EMHTC -Chapter 106 Faking a Crippled Leg and Sitting in a Wheelchair for Fifteen Years to Avoid the Emperor’s Suspicion?

The old emperor summoned the Jinyiwei and quietly instructed, “Act as the situation demands.”

What did “act as the situation demands” mean? It meant that when Xu Yanmiao went around spreading the principle of how hens could turn into roosters, these Jinyiwei—who just “accidentally” discovered this information—were to report it back to him, the emperor!

Then, the emperor would find two men and two women, lock them up separately in two estates, and provide enough food for a year. The goal? To see if men could turn into women and women into men.

If it worked, then in the future, during wartime or when cultivating land, all the women could be turned into men. When population growth was needed, most men could be turned into women, leaving only a few to provide the “seeds.”

Wouldn’t it be perfect? They could get people when needed, grain when needed, and there would never again be a problem of too many men or too many women. Families wouldn’t have to drown their baby girls anymore either!

The old emperor mulled over this scenario and felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck his brain. The nation’s future looked dazzlingly bright.

Thank goodness Xu Yanmiao didn’t know about this; otherwise, he might have fainted on the spot.

Bright future? Seriously? Human and chicken chromosomes aren’t even the same, for heaven’s sake!

But since he didn’t know, he could happily continue to watch the spectacle unfold.

【Oh, ho, that Daoist is still trying to manipulate public opinion to pressure the emperor!】

【But with the old emperor’s personality—stubborn when pushed, combative when challenged—forget dealing with the crown prince. Even if you tried to force his hand against someone else, his resistance alone would be enough to turn the situation around.】

The old emperor clicked his tongue lightly.

【Though, does he even know his master, Prince Fu, has already fallen from grace?】

【Probably not. After all, the emperor hasn’t announced it to the world, and the Daoist has been holed up for over a year prepping this “phenomenon” of hens turning into roosters. He hasn’t been back to the Prince Fu residence.】

The officials: Oh, ho!

The old emperor: Oh, ho!

A fish that slipped through the net!

The Daoist, intending to seize the momentum, moved slightly to stretch his stiff arms. But as soon as he moved, countless gazes turned toward him. The mix of surprise and mockery in their eyes made him freeze on the spot, his body feeling even more rigid.

…What on earth was going on?

Ever since the moment he exposed the crown prince as a demonic entity in court, every reaction from the officials had made the Daoist feel increasingly uneasy.

How would this information get out?

Of course, through the ever-reliable Jinyiwei.

As the Daoist stood there in a brief moment of melancholy, he suddenly noticed a Jinyiwei striding quickly from outside the formation. The man glanced at him as he passed.

“…”

Noticing the look, the Daoist’s eyelids twitched imperceptibly.

Shortly after, he heard the emperor, his tone unreadable, ask, “What is it now?”

The Jinyiwei glanced in his direction again, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, as if suppressing a laugh.

The ominous feeling grew stronger.

Then the Jinyiwei spoke: “Your Majesty, I have investigated and confirmed that this man is a remnant of Prince Fu’s faction! His plot against the Crown Prince was meant to pave the way for Prince Fu to take over the Eastern Palace.”

How the Jinyiwei discovered this was unimportant—after all, the Jinyiwei were omnipotent and had their own sources of information.

The Daoist immediately tensed up. “Nonsense—”

They must be trying to trick him!

【Oh ho! As expected, the Jinyiwei exposed him. Prince Fu really brought this on himself. Knowing full well how skilled his father’s Jinyiwei are at gathering information, he still dared to make these little moves.】

The old emperor thought to himself: Not really, no. My Jinyiwei’s methods of gathering intelligence aren’t quite that miraculous.

In truth, he had always been curious about where Xu Yanmiao had gotten the impression that the Jinyiwei were all-knowing.

【So this Daoist was actually raising snakes for Prince Fu!】

【Hiss—what a massive snake! Scared me to death… Wait, is he really the third uncle of my household cook?】

【This won’t implicate my cook, will it? It won’t, right? It shouldn’t…right?】

When it involved someone he knew, Xu Yanmiao couldn’t stay calm anymore.

【Other than having a problematic relative like this, my cook has always been an honest and upright commoner! Let me see… He didn’t get involved in this mess, did he? He only thought his third uncle was down on his luck and came to help him. No, I have to figure out a way to ask Lian Hang if this kind of thing could lead to family members being implicated.】

Lian Hang, hearing his name mentioned, glanced quickly at Xu Yanmiao, thinking: Even if it could have implicated them before, with Xu Lang’s heartfelt interjection now, that cook’s family won’t be dragged into this.

He sighed with a mix of awe and resignation. “Power…”

This was the power Xu Lang wielded.

As Xu Yanmiao’s scattered thoughts revealed bits and pieces of information, the Jinyiwei began piecing together the Daoist’s identity and said, “Your Majesty, this man’s original name is Yang Chao. He is a snake handler from Xinxing County, Zhaoqing Prefecture, Lingxi Circuit, in Guangdong’s Administration.”

That one sentence caused the Daoist, who called himself Changqingzi, to clench his fingers tightly as his heart pounded violently.

Jinyiwei… How could their intelligence be so accurate?!

He had only appeared two days ago, and they already knew his original name, his birthplace, and even his connection to Prince Fu?

Then, as the Jinyiwei continued to expose more truths, each one undeniable, the Daoist began to sweat profusely. A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes—

Since escape was no longer an option, he might as well drag more people down with him!

During his time wandering the streets, training snakes, and gathering intelligence for Prince Fu, he had stumbled upon something important, though he hadn’t had the chance to inform his master yet. “Your Majesty, are you aware that Prince Jin and Prince Jibei have a secret connection? They once conspired with Prince Fu in a rebellion.”

The atmosphere seemed to darken instantly.

“What—”

Prince Jin?

That was the emperor’s most cherished younger brother. A family member he held dear.

He had even given him the prestigious title of “Jin” and the land that came with it!

Sensing the brewing storm, many officials exhaled heavily and cast discreet glances toward Emperor Tiantong.

The emperor turned to Xu Yanmiao, his gaze carrying a faint trace of hope.

Some ministers suddenly realized that, faced with such an explosive accusation, Xu Yanmiao was bound to reveal something.

What the Daoist said might not even be true!

【Uh… this…】

Then they saw Xu Yanmiao’s face show an awkward expression.

【So, Prince Jin has been exposed after all.】

“Hiss—”

The ministers’ pupils shook in shock.

You really did conspire to rebel?!

What were you even thinking?

The emperor also wanted to know what his younger brother was thinking.

Wasn’t the title of “Prince Jin” good enough?

Hadn’t he been indulgent enough over the years?

The emperor sat silently on the throne for a long time, his face dark. A few strands of gray and white beard floated down, seemingly torn off in anger and shock.

“Summon—” He paused, his voice hoarse. “Prince Jin.”

“Why has Imperial Brother suddenly thought to summon me?”

Prince Jin arrived, pushing his wheelchair, completely unaware of what had happened. He appeared relaxed and indifferent, saying, “Imperial Brother knows well that I’ve never meddled in affairs. If this is about state matters, I may not be of much help.”

Whether out of sincerity or an attempt to cover up, a faint smile appeared on the uncovered half of his face. “Before I came, Yong’er and Hua’er were still asleep. I’d like to return before they wake, or they’ll cry and fuss again.”

—The Princess Consort of Jin had given birth to twins, a boy and a girl.

The old emperor squinted at him for a moment before suddenly standing up. He extended his hand, and a nearby Jinyiwei handed him a stick.

Prince Jin: “?”

Before he could react, he saw his brother striding toward him, stick in hand.

“Imperial Brother!”

“What are you doing, Imperi—”

“Ah—”

“Wait, just a moment, I—”

“Ah—”

The stick landed with resounding thuds.

Xu Lang, being soft-hearted, couldn’t bear to watch. He turned his head away in a show of “discomfort.”

The old emperor’s furious voice roared through the hall.

“You little bastard! Of all things to covet, you covet the throne?! And you even conspired with Prince Jibei? Are you stupid, or is he? Once you kill me, do you think he’ll resist taking the throne for himself?”

“With your stupidity, do you think you can outmaneuver Prince Jibei?”

“Do you think your crippled legs can outrun him?”

“Idiot! Absolute idiot!”

“You’re going to be the death of me!”

“Mother, on her deathbed, told me to take care of you. Which prince in history has lived as comfortably as you? Jin—my own son didn’t even get Jin, but I gave it to you! And this is how you repay me, you damned fool!”

“And besides! Prince Jibei has land and private troops! That useless pig of a Prince Fu may be my son, but at least he has the claim of royal blood! What do you have? Nothing! You’re over thirty and still not steady, yet you think you can mimic others and rebel!”

The old emperor grew angrier as he spoke, punctuating his words with a flurry of blows.

At first, Prince Jin gritted his teeth and endured in silence. Soon, he was wailing and screaming, and by the end, his cries were broken and uneven. Yet the stick continued to rain down on him like a relentless storm.

The old emperor, having fought wars, knew exactly where to strike to avoid fatal injuries. His blows would only leave Prince Jin with torn muscles and broken bones at most.

—After all, beating him to death outright wouldn’t be as satisfying.

【Wow!】 Xu Yanmiao marveled. 【His vigor hasn’t diminished since back in the day! This strength wasn’t much different from when he crippled the crown prince.】

Standing beside Xu Yanmiao, Lian Hang felt his legs buckle at the memory. He was on the verge of tears.

Xu Lang! This is such a serious moment! Can you stop adding fuel to the fire? And why bring up the crown prince now???

The mention of the crown prince brought a new wave of fury to the old emperor’s mind. He remembered that Prince Jibei’s ultimate goal was to drive his own son to despair!

His expression hardened even further in an instant.

“Sima Chen! Are you planning to personally harm your own nephew?!”

【Oh! Not exactly.】

【Prince Jibei thinks he’s an idiot. He didn’t even tell him about this plan for fear he’d mess it up.】

The old emperor: “…”

Tsk.

But he couldn’t bring himself to feel pleased.

A fool who had been plotting rebellion for 30 years and was captured in less than half a day—what was there to celebrate about him calling someone else a fool?

—If anything, it only made him more frustrated.

When the beating finally stopped, Prince Jin gasped for air, struggling to catch his breath. In between his wheezing, he muttered in confusion, “Nephew? What nephew?” Suddenly, his expression shifted to one of shock. “Prince Jibei made a move against my eldest nephew?! When did that happen? Wasn’t he planning to raise an army to rebel?”

But his older brother’s expression didn’t soften. Instead, his gaze grew colder, and he swung the stick once more, landing it brutally on one of Prince Jin’s wounds. Flesh tore open further, and blood sprayed.

Prince Jin clutched the wound, sweat glistening on his face like a crimson sheen. “Imperial Brother… I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but I wasn’t deeply involved in Prince Jibei’s plans. Later, when my wife became pregnant, I feared things would go wrong, so I immediately severed ties with him. Now, I really just want to live a quiet life as a carefree prince, shut the door, and live peacefully with my wife and children.”

【Attempted murder doesn’t stop being murder just because it wasn’t carried out.】

Xu Yanmiao clicked his tongue in his mind.

【If Prince Jibei had succeeded, would he have spared the lives of the old emperor and his family?】

【If Prince Jin realized this and still went along, then he’s knowingly risking the emperor’s family for his own assumptions.】

【If he didn’t realize it, then he’s reckless and acts without considering consequences. Either way, it’s pretty terrifying.】

【The old emperor is quite pitiful, ending up with such an ungrateful wolf.】

The old emperor glanced at Xu Yanmiao.

He wouldn’t say he felt particularly happy at the moment, but hearing Xu Yanmiao side with him did visibly ease his expression.

“Hmph—”

You little brat, at least my indulgence toward you wasn’t wasted.

But when he turned back to Prince Jin, his anger flared anew.

And this one—this one he had indulged, too! Yet all it had done was breed a treacherous ingrate!

“Sima Chen! Tell me, where have I ever wronged you to make you harbor such resentment against me?”

Before the response could come, Xu Yanmiao’s inner commentary rang out first.

【Blame Prince Jibei fifty percent, and himself fifty percent.】

【He grew up among commoners and wasn’t found until he was eleven. After entering the palace, he had no real concept of the royal family. Most of the books he read described the imperial court as heartless. Plus, he felt insecure because his surname was Sima, while the emperor’s was Gao. It made him paranoid about making mistakes, always walking on eggshells.】

The old emperor’s fists clenched, his hand itching to grab the stick again.

【In the beginning, the emperor was too busy to care much about this newfound younger brother. Meanwhile, Prince Jibei, who hadn’t been sent to his fief yet, frequently sent books to the palace for him. Novels, history books…】

【Tsk, tsk, carefully chosen historical accounts, too. Stories where a younger brother killed his emperor brother with an axe and forcibly seized the throne.】

【Or where a mother favored the younger son and secretly ordered the emperor to pass the throne to him, leading to the elder brother’s resentment.】

【And even tales where a doting mother favored her youngest child, causing the older brother to feel jealous and target his younger sibling after the mother’s death.】

【With thousands of years of history, you can find any scenario tailored to your circumstances. It turned him into a nervous wreck, always suspecting the emperor’s smiles hid daggers, fearing a cup would be smashed to summon five hundred executioners to end him.】

【Honestly, I’m not sure whether to call this paranoia or something else.】

【And so, the books that were supposed to spark ambition instead scared him witless.】

【Hilarious. Prince Jibei probably thought this would work, but didn’t bother to correct course when it backfired.】

The old emperor: “…”

At this moment, even though Prince Jibei had already been beheaded, the emperor resolved to dig up his corpse and lash it.

When Prince Jin finally responded to the emperor’s question, explaining the origins of his suspicions and thoughts in detail, it was exactly as Xu Yanmiao had described. The old emperor immediately kicked him.

“Idiot! Fool! History also has stories of emperors doting on their children and being kind to their brothers! Why didn’t you believe those?!”

【Well, that’s hard to believe.】

【Being kind to children, sure. But brothers? Out of a hundred emperors, maybe one genuinely cared for his brothers. The rest probably focused on gutting them.】

The old emperor staggered backward but quickly steadied himself.

Lower your heads… just lower your heads…

The ministers, understanding the unspoken command, silently lowered their gazes, staring at their shoes. They were one step away from kneeling to beg this “little ancestor” to stop twisting the knife in His Majesty’s heart.

Prince Jin hesitantly spoke, “Imperial Brother, I…”

“Shut up,” the old emperor said coldly. “I don’t want to hear you right now.”

Then, he raised his foot and gave another firm kick to his troublesome younger brother’s useless legs.

【Stop kicking, stop kicking! The princess consort is a miracle doctor; maybe she could still cure his legs. But if you really kick and cause some new issue, it’ll be harder to fix.】

【Oh, but then again, he’s already committed treason. He might lose his head, so the emperor probably doesn’t care about his legs.】

【Wait a minute. Speaking of which, after all this time, hasn’t the princess consort tried to treat his legs? That doesn’t make sense. They’re supposed to be quite loving, and his condition isn’t due to broken bones or anything. It was from shielding the emperor during an assassination attempt years ago—poison left him unable to walk properly.】

【She’s said to have inherited her master’s expertise in detoxification.】

Though it wasn’t appropriate, the ministers’ attention subconsciously drifted.

“Xiao Baize’s thoughts are far too simple.”

“Yes, after so many years, his legs are probably beyond saving. Even the heir of a divine healer wouldn’t be able to bring the dead wood back to life, would they?”

“Besides, maybe she secretly examined him but couldn’t do anything about it.”

The murmuring was very quiet, limited to the back-row ministers. The front-row officials remained composed.

For instance, Prime Minister Dou stood with his hands tucked into his sleeves, appearing unbothered.

Such trivial matters were hardly worth noting. If the legs were truly healed, that would be something to pay attention to.

【Huh, that’s odd. The princess consort did want to check Prince Jin’s legs, but he refused? Claimed it was hopeless, so there was no point?】

The Minister of War, who hadn’t slept well the previous night, was struggling to stay awake. Unable to doze off in the front row, he sought distractions to keep himself alert.

Hearing this inner thought, he yawned discreetly.

Xu Yanmiao was still too inexperienced. This wasn’t hard to figure out—Prince Jin simply didn’t want his hopes dashed again. A natural reaction.

【Let me take a closer look…】

【Wait a second?????】

【You’re faking being crippled?!】

【You’ve been pretending for fifteen years to avoid suspicion from the emperor, sitting in a wheelchair all this time?!】

【And to be extra cautious, you’ve never stood up even at home?】

【Holy—! Not even your personal attendants or confidants know you can walk?!】

The Minister of War suddenly felt a jolt of realization. His gaze snapped to Prince Jin, who was seated in his wheelchair and had just been kicked in the “crippled” leg—yet remained completely motionless.

Prince Jin sat with his head bowed, humbly apologizing to the emperor. The very leg that had supposedly been kicked still didn’t twitch.

The Minister of War: “…”

Forget calling Xu Yanmiao naive—I’m the naive one.

What the hell—

Impressive!

What kind of brain comes up with this?!

A faint gasp rippled through the ministers.

What normal person could fake being unable to walk for fifteen years?!

Prince Jin’s expression sharpened slightly. He noticed his imperial brother’s face had contorted—did this mean his killing intent had intensified?

No! He had to save himself! He wasn’t alone in this world anymore!

Thud—

Prince Jin threw himself out of the wheelchair, landing on the ground.

Then, with great difficulty, he began inching forward using his arms.

“Imperial Brother!”

“Imperial Brother!”

“Your younger brother knows his mistake!”

“I beg Your Majesty’s mercy—consider my early decision to sever ties with Prince Jibei and spare me the death penalty!”

The old emperor: “…”

He stared expressionlessly at this peculiar brother of his and was once again convinced: his younger brother truly lacked sense. At a time like this, he still dared to bring up Prince Jibei. It would’ve been better if he had tearfully mentioned their mother, confessed his guilt to the emperor, and offered to relinquish his title and spend his life mourning her.

Was this really worth such a fit of anger?

“…”

Forget it. The Jin Prince’s household wouldn’t face total destruction.

Exile to Guizhou would suffice.