Chapter 667: The Retired Emperor
Chapter 667: The Retired Emperor
"Chenggan?!"
"Is he to inherit the Great Qian or the universe itself?"
In a secret room within a royal grandson’s mansion, a young prince smashed all the writing tools and inkstones around him in a fit of rage.
If outsiders saw this scene, they would be utterly shocked. This prince, who was known for his gentle demeanor, had such a violent side?
This prince was the legitimate son of the Eighth Prince, who was once very popular and had the support of many ministers, even rumored to be a candidate for the position of Crown Prince.
But fate was cruel, and he died young.
In fact, most of the emperor’s sons, especially those ranked in the top twenty, had already passed away due to old age or illness.
Yet, the old emperor still lived, surpassing the lifespans of emperors from previous dynasties, a rare occurrence indeed.
Now, with the exception of a few younger princes born in the last twenty to thirty years, many grandsons of the emperor began to harbor ambitions for the throne.
For them, the emperor’s choice to name the 99th prince "Chenggan" was a heavy blow.
Wasn’t it clear that the emperor intended to make him the Crown Prince?
If Chenggan could not inherit the throne, his fate would be certain death; no successor would allow him to live!
What they didn’t know was that this was just Fang Xing’s way of making things more difficult for them…
However, Fang Xing did indeed have some thoughts about appointing a Crown Prince.
After all, his luck had been terrible, and among his sons and grandsons, none had shown any exceptional qualities, no shining stars.
But the Jade Hook Lady was extraordinary, and with her and himself, they could produce a true heir, a true dragon and phoenix.
He was already 87, and if he could last another ten to twenty years, Li Chenggan would be of age, ready for the crown… and then the throne… a perfect plan.
Incidentally, such a turbulent situation would serve as the best pressure and stage for the female Daoist Lord.
Her true character would be revealed in such a crucible.
...
Imperial City.
At the entrance to the Cold Palace, Jingjie stood guard in his armor, his posture impeccable.
Jingjie, meaning "a weed", came from a humble background. His family had a few acres of good land, but a natural disaster struck, and his father fell ill, leading to their bankruptcy and the loss of their land.
Subsequent locust plagues turned his family into refugees, and they died on the road while fleeing famine. This happened just ten years ago!
While many officials under Fang Xing’s rule praised the “Prosperous Reign of Longchang,” the reality was that many dark corners remained untouched by the sun.
The scale was small, and most of the refugees died on the road without rebelling, so they didn’t even merit a mention in the history books.
Jingjie survived because he met a benefactor.
His entire family died, but he was saved from the brink of death by this benefactor.
Not only did the benefactor teach him martial arts, but he also helped him change his household registration to the capital and even secretly arranged for him to marry and have children.
He didn’t know how many others like him were out there, but he had succeeded by being willing to risk his life and being resourceful, eventually being selected for the imperial guard and then assigned to guard the Cold Palace.
Guarding the imperial city was a crucial task, requiring men from reputable families, all of whom had to be registered in the capital.
In the event of any incident, the household registration system would be used to trace and eliminate any troublemakers.
It was only after joining the imperial guard that Jingjie learned what his benefactor wanted from him.
But it didn’t matter; without the benefactor, he would have died long ago.
Now, he had eaten well, enjoyed life, and even had a son who had been secretly sent away.
His official household registration had no connection to him, so even if he were to be executed along with his entire family, he wouldn’t fear it!
Moreover, his real son was under the protection of his benefactor, a weakness that meant he would do anything, even assassinate the emperor, if required!
Unfortunately, competition for positions in the palace was fierce.
The guards at the Qinzhen Hall were mostly from noble and military families, leaving no room for commoners to advance.
Men like him, with clear backgrounds, were relegated to guarding the Cold Palace, where they might not see the emperor for a year.
Furthermore, whenever the emperor traveled, he was always surrounded by a large entourage.
What use was one man?
Until recently, with the birth of Prince Chenggan, his benefactor seemed to have received much secret assistance and finally decided to use him as a hidden asset.
Crack!
The sound of a whip snapped through the air.
Jingjie immediately stood at attention.
The whip was a signal that the emperor was on the move!
Sure enough, soon after, the emperor’s procession appeared, surrounded by palace maids, eunuchs, and fierce-looking guards.
"Long live His Majesty."
Jingjie quickly knelt by the roadside, his palms sweating with nervousness.
This was the emperor, the legendary incarnation of the Heavenly Emperor!
‘How many people, how many sacrifices… for this one chance to meet him?’
‘Is this my opportunity?’
Jingjie held his breath, waiting silently.
...
At the same time.
Fang Xing, seated in the imperial carriage, was also waiting.
"The stupidity of humans is boundless. My foolish sons and grandsons… when they heard the name Li Chenggan, the entire city erupted in cheers and lamentations."
"This is the first layer. The palace concubines, for the sake of their sons and grandsons, will always have some fools who can be swayed… thus creating the foundation for internal and external collusion."
"Moreover, I have been unwavering in my promotion of mathematics in the imperial examinations for decades… has this not been a severe blow to Confucianism, even to the Confucian religion? At the very least, it has created a rift among the civil officials."
"Unfortunately, I have ruled for sixty years and have already established my authority. Any attempt at a military coup or a collective ministerial rebellion is a joke!"
"Those who hoped to outlive me have mostly been outlived by me…"
"Next, it will be the White Rainbow Piercing the Sun, the Bolang Strike…"
At that moment,
Bang!
One of the sedan bearers suddenly turned pale, spitting out a mouthful of blood and collapsing to the ground.
Crash!
The bright yellow sedan chair instantly tilted to one side.
"Protect His Majesty!"
Several guards immediately rushed over, ready to replace the fallen bearer.
But at that moment, the bloodied little eunuch's face twisted into a sinister grin. He pulled out a dagger from his sleeve and lunged at the nearest guard.
"Assassin!"
A shrill scream echoed, and chaos erupted.
"Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!"
Jingjie took a deep breath and stepped forward, watching as the imperial carriage rolled over. A white-bearded emperor, with a ruddy complexion and an air of otherworldly grace, emerged from it.
"Protect the Emperor."
Taking advantage of the confusion, he approached within three feet of the emperor.
His military instructor had once said, "Within three feet, every person is an enemy!"
"Stop!"
A palace guard, seeing Jingjie still advancing, his face changed, and he swung his blade.
Anyone trying to approach the emperor in this chaos deserved to be cut down without hesitation.
Clang!
Jingjie deftly sidestepped, letting the blade strike his arm armor. His long sword unsheathed and plunged into the guard's vital spot.
Without his martial skills, how could he have earned his place as a palace guard?
"Kill!"
With the emperor just a few steps away, Jingjie lunged forward.
"Bold!"
Several palace experts attacked simultaneously, their blades and swords piercing Jingjie's body.
But with a grim smile, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth, he let go of his long sword, which flew toward the elderly emperor!
Whoosh!
Fang Xing, however, moved with unbelievable agility. He sidestepped the flying dagger, and with a swift kick, sent a palace maid flying.
Crash!
A dagger fell to the ground, gleaming blue in the sunlight.
"This palace maid... is also an assassin?"
"It seems she was the one who shouted 'assassin.'"
"We have arrived late to protect the Emperor, please forgive us, Your Majesty."
Swish!
A row of armored soldiers arrived, forming a protective circle around Fang Xing. A middle-aged general hurriedly knelt, this was none other than Zhao Hu's grandson, Zhao Xu.
"According to palace rules, if you arrive within ten breaths of an alert, it is not considered late. What crime have you committed?"
Fang Xing waved his hand. "Today's incident, the maid and the guards must be thoroughly investigated. Let it be so..."
Zhao Xu was somewhat surprised, not expecting the Emperor to be so... calm?
He didn't know that this was Fang Xing's deliberate choice.
'The older one gets, the more prone to senility, driven by fear!'
'Especially for an emperor, the fear of aging, the body becoming a burden... when a threat like an assassination appears, it immediately provokes rage.'
'In that rage, it's easy to lose rationality, revealing greater vulnerabilities for the ambitious to exploit...'
'Today's assassination, the guards and the maid may not have been in league. Even if investigated, it might turn out to be a divine scheme...'
'And a series of plots, once no clues are found, suspicion will inevitably fall on those around...'
'To make your enemies suffer, just live in a way they least want to see.'
A cold smile appeared on Fang Xing's lips.
He decided he would live to be 120 years old and pass the throne to Li Chenggan!
This young man had a solid foundation. If raised and educated from a young age, instilled with certain ideals, he would surely give the future a big surprise.
After all, although Fang Xing firmly held power during his reign, he focused on the big picture and had time for leisure and enjoyment.
This was because he was not a native emperor, and didn't have such a strong desire for power.
But what about a young emperor raised with imperial education from childhood?
He would undoubtedly expand and consolidate power relentlessly, expanding and consolidating...
Yes, Fang Xing's ideal template for the future Li Chenggan was a combination of the First Emperor of Qin and the Hongwu Emperor, ensuring the bureaucrats would wish for the return of the previous emperor.
'When you want to open a window, and many oppose it, it's better to first tear off the roof...'
Fang Xing gazed into the distance, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
...
In the 75th year of Longchang, Li Chenggan, at the age of 15, was made Crown Prince.
In the 80th year of Longchang, Emperor Longchang became lax in governance and chose to abdicate, becoming the Retired Emperor. He also ordered the newly promoted Empress Dowager, Lady Jade Hook, to assist in governance. The following year was the first year of Pingding.
Li Chenggan was already an adult and could rule, but the unusual arrangement of an Empress Dowager assisting in governance, similar to a regency, was intentionally created by Fang Xing, causing chaos in the court.
Fortunately, the Empress Dowager displayed remarkable skill, both cooperating with the emperor and dealing with those who opposed her.
By the fifth year of Pingding, the Empress Dowager passed away, and the court returned to peace.
In the 20th year of Pingding, the Retired Emperor died, and the officials mourned deeply. The emperor wept bitterly, and the deceased emperor was posthumously honored with the title "Emperor Wen", known as Emperor Taizong Wen...
During Emperor Wen's reign, taxes were light, and the people were content, ushering in the Longchang Prosperity. He lived to be 127 years old, the longest-lived emperor in history. Rumors circulated that Emperor Wen had achieved immortality, inspiring many future emperors to seek his legacy...
(End of Chapter)
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