As the Crown Prince ascended the throne, Feng Xi Wu, his only younger brother, naturally saw his status rise accordingly.
"But if that's the case, the accumulated rage of the Ninth Prince over Emperor Geng Shi's various manipulative maneuvers over the years will fall entirely upon the Crown Prince.
Moreover, in that scenario, besides the identity of the Crown Prince, what difference would there be in the method of ascension compared to Emperor Geng Shi back then?
Even with the evidence of the Lan family's rebellion, would the court officials and the various regional kings truly believe us without hesitation and finally choose a new emperor?
And regarding Emperor Geng Shi's crimes, how many people would believe them?"
It wasn't that they didn't want to take a shortcut, but Lu Qing Wan had not forgotten the twenty-three years of the Crown Prince's patient cultivation and the reason why Feng Xi Wu had spent twenty-three years wandering in foreign lands.
If they had merely wanted to seize the throne, with their capabilities, coupled with the King of Youzhou and a group of old officials who still cherished the late Crown Prince's virtuous name, they could have tried with all their might long ago.
It was merely because they longed to seek justice for their parents and family, and to reveal the truth of their tragic deaths to the world, that they had endured for so many years.
If they were to tread the same path as Emperor Geng Shi back then due to the current temporary difficulties, then all the hardships the two brothers had endured for twenty-three years would have been in vain.
Feng Xi Wu had also been caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, leading him to resort to such a desperate measure in a moment of urgency.
From the moment he was ordered to quell the rebellion, everything had exceeded the plans of both him and Si Feng Ming.
Upon hearing Lu Qing Wan's words, he quickly calmed down. "Very well, find a way to make Emperor Geng Shi fall unconscious. I will first help His Imperial Brother stabilize the situation. Once the Ninth Prince gathers in Zhongzhou, then we will give him a chance to speak."
As long as Emperor Geng Shi admitted in front of everyone that he was the one who harmed the late Emperor and Imperial Noble Consort Jing Hui, the late Crown Prince and Crown Princess, his greatest value would have been realized.
Lu Qing Wan had already intended this. Hearing his words, she resolutely replied, "I understand. I will administer the medicine as soon as I return."
"Let's go."
Feng Xi Wu rode his horse into the city. Li Jin and Li Yang were already waiting inside the city gates.
Feng Xi Wu announced loudly, "You all continue to defend the city gates. Without my permission, no one is allowed to open the gates."
Three thousand soldiers saluted in unison.
Li Jin followed, "Your Highness, what about the prisoners?"
Of the fifteen thousand soldiers from the Tiger Leopard Camp, more than half were captured. Li Jin looked at the prisoners, who outnumbered their own forces by more than half, and felt a headache coming on.
Feng Xi Wu glanced at them and chuckled, "Have people guard them first. I will send someone to receive them later."
Only then did Li Jin relax.
By the time they returned, it was already afternoon, and the King of Qingzhou had not arrived as expected.
Lu Qing Wan's mind had been racing all day, and she no longer wanted to expend energy. She directly asked Feng Xi Wu, "What is the situation with the King of Qingzhou? Is he coming or not?"
"He originally had the intention of rebellion, but the King of Yan and the King of Xu suddenly advanced their troops towards Qingzhou. The King of Qingzhou had to temporarily abandon his rebellion plan. He has likely heard that Zhongzhou is in chaos and does not wish to clean up Emperor Geng Shi's mess for nothing, so he is deliberately finding excuses to delay his arrival."
Since they had already decided to let Si Feng Ming preside over the situation, it was all the better that this King of Qingzhou, suspected of rebellion, would not enter the city for the time being.
However, "What about the King of Ji? He is Emperor Geng Shi's younger brother, and his fiefdom is so close to Zhongzhou. Logically, he should be the first to arrive when something happens in Zhongzhou, right? Why is there no news from him yet?"
"The scouts in Jizhou only reported that the King of Ji is unwell and his carriage is moving very slowly. They didn't say anything else..."
As they were speaking, Ying Er galloped up to the two of them and stopped with a flourish. "Reporting to Your Highness, Lan Hua Jing has been apprehended. His Highness the Crown Prince requests the Princess Consort to assist in the interrogation to quickly ascertain the movements of the rebel Lan and stabilize the situation."
"He's already been apprehended?"
Lu Qing Wan exclaimed with excitement, "December is indeed formidable! Where is he? Take me there."
"December found Lan Hua Jing and a man in black in the cold palace. We guards were incompetent and let the man in black escape. Lan Hua Jing was nearly silenced, but Duan Yue gave him medicine to keep him alive. His Highness the Crown Prince sent me to find the Princess Consort in such a hurry because he was afraid the person would die before the interrogation was complete. He is currently in the Ministry of Punishments, under guard by the secret guards."
The city was under strict martial law, and Lu Qing Wan and Feng Xi Wu had a smooth journey. When they encountered Ying Er, they were already close to the palace gate. Upon hearing this, Lu Qing Wan rode directly into the palace. Once inside, she said to Feng Xi Wu, "You go find His Imperial Brother yourself. I'll be fine here."
Her eyes were still covered with a cloth strip, and she relied entirely on her clairvoyance to walk. When she spoke, she acted as if nothing was wrong, looking around as if she had completely forgotten what the blindfold was for.
Feng Xi Wu's nose twitched with emotion. "I understand. Remember to have someone lead you when you leave. Don't fall when I'm not around."
He cautioned her like he would a child, eliciting a slightly exasperated retort from Lu Qing Wan, "I'm not a child anymore, how could I possibly fall?"
After saying that, she huffed unhappily and walked away.
As soon as Lu Qing Wan left, Feng Xi Wu's demeanor turned cold. "What is the situation in the palace right now?"
Li Qing suddenly appeared from somewhere and reported in an orderly fashion. "The remnants of the Tiger Leopard Camp are all trapped in Yangquan Palace. The families of all the mansions have been rescued and are temporarily housed in Hanguang Hall. Officials of the fourth rank and above, as well as those in important positions, are all waiting for orders at Zichen Palace. The Imperial Guards have all been placed under the command of His Highness the Crown Prince's colleague, and the Imperial Guard is led by Young Master Gu, who is making every effort to search for Lan An's whereabouts. However, no trace of Lan An has been found so far. Furthermore, Prince Rui and Prince Xian are both at Zichen Palace, demanding an audience with the Emperor. However, the Emperor has been knocked unconscious by Duan Yue and will likely not wake up for some time."
Feng Xi Wu was satisfied. "Since he has fainted, let him remain deeply unconscious. If Lan An cannot be found, then don't look for him for now. Take stock of the surplus personnel in the palace and have Si Lan lead a small contingent under the Crown Prince's name to offer amnesty to the Tiger Leopard Camp outside the city."
Li Qing hurriedly acknowledged and then departed. Feng Xi Wu, on the other hand, sprinted directly towards Zichen Palace.
Inside Zichen Palace, officials were gathered, arguing like they had stumbled into a marketplace. As Feng Xi Wu entered, he heard Prime Minister Fan Jiang questioning Si Feng Ming, "His Highness the Crown Prince neither allows us to meet His Majesty nor presents concrete evidence. Without proof, he claims Grand Tutor Lan committed treason. Where is the evidence? Does His Highness the Crown Prince, as heir apparent, act entirely on his word?"
His words were sharp and righteous, and he seemed solemn. To an uninformed observer, it might appear that Prime Minister Fan was not afraid of power and was not kicking his usual rival while he was down, truly acting for the greater good.
However, Feng Xi Wu merely snorted coldly. "Lan Hua Jing led the Tiger Leopard Camp straight to the imperial palace, first entering Zichen Palace with the intention of assassinating His Majesty. Had it not been for the effective protection of the Imperial Guard, Lan Hua Jing would have succeeded long ago. In Shangyang Palace, Lan Hua Jing murdered the Empress Dowager and intended to confine the families of various officials to threaten the court officials, which is known to all. Just two quarters of an hour ago, I fought a bloody battle with Chai Xi Han, Lan An's confidant, and prevented the Tiger Leopard Camp from entering the imperial city. If these are not considered evidence, Prime Minister Fan, what other evidence do you require?"