Chapter 64.2 Chip Chip Chip Chip Chip Chip.
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When someone attempts to assassinate the Emperor, it was evident that they come prepared.
Without hesitation, Li Jinyu readily agreed to Huo Caijin’s proposal, and the dragon carriage raced towards the capital with increased speed.
Upon reaching the capital, Li Jinyu peered outside through the carriage window, astonished to find a remarkably peaceful city. The streets were filled with people joyfully celebrating the Reed Flowers Festival, and there were no signs of rebellion.
Could the assassination attempt on the road have been an isolated incident?
Huo Caijin clearly held a different view. Surveying the unfamiliar guards at the main gate of the capital, her voice grew more cautious, “Your Majesty, please exercise utmost caution.”
Li Jinyu always heeded the advice of professionals, obediently remaining inside the dragon carriage, allowing Huo Caijin to escort him back to the palace.
Normally, the Emperor would ride in the open dragon carriage, circling through the densely populated subdistricts, symbolizing the unity between the ruler and the people. However, the circumstances were strange this time. Li Jinyu didn’t act stubbornly and only stepped off when the dragon carriage arrived at the outskirts of the palace.
Upon disembarking, Li Jinyu immediately sensed that something was off.
There had always been guards stationed outside the Emperor’s palace, and after Huo Caiyu’s reorganization, they had been replaced with dedicated and responsible individuals.
These guards had been rotating their duties outside the palace for a year, and Li Jinyu had become acquainted with many of them.
The area outside the palace was now filled with unfamiliar faces.
As a hamster spirit, Li Jinyu possessed a heightened sensitivity to the emotions of strangers. He immediately detected that these unfamiliar guards, though standing upright, discreetly kept their gaze fixed on him.
The Ghost-Faced General, Huo Caijin, who was just guarding outside the carriage, had disappeared.
Li Jinyu furrowed his brow, refraining from making any impulsive movements, and proceeded to enter the palace.
Inside the palace, Chief Kang stood beside the dragon throne with a pale complexion. When he saw Li Jinyu’s return, his eyes brightened as if he had found his guiding light. “Your Majesty has returned!”
Li Jinyu took a seat, his brow furrowed in concern. “What has happened?”
While the people outside the palace revel in joy, within the palace, an aura of solemnity and hostility pervades the air.
“This slave does not know either,” Chief Kang’s face still bore traces of fear. He gathered his thoughts and managed to suppress his anxiety. “Your Majesty had only recently left, and this slaves intended to inform the Ministry of Rites to make preparations for Your Majesty’s return… But even before this slave could step outside the palace, he was intercepted. Upon closer examination, this slave discovered that all the guards outside Your Majesty’s chambers had been replaced with unfamiliar faces!”
Chief Kang, the prominent eunuch by Li Jinyu’s side, held significant authority within the palace. If there were to be a change in guards at the Emperor’s chambers, it would undoubtedly require his approval.
These newly assigned guards audaciously dared to impede someone exiting the Emperor’s chambers… Unless they could ensure that the Emperor would never admonish them in the future, they would never undertake such a perilous endeavor.
Li Jinyu had already noticed the alteration in guards before entering the palace, furrowing his brow in response. “What happened next?”
“This slave reprimanded them for their dubious intentions, but they simply claimed to be following orders… When this slave asked whose orders they were obeying, they said…” Chief Kang lowered his voice, a tinge of unease evident, as he said two words, “Regent Prince.”
Huo Caiyu?
Li Jinyu paused briefly, caught off guard. “Isn’t Regent Prince engaged in warfare at the border?”
“This slave has no knowledge of it,” Chief Kang fretted uneasily. “Your Majesty, what should be done now?”
Li Jinyu contemplated for a moment, then turned and walked out of the palace. Just a few steps away, as expected, the guards on both sides blocked his path with their long halberds. “By order of Regent Prince, no one is permitted to leave Your Majesty’s chambers!”
Chief Kang followed closely, incredulous as he heard the guards speaking so audaciously to His Majesty. His eyes widened. “Have you all gone mad? Is His Majesty deemed inferior to Regent Prince?”
The two guards disregarded Chief Kang, repeating in a rigid manner, “By order of Regent Prince, no one is allowed to leave Your Majesty’s chambers.”
Li Jinyu, never one to assume an imposing demeanor, felt more puzzled than angered, unlike Chief Kang. These guards spoke with unwavering conviction, showing no hint of guilt, implying their steadfast belief in their words…
Huo Caiyu had overseen the palace for a considerable time. If there were indeed numerous guards with hidden motives infiltrating the palace on behalf of other forces, could it be that he had failed to notice?
Or perhaps… this conspiracy, permeated with eerie undertones, was orchestrated by Huo Caiyu?
With that notion in mind, Li Jinyu posed a question, “Where is General Huo Caijin?”
The guard responded, “General Huo Caijin has fulfilled her duties and returned to the Huo residence.”
Li Jinyu furrowed his brow once more.
Huo Caijin had been his escort during the visit to the Imperial Mausoleum. If a third-party force was plotting rebellion, Huo Caijin ought to be excluded from suspicion…
“How are Zhen’s beloved consort and the Empress Dowagers faring?”
“All the consorts and the Empress Dowager are safe and sound, Your Majesty.”
Li Jinyu felt a slight sense of relief.
If Huo Caiyu was involved in treason, he had no reason to worry about the well-being of the women in the harem. However, if it was a third-party force, there was a possibility of innocent individuals being caught in the crossfire.
If it wasn’t Huo Caiyu, Li Jinyu certainly had no intention of sitting back and waiting for fate to unfold.
Upon returning to the palace, Li Jinyu allowed Chief Kang to rest and turned his attention to the black cat’s room.
The black cat was sprawled across the table, engaged in playful antics with Dumpling inside the cage.
It extended its dark tail into the hamster’s cage, enticing Dumpling to bite, but swiftly withdrew it before Dumpling could sink its teeth. This left Dumpling frustrated, persistently grinding its teeth inside the cage.
Witnessing the scene, Li Jinyu couldn’t help but find it both amusing and perplexing. “Don’t frighten Dumpling. We, hamsters, are quite timid.”
“You may be timid, but this little rat isn’t.” The black cat huffed, yet withdrew its tail from the cage. “You’re back?”
“Hmm, what is happening in the palace?” Li Jinyu settled himself down, filled with curiosity.
Being a fellow villager and having acquired fragments of Prime Minister Ye’s memories, this inconspicuous little cat was likely to have gathered a wealth of information.
“What else can it be? A coup, of course.” The black cat let out a lethargic yawn, as if expressing dissatisfaction with the taste of today’s cat food. “Humans just love getting entangled in all sorts of matters.”
“Who initiated it?”
“I don’t know for sure, but it certainly wasn’t Huo Caiyu.”
Li Jinyu expressed his curiosity, “Why not?”
“The coup is confined within the palace walls, concealed from the knowledge of the capital’s citizens. This indicates that the instigators of the coup do not require the support of public opinion and, in fact, may prefer to keep the common people unaware and refrain from discussions,” the black cat analyzed indifferently, “If Huo Caiyu had intentions of usurping the throne, the optimal approach would be to claim all the accomplishments achieved in the past year, place numerous accusations upon you, and eventually ascend the throne with the people and ministers’ support.”
Li Jinyu’s face grew more serious. “So, that’s the situation.”
Since it wasn’t Huo Caiyu, he absolutely couldn’t allow someone else to seize the throne that rightfully belonged to Huo Caiyu.
The black cat seemed to perceive Li Jinyu’s thoughts and coolly added, “Of course, Huo Caiyu is not entirely irrelevant.”
“Huh?”
“Do you really think Huo Caiyu coincidentally chose this moment to launch an attack on Jiao Kingdom?” the black cat scoffed, lifting a paw and gesturing, “After being the Regent Prince for so long, how could he be ignorant of the state of the capital’s imperial army? Even if he isn’t the mastermind behind the rebellion, he must have willingly provided assistance.”
Li Jinyu was perplexed, “Why would he do that?”
Could it be that Huo Caiyu wanted someone else to become the Emperor?
“Isn’t it quite simple? If others rebel, he can use the banner of loyalism to lead a massive army back to the capital, reaping the benefits as a result.” The black cat clapped its paws together and then spread them open, explaining, “At that time, whether he wishes to make you a confined concubine or force you to abdicate, it entirely depends on his whims.”
Li Jinyu scratched his ear and hesitated, “The first option seems somewhat plausible…?”
The black cat rolled its eyes in response.
Ignoring the cat’s reaction, Li Jinyu immersed himself in contemplation.
Once Huo Caiyu claimed the throne, the restraints upon him would be lifted. As a spirited being with mystical abilities, he could wander wherever he desired. He wouldn’t be imprisoned in any way!
Besides, staying by Huo Caiyu’s side seemed like a favorable choice…
The more he pondered, the more feasible it appeared. Li Jinyu’s excitement surged as he lifted his head, but suddenly, a thought struck him, and his excitement waned, “But… I have this lingering feeling that Huo Caiyu hasn’t left the capital.”
The black cat was momentarily stunned, “How do you come to that conclusion?”
Li Jinyu scratched his ear, his confidence wavering. “I… It’s just a hunch! I can’t shake the sense that Huo Caiyu is still beside me…”
The black cat looked at him with puzzlement, finally asking, “Have you gone crazy from thinking about him?”
“Who said I was thinking about him!”
Unable to convince the black cat, Li Jinyu immersed himself in contemplation once again.
If Huo Caiyu genuinely had not departed from the capital, what could be his intentions? Could he truly be planning to seize the opportunity, as the black cat suggested? Would it be sufficient if he merely pretended to be captured by the rebels?
However, considering he was currently under house arrest within the palace, it appeared no different from being apprehended by the rebels…
So, was he simply waiting in the same spot?
He was remarkably adept at that!
The elation in Li Jinyu’s heart had barely emerged when, suddenly, a chorus of shouts and the sounds of battle reached his ears from outside.
His heart quivered as he approached the window, gazing out.
Parting the ebony window screen, the scene outside the palace unfolded before his eyes.
Clad in green armor, a contingent of soldiers engaged in a desperate struggle against the guards stationed outside the palace! The clash of blades and the wails of anguish reverberated, staining the square beyond the palace in a crimson hue.
Li Jinyu’s complexion turned ashen, and he entertained the thought of shutting the window and escaping.
Could this green-clad army be Huo Caiyu’s faction?
Before this notion could fully crystallize, an arrow was mercilessly loosed from the midst of the green-clad troops, hurtling directly toward the palace window!
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Ok what’s happening? Is this Empress dowager ‘s doing?
Maybe the other son of the former Empress is not dead and Huo Caiyu found him and actively helps to seize the throne?
Why else would emperor jingchang was given sterility poison unless there’s no backup plan.
Dowager probably being plotting something behind the scenes in the pretend of praying.