usatvline Chapter 323: The Cousin of "Fuwa" 51
Chapter 323: The Cousin of "Fuwa" 51
Cheng Xiuran watched all this, too terrified to move. His screams echoed in the sea of fire, making people shudder.
Looking at the thunder and lightning that seemed like a punishment from heaven, everyone only dared to put out the fire outside and no one dared to go in.
Suddenly, a figure rushed out from the flames. It was Cheng Xiuran, his clothes were burnt to tatters, his face was blackened by smoke, but he still ran forward desperately.
However, just as he was about to escape from the sea of fire, a burning beam hit him. Cheng Xiuran screamed and fell to the ground.
A palace servant saw this scene and began to shout frantically: "Your Highness, that's His Highness! Quick, pull His Highness out!"
Then the brave palace maids and royal guards rushed forward and pulled out Cheng Xiuran, who was about to escape from the palace and was only one step away from the door.
At this moment, his entire body was black and his mouth was full of blood.
When a palace servant was moving him, he accidentally touched his leg and was horrified to find that the leg was so soft that it seemed boneless!
"Oh my God! Your Highness's legs..." the palace servant shouted in horror.
Gu Qian watched all this with indifference. She knew that Cheng Xiuran’s retribution had just begun.
As the fire was gradually brought under control, Chaoyang Hall had become ruins.
Seeing this, Gu Qian shifted his gaze to another palace, the Hall of Mental Cultivation, where the emperor generally lived and worked.
This time, Gu Qian did not strike the roof with lightning, but instead sent down a bolt of lightning directly in front of the hall, creating a crack on the ground at the door and charring the surrounding area.
Gu Qian, who caused the riot again, finally left with a disappointed look on her face.
She wanted to give this extremely biased emperor a warning, to make him realize the seriousness of the matter and stop blindly favoring and protecting Cheng Xiuran.
Afterwards, Cheng Xiuran was rushed to the imperial physician for treatment, but his injuries were serious, his legs were almost crippled, and there was no possibility of recovery.
At the same time, Emperor Cheng Jinyi also heard the deafening sound when Gu Qian dropped the first thunder.
When he learned from the palace servants that lightning was striking directly towards Chaoyang Palace, he hurried out of the Yangxin Palace and walked towards Chaoyang Palace.
However, when he arrived at Chaoyang Palace, what he saw was a scene that made him extremely sad.
"Xiu Ran!" The heart-wrenching roar exhausted all his strength, and the next second Cheng Jinyi fainted.
When he slowly woke up, he asked about Cheng Xiu Ran's condition, only to learn that he was in a deep coma and both legs were disabled. Even if he woke up by chance, he would be unable to walk for the rest of his life and would have to spend his days taking medicine.
The emperor was extremely sad and furious, so he ordered all the people in Chaoyang Palace to be detained and the whole incident to be thoroughly investigated.
However, after giving this order, Cheng Jinyi saw that his personal attendant seemed to be hesitant to speak, as if he wanted to say something.
"Ford, just tell me what you have to say!"
"Reporting to your majesty, when your majesty fainted, a huge thunder fell from the sky in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and...created a crack in front of the main gate." Fude answered cautiously, fearing that if he said something wrong, the emperor's anger would be taken out on him.
"What..." Cheng Jinyi's eyes widened, and he muttered to himself: "Why is it so? Why is it so? I just..."
He is just a father who loves his children...
He worked hard all his life, but lived a mediocre life. He hadn't accomplished anything, yet he was punished by thunder from heaven. How would history books record him in the future?
"puff"
Cheng Jinyi spat out a mouthful of blood, which sprayed onto the quilt.
"Your Majesty! Summon the Imperial Physician..."
"I'm fine..." Cheng Jinyi took a few deep breaths, took the handkerchief and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
After rinsing his mouth, he was silent for a long time, then slowly said, "Summon the people from the Imperial Observatory to see me."
People from the Imperial Observatory arrived soon. They all looked solemn, as if they already knew everything.
"I believe you also know why I summoned you here. Tell me!" Cheng Jinyi asked.
The head of the Imperial Observatory stepped forward and replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, this is a warning from heaven. The Crown Prince's lightning strike may be related to his behavior in recent years."
Cheng Jinyi frowned, "I know what you said, is there any way to remedy it?"
"Your Majesty, please forgive me! If you want to make amends, you must..." Everyone in the Imperial Observatory knelt on the ground in unison, "Abolish the crown prince, grant amnesty to the people, and offer your Majesty's blood to the heavens to pray for blessings and appease the wrath of the heavens."
“Is there any other solution?”
The Supervisor shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me for being blunt. Today's incident has already caused a lot of discussion among the people. It won't be long before the people of the whole city and even the whole country know that Your Majesty and the Crown Prince's bedroom were struck by lightning. If Your Majesty does not make a decision soon, it may damage the foundation of the country!"
Is it really necessary to go to such an extent?
But doesn't this mean that he should push Xiu Ran out to prevent the country from being shaken?
What on earth did Xiu Ran do to make the heavens so angry that they sent down a punishment from heaven? Even he, the emperor, was warned!
Forget it, now that things have come to this, no matter what Xiu Ran did, it doesn’t matter anymore.
Xiu Ran should have paid the price for his actions long ago. As a father, he has covered up for him so many times that even God can't stand it anymore.
At this time, Cheng Jinyi had already made up his mind.
"In that case, I will do as you say. I will issue an order now..." Cheng Jinyi took a deep breath and said with determination: "Abolish the crown prince and imprison him in a separate courtyard, never to leave!"
"The matter of offering sacrifices to heaven and praying for blessings will be handed over to you. It will be held in half a month. After the sacrifice, there will be a general amnesty for the whole world."
"Yes, I obey your order!"
After the imperial edict was issued, Cheng Xiuran was transferred to a quiet and cold courtyard in the palace. Although he seemed to be imprisoned, he was actually guarded by several imperial doctors in shifts, and there were also more eunuchs and palace servants than before.
Since Cheng Xiaoze and Cheng Shangyu had already set up their own homes and lived outside the palace, the news arrived a little late.
But when they heard that the rumbling thunder was actually striking Chaoyang Palace and Yangxin Palace, they were both shocked and hurriedly changed their clothes to prepare to enter the palace for an audience.
Who would have thought that just after receiving the imperial edict to go to court, he was shocked by the imperial edict issued by Cheng Jinyi to depose the crown prince.
The people they had been dealing with for so many years were actually retreating just like that?
Cheng Xiaoze and Cheng Shangyu were both in disbelief, but when they learned that Cheng Xiuran was hit by the beam of the house, his legs were broken, and he still hadn't woken up, they could understand it.
How could a person who had angered the heavens still take on such a great responsibility? Moreover, he was now disabled, so even if the emperor tried his best to protect him, he could not.
Moreover, the most urgent task is not how to save the prince, but to find a way to preserve the status and dignity of the royal family and consolidate the people's hearts. We cannot let this heavenly punishment make the people lose confidence in the royal family.
Apparently, the emperor did the same.
General amnesty and offering sacrifices to heaven for blessings are both good ways to rally the people's hearts. Moreover, the person who has angered heaven has been deposed by the emperor, and the people no longer have any reason to doubt.