Exile. Exile Ch 97

In the end, Jiang Mao still let people apprehended the fifth prince, Jiang Zhu.

Before moving the fifth prince, Jiang Mao went through mature reflection; he knew that the old emperor alone could make life difficult.

But he still let people apprehended the fifth prince.

With a small squadron of soldiers, Jiang Mao went to the old emperor's palace with Su Caicai in one hand.

The old emperor who was lying on the bed suddenly saw the door open, then Jiang Mao came in. He was so scared that he half rose from the bed before laying back down again—— He wanted to sit up, but it was too difficult for him without the support of the palace maid.

The vitality of this old thing was really tenacious; he could bear being tossed again and again like that. If it was any other old man, he would already be unable to bear it long ago.

The old emperor was frightened at first. When he accepted the fact that Jiang Mao was still alive, he immediately glared at him in bitter resentment.

The old emperor's hair was all white, and his hair was almost gone. Because of his long illness, he was a little thin. His whole face was full of gorges, his teeth had fallen off a lot, his mouth was a bit cave in, and his turbid eyes stared at him; how very terrible. Su Caicai was so scared that he opened Jiang Mao's front clothes and plunged in like a mouse.

Jiang Mao patted Su Caicai's b.u.t.t with one hand and looked at the old emperor with pursed lips, his expression was not clear.

“I know, you're disappointed that I'm not dead.”

In a sentence, he stopped the numerous questions in the old emperor's mind.

Jiang Mao added, “I know the whole story of this matter.”

The old emperor was probably having a guilty conscience as he closed his eyes tremblingly.

“I have no intention of wronging myself in this matter.” Jiang Mao's eyes suddenly turned fierce.

“You, you… what do you want?” When the old emperor heard Jiang Mao said so, he could not deal with the guilty conscience.

“I arrested Jiang Zhu.”

After listening to his words, the old emperor, for some reason, suddenly had the strength to sit up directly.

“You, you, you…” The old emperor pointed at Jiang Mao with shaking fingers.

Jiang Mao knew what Fifth Prince meant to the old emperor.

Jiang Mao rubbed Su Caicai's head. He didn't want to talk to the old emperor much nonsense, so he said directly, “Jiang Zhu tried to kill me, I can't preserve his life.”

The old emperor suddenly choked up. It was them, who first attacked Jiang Mao. If he opened his mouth to demand Jiang Mao to let Jiang Zhu go, no need to think, Jiang Mao would not agree. But… this way was like presenting the country to Jiang Mao? This Jiang Mao, who didn't grow up and live by his side all day and had no father-son feelings for him?

The old emperor was not reconciled to it.

Jiang Mao also knew that the old emperor was not reconciled.

“Why don't we discuss the terms?” Pinching Su Caicai's fat feet, Jiang Mao suddenly said.

“What terms?”

“You issue the imperial decree to set the crime of Jiang Zhu and appeased the courtiers.”

Jiang Mao didn't plan to do anything to the old emperor for the time being. He's an outsider, there must be many people who didn't like him. If the names of forcing the emperor to abdicate and patricide were fastened on his head, it would certainly be very unfavorable for him.

After listening to these terms, the old emperor laughed angrily. Why else would they discuss the terms? With Fifth Prince gone, the throne could only fall to Jiang Mao's head.

Jiang Mao guessed what the old emperor thought. He said slowly, “besides Fifth Prince, you another son.”

The old emperor remembered that he had a disabled son. That son was the most filial, but because of his son's disability, he had always ignored his son's filial piety.

……

After the old eunuch finished reading the imperial edict of the old emperor, the face of the fifth prince  who knelt on the ground was full of disbelief. How could this be? Imperial Father had only him as the normal and closed son, how could Imperial Father abandoned him?

There were a lot of crimes to convict the fifth prince, such as fratricide; ganged up for personal interest; persecuted the faithful and honest….

Ignoring the commotion below, the old eunuch took another Imperial Edict and read it.

Jiang Jun's heart pounded as he knelt down. He was a little nervous, but he didn't feel surprised.

The old emperor decided to make Jiang Jun the Crown Prince.

He remembered that not long ago, the fourth elder brother suddenly pulled him out and asked him, “Do you want to be emperor?”

At that time, he was shocked and stammered: “fourth elder brother, you-you-you, what are you saying? I will try my best to help you after fifth elder brother is executed.”

But he saw his fourth elder brother's eyebrows full of tiredness as he waved hands, “if I give you a chance, let you be the emperor.”

Jiang Jun held his breath. Be the emperor, there were only several men in the world who could refuse. Because of his physical disability, he didn't think of it for a long time, but at the moment, he found that he still expected it.

“But I have a condition.” Jiang Mao looked at the big baby in arms, “you have to establish Caicai as the Crown Prince.”

Jiang Jun promised without hesitation that he would never have children in this life.

“Fourth Elder Brother……” After hesitating for a while, Jiang Jun asked what he thought, “why don't you want to be emperor yourself?”

Jiang Mao smiled as he rubbed his forehead, but did not speak.

He was a man who had died once. He also went through several life and death moments in this life. After going to war, he was used to seeing life and death. He no longer wanted to waste his time for those boring things.

Xah: Recap of Jiang men

Third Prince Jiang JingFourth Prince Jiang Mao/ Jiang Si(4)/ Yue w.a.n.gFifth Prince Jiang ZhuSeventh Prince Jiang Jun/ Crown Prince (later)Su Caicai/ Su Chengjun/ Jiang ChengjunJiang Fanfan/ Jiang Zhui