4 Revol (1/2)
”The Great General Lanye has been conspiring with enemies?”
”Impossible! Why would he fight so many battles then?”
”He saved my son. I refuse to indict my benefactor!”
The capital was in an uproar as news of Da Lan's imprisonment spread. The Great General who was renown for his military prowess and loyalty to the country was imprisoned for allegations! Everyone knew the current Emperor was a conniving backstabber. How else had he gotten the throne?
The Crown Prince disappearing and the previous Emperor dying had been too much of a coincidence. The Empress Dowager had committed suicide out of nowhere. She wasn't even affectionate with the Emperor as it was purely a political marriage.
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”Where is the Princess?”
”She is at a tea party in the Tan Palace”, Shen casually stated with complete disregard for the connotations behind such circ.u.mstances.
The Emperor fumed. At this critical moment, this brat had sent the Princess to a neighboring country!? With the military weakened, they could easily hold her hostage and demand a hefty ransom. Of course, he would not agree to it as he had no love for his niece however she could be used for an alliance and was best friends with Da Guang, the Great General's Daughter.
Somehow Da Guang had gone missing which made him suspect that Da Lan had been suspicious of him and had been planning a revolt for a long time. The first factor was the brigands attack which Da Lan had somehow been prepared for and used to gain the public's favor. The second was the constant conquests which restored his status to his former glory. The final nail in the coffin was that the Great General had actually brought back the long lost Crown Prince who was supposed to have been dead and rotting along with his foster parents.
The Emperor could not accept that the Crown Prince was back and since he was affiliated with Da Lan, he was likely an accomplice. He was about to order for the execution of this d.a.m.ned accomplice when a metal rod protruded through his abdomen. He had been stabbed!
With his spleen punctured, excruciating pain shocked him as he began to feel mentally and physically impaired. His right-hand man had deliberately backstabbed him. They had been together for decades and had even planned for the a.s.sa.s.sination of his brother together. As his vision blurred and his life began to fade, he stared in disbelief at the one person who he almost considered a friend.
The aide then swiftly ran away while screaming, ”The Crown Prince has killed the Emperor!!”.
Shen sighed heavily. To implicate him into their schemes was the worst mistake they'll ever make.
”If they want to frame me, I might as well actually do it”
Shen leisurely walked up to the Emperor before swiftly decapitating him with his Sharp Knife. It truly was a Sharp Knife as it even cut through the metal of the Imperial throne.
The palace guards' footsteps could be heard as they hurriedly marched to a.s.sist the aide in subduing the killer. Regicide was quite common in this era and even more common in this country. This was the 4th time an Emperor was slain and with each regicide, the more treacherous the royal family would become.
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”What!?”, Da Lan had exclaimed in his prison cell.
The report seemed exaggerated. His plan had succeeded and the Emperor had lured in Shen, however Shen didn't even flinch at the sight of the Emperor being a.s.sa.s.sinated. He even joined in and murdered the Emperor with the same countenance as when he had killed all the servants in the Princess' kitchen.
A crucial part of the plan had to revised now that Shen's grief couldn't be accounted for and that Shen also went missing.
Regardless, the plans had commenced. As soon as word of the Emperor's death spread, his troops would immediately storm the palace and usurp the throne. Clashes of swords could certainly be heard but the battlefield remained outside of the palace.