Chapter 496: Not the Son of Heaven's Mandate Shall Incur Heaven's Wrath

He poured all the yellow beans and green beans from the jar into a wooden tray, and the little eunuch, holding a ruler, separated the yellow and green beans and counted them one by one.

In short, no one was allowed to touch the beans with their hands.

Everything was carried out in full view of everyone.

The officials on both sides craned their necks, staring at the table in the center of the great hall, ensuring there was no cheating and that everything was fair. They were also eager to learn the result as soon as possible.

Would the yellow beans win, or the green beans?

Yu Yu Zhaoan looked utterly confident; he had estimated the Prince of Jin's odds of winning early that morning. The votes he could secure, he had already worked on privately, and barring any accident, the Prince of Jin would surely win by a "narrow" margin.

Chen Chen Guanfu held a handkerchief in his hand, lightly covering his mouth, as if afraid that someone would catch him laughing out loud. Like the other officials, he too craned his neck toward the table. Whenever the little eunuch's ruler stirred, everyone silently counted along.

Apart from the old and frail, everyone present had excellent eyesight; even from several zhang away, they could see clearly and would not make a mistake.

The yellow beans are in the lead!

The green beans have caught up!

The yellow and green beans are tied!

Is there going to be an upset today?

Yu Yu Zhaoan snorted coldly to himself—no accident could possibly occur.

The yellow and green beans were locked in a fierce contest. The officials silently counted the number of yellow and green beans while speculating which others had cast a bean of the same color as themselves. In fact, many people's votes could be figured out by everyone.

The real variables were certain fence-sitters, or people who had never openly shown their stance. What color bean these people would cast was truly full of uncertainty.

It's almost over!

The yellow beans are ahead by one.

Not good—the green beans have caught up again.

The green beans actually overtook the yellow beans. The last two beans, one yellow and one green—the result spoke for itself.

"Impossible!"

Before the result was officially announced, Yu Yu Zhaoan was the first to cry out.

Li Li Liangcheng shot him a very displeased glare. "Does Chancellor Yu have an objection to today's vote?"

Yu Yu Zhaoan's face turned livid, but he said nothing. He knew he had been too hasty, which was unbefitting his status. As a Chancellor, how could he presume a stance in advance?

Seeing that he remained silent, Li Li Liangcheng immediately snorted coldly. "Continue! Is the result confirmed? Can it be announced on the spot?"

The three representatives counted multiple times and clearly stated, "The result is confirmed."

"Then announce the result."

"The result is, the green beans win by a margin of one."

"The Prince of Yan won?"

"The green beans are the Prince of Yan!"

"The Prince of Yan is Emperor!"

"Hahaha... it's actually the Prince of Yan, truly..." What a surprise! Winning by a single vote. Who on earth cast that one vote?

The news reached the Piandian next door in an instant, reaching the ears of all the princes and imperial princes.

The Prince of Yan had assumed he would lose today; although he was inwardly unconvinced, reason told him the Prince of Jin had the better odds. He never expected that the message brought by the little eunuch would be that he had won.

He sprang up abruptly, sending his Ben Zhong chair tumbling.

"I won? This King won? Is it certain that this King won? By a single vote. Hahaha... hahaha..."

His laughter cut off abruptly!

Utterly sudden and catching everyone off guard, the Prince of Yan fell rigidly backward.

"Heavens!"

"Oh no, His Highness the Prince of Yan has fainted from joy."

"Summon the Imperial Physician quickly!"

"The Prince of Yan must be all right!"

The officials in the great hall next door heard the commotion and hurried to the Piandian, only to find a crowd already gathered around the Prince of Yan. The Prince of Yan lay on the ground, his whole body convulsing.

"Quick, quick, quick, stuff something into the Prince of Yan's mouth at once, don't let him bite his tongue."

An official who knew some medicine acted decisively, pulled out a handkerchief, and forced it into the Prince of Yan's mouth.

A group of Imperial Physicians arrived in a rush with their medicine chests, hurriedly administering emergency treatment and applying acupuncture.

The crowd gathered in a circle, every heart in suspense.

This was the newly chosen Emperor, the Empire's heir.

This, this, this... is truly a very bad omen!

Many officials exchanged glances, signaling each other with their eyes—could it be that the Prince of Yan also lacked an emperor's fate, that he was not the one chosen by Heaven? Otherwise, why such ill fortune—upon hearing the news of his election as Emperor, he actually fainted from joy.

"We never heard before that the Prince of Yan suffered from epilepsy," the officials whispered among themselves.

An Emperor suffering from epilepsy—how terrible that would be.

They sought confirmation from the Imperial Physicians, who also confirmed that the Prince of Yan had never suffered from epilepsy. Today's scene was truly shocking.

"A person who never had epilepsy, normally in good health, suddenly falls to the ground convulsing—what is the reason? Could he really have gone mad from excessive joy?"

"That can't be!"

Everyone buzzed with discussion.

Only the dejected Prince of Jin stood in a corner, still unable to come to his senses.

He had lost!

How could he possibly have lost!

He had secured every vote he could; how could he have lost to the Prince of Yan by a single vote?

He found Yu Yu Zhaoan in the crowd.

Yu Yu Zhaoan was at once gloating and utterly baffled.

He caught the scent of a conspiracy. A plot against the Prince of Jin was closing in.

The most likely victor, the Zhongwangdian, had suddenly been poisoned and fallen into a coma, still not awake to this day — an ill omen, more likely fatal than not.

The Yanwangdian, who had just won out and been chosen as Emperor, had suddenly been struck by a fit of epilepsy, his fate uncertain.

His face darkened; he whipped his head around to search for the Prince of Jin, his gaze brimming with questions and disbelief.

The Prince of Jin gritted his teeth. He had read Yu Yu Zhaoan's look, and he raged in a soundless roar — none of this had anything to do with him; he had done nothing at all.

He was certain he could win; there was no need for such an unnecessary move against the Prince of Yan. Let alone making someone collapse with epilepsy in full view of everyone — he didn't have that kind of skill.

Anyone with that kind of skill was not inside this Piandian.

Unless…

Unless it was poison!

The Prince of Yan had been poisoned long ago — poisoned with a toxin that, when it took effect, looked just like epilepsy.

Who was it?

Who could be so vicious?

Yu Yu Zhaoan believed the Prince of Jin. Given the Prince of Jin's original odds of winning, he truly had no need to play petty tricks against the Prince of Yan.

This was a conspiracy.

Xiang Zhuang performed the sword dance with his sights set on the Duke of Pei!

On the surface it was aimed at the Prince of Yan, but in truth it was directed at the Prince of Jin.

The Prince of Jin was in danger!

A group of imperial physicians, exerting every ounce of their skill and pulling out all their best tricks, finally managed to bring the Prince of Yan's epileptic fit under control. But the Prince of Yan remained in a coma, showing no sign of waking.

"What is to be done? What is to be done?"

Some ministers were frantic with worry, pacing in anxious circles.

"The result is out; next we should proclaim it to the realm and begin preparations for the enthronement ceremony. The date has even been picked. But with the Yanwangdian in this state, what should we do?"

Everyone present had never encountered anything so bizarre, and for the moment could come up with no plan.

"Li Xiang, what do you say we should do? Should we still proclaim it to the realm, and continue preparing for the enthronement ceremony?"

"If something should happen to the Yanwangdian, should it be Wang Jue, or the Son of Heaven?"

"Cease this reckless talk. The Yanwangdian is a man blessed by heaven; he will surely turn misfortune into blessing and ill luck into good."

"Gentlemen, are you truly resolved to choose a man afflicted with epilepsy to inherit the throne? I urge everyone to consider this carefully!"

"It is truly a most inauspicious sign! I fear this is a warning from the heavens above!"

"One who is not a Son of Heaven's Mandate shall incur the wrath of heaven!"

"Heretical words to bewitch the masses!"