HCB Chapter 167 The Queen is Deposed
Chapter 167 The Queen is Deposed
When the prince arrived at the Prince's Palace, the palace was decorated with lights and colors to prepare for the young prince's 100-day banquet. He avoided the guards and found the emperor's uncle with familiarity.
When the Prince of Chen saw the Crown Prince suddenly coming and looking flustered, he was startled. The Crown Prince did not bother to greet him and quickly told him the Queen's conspiracy. When the Prince of Chen heard this, he was startled at first, and then a bitter smile appeared on his face.
"I have devoted myself to the country and the people and have never had any intention of overstepping my authority. Why can't my sister-in-law tolerate me?" Prince Chen sighed.
The prince hurriedly said, "Uncle, the most urgent thing now is to guard against assassins."
Prince Chen calmed down and said, "Don't worry, Prince. I will not sit still and wait for death."
Therefore, the Prince of Chen began to arrange for the guards of the palace to strengthen their vigilance, and quietly evacuated some important guests and family members. The prince also stayed to help. He knew that he was standing against his mother, but he could not watch an injustice happen.
On the day of the young prince's hundred-day banquet, the palace seemed to be as lively as ever, but in fact, there was a turbulent undercurrent. The guards hid in every corner, and the prince was also on high alert.
The assassins from the Queen's side disguised themselves and mixed in with the guests. These assassins all had sinister looks, and they were dressed in gorgeous clothes, looking like ordinary guests, but under their loose sleeves, they hid sharp daggers or hidden arrows.
As the banquet progressed, the assassins began to stir, looking for the right time to strike. One of the assassins pretended to be drunk and staggered towards the King. His steps seemed to be staggering, but in fact, every step was full of hidden tricks. He stared at the King, waiting to strike as soon as he got close.
There were several assassins working together, one of them deliberately created chaos near the King to attract the attention of the guards, while the others attacked from the side and back. They moved lightly, like ghosts in the dark night, silently shuttling through the crowd.
When the assassin pretending to be drunk was only a few steps away from the King, his eyes suddenly became stern, he pulled out a dagger from his sleeve, and stabbed at the King at an extremely fast speed. The dagger flashed coldly under the light, carrying a chilling murderous intent.
However, the Prince was prepared. He moved to the side and swiftly avoided the fatal blow. At the same time, the Prince shouted, "There is an assassin!" The guards of the palace heard the shout and quickly attacked.
The guards hiding around jumped down from the corners and beams, holding long knives, and started a fierce fight with the assassins. For a moment, the flashes of swords and the shadows of sabers were intertwined, and the shouts of killing shook the sky.
An assassin flew into the air and shot the hidden arrow in his hand towards the King. The hidden arrow whistled through the air with a sharp sound of wind. The guards around the King were quick-witted and used their long swords to block the hidden arrow, sparks flying everywhere.
Another assassin took advantage of the chaos and pounced on the King, his hands like eagle claws reaching for the King's throat. The King misstepped and used a backhand to grab the assassin, engaging in close combat with him.
The prince tried his best to protect innocent people in the chaos. He organized the evacuation of guests while keeping an eye out for any assassins that had escaped. The prince dealt with the assassins with a nimble figure and fierce moves, not losing out at all.
Although the assassins were highly skilled in martial arts, the guards of the palace were also well-trained and had the advantage of being at home. The guards cooperated with each other to form small encirclements and defeated the assassins one by one.
The queen waited anxiously for news in the palace, she did not expect the prince to destroy her plan. As time went by, she realized that things might fail.
The battle gradually subsided, the assassins were either captured or killed, and the Prince was safe and sound. However, this incident caused an uproar in the palace and among the people.
When the emperor learned of this, he was furious and accused the queen of being cruel and reckless. The queen was stripped of all her power and completely imprisoned.
Although the prince defended his uncle, he still felt guilty towards his mother. The prince was grateful for the prince's righteousness and promised him that he would always be loyal to the royal family and would not have any unreasonable thoughts.
After this storm, the prince has become more mature and stable. He knows that the power struggle in the palace needs to be balanced by wisdom and justice. He will be more determined to guard his beliefs and seek the well-being of the country and the people.
After this incident, people inside and outside the palace looked at the prince with new eyes. The prince knew that although the crisis was temporarily resolved, the balance of power in the palace had been broken, and the subsequent impact would spread like ripples.
The Prince of Chen became more and more grateful to the Crown Prince. He understood that the Crown Prince had almost completely broken off with the Queen in order to uphold justice and family affection, which required great courage. Therefore, the Prince of Chen began to support some of the Crown Prince's actions in the court, intentionally or unintentionally, hoping to help the Crown Prince consolidate his position.
The prince was caught in a dilemma. On the one hand, he had to deal with the backlash from those who supported the queen in the palace. They hated the prince for sabotaging the queen's plan and secretly tried to make him lose favor with the emperor. On the other hand, he had to handle the relationship with his uncle. He could not let outsiders think that he was too close to the prince and arouse the emperor's suspicion, nor could he disappoint his uncle's kindness.
The emperor's attitude towards the prince also became subtle. He admired the prince's righteous actions, but at the same time he was worried that the prince would become more powerful due to the support of Prince Chen. Therefore, the emperor began to deliberately test the prince and assigned him some difficult government affairs to deal with.
The prince was dealing with these matters every day with all his heart and soul. He knew the emperor's mind very well and was extremely cautious in every decision, wanting to show his talents but not to be too sharp. At the same time, he secretly arranged for people to investigate the forces in the palace that opposed him, trying to find a way to resolve the conflict.
The story of the assassination of the Prince of Chen spread widely among the people. The people despised the Queen's cruel behavior and sympathized with the Prince of Chen's experience. The Prince's bravery and justice were widely praised, which also made the Prince's reputation among the people increasingly high.
After this incident, the news that the queen was deposed exploded in the palace like a bombshell.
The emperor was already extremely angry about the queen's actions. The conspiracy to assassinate the prince was not only a murder of the royal family, but also caused an uproar in the palace, seriously affecting the stability of the palace. As the ruler of a country, the emperor would never allow the harem to act so recklessly and disrupt the government.
When the emperor made the decision to depose the queen, the entire palace fell into a dead silence. Those forces that once relied on the queen scattered like birds and beasts in an instant, knowing that any further involvement with the deposed queen would only bring disaster to themselves.
The palace where the queen lived was sealed off. The former prosperity was gone, leaving only a dead silence and loneliness. The maids and eunuchs who once served her were dispersed, leaving her alone in the cold palace. Her phoenix crown and bridal robe were stripped away, leaving only a plain dress. The once domineering look had long disappeared, replaced by a face full of despair and regret.