Time Travel: The Best Doctor in Ancient Times

Chapter 820: Chapter 649: Turmoil in the Great Zhou Dynasty Court

Prince Liang heard Emperor Zhoulin’s reprimand, and his old face immediately darkened, not out of fear, but anger!

As the son of the Great Zhou Emperor, he kept the matter of his venereal disease extremely secretive, even seeking treatment quietly, fearing others would know. Yet now, Emperor Zhoulin openly rebuked him in the imperial court!

For a moment, Prince Liang’s face turned blue, red, green, and purple—a spectacular display!

However, the hatred in his old eyes surged even more. According to his numerous investigations, the beauty responsible for his venereal disease came from Cool Breeze Bright Moon Tower. According to the secret report from Liuzhou City, the Tower Master of Cool Breeze Bright Moon Tower has a close relationship with that wretched Gu Changsheng. Thus, his shameful illness is somewhat connected to that wretch, Gu Changsheng.

It must be said, Prince Liang was right!

He was venting anger based on speculation, though lacking solid evidence, but he was indeed close to the truth!

The Former City Lord of Liuzhou City spared no effort to attack Gu Changsheng, severely injuring Han Qiu. In anger, Gu Changsheng slaughtered the City Lord’s Mansion. The mastermind behind it all was Prince Liang, and Gu Changsheng, considering Zhou Mu’s face, did not go to the Capital City to take his life but severely schemed against him.

Past causes, future consequences—who’s right or wrong cannot be easily determined!

”Wretch! Wretch!” Prince Liang gritted his teeth and whispered twice, even as he raised his eyes, staring coldly at Emperor Zhoulin, his voice icy, ”A mere abandoned wife, a wretch’s body—how can she enter our Great Zhou Imperial Family? Father is old, becoming more and more muddle-headed. She brought such a catastrophic disaster to Great Zhou—even if Father can tolerate her, our Great Zhou Imperial Family cannot, nor can the entire imperial court!”

”You! You! Cough cough...” Emperor Zhoulin staggered back, furious at being rebuked as muddle-headed by his own son in front of the civil and military officials, and started coughing loudly.

Within the imperial court, several other princes lowered their heads, laughing quietly.

Prince Jin, much younger than Prince Liang, looked at him with slight satisfaction, yet if observed closely, one could also see disdain.

”Father, enemies on both sides, chaos in the Central Plains—if this continues, Great Zhou will surely fall. If Father does not retract your command and let Zhou Mu take responsibility unto death, and declare Gu Changsheng a fugitive, I, your unworthy son, can only request to open the Zhou Family Ancestral Hall and ask the clan elders to preside over the court!” Prince Liang stepped forward once more, speaking sharply.

Opening the Zhou Family Ancestral Hall and asking clan elders to preside over the court sounds nice. Put harshly, it’s to depose Emperor Zhoulin from the imperial throne, for the Zhou elders to choose a new ruler!

In an instant, several princes standing below were tempted, and amidst them, Prince Liang smiled silently.

It finally reached this point.

Based on Emperor Zhoulin’s favoritism towards Zhou Mu, if he lived to make a succession decree, Zhou Mu would undoubtedly succeed. However, opening the ancestral hall and the imperial clan deposing Emperor Zhoulin would change everything. The new emperor of Great Zhou must emerge from among the princes, and in such a tense situation, anyone might claim the supreme throne, except Zhou Mu—he has no chance!

”Outrageous! Outrageous! Rebellion! Rebellion!” Emperor Zhoulin slumped on the Dragon Throne, looking ashen, as though suddenly aged many years, his temples growing increasingly grey.

”Your Majesty, calm your anger, take care of your Dragon Body!” The Old Eunuch Han Shan stepped forward in concern, whispering comfortingly, ”Prince Mu battles at the Northern border, relying on Your Majesty to stabilize the rear; His Highness Prince Changsheng is trapped in the Southern Border, relying on Your Majesty to secure the Central Plains. You cannot fall, Your Majesty, you must hold on!”

No one expected the situation would escalate to this point. Prince Changsheng went to war in the Southern Border, achieving victory in the first battle, causing the Great Zhou Court to celebrate. But soon after, chaos engulfed the Four Kingdoms, with three kingdoms besieging Great Zhou!

The balance of the Four Kingdoms of the Central Plains broke due to the Forbidden Land clan in the Southern Border, all tracing back truly to Gu Changsheng.

However, as Han Qiu’s uncle, Han Shan has always believed, his niece would not follow the wrong person!

And as the Great Zhou Emperor, Emperor Zhoulin has high hopes for Zhou Mu—despite chaos in the Central Plains and three kingdoms’ attack, before Zhou Mu returned from the Southern Border, he resisted court pressure, holding on for two months!

Yet now, Great Zhou faces imprisonment; the court is in chaos, and the princes’ fight for succession is undisguised. The smoke-filled court is at the limit for Emperor Zhoulin, especially when Prince Liang proposed opening the ancestral hall to choose a new ruler, leaving him with no reason to refute!

The princes’ struggle for succession turned the court into a smoke-free battlefield!

This silent battlefield persisted for months, with Emperor Zhoulin still arduously supporting, hoping to achieve the grand ambition for the imperial grandson he treasures most!

Emperor Zhoulin finally sighed with relief, letting out a long breath.

The Imperial Court was already in an uproar, with no small number of imperial relatives and nobles supporting the proposal of opening the ancestral hall to choose a new master!

Yet the court officials, amidst the heated debates over the position of the ruler, all chose to remain cautious and protect themselves. That was a matter concerning the Zhou family’s imperial kin; no matter what, it had no direct relation to them. If things went wrong, the ancestral hall might not open, a new master might not be appointed, and that would constitute a grave crime of treason!

”I, your son, support opening the ancestral hall. The Great Zhou has lasted generations and cannot perish because of a worthless descendant of the imperial clan!”

”I, your imperial brother, second that. You, my imperial brother, are already advanced in years. This throne should be conferred upon the capable within the imperial clan. We must navigate through this calamity threatening our nation!”

”I, your son, believe that the Imperial Uncle makes sense!”

”...”

The imperial relatives and nobles were in chaos, the arguments incessant. Even those few who spoke for Emperor Zhoulin were instantly drowned out.

”Internal strife and external threats, the Great Zhou has accumulated such deep seated issues, it’s my sin! Heaven intends to destroy my Great Zhou!” Emperor Zhoulin looked at the chaos in the court, his aged eyes slightly wet, he looked up, letting out a helpless sigh.

Emperor Zhoulin was a shrewd ruler well-versed in imperial tactics, ruthless to the extreme. However, in governing the court, he allowed open discussion and was considered somewhat enlightened. Otherwise, the Great Zhou would not have enjoyed the current period of peace and prosperity.

Yet, advantages and disadvantages always become evident over time. The consequences of decentralizing power were fully manifest in this time of war. Even he, the Emperor, was being questioned, even set to be overthrown!

”Imperial Father, please make a quick decision!” Prince Liang stepped forward amidst the arguments, with a hint of pride befitting a leader, ”Let Zhou Mu, the insignificant, admit his failure and be executed. Summon Gu Changsheng, the scourge of Great Zhou. Revoke the fief of Liuzhou, negotiate peace with the Three Kingdoms, and the calamity of national destruction can be averted! Otherwise, I, your son, will have to be the unfilial child and plead for the ancestral hall to open to select a worthy ruler!”

”Exactly!”

”Makes sense!”

”...”

Prince Liang’s words immediately received the approval of several imperial relatives and nobles.

”Heh heh...” Upon the Dragon Throne, when Emperor Zhoulin heard this, he suddenly laughed, ”Select a new worthy ruler? Are you talking about yourself? Traitor! Even if Great Zhou were to be destroyed at this moment, the throne would never fall into the hands of such a mediocre person as you! Even if the ancestral hall were to reopen, I am still the clan leader of the Zhou family and retain the right to vote on the new master! Why must you all be so relentless?”

As Emperor Zhoulin spoke, he staggered down from the Dragon Throne, pointing sternly from above at the imperial relatives below, shouting harshly, ”Have my Imperial Grandson Mu admit guilt and be executed? Pursue his acknowledged wife? Even if it appeases the anger of the Three Kingdoms and temporarily ensures the peace of Great Zhou, where then is the prestige of my Great Zhou? To subdue the enemy without fighting! Even if we lost the war, the Zhou family would not betray the ancestral legacy of conquest, ending honorably! Though I am old and muddled, I still have the spirit of former days, yet you, in your prime, are so timid and cowardly! Indeed, you are good descendants of my Zhou family!”

At this point, Emperor Zhoulin let out a bitter laugh, and, looking down, his eyes carried a hint of disdain, ”Joining with the Three Kingdoms, waging war in the Southern Border? Are you truly so foolhardy? On this vast land, there are two forbidden places. Even when the Central Plains were unified, no formidable nation dared venture impetuously. The first is north of the Northern Desert, the Divine Demise Land, and the second is in the Southwest of the Central Plains, the Clan of God Favor with their Witch gu! My Imperial Grandson Zhou Mu, divinely gifted and valiant, once mobilized forces in Northern Mongolian and the Southern Border, but always withdrew at the outskirts. For what reason? These two forbidden lands, those who trespass have no chance of survival, and a misstep could lead to a catastrophe for the Central Plains!”

”The Southwest Land, with its harsh mountains and treacherous waters, is rich in minerals, a natural treasure trove. Do you think the Central Plains has never coveted it? Why is it that they only need to pay a small tribute yearly to escape the coveting of various states in the Central Plains? Mediocrities, go back and ponder it carefully!”

Emperor Zhoulin’s words left the imperial relatives and court officials below stunned, their expressions somewhat bewildered.

”Why does the Imperial Father speak so alarmingly? Even if it were as the Imperial Father says, that is a matter for the future. Right now, avoiding the calamity of national destruction for the Great Zhou is what is pressing! Please, Imperial Father, make a quick decision!” Prince Liang, agitated, spoke again, persistent and unyielding.

”Please, Imperial Father, make a quick decision!”

”Imperial Brother, heed my words, for the Zhou family is not lacking in talented descendants. Even if we lose Zhou Mu, it will not lead to national destruction. However, his indulgence of his woman has indeed brought calamity upon the Great Zhou. Such a descendant, when necessary, must be given up! My imperial brother’s profound affection for the former Noble Consort Du is understandable, yet this is not the time for indulging in past sentiments. In making choices, please, Imperial Brother, decide!”

At the mention of Zhou Mu’s grandmother, Emperor Zhoulin immediately erupted, ”Enough! Does my beloved consort warrant mention by you!”

”What is my Imperial Brother saying? If this is truly the case, I must insist. When the former Crown Prince was established, it was neither because he was the eldest nor the legitimate heir. It was solely due to the favor of my Imperial Brother. Now, in hindsight, Zhou Mu is much like his father, relying only on my Imperial Brother’s favoritism. Though he has military achievements, after being favored for more than ten years, the Zhou family has treated him with utmost benevolence. But with such looming disaster, we cannot tolerate him!” Speaking is another imperial uncle. During the struggle for the throne years ago, he was still young, his lowly birth sparing him, and usually, he was mediocre. Unexpectedly, he now delivered such a blow to Emperor Zhoulin!