novelraw Chapter 577 - 509: Let Her Join Her Youngest Son
Chapter 577 - 509: Let Her Join Her Youngest Son
Jun Mobai’s journey back to the Capital was fraught with complex emotions; he originally planned to detour through Yu State, but changed his route last minute.
Although he had considered leveraging his young uncle’s influence, truth be told, he hadn’t made up his mind entirely, after all, he and Jun Yian, despite their generational difference, were close in age and had grown up like ’brothers.’
He just didn’t expect his young uncle to strike first, cutting off his escape route.
And then conveniently pinned the crime on Li Guangpu, linking each step so meticulously that it was obvious his young uncle had long been wary of him.
While Jun Mobai expended effort in the Northern Land nurturing private soldiers for him, exploiting the public, and accepting bribes from various officials, he was simply being used; how could this not chill his heart?
Jun Mobai was not just chilled; he was also fearful.
He wasn’t sure if the poisoned arrow in the night had missed its mark or if Jun Yian had deliberately instructed to spare his life.
In any case, whatever the reason, Jun Mobai no longer intended to align with Jun Yian.
Therefore, following Su Jingchen’s secret letter, the Emperor received another anonymous denunciation from Jun Mobai.
Of course, Jun Mobai filed the report anonymously.
He wasn’t foolish; if Jun Yian planned rebellion and he was also involved, openly reporting would implicate himself.
Initially, the Emperor had doubts about the few hidden soldier locations Su Jingchen provided; now, matching the two secret letters, he realized Su Jingchen’s words were valid.
With confirmed locations, Jun Tingye began to formulate plans.
Considering the previous case with Prince Yu, the Emperor dared not summon Jun Yian back to the Capital rashly, fearing that if Jun Yian sensed anything and rebelled, it would waste all the intelligence he had obtained beforehand.
The Emperor bore it inconspicuously, and only in mid-May of the following year, during the Empress Dowager’s birthday, did he issue an edict allowing Princes and Princely Heirs from various regions to return to the Capital to offer birthday wishes.
After all, capturing a leader makes everything easier; once Jun Yian is apprehended, everything else would be straightforward.
As for Jun Yian’s 30,000 private soldiers, he could think of a way to absorb them afterward.
Most of the time, these Princes and Princely Heirs guarded their own territories and could not enter the Capital without significant reasons or the Emperor’s command.
The Empress Dowager’s birthday was one of the few occasions for these individuals to gather; some Princes and Princely Heirs had arrived in the Capital early, but the Emperor waited on and on, yet Jun Yian hadn’t arrived, causing some anxiety.
Could it be that Jun Yian had spies in his Imperial Study Room?
If not, why had Jun Yian not entered the Capital earlier having heard the news?
Finally, with only three days left before the Empress Dowager’s birthday, Jun Yian entered the Capital as hoped.
Jun Tingye finally felt relieved.
Catching Jun Yian was indeed the goal; celebrating the Empress Dowager’s birthday properly was also genuine, and the Emperor didn’t act during the birthday banquet.
Instead, after the banquet, he organized a family feast under the pretense of not having enjoyed the reunion enough with his brothers the previous night.
During the family feast, Jun Tingye directly served a drugged wine, effortlessly knocking Jun Yian unconscious.
When Jun Yian awoke again, he was in a sealed, dilapidated room, hands and feet bound, with a dozen or so tall and burly armed guards standing by, appearing ready to act at the slightest movement to separate his head from his body.
The reason Jun Tingye hadn’t used poisoned wine to directly claim Jun Yian’s life was naturally not due to any sentimental brotherly affection.
If he had any brotherly ties, it certainly wasn’t with Jun Yian; excuse him, he hadn’t.
Jun Yian, as the late Emperor’s youngest son, was deeply favored by the late Emperor, to the extent that Jun Yian’s very existence once led the late Emperor to contemplate deposing Jun Tingye as Crown Prince.
Had Jun Tingye not been the legitimate son born from the Empress, with external family support far outweighing Jun Yian’s, his smooth accession might not have been guaranteed.
Therefore, Jun Tingye not only disliked this youngest brother but also harbored resentment.
With Jun Yian seized, Prince Huainan, Jun Tingping, immediately became anxious.
Jun Yian was his own brother; though he might not know every detail of his actions, he had an inkling.
Failing to report was complicity.
Jun Tingping feared that while dealing with Jun Yian, Jun Tingye might also deal with him since he was once the Imperial First Son of the late Emperor, the only one old enough to challenge Jun Tingye for the position of Crown Prince when others were still young.
The more Jun Tingping thought, the more fearful he became; would he, now in his old age, face ruin due to collateral punishment?
No, regarding collateral punishment, he and the Emperor shared the same roots; if the Emperor intended to eliminate the nine clans, he wouldn’t escape either.
Jun Tingping was not inclined to plead for Jun Yian’s mercy; he only wanted to protect himself.
Jun Tingping might not dare to plead for Jun Yian, but Madam Lu certainly would; she did not wish to witness the end of her most beloved young son.
The white-haired sending off the black-haired; how could that be permissible?
Didn’t Prince Yu rebel as well? He even led troops against the court, yet he wasn’t sentenced to death, was he?
Though her son harbored rebellious intentions, he hadn’t acted; shouldn’t the punishment for inaction be lighter than for action?
At worst, he could be demoted to a commoner!
Madam Lu believed demotion to commoner was the greatest extent of punishment for her son Jun Yian.
Regrettably, Jun Tingye did not share this view.
When she heard Jun Tingye wanted to execute Jun Yian, Madam Lu no longer knelt; she stood and pointed at Jun Tingye, angrily saying, "Emperor, do not forget, your position as Crown Prince was ceded by my Ping’er to you."
"On your father’s deathbed, he ordered you to treat our family well, and you agreed to it."
"Indeed, Elder Brother was the Imperial First Son, but when the late Emperor designated the Crown Prince, he didn’t choose the first son; he chose me, the legitimate one. My position as Crown Prince wasn’t given by anyone; I obtained it by my status as the legitimate Imperial First Son."
Jun Tingye also rose from the dragon throne, unexpected that Madam Lu dared speak so arrogantly to him, feeling that the dignity of an Emperor was being challenged.
"Without my father’s dying request, do you think, given the hostile relationship between you and my mother, I would spare your life?" Allowing her to spend her remaining years in the harem has been a concession to his mother’s face; now removing her was just fitting.
Madam Lu could accompany her young son then.
"When I suggested you retire to Huainan Prince Mansion, you refused no matter what; now I see your plot. You planned to support and coordinate from within during Jun Yian’s rebellion, didn’t you?" The more Jun Tingye spoke, the paler Madam Lu’s face became, devoid of any blood color.
Indeed, that was exactly Madam Lu’s intention.
During the late Emperor’s reign, though she was a concubine, she was his earliest favorite, and her young son was the late Emperor’s most cherished.
With the late Emperor’s departure, she had no protector and had to continue living under that woman’s domination, which she couldn’t accept.
Clearly, her child was the Imperial First Son, and throughout Great Liang’s history, when selecting the Crown Prince, there was no absolute rule favoring the legitimate over the firstborn.
As long as the eldest son had outstanding talents, there were precedents for appointing him as Crown Prince; just because her maternal family had weaker influence, the Empress reaped the benefits. How could she not feel aggrieved? How could she be satisfied?