20: Chapter 20 Shocking Changes in the Imperial Court

It was the fifth day after Minister of Rites Li Chongshan had defected.

Great Yan Dynasty, Yuan Chun, the eighteenth day of the fourth month.

Early in the morning, as the sky began to brighten, the white jade square in front of Chengde Palace was already crowded with court officials.

Although it was not the day for a grand court assembly, everyone knew that something major would happen today.

Because people from the Crown Princes Mansion had released rumors the night before—the Crown Prince was going to personally impeach the Third Prince today.

Once the news spread, the entire capital was shaken.

Those officials who had originally claimed illness and stayed home to avoid this storm all appeared today, not a single one missing.

Everyone wanted to know how this dramatic play of fratricide would end.

At the hour of Chen, bells and drums rang in unison.

Emperor Xiao Yuanshan ascended the throne.

The hundred officials knelt and bowed, shouting "Long live the Emperor."

Xiao Yuanshan sat upright on the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over the court officials kneeling on the ground, finally landing on Crown Prince Xiao Jing.

"Eldest, I heard you have a memorial to present today?"

The Crown Prince raised his head, his gaze firm.

"Yes, Your Majesty. This son has a memorial to present—to impeach the Third Prince, Xiao Yu!"

Upon these words, the entire hall was in an uproar.

Although there had been rumors, this was the first time the Crown Prince had personally impeached his own brother in front of all the civil and military officials.

Third Prince Xiao Yu was not in the hall—he had been punished with house arrest for one year and was not allowed to participate in court affairs.

But his faction members were all there.

The Li family had fallen, the Wang family had fallen, but the Zhao family and Chen family members remained. At this moment, their faces were livid as they stared fixedly at the Crown Prince.

Xiao Yuanshan's expression remained unchanged as he said indifferently, "Present it."

A eunuch presented the memorial.

Xiao Yuanshan took it, opened it, and read page by page.

The hall was deathly silent.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the Emperor's verdict.

The memorial was very long, a full thirty pages. Xiao Yuanshan read very slowly, examining every page carefully.

After a full hour, he finally closed the memorial and raised his head.

"Eldest, where did this evidence come from?"

The Crown Prince replied: "Replying to Your Majesty, it was provided by Li Chongshan himself. This son sent men to the prison to verify it, and Li Chongshan is willing to testify."

Xiao Yuanshan looked at the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

"Is Li Chongshan's confession true?"

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Zheng Zeshi stepped out of the ranks and knelt to report.

"Replying to Your Majesty, we have already verified Li Chongshan's confession. Of those ten charges, seven have complete human and material evidence. The other three are still being verified."

Xiao Yuanshan nodded and then looked at the Minister of Justice Zhou Yan.

"What is your opinion?"

Zhou Yan said: "Your Majesty, Li Chongshan's confession involves the Third Prince in many places. I believe the Third Prince should be summoned to the hall for a face-to-face confrontation."

Xiao Yuanshan was silent for a moment, then said slowly, "Summon Xiao Yu."

Half an hour later, Third Prince Xiao Yu was brought into the hall.

He was wearing simple robes, without a crown or jade pendant, his face pale, but his eyes were still sharp.

He knelt on the ground. "This son pays respects to Royal Father."

Xiao Yuanshan looked at him, his gaze complex.

"The Eldest has impeached you for ten major crimes. Li Chongshan has confessed, and there is both human and material evidence. What do you have to say?"

Xiao Yu was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

"Royal Father, this son would like to ask Big Brother a question—where did you get this evidence?"

The Crown Prince said coldly, "It was provided by Li Chongshan."

Xiao Yu said: "Li Chongshan? The person who has followed me for fifteen years? He is now in prison, waiting to be executed after autumn. Can his words be trusted?"

The Crown Prince said: "If his words cannot be trusted, then whose can? Third, Li Chongshan followed you for fifteen years. You know in your heart how much he has done for you. Now he has defected because you abandoned him. You were under house arrest, he asked to see you, and you wouldn't even meet him, giving him only four words—'seek your own fortune'. Did you think he would keep secrets for you?"

Xiao Yu's expression changed slightly.

But he quickly regained his composure.

"Big Brother, you say Li Chongshan confessed against me, fine, let him come out and confront me. I would like to ask him, which of the things he said did I personally order?"

The Crown Prince sneered.

"Third, you are good at shirking responsibility. Li Chongshan is your man; if the things he did were not ordered by you, then who ordered them?"

Xiao Yu said: "He bears the consequences of his own actions. I never ordered them, so I never ordered them."

The two exchanged sharp words in the hall, neither giving an inch.

Xiao Yuanshan sat on the dragon throne, remaining silent throughout.

Finally, the Crown Prince brought out his final trump card.

He took a stack of papers from his sleeve and presented them with both hands.

"Royal Father, this is the confession written by Li Chongshan himself, with his fingerprint on it. And these—the records of expenditures from the Third Prince's mansion over the past three years, which match the amount of military rations he received. And these—the evidence of the Third Prince privately mobilizing troops, and the records of him raising private soldiers. Your Majesty will know at a glance."

Xiao Yuanshan took them and read them carefully.

His face gradually darkened.

"Third," he raised his head, his gaze like lightning, "how do you explain this evidence?"

Xiao Yu's face turned deathly pale.

He knew that this time, he could not escape.

But he did not panic.

He slowly stood up and looked at the Crown Prince.

"Big Brother, you have impeached me for ten major crimes with solid evidence, and I have nothing to say."

A trace of triumph flashed in the Crown Prince's eyes.

But Xiao Yu changed the subject.

"However, Big Brother, have you ever thought—that I also have leverage on you in my hands?"

The Crown Prince's smile stiffened.

Xiao Yu took a memorial from his bosom and presented it with both hands.

"Royal Father, this is what I have had people investigate over the past few months. Crown Prince Xiao Jing has embezzled eight million taels of military rations, colluded with border generals, and intended to control the Capital Garrison. Furthermore—he keeps three thousand private soldiers in his mansion, drilling day and night. I do not know what he is planning. I beg Your Majesty to investigate!"

The hall was once again in an uproar.

The Crown Prince's face was livid.

"You are slandering me!"

Xiao Yu sneered.

"Slander? Big Brother, when you asked Chen Shouxin to mobilize the Capital Garrison to attack my mansion, did you ever think these things would be discovered? When you sent Xie Duan to the prison to see Li Chongshan, did you ever think that my people were watching the whole time?"

The two glared at each other in the hall, with swords drawn and bows bent.

Xiao Yuanshan took Xiao Yu's memorial, read it a few times, and his expression completely darkened.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the court officials kneeling all over the floor.

"Good, good, good!"

He said the word "good" three times in a row.

"My sons are truly excellent!"

The Crown Prince and the Third Prince knelt down together.

"This son is guilty!"

Xiao Yuanshan sneered.

"Guilty? If you truly knew you were guilty, you would not be exposing each other in court, letting all the civil and military officials make a laughingstock of you!"

He stood up, walked down from the dragon throne, and walked step by step to the two of them.

"Eldest, you impeached the Third for ten major crimes. Third, you impeached the Eldest for eight major crimes. You both have evidence, you both have witnesses, and you both think you are in the right."

He paused, his gaze like lightning.

"Then I ask you—is any one of these crimes a false accusation?"

The Crown Prince and the Third Prince were both silent.

Xiao Yuanshan sneered.

"None, right? Because neither of you is clean!"

He turned around, walked back to the dragon throne, and sat down.

"Hear my decree—"

The court officials all knelt down in unison.

"Crown Prince Xiao Jing, for embezzling military rations, colluding with border generals, and raising private soldiers, is hereby stripped of his position as Crown Prince, thrown into the prison, and handed over to the Three Departments for trial!"

The Crown Prince's face turned pale, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Third Prince Xiao Yu, for forming a clique for personal gain, accepting bribes, and raising private soldiers, is hereby stripped of his royal title, thrown into the prison, and handed over to the Three Departments for trial!"

The Third Prince trembled all over, knelt on the ground, and said nothing.

"Li Chongshan, for meritorious reporting, is exempted from death and exiled three thousand li. The rest of the Li family is to be released without charge, and half of their property returned."

"All officials involved in the case are to be strictly investigated, with no leniency!"

After Xiao Yuanshan finished speaking, he stood up and flicked his sleeves, leaving.

"Court dismissed!"

The news spread, and the capital was shaken.

The Crown Prince was deposed, the Third Prince was stripped of his title, and both were thrown into prison.

This was something that had never happened in the three thousand years since the founding of the Great Yan Dynasty.

Two princes fell at the same time.

In the court, everyone was in a panic.

The faction members of the Crown Prince and the Third Prince were all mourning, not knowing what awaited them.

The neutral officials looked at each other, not knowing what to do next.

The Crown Prince had fallen, the Third Prince had fallen, so who would be the Crown Prince?

His Majesty still had five sons—the Fourth Prince, the Fifth Prince, the Sixth Prince, the Seventh Prince, and the Eighth Prince.

Fourth Prince Xiao Lang, twenty-five this year, his mother's family was a family of scholars; he himself was gentle and refined, and did not participate in partisan strife.

Fifth Prince Xiao Qi, twenty-three this year, his mother's family was a family of military generals; he himself was skilled in martial arts, but had a rough personality and did not like power struggles.

Sixth Prince Xiao Lin, twenty-one this year, his mother's family was a family of merchants; he himself was shrewd and slick, but due to his humble background, he had never been valued.

Seventh Prince Xiao Xuan, nineteen this year, his mother died early, he himself was mediocre and had never participated in court politics.

Eighth Prince Xiao Heng, seventeen this year, not yet an adult, still studying in the palace.

Who among these five would become the new Crown Prince?

No one knew.

Yongan Ward, Seventh Prince's Mansion.

On the first underground level.

Xiao Xuan stood in front of the sand table, watching as the markers for the Crown Prince and the Third Prince were painted black.

"Your Highness," Strategist Jia Xu said with a smile while stroking his beard, "The Crown Prince and the Third Prince have both fallen. We won this round beautifully."

Xiao Xuan nodded and looked at Strategist Guo Jia.

Guo Jia smiled slightly.

"Your Highness, this is just the beginning."

Xiao Xuan said: "Fengxiao, what is the next step?"

Guo Jia pointed to the four markers on the sand table—the Fourth Prince, the Fifth Prince, the Sixth Prince, and the Eighth Prince.

"Your Highness, please look. The Crown Prince and the Third Prince have fallen, but there are still four princes left. The Fourth Prince is gentle, the Fifth Prince is rough, the Sixth Prince is shrewd, and the Eighth Prince is young. All four of these people could potentially become the new Crown Prince."

He paused and continued.

"But I believe that His Majesty will not appoint a new Crown Prince so quickly."

Xiao Xuan said: "Why?"

Guo Jia said: "Because His Majesty has been heartbroken by the Crown Prince and the Third Prince. He spent twenty years cultivating two sons, only to have them expose each other in court, behaving disgracefully. He does not dare to trust anyone right now."

Jia Xu nodded.

"Fengxiao is right. His Majesty will next observe the remaining sons. He will see who is the most suitable, who is the most loyal, and who has the most ability."

Xiao Xuan said: "Then what should we do?"

Guo Jia smiled.

"Your Highness, have you forgotten? You are also a prince."

Xiao Xuan was stunned.

Guo Jia said: "Your Highness has played the fool for nineteen years, and everyone thinks you are mediocre and incompetent. But His Majesty will not think so. He will send people to investigate you, to check what you have done in these nineteen years. When that time comes—"

He paused, a flash of brilliance in his eyes.

"That will be the time for Your Highness to make your move."

Xiao Xuan was silent for a moment and slowly nodded.

"Makes sense. Then what do we do now?"

Guo Jia said: "Wait."

"Wait for what?"

"Wait for His Majesty to investigate you," Guo Jia said. "Wait for him to find out that the General Lu Bu beside you is at the Void God Perfection stage, wait for him to find out that the old servant in your mansion is a True God at the Middle Stage, wait for him to find out that you have been secretly accumulating power for these nineteen years—when he finds all this out, he will know that his most inconspicuous son is the one most like him."

Xiao Xuan took a deep breath.

"And then?"

Guo Jia smiled slightly.

"Then, Your Highness can 'come out of seclusion'."

That night.

South of the city, at the Daoist temple.

Jiang Ziya sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion and opened his eyes slightly.

He looked in the direction of Yongan Ward, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"The Crown Prince has fallen, the Third Prince has fallen... Your Highness, it is time for you to enter the stage."

He muttered to himself, raising his hand, his withered fingers gently stirring the void.

An invisible ripple spread out, instantly covering the entire capital.

A moment later, he withdrew his hand and nodded.

"His Majesty's men are investigating Yongan Ward... It will be soon, it will be soon."

He smiled and closed his eyes again.

That fishing rod with a straight hook and no bait still rested across his knees.

The brilliance on the fishing rod was brighter than yesterday.

As if to say—

The fish is about to bite.

Yongan Ward, Seventh Prince's Mansion.

Xiao Xuan stood by the window, looking at the moonlight outside.

He thought about what had happened in the court today.

The pale face of the Crown Prince when he was deposed.

The silent eyes of the Third Prince when he was stripped of his title.

And the back of the Emperor as he flicked his sleeves and left.

That back looked somewhat exhausted, somewhat aged.

Twenty years of hard work, gone in an instant.

Xiao Xuan suddenly understood that old man a little.

It was not that he did not know his two sons were fighting. He just wanted to see who could win, who could become the true heir.

But he did not expect them to fight like this.

Exposing each other in court, behaving disgracefully, and letting all the civil and military officials make a laughingstock of them.

Xiao Xuan sighed.

He turned around and looked at the sand table.

On the sand table, the markers for the Crown Prince and the Third Prince had turned black.

The markers for the Fourth Prince, Fifth Prince, Sixth Prince, and Eighth Prince were still lit.

There was also the Capital Garrison, the Lingxiao Sect, and those large and small aristocratic families and Sects.

This game of chess had only just begun.