Chapter 661: Regicide
Chapter 661: Regicide
The night air was cold.
A wry smile flickered across Fang Xing's lips. He thought about some historical novels where the crown prince, despite being in a precarious position, dared not rebel. Instead, he would only cry and beg for mercy or pretend to be dignified and noble, hoping to use family ties and reputation to his advantage.
Then, one by one, he would introduce inventions and benefits, drawing gasps and cheers from the crowd... but in the end, all he achieved was a reformist path, far from anything grand and sweeping.
In reality, it was all just tedious.
Rebelling as a prince was simple; rebelling as the crown prince was even simpler. As long as the emperor was dead, the crown prince would become the new emperor!
All the talk of illegitimacy, lack of righteousness, and shadows of the axe and candle... it was all bullshit!
The only thing that mattered was surviving first. Only then could one consider other issues.
As for the chaos in the court, the turmoil in the realm, and the suffering of the people? Those could be dealt with later. After all, the dead couldn’t talk about such matters.
Emperors are inherently selfish!
No one is a sage, and everyone makes mistakes.
Even the wisest rulers, in their later years, might execute the crown prince and build ten ‘Memorial Platforms’—what good would that do?
Therefore, to be an emperor, or even a good emperor, one must first place oneself above all the people of the realm!
Everyone has their selfishness, but the emperor is the most selfish of all. Otherwise, how could he be called the sole ruler of the world?
Even the so-called ‘Golden Ages’ of the past were filled with frozen corpses by the roadside, far inferior to the modern era...
'Nature and character are one and the same... Since I am being tested on my nature, I will act according to my heart.'
'So, for my own safety... I must immediately kill the emperor!'
'Every day the emperor remains on the throne is another day of danger for me.'
'If I ever lose my position as crown prince, it will be even harder to reclaim it...'
'It seems this world is like a game of Werewolf, where no position is safe. The only relatively safer spot is the emperor’s throne...'
Fang Xing paced a few steps.
The eunuchs and guards below thought the crown prince was worried about the attacks from the court, completely unaware that their beloved prince was contemplating such treasonous thoughts.
'Warfare should be as unpredictable as the weather and as swift as thunder. To kill the emperor, I must strike unexpectedly... I have a significant advantage now. The crown prince has always been perceived as weak, brainwashed by Confucian ideas of loyalty and filial piety, and not yet driven to the brink. No one would expect me to suddenly rebel. This is the foundation of my surprise attack!'
'There are many ways to kill the emperor, but a coup is the most conspicuous and has the most severe consequences. It’s best to avoid it if possible...'
'Or, I could emulate Zhu Zhi stabbing King Liao, with a white rainbow piercing the sky... a single assassin could do the job.'
Of course, that would be extremely difficult!
In this world, there are no supernatural powers; the strongest can only fight ten at a time. No matter how skilled one is, being surrounded by a hundred guards would result in being torn to pieces.
In the Spring and Autumn period, assassination might have been feasible, but as time progressed, the rules became more stringent, making it nearly impossible for an assassin to even enter the palace.
Worse still, if the wrong person were chosen, the assassin might end up like Qin Wuyang, and the situation would become even more chaotic.
'The best assassin is the crown prince himself! After all, I can get close to the emperor... no one would dare to search the crown prince’s person.'
'In this world, there are no supernatural powers, so I must be willing to risk everything to bring down the emperor.'
'However, such a move might not have a clean resolution... Prince Tai would laugh his head off.'
'Even if the assassination is successful and the assassin commits suicide on the spot, according to conspiracy theories, the one who benefits the most is the culprit! The crown prince would bear the blame, but it would be much better... in politics, the difference between a direct and indirect approach is significant!'
'So, the best method is to use poison, and make it look like a natural death!'
'For a modern person, this is simple. First, find a smallpox patient, then inoculate myself with cowpox, and get close to the emperor to transmit the disease...'
'The more steps involved, the more likely it is to go wrong... and even if one gets smallpox, they might not die; they might survive with scars...'
Fang Xing quickly thought of some chronic poisons that would be hard to detect.
Suddenly, he looked at his hand.
Silver light gathered, forming the shape of the Gate of All Heavens.
Then, a strange warmth flowed through his body, and the mark of the Gate of All Heavens faded away.
"I’ve already activated the cheat, and now another one... I’m almost embarrassed."
Fang Xing sensed the new power. It wasn’t much, not enough to restore his immortal abilities or even reach the Qi Practitioner stage. It was just a surge of internal energy in his dantian, making him an internal martial arts expert.
This internal energy wasn’t very useful, only enhancing his senses, extending his lifespan, but not allowing him to surpass the limits of a normal human, nor resist blade and sword attacks with his body.
'But if I have to fight, I’ll wear multiple layers of heavy armor... and use the complex terrain to my advantage...'
'As the only supernatural being in this world, I am... invincible?'
'Small cheats don’t count as cheats...'
Fang Xing muttered to himself, then waited for a moment. When the enraged World Spirit didn’t interfere, he chuckled, knowing his test was successful.
The World Spirit had no authority to interfere with the test...
...
"His Highness the Crown Prince?"
The purple-robed eunuch Ma Gonggong looked at the crown prince, feeling something different about him.
It was as if the years of pent-up frustration had been swept away.
"Let’s go back."
Fang Xing sighed and returned to his quarters.
"Your Highness?"
In the glow of the candlelight, a beautifully dressed lady was waiting—Lady Sun, the Crown Prince's consort, and the daughter of the Marquis of Wei. She was the Marquis's legitimate daughter and had given birth to a son and a daughter for Li Rubin.
In addition to Lady Sun, Li Rubin had two secondary consorts, both from scholarly families.
His concubines, on the other hand, were the daughters of minor officials, small merchants, and traders, all of them exquisite beauties.
'He has considered the noble, the literati, and the merchants—all with great foresight...'
'The emperor must have been very concerned about Li Rubin back then. But now, he might be even more so, given how powerful his maternal clan is, which isn't good for the royal family. The current Crown Prince is just right, while Prince Tai and Prince Kang are more like whetstones. However, there's a limit to how much a person can endure. If they're pushed too far, madness is inevitable!'
Fang Xing shook his head and stepped forward, taking Lady Sun's delicate hand. "How are Baoye and Fuye?"
"They've both gone to bed. I heard you were out in the wind, so I specially prepared a bowl of ginger soup for you, Your Highness."
Lady Sun brought over a steaming bowl of ginger soup, clearly kept warm on a small stove that had been burning continuously.
"Hmm."
Fang Xing picked up the silver spoon and took a sip. "Thank you for your hard work... Don't worry, I'll write a letter of apology soon. As long as Father sees my sincerity, he won't hold it against me."
Lady Sun sighed in relief. "It's wonderful that Your Highness can be so understanding."
"Don't worry."
Fang Xing sighed, reflecting on how, in this ancient era, the fate of the Crown Prince's consort and his other concubines was intrinsically tied to his own. If he were deposed, their fates would be dire.
Therefore, even if he were to rebel, they would have no choice but to follow. Of course, it wouldn't come to that.
"I'll be careful. I won't let you or Fuye and Baoye suffer."
Lady Sun's eyes welled up with tears...
...
The next day.
After submitting the letter of apology, the emperor immediately summoned the Crown Prince.
In the Imperial Study.
"Your humble son greets Your Majesty!"
Fang Xing performed the ritual bow with utmost precision. In this ancient world, one must adapt to local customs. To earn a high score, he had to fully immerse himself and adjust.
Glancing up, he saw the emperor, a middle-aged man with a strikingly handsome face and a ruddy complexion. Fang Xing sighed inwardly, 'At least he has at least twenty good years left. He must be eliminated...'
"Rise."
The emperor scrutinized Fang Xing, his voice conveying the unpredictable nature of imperial authority. "You committed a grave error first, and now you come seeking mercy?"
Fang Xing kept his eyes down, his mind racing. 'If I were to say, "Please address me as Crown Prince", how would that play out?'
The thought was too risky to entertain.
"Hmm? You seem more composed..."
The emperor was slightly surprised, pondering for a moment before speaking. "I will sentence you to three months of seclusion for reflection. Do you accept this punishment?"
"I accept, Your Majesty!"
Fang Xing replied, "Your humble son was already planning to devote himself to reading."
Being the Crown Prince was incredibly difficult. If you did well, the emperor suspected you of becoming too powerful. If you failed, he doubted your capabilities.
Unless the emperor was a fool, things were easier.
Otherwise, periodic reprimands were inevitable, all under the guise of 'imperial grace.'
"Oh? What have you been reading lately? Have you made any progress?"
The emperor spread out a sheet of paper, ready to write.
Fang Xing stepped forward, took the ancient ink, and began to grind it slowly.
Seeing this, the purple-robed Grand Eunuch Su Gonggong, who was about to do the same, was taken aback.
When had the Crown Prince ever needed to curry favor so much?
'This hardship truly can change a person...'
'The Crown Prince, a member of the imperial family, has been pushed to such extremes.'
Su Gonggong felt a deep sense of sorrow but showed no emotion on his face.
The emperor, seeing this, felt a sense of satisfaction, believing his reprimand had been effective.
He picked up the imperial brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote swiftly.
"This piece of calligraphy is a gift for you, Crown Prince."
Fang Xing bowed in gratitude. Su Gonggong hurriedly framed the scroll, his eyes catching four large characters—'Self-Discipline and Conformity to Ritual'!
His hand trembled, and he thought, 'Self-discipline and conformity to ritual, restraining one's desires and aligning one's actions with propriety... This clearly implies that the Crown Prince has overstepped his bounds. Prince Tai and Prince Kang will be delighted to hear this.'
Su Gonggong couldn't resist glancing at the Crown Prince's face, but saw no change in his expression. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the gift."
Using the opportunity to bow, he moved closer to the emperor and discreetly brushed his palm over the emperor's chest.
—Heart-Crushing Palm!
Fang Xing used a hidden force, like a gentle breeze, undetectable by anyone.
The key was to remain dormant, only to strike three days later, destroying the heart.
With this strike, he considered the emperor as good as dead.
'Poison would also work, but it requires materials, leaving traces. The more people involved, the higher the risk of discovery!'
'But my internal energy is unmatched in this world. This regicide will be a secret I keep to myself, ensuring no leaks.'
Fang Xing calmly accepted the scroll. "Your humble son takes his leave!"
(End of Chapter)
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