Your Majesty, the princess is fleeing famine with her child!

Chapter 381 Forced into the Palace

The night was thick with twilight.

The palace shrouded in the night was like a huge beast, silently devouring everything.

A strong smell of medicine filled the Zi Chen Palace. Heavy curtains obscured an old and decayed body lying on the dragon couch, giving off a hint of death.

The Imperial Chief Steward Gao Youfu was taking a nap leaning against a pillar.

These days, he had to take care of the seriously ill Emperor Jingping and deal with people from the former dynasty and the harem. He was really exhausted.

He was suddenly awakened by a noise while he was drowsy.

He originally thought that the sound was made by some palace servant who was doing something clumsy, and was about to grab that person and give him a lesson, but when he looked up, he saw Empress Dowager Cui leading the Third Prince, Concubine Cui and others in.

The noise just now was the sound of the palace door being pushed open.

Gao Youfu hurried forward and bowed.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he moved, he was pinned to the ground by the people brought by Queen Mother Cui.

Not only him, but everyone in the entire Zichen Palace, whether they were palace maids, eunuchs, or imperial doctors, were all restrained.

Gao Youfu's face suddenly changed, "Empress Dowager, what are you doing?"

"May I ask what mistakes the servants have made?"

"That is..."

Even if they made mistakes, they were all people serving Emperor Jingping, and the punishment was decided by Emperor Jingping, and no one else could interfere.

But before he could utter this sentence, Gao Youfu was gagged and tied up.

The third prince glanced at Gao Youfu coldly.

"He is a loyal and good dog raised by my father!"

"It's just too noisy. It's giving me a headache! Someone, cut off his tongue!"

When Gao Youfu heard this, fear flashed in his eyes and he immediately struggled violently.

Just at this moment, Queen Mother Cui spoke up to stop them and ordered Gao Youfu to be taken away and detained.

After taking Gao Youfu away, Queen Mother Cui looked at the Third Prince with dissatisfaction.

It is not enough for them to just get the imperial edict of succession.

Gao Youfu was the chief eunuch in front of Emperor Jingping, so his importance was naturally self-evident.

If he came forward and acknowledged that Emperor Jingping had passed the throne to the third prince, then the third prince's path to succession would naturally be less troublesome.

The Third Prince was an impulsive man, but under the pressure of Empress Dowager Cui's gaze, he immediately calmed down and realized that something was wrong.

He looked embarrassed and smiled ingratiatingly at Queen Mother Cui.

Queen Mother Cui turned her head away and sighed secretly in her heart.

With the Third Prince's personality, she really doubted how he could govern the country well and be a good emperor.

But as a member of the Cui family, she had no better choice.

What's more, the arrow is on the string and has to be shot!

Forget it, I'll select some more talented people to assist the Third Prince. With the Cui family watching from the side, nothing big can go wrong.

Queen Mother Cui turned around and took the lead, stepping into the inner hall.

The further you go into the inner hall, the stronger the smell of medicine becomes.

Queen Mother Cui stopped ten steps away from the bed and was about to send the imperial physician Zhou to check on her. At this moment, a hand reached out from inside the curtain, and then the voice of Emperor Jingping rang out from inside the curtain, "Who's outside?"

Emperor Jingping's voice sounded weak, and the half of his arm that was exposed was covered with pus.

When Doctor Zhou saw the abscess, his face suddenly changed, "It's smallpox! Your Majesty is suffering from smallpox!"

Queen Mother Cui stared at Doctor Zhou with her eyes fixed on him. "Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?"

Doctor Zhou shook his head repeatedly and took two steps back with a look of horror.

"I am not mistaken. The abscess on your Majesty's arm is caused by smallpox. I am not mistaken!"

When Empress Dowager Cui and the other two saw that Doctor Zhou was speaking with such certainty, they all took a few steps back and covered their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs.

Although they had all taken medicine to prevent smallpox in advance, they still felt a little uncomfortable, fearing that they would be infected if they got too close.

But at the same time, I was secretly delighted.

The third prince immediately ordered people to find the imperial seal.

Soon the imperial seal was found.

The third prince took out the edict of succession that he had prepared long ago from his sleeve, spread it out on the table, and with slightly trembling hands he grasped the imperial seal and stamped it on the edict.

When the Third Prince saw that the edict passing the throne to him was stamped with the imperial seal, he could not help laughing out loud.

"Hahahahahaha, the throne is mine!"

Concubine Cui came forward and read the edict of succession, then she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"It's done. My son is going to ascend the throne and become the emperor. All our efforts in planning this are worth it!"

Queen Mother Cui breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that everything was going smoothly, and a smug smile appeared on her face.

The Third Prince and his companions were so immersed in joy that they did not notice at all that Emperor Jingping had sat up by holding onto the bedpost.

"You... you dare to forge the edict of succession!"

The Third Prince turned around upon hearing the voice and grinned at Emperor Jingping, "Father, you are suffering from smallpox and will not live long. It is time to issue an edict to pass on the throne!"

"As a son, I will do the work for you as a relief for my father and king!"

"Rebellious son!" Emperor Jingping was furious and shouted outside the palace: "Someone come, someone come..."

However, there was no movement outside the palace.

The third prince suddenly burst into laughter, with a look of triumph on his face.

"Father, please don't waste your energy."

"Now everyone inside and outside this palace is mine!"

"It's no use shouting, no one will listen to you!"

Emperor Jingping's veins popped up: "Rebellious son, how dare you force the palace to rebel!"

Empress Dowager Cui said slowly, "Emperor, even if we conceal the news that you have smallpox, we can't keep it secret for long."

"When the news is exposed, and the king of a country is critically ill and will not live long, but a successor has not yet been appointed, won't the country be in turmoil?"

"By then, all the civil and military officials in the court will be eager for you, the emperor, to pass on the throne to the new ruler."

"What we are doing now is also to help you, the Emperor."

"Besides, the Third Prince is kind and intelligent, and is the perfect choice for the new emperor!"

Emperor Jingping made a series of "ho ho" sounds from his throat, and looked like he was suffocating.

He leaned against the head of the bed, as if he was struggling to hold on, his face was full of anger, and his eyes seemed to be burning with rage.

"You are really good at flattery!"

"You can pass on the throne to me, but I will only pass it on to Xiao Jingyi!"

He raised his head and glanced at the Third Prince, his eyes full of contempt.

"If I pass the throne to a useless person like him, will he be able to take care of the country and people of Daqi?"

"If he succeeds to the throne, Daqi will probably perish in his hands!"

When the Third Prince first heard Emperor Jingping say, "You can pass on the throne to me if you want," he couldn't help but show joy on his face.

However, when he heard the following sentences, the joy that had just appeared on his face froze instantly and was soon replaced by anger.

"Xiao Jingyi! Xiao Jingyi! There is only Xiao Jingyi in your heart!"

The third prince kicked over the lamp stand beside him and roared uncontrollably.

“From childhood to adulthood, you have always favored him, Jamel Xiao!”

"You only have Xiao Jingyi as your son in your eyes. How can you ever have us?"

"I don't accept it! How is Xiao Jingyi better than me?"