Chapter 421: Chaos in the Great Xia Dynasty, Great Wu’s Opportunity Has Come!
This matter quickly spread throughout the world, drawing attention from all corners of the globe.
“The Great Xia Emperor has actually passed away?”
“I heard he consumed the Elixir of Immortality concocted by the Imperial Teacher but couldn’t survive. What a tragedy!”
“The Great Xia Emperor sought the Elixir of Immortality to prolong his life, but it ended up costing him his life. How ironic!”
“Indeed, who could have thought that the divine elixir would turn into a deadly poison? It’s so ironic.”
“But didn’t the Imperial Teacher already successfully create the Elixir of Immortality? Why did it fail this time?” ”
The Elixir of Immortality is a divine medicine; it’s not something that can be easily concocted. Perhaps this time, he made a mistake.”
“That’s true! Regardless, with the Great Xia Emperor’s passing, things are going to change dramatically in this world!”
The world’s attention has now turned to the Great Xia Dynasty. You see, the Great Xia Dynasty is one of the three most powerful nations in the world, and the Great Xia Emperor, as the most influential figure of his time, always attracted the world’s gaze with his every move.
Now that he has passed away so suddenly, it will undoubtedly have significant repercussions, for better or worse, and every nation must prepare accordingly.
Inside the study of the Great Wu Imperial Palace, the Empress, upon hearing this news, sighed deeply. “I never expected that the Great Xia Emperor, one of the three Grand Emperors of our time, would pass away so soon! And to die in the midst of his obsession with alchemy! An era is coming to an end.”
“Yes, the Great Xia Emperor passed away like this! I heard that before his death, he suffered from severe diarrhea, and the whole palace was filled with a foul smell. It’s such an undignified way to go!” Lin Beifan also expressed his disbelief.
From the information gathered by his spies, the Great Xia Emperor had ingested that black pill known as the Elixir of Immortality and then suffered from continuous diarrhea until he died.
Throughout history, no emperor had ever died in such a manner. This way of dying was truly unprecedented and destined to be recorded in history, leaving a lasting infamy.
At the same time, Lin Beifan also admired that unscrupulous Daoist. He dared to deceive from start to finish, fooling not only the Great Xia Emperor but also all the civil and military officials.
During this period, as long as timely treatment had been provided, the Great Xia Emperor might not have died. As a result, the opportunity to save him was tragically missed.
“So, Your Majesty, please don’t become obsessed with the pursuit of immortality! There is no true path to immortality in this world. The more you crave it, the more you lose, even your own life!” Lin Beifan earnestly advised.
“My dear, rest assured, I will certainly learn from this!” The Empress, with lingering fear in her heart, couldn’t help but glance at Lin Beifan.
The death of the Great Xia Emperor had a significant connection with this conniving scoundrel.
If it weren’t for him using various inexplicable methods to create miracles, deceiving the empty-minded Daoist and everyone in the world, the Great Xia Emperor wouldn’t have fallen for it. This guy truly was a first-class swindler, full of deceit, and even fooled the Emperor into consuming poison.
He deceived everyone!
If she hadn’t known the secret behind it, she might have been fooled as well.
Lin Beifan felt the Empress’s gaze was somewhat peculiar and touched his own face. “Your Majesty, what are you looking at me for? Is there something on my face?”
The Empress shook her head. “Nothing! My dear, with the passing of the Great Xia Emperor, how do you think the situation in Great Xia will change, and what changes will occur in the world? Share your thoughts with me!”
“Yes, Your Majesty! I believe that with the death of the Great Xia Emperor, first and foremost, Great Xia will fall into chaos!” Lin Beifan spoke confidently. “After enduring the previous ice disaster, Great Xia lost over 20 million common people, and the remaining citizens are filled with resentment, taking up arms in rebellion. Great Xia has long been in turmoil!”
“Furthermore, the Great Xia Emperor, in his pursuit of the Elixir of Immortality, neglected state affairs. He collected rare treasures and precious medicinal ingredients from all over the world, once again stirring up public discontent, further exacerbating the chaos!”
“Now, with the Great Xia Emperor’s passing, the Great Xia Dynasty is leaderless, and it will undoubtedly become even more chaotic!” Lin Beifan continued solemnly. “You see, Great Xia originally had a crown prince, but he is currently imprisoned in our kingdom’s dungeons. Great Xia has not designated a new heir. This means that every imperial prince has a chance to ascend the throne and wield power over the realm! For the ultimate power, there will inevitably be a… struggle for the throne!”
“Your Majesty, you’re well aware that the path to seizing the throne is bloody! Brothers fighting against each other for the coveted title of Supreme Emperor is not uncommon! In such a situation, Great Xia is bound to be in turmoil, with constant unrest and instability. Even if they manage to survive, their national strength won’t be what it used to be.”
“This situation is highly favorable for our Great Wu! We can strategize and gain unimaginable benefits from it, just as they once coveted our Great Wu!” The Empress nodded with a cheerful smile.
“My dear, what you say is absolutely right, and I share the same thoughts!”
“However, there are pros and cons to this matter!” Lin Beifan said, clasping his hands. “Your Majesty, the Great Xia crown prince we hold in captivity has essentially lost his value. There’s no way we can extract compensation from Great Xia at this point!”
“That’s true; he’s of no use anymore. My dear, when do you plan to release him, adding fuel to the fire in Great Xia’s situation, making it even more fierce and ruthless?” The Empress smiled mischievously, her eyes filled with ill intent.
“Your Majesty, that will depend on how well the Great Xia princes perform!” Lin Beifan also smiled mischievously. “Now, in the competition for the throne, they will fight each other to the death and take the opportunity to eliminate their rivals within the crown prince’s faction! When all the major forces are evenly matched, that’s when we release the Great Xia crown prince and let them become even more ruthless and vicious!”
The Empress burst into laughter, saying, “My dear, you’re absolutely right!”
Just then, an old eunuch approached with a message, “Your Majesty, the Great Xia Crown Prince wishes to meet with you!”
The Empress chuckled, “The Great Xia Crown Prince must have already learned about his father’s passing, so he wants to persuade me to release him! My dear, since you have a somewhat friendly relationship with him, please meet with him on my behalf.”
Lin Beifan felt a bit uneasy, “Your Majesty, I and he are only acquaintances at best! We’re not complete strangers, but we can’t be considered friends. Your Majesty, please don’t misunderstand!” The Empress playfully scolded, “My dear, I know exactly who you are; there’s no doubt about your loyalty!”
With the Empress’s permission, Lin Beifan went to the dungeon and met with the Great Xia Crown Prince, Xia Tianqiong. At this moment, the Great Xia Crown Prince’s attire was somewhat disheveled, his eyes bloodshot as if he had been crying. He was pacing anxiously in his cell, occasionally glancing outside. It wasn’t until Lin Beifan arrived that he rushed over and anxiously asked, “Prime Minister Lin, have you come on behalf of the Empress?”
Lin Beifan nodded, “Indeed!”
“What did she say?” the Great Xia Crown Prince asked urgently.
“Your Highness, I assume you’re already aware of the situation in Great Xia,” Lin Beifan sighed. “I understand that you’re in pain and eager to return, but you should know that we won’t release you.”
“But I am of no use anymore! Releasing me now would be in your best interest, wouldn’t it?” the Great Xia Crown Prince shouted.
Lin Beifan nodded, “Yes, we will release you, but not at this moment. After all, the fire over there hasn’t started burning yet. Pouring oil on it now would be premature.”
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it…” The Great Xia Crown Prince angrily pounded the cell bars, his hands bleeding, but he paid no heed.
Then, as if his legs had lost all strength, he knelt toward the direction of Great Xia, wailing loudly, “Father, your child couldn’t return to mourn for you. Your child is unfilial! Father…”
It was truly a heart-wrenching sight, enough to bring tears to anyone’s eyes. Lin Beifan couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. After all, the Great Xia Crown Prince should have had a very close relationship with his father. He had been meticulously groomed by the Great Xia Emperor since childhood. The Great Xia Crown Prince had lived up to expectations, excelling in both academics and martial arts, displaying a broad-mindedness, and demonstrating exceptional governance abilities. He had garnered the approval of the entire court and the recognition of the world. He had long been designated as the crown prince.
Therefore, his father’s sudden passing must have left him deeply saddened and heartbroken. Even so, Great Wu couldn’t release him until the right time came. When it came to nations and their interests, personal emotions had to be sacrificed.
Lin Beifan sighed, “Crown Prince, I understand that you desperately want to return, but I can only express regret! The reasons for this decision don’t need much explanation, and I hope you can understand. I just hope that you won’t give up on yourself and continue to live well. After all, there is hope in life. You wouldn’t want to see the Great Xia Empire wasted in the hands of your brothers, would you?”
The Great Xia Crown Prince’s expression shifted slightly, and he said, “Prime Minister Lin, could you please prepare some mourning garments and paper money for me? I want to mourn for my father here.”
Lin Beifan nodded, “Of course!”
After leaving, Lin Beifan immediately ordered his men to prepare mourning garments, paper money, candles, incense, and everything needed for a funeral. He wanted the Great Xia Crown Prince to be able to mourn properly.
Meanwhile, in Great Xia, just as Lin Beifan had predicted, the state funeral was still ongoing, but the various imperial princes had already started fighting amongst themselves.
They clashed, eliminating each other’s factions by any means necessary.
In addition to this, the various regional kings and dukes were also making moves, deploying troops and generals more frequently. After all, as members of the imperial family, they also had a chance to seize the throne. Some prominent court officials and high-ranking generals seemed unwilling to sit idly by as well.
In summary, the entire Great Xia had descended into chaos. This chaotic situation was even more turbulent than the situation Great Wu had faced initially. Although the battles were fierce, they all seemed to be targeting the Crown Prince’s faction.
After all, the Crown Prince was the legitimate heir to the throne and possessed the most powerful Eastern Palace faction. Therefore, it was imperative to eliminate his faction, the biggest threat, before his return.
As a result, various parties began pressuring the Crown Prince’s followers, forcing them to either join one of the opposing factions for protection or face certain death. Some wavering ministers, in order to protect themselves and their families, had no choice but to switch allegiances.
In this way, the Eastern Palace faction was rapidly disintegrating, and the chaos continued to escalate.
