Having settled the Old Emperor comfortably, Li Yao really left this time.
She could not stay in the imperial palace indefinitely, firstly there was no point, and secondly she needed to buy some things.
The Crown Prince had a ruthless heart. Not only did he feed the Old Emperor poison, he did not even give him any food.
Therefore, Li Yao bought some herbs and boiled them into medicinal liquids, and also brought the old man some food.
That night, Li Yao sneaked into the palace again. When the Old Emperor saw a greasy roast chicken, the corners of his mouth turned up into a grin.
"I don't know how many years it's been, I've always wanted to eat Huang Ji's roast chicken again, but the imperial chef just won't buy it for me."
Even the diet of an emperor was not so free.
The imperial chef would make anything he wanted, but would never buy ready-made food from small roadside stalls.
So the roast chicken Li Yao brought him allowed him to taste the flavors of his youth.
After the Old Emperor finished the roast chicken, Li Yao gave him some medicine to help regulate his body, with the goal of getting the Old Emperor in the best shape possible before he lost consciousness.
By the third day, the deadline given by the Crown Prince had arrived.
This time Li Yao did not lie on the roof, but hid inside the bedchamber.
The Crown Prince still came in alone. Seeing the Old Emperor's face as pale as paper, a hideous smile emerged on his face.
"Father Emperor, have you considered it?" said the Crown Prince. "If you abdicate now, I can still allow you to live out your remaining years in comfort."
"If... if I... don't abdicate?"
"Don't abdicate? Then tonight will be the time Your Majesty leaves this world."
"You... have such a cruel heart... cough cough..."
The Old Emperor pretended to tremble all over in anger as Li Yao had taught him, and then coughed violently, even coughing up quite a bit of "blood".
Then he gasped for breath, unable to catch it, and passed out with his eyes closed.
"Imperial physicians, hurry and come take a look!"
A few imperial physicians came over with their heads lowered, took the emperor's pulse, and said, "Your Highness, His Majesty's pulse is chaotic and weak, I'm afraid he is..."
"How much longer does he have?"
"At most two or three days."
"Humph, it seems your medicine is not very effective," said the Crown Prince. "Just two or three days, I can wait. These next few days, continue to take good care of His Majesty."
After a pause, the Crown Prince said coldly, "The medicine he should take, he still has to take."
"Yes."
The Crown Prince and imperial physicians left. The Old Emperor opened his eyes.
Just now, he had just taken a trip to the gates of death. To be honest, it still frightened him.
But fortunately Li Yao had planned for every contingency, knowing that the Crown Prince, seeing he did not have long to live, was unwilling to dirty his own hands. Instead he chose to wait a few more days.
But thinking about having to lie in bed pretending to be unconscious, or even really being knocked unconscious by Li Yao, did not feel good.
In the next few days, Li Yao still came every night to bring the Old Emperor food and medicine.
The Crown Prince asked after the Old Emperor's health almost every day. Every day the imperial physicians said it would be soon, soon, but the Old Emperor still did not die. This made the Crown Prince very angry.
He suspected the imperial physicians were playing tricks, so he went to check on the Old Emperor personally. But he discovered the Old Emperor really was lying motionless in bed, breathing weakly, as if his next breath might be his last.
How could this old thing have such a long life?
But the Crown Prince's patience was limited. He decided to wait no more than five more days.
In five days it would be New Year's Eve. He could not possibly wait until next year to succeed to the throne.
By then, if the Old Emperor still had not died, he would not mind lending a hand.
...
After leaving the palace that day, Li Yao did not immediately return to the inn.
Tomorrow was New Year's Eve. The Crown Prince would make his move tomorrow night. She and the Right Chancellor had made preparations in advance. They had sealed off the city gates the last couple days, so that no news from outside could come in, and no news inside could go out.
Although it was simple for her to leave the city, the Yi Prefecture army and the border army, even if they arrived, would not be able to camp right outside the city gates. They would have to be at least ten or even dozens of miles away.
But if no news could get out, they would not know when to act.
So Li Yao had to find someone to get the message out.
But who?
In the entire capital city, there were only a handful of people she knew - the Jia family had already left the city, and Grand Marshal Xu was still locked up in the dungeons.
Finally she decided to look for someone from the Song family.
Left Chancellor Song An was Song Prefect's uncle, and had always been at odds with the Right Chancellor, and had not been involved in the Crown Prince's usurpation.
As long as he was willing to help, it should not be difficult to send some messages out of the city.
So she went to the Left Chancellor's estate. Compared to the Right Chancellor's estate, although the Left Chancellor's estate was also very large, it was far less luxurious.
"Who goes there?" A guard shouted when he noticed Li Yao.
"Please announce me, I have important business to discuss with the Left Chancellor."
The guard said, "It's the middle of the night, the Left Chancellor is long asleep. If you want to meet with him, come back tomorrow!"
"It has to be now."
"Who exactly are you?" the guard asked.
"I'm a friend of Song Prefect of Yi Prefecture."
Hearing she was a friend of Song Prefect, the guard's attitude became somewhat better, but he was still very wary. They had heard lately that there would be turmoil in the capital city, so they guards had to be extra alert at night.
"Wait here, I'll ask the steward."
Li Yao stood in the street and waited over ten minutes. Fortunately the guard came back and said the Left Chancellor was willing to see her.
She followed the guard to the study. Song An was already waiting.
At first glance, Song An asked in surprise, "You are Li Yao?"
"How does the Left Chancellor recognize me?"
"Originally I didn't recognize you. But a month ago, Song Feng sent back a portrait of you, saying that if you came to the capital city, I should do my best to assist you."
Was this Song Prefect a fortune teller? A month ago she was still in the northern borderlands, how did he know she would come to the capital city?
Never mind, now was not the time to worry about that.
Since Song An recognized her, that just saved some trouble.
"Miss Li, why have you come?"
"The Crown Prince wants to kill His Majesty and usurp the throne. He's already making preparations."
"Cough cough..."
Song An, who was drinking water, choked and couldn't catch his breath.
This Miss Li spoke too directly, too directly.
One must know, such words cannot be spoken carelessly. If His Majesty or the Crown Prince heard them, it would be an immediate beheading!
"I know it's a bit far-fetched," Li Yao continued without regard for Song An's astonishment. "But that is the truth. These last few nights I've been in the palace helping His Majesty cling to life. But the Crown Prince cannot wait any longer. He plans to make his move tomorrow night."
Song An stared at Li Yao tongue-tied, momentarily at a loss for how to respond. Because every sentence was so far-fetched.
"Then what use is there in coming to me? I'm just a civil official. My power is still under the Right Chancellor's. I have no factions at court..."
"The Yi Prefecture army and border armies should arrive soon, but the city gates are sealed shut now, so no messages can be sent out," Li Yao said directly. "If the Left Chancellor can contact them, perhaps there is still a chance to turn things around."
The Yi Prefecture army and border armies have come to the outskirts of the capital?
This news was even more astonishing to Song An than the Crown Prince's usurpation.
The arrival of the Yi Prefecture army at the capital without a sound was tantamount to rebellion!
But he was more willing to believe Li Yao's words. After all, the Crown Prince's usurpation was something everyone had already known in their hearts for some time.
"Alright, I'll do my best to try."
Having settled the Old Emperor comfortably, Li Yao really left this time.
She could not stay in the imperial palace indefinitely, firstly there was no point, and secondly she needed to buy some things.
The Crown Prince had a ruthless heart. Not only did he feed the Old Emperor poison, he did not even give him any food.
Therefore, Li Yao bought some herbs and boiled them into medicinal liquids, and also brought the old man some food.
That night, Li Yao sneaked into the palace again. When the Old Emperor saw a greasy roast chicken, the corners of his mouth turned up into a grin.
"I don't know how many years it's been, I've always wanted to eat Huang Ji's roast chicken again, but the imperial chef just won't buy it for me."
Even the diet of an emperor was not so free.
The imperial chef would make anything he wanted, but would never buy ready-made food from small roadside stalls.
So the roast chicken Li Yao brought him allowed him to taste the flavors of his youth.
After the Old Emperor finished the roast chicken, Li Yao gave him some medicine to help regulate his body, with the goal of getting the Old Emperor in the best shape possible before he lost consciousness.
By the third day, the deadline given by the Crown Prince had arrived.
This time Li Yao did not lie on the roof, but hid inside the bedchamber.
The Crown Prince still came in alone. Seeing the Old Emperor's face as pale as paper, a hideous smile emerged on his face.
"Father Emperor, have you considered it?" said the Crown Prince. "If you abdicate now, I can still allow you to live out your remaining years in comfort."
"If... if I... don't abdicate?"
"Don't abdicate? Then tonight will be the time Your Majesty leaves this world."
"You... have such a cruel heart... cough cough..."
The Old Emperor pretended to tremble all over in anger as Li Yao had taught him, and then coughed violently, even coughing up quite a bit of "blood".
Then he gasped for breath, unable to catch it, and passed out with his eyes closed.
"Imperial physicians, hurry and come take a look!"
A few imperial physicians came over with their heads lowered, took the emperor's pulse, and said, "Your Highness, His Majesty's pulse is chaotic and weak, I'm afraid he is..."
"How much longer does he have?"
"At most two or three days."
"Humph, it seems your medicine is not very effective," said the Crown Prince. "Just two or three days, I can wait. These next few days, continue to take good care of His Majesty."
After a pause, the Crown Prince said coldly, "The medicine he should take, he still has to take."
"Yes."
The Crown Prince and imperial physicians left. The Old Emperor opened his eyes.
Just now, he had just taken a trip to the gates of death. To be honest, it still frightened him.
But fortunately Li Yao had planned for every contingency, knowing that the Crown Prince, seeing he did not have long to live, was unwilling to dirty his own hands. Instead he chose to wait a few more days.
But thinking about having to lie in bed pretending to be unconscious, or even really being knocked unconscious by Li Yao, did not feel good.
In the next few days, Li Yao still came every night to bring the Old Emperor food and medicine.
The Crown Prince asked after the Old Emperor's health almost every day. Every day the imperial physicians said it would be soon, soon, but the Old Emperor still did not die. This made the Crown Prince very angry.
He suspected the imperial physicians were playing tricks, so he went to check on the Old Emperor personally. But he discovered the Old Emperor really was lying motionless in bed, breathing weakly, as if his next breath might be his last.
How could this old thing have such a long life?
But the Crown Prince's patience was limited. He decided to wait no more than five more days.
In five days it would be New Year's Eve. He could not possibly wait until next year to succeed to the throne.
By then, if the Old Emperor still had not died, he would not mind lending a hand.
...
After leaving the palace that day, Li Yao did not immediately return to the inn.
Tomorrow was New Year's Eve. The Crown Prince would make his move tomorrow night. She and the Right Chancellor had made preparations in advance. They had sealed off the city gates the last couple days, so that no news from outside could come in, and no news inside could go out.
Although it was simple for her to leave the city, the Yi Prefecture army and the border army, even if they arrived, would not be able to camp right outside the city gates. They would have to be at least ten or even dozens of miles away.
But if no news could get out, they would not know when to act.
So Li Yao had to find someone to get the message out.
But who?
In the entire capital city, there were only a handful of people she knew - the Jia family had already left the city, and Grand Marshal Xu was still locked up in the dungeons.
Finally she decided to look for someone from the Song family.
Left Chancellor Song An was Song Prefect's uncle, and had always been at odds with the Right Chancellor, and had not been involved in the Crown Prince's usurpation.
As long as he was willing to help, it should not be difficult to send some messages out of the city.
So she went to the Left Chancellor's estate. Compared to the Right Chancellor's estate, although the Left Chancellor's estate was also very large, it was far less luxurious.
"Who goes there?" A guard shouted when he noticed Li Yao.
"Please announce me, I have important business to discuss with the Left Chancellor."
The guard said, "It's the middle of the night, the Left Chancellor is long asleep. If you want to meet with him, come back tomorrow!"
"It has to be now."
"Who exactly are you?" the guard asked.
"I'm a friend of Song Prefect of Yi Prefecture."
Hearing she was a friend of Song Prefect, the guard's attitude became somewhat better, but he was still very wary. They had heard lately that there would be turmoil in the capital city, so they guards had to be extra alert at night.
"Wait here, I'll ask the steward."
Li Yao stood in the street and waited over ten minutes. Fortunately the guard came back and said the Left Chancellor was willing to see her.
She followed the guard to the study. Song An was already waiting.
At first glance, Song An asked in surprise, "You are Li Yao?"
"How does the Left Chancellor recognize me?"
"Originally I didn't recognize you. But a month ago, Song Feng sent back a portrait of you, saying that if you came to the capital city, I should do my best to assist you."
Was this Song Prefect a fortune teller? A month ago she was still in the northern borderlands, how did he know she would come to the capital city?
Never mind, now was not the time to worry about that.
Since Song An recognized her, that just saved some trouble.
"Miss Li, why have you come?"
"The Crown Prince wants to kill His Majesty and usurp the throne. He's already making preparations."
"Cough cough..."
Song An, who was drinking water, choked and couldn't catch his breath.
This Miss Li spoke too directly, too directly.
One must know, such words cannot be spoken carelessly. If His Majesty or the Crown Prince heard them, it would be an immediate beheading!
"I know it's a bit far-fetched," Li Yao continued without regard for Song An's astonishment. "But that is the truth. These last few nights I've been in the palace helping His Majesty cling to life. But the Crown Prince cannot wait any longer. He plans to make his move tomorrow night."
Song An stared at Li Yao tongue-tied, momentarily at a loss for how to respond. Because every sentence was so far-fetched.
"Then what use is there in coming to me? I'm just a civil official. My power is still under the Right Chancellor's. I have no factions at court..."
"The Yi Prefecture army and border armies should arrive soon, but the city gates are sealed shut now, so no messages can be sent out," Li Yao said directly. "If the Left Chancellor can contact them, perhaps there is still a chance to turn things around."
The Yi Prefecture army and border armies have come to the outskirts of the capital?
This news was even more astonishing to Song An than the Crown Prince's usurpation.
The arrival of the Yi Prefecture army at the capital without a sound was tantamount to rebellion!
But he was more willing to believe Li Yao's words. After all, the Crown Prince's usurpation was something everyone had already known in their hearts for some time.
"Alright, I'll do my best to try."
