She mistakenly got into the bridal sedan chair and married a sickly but powerful minister, becoming

The sword that had been hanging over the Right Pillar State's head finally came down, shattering his heart and soul.

He knelt down by the bed with a thud and said anxiously, "Your Majesty, the Prince of Guangling has rebelled and has already led his troops to the foot of the capital. Please issue an edict to charge him with treason and arrest him."

The Northern Qi emperor slowly awoke, still completely dazed and in a state of mental blankness, when he heard the Right Pillar General blurt out a string of words in his ear.

He slowly turned his head, his neck cracking from lack of movement for so long. He frowned in discomfort, but saw the Right Pillar General's anxious expression, as if the sky were falling. He asked in confusion, "Who are you capturing?"

The Northern Qi emperor only remembered that before he fell into a coma, the people of Northern Qi were dissatisfied with the conscription and increased taxes, and they were fighting against the government.

He had been unconscious for too long and had just woken up. His body was too weak to speak much, and he could only utter intermittently, "Didn't I issue an edict...? How come... the riots haven't been quelled yet?"

The Right Pillar of State understood the Northern Qi Emperor's meaning and hurriedly told him the whole story: "Your Majesty, your decree has been issued, but the people no longer trust the court and are extremely hostile to it. Afterwards... afterwards, rumors spread that the old minister was outwardly compliant but inwardly levied taxes on the people, causing them unbearable suffering. Seeing that his crimes were being exposed and fearing that you would behead him, the old minister drugged you, seized control of the court, and intended to rebel."

"This...this is utter nonsense! This old minister is utterly loyal to Your Majesty, and heaven and earth can bear witness to my unwavering loyalty. Even if I were given the greatest courage in the world, I would never dare to have any disloyalty to you."

"But the people don't believe it, and neither do the officials. They all kneel and beg the Prince of Guangling to raise an army to punish the old minister and rescue you. The Prince of Guangling... the Prince of Guangling actually followed the will of the people and joined forces with that group of unruly people to rebel. Now, he has already led his troops to attack the outskirts of the capital."

At this point, the Right Pillar of State poured out his grievances: "Your Majesty, it was clearly you who trusted this old minister and specially ordered me to stay by your side while the imperial physicians treated you. Apart from this old minister, no other court officials were allowed to see you. Moreover, you appointed this old minister as a regent, so that I could handle state affairs for you every day."

"But these things, in the eyes of the court officials, only confirmed the rumors that the old minister intended to rebel."

"Fortunately, you have woken up and can clear this old minister's name."

When the Emperor of Northern Qi heard what the Right Pillar General said, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning. If Gu Changsheng hadn't stuck another needle into his head, he probably would have fainted from the shock.

His face was grim, and his breath was unsteady as he questioned, "When...when did I...appoint you as a regent? And when...did I...assign you to...stay by my side while the imperial physicians were treating me?"

The Right Pillar of State was dumbfounded: "No...it wasn't you?" He said urgently, "Your Majesty, you've been unconscious for so long, could it be that you've forgotten?"

The Northern Qi emperor felt a surge of anger at being fooled. Pointing at the Right Pillar of State, he mustered all his strength to squeeze out a sentence from his throat: "You are outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant... arrogant and selfish... exploiting the people behind my back. Even if I were a foolish ruler... I would not have appointed you as... a regent minister."

When the Right Pillar General compared accounts with the Northern Qi Emperor, he immediately realized that he had been tricked.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, it must be that the Prince of Guangling was unwilling to attack the Great Zhou, so while you were unconscious, he spread rumors to frame the old minister, just to make the old minister bear the crime of being a treacherous minister, so that he could justifiably raise an army under the banner of 'purging the court of corrupt officials.' On the surface, it is to eliminate the old minister, but in reality, he wants to overthrow your regime."

The Northern Qi emperor naturally believed that the Right Pillar General had no intention of usurping the throne; otherwise, how would he have had the chance to wake up? Therefore, the Northern Qi emperor deeply believed the Right Pillar General's words.

The Prince of Guangling must have had the audacity to rebel against his own father.

The Northern Qi emperor was filled with rage, and a crucial question came to mind: "This...this rebellious son...where...where did he get his soldiers?"

His first thought was that Zhao Yi had borrowed troops from the Great Zhou.

The Right Pillar State stammered, "Your appointed Commander-in-Chief, Wang Qiaoxin, has surrendered to the King of Guangling with the troops you secretly stationed in Yuncheng to attack the Great Zhou."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Northern Qi felt his blood surge and rush to the top of his head.

Despite his meticulous planning, he never anticipated that he would end up benefiting Zhao Yi.

Seeing this, Gu Changsheng quickly took out a porcelain bottle, removed the stopper, and placed it under the Northern Qi Emperor's nose.

The Emperor of Northern Qi smelled a cool breeze, and his mind gradually cleared, and his emotions calmed down.

He slightly raised his hand, pointing vaguely at the Right Pillar of State, his lips moving as if he wanted to give some order.

But he had exhausted his strength and could no longer make a sound.

The Northern Qi emperor was extremely anxious. Zhao Yi wanted to murder his father and usurp the throne, and it was likely that many in the court supported him; otherwise, Zhao Yi wouldn't have been able to attack the capital so easily. The situation was extremely urgent, and if no countermeasures were taken soon, his empire might change hands.

The more anxious he became, the less he could speak, and he could only stare blankly.

Looking at the Northern Qi Emperor's current physical condition, the Right Pillar General felt a chill run down his spine.

If this continues, Zhao Yi's troops will likely breach the city gates, and he will be beheaded.

So, the Right Pillar of State tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Tutor has awakened. Would you like to summon him to the palace? With him in charge, we will surely be able to defeat the rebels."

The Northern Qi emperor's cloudy eyes lit up instantly, as if he had seen a glimmer of hope, and he managed to utter a few words: "Summon...the...Imperial...Teacher..."

The Imperial Tutor must have a way to capture that rebellious son!

Upon receiving the order, the Right Pillar of State immediately went to the outer palace and sent an attendant to invite the Imperial Tutor to the palace.

While waiting for the imperial tutor, the Northern Qi emperor first drank a bowl of medicinal soup and then a bowl of porridge that had been boiled until it was very soft, which helped him regain some strength.

At this moment, a palace attendant came in to announce: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Tutor has arrived."

The Emperor of Northern Qi nodded slightly, signaling the eunuch to summon the Imperial Tutor.

A short while later, the Imperial Tutor, sitting in a wheelchair, was slowly pushed into the inner hall by Yan Yi.

The Imperial Tutor apologized to the Emperor of Northern Qi, saying, "Your Majesty, I am physically weak and cannot perform the proper courtesies between a subject and a ruler."

The Northern Qi emperor had no interest in such formalities.

For him, the imperial tutor was a lifeline.

He tried his best to make his tone calm: "Heqing, there's no need for such formalities between us." After saying this long sentence, he paused and continued: "Have you heard...about my rebellious son...attacked the capital?"

The Imperial Tutor did not respond to the Northern Qi Emperor's words, but instead looked at the Right Pillar of State standing to the side.

The Emperor of Northern Qi instantly understood the Imperial Tutor's meaning and dismissed everyone in the hall.

In an instant, only the Emperor of Northern Qi and his tutor remained in the hall.