Chapter 555

Your Highness, don't make things difficult for this old servant; this is the Emperor's edict—do you truly intend to defy it?

Eunuch Wang gave Xiao Ting no chance to defend himself; the officials of the Five City Military Command behind him surged straight into the Tai Zi Fu, and in an instant screams rang out from within the residence, along with the weeping of the ladies.

The Crown Prince's face turned livid with rage; he was about to step forward when Eunuch Wang immediately blocked him, and then the leading few of the Five City Military Command actually went ahead and bound the Crown Prince outright.

"You're mad, you must be mad—how dare you bind me? Do you not wish to live?"

Xiao Ting flew into a rage; after struggling a few moments, a guard walked over to Eunuch Wang holding a palm‑sized box.

"Eunuch Wang, this was found in the inner hall of the Tai Zi Fu; please have a look!"

The Crown Prince stared fixedly at the box the guard was holding; those boxes were specially carved from purple sandalwood.

Inside the box lay a cloth doll dressed in a golden dragon robe, a cluster of needles pierced its chest, and the doll bore the name and birth‑date of Emperor Longqing.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Ting was terrified out of his wits.

At that moment Xiao Ting's face turned deathly pale, and the guard had already bound his arms tighter.

He stared fixedly at Eunuch Wang, whose eyes drooped slightly; he did not look at Xiao Ting.

"Seize him! Take the Crown Prince into the palace!"

Upon hearing he would be taken to the palace, Xiao Ting felt a surge of relief and said coldly, "Eunuch Wang, I will go to the palace to settle this; Father will believe me!"

"Whether you are believed or not, once inside the palace a decision will be made!"

Eunuch Wang's tone was flat.

Soon Eunuch Wang brought Xiao Ting into a palace carriage; the carriage rolled down Chongwen Street's main avenue toward the Dong Simen Gate, and as Xiao Ting watched the scenery outside, his heart fluttered anxiously.

Soon the carriage entered the palace city, and Xiao Ting was escorted by a group of eunuchs toward the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

At this time the corpses in the palace city had been cleared away, the bloodstains on the ground washed off with water, yet the air still reeked of the heavy blood‑smell left by the great fire.

Following Eunuch Wang, Xiao Ting finally stood at the door of the Hall of Mental Cultivation; Eunuch Wang did not go in to announce him, but shoved Xiao Ting straight inside.

He, however, did not enter; he stood at the door of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, then slowly tipped his head back and leaned against the coiled‑dragon pillar.

He gasped for breath, then lowered his head and gave a bitter laugh, laughing until tears streamed down.

The two wooden doors of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, blackened by smoke and fire, were now being slowly closed from outside by a few guards, shutting out the night.

Xiao Ting, still bound with rope, staggered forward a few steps, lifted his gaze, and met the eyes of the person seated in the place of honor in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Xiao Ting's face turned ashen, his eyes nearly popping out of his head, he let out an indistinct low growl, turned and fled toward the hall's doors—only to find they had been shut tight from the outside.

With a thud, Xiao Ting collapsed at the doorway, incredulous as he watched Xiao Yin rise to his feet and walk toward him.

In an instant, myriad details flashed through his mind and linked together into a single thread.

Xiao Ting moved his lips, but could not utter a word.

Panic flooded his whole body in an instant; this was the most agonizing moment Xiao Ting had ever endured.

"No… this can't be… why is this happening? Why is this happening?"

Xiao Ting finally could not hold back a hoarse shout.

He had been careless; he really had been careless.

Just now the Five City Military Command had surrounded the Tai Zi Fu; he should have realized it was Xiao Ting's scheme.

He simply hadn't expected that Xiao Yin usually kept close to the Imperial Guard, yet had clashed repeatedly with the Five City Military Command.

Upon careful reflection now, it was merely an act.

The Five City Military Command performed their act all too convincingly.

He ought to have sensed something amiss earlier; after all, to bring him into the palace a single Five City Military Command could not manage it—at the very least the palace's Feathered Forest Guard should have appeared, yet now he sees not a single one of them.

Damn Eunuch Wang!

This lackey, long trusted by the Emperor, has finally betrayed him.

Xiao Ting had not even imagined that he would suffer defeat today; after all, Xiao Yin entered the palace alone, dragging along his burden, Gu Jiu Ling.

Yet the person now seated on the Dragon Throne is Xiao Yin, not his missing father, the Emperor.

Xiao Ting's face drained of color as he stared fixedly at Xiao Yin approaching slowly: "Xiao Yin, where have you hidden my father the Emperor? You are ultimately a traitor; the honor of the Azure Dragon Army's hundred‑plus thousand soldiers will be destroyed in your hands, and your infamy will resound throughout the world!"

Xiao Yin gave a light chuckle, raised his hand and slowly wagged a finger, looking at Xiao Ting before him: "You are unworthy of the word 'honor'! Just now Eunuch Wang took that edict to your Tai Zi Fu—everyone knows it."

"It was you who hid witchcraft in the Tai Zi Fu, using voodoo dolls to curse your own father, wishing him dead so you could ascend the throne; as the Ninth Imperial Uncle, how could I not act?"

Xiao Ting was stunned by Xiao Yin's shameless words; he could not muster a single rebuttal.

From beginning to end, Xiao Yin never showed his face; it was Xiao Ting who appeared.

Now people do not know exactly what happened in the palace, but they understand one thing: the Crown Prince, eager to succeed, rushed to take that seat, and brought the Nan Zhao poisonous vermin with him to Shang Jing.

Emperors throughout history have loathed witchcraft intensely; now that the Tai Zi Fu has produced this incident, public opinion will surely turn sharply against Xiao Ting.

Xiao Yin stared fixedly at Xiao Ting, whose face was ashen, and softly laughed: "The one who will leave a name cursed for all ages should be the Crown Prince; the Crown Prince's manor hides a needle‑pricked doll, Xiao Ting—you can't deny it!"

"No… no… you can't harm me; I am the heir apparent, the regent‑designate heir apparent—what are you, anyway?"

Xiao Yin looked at Xiao Ting, now incoherent, and found him both pitiable and laughable; he slowly raised his hand and patted Xiao Ting's shoulder.

Xiao Yin could not move or speak, and he sealed Xiao Ting's pressure point.

Xiao Ting stared desperately at Xiao Yin before him.

Xiao Yin beckoned, and Eunuch Wang entered, personally holding three items as he stood before Xiao Ting.

The first was a top‑grade crane‑top red.

The second was a length of white silk, with two guards standing beside it; if Xiao Ting could not bring himself to act, the two guards would naturally help him.

The third was a dagger; upon seeing it, Xiao Ting felt his heart torn apart—it was the sole gift his father had given him in childhood.

His father had always been strict with him, praising him only once—when he wrote a fine poem as a child, his father gave him a dagger for self‑defense.

This was the only warm bond between father and son; it's just that the dagger ended up placed on a tray.

Xiao Yin said calmly, "Choose one for yourself."