Chapter 698: A Loving Father and Filial Son

Ji Changwang was stunned.

At this moment... everything before him suddenly felt unfamiliar.

The unfamiliar Golden Hall.

The unfamiliar floor tiles.

The unfamiliar officials standing in two ranks.

The unfamiliar steps.

As for the Dragon Throne atop those steps, and the Emperor seated upon it... he did not dare raise his head to look.

But he imagined that would only feel even more unfamiliar.

Ever since the previous Emperor's reign, when Great Yan had erupted into chaos among the imperial princes, Ji Changwang had survived by protecting himself.

He had always imagined himself as one of those men who possessed "great wisdom hidden beneath foolishness," or perhaps someone who understood that "a little impatience ruins a great plan."

After his nephew ascended the throne, Ji Changwang surrendered the Court of the Imperial Clan's authority over stipends and grain allowances for the imperial clan in exchange for the position of Grand Director.

Even then... he believed he had walked steadily.

In truth, during Great Yan's most difficult period last year, the reason Ji Old Sixth had been able to cut into the imperial clan without restraint was precisely because control over money and grain no longer lay with the Court of the Imperial Clan.

And because of that... this father and son, both harsh, ungenerous, and lacking any sense of family affection toward the imperial clan, had been able to slash away at the clan again and again.

Better to prevent Great Yan from one day becoming like the State of Qian, forced to support a huge collection of fiscal parasites and useless princely wastrels like the old Prince Fu.

Ji Changwang knew what the Emperor wanted.

So he yielded.

Satisfied the sovereign.

Then followed along and drank a little soup from the pot.

He had spent most of his life living cautiously.

First in the shadow of his Third Brother, the man who after ascending the throne seemed to care about nothing except seeking gods and worshiping Buddhas.

The world believed the previous Emperor of Yan had been absurd and indulgent.

Only Ji Changwang truly knew what kind of man his Third Brother had been.

During the succession struggle back then, with so many older brothers competing... who would have imagined that the Third Brother driven out of the capital could actually persuade Marquis Zhenbei Residence to intervene?

At last, Ji Changwang had outlived his Third Brother.

He thought:

Now I'm an elder.

Surely I can finally breathe.

Who could have known... this nephew of his would be even more frightening than his Third Brother?

So he continued enduring.

Continued waiting.

He waited until this nephew also seemed close to the end.

Outwardly healthy.

In truth... various hidden illnesses had already begun worsening.

Some people were bold when young, then grew more timid with age.

Others were the reverse.

Timid when young.

Then, in old age, they looked back across their entire lives... and the more they remembered, the more they felt cheated.

Subconsciously... they began wanting to rise up once.

Do something.

Of course, Ji Changwang would never have used such an excuse to persuade himself.

There were plenty of grander reasons.

For example... this nephew of his, this Emperor, had cut far too viciously into the imperial clan and the hereditary nobles.

There was simply no human feeling in it.

After the Emperor ascended the throne, his brothers petitioned to surrender their princely titles.

Good.

The Emperor directly demoted them to Marquis.

Other imperial relatives followed the same example.

At the next evaluation, dropping two grades counted as light punishment.

The court almost wanted to peel half the skin from your body.

Among the imperial clan and hereditary nobles, aside from those rare households capable of producing a worthwhile descendant... the rest were not merely wastrels.

Who among them did not have some stain?

Some filth?

Some stink clinging to him?

Ji Changwang himself still held a high noble rank.

But that was exactly what made his situation awkward.

Had he known earlier, he might as well have died sooner.

Then when his son inherited the title... the rank passed down might have been higher.

His descendants could have enjoyed another few generations of comfort.

Besides... compared with Sixth Prince, who resembled his father far too much... the benevolent Crown Prince was naturally more popular with the imperial clan.

The Crown Prince cared more about human relationships.

More about relatives protecting and helping one another.

Ji Changwang wanted to gamble.

Not for the majority of his own life, already spent trembling with caution.

But for his descendants.

And then... he discovered that the instant he truly stepped beyond the line... his brain... stopped being enough.

More accurately... from the moment Sixth Highness dropped to his knees, Ji Changwang's mind had begun spinning at a speed it had probably never reached in his entire life.

It spun and spun.

Yet no answer came out.

How had this happened?

How had a man who was supposed to be waving a banner for someone else suddenly become the target everyone aimed at?

And no matter what explanation he gave... no matter what excuse he tried to find... the dead knot remained tied around him!

Either... you were helping Sixth Highness attack the Crown Prince.

Or... you were helping the Crown Prince counterattack Sixth Highness.

Forget which prince won or lost.

Ji Changwang himself had already become a complete pile of dogshit.

Deceiving the sovereign.

Defiling the imperial bloodline.

Other offenses... for a member of the imperial clan, especially one so closely related to the sovereign, might bring demotion of rank or loss of stipends.

That could be survived.

But crimes like these?

For a member of the imperial clan... they were crimes upon crimes.

To the court.

To the Emperor.

An outsider plotting against the Ji family was one thing.

But you yourself bore the surname Ji.

And you still dared do this?

What was that called?

Betraying the ancestors!

Then Zhao Jiulang, Chancellor of Great Yan, had stepped forward and pressed him directly.

That pressure terrified him even more.

Great Yan's civil officials were not like Qian's.

They had not yet reached the same level of maturity.

But some instincts were inherited everywhere.

Civil officials naturally looked down on imperial relatives and hereditary nobles.

They despised useless parasites living off the court.

And Zhao Jiulang himself had risen from humble beginnings.

He had followed the Emperor of Yan while cavalry trampled the great aristocratic clans.

When that murderous pressure came crashing down...

Ji Changwang... simply... simply... gave up thinking.

He chose to help the Crown Prince.

Attack Sixth Highness!

In truth, there had been no need for him to think at all.

If he kept his mouth shut... that was a grave crime.

Just as Zhao Jiulang had said.

Inside the Golden Hall, before the Son of Heaven himself... what words could possibly exist that you dared not say?

If he opened his mouth... every available answer was still a crime.

He could hardly laugh it off and apologize to everyone:

"Sorry. This old man is getting on in years and was talking nonsense just now. I was only joking with everyone. Hahahaha."

His role in the affair... had already collapsed.

Then Lu Bing appeared.

The Emperor's milk-brother.

A true imperial confidant.

With only a few sentences... he completely announced the destruction of Ji Changwang and his entire branch.

Colluding with people inside the palace.

The evidence... existed.

There were even handwritten letters from the Crown Prince.

Ji Changwang had not burned them.

He had kept them.

Inside his residence... servants had contacted men from the Eastern Palace.

Even his youngest son had done so.

The shit... was piled everywhere.

No need to lean close and sniff.

The instant you entered the room... you wanted to cover your nose.

Inside the Golden Hall... the assembled ministers finally understood the entire matter.

The exact details remained unclear.

There were still questions.

But only about the middle of the process.

The beginning and the end... were now obvious.

A struggle between imperial princes.

Sixth Highness had seen the whole board.

Held victory in hand.

And laughed last.

Next... following the vine to find the melon, crimes such as the Crown Prince bullying his younger brother, using despicable methods, deceiving the sovereign, and more... could all have been dragged into the light.

As always... once something was dragged out into sunlight... a tiny offense that had seemed trivial in the shadows could become a mountain collapsing.

The succession drama at this grand court audience... left those officials who belonged neither to the Crown Prince nor the Sixth Master, the pure "opposition spectators"... calling it magnificent inside their hearts.

This was what a true factional struggle looked like!

This was what real technical work looked like!

This was what a damned good show looked like!

This was excitement!

The officials of the Crown Prince's faction looked dazed and hollow.

They had lost.

Lost without even knowing what temper they were supposed to have left.

The Sixth Master's faction consisted largely of younger officials.

So many of them were still bewildered.

Huh?

How did the situation suddenly become so favorable?

How did it suddenly feel like we'd won a great victory?

Then... they reacted.

Oh.

Forget understanding it.

Stand straighter first!

Ji Old Sixth raised his head.

Once again, he looked toward the empty place at the very front of the right-hand column.

A pity.

That bastard surnamed Zheng had been sent out by Imperial Father to mobilize troops.

He had missed this scene.

Ji Old Sixth's rank was simply too high now.

Showing off in front of ordinary people no longer brought much pleasure.

Then...

Ji Old Sixth turned his gaze toward the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince happened to be looking down toward him.

Their gazes met.

This time... a sense of release appeared on the Crown Prince's face.

Ji Old Sixth did not look triumphant.

After exchanging that glance... he lowered his eyes again.

Ji Changwang, an older member of the imperial clan with a high generational rank... could not compare to A'Rou.

But that was not the Crown Prince's fault.

It was not that the Crown Prince's faction had stupidly selected a man who appeared deep and scheming to ordinary people, yet turned out to be useless on the grand stage.

The Crown Prince's faction was not lacking capable men.

The reason was... this particular plate of pastries... had been chosen by Ji Chengjue.

Decades ago... the head of the Min Clan dug a pit.

Decades later... the Crown Prince used that same pit to dig another one for Ji Old Sixth.

Ji Old Sixth guessed the existence of that pit.

Then dug another pit for the Crown Prince at the edge of it.

Facts proved... political scheming was nothing more than:

I predicted your prediction of my prediction of your prediction...

War worked this way.

Court politics... worked the same.

Of course, the game had not been impossible to solve.

For Ji Changwang... the best way to limit the damage would have been to realize early that the situation was going wrong.

Then, like A'Rou, sacrifice himself to make the rolling wheel stop instantly.

Unfortunately... the reason Ji Old Sixth had selected him... was precisely because Ji Old Sixth knew he lacked that courage and decisiveness.

Thank Grandfather and Father for their excellent judgment of character.

And in this entire matter... the true key had always been Lu Bing.

Lu Bing belonged to Imperial Father.

Last night, Ji Old Sixth personally visited Lu Bing.

In truth... that was Ji Old Sixth using Lu Bing to report the matter to Imperial Father in advance.

Yet Imperial Father merely sat and watched the situation develop.

More than that...

Imperial Father's own hand had already entered the game.

Viewed this way...

Imperial Father would not keep dragging the Crown Prince along as he had before, would he?

This was clearly a game between brothers.

An elder constantly stepping down to tilt the board... was truly inappropriate.

"Ji Changwang."

The Emperor of Yan called his name.

"Your Majesty..."

After Lu Bing's words...

Ji Changwang had been shocked until he looked like a blank sheet of paper.

If the Emperor now asked:

Who ordered you to do this?

Then...

Ji Changwang would probably confess everything.

Anyone who had taken part in interrogations understood this.

Once a prisoner's psychological defenses collapsed... what followed was usually simple.

You asked.

He answered.

The ministers were waiting too.

Waiting for the moment when the melon was pulled out by the vine.

The officials of the Crown Prince's faction had already fallen into despair.

But the Emperor of Yan's next sentence was:

"As a member of the imperial clan, you plotted wrongdoing and sought to throw the imperial household into chaos. Your heart deserves death."

The Emperor of Yan braced both hands against the Dragon Throne.

Then... stood.

He walked forward several steps.

Then reached back and pointed toward the Dragon Throne behind him.

His voice turned sharp.

"Ji Changwang. You are the previous Emperor's brother. You are Our imperial uncle."

At that instant...

Ji Chengjue, still kneeling below, suddenly clenched both fists.

Disbelief filled his face.

The instant Imperial Father began this way...

Ji Chengjue understood what he intended.

They were father and son.

A father and son who truly resembled one another.

But what rose inside Ji Chengjue now... was overwhelming resentment.

Overwhelming grievance.

Still like this?

Imperial Father... you're still going to do this?

How can you?

How can you possibly?

Does your blood even flow in my veins?

Am I, Ji Chengjue, some bastard you picked up off the street?

Why now?

Why at this moment?

Why are you still... still... doing this?

Yes.

Old Fourth's troops had entered the imperial palace.

That bastard Zheng had taken the Son of Heaven's sword to mobilize troops.

There was no chance the force being brought in would be the Jingnan Army.

Lu Bing had already arrested Ji Changwang's entire household.

Without your imperial decree...

Lu Bing could never have acted in advance.

You knew all of this long ago.

I knew that.

You had already inserted your hand into all of this too.

I knew that as well.

But I thought... you wanted to stabilize the situation.

Heh-heh-heh.

So this is it.

You're still going to protect him.

Jealousy erupted like fire inside Ji Chengjue's chest.

One scene after another suddenly surfaced inside his mind.

In one scene... his younger self stared at his birth mother hanging from the beam.

His virtuous, beautiful mother... had looked terrifying then.

That... was the final image his younger self possessed of his mother.

In another scene... he ate huge mouthfuls of food.

Even ate the portion Little Seventh could not finish.

He ate with great appetite.

Then one imperial decree arrived and sent every concubine in his prince's residence to the Music Bureau.

He still had to keep stuffing food into his mouth while smiling and thanking the Emperor for his grace.

In another scene... he labored day and night in the Ministry of Revenue.

Exhausted his mind.

Forgot sleep and food.

Who didn't know how to be a good man?

Who didn't know how to imitate benevolence?

Across all history, what rulers famous only for kindness and benevolence had ever actually done anything useful for their state or family?

Was it difficult?

Why did he choose to play the villain?

He was a businessman.

He knew better than any of you how to play the good man!

And now... after everything...

Father.

My own father!

The Emperor of Yan continued:

"Ji Changwang. We know there has always been resentment inside your heart. Resentment accumulated for decades. You hate the previous Emperor because he took away the throne that should have been yours?"

"..." Ji Changwang.

"You hate that it was the previous Emperor who sat upon this Dragon Throne instead of you."

"Your Majesty... this minister... no... this minister never... never..."

"You hate that the man sitting on this Dragon Throne now is Us, rather than you. Or perhaps... rather than one of your descendants."

"Your Majesty... this minister did not... this minister..."

"Come, Uncle. We are making room for you now. Come sit on the Dragon Throne. Come. Sit!"

"Your Majesty, calm your anger!"

"Your Majesty, calm your anger!"

With Marquis Zheng absent, the ministers performed the movement even more naturally and uniformly, dropping to their knees.

"We suppose We must be some muddleheaded ruler, unworthy of this position. In your eyes, Ji Changwang, We are not fit to sit here.

"Fine.

"We will now yield to one more worthy.

"Come.

"Do not be polite with Us.

"You also bear the surname Ji.

"You come sit.

"Or... name someone now.

"Choose one of your sons or grandsons.

"Let him sit.

"Come!

"We have emptied the position for you.

"Sit!"

"This minister never thought... never..."

Ji Changwang was nearly going mad.

His mind was confused.

But somewhere deep inside... he still sensed that a black pot far heavier than deceiving the sovereign, far heavier than defiling the imperial bloodline, far heavier than dereliction of duty or incompetence... was being lowered onto his head.

That crime was... rebellion!

"You didn't? You never did? A man of the Ji Clan must dare admit what he dares do. Lu Bing. Tell Us. Tell all Our beloved ministers as well. What exactly did you find inside Ji Changwang's residence?"

Lu Bing answered loudly:

"To reply to Your Majesty, this minister discovered one dragon robe hidden inside Ji Changwang's residence, along with one privately carved imperial jade seal."

Ji Changwang whipped his head around and stared at Lu Bing kneeling beside him.

Some things... he knew could not be concealed.

But this?

He had never done this!

"Wronged! Your Majesty, this minister is wronged! Wronged! This minister is wronged!"

Give Ji Changwang ten times his current courage.

Or carve away half his brain.

He still would never dare hide a dragon robe and privately carve an imperial seal inside his own house!

He had never once thought of rebellion.

Never once thought of doing something that stupid in his own residence!

At that instant...

Ji Changwang suddenly understood.

The several times in the past when he had stayed out of muddy water... it had not been because he understood circumstances.

It had been because back then... he had clearly known one thing about himself.

He was stupid.

But as he grew older... he gradually began believing himself an old fox.

Then... carefully... he extended one paw and touched the edge of the pond.

And immediately... someone dragged him into the water.

No bones left.

"Your Majesty! It was the Crown Prince! The Crown Prince..."

Zhao Jiulang rose.

His cold gaze swept across Ji Changwang.

Ji Changwang went silent instantly.

What exactly did you think you were?

Fine.

You were the Emperor's own uncle.

But affection among imperial brothers was already thin enough.

And you had not even been born from the same consort.

Could the tiny bit of kinship between you and His Majesty possibly compare with the bond between His Majesty and his own son?

"Your Majesty. In my capacity as Chancellor, this minister requests punishment for Ji Changwang, to rectify the court and rectify the imperial clan!"

One did not use the word "execute" casually against an imperial relative.

The assembled ministers immediately shouted together:

"This minister asks Your Majesty to rectify the imperial clan!"

"This minister asks Your Majesty to rectify the imperial clan!"

The officials of the Crown Prince's faction shouted the loudest.

Because... they saw hope again.

They had survived disaster.

His Majesty did not intend to keep following the vine and pulling out the melon.

Instead... he intended to treat the vine itself as the melon... and chop it off directly.

The Crown Prince... was still the Crown Prince.

Even now...

His Majesty was still protecting him.

The Crown Prince's greatest support had always been His Majesty himself!

The officials of the Sixth Master's faction, however... felt their hearts sink.

This was an unequal struggle.

Even though His Majesty clearly had little time left... he was still showing that he intended to protect the Crown Prince.

How... were they supposed to win?

Wherever the Emperor stood... that was where Great Yan's momentum gathered.

Who could resist it?

And so... this clash looked as though Sixth Highness had won and the Crown Prince had lost.

Yet the Emperor of Yan, as final arbiter, still used the will of one man to forcefully declare who was truly untouchable.

Then... who exactly had won?

Who had lost?

"Transmit Our decree. Ji Changwang is stripped of all noble rank and reduced to commoner status. He is to be confined in the Pavilion in the Middle of the Lake. His direct descendants are all to be exiled to Beifeng Commandery.

"Did he not want this Dragon Throne?

"We will give his household a chance.

"Let them learn from the ancestors and fight for their lives in the desert."

This was not merely punishment.

It was dragging Ji Changwang's entire branch down into the dust.

And once they reached Beifeng Commandery... perhaps some Barbarian band no one could identify would suddenly appear.

After that... there would be no after.

No after for the entire family.

Then... the Emperor of Yan swept one dragon sleeve.

"Court is dismissed."

Wei Zhonghe stepped forward.

And shouted:

"Court is dismissed!"

Ji Chengjue slowly rose.

On the Crown Prince's side... no.

More precisely... two Ministers climbed the steps and helped the Crown Prince to his feet.

Ji Chengjue's own side... felt somewhat lonely by comparison.

He turned his head.

Looked at the officials gradually dispersing behind him.

His expression remained calm.

As he descended... he saw Zhao Jiulang.

He still gave the Chancellor half a salute.

Zhao Jiulang returned it.

Sixth Highness... remained composed.

Cultivated.

Then...

Ji Chengjue slowly walked out of the Golden Hall.

As he descended the steps... inside his heart... he silently said:

Father.

Since you refuse to treat your son as a son... then your son... will no longer... treat you as a father.

[End of Chapter 698]