The second prince remained unconscious, and Consort Xian cried incessantly day and night. The Emperor, unwilling to lose another son without reason, was still seeking someone to bring good fortune to the second prince.
Before anyone could be found, the northern border returned the bodies of Yang Zhongxu and his men. During the morning court, it was revealed that Yang Zhongxu had forged an imperial decree, intending to collude with the enemy and betray the nation.
The Emperor’s expression flickered between green and pale as he contemplated something, finally growing so enraged that he ordered Yang Zhongxu's corpse to be whipped. His accomplices were thrown into prison, and a thorough investigation was ordered.
The Crown Prince was detained after the hasty conclusion of the court session. That very day, news spread that the Emperor had decreed the Crown Prince confined to his residence for three months of contemplation, and all his powers were revoked. The Crown Prince's faction also faced suppression.
Minister Song, sensing something amiss, returned to his mansion after court, disguised himself, and proceeded to the Prince's manor. Zhuo Lin and Baili Chongyan emerged to meet him. After dismissing the attendants, Minister Song recounted the events at court.
"The Yang family holds the position of maternal uncle to the Emperor and is the maternal family of the Crown Princess. Their power is already immense; why would they risk such a dangerous gamble by engaging in this?" Forging an imperial decree was a crime punishable by the extermination of one's entire clan. Even though Yang Zhongxu was the Emperor's maternal uncle, the Yang family would not escape severe repercussions this time.
Baili Chongyan stated with certainty, "The imperial decree was not fake."
Minister Song was shocked. "Not fake? Then the Emperor... could it be that the Crown Prince and the Yang family intended to collude with the enemy and rebel?" He had assumed that the Emperor had indeed issued an imperial decree for Yang Zhongxu to take over military power in the north, with the aim of completely suppressing Prince Yan's manor. The Crown Prince, upon learning of this, had secretly conspired with the Yang family to betray the nation and rebel.
Baili Chongyan shook his head. "It's not entirely wrong to say that, but the imperial decree was not issued by the Emperor."
"Huh?" This left Minister Song utterly confused. "If the imperial decree is real, then how could it be considered a forged decree?"
Baili Chongyan's expression turned grim as he seemed to recall something. "The Crown Prince possesses two blank imperial decrees. The Emperor originally gave them to him to deal with me, as a reward upon success." One was for his own father, and the other for his own brother. To deal with him, they truly spared no expense.
Minister Song finally understood, and a wave of sickening disbelief washed over him. A father and elder brother conspiring together to harm their son/younger brother—this truly validated the saying: "The imperial family has always been devoid of true affection."
The Crown Prince had two blank imperial decrees. He would undoubtedly reserve one for his own eventual succession. However, he could not wait. Thus, he used the other to send Yang Zhongxu to replace Long Qian, intending to seize control of the northern armies. As for colluding with the enemy, there might be other motives, such as jealousy of Baili Chongyan, wanting the northern armies to suffer losses, infiltrating them with his own people, and gradually seizing Baili Chongyan's influence and assets. He lacked ability but harbored immense ambition.
Although Yang Zhongxu was the Emperor's maternal uncle and was granted the title of a marquis, if the Emperor were to recall him one day and find him missing, an investigation would surely ensue. Thinking this way, another person must have known about this matter. The Empress.
Minister Song did not know whether to be angry or amused. "The Crown Prince truly couldn't wait. This time, even if he isn't deposed, he will be severely weakened." This suited their intentions perfectly. Baili Chongyan had already received news from the palace and was inwardly pleased. He even entertained a rebellious thought: "Dogs eating dogs." Noticing the gentle pat on his arm, he felt a surge of warmth. Since this person arrived, everything seemed to have changed. In the past, this matter would not have unfolded so smoothly. The Emperor might have blamed him and used the incident as an opportunity to diminish his power, rather than punish the Crown Prince.
Minister Song remarked, "With the Empress in trouble, Consort Shu and the Fourth Prince will undoubtedly seize the opportunity. And there's Consort Xian, whose son is near death. The Emperor's harem is in chaos, and he will be busy for some time." Although it had always been said that the harem should not interfere in state affairs, the harem and the court had always been intertwined. Especially now, during the fierce competition for the throne among the princes, the factions behind them were constantly vying for power. The consorts in the harem would also scheme to gain favor with the Emperor for their sons or the princes they supported, engaging in a lively contest of wits and beauty. This presented them with an opportunity.
Minister Song became somewhat excited at the thought. "This is a rare opportunity. Your Highness must seize it. The northern army is in your hands, and with your health recovered, once you emerge, the situation in the capital will undoubtedly change dramatically. Why not now..."
"It's not yet time."