Use a substitute on your wedding night to scatter the ashes of your entire family

Zhao Mingshan placed his hands on his forehead and kowtowed heavily on the white marble floor tiles: "I beg the emperor to depose Ling Ji, the crown prince, and appoint the third prince as the heir."

At this point, Zhao Mingshan has no choice but to give it a try. If he succeeds, a bright future will be ahead of him.

If he loses, the worst that can happen is that he will be sentenced to exile like Hu Zhenfang. When the third prince ascends the throne, he can return in glory.

"You actually think about the Ling family's kingdom." There was no emotion in Emperor Jingzhang's words.

"Eating the emperor's salary is the only way to be loyal to the emperor."

"What a good thing to be loyal to the emperor, you think I am a tyrant!"

"Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the Third Prince has arrived."

"Tell him to get in."

Ling Yao, who had just arrived at the door of the imperial study, felt a pang in his heart when he heard the emperor's furious roar.

Yesterday, after discussing with his aides, he entered the palace and swore on death that he had never done anything to harm his brothers and sisters, and that all these things were framed by others.

The purpose is to catch both brothers in one fell swoop.

One word "Di" is enough to explain everything.

No matter how stupid he was, he would never send his own chief secretary to do that, let alone hang someone in his own house.

Most importantly, if he really did it, Cai Jin would not have waited until now to kill him.

My father believed it reluctantly.

But today...

He couldn't guess why his father urgently summoned him into the palace.

Ling Yao had just entered the imperial study and saw the floor full of letter papers. He only took a glance at them and his head was buzzing.

How did these letters end up in my father's hands?

He hid it very well. When did he lose it and who got into his study?

He glanced and saw Jinyiwei commander Lu Dongqing standing beside him.

Could it be him?

But there are more than just these few letters in the secret compartment of his study.

Even if the remaining few letters fall into the hands of my father, it would be a capital crime!

The Embroidered Uniform Guards were the emperor's minions. If Lu Dongqing had sneaked into his study, it was impossible for him to have taken only these letters.

So it’s not him!

Who could that be? Why would that person do this?

In just a moment, Ling Yao had already been through a thousand thoughts.

"Third brother!" Emperor Jingzhang shouted coldly.

Ling Yao knelt down and said, "Father, where did these letters come from?"

"Where did it come from? Don't you know?"

"Father, I have never seen these letters. The Crown Prince is my elder brother. He is the eldest son and the legitimate son. How could I covet the position of crown prince?" He put his forehead to the ground, "Please understand clearly, Father."

Zhao Mingshan looked at Ling Yao in disbelief.

Ling Yao stood up suddenly and looked at Zhao Mingshan, his eyes filled with poison, "Zhao Mingshan, I have no grudge against you, what is your purpose, why are you trying to hurt me!"

"Your Highness..." Zhao Mingshan's face turned even paler. He lost the bet. From the time the Third Prince came in until now, he had not said a word, but the Third Prince had already pushed all the responsibility onto him.

Ling Yao's eyes were red with anger: "Zhao Mingshan, whether in the court or in private, I have never had any private contact with you or your Zhao family. Why did you harm me today!"

Zhao Mingshan knew that Ling Yao had given up on him, so he knelt down a few steps and said, "Your Majesty, I am loyal to Northern Jin. My loyalty to you is evident to all..."

Emperor Jingzhang watched Zhao Mingshan express his loyalty coldly, and watched Ling Yao threaten Zhao Mingshan with the lives of Zhao's family without hesitation. He was filled with anger.

In fact, he didn't believe a single word of his rebuttal yesterday.

But the crown prince had been deposed, and he didn't want to depose his other legitimate son as well.

Zhao Mingshan's explanations became increasingly weak, and Ling Yao's words became increasingly harsh.

After a long while, Emperor Jingzhang spoke: "Zhao Mingshan, I appreciate your years of service to Northern Jin. Although you have not made great contributions, you have worked hard. This time you have committed a serious crime punishable by the execution of nine clans, but I will also let you off the hook. Come on, pass on the order that all male members of the three clans of the Zhao family be exiled to Wushan Pass, and all female members be sent to the Jiaofang Division. There is no need to wait three days, set off immediately."

Zhao Mingshan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, like Hu Zhenfang, he was only exiled. As long as he was alive, there was hope. On the surface, he was so scared that he collapsed to the ground and thanked the Lord in a crying voice: "I thank the Lord for his grace--"

Soon two guards came in and dragged Zhao Mingshan away like a dead dog.

As soon as Zhao Mingshan was dragged away, the imperial study fell into deathly silence, and Zhang Desheng secretly slowed down his breathing.

More things have happened in the past month than in the previous eighteen years.

He thought of the late emperor who was getting old and his several princes who had already grown up.

The struggle for succession happens every few decades.

History always repeats itself again and again.

Ling Yao remained kneeling on the ground with his head pressed to the ground.

Emperor Jingzhang was extremely disappointed. The crown prince had done so many stupid things, and he had covered up for him time and time again, but this guy still refused to change his ways. Now he had brought it upon himself. His left hand was disabled, and his position as crown prince would be abolished after the new year.

But the third brother not only poisoned his own brothers, but also colluded with the ministers.

There is also the second brother, the fifth brother, and even the youngest brother, the sixth brother, is already eighteen years old. In their eyes, there is only this chair, not the king or father.

Emperor Jingzhang rubbed his brows, feeling extremely tired, as if he had aged several years in an instant. He was tired, and said solemnly to Ling Yao who was kneeling on the ground: "During this period of time, you should reflect on yourself in the mansion."

"Father..."

Emperor Jingzhang supported his forehead with his hands and closed his eyes.

Zhang Desheng helped Ling Yao up: "Third Prince, please go back."

Ling Yao's lips trembled: "Thank you, father."

Ling Yao left the palace with weak legs.

After getting off the horse at the gate of the mansion, he almost ran to the study.

A charming woman came over, twisting her waist and reaching out to pull Ling Yao's hand: "Master, where are you going?"

"Get out of here!" Ling Yao kicked him.

The woman was startled: "Master, what's wrong with you?"

Ling Yao turned his head suddenly, his face ferocious like a beast, and ordered coldly: "Take him away and beat him to death!"

The woman was horrified: "Master, Master, I have done something wrong. You want to kill me, please spare my life..."

The rest of the words were blocked in my throat by a rag.

Ling Yao rushed directly into the study, and no one dared to offend him again.

After closing the door, Ling Yao rushed to the secret compartment and pulled it open. The letters were neatly stacked inside. Except for the three letters he saw in the imperial study, there were still many letters left.

Ling Yao fell to the ground with a thud, and then he realized that he had already broken out in a cold sweat, with every hair on his body standing up.

After a while, he stumbled to his feet and poured all the letters in the box into the brazier. He watched the flames in the brazier rise and gradually turn the letters into ashes, then he breathed a sigh of relief.

At the end, he suddenly burst into laughter, and his wild laughter mixed with the sound of sticks hitting flesh outside and disappeared in the towering palace of the Third Prince.