Chapter 126 – Trembling Heart (2)
Translated by: erza
Edited by: Surjit, Krithika
TLC by: s.h.i.+royukineko
Qiu Hen lifted his head and saw a beautiful yet miserable woman wearing a simple silk dress being dragged inside, under the flickering lights in the doorway. Who could it be but the Imperial Consort Chen.
Though his brows wrinkled, Qiu Hen’s attacks didn’t falter even for a short moment.
The a.s.sa.s.sin held a knife at Imperial Consort Chen’s slim, beautiful neck. Under the pale red lights from the flames silhouetting the cold knife, her neck appeared especially pale and fragile.
The early summer breeze brought with it, not a pleasant cool air, but a chill from the land of ice and snow.
And at this moment, a solemn silence reigned inside the Tian Chen Main Court, which did little to mask the underlying tension and agitation between the Ministers.
“Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness King Yi are brothers connected by blood and they got along very well. All of the Imperial Court Ministers and Generals were witness to that. So how could His Royal Highness the Crown Prince harm His Royal Highness King Yi? Your Majesty, please rescind your order.” The Minister of Appointments, Shang Shu said with a face that reflected his anxiety.
“Minister of Appointments, those old tales are completely irrelevant to the issue at hand. For years, the Crown Prince had to live under the shadow of his superior younger brother, King Yi. King Yi was simply too outstanding; he completely stole the limelight from the Crown Prince. King Yi was too outstanding; his presence had already put a pressure on the Crown Prince. There’s no doubt that the Crown Prince felt that his position was threatened; that sooner or later, King Yi will take his position away from him. With such a mindset, it would not be strange that he developed an evil plot.”
“Correct, this is true. The fire that raged in the mountain at the same time as the a.s.sa.s.sination was too coincidental and not a natural phenomenon. The a.s.sa.s.sination would not have been possible without somebody on the inside orchestrating the whole affair. In such heavily guarded hunting grounds, how could the a.s.sa.s.sins so easily penetrate the royal security and execute such a large scale of attack? It must be…”
“Utter rubbis.h.!.+ His Royal Highness the Crown Prince……”
Bright lights illuminated the Tian Chen Main Court, as both the Left and Right factions of the royal court argued bitterly.
“Tonight, after so many nights of continuous meetings, we are not here to discuss about the course of events that had happened. Instead, we are here because His Highness the Emperor was going to officially announce a Royal Decree: His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Xuan Yuan Cheng, is henceforth demoted to the rank of a commoner.” The Right Minister, sitting higher than the rest, just below the Dragon throne of the Emperor, swept the entire hall with cold eyes as the reality of the decree settled in with a heavy thud.
The sound level inside the the Imperial Palace immediately dropped and in the silence that ensued, both Right and Left faction looked towards each other.
The eyes of the Left Minister’s men held anxiety. If this dethronement decree was pa.s.sed, then they were doomed.
While on the Right Minister’s side, they secretly held smiles of relief. They had initially thought that they had lost King Yi and lost. They didn’t expect that things had taken a new turn. Today, they must win.
“Could His Majesty please announce the Imperial Edict.” said the Right Minister, with a face full of triumph.
To the side, General Murong took a powerful step forward and raised both of his hands that bore the Imperial Edict. With both eyes, he looked at the person seated on the Dragon Throne, the Emperor of Tian Chen Kingdom, Xuan Yuan Yi, who hadn’t uttered a word till now.