Chapter 375: Are You Trying To Start A Rebellion
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The rebels brought by Prince Ma were also captured by the Imperial Guards who had been lying in ambush outside the palace.
Xiao Jin dragged Prince Ma’s body out of the inner hall with a grim expression. “The Emperor and Empress Dowager were killed by Prince Ma.”
As soon as Xiao Jin finished speaking, the people in the courtyard were so shocked that they were speechless.
The Grand Steward stumbled into the inner hall. In just a moment, his sorrowful wails rang out from inside.
“The Emperor has passed away. The Empress Dowager has passed away.”
Emperor Kangze and Empress Dowager were killed by the traitor Prince Ma, and all the officials mourned their deaths.
At daybreak, the people in the palace began to prepare white banners, and the mourning hall was also erected.
Su Ying only found out about what happened last night during breakfast.
“Dead?”
“Yes. The Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and Prince Ma have fallen.”
Su Ying was a little surprised. Didn’t they die too fast? It was so sudden. Hadn’t Prince Ma already fled? Why did he send himself to his death at this moment?
Su Ying couldn’t understand.
If Su Ying couldn’t understand, Bai Shuang could understand even less.
“The Emperor and the Empress Dowager are dead. In a while, Your Highness and the Young Prince and Young Princess will have to enter the palace.”
“Mm-hmm. I know.”
After eating, Su Ying and the two little ones changed into mourning clothes and headed to the palace.
The civil and military officials who received the news also came to the palace to attend the funeral.
By the time Su Ying and her group arrived, there were already quite a number of people inside and outside the mourning hall, and all of them had expressions of grief on their faces without exception.
Xiao Jin was kneeling on the praying mat in the mourning hall and returning the greetings from the guests.
Su Ying looked at the two coffins in the mourning hall and walked in with the two little ones.
When Xiao Jin saw Su Ying, he got up and led them to kneel beside him.
Su Ying didn’t ask any further questions and simply tossed incense paper into the brazier in boredom.
According to the rules, the coffins had to remain in the mourning hall for seven days before they were sent into the Imperial Tombs.
“It’s just for show on the first day. Later, you can bring the children to rest,” Xiao Jin whispered in her ear.
Su Ying wasn’t tired at all, but she felt that the fumes from the incense hurt her eyes a little.
The first to pay their respects were members of the Imperial Family and nobles, followed by the civil and military officials.
When the Imperial Family and nobles came in to pay their respects, a thin figure suddenly rushed in and pointed at Xiao Jin as he scolded loudly, “Stop pretending. Emperor Father and Dowager Grandmother were clearly killed by you, but you framed Prince Ma. You are the real traitor!”
Su Ying raised her head to look at the person who had just arrived. She saw that he was only a little over twelve or thirteen years old. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was wearing the mourning clothes that a son traditionally wore.
This person was the Third Prince, Xiao Li.
There were many concubines in Emperor Kangze’s Imperial harem, but there were not many male offspring. It was not that they could not bear children, but there were not many children who could live to adulthood after they were born, especially sons.
Other than Xiao Jue and Xiao Jin, Xiao Li was the oldest child.
He was the son of Consort De. His maternal grandfather was the Minister of Works, and his ancestor was Marquis Bo’an. However, that title was taken back during the Minister of Works’ generation. The position of Minister of Works was not low, and it was a very lucrative position. However, this post did not have much power in the heart of the Imperial Court. In addition, Xiao Li was still young, so even when Xiao Jin was exiled, Xiao Li was not the best candidate for the Crown Prince in the minds of the ministers.
Su Ying glanced at Consort De, who was following closely behind Xiao Li. With a sorrowful expression, she walked into the palace hall and pulled Xiao Li back. Then she said while choking back her tears, “Your Highness, stop spouting nonsense. Quickly kneel down and apologize to the Crown Prince.”
Xiao Li stuck out his neck and said, “What I said is true. Why should I apologize? He was the one who killed Emperor Father and Dowager Grandmother. He is the traitor. A traitor.”
Xiao Jin stood up from the praying mat with an icy expression and walked towards Xiao Li step by step.
Perhaps Xiao Jin’s aura was too strong. Xiao Li took a few steps back in fear.
“What… what do you want to do?”
Xiao Jin said icily, “Slandering the Crown Prince is a serious crime, but I’ll let you off on account of our brotherly ties. However, an elder brother is like a father. If 1 don’t teach you a lesson, I won’t be able to answer to His Majesty’s spirit in heaven.”
Before he had even finished speaking, Xiao Jin raised his hand and slapped Xiao Li’s face very hard.
In front of Xiao Jin, Xiao Li was like a quail that had not grown up. With that slap, Xiao Li’s body was sent askew and he fell to the ground.
“My son!” Consort De cried out in alarm and was so frightened that she crawled forward to hug Xiao Li.
“Your Highness, please calm down. Your Highness, please calm down. His Majesty doesn’t have many children, and now Your Highness only has two brothers, the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince. I beg Your Highness to spare them.”
Consort De’s words were intended to cause misunderstanding. To other people who heard her, it was as if Xiao Jin wanted to silence them. If anything happened to these two in the future, wouldn’t they blame Xiao Jin?
Xiao Jin said icily, “Are Consort De and the Third Prince trying to start a rebellion?”
Consort De’s expression changed. “What do you mean, Your Highness? This is clearly slander.”
“Then what evidence does the Third Prince have to say that 1 killed His Majesty? All of you slandered me because you wanted to give yourself a legitimate excuse to rebel in the future. 1 didn’t expect Consort De to have such ambitions. Men, take Consort De and the Third Prince away. Before my investigation confirm that they are innocent, no one is allowed to let them out.”
With Xiao Jin’s order, the Imperial Guards stepped forward and lifted the mother and son up.
Xiao Li came back to his senses and struggled to break free from the restraints of the Imperial Guards.
“What are you guys doing? Let go of me! Let go of me!”
Xiao Jin waved his hand, and the Imperial Guards immediately gagged the two of them and dragged them away.
This sight silenced everyone present. They felt that Consort De and her son’s actions were too stupid. Xiao Jin was conferred the Crown Prince by the Emperor personally, and it would not be long before the succession ceremony took place. These two actually ran out at this moment and offended him. Wasn’t this simply courting death?
This interlude didn’t change anything. When it was close to noon, Xiao Jin had Su Ying bring the two little ones to the side hall to rest for a while.
After kneeling for the entire morning, Su Ying felt her back had gone stiff.
“Are you tired?” Xiao Jin’s warm palm landed on her waist and gently rubbed her back.
“Do we have to kneel until the funeral procession begins?”
“After today, just say that you are not feeling well and stay in the palace.”
“Mm-hmm. What happened last night? How did Prince Ma fall so quickly?”
After the palace maid brought the lunch, Xiao Jin dismissed everyone.
“Before this, he had been hiding in the palace all along. He was hiding in the Empress Dowager’s sleeping chamber. He was unwilling to leave because he didn’t want to miss this opportunity to directly take the Emperor’s life, so 1 had people secretly keep an eye on the Empress Dowager’s palace.”
“You knew about it?”
Xiao Jin nodded. He was not really watching the show on the night of the palace coup. He had always had his men watch Prince Ma and his son secretly. That night, Sima Chen escaped from the palace and his men lost him outside the palace, but Prince Ma had always been in the palace.
However, he thought that Prince Ma would at least wait a little longer. After all, the troops from Prince Ma City had not arrived yet.
“So careless?” Su Ying felt that Prince Ma wasn’t stupid since he was able to get to where he was today, but his actions this time were a little too reckless.
“Mm-hmm.” Perhaps it had something to do with the news that Xiao Jin had released saying that Emperor Kangze had not been injured in any vital parts and was not in any danger.
Prince Ma must really hate Emperor Kangze to the core. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken such a risk..