Chapter 1343 - 1279: Losing Reason (Part 2)
He cautiously stepped forward to investigate, feeling a sudden relief, a joy of rebirth after disaster. He knelt directly on the ground, not daring to lift his head, "Reporting to the Great King, the Third Prince is already, already dead..."
Tuoba Yilu stepped forward and touched him, only then realizing that Tuoba Biyan had already ceased breathing, but his body was still warm, blood still trickling, eyes painfully open in a vacant stare.
Tuoba Yilu was devastated, and soon, the news from the harem also came. Lady Xue was severely injured and could not be saved.
Wei Xiong and Ji Dan exchanged a glance, seeing that Tuoba Yilu was about to order the palace to be slaughtered, they quickly said: "Great King, both Lady Xue and the Third Prince had attendants by their side. There are only over twenty servants left in the main palace, who were just about to be dismissed. How could they gather in the harem to kill? The course of this incident needs to be clarified."
Only then did Tuoba Yilu change his order: "No matter the means, we must find out the truth of this matter!"
Wei Xiong agreed and immediately took Ji Dan to investigate.
All the servants in the harem were arrested and interrogated. Wei Xiong acted decisively, wanting to uncover the truth of the matter as quickly as possible to quell Tuoba Yilu’s anger, following that, he needed to find a way to protect the people of the palace.
Today’s incident was not a secret, nor were the tactics of those palace maids and slaves clever. It was only that Lady Xue and Tuoba Biyan were overly confident, never considering that they would dare to carry out an assassination in the harem, thus they were lax in their precautions.
As for why Lady Jujube’s people could gather to assassinate Lady Xue and Tuoba Biyan, Wei Xiong could only say that mother and son were too complacent and foolish.
"...The Third Prince had breakfast with Lady Xue because tomorrow he was going to accompany the Great King to Luoyang, and so he wanted to tidy up the main palace to move in. The servants left in the main palace also needed to be arranged, so he specially called them over for a meeting."
Wei Xiong deliberately did not mention Lady Jujube, only mentioned the main palace, so as not to further provoke Tuoba Yilu.
But this was enough for Tuoba Yilu to resent Lady Jujube and Tuoba Liuxiu, "Was it they who ordered the assassination of Lady Xue and the Third Prince?"
"All the servants of the main palace are dead, there are no confessions, but from the evidence found, it wasn’t Lady Jujube and the Eldest Prince who instigated it. These servants mistakenly thought they were seeking revenge for Lady Jujube and took the opportunity to assassinate during the meeting with Lady Xue and the Third Prince."
Wei Xiong raised his head to look at him, cautiously saying, "Great King, it was an accident."
"An accident?" Tuoba Yilu sneered: "If it weren’t for Tuoba Liuxiu’s disrespect and insubordination, how would so many things have happened? Did the people sent to Xinping City come back? Does the renegade son want to see me?"
From Ping City to Xinping City, taking the official road is not far, only over a hundred li, a fast horse can reach there in a day, leaving at sunrise and arriving before sunset.
He sent officials out two days ago, they should return today.
Wei Xiong bowed his head and said, "Maybe they’ll return by sunset."
Tuoba Yilu said, "Gather the troops, if the renegade son does not come to plead guilty today, immediately send troops to Xinping City and flatten Xinping City for me!"
Wei Xiong knelt down to remonstrate: "Great King, you mustn’t, Xinping City is also your land. Brothers are at odds, the Third Prince is gone, do you really want to force the Eldest Prince further?"
"Shut up!" Tuoba Yilu pointed at him and yelled: "Biyan was killed by him, was killed by him. Even if he’s my only son, I absolutely will not give him the throne! Besides, I have other sons, Pusugen, let him come see me, quickly let him come see me!"
Tuoba Yilu’s hand trembled as he gripped the armrest of the chair, eyes full of resentment, and a trace of fear he himself hadn’t noticed, "Since his birth, I knew he was a renegade son, born to thwart me. Sure enough, the older he grew, the more he opposed me, only causing trouble, exerting tyranny outside, disrespectful and unfilial, disloyal and unrighteous. Biyan was his own brother, yet he let a group of lowly servants assassinate him..."
Wei Xiong wanted to reaffirm the investigation results, but Ji Dan pulled him aside and dissuaded him.
Wei Xiong was unhappy, shook off Ji Dan’s hand and said, "Why don’t you let me persuade him? Do you really want to watch them kill each other?"
"It’s not just now that it started," Ji Dan sighed: "Since the Great King dethroned Lady Jujube, I anticipated there would be no good end between them. The Great King obviously wants to suppress the Eldest Prince, making him not only positionally subservient to the Third Prince but also mentally."
"If the Eldest Prince had a different personality, perhaps he would’ve been suppressed into lacking confidence, becoming weak and obedient, but he is one to become fiercer when facing the fierce, more ruthless when facing the ruthless. With such temperaments in both father and son, clearly, it can only end with either your death or mine."
Wei Xiong couldn’t help but stomp his feet in sighing, angrily smacking the wall and exclaiming: "Do we really have to watch father and son kill each other? This, this is truly a great evil..."