The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife-Chapter 503: The Always Obedient Son’s Attempt at Rebellion

The court officials were well aware that Emperor Muwu had been bedridden for a long time and was beyond recovery. Moreover, with Ye Chengyan’s palace coup and a night spent in the cold, the emperor’s condition had deteriorated to the point of imminent death. They had long been mentally prepared for the possibility of the emperor’s passing, and with the emperor not having appointed a Royal Heir and the Ninth Prince repeatedly declining, Nanli’s statement fit their desires perfectly.

At this moment, their thoughts were unanimous: if the Blood Enchanting Bug could not save Emperor Muwu, then the Ninth Prince should ascend to the throne. With the Ninth Princess now the ruler of Border Nation and potentially becoming the empress of Mu Nation, it seemed like a fair trade.

Some even urged, "Ninth Princess, use the Enchanting Bug quickly!" In their eyes, a dead horse was worth a try as a live one.

Nanli glanced at them, feeling that their eagerness was strange and intense. However, since the officials had stopped obstructing her, she could focus on placing the Blood Enchanting Bug on Emperor Muwu’s hand.

The Blood Enchanting Bug was no larger than a pinky nail. She made an incision, and the Blood Enchanting Bug crawled into the wound. Nanli then bandaged the wound, though the Blood Enchanting Bug would not act immediately, and Emperor Muwu remained unconscious.

In the absence of the Ninth Prince, Nanli became the focal point for the officials. Elder Xu immediately asked what the next steps should be. After all, chaos reigned both inside and outside the palace, and the Seven Hearts Leaf poison was showing signs of activation. Additionally, how should they handle the puppet Enchanting Bugs among the Imperial Guards?

Nanli felt overwhelmed and suddenly remembered a crucial person. "Where is the prince?" she asked.

The officials were unaware of what had happened, but the Ninth Prince’s continued absence made them uneasy. The Black Armor Guards of the Supervisory Office had been infested with puppet Enchanting Bugs, causing their hearts to sink.

"Could it be that the prince has been captured and imprisoned by the rebel king?" Elder Xu speculated.

An official, with a hint of sarcasm, remarked, "The prince, who was once so wise, has unexpectedly met his downfall with the rebel king."

Hanlin was about to explain but Qing Feng, anxious to protect his master, had already drawn his sword, its cold gleam piercing the air.

He said coldly, "It is the spirit of Yao Sheng that has returned. The prince fought Yao Sheng’s spirit with all his strength to destroy it, but the prince has fallen into a coma. It is not a downfall as you suggest!"

The crowd was somewhat surprised. They hadn’t expected Yao Sheng to come back from the dead. Given Yao Sheng’s reputation and abilities, they accepted that Ye Siheng’s coma was a plausible outcome.

Nanli guessed that Yao Sheng had likely used a Fake Golden Core to repair his soul. She was anxious and quickly asked, "Where is the prince now?"

Qing Feng replied, "He is at the Wu family estate. But Qingyang has asked Daoist Zhi Mi and three priests from Sanqing Temple to guard him. The wards outside the house are very powerful, and even if the princess goes, it might not be possible to break them."

Nanli was even more puzzled. If Yao Sheng set up the wards, she should be able to break them, unless Yao Sheng had gained new powers. She needed to see it for herself to understand the situation.

Chu Hanlin, understanding her concern, said, "A’Li, you should go. I will handle things here."

As Nanli prepared to use a Teleportation Talisman to go to the Wu family estate, a desperate cry interrupted her: "Yan’er! Yan’er!"

It was Empress Xie’s voice. Dressed in plain palace attire, her hair pinned with a single jade hairpin, her face was pale with faint dark circles, indicating a sleepless night.

"Yan’er..." Empress Xie was supported by a maid. Upon seeing Ye Chengyan lying there, she couldn’t hold back and hurried towards him, almost tripping over her dress.

The maid tried to steady her, "Your Majesty, please take care."

Empress Xie’s eyes were wide open as she brushed aside the maid’s hand and threw herself onto Ye Chengyan.

"Yan’er! Wake up!" She cried out, trying to lift him. But he was already dead, and with the cold of winter, his body had become stiff and cold.

Empress Xie couldn’t lift him and tears streamed down her face. She blurred her vision and tried to cover the wound on Ye Chengyan’s chest, as if that would make the wound heal and bring him back to life.

"Yan’er, open your eyes and look at your mother..."

"Yan’er, your birthday is approaching. Didn’t you say you missed the chestnut cake I made? I will make it for you right away..."

"Yan’er, if you want to be the Royal Heir again, just open your eyes, and I will plead with your father to restore your position..."

The Chu family sighed in pity, and the officials remained indifferent.

The maid tried to persuade her, "Your Majesty, Prince of Wu’an... Prince of Wu’an is gone. Please grieve and accept the loss."

Empress Xie pushed the maid away, her face streaked with tears, losing all her regal composure. She looked around at everyone and finally fixed her gaze on Nanli. "A’Li, I beg you, I beg you to save Yan’er."

Despite her status as empress, she knelt there in desperation.

Nanli stepped forward, intending to help her, but ultimately held back. "Sorry, Your Majesty, he is already dead."

"He’s not dead!" Empress Xie suddenly erupted in anger, her forehead veins bulging. Protecting her son as fiercely as a mother hen, she repeated, "Yan’er is not dead!"

Nanli responded calmly, "If he is not dead, Your Majesty does not need my help, does she?"

Empress Xie paused, looking at Ye Chengyan’s unseeing face and feeling his cold, stiff hand. She slowly began to accept the fact that her son was indeed dead.

She turned sharply, glaring at Nanli with fury. "You and your husband promised to ensure my son’s safety, but now look! He died in the palace!"

Nanli’s expression darkened. "Yes, we promised to ensure his safety under certain conditions. But now, he has brought this upon himself by colluding with others, poisoning, plotting against the officials, and using Enchanting Bugs to control the soldiers in the Capital. How can we protect him?" frёewebηovel.cѳm

Empress Xie refused to believe it. She knew her son well; he might have treacherous thoughts but lacked the cunning or courage to rebel.

But with Prime Minister Lu poisoned and Elder Cao unconscious...

So she turned to Elder Xu. "Elder Xu, you are respected and upright. Tell me the truth!"

Not only were the officials poisoned, but many had been injured and bled in the recent clash with the Imperial Guards.

Elder Xu had much resentment but spoke gently, "Your Majesty, Prince of Wu’an did indeed attempt rebellion. We witnessed it ourselves. The Ninth Princess speaks the truth."

Empress Xie’s face grew paler, her body trembling. Her Fengxi Palace had been surrounded by the Imperial Guards, and she had known something was terribly wrong.

Only after the Imperial Guards had fallen unconscious could she get out.

The palace had undergone a great upheaval, and she had considered countless possibilities. But she had never imagined that her always obedient son would attempt rebellion...