The princes had not taken the Crown Prince seriously before Zi Cheng stepped forward. In their eyes, the Emperor was displeased with the Crown Prince, and his dethronement was only a matter of time, so they had not hesitated to kick him while he was down.
But who could have imagined that the Crown Prince would suddenly gain power and, with the help of Prince Ming Rui, seize control of the court in the shortest possible time, holding everyone firmly in his grasp.
Those who resisted, or did anything, all met with bad ends, especially those who had once schemed against and bullied the Crown Prince and Prince Ming Rui.
"Crown Prince, you are clearly trying to change the subject! We are talking about the cause of Father Emperor's death. Father Emperor was fine yesterday, why did he suddenly die overnight? Do you dare say that you and Prince Ming Rui were not involved?"
"You servants, tell me, did the Crown Prince and Prince Ming Rui collude to kill His Majesty, and then threaten you not to tell the truth?"
Almost all the surrounding palace servants lowered their heads and stood there, only two palace maids spoke timidly.
"This servant... last night this servant saw His Highness the Crown Prince go to see His Majesty, and they had a big argument. This morning His Majesty had an accident."
"This servant accidentally overheard His Highness the Crown Prince say that it was time for His Majesty to depart. This servant was afraid of being silenced by His Highness the Crown Prince and has never dared to tell the truth."
One stone stirred up a thousand waves.
"I don't believe His Highness the Crown Prince did it. His Highness the Crown Prince has no reason to, and besides, this plan is too foolish."
"I suggest that His Majesty's case be handed over to the Three Judicial Offices for a joint trial. During this period, the Crown Prince must not interfere in any matters and must remain in the East Palace."
"This is clearly the Crown Prince's design to kill His Majesty to ascend the throne sooner. Prince Ming Rui must have been involved, otherwise the Crown Prince could not have succeeded so easily."
Mo Lingxi and Zi Cheng stood there with indifferent expressions, watching as a group of court officials and princes and grandsons argued heatedly in front of Ming Zong's coffin, their demeanor almost reaching the point of fighting.
Neither of them paid attention to these people, but instead cast a few more glances at the palace maids who claimed to be telling the truth.
Zi Cheng asked the Imperial Guards if these two palace maids served Ming Zong and received an affirmative answer, but these two palace maids were mere laborers and were usually not even allowed to approach Ming Zong.
Zi Cheng and Mo Lingxi exchanged a look, clearly understanding that a hidden hand was at play, likely aiming to destabilize the court and then make a move.
They still let the crowd argue.
"Uncle, this cannot go on like this," Zi Cheng covered his mouth with his hand and lowered his voice, "If we are not careful, it will lead to great disaster."
Mo Lingxi's eyes were full of killing intent, "Those who should be imprisoned, imprisoned; those who should be killed, killed!"
Zi Cheng thought the same, and immediately ordered the Imperial Guards to arrest all the troublemaking court officials and princes and grandsons, and even executed a few of the most aggressive court officials on the spot.
This bloody scene made everyone truly realize that the young crown prince before them was not as easygoing and easy to scheme against as he appeared; he was extremely decisive and skillful.
"I do not wish to see internal strife, nor do I wish to see you fighting."
Zi Cheng stood there with his hands behind his back, his gaze fierce, "This is just a warning. If there is a next time, you will not live! Also, I will thoroughly investigate His Majesty's affairs. If anyone dares to spread what should not be spread, you know the consequences."
Seeing the few corpses being dragged away and the bloodstains, everyone shivered and dared not say or do anything more. The most important thing now was to save their lives.
Zi Cheng had no time to manage the thoughts of these people and directly ordered them to be confined, "Until His Majesty's affairs are investigated, no one is allowed to leave the Imperial Palace."
No matter how dissatisfied and resentful the crowd was, they did not dare to show the slightest bit of it.
Mo Lingxi swept his gaze over them and instructed the Imperial Guards to drag the two palace maids away for interrogation, "Do you think the Northern Yuan Dynasty sent a princess for marriage for what reason? To still be infighting at this time, do you think other countries will not take the opportunity to attack the Eastern Jin Dynasty, or do you think you are capable of resisting the attacks of several countries?"
"Uncle, why are you saying these things to these fools who only care about their own interests?" Zi Cheng sneered, with extreme sarcasm, "In the eyes of these people, they can only see immediate benefits and do not care about the safety of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and its people."
"Perhaps, when other countries invade the Eastern Capital, they will even commit treason for their own benefit and to save their lives."
Mo Lingxi took the sword handed over by the Imperial Guards and plunged it into the ground, his words carrying a murderous aura, "I will say this here: if anyone dares to do what they should not do, I will personally chop them to pieces."
The cold sword made everyone present tremble in fear. Everyone understood Prince Ming Rui's methods and knew that he was serious.
...
When Mo Lingxi finished dealing with matters and returned to the palace to find Tao Lengshuang, it was already close to midnight.
Seeing that Tao Lengshuang had not yet slept, he felt very sorry for her, "Why are you still awake? Didn't I send someone to tell you that I would be busy until late?"
Tao Lengshuang rubbed her slightly tired brow and sighed, "I can't sleep. Such a big event has happened, and the palace is in such chaos. How can I be in the mood to sleep?"
Mo Lingxi felt even more sorry for her, "I have implicated you. It is right that you do not like this kind of life. This kind of life is filled with schemes and deception every day. Everyone around you has ulterior motives, and it is difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood."
Having been unfavored since childhood, he knew how dark and poisonous the Imperial Palace was, and such a place was truly detestable.
Tao Lengshuang held his hand and softened her voice, "Alright, let's not talk about this. Get some rest early. You have to get up early tomorrow, don't you?"
Mo Lingxi hummed in agreement, "You also have to get up early. If anyone causes you trouble, you don't need to be polite, and you don't need to worry about anything."
Tao Lengshuang said "Okay" and rested with Mo Lingxi.
...
The next day, it was still dark.
Mo Lingxi went ahead, and Tao Lengshuang, who arrived later, was led by a palace attendant to pay respects. However, she encountered Princess Nanning, who was also paying respects, on the way.
"Princess Ming Rui," Princess Nanning curtsied, her eyes showing a hint of worry, "With what has happened now, I, a princess for marriage, am truly in an awkward position. I don't know what will happen to me next."
Tao Lengshuang could not say for sure about this, nor would she get involved. "Princess Nanning, please reside here with peace of mind."
Princess Nanning said bitterly, "How can I be at ease? If I, a princess for marriage, cannot be married, and am sent back, it is a dead end. Staying here is also very awkward."
Tao Lengshuang said calmly, "So, what does Princess Nanning want to say to me?"
Princess Nanning knew that she could not play coy with a clever person and said directly, "I would like to ask Princess Ming Rui for a favor."
Tao Lengshuang stated that she could not help Princess Nanning, and even if she had the ability to help Princess Nanning, she would not be foolish enough to help a princess for marriage from an enemy country.
Princess Nanning blocked her path and bit her lip, "If I say that if Princess Ming Rui helps me, I can refuse to marry Prince Ming Rui?"