"Father Emperor, what a good thing you died!"
He hated himself even as he thought this sorrowfully.
Emperor Qing had died before he could announce the deposition of the Heir Apparent to the realm. He was still the lawful Heir Apparent.
And the Ye Family's involvement in Emperor Qing's murder had shown him an opportunity to bring down Zhou Cheng.
He had thought that he would never have another chance at that throne.
Yet with Emperor Qing's death, the mountain path had suddenly turned, revealing an entirely new vista.
How could he not feel immensely fortunate amid his grief?
The eunuch sent by the Empress Dowager was still shaken, but he remained waiting nearby to escort the Empress and the Crown Prince to Hanguang Hall.
The Empress had also received the news. She arrived at the Eastern Palace in a daze, looking every bit a walking corpse.
They had been childhood sweethearts, after all. The Empress had genuine feelings for Emperor Qing. Even though he had treated her with disdain after meeting Ye Qingmei, her feelings had never changed in all these years.
Now, abruptly learning that Emperor Qing had been assassinated, the Empress broke down completely.
Her eyes were hollow and unfocused as she stood woodenly before the Crown Prince. "Your Father Emperor is dead..."
The Crown Prince glanced at the messenger eunuch by the palace gates, then slowly lowered his head and whispered into his mother's ear, his voice filled with fierce resentment:
"Father Emperor was only mortal. Even without an assassination, he would have died sooner or later. Now, it's a good thing he's dead!"
The Crown Prince's expression still carried grief and fear. To an outsider, they looked exactly like a mother and son comforting each other in the depths of sorrow.
Those utterly treasonous words