"I know. I'm sorry to you and your mother..." Emperor Jinzheng answered quite calmly, facing his own mistakes. "But... this should not be the reason for you to harm me!"
Emperor Jinzheng also clearly knew when to give up what. Even his wife and his own son, he could give them up without hesitation.
Xin Yezheng sneered. "Father, I've brought 300,000 elite troops waiting outside. I'm just waiting for you to abdicate. Otherwise, I'll wave my hand and march into the main hall. Don't blame your son for not giving you enough face then."
Xin Zizhao led his troops and arrived at the outside of the main hall the fastest. He saw that 300,000 elite troops were already waiting outside the Golden Throne Hall. But Wei Shuxuan and Ge Zian hadn't come yet. And he only had 100,000 elite troops in his hand. The chance of winning was slim. He instructed his deputy general, "I'm going to go in now to protect Father. You just wait here. Don't act rashly."
"Then... when should your subordinate send out the troops?" the deputy general asked.
"Wait until General Wei Shuxuan and Ge Zian come. Obey General Ge Zian's orders. Do you understand?"
"Your subordinate takes the order!"
Xin Zizhao flew out from the corner, lightly flew over the 300,000 elite troops, and flew into the Golden Throne Hall. From above, he saw Xin Yezheng was nervously confronting Emperor Jinzheng. He landed beside Emperor Jinzheng and drew his sword from his hand, pointing it at Xin Yezheng.
"I wondered who it was. So it's my fifth younger brother," Xin Yezheng showed a contemptuous expression on his face, and his eyes gradually turned gloomy. "What are you doing here? Are you here to save this heartless and unfeeling father? Do you know who made you live outside these years?"
Xin Zizhao tightly pursed his lips. Xin Yezheng looked at the expression on his face. "It was this good father of yours who is hiding behind you now that gave the order! You're so good to him for nothing!"
The main hall suddenly fell into a strange silence.
After a moment, Xin Zizhao finally spoke. His faint voice gradually spread in the Golden Throne Hall. "I know. I've known who my father is since I was a child. It was Master who told me. When I was a child, I resented my parents because I was really envious every time I saw kids coming with their parents..."
Xin Yezheng felt very annoyed when he saw Xin Zizhao's expression.
"But Master taught me not to resent my parents, because it was they who lost me, not I who lost them. Moreover, Master told me since I was a child not to be over - joyed by external gains, nor saddened by personal losses. So I stopped resenting them for these things a long time ago. But I don't have much affection for them either. It's just that... I can still clearly distinguish right from wrong."
Although Xin Yezheng tried to drive a wedge between Xin Zizhao and Emperor Jinzheng, this attempt was bound to fail because Xin Zizhao's affection for Emperor Jinzheng was not as deep as expected.
Xin Zizhao stood on the high platform and looked down at Xin Yezheng. His calm expression made Xin Yezheng can't help showing an unwilling expression. Maybe it was because he couldn't let go like Xin Zizhao that he had ended up like this today?
"Elder brother, you'd better surrender quickly. I've already led the troops to outflank you. If you surrender now, Father can spare your life. Am I right, Father?" Xin Zizhao slightly turned his head and looked at Emperor Jinzheng standing behind him.
Emperor Jinzheng was still immersed in what Xin Zizhao had just said. He was indeed not a qualified father. Whether it was for Zizhao, Yezheng, or other princesses and princes, he was really not a good father.
"... Ah, if you surrender now, I can spare your life, but you'll be imprisoned in the dungeon for life."
Xin Zizhao said this obviously to give Emperor Jinzheng a way out. He could tell that although the queen had committed a crime and Xin Yezheng had led troops to force the emperor to abdicate, Emperor Jinzheng didn't want to be too harsh on them because of his guilt towards them. But he still had to give an account to those dead maids, eunuchs, and concubines. So imprisonment in the dungeon for life was the only option.
This proposal was really tempting to Xin Yezheng. Forcing the emperor to abdicate was really not his original intention. He just didn't want to see his mother executed. He hesitated a little. Just then, the queen's voice rang out. "Zheng'er! This is a good opportunity for you to ascend the throne. Shouldn't you seize it? Why are you still hesitating! What did Mother teach you!"
Xin Zizhao looked at the queen indifferently. So she was the one who had caused all these things.
"Elder brother, you should have your own thoughts. Why do you always listen to your mother's words? Filial piety is not blind obedience. You should act according to your own inner thoughts, not let others influence your thinking. Others' words can only be used as your reference."
"Xin Zizhao, what are you talking about! Why are you talking to my Zheng'er like this! I won't allow you to drive a wedge between our mother - son relationship!" the queen roared dissatisfiedly when she heard Xin Zizhao's words.
Xin Zizhao didn't care about this woman at all. He turned his face away as if he hadn't heard her. And Xin Yezheng also began to waver. He looked at his mother, then at Xin Zizhao and Emperor Jinzheng standing above, and then lowered his head.
Someone motioned to go and capture Xin Yezheng at this moment, but Xin Zizhao didn't allow them to do so. He just wanted to hear Xin Yezheng's choice.
"Well, have you thought it through?" Xin Zizhao asked him again.
But just then, a general ran in from outside, whispered a few words to Xin Yezheng, and then he raised his head and glared angrily at Xin Zizhao. "Are you stalling for time?"
"I'm not. I'm just giving you time to make a choice. Moreover," Xin Zizhao slightly lowered his eyelids and looked at Xin Yezheng. "I said I would spare your lives, and I really will. If you surrender now, the lives of you and your mother are in your hands. Think carefully about what you really want."
"Zheng'er, don't worry about Mother! Mother hopes you can become an emperor who loves his people like his own children! Are you not listening to Mother's words?" the queen still tried to instill her own thoughts into Xin Yezheng.
It had always been like this since he was a child. The queen had always forced her own thoughts on Xin Yezheng. This time's forcing the emperor to abdicate was his own choice. However, he probably didn't really want to do it. He just simply didn't want to see his mother be beheaded.
"Mother..." Xin Yezheng looked at the queen.