Chapter 667: with translation of chapter title

Suddenly a loud and mournful voice spread throughout the Southern Qi court.

Zhao Gonggong's steps were hurried and chaotic as he shouted all the way from the middle gate to the Meridian Gate along the Yangxin Hall.

"The emperor has passed away!"

"The emperor has passed away!"

Instantly, these mournful cries shattered the night's tranquility; the great clans and all civil and military officials would likely not sleep soundly tonight.

Gu Jiu Ling was also shaken awake from her sleep by Jiu Yue.

Gu Jiu Ling covered her slightly heavy forehead and sat up; Jiu Yue hurriedly whispered, "My lady, something major has happened!"

"The emperor has passed away; the Prince ordered the guards of the Prince Rui's residence to be more vigilant, and Ling Feng has already personally led people to stand guard outside."

"Now all civil and military officials, including our second master, have already entered the palace."

At that moment, Gu Jiu Ling could hardly react; after a while she whispered, "He's passed away?"

For a moment, Gu Jiu Ling found the term "passed away" rather unfamiliar.

Since she transmigrated into this world, she has had considerable dealings with Emperor Longqing; later, as she came to understand Xiao Yin more deeply, she increasingly felt that Emperor Longqing was truly no good.

Now that this person suddenly died, she felt a bit dazed.

"Help me up quickly!"

"Help me put on makeup; I need to go to the palace."

"The emperor has passed away; the noble ladies of the clans must also enter the palace."

At this moment, Gu Jiu Ling did not know what Xiao Yin was doing in the palace, but she was not afraid of the petty villains behind the scenes causing trouble.

After all, Xiao Yin has defeated the eight great clans, and all the troops and wealth they held have fallen into his hands.

Now hardly anyone can rival Xiao Yin; the only uncertain factor is that Bai Xiaosheng.

However, Bai Xiaosheng is a martial artist; it is impossible for him to rival Xiao Yin, who holds power over all under heaven.

Earlier, Xiao Yin asked her whether she would let him become emperor, but Gu Jiu Ling gave no clear answer.

Upon hearing that Emperor Longqing had passed away, she could see that the court was about to change dynasties.

If they really were to push Bai Xiaosheng to the throne, that man is unreliable; it would likely stir up more trouble.

Gu Jiu Ling's heart instantly became tangled; tonight, it seems this day will change.

"My lady!"

Suddenly, Ling Feng's urgent voice came from outside the warm pavilion's door.

Jiu Yue hurriedly turned and went out; afterward, Gu Jiu Ling came to the outer hall, and Jiu Yue brought Ling Feng inside.

Ling Feng bowed and said, "My lady, the Prince says there is some turmoil in the palace now, it's unsafe; you need not enter the palace, just wait here, do not step out of the residence half a step."

According to Southern Qi custom, when the emperor passes away, the noble ladies of the clans must enter the palace.

Especially since Xiao Yin is a relative of the imperial family, at this time he has her stay at home, and Gu Jiu Ling naturally obeys.

This time she dare not defy Xiao Yin's will again; if she does, he could choke her to death.

"Alright, I will wait for news in the residence."

Ling Feng breathed a sigh of relief, rose to take his leave, and with his men guarded the entire residence like an iron barrel.

Not long after, the Imperial Guard, under Commander Zhou's leadership, encircled the Prince Rui's residence once more; this time the residence's guard reached the highest level.

Meanwhile, the carriages of the other clans also hurried into the palace under the cover of night.

"Lord Gu, be careful," the attendant said, supporting Gu Kang's arm as he sent him into the carriage.

The news from the palace had just arrived; Gu Kang, as the Prime Minister of Southern Qi, naturally had to go to the palace to mourn.

He wore a dark purple official robe, with a fur cape over it.

Afterwards, he arrived by carriage at the Eastern Si Ma Gate; upon stepping down, he saw other officials also arriving one after another.

The officials hurriedly greeted Gu Kang with clasped fists; now the entire capital's civil and military officials look to Gu Kang as their leader.

Gu Kang's background is not simple; his brother-in-law is the current Prince Rui.

At this moment, with Emperor Longqing's passing, the Southern Qi court may become anything; clinging to Gu Kang's thigh is surely no mistake.

Tonight's atmosphere is rather tense; the ministers are not as they usually are, chatting a few sentences during court.

This time, they all kept silent, following the lead of the Superintendent of Rites toward the Yangxin Hall.

Emperor Longqing's corpse lay in the Yangxin Hall, which, under the planning of the Ministry of Rites officials, had already been set up as a mourning hall.

The large coffin prepared long ago stood in the center of the Yangxin Hall; the surrounding curtains were changed to plain white, and the entire palace city fell into a white sorrow.

The civil and military officials, led by Gu Kang, walked to the steps of the Yangxin Hall and immediately knelt down in unison.

Indeed, it was already midsummer, yet the night was still somewhat cold.

Not long after, Prince Rui emerged slowly from the Yangxin Hall; Gu Kang lifted his gaze toward his brother-in-law, who held the heavens in his palm, but did not see the Crown Prince.

Like Gu Kang, others also noticed something amiss.

Logically, after Emperor Longqing's passing, the throne should be passed to his son; at this moment, no one knows where Bai Xiaosheng has gone.

Yet all they saw was Xiao Yin's tall figure standing before the hall of the Yangxin Hall.

Afterwards, Zhao Gonggong carefully took out a scroll inlaid with gold and slowly unfurled it.

"I ascended the throne in the first year of Longqing. I therefore issued an edict, deeply confessing past faults, saying: Previously, the Ministry proposed to increase the people's taxes by thirty to aid frontier use, which would heavily burden the elderly, weak, and solitary. Later, the right's eight, great force, became a tiger, causing harm to the people, this is also tea. Later, the garrison directly brewed the disaster of Qi Sha Gu. Thus tens of thousands of commoners were plunged into fire and water; I deeply feel my sins are grave...."

Zhao Gonggong's voice, which he wanted to deliver slowly and softly in the heavy night, was heard by the kneeling officials as a cold sweat.

"Is this not the self-reproach edict?"

"Yes, it's merely the late emperor's last trick; what on earth is going on?"

"Silence! Do you want to die?"

The civil and military officials, though they drew a cold breath, were forced by the intimidating presence of the Yue King's little lady, a layperson, to kneel there motionless; logically, upon the late emperor's passing, before death he should have left a testament, letting the Crown Prince inherit, yet the edict for the new emperor's accession has not been issued; indeed, they have discharged a self-reproach edict, and the direction of this matter is becoming increasingly suspicious.

Zhao Gonggong also broke into a cold sweat from reading, caught his breath, and continued: "However, the Crown Prince, although these days' results ultimately come from the folk, are utterly inadequate, his work is full of loopholes, he nearly failed in the battle of Yinzhou due to scribal errors, thus he cannot bear the responsibility of governing the state and managing finances; my younger brother, Prince Rui, is intelligent and quick-witted, endowed with talent, having previously campaigned for the state. Like the princess, who harbors love for all under heaven and protects you, I now transfer the throne to Prince Rui—so decreed!"

Eunuch Zhao finished reading the imperial edict, again slowly presented a box, showed the true and formal bed-end imperial edict, instantly froze the northern pass below, stirring up a great commotion.

"This this..."

Then what happened to the Crown Prince? How did the Crown Prince end up??

Gu Kang raised their eyes, stared, looking at the man standing before them, their hair color flickered slightly, this person finally stood at the pinnacle of this power.

The discussion below grew ever more heated, a bit of silence added, suddenly a soft voice sounded, the surroundings were dreadful, everyone fell into a sheet of achievements.. b.

Xiao Ying waved their hand, suddenly urgent footsteps sounded from all around, the Golden Dragon Army however suppressed a person and walked towards the civil and military officials.

Xiao Yin coldly laughed. "Since you asked about your Crown Prince, I will give you an answer."