The emperor faked his death? Never mind, I will ascend the throne directly!

His eyes rolled and he simply fell to his knees, crying.

"Your Majesty, I am wise. I am dull and have never been favored by my father. Over the years, I have always followed your teachings and have not dared to make even the slightest mistake..."

"Now that my father has passed away suddenly, I am filled with grief, yet I don't know how to express it. I can only come here late at night, hoping to take one last look at him..."

As he spoke, he stole a glance at Concubine Liu's expression. Seeing her expression ease a bit, and her heart calmed down a bit, he continued, "Your son... Your son has also been taught by the Left Prime Minister. The Left Prime Minister said that as a son, filial piety should be the first priority. Your Majesty, your father may have been harsh on you, but it was for your own good. Now that your father has passed away, if your son continues to ignore you, wouldn't that make you disloyal and unfilial?"

"Lord Zuo Xiang also said that my elder brother... he is gifted and intelligent, and has unparalleled benevolence and righteousness. He will definitely inherit our father's legacy and lead our Daqian to prosperity..."

Li Chengfeng paused here deliberately and glanced at Li Chenghao's expression.

Sure enough, when Li Chenghao heard himself being praised, a look of pride appeared on his face, and his eyes looking at Li Chengfeng were less hostile.

Concubine Liu looked at Li Chengfeng deeply. She couldn't tell whether this rebellious son was speaking sincerely or deliberately for her to hear.

However, there was one thing she was sure of: this rebellious son was much smarter than before.

"Get up," Concubine Liu said calmly, "I understand your filial piety, but the Emperor has just passed away, and the situation in the palace is still unstable. You should stay out less to avoid criticism."

Li Chengfeng was secretly delighted, knowing that he was temporarily safe. He kowtowed and said, "Thank you, Queen Mother, for your teachings. I will remember them."

"Okay, it's getting late, you should go back and rest early." Concubine Liu said, then turned and was about to leave.

"Farewell, Queen Mother." Li Chengfeng and Li Chenghao said in unison.

After watching Concubine Liu and her group leave, Li Chengfeng slowly stood up, dusted off his body, and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Li Chenghao, do you think that the throne is really within your reach?

"Third brother, you..." Li Chenghao was about to speak but was interrupted by Li Chengfeng.

"Brother, our father has passed away. As his sons, we should observe proper mourning for him. As for the throne... let's talk about it after this period of time." Li Chengfeng said, patting Li Chenghao's shoulder and speaking earnestly, "Brother, you are not a child anymore. It's time for you to grow up."

Li Chenghao was stunned by his actions. When did this loser become so...sensible?

"You...what do you mean?" Li Chenghao asked with a frown.

Li Chengfeng smiled, said nothing, turned around and left, leaving Li Chenghao standing there alone with a frown on his face.

Under the moonlight, Li Chengfeng's figure was stretched out, and there was always a meaningful smile on the corner of his mouth.

This palace is destined to change.

......

Late at night, when everyone was asleep, a group of horses galloped towards the outside of the palace. The knights on the horses were dressed in black, with long swords at their waists, and they looked very anxious.

"Uu——"

The knight stopped his horse in front of the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion, dismounted, and handed the envelope to the guard at the gate: "An urgent secret letter, present it to the Marquis at once!"

The guard took the envelope and saw the special mark on it representing the identity of the third prince. He did not dare to delay and immediately turned around and ran into the palace.

In the study, He Sheng, dressed in casual clothes, was sitting at the desk, looking through the map on the table with a frown.

"Boom boom boom——"

There was a rapid knock on the door, and then the guard's voice came from outside the door: "My Lord, there's a letter from the palace!"

"Come in."

The guard pushed the door open and walked quickly to the desk, presenting the envelope in his hand: "My Lord, this is sent by the Third Prince."

He Sheng took the envelope, opened it, and saw only a few lines of words on it:

"The Emperor has passed away, and my eldest brother is about to commit an illegal act. I hope you will come to the Emperor's aid and help him achieve his great cause!"

Just a few lines of words caused a storm in He Sheng's heart!

He stood up suddenly, slammed the letter in his hand on the table, and shouted sternly: "Come here! Gather all the staff and discuss this matter tonight!"

"Yes!"

The guards took the order and left.

Soon, the entire Zhenbei Marquis Mansion was brightly lit and bustling with activity. The originally peaceful night became turbulent because of this secret letter from the palace...

Zhenbei Marquis Mansion, meeting room.

The rarely used meeting room was now brightly lit, and dozens of staff members in various robes gathered together, whispering quietly. These people were all He Sheng's advisors and confidants who had followed him for many years, but now they all looked puzzled.

"The order from the Marquis is strange. Even in the past, even important military matters have never been so urgent." A white-haired old man stroked his beard and said in a low voice.

"Yes, the last time I saw the Marquis so anxious was when the northern barbarians came knocking on the gate. Could it be..." Another aide looked solemn and hesitated to speak.

"Hush! Be careful with your words!" the old man shouted in a low voice. He glanced around sharply and said in a low voice, "The situation in the palace is still unclear. Let's wait until the Marquis arrives to discuss everything. Don't make any rash assumptions!"

Everyone fell silent upon hearing this, but their eyes were filled with even greater confusion. He Sheng, the Marquis of Zhenbei, was always known for his composure. What could have caused him to lose his composure like this?

"Squeak-"

As the heavy wooden door was pushed open, a tall and burly figure strode in, and a thick murderous aura instantly enveloped the entire conference hall.

Upon seeing this, everyone immediately stood up and saluted: "Greetings, Lord Marquis!"

He Sheng's face turned pale. He walked to the main seat without saying a word and sat down. He slammed the letter in his hand on the table, making the teacup buzz.

"Everyone, I'm sure you're all curious why I summoned you so late at night." His gaze swept across the group like lightning, and he said in a deep voice, "Just now, I received a secret letter from the Third Prince. The Emperor... has passed away!"

As soon as the words fell, the entire conference room fell silent, and one could hear a pin drop. Everyone looked at each other, and saw the shock of disbelief in each other's eyes.

The emperor's death? This news was like thunderclap, exploding in everyone's hearts and stirring up a storm.

"My Lord, is this true?!" an aide couldn't help but ask, with a trembling voice.

"The Third Prince's handwritten letter, is it fake?!" He Sheng shouted angrily, throwing the letter in front of the aide. "The letter also said that the Crown Prince was about to commit a crime and asked me to rush to the capital to defend him!"

"What?!" Everyone was shocked when they heard this.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has always been kind and benevolent, how could he..."

"The Emperor has just left, and the Crown Prince..."

"Is there any misunderstanding in this?"

Listening to everyone's discussions, He Sheng slammed the table and roared, "Enough! I've made up my mind. No need to say more!"

His eyes flashed coldly, and he looked around at everyone, saying in a deep voice: "The Emperor has been so kind to me, and now the Crown Prince is being unkind. Even if I risk my life, I, He Sheng, will protect the Third Prince and safeguard my great empire!"

Everyone looked at each other, a hint of horror flashing across their eyes.

From the sound of it, it seems that my master is planning a rebellion?

"My Lord!" A short and fat aide stood up and said with a bow, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is already well-established. Most of the officials in the court are his followers. If we rush into the capital rashly, I'm afraid..."

"Yes, Lord," another aide also stepped forward and said, "The capital is a thousand miles away from here. By the time we get there, I'm afraid..."

"Shut up, everyone!" He Sheng roared, interrupting everyone. "Do you think I don't know this?"

He stood up suddenly, walked to the map, pointed to the place marked "Beijing", and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

"The Crown Prince is incompetent and foolish. If he ascends the throne, our Great Qian will be doomed!" He Sheng said in a stern tone, word by word, "I have made up my mind. Tomorrow I will muster a hundred thousand troops and march to the capital. I will purge the imperial court and support the Third Prince to ascend the throne!"

"This..." Everyone looked at each other, hesitation in their eyes.

"What? Are you scared?" He Sheng looked at everyone with a sharp gaze and asked in a deep voice.

"I dare not!" Upon hearing this, everyone knelt on the ground.

"Alright! In that case, then do as I say!" He Sheng waved his hand and said without question, "Pass on my order. Gather all the generals and discuss the route of advance overnight!"

"Yes!" Everyone answered in unison, but a shadow was cast over their hearts.

A storm is about to sweep across the Daqian River...