Side Story Chapter 36 - Li Chengyis Ambition! (1/2)
Side Story Chapter 36: Li Chengyi’s Ambition!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
“Second Highness!”
Eunuch Li was aghast at the sight of this figure.
Virtuous Empress Dou immediately stood up and rebuked, “Chengyi, what are you trying to do!? Do you not know that no one is allowed inside Taiji Palace without your Imperial Father’s decree?”
“Is that so? Do you really think that anyone still cares about so-called imperial decrees?”
Li Chengyi coldly laughed, his feet not stopping.
Virtuous Empress Dou was a consort, and all the Princes had to bow to her, but at this moment, she did not exist in Li Chengyi’s eyes.
“My good Imperial Father, at a time like this, you summon the Grand Preceptor and Grand Tutor, and send out Virtuous Empress Dou, but how could you forget about Chengyi?”
The Tang Emperor lay on his bed with his mouth shut as if he had not seen his son.
“Impudent! This place is not yours to act so brazenly. Are you not worried about the Crown Prince finding out?”
Virtuous Empress Dou was infuriated.
Every person had their own place and duty—ruler and subject, father and son. For Li Chengyi to act and speak this way in front of the Emperor was utterly treasonous.
Even if something of this sort was to happen, it should have been the Crown Prince coming in, not Li Chengyi.
“Haaaa…”
Eunuch Li let out a long sigh as if he wanted to say something, but he did not say a word.
“Haha.”
Li Chengyi glanced over at Eunuch Li, who had closed his eyes, and smugly laughed.
“As expected of a woman! Haven’t you realized that Eunuch Li and Imperial Father have said nothing? Do you really think that the Imperial Army soldiers guarding Taiji Palace are actually the Crown Prince’s subordinates, that this place is really under the control of First Brother?”
“You!”
Virtuous Empress Dou paled. Though she had been slow on the uptake, she now realized that Li Chengyi had done something with the Imperial Army.
The Imperial Army soldiers around Taiji Palace had all been personally selected by First Prince Li Xuantu. This concerned the safety of the Emperor and the struggle for the throne, so the First Prince would have been extremely cautious and trusted completely in these people. For Li Chengyi to have pulled off some sort of trick in these circumstances was simply unbelievable.
As she looked at the youthful figure before her, Virtuous Empress Dou couldn’t help but shiver.
“You unfilial son!” At this moment, the Tang Emperor spoke. His eyes were closed and his face was calm, apparently unsurprised. “Xuantu and Third Son were both mistaken about you. Those incidents that have been taking place in the palace recently, including the conflicts between your first and third brothers, were probably all instigated by you from the shadows!”
“Undoubtedly my Imperial Father! It seems like I can hide nothing from you. I worked so diligently in the court for so many years, but you never once said I had the qualities to inherit the throne and were even reluctant to make me a King. It seems that you probably knew everything long ago and had already excluded me from the struggle for the throne,” Li Chengyi viciously said.
Eunuch Li and Virtuous Empress Dou shivered in fear at the look on his face. They had never seen this side of Li Chengyi before.
“Unfilial son! If you had cleaned up a little in that time, We might have given you a chance, but now, even if We die, you will never inherit the throne,” the Tang Emperor calmly said.
“Is that so? It’s not up to you to decide!”
Li Chengyi’s eyes chilled, a hint of savagery appearing on his handsome face.
Clang!
Li Chengyi flipped his hand around, and a moment later, he appeared at Virtuous Empress Dou’s side, pressing a thin blade the width of two fingers against her neck.
“You dare!”
The Emperor became enraged.
“Empress!”
Eunuch Li paled in fright. No one had expected Li Chengyi to turn hostile so abruptly and threaten Virtuous Empress Dou.
Moreover, everyone in the Imperial Palace knew that the First Prince and the Third Prince were the most martially competent of the Princes. But Li Chengyi’s movements right now had displayed an extremely high level of martial arts, not lacking when compared to the First Prince or Third Prince.
No one had ever realized this.
“Imperial Father, you wanted to work around me and summon the Grand Preceptor and Grand Tutor to draft a decree formally appointing a successor, but I am afraid that I cannot grant your wish. Since you will not be compassionate, I will not be filial. Hand over the jade seal. I’ve been searching for ages but have not been able to find the jade seal. You must be hiding it.
“If you hand over the jade seal, I can consider letting Virtuous Empress Dou and Eunuch Li go. Otherwise, your faithful servant of several decades and your lover of ten-some years might have their blood spilled all over the floor.”
“Beast!”
A hint of wrath appeared on the Tang Emperor’s face. He had not expected Li Chengyi to be so vicious, using his affection for Virtuous Empress Dou against him.
But his response was the sound of a blade sliding across flesh. Ssst! A red line appeared on Virtuous Empress Dou’s white neck, and blood began to flow out.
“Imperial Father, there’s no need to worry about these problems anymore. You’ve reached the point of terminal lucidity. Are you still so attached to the throne?
“Your son worries that if this sword of mine pushes forward a little bit more, your most beloved woman will have her head separated from her body,” Li Chengyi viciously said.
“T-terminal lucidity!”