HCB Chapter 396 Ancient Palace Maid 9
Chapter 396 Ancient Palace Maid 9
"Yes, I don't mind." Qingdai really didn't mind; why would she care about someone who was about to suffer misfortune?
Seeing that she was really alright, Helian Zhou was relieved and started planning how to push forward Helian Xuan's plan. He didn't want to wait too long.
*
After the morning court session that day, the palace dispatched a team of people directly to the Prime Minister's residence.
The area outside the mansion was packed with onlookers, and cries and screams echoed from inside, but this did not stop the people from taking action. Everywhere they went was thoroughly searched.
Qingdai, who was sitting on the rooftop, and Helian Zhou, who was sitting next to her, watched the commotion below with great interest.
They had breakfast early today, just so they could go out of the palace to watch the play.
Once they could clearly see the head of the Imperial Guard carrying a box out of the Prime Minister's study, the two prepared to leave.
Qingdai and Helian Zhou exchanged a glance, and she nodded, saying, "It's a dragon robe. Now the Prime Minister's mansion can't escape."
This was Helian Xuan's plan, but he did it in secret, and no one except Qingdai and the other two knew that he was behind it.
Helian Zhou also played a role in pushing things along, which enabled Helian Xuan's plan to be implemented more quickly and without any unexpected incidents.
After the play was over, Qingdai extended her hand to Helian Zhou: "Let's go, Your Highness, back to the palace!"
When they went out in the morning, it was Qingdai who led him. Even the secret guards couldn't catch up with her. Only then did Helian Zhou realize that she was also very skilled in martial arts.
He reached out and took her hand, but Qingdai didn't react. She pulled him away and they quickly returned to the palace.
At that moment, she didn't see that the person she was pulling had turned red in the ears.
Once inside Jingxuan Palace, Qingdai released the person and turned around, only then noticing Helian Zhou's unusual behavior.
She curled the corners of her lips into a smile and deliberately asked, "What's wrong? Are you scared?"
“No,” Helian Zhou said immediately, not wanting her to misunderstand him as a coward: “It’s just a little hot.”
"Hot?" Qingdai looked outside, then at his clothes. "It's spring now. It's still a bit chilly, but it shouldn't be that hot, right?"
"It's not hot now." Helian Zhou had regained his composure.
Qingdai didn't expose him. She sat down and poured a cup of tea for the two of them, then picked up the cup and said:
"Today is a good day, let's have a drink, tea instead of wine!"
The Empress was also half the culprit who caused the death of Helian Zhou's mother, so he was naturally happy that his enemy had a bad ending.
He picked up the cup of tea, clinked glasses with her, and then drank it all in one gulp.
"The next one is Third Brother. I have no grudge against him, so I will just watch from the sidelines."
After all, the Third Prince wasn't very likable; he always said unpleasant things whenever they met, which was really foolish.
Moreover, this is a formidable competitor, so Helian Zhou naturally wouldn't help him; let his second brother handle it.
Qingdai nodded and said, "We've already set up the plan. Once the matter with the Third Prince is over, the Second Prince won't be able to escape either."
"Ah."
They knew Helian Xuan's plan and were also aware that he had already given the Emperor a slow-acting poison.
It can only be said that the male protagonist's halo is quite strong; otherwise, how could an ordinary person successfully drug the emperor?
Consort Xian was someone who appeared to be unassuming and unambitious, but was actually ruthless and vicious. She was the one who poisoned the Emperor.
That was a colorless and odorless poison that the male protagonist found, one that couldn't be detected even with a silver needle.
When the Emperor drinks tea or eats meals at Consort Xian's palace, the toxins in his body increase.
People who are poisoned by this drug will not experience any adverse reactions at first.
However, his body would gradually deteriorate in the later stages, and even if the imperial physicians took his pulse, they would only think it was a physical problem.
"Xiao Qi, this poison is quite good. If I didn't know how to make medicine and refine pills, I would want to get some to use."
Xiao Qi enthusiastically promoted, "Host, the system shop has all kinds of poisons."
Seeing Xiao Qi start promoting her product, Qing Dai ignored it because she didn't want to listen.
Helian Zhou, sitting opposite her, had been watching her closely: "What are you thinking about?"
Qingdai snapped out of her daze and smiled, "It's nothing."
Within a morning, the Emperor's decree was issued.
The empress was deposed and sent to the cold palace, while Prince Duan was demoted to a commoner and imprisoned in his palace for life.
Everyone in the Prime Minister's residence was imprisoned, all adult men were sentenced to beheading, and all others were exiled.
Even so, everyone flattered him, saying that the emperor had shown mercy and hadn't gone so far as to exterminate them all.
Qingdai and Helian Zhou only felt that the emperor was hypocritical. They thought that the emperor was probably happy that the empress's faction had been eliminated.
After a period of peace, many people began to urge the emperor to establish a crown prince during the morning court sessions.
The one who received the most support from the ministers was Helian Yi, who had already married, left the palace, established his own residence, and was enfeoffed as Prince Xuan.
The ministers felt that among the princes, it was no longer appropriate for Prince Ping to marry a princess sent for a political marriage.
The fourth prince is too inconspicuous, lacks support from his maternal family, and is not outstanding, making him unsuitable for important tasks.
The Fifth Prince is too young; it's not his turn yet.
Therefore, only Prince Xuan is suitable. He is not only the son of Consort Yun, who enjoys the emperor's favor, but also the emperor's favorite. He is the most suitable candidate no matter what.
The Emperor also had the idea of appointing Helian Yi as Crown Prince. As soon as the news spread, Helian Zhou and Helian Xuan received the message.
The two reacted differently. Helian Zhou calmly drank tea and read books in Jingxuan Palace, and also cultivated his relationship with Qingdai.
This idea of cultivating feelings was naturally Helian Zhou's own; Qingdai, seeing that he didn't say it outright, pretended not to understand.
Helian Zhou felt that the time was not right yet, and that he would explain things to her after he had accomplished his goal.
Helian Xuan was more anxious. Although his plan had been underway for some time, he couldn't allow anyone to ascend to the position of Crown Prince.
Otherwise, even if he could deal with the crown prince, it would take him quite a while.
Since successfully dealing with the Empress, Prince Duan, and the Prime Minister's residence, Helian Xuan has already tasted the sweetness and felt a sense of accomplishment.
Therefore, he simply didn't have the patience to wait that long this time, and the Emperor's health couldn't wait either.
Behind him were people bribed by Helian Zhou, who were urging Helian Xuan to take action. He was no longer as composed as before and decided to act ahead of schedule.
In particular, King Xuan has been getting a bit cocky lately, thinking that he is about to be named crown prince, and he starts putting on airs whenever he sees his brothers.
Even the Second Prince was humiliated by him several times. When Helian Zhou returned to Jingxuan Palace, he told Qingdai about it.
"I saw my second brother looking at my third brother's back with a dark look in his eyes. He probably would make a move soon."
Qingdai was not surprised by this: "The Emperor should have run into trouble before the Crown Prince is appointed."
"Yes, I think so too."
Sure enough, not long after, just when everyone thought the emperor would issue an edict to appoint Prince Xuan as crown prince, the emperor suddenly fell ill.
This news caught everyone off guard, but those in the know remained calm.
As the emperor's son, even if he was not favored, Helian Zhou still had to visit the emperor.
He didn't bring Qingdai this time, but he brought Shuhe instead. After all, visiting the Emperor would involve too many people and gossip, and he didn't want her to suffer.