Tian had anticipated this. In the original plot, without the reincarnated Li Zixiu’s interference, the First Prince had also made a similar move. His attempt to force an abdication happened right around this time.

Thus, ever since Huo Kangcheng had been confined, Chen Tian had ordered 009 to monitor him constantly.

Unexpectedly, Bai Su was also incredibly sharp. The personnel Chen Tian had assigned to him had not overlooked the remaining network the First Prince had left behind. His lover had uncovered the opponent’s plan almost simultaneously with 009, leaving Chen Tian full of admiration.

Chen Tian had already discussed this matter with Bai Su. Seeing his sweetheart’s methodical arrangements and hearing him say that the matter could safely be left in his hands, Chen Tian simply assumed his lover felt it was safer to handle it personally. Happy to let him feel at ease, Chen Tian handed over the command of all personnel at the imperial villa to him.

He figured that even if minor flaws occurred in the execution, he would definitely be able to rectify them.

At the palace banquet, Chen Tian predictably had “chance encounters” with numerous noble young ladies, but he paid them absolutely no mind. The Empress’s deliberate introductions were all brushed off with various excuses.

With only Bai Su in his heart, Chen Tian naturally had no room for other women. After politely declining them one by one, he simply left the area altogether.

As for whatever thoughts the old Emperor harbored about bestowing a marriage, Chen Tian was confident that once Huo Kangcheng made his move, the old Emperor would be thoroughly shocked.

Dealing with such a massive crisis would take a considerable amount of time, meaning the Emperor wouldn’t be focusing his attention on Chen Tian’s marriage anytime soon.

Throughout the entire banquet, Chen Tian deliberately stayed close to Bai Su, carefully observing their surroundings. This way, if something suddenly happened, he could guarantee his lover’s safety.

Cups and goblets were exchanged at the banquet. When everyone was half-drunk, a courtier suggested that the plum blossoms outside were in full bloom and it was the perfect time to admire them.

Taking advantage of the moonlight and the colorful lanterns outside, the old Emperor also thought it was an excellent idea, and led the crowd into the plum blossom garden.

Halfway through the viewing, most people were intoxicated by the beautiful scenery.

Huo Kangcheng, seeing the relaxed state of the crowd, decided the time was ripe and gave a hand signal to his subordinates.

Immediately, a swarm of heavily armed guards rushed out from all sides of the plum garden, drawing the blades from their waists and completely encircling the crowd. They had clearly been lying in wait here for a long time.

No longer holding back, the First Prince stepped directly in front of this group, faced the old Emperor, and sneered, “Imperial Father, you never thought this day would come, did you!”

Seeing the scene before him, what was there left for the old Emperor not to understand? This was clearly the First Prince’s wolfish ambition—bringing troops to force his hand with military might, plotting to usurp the throne.

“Traitorous son! You traitorous son!”

The old Emperor roared in fury, his chest heaving violently, almost suffocating from the sheer rage.

The eunuchs beside him hurriedly supported him. Fortunately, an imperial physician was closely attending him. The physician quickly fed the old Emperor a life-saving pill, allowing him to catch his breath.

Huo Kangcheng, however, burst into maniacal laughter. His venomous gaze swept past the old Emperor and landed on Chen Tian.

Seeing his once high-and-mighty Imperial Father and the mortal enemy he had fought for so many years now reduced to his prisoners brought him immense gratification!

He pointed his drawn sword directly at Chen Tian and said, “Huo Tianchen, let’s see how much longer you can stay arrogant!”

Chen Tian merely sneered coldly, paying the First Prince no mind at all.

He shot a glance at Young General Qi nearby. Young General Qi immediately pulled out a pre-prepared bone whistle and blew it.

Instantly, countless guards surged forth, and an abundance of archers appeared on the rooftops, completely surrounding Huo Kangcheng’s men.

A large number of hidden guards materialized simultaneously, forming a protective ring around the old Emperor and the ministers to ensure their safety.

Seeing this, Huo Kangcheng turned pale with shock. He instantly realized he had walked right into a trap set by his enemies.

He had fallen short of success once again. If he were captured now, he would never have a chance to turn the tables.

Realizing this, he had no choice but to fight with everything he had alongside his men, desperately trying to break through the encirclement and escape.

Logically speaking, although Huo Kangcheng had brought a considerable number of men, the Second Prince commanded the hundred-thousand-strong Dongye army. With even more capable individuals and highly skilled martial artists under his command, it should have been impossible for Huo Kangcheng to escape.

But at that exact moment, a gap appeared on the eastern side. Noticing it, Huo Kangcheng couldn’t afford to overthink it. He fought his way toward the weak point and finally managed to break out.

Seeing this, Young General Qi shouted loudly, intending to personally chase down and capture Huo Kangcheng, but was stopped by Bai Su.

“Young General Qi, you must stay here to protect His Majesty’s safety. Leave the rest to me!”

Young General Qi already deeply trusted Bai Su. Hearing this, he naturally nodded and agreed.

Immediately after, Bai Su moved to Chen Tian’s side. “Tianchen, this is a prime opportunity to capture Huo Kangcheng. I have my men following you. Let us go personally. Capturing the First Prince will be a great merit.”

Bai Su spoke with righteous conviction, but Chen Tian felt something was slightly off. However, since his partner wanted him to go, he wouldn’t refuse.

Leading a squad of men, he charged after them.

Huo Kangcheng didn’t have many men left with him, creating a massive disparity in military strength between the two sides. But given that their lives were on the line, the escapees moved incredibly fast. It took quite a bit of effort to finally catch up to them.

They were surrounded by a dense mountain forest, but the pursuing troops from the front and back had sealed off all escape routes.

Knowing he could absolutely not escape, the First Prince glared at Bai Su and Chen Tian with gritted teeth. Brandishing his longsword, he tried to charge at Chen Tian in a suicidal attack.

But before he could even get close, he was subdued, forced to his knees, and pressed against the ground. As for those stubbornly resisting beside him, they were all swiftly killed.

Huo Kangcheng stared at Chen Tian, his eyes overflowing with hatred. Chen Tian ignored him. Since the matter was resolved, he prepared to order his subordinates to escort the prisoner back.

Who could have known that before he could even open his mouth, Bai Su suddenly drew the sword from his waist and stepped forward. Without a single word of nonsense, the young man directly slit Huo Kangcheng’s throat with the blade.

“Suzhi, what are you doing?” Chen Tian asked, slightly surprised.

“I won’t let anyone who attempts to threaten or harm you live!”

The icy words cut off Chen Tian’s sentence. Looking at the lover turning around, his eyes utterly devoid of warmth, the unease in Chen Tian’s heart grew glaringly obvious.

Immediately after, he saw several people walk out from the nearby woods. One of them was dressed in an incredibly familiar attire. Looking closely, it was exactly the same as what he was wearing.

Most importantly, when that person lifted his head, he revealed a face identical to Chen Tian’s!

The guards standing around them didn’t react in the slightest, their expressions perfectly calm. They clearly knew about this all along.

It was only then that Chen Tian whipped his head around to look at Bai Su. He realized that the situation had completely slipped from his control. But before he could say anything, a sweet, fragrant scent drifted over.

Chen Tian’s vision went black, and he lost consciousness.