Volume Two, The Edge of the Inner Court Chapter 268, Usurping the Throne (Part 2)
In the Yanqing Palace, the eight princes were kneeling on the ground. Except for the prince Ling Changyi, everyone had tears on their faces.
In addition to the eight princes, there is also a beautiful girl, she is the only princess of the Summer Empire today - Ling Qingyue. Ling Qingyue is dressed in red, pretty and lovely, and is known as the national treasure, but at this moment, she is crying
I became a tearful person, which made me feel heartbroken.
Ling Xiuhan looked pale and haggard, and Ling Qingyue knelt beside him, burying her head in his lap, sobbing constantly. Ling Xiuhan stroked her hair and comforted her with a forced smile.
When Ling Changyi heard Ling Changfeng say that his father asked them all to gather at Yanqing Palace to announce the succession to the throne, his heart jumped into his throat. At that time, he had countless thoughts in his mind, each of which was related to killing.
Ling Changfeng couldn't live without relationships. But he endured it. He had to hear his father's edict with his own ears.
"Okay, Qingyue, let's go down." Ling Xiuhan's weak voice pierced Ling Qingyue's heart like a poisonous thorn. She suppressed her sobs and walked down slowly.
Ling Xiuhan looked at the kneeling sons and said calmly: "I called you here today because I want to announce something. I don't have much time left. Who will inherit the throne? I want to hear your opinions.
"
"Father." As soon as Ling Xiuhan finished speaking, Ling Changyi's voice sounded: "Father, do you have a candidate in mind for the heir to the throne?"
Everyone looked at this eldest brother. Everyone knew that in the past six months, the king had intended to pass the throne to the seventh prince Ling Changfeng. He said he wanted to listen to his opinions. If he was already sure in his heart, then what was the use of their opinions?
"I have it in my heart, but I still want to hear your opinions." Ling Xiuhan said indifferently with an expressionless face.
For a long time, no one answered!
Ling Xiuhan seemed to have expected this result. He said nothing, but took out a piece of edict, rolled it up and put it on the bed.
"The edict is here. If you don't have any objections, after my death, the heir to the throne will be the person named in this edict."
"Maybe." Ling Xiuhan raised his head slightly and said softly: "After all, what a country needs is capable managers who are supported by the people, not whoever I want to succeed. Between you brothers
Although we are not always on good terms, we are brothers after all, and we should understand each other somewhat. Tell me what you think."
Ling Changyi seemed to have mustered up the courage and said firmly: "Father, in terms of status, I am the crown prince of the Yantian Empire; in terms of ability, I have supervised the country on behalf of my father for three years, and the Yantian Empire has been without disaster or harm for three years."
, the weather is going well; I think I am qualified to... sit on this throne!"
Ling Xiuhan's face remained calm. He nodded and said, "What about you?"
"My father and my son also believe that the eldest brother has the ability to become the leader of a country and inherit the rule. With the eldest brother's ability, he will definitely be able to manage the Yantian Empire." The fourth prince Ling Changxuan said anxiously.
"Father, my eldest brother is capable, responsible and strategic, and has a courage that none of our brothers can match. With him sitting on this throne, we can all feel at ease." The second prince, Ling Changyu, continued.
"Father..."
The eight princes, except for Ling Changfeng and the eighth prince Ling Changyuan, all agreed that the prince Ling Changyi should sit on the throne and become the head of the country. However, the six brothers all expressed unanimous opinions, but Ling Changfeng and Ling Changyuan never spoke.
.
Ling Xiuhan looked calm. He expected the opinions of his six sons. He looked at Ling Changfeng and said slowly: "Lao Qi, what about you, don't you want to say something?"
Ling Changfeng tried his best to control his emotions and said indifferently: "Back to my father, I believe that my eldest brother has outstanding abilities and admirable talents, and is indeed the most suitable to be the king of a country..."
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All the princes suddenly turned back to look at him, with shocked expressions on their faces. If this throne must belong to someone, it must be one of the crown prince and the seventh prince. According to the recent behavior of the king, the seventh prince Ling Changfeng is the most popular.
There was hope. But at this moment, he actually said that the prince was the most suitable person to be the leader of the country.
Even the prince looked strange.
"But, I want to ask brother..." Ling Changfeng looked at Ling Changyi and said calmly: "Can you sit comfortably in this seat?"
Ling Changyi's brows suddenly sank: "What do you mean?"
"The king of a country may not have a broad mind, and may not have extraordinary courage and courage, but he must not lack the most basic principles of loyalty and filial piety, loyalty to the country and filial piety to the family, Ling Changyi..." Ling Changfeng pointed out this time
He looked at Ling Changyi and called him by his first name: "Do you dare to say that you have never done anything to disgrace your father and brothers in your life? You have never done anything detrimental to the country?"
Everyone was shocked by Ling Changfeng's sudden change of words, and then looked at Ling Changyi.
Ling Changyi was surprised, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he sneered: "Joke, you mean that I am unfaithful and unfilial, do you have any proof?"
"Evidence? You know what you did." Ling Changfeng refuted sternly: "I treat you as a big brother, and I have been patient with you over and over again. I just hope that one day you can take care of my brothers.
I didn't expect you to start so early, Ling Changyi, you are so cruel!"
"Ling Changfeng, you are so slanderous!"
"Hahaha... are you spouting blood?" Ling Changfeng's eyes were as red as blood, and his breathing was extremely heavy. He pointed at Ling Changyi and said: "The matter has come to this, and I will not tolerate you. Let my father do all this.
Decide."
Ling Xiuhan looked at his sons, and a look of pain suddenly flashed across his face. Although he knew it was inevitable, seeing this scene with his own eyes, his heart seemed to be bleeding.
"Cough cough cough..." Ling Xiuhan coughed violently. Ling Changfeng quickly stood up and went to support Ling Xiuhan. Ling Qingyue's pretty face suddenly changed and she also stepped forward.
The rest of the people also wanted to go up, but Ling Xiuhan waved his hand to stop them.
"Okay...you all should stop arguing, I've made up my mind..." He let go of the two people's hands, walked step by step to the bed, picked up the edict, closed his eyes and said: "Promise me, no matter what
No one of you who succeeds to the throne is allowed to kill brothers, otherwise...he will be punished by heaven and earth!"
The eyes of all the princes widened and they looked horrified. Ling Xiuhan's words undoubtedly gave them a gold medal to avoid death. No matter whether they were the crown prince or the seventh prince, as long as they agreed, once they took the throne, they were not allowed to be exterminated.
Everyone fell into silence, Ling Xiuhan roared: "Let's talk together!"
"I agree," the prince said slowly.
"I agree." Following the crown prince, the seven princes nodded one after another.
Ling Xiuhan smiled with relief: "That's it, that's good!"
"The throne will be inherited by Chang Feng!"
Just seven words, but it was a bomb that had been hidden for a long time, roaring and exploding in everyone's mind. The prince was stunned in place, but there was not too much surprise on his face. He had been imagining this ending.
But when he heard it with his own ears, his heart still hurt.
"Father, it is hard for me to obey my orders." Ling Changyi stood up with a gloomy look.
Ling Xiuhan sneered sadly: "Is it difficult to obey? You are eager to deal with your brother before I die. If I die, will you let them go?"
"This is not the reason for you to pass the throne to him." Ling Changyi's voice was cold, as if the person standing opposite him was not his father, but an enemy who was trying to take away his throne.
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"Then I should pass it on to you, right?"
"Shouldn't it be?" Ling Changyi took a step forward and roared heartbreakingly: "I am the prince, and everyone in the government and the public is under my control. I have been in charge of the country for three years, the Yantian Empire's taxes have increased, and the treasury is full. You still have
Why are you dissatisfied? Why should you pass the throne to a 16-year-old kid?"
"Just for the sake of the throne, you killed your brothers, intended to kill the king, united with the Ye family to annex one city after another, and gave away half of my Yantian, you are no longer worthy of being the king of the Yantian Empire." Ling Xiu said coldly.
Ling Changyi's expression turned cold.
"Prince, you don't really think that the Ye family can help you succeed in your rise to power. They just want me to die, and you just listen to other people's beliefs and become a pawn in their hands without knowing it. You are extremely stupid."
Ling Xiuhan pointed at Ling Changyi's nose and cursed: "In the past six months, you have repeatedly sent people to assassinate your seventh brother. I really think I don't know. Three years ago, you teamed up with Jin Ming to poison my food. Lu Zhexi saw it.
, you will exterminate them...cough cough cough...poof——""
Ling Xiuhan became more and more excited as he talked, and in the end he coughed up blood.
"Father!" Ling Changfeng shouted in horror. Ling Xiuhan stretched out his palm to signal Ling Changfeng not to step forward.
Ling Changyi's eyes were dull, as if he had lost his soul. It turned out that he had known this for a long time.
"Hehehe..." Ling Changyi suddenly chuckled: "Yes, but I never wanted to kill you. As for the seventh brother, if you hadn't been hesitant and pretended to pass the throne to him several times,
How could I kill him so cruelly? You forced all this, you forced me!"
"I have never forced you. Originally, I planned to pass the throne to you. It was you who was too impatient and wanted to be the king, so you fell into the trap of the Ye family. It's all your own fault. You can't blame others." Ling Xiu.
Han's voice gradually became deeper, his breath was weak, and he had just coughed up blood, which already showed that his body was on the verge of collapse and he would collapse at any time.
"You want to use this poison to destroy my body so that I can give way to you in advance, but you don't know that it will destroy not only my body, but also my life!"
Ling Xiuhan's words made Ling Changyi's eyes widen, as if they were turned to stone.
"You are indeed more suitable to be the king than Chang Feng, but your ambition is too great, but you do not have enough strength to control your ambition. You are being used by others. You are no longer worthy of being the king of Yantian. Now your seventh brother is more suitable than you.
.”
Ling Changyi hurriedly shook his head, looking horrified.
"He is more suitable than me... He is more suitable than me..." Ling Changyi repeated this sentence one after another, as if he was in a daze.
"Father, I would like to ask you again, do you really want to pass the throne to Ling Changfeng?" Ling Changyi said.
Ling Xiuhan didn't say anything. His son had lost his heart for the throne and seemed to be crazy.
Ling Xiuhan's eyes narrowed slightly: "You want to usurp the throne?"
"I just take back what should belong to me. When I sit on the throne, I will send letters to the king one by one to my brothers so that they can spend the rest of their lives in peace and will never harm them. My sister Qing Qing
Yue, I will let her pursue her own happiness. As for you, the emperor..." Ling Changyi already had tears in his eyes: "The poison will kill you. This is beyond my expectation, but if you firmly choose me
As the heir, how could I make these mistakes? Don't worry, after your death, I will manage the Yantian Empire well and never let anyone else get involved."
Ling Changfeng felt waves of energy rising all over his body, and the vitality all over his body exploded instantly, and a gnashing cold shout passed into Ling Changyi's ears: "You treacherous minister and traitor, you deserve to die!"
Ling Xiuhan closed his eyes and felt a spasm all over his body. Then, he raised his head and fell straight down.