Children of Loulan

Chapter 485: A country cannot live without a king for a day

After confirming that everything was going according to her plan, Xilin turned around contentedly and walked back to her palace with light steps.

As soon as I entered the door, Aunt Kui came up to me, holding a cup of steaming hot tea in her hand, and said carefully: "My queen, that doctor Zhengyi was not the one we arranged, but why is he on our side?"

Xilin smiled disdainfully and said softly, "It's no wonder. After all, he only has one son and no daughter, so he would naturally treat his niece as his own. It's a pity that God seemed to have a short life for this beauty. She died at the hands of Aikeban at a young age. He wanted to seek justice for his niece, but our king couldn't give up his family affection and was unwilling to punish his grandson severely. As a result, the prince had no choice but to obey orders and was only sentenced to three years of hard labor. How could this not make Doctor Zhengyi resentful?"

Aunt Kui listened from the side, nodded from time to time, and agreed: "When I saw that the king was so determined, I thought he would punish him severely, but I didn't expect that he would let him go so easily in the end."

Xilin sneered and continued, "There are already distinctions between high and low in this world. Once you have power, everyone else is as insignificant as an ant. Those so-called 'princes who break the law are guilty of the same crime as common people' are just empty words for the world to hear. If you really believe these words, you are totally wrong."

Aunt Kui suddenly realized and quickly responded, "It is because I am so stupid that I didn't see through the trick."

Xilin knew very well that Aunt Kui was the most insightful person, and what she was worried about was nothing more than Doctor Zhengyi.

Xilin stared at Aunt Kui and said softly, "Aunt, go and call Lao Liu over. I have a few words to tell him."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Kui quickly responded, "Yes, Your Majesty, I'll go right away." After that, she turned and left.

Soon, the Sixth Prince hurried into the palace. When he saw Xilin, he knelt down and saluted, saying respectfully, "My son greets my mother!"

When Xilin saw the Sixth Prince coming, she changed her usual indifference and smiled for the first time. Not only that, she personally stepped forward, helped the Sixth Prince up, and asked softly, "Son, do you still remember the way of being a king that your mother taught you in the past?"

This sudden change made the Sixth Prince feel a surge of fear. However, besides the fear, he also felt a little happy. After all, since he was a child, his mother had always been cold and strict to him. When had he ever seen her smile so kindly?

Although he was a little nervous, the Sixth Prince still calmed down and replied solemnly: "Mother, I remember everything!"

Xilin's mouth curled up slightly, her smile blooming like a spring flower, and she seemed quite satisfied with the situation. She gently stroked the Sixth Prince's cheek, the action was full of love and intimacy.

"That's good, that's good!" Her voice was clear and pleasant, like a yellow oriole singing in a valley. "My son is so smart, he will definitely be a wise ruler in the future. But now that you are about to ascend the supreme throne, your status and position will be very different from before, so you need to be more calm and steady in your actions."

The Sixth Prince looked bewildered, and was obviously puzzled by his mother's words. He blinked his big eyes and asked doubtfully, "Mother, what did you just say? I am stupid and really don't understand."

Seeing this, Xilin's smile did not fade, but became even wider. She patiently explained, "Mother has worked so hard to finally win you the chance to ascend the throne. From now on, you will be the king of our Loulan Kingdom!"

This sudden news was like a bolt from the blue. The Sixth Prince was stunned and his body trembled uncontrollably. He stammered, "What...what? Mother, you said that I want to be the king? How...how is this possible?"

Seeing him so frightened, Xilin couldn't help but feel a little unhappy. She raised her eyebrows and said angrily, "Why? Letting you be the king, do you think it's unfair to you?"

Seeing that his mother's face darkened again and she seemed about to get angry, the Sixth Prince's heart tightened and he quickly said, "No, it's just..." His words suddenly became a little hesitant, as if he had something to hide.

In fact, what the Sixth Prince really wanted to say was that he was not very interested in the throne. He hoped to be like his Fifth Brother, with his mother's love and a free and unrestrained life. However, he knew that his mother had been carefully planning the throne for him, so he did not dare to say this true thought.

Seeing this, Xilin immediately asked, "Just what? Just say it, don't hesitate!"

The Sixth Prince was frightened by his mother's aura and became even more flustered. He stammered to explain, "It's just that my father is still alive, and there's also the Crown Prince. Even if they're gone, I still have my fifth brother. Besides, I'm still young, and I'm afraid it's hard for me to convince everyone..."

However, Xilin seemed a little unimpressed by the Sixth Prince's words. She raised her lips slightly, revealing a disdainful smile, and said, "Don't worry, they will be gone soon, and you don't have to worry about your fifth brother at all, no one will support him. As for your young age, don't worry, when the time comes, mother will naturally find a regent to assist you."

The atmosphere in the court at this time was extremely solemn. Just as Xilin had expected, all the officials were discussing a crucial issue fiercely - who should be the next king after deposing the crown prince.

Amid the noise, someone said loudly, "Your Majesty, you have a fifth and sixth prince. Both of them are promising talents!"

However, before he finished speaking, another person refuted: "But, the Fifth Prince has been spoiled too much by Concubine Jing over the years. He has been idle all day long and has no knowledge. He can only play with crickets and gamble with the eunuchs. How can such a person be worthy of the responsibility of being the king of a country?"

As soon as this was said, everyone nodded in agreement. Then, someone else said, "On the other hand, the Sixth Prince is polite and modest, and is eager to learn. He is highly praised by the teachers in the palace. It seems that the Sixth Prince is more suitable to inherit the throne!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of agreement rang out in the court: "Yes, the Sixth Prince, you are humble and polite, gentle to others, and well-read. You are indeed the best choice for the next king!"

As everyone was discussing, a minister suddenly stood up and shouted, "Since all my colleagues have no objection, how about we ask the Concubine He to come and discuss the matter of ascending the throne?"

However, his proposal was opposed by some people. Some people questioned: "But, the king is still alive. Is it against etiquette to discuss the matter of enthronement at this time?"

However, at this moment, someone stood up to refute: "That being said, the country cannot be without a king for a day! Now the king is poisoned and unconscious, and the imperial physician has said that the king's condition is beyond saving. And the crown prince, he is not virtuous, and is really not suitable to be the regent! Since everyone has already identified the sixth prince, then we should prepare early. Either let him be the regent, or let him ascend the throne directly and let the king be the supreme king! In short, this matter must not be delayed for too long!"