The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

Chapter 357 The Dust Settles

The pale blue sky was sprinkled with a layer of pink, and the sky gradually brightened.

After a night of fierce fighting, everything has settled down.

The Chengqian Palace was in complete disarray.

There was nowhere left to stand on the ground.

Du Yuqing sat on the chair in a very disheveled state.

His face had a cut, as if shards of something had been thrown and splashed out; the blood had already dried.

She seemed unconscious, her eyes unfocused, as if she had lost all hope.

Like a deflated balloon.

She waited all night, but Du Mama did not bring Shen Shuhua.

Until an hour ago, a young eunuch ran up to her tremblingly and told her that Prime Minister Du intended to rebel, and all the rebels had been captured by General Ji who arrived in time.

It's over, it's over.

Didn't her father say it was foolproof? Didn't he say he found a very reliable ally?

Haha, she's completely finished now.

……

Two hours ago.

Outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Prime Minister Du smiled and stood on a high place, looking down at the entire palace.

Soon, the entire palace will be under the control of the Du family.

He will lead his entire family to new heights.

After enjoying the night view of the palace for a while, he prepared to return to the Hall of Mental Cultivation with his guards.

When he arrived at the entrance of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he turned to look at the guard beside him. He felt that the guard was a bit taller than when he had seen him before.

He looked closely at the guard's face, but there was nothing wrong with it. Could it be his imagination?

It doesn't matter, since the entire palace is now under his control.

He went into the inner room, stood by the emperor's bedside, and looked at the emperor who was still unconscious.

Zhao Zhaoxun, who is in his forties, looks no more than thirty.

Anyone who didn't know better would think he was fast asleep.

Only Prime Minister Du knew that the Emperor had been poisoned.

It was a slow-acting poison he administered to the emperor, an extremely rare poison that came from the Western Regions.

Even the most skilled physician, Imperial Physician Li, couldn't find the cause.

He once wanted to work with the emperor to build a great career.

However, as the people of the Great Xia Kingdom became more stable, the emperor and his political views became increasingly different.

The emperor advocated benevolent governance, while he preferred tyranny.

There is no law that does not belong to a country.

He hoped that after stabilizing the country, the emperor could expand the territory, ideally conquering all the surrounding small countries, so that there would be no need to worry about border issues anymore.

However, the emperor felt that the people had finally achieved peace and prosperity and was unwilling to initiate a war.

He did not expect that as the emperor grew older, he would become more benevolent and soft-hearted.

No matter, since that's the case, he'll find a way to change the emperor.

He gave the emperor a cold snort.

Suddenly, his eyes widened, revealing disbelief.

He blinked carefully to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

The emperor, who had been in a coma for twenty days, actually moved.

Just as he was stunned, Zhao Zhaoxun on the bed opened his eyes, glanced at Prime Minister Du, and his eyes revealed deep disappointment.

"What's wrong, Minister Du? You were so happy to see me awake that you forgot to pay your respects?"

Prime Minister Du then came to his senses, took a few steps back, and kept his eyes fixed on the Emperor.

How could he wake up? Didn't that person say that once someone is poisoned, they will remain unconscious unless there is an antidote?

The Emperor rose and sat up, looking at Prime Minister Du, who had remained motionless.

Suddenly, the other person smiled, opened his arms, and looked at the emperor with utter disdain. "Bowing? What bowing? Hasn't the emperor been unconscious the whole time? Who am I supposed to bow to?"

"To you?"

"Hmph! The entire palace is under my control; you are nothing but a dying man."

After saying that, he arrogantly raised his eyebrows at the emperor, as if he were the emperor above all others.

Zhao Zhaoxun squinted at him and shouted, "How dare you, Du Zhong! Are you planning a rebellion?"

"What about rebellion?"

"That position should be filled by whoever is the most capable."

"For so many years, you have been timid and hesitant, constantly harassed by the surrounding small countries, and even the Great Qing Kingdom has occasionally come forward to provoke you."

"If I were in control of the government, this would not have happened."

Zhao Zhaoxun raised an eyebrow, indicating that he would not become emperor himself, but would instead support a new emperor.

"Our people have finally achieved a peaceful and prosperous life. Rashly launching a war will only bring them endless suffering."

"Pain? A little bit of death can make the Great Xia Kingdom a force that other countries fear. It's worth it."

"Besides, it's their blessing to die like this!"

"That's nonsense!"

"Someone come here!" Zhao Zhaoxun shouted towards the door.

After a long silence, he looked up at Du Zhong and said, "You actually planned to rebel! What about Li Defu? Did you kill him?"

"Hmph! I wouldn't even deign to lay a hand on a mere eunuch."

"Now the entire palace is under my control. I advise you to obey and write an abdication edict. That way, I might spare your life."

"Oh? I wonder, Minister Du, whose name do you want me to write on the abdication edict?"

"The Third Prince, Zhao Yuheng."

The Emperor seemed to be deep in thought. "Third Prince?"

Prime Minister Du actually wants the Third Prince to become emperor. Could it be that he simply had the Empress raise the Third Prince?

"Someone come here!" Du Zhong called out towards the door.

A group of guards, carrying weapons, walked in in an orderly fashion.

"Get the person off the bed!"

He looked at the emperor on the bed with a smug expression.

After waiting for a while, and with no movement from the person beside him, he turned to look at the person standing still and asked, "Didn't you hear me?"

Still motionless.

"Seize this treacherous traitor who is plotting a rebellion!" The person on the bed stood up, pointed at Prime Minister Du, and said to the leading guard.

Upon receiving the order, the guard immediately walked up to Prime Minister Du, gave his subordinates a signal, and Prime Minister Du was taken down.

He looked at the person with a puzzled expression. Wasn't this the guard who had seemed strange to him earlier?

The guard looked at him and sneered, then removed the human skin mask from his face.

Du Zhong stared wide-eyed, frozen in place.

Isn't this the famous and mighty General Ji Lingfeng of the Great Xia Kingdom?

How could he be in the palace, and even by his side?

He immediately turned to look at the emperor, and only after seeing the expression on his face did he realize what was going on.

He fell into the trap; it was all a scheme set up for him by the Emperor and Ji Lingfeng!

"Hahahaha!" Du Zhong roared to the sky.

He then explained why his plan had gone so smoothly.

It turned out to be nothing more than a trick to lure someone into a trap.

He pointed at Ji Lingfeng, "You're very good!"

"You are all very good!"

Before anyone could react, he lunged at the nearest guard and slit his throat, dying instantly.

Everything happened so suddenly that Ji Lingfeng didn't even have time to react.

He glanced coldly at Du Zhong's corpse and ordered in a chilling voice, "Take him away!"

Ji Lingfeng walked up to the emperor and knelt down on one knee. "Your Majesty, I am late in coming to your aid. Please punish me."

The Emperor helped Ji Lingfeng up. "Let's not stand on ceremony between us. Has everything been settled with everyone else?"

Ji Lingfeng nodded. "Everything is under control."

"Prime Minister Du asked me to write an abdication edict, which required the name of the Third Prince, Zhao Yuheng. I have always felt that there is something suspicious about this matter. Go and investigate it for me."