My Darling, Coax Me.

CHAPTER 14: Your Royal Highness.

　　The army retreated, leaving behind an eerily silent palace, after a night of bloodshed.

　　Emperor Jingning, shocked by the rebellion of the Third and Seventh Princes, suffered a stroke, leaving him unable to speak.

　　Before his incapacitation, he had issued a verbal decree, appointing the Sixth Prince, Xie Jue, as Crown Prince for his meritorious service in quelling the rebellion, and entrusting him with the temporary governance of the state.

　　Overnight, the world had turned upside down, and the court was in an uproar.

　　The factions of the Third and Seventh Princes naturally voiced their opposition. Moreover, Xie Jue's past ruthless actions raised objections from many upright and loyal veteran officials.

　　“His Majesty has suddenly fallen ill, and we have no idea what transpired. How can a mere verbal decree be considered sufficient? Furthermore, everyone present knows that the Sixth Prince publicly flogged the son of a high-ranking official. His Majesty was deeply displeased with his character and reprimanded him on several occasions. In my opinion, it is best to wait until His Majesty recovers before making any decisions,” declared Guan Xiang, the Minister of Finance.

　　He then added, “Minister Gao, you are the victim. What are your thoughts on this?”

　　Gao Yan stepped forward, bowing respectfully. “I am ashamed to say that I initially believed the Sixth Prince had deliberately flogged my son. However, upon further investigation, I discovered that it was my own son who had spoken disrespectfully first. I am truly ashamed, truly ashamed!”

　　The court was well aware of the deep animosity between the Minister of War, Gao Yan, and Xie Jue. Everyone was astonished when he suddenly changed his testimony!

　　The official's face turned pale. “You treacherous Gao Yan! You dare change your story at this critical moment!”

　　Even so, the factions of the Third and Seventh Princes refused to relent. “Even if that incident was a misunderstanding, everyone in the court knows the Sixth Prince's character. His Majesty has long been displeased with him. How could he possibly so easily make him Crown Prince?!”

　　Others, however, countered, “That's not right. The Third and Seventh Princes instigated a rebellion first. The Sixth Prince was pardoned and allowed to leave the palace to rescue His Majesty. He was brave and resourceful, and saved the Emperor. How can His Majesty's dying wish not be fulfilled?”

　　The arguments raged on, a cacophony of voices, each side refusing to yield.

　　The opposition relentlessly clung to the accusation of seizing power illegitimately, taking advantage of a vulnerable situation. Even after Xie Jue's ascension to the throne, this criticism continued to haunt him.

　　Xie Jue watched the crowd below with an impassive expression.

　　As the two factions argued endlessly, a minister suddenly turned to Grand Tutor Xiao and asked, “Grand Tutor, what is your opinion?”

　　Grand Tutor Xiao, a veteran of three reigns, was known for his incorruptibility and uprightness. He was a paragon of virtue, respected by all and a mentor to countless officials. He was, without a doubt, the leading figure among the civil officials.

　　Several ministers chimed in, “Yes, Grand Tutor Xiao, you should give your judgment on this matter.”

　　All eyes in the court turned towards Grand Tutor Xiao.

　　Although Grand Tutor Xiao was advanced in age, he still stood tall and dignified, his presence unwavering. He slowly stepped forward, cupped his hands in salute, and spoke in a voice as deep and resonant as a thunderclap, “The Sixth Prince is the legitimate son of the Empress Zhaohui, the rightful heir from the main palace. Though he was called upon in a time of crisis, his claim is just and proper—”

　　He paused for a moment, then continued, “He is fit to be Crown Prince.”

　　The clamor and arguments in the court hall fell silent in an instant.

　　The officials looked at each other, stunned.

　　A long silence stretched out before the majority of the officials in the hall cupped their hands in unison and bowed, “Long live His Highness the Crown Prince!”

　　——

　　With the troublesome ministers and the matter of Xie Xu and Xie Kang's confinement settled, Xie Jue felt a splitting headache coming on.

　　But there were still countless matters for him to handle in the court and the palace. With the Empress and Zhang Guifei imprisoned, the original heads of the Six Bureaus and Twelve Departments were all loyal to them. He needed someone loyal and intelligent to take over the management of the palace.

　　“Go to the Imperial Garden,” Xie Jue instructed.

　　The attending eunuchs quickly prepared a sedan chair, but they noticed that His Highness the Crown Prince had no intention of riding. He simply strode away.

　　The eunuchs were momentarily panicked, but they quickly followed after him.

　　They were trembling with fear, worried that they wouldn't serve the Crown Prince properly and would be punished.

　　The autumn wind was chilly, bringing a sense of desolation even to the Imperial Garden, where the flowers were starting to wither. The eunuchs carefully offered him a brocade robe, but Xie Jue impatiently waved it away.

　　A bunch of clueless fools, he thought.

　　The eunuchs quickly lowered their heads and retreated.

　　Xie Jue looked around, finding the scene dull and uninspiring. His headache worsened.

　　He pressed his hand to his forehead and turned to leave.

　　He had just taken a step when he heard a faint sound of footsteps behind him.

　　Then, he heard a nervous, anxious, and soft voice calling out to him, “Your Highness.”

　　Xie Jue stopped in his tracks.

　　The surrounding eunuchs and guards immediately surrounded the area. One of the guards drew his sword and shouted, “Who dares to approach the Crown Prince? Speak!”

　　Xie Jue slowly turned around and saw a pair of beautiful almond-shaped eyes, filled with mist.

　　He stared at her, his lips curling into a cold smile as he said, each word dripping with ice, “You're not dead?”

　　Yun Ling's eyes curved slightly, and she said softly, “Thanks to your grace, Your Highness.”

　　Xie Jue paused for a moment, then let out a cold snort, “Excellent.”

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