Reborn to Become A Queen: The Real Heiress's Comeback-Chapter 432: Switching the Beams

Si Jun’s stance was firm, adopting the posture of a superior, berating Mu Yan and Eunuch Li.

"Si Jun!" Mu Yan’s gaze suddenly sharpened.

When Si Jun heard his name called out, he suddenly felt a shiver down his spine and an icy chill on his back.

Mu Yan’s voice carried no warmth, his eyes as sharp as blades. "How foolish! With His Majesty’s intellect, how could he possibly have hidden the edict in such an obvious secret compartment?"

Mu Yan turned to the lifeless Emperor Xuanwu, who had died with his eyes open in defiance. "His Majesty was wise; he knew someone would come to read the contents of the edict and was also clear on who harbored wolfish ambitions!"

Zhan Lan’s lips twitched. Mu Yan was truly cutting; if Emperor Xuanwu knew how Mu Yan was discrediting him like this, he might revive from rage.

Si Jun felt a surge of panic upon hearing Mu Yan’s words.

Sweat began to pool in his palms, and his fingers instinctively curled into a fist.

The Crown Prince’s eyes lit up as he turned to Mu Yan. "Imperial Uncle, are you saying Father hid the real edict elsewhere, and Si Jun’s copy is a forgery?"

The Crown Prince, coughing blood, pointed at Si Jun and cursed, "You bastard, you’re plotting rebellion!"

The Imperial Physician was brought by the Imperial Army and immediately began dressing the Crown Prince’s blood-soaked chest wound.

Si Jun steadied his breath, suppressing the anger ignited by the Crown Prince’s insult of "bastard." "Accusations are easy; evidence is harder to find!"

Mu Yan looked to Yang Wu. "Commander Yang, send men to fetch Grand Academician Lu Zhong, General Zhan Beicang, and Imperial Censor Zhong Xuanliang to his Majesty’s bedchamber immediately."

"Understood!" Yang Wu promptly dispatched his subordinates.

Mu Yan addressed everyone present, "His Majesty’s passing shall not be announced outside tonight."

"Understood!"

Zhan Lan’s gaze lingered on Mu Yan. Standing amidst the crowd, Mu Yan exuded an imperial aura.

Si Yuzhang narrowed his eyes. He hadn’t anticipated that Si Jun had switched out the real edict with a forgery.

Perhaps the real imperial edict was still hidden in this room. Mu Yan intended for the three ministers to witness the unveiling together.

Could Mu Yan be planning to claim the throne for himself outright? freewёbnoνel.com

Si Yuzhang sneered internally. Knowing his imperial brother’s character, there was no way he would have willed the throne to Mu Yan!

Emperor Xuanwu’s four sons were all alive and well. Should Mu Yan attempt such a move, he would undoubtedly face condemnation from across the empire!

Understanding this, Si Yuzhang felt somewhat reassured.

If Mu Yan dared take the throne, Si Yuzhang would lead a rebellion against him!

At this moment, Si Jun’s realization that the edict he possessed was a forgery rendered it a mockery.

Nonetheless, until he saw Emperor Xuanwu’s genuine edict, there remained room for maneuver.

What if Mu Yan was bluffing?

Once the Imperial Physician had bandaged the Crown Prince’s injury, Mu Yan asked, "How is the Crown Prince’s condition?"

The Imperial Physician replied respectfully, "Reporting to Your Highness, although the Crown Prince’s wound is deep, it fortunately avoided critical areas. He will require a period of focused rest."

The Crown Prince, enduring the pain, approached his mother’s body, held the Empress in his arms, and wept silently.

The Imperial Army remained stationed beside Si Jun, watching his every move.

Si Jun scanned the room warily, awaiting the arrival of the three ministers.

Emperor Xuanwu’s corpse had been draped with yellow silk, while the Empress’s body had been covered with white linen. The Crown Prince sat in a chair, his face drained of color.

Until the truth of the events surrounding Emperor Xuanwu’s death was fully uncovered, everyone remained suspect, including the royal consorts.

Princess Wei Bai Lu and Prince Xian’s wife were escorted over by the Imperial Army.

Upon seeing the wounded Crown Prince, Bai Lu couldn’t help but feel her heart tighten.

Her anxious expression did not escape Si Jun’s gaze, though she remained oblivious to his cold stare.

Zhan Lan hid his inner thoughts, finding the situation increasingly chaotic as the night wore on.

The Crown Prince’s tactics for retaliating against Si Jun were crude, yet effective enough to infuriate Si Jun considerably.

Bai Lu inclined her head respectfully toward Zhan Lan. Given Zhan Lan’s elevated status, she had no choice but to appear deferent and humble.

She had more or less pieced together the preceding events: Emperor Xuanwu had passed away, and now it was a question of whether Si Jun or the Crown Prince would ascend the throne.

In her heart, she prayed for the Crown Prince to take over. At least with their shared bond, he might spare her life.

If Si Jun ascended, she was certain he would kill her.

Zhan Lan merely glanced at Bai Lu indifferently. Whether the Crown Prince or Si Jun took the throne, this woman was doomed to die regardless.

From Bai Lu’s gaze, Zhan Lan discerned her lingering hope placed on the Crown Prince. Foolish. Placing one’s hope entirely in others was a grave misstep.

Even now, she remained oblivious to her manipulation by the Crown Prince.

Bai Lu’s tarnished reputation sealed her fate; the Crown Prince wouldn’t keep a woman tainted by Si Jun’s touch.

The supposedly pitiable Crown Prince was no virtuous individual himself.

Prince Xian’s wife stood quietly, shrinking toward the doorway out of fear of the tense atmosphere.

A stick of incense later, General Zhan Beicang galloped into the palace, arriving first.

Imperial Censor Zhong Xuanliang, forced onto horseback by the Imperial Army, dismounted only to retch profusely.

"You brutish soldiers, so reckless and insolent!"

Before long, Grand Academician Lu Zhong similarly dismounted, his stomach churning.

"My apologies, esteemed gentlemen. The urgency of the situation compelled us to act under extraordinary measures; the Regent King commanded that we summon you swiftly."

Lu Zhong and Zhong Xuanliang exchanged glances. Being summoned to the palace at such a late hour suggested a matter of grave importance.

The two shared a look of understanding and promptly addressed the Imperial Army. "Lead the way!"

Ascending layers of stone steps and traversing corridors, they finally reached Emperor Xuanwu’s bedchamber.

Inside the spacious chamber, everyone was already gathered.

The three officials, upon learning of Emperor Xuanwu’s passing and the Empress’s assassination, were visibly shaken.

Zhan Beicang furrowed his brows, while Lu Zhong, who had long anticipated this grim ending for Emperor Xuanwu, grew more somber.

Zhong Xuanliang’s expression darkened with sorrow. Closing his eyes, he lamented the inevitable bloodshed among the imperial sons over the throne.

Turning to Mu Yan, he bowed and said, "Your Highness, please unveil His Majesty’s last edict."

Eunuch Li looked to the Regent King, who nodded faintly. Eunuch Li pressed a hidden mechanism on the dragon bed. A compartment sprang open, releasing an arrow. The imperial edict fell from the intricately decorated ceiling, where Vermilion Bird leaped gracefully and caught it, then handed it to Eunuch Li.

Si Jun’s gaze darkened. So the true edict had been hidden so secretly, already swapped by Mu Yan without anyone realizing.

The Crown Prince held his breath, his nerves frayed halfway between anticipation and apprehension. What if the Regent King had altered the contents of the edict?

What if the name written was not his—what then?

Prince Xian and Prince Qi, knowing full well the edict would not name either of them, were nonetheless seized by the tension.

Prince Xian’s gaze flickered with turmoil. He harbored a faint hope that Imperial Uncle Mu Yan would keep his promise and spare his life. Still, he understood not to place all his trust in another.

Prince Qi’s heart harbored a sly amusement. Earlier, he’d sided with the Crown Prince and gained the protection of the Regent Princess Consort. Perhaps he could still retain his title and survive—living to fight another day!

As speculation swirled within the crowd over whether Emperor Xuanwu had bequeathed the throne to the Crown Prince, Eunuch Li unfolded the edict under their eager gazes.