Jun Mo went straight to the Eastern Palace.
Jun Mo had returned to the capital before even staying a full three days at Protector Nation Temple. When Jun Yi learned of this, he was quite surprised, thinking it must be an imperial decree from the Emperor.
Upon hearing that the Emperor had gone missing and suspecting Jun Hui was behind it, he immediately slammed the table and rose to his feet.
"What! He dares!"
"Imperial Brother, the most important thing now is to rescue Imperial Father."
The Crown Prince nodded, saying, "Of course I know. This Sixth Prince is far too audacious. This time, no one can save him!"
The two brothers dispatched all their forces, secretly turning the capital upside down, but they couldn't find a trace of the Emperor.
Jun Hui's residence was also under strict surveillance, yet Jun Hui stayed in his manor every day, not going anywhere.
The two immediately understood: that was likely someone disguised, and the real Jun Hui must be hiding in the shadows.
A country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and the Emperor's absence could not go on.
Thus, Huang Yang was put to use again.
In a simple, crude room, lying on the bed was none other than the Emperor, who had been missing for several days.
He slowly opened his eyes, surveying his surroundings.
Slowly rising, he found his body sore and weak. He had been drugged.
He struggled to get off the bed and slowly moved towards the door. Opening it, he saw two black-clad figures blocking the way outside.
"Who are you?"
The authority of a man of high status immediately put pressure on the black-clad guards outside the door.
Just then, a person wearing a bamboo hat entered the courtyard from outside.
"Master!" the black-clad guards said respectfully.
The person in the bamboo hat glanced at the Emperor and said, "You're awake?"
The Emperor scrutinized him. "Who are you? What is your purpose in capturing Us?"
The person in the bamboo hat entered the room and poured two cups of tea.
"Don't be nervous. I won't take your life, as long as you cooperate with me."
The Emperor looked at him and asked, "What is your objective?"
The person in the bamboo hat took out a scroll and said, "All you need to do is put your signature on this and affix your private seal."
The Emperor opened the scroll, his eyes widening in shock.
He abruptly looked up, disbelieving, "Sixth Prince!"
The person in the bamboo hat removed it, revealing a face as gentle and refined as jade – it was Jun Hui.
"Imperial Father, please don't look at me with such eyes," Jun Hui said softly, a slight smile on his face.
His demeanor was respectful and amicable, showing no hint that he was in the process of forcing an abdication.
"This is treason! How could you go this far?" The Emperor's heart was filled with indescribable shock.
Jun Hui's expression darkened, and he let out a cold laugh.
"How I got to this point, do you not know? If you had even a speck of me, your son, in your eyes, I wouldn't have ended up like this today!"
"In your heart and eyes, there was never any room for me, your son! You gave the throne to Jun Yi, you gave your favor to Jun Mo, and even Jun Ce, whom you barely saw all year, was more favored than I was!"
"Even though I am the elder brother, you enfeoffed Jun Mo as a prince! Even though I was the first to fall for Su Li, you bestowed Su Li upon Jun Mo!"
The Emperor's eyes widened in shock. So, he harbored so much resentment in his heart.
The Emperor said helplessly, "How could you think such a thing? The Seventh Prince was enfeoffed because he rendered great service in the Northern Yan battle. Didn't the Third Prince also not receive a title? As for Princess Changning, We bestowed the marriage because the two of them were deeply in love."
Jun Hui sneered, "Is that so? If Su Li had chosen me, and if Jun Mo had also insisted on marrying her, what would you have done?"
The Emperor was momentarily speechless.
Jun Hui gave a bitter laugh. "Let me answer that. You would still have bestowed Su Li upon Jun Mo! You are simply biased towards Jun Mo!"
The Emperor argued, "But there are no 'ifs.' Princess Changning simply chose the Seventh Prince."
That single sentence enraged Jun Hui. He yelled, "For all these years, it was I who served by your side! I! To gain a single glance, a single word of praise from you, I disguised myself as the most filial son, the most benevolent prince. In the end, what did I gain?!?"
"What I gained was the mockery of court officials, a leisurely prince with no real power! To have to watch with my own eyes as the person I loved married someone else!"
"Yes, I know. My imperial concubine mother's status was low, and you looked down on us, mother and son, from the bottom of your heart. But if you looked down on her, you shouldn't have provoked her in the first place!"
"We did not!"
Fingers are of different lengths, and hearts inevitably have their biases.
It was undeniable that he did indeed favor the Seventh Prince more in his heart, but he had never looked down on the Sixth Prince.
Jun Hui chuckled, "It doesn't matter anymore. Once I sit on that throne, no one will look down on me. So, Imperial Father, if you don't wish to suffer, then sign it. Your son also doesn't wish to go to extremes."
The Emperor was furious. "Bastard! This isn't going to extremes?! We see it clearly now: before, you were merely pretending. The true you is insecure, weak, selfish, and malicious. If the empire truly falls into the hands of someone like you, Tianqi will be finished!"
Jun Hui's eyes suddenly turned cold. "See, you're still unwilling. Imperial Father, do you still remember what Celestial Master Wuchen said? He said I possess the Dragon Qi, while Jun Yi's astrological fate is weakening. What does that mean? It means I am the one destined by heaven!"
"Since Imperial Father doesn't wish to sign, it doesn't matter. Your son has plenty of time. And Imperial Father shouldn't expect anyone to rescue you; there's already an emperor in the palace!"
Having said that, he stood up and walked out.
"Watch him. Give him some plain water and one meal a day, that's enough," Jun Hui's ruthless voice drifted in from outside the door.
The Emperor cursed, "Beast!"
How had he never seen his wolfish ambitions before!
The Emperor slumped into the chair, thinking about Jun Hui's words—that there was an emperor in the palace. He wondered if they had realized that person wasn't him.
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