novelaction Chapter 388 Rescue
Chapter 388 Rescue
Chapter 388
Eunuch Su suddenly looked up, staring at the prince he had watched grow up, his eyes filled with disbelief. Though he had anticipated this, only when the moment finally arrived did he realize with astonishment the unbridled ambition hidden beneath that simple, honest face. Contemplating the man's impending fate, and then looking at his smug expression, a flicker of sorrow crossed Eunuch Su's eyes. Power truly captivates the mind. Within the imperial family, fathers and sons harbored suspicion, and family bonds faltered, ultimately leading to the isolation of the individual.
The sorrow welling up in Eunuch Su's eyes was not concealed at all. The eldest prince saw it clearly, but he just thought that the sadness was due to his own impending death.
Looking at that wrinkled, old face, a flicker of pity suddenly crossed his heart, but this faint touch was fleeting. He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, only coldness remained in them. He said in a deep voice, "Go and get the imperial edict, and then bring me the imperial seal. Don't dawdle, be obedient, and I will leave your body intact."
Upon hearing this, the complicated look in Eunuch Su's eyes disappeared instantly. He was silent for a long time, as if struggling and hesitating. After a long time, he finally gave up resistance as if accepting his fate, and agreed: "I will go and get it right away. Your Highness, please ask the generals to release me first." He nodded slightly, his tone filled with helplessness and forbearance, and looked calmly at the guards who were restraining him.
His obedience surprised the eldest prince. He had expected Eunuch Su to fight like a trapped beast, or to use eloquent rhetoric to stall, but he hadn't expected him to yield so easily. But he quickly came to his senses—Eunuch Su had always been a clever man in this situation, so what was the point of struggling now? It was futile.
The eldest prince thought of this, and the high position he was about to ascend to. A smug smile played on his face. "Eunuch Su, I was not mistaken. You are indeed a wise man. Go ahead. When I attend the grand ceremony, I will not treat you unfairly. I will make sure your name goes down in history."
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Su felt a chill run down his spine, unable to rejoice in the slightest. He knew that as a eunuch, he had no right to be remembered in history. If he truly surrendered to the Crown Prince, once the dust settled, he would be silenced to conceal the charge of forcing the emperor to abdicate. This so-called "remaining in history" was nothing more than a pretext, like being buried alive with the emperor.
Although he sneered in his heart, there was no sign of abnormality on his face.
After the guards released him, Eunuch Su stood up, brushed off the wrinkles on his body, and turned to walk towards the side hall. The eldest prince saw this scene and raised his eyes slightly. The guards who had just detained Eunuch Su immediately understood and followed him silently.
As Eunuch Su walked forward, he caught a glimpse of the guards behind him, and his once-calm heart began to flutter again. He thought to himself: Why is there no movement? Lord Ye! Have we gotten into trouble?
…………
After the eldest prince entered the palace, the guards finally calmed down and returned to their positions. But just then, another round of orderly footsteps arrived. The guards looked at each other, secretly groaning inwardly, "No way? Again?"
Then, they pretended to look at the commander of the guards casually.
Even after the commander's shoulder wound was bandaged, blood still seeped out, and he hadn't bothered to treat it properly, looking rather forlorn. At this moment, he was being supported by someone, leaning against the corner of the palace gate. When he heard footsteps, he simply raised his eyes but didn't speak.
The guards' hearts settled down upon seeing this. Seeing their commander's expression, they saw no sign of surprise. Perhaps he already knew something. They only needed to follow his orders, and they expected nothing major would happen.
This group moved at breakneck speed, their footsteps even louder than those of the eldest prince's earlier group. The guards appeared to be performing their duties, but their spirits were tense. Soon, a group emerged from the darkness. Regardless of their thoughts, the guards drew their swords and stood at the palace gate in a defensive posture. As they approached the gate, the lights from within illuminated the area, allowing everyone to clearly discern the face of the leader.
The guards were stunned at first, but quickly recovered. Someone took the lead and shouted, "This general greets the Third Prince!"
After hearing this voice, the others quickly gathered their composures and bowed in greeting.
The commander of the Royal Guards was supported by his men as he walked forward, but his steps were unsteady and he looked seriously injured.
Seeing this, the Third Prince didn't respond to the greetings. Instead, his gaze fell directly on the commander of the Imperial Guard. Seeing his chest stained with blood and his lips as pale as paper, his brow furrowed slightly, but then quickly shifted to a look of fury. He stood up and demanded, "Who is it? Commander Gao, who dared to hurt you at the palace gate?"
Commander Gao, supported by someone, barely managed a perfunctory salute before the Third Prince raised his hand to stop him. He no longer needed to be polite, but as if deeply wronged, he choked out, "Third Prince, I am useless! Just now, the First Prince and his men stormed the palace gates, and we were unable to stop them..."
After finishing his sobbing, he seemed to wake up, looked at the Third Prince and the people behind him with vigilance, and asked in a trembling voice, "Excuse me, Third Prince, what are you doing...?"
The Third Prince ignored the alertness in Commander Gao's eyes and shouted angrily, "How dare he! Father is seriously ill now, and he dares to rebel!"
Then, he slowed his tone and said as if explaining, "Your Highness heard from your subordinates that a crowd was gathering at the palace gate. Now that my father is seriously ill, I am afraid that someone may be plotting something ill, so I immediately gathered people to protect him."
After saying this, his face darkened and he shouted, "Get out of the way immediately! Do not try to stop me! I will go down and arrest the Crown Prince right now!"
Commander Gao seemed not to notice anything strange in his words. Upon hearing this, he lit up with joy and quickly waved his hand to signal the Imperial Guards: "Quick! Get out of the way! Let the Third Prince in!"
Although the guards had doubts and hesitated for a moment, they still put their swords back into the sheaths and dispersed to make way.
The Third Prince thought to himself that this man, a mere warrior, was indeed as foolish as the rumors said. This foolishness was exactly what he wanted. Although his heart was filled with contempt, his face showed a hint of gratitude: "If that's the case, I will go and save my father right now!"
With that, he yanked the reins and charged through the open palace gates, his guards following closely behind. Compared to the eldest prince, the third prince had brought significantly more men with him. Once everyone was inside, Commander Gao suddenly straightened his back, no longer looking seriously injured, and immediately ordered the guards to lock the gates.
The guards did not dare to disobey and hurried forward to lock the palace gate tightly.
The guard who had just supported Commander Gao was curious when he saw this scene and looked around. After confirming that no one else had come, he cautiously asked, "Commander, are there any other people coming?"
Commander Gao felt relieved and didn't mind the guards asking him more questions, so he replied, "No."
The guard couldn't contain his doubts and asked, "Commander, why did you order the gates to be locked? Although palace servants are not allowed to enter or leave at will, the gates are never locked. Now that the eldest and third princes have entered, why are we locking the gates...?"
As he finished speaking, the other guards cast concerned glances, each wondering—could they be aiding the prince in a rebellion? While the Third Prince was acting under the guise of arresting the First Prince, the circumstances were so coincidental that anyone could see no reason to deny his involvement. Everyone held their breath, awaiting Commander Gao's explanation.
How could Commander Gao not understand their worries and doubts? After all, if the two princes truly intended to rebel, their actions would be no different from aiding and abetting the rebellion. If the princes' plot was thwarted and His Majesty was safe, these Imperial Guards, with their families, would undoubtedly be punished.
With this thought, Commander Gao couldn't help but chuckle. A sly glint flashed in his eyes as he slowly spoke, "Don't worry, you're all my brothers. How could I just sit there and watch you lose your heads? Let's just guard the palace gates. As for those in the palace, there will naturally be people who will deal with those who harbor evil intentions."