"There's no use in rushing things." Prince Xue Xing took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "The worst thing we can do right now is to act rashly. Since Xue Qinghe dared to do this, he must have set up a trap. If we launch an attack prematurely, he will only give us leverage."
He looked at Xue Beng and said in a deep voice, "The most urgent task is to stabilize the people under our control. Your mother still has some connections in the inner palace; have her find a way to find out the true situation of His Majesty, even if it's just a few words. Also, those old subordinates in the army must be informed as soon as possible that they should stay in their positions and not respond to the Crown Prince's orders without my command."
Xue Beng nodded, the anxiety in his eyes gradually replaced by determination. "I understand. So... are we just going to watch him seize power?"
"Of course not." Prince Xue Xing's lips curled into a cold smile. "He can only sit in this position if we allow it. Let him be smug for a few days, and once we've figured out his true strength and His Majesty's true situation, we'll make our plans. Remember, the more critical the moment, the more composed we must be."
The sky outside the window gradually darkened, like a gloomy haze hanging over the capital of Heaven Dou.
Inside the study, the uncle and nephew spoke in hushed tones, each word revealing caution and calculation. A silent storm was brewing beneath the seemingly calm surface.
Xue Beng paced back and forth in the study. He had already arranged for someone to investigate the situation of Xue Ye. Not long after, his confidant returned with a message.
"Found it?"
The confidant, pale-faced and speaking in a low voice, said with barely concealed fear, "Your Highness, the information our palace informant risked their life to bring back... His Majesty's illness is probably not an accident."
Xue Beng's heart sank. "Explain yourself!"
"The informant mingled among the servants preparing His Majesty's medicine, secretly taking the dregs and His Majesty's personal handkerchief, and had them examined by the most trusted old physician outside the palace." The confidant swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "The old physician said that the dregs contained a slow-acting poison, colorless and odorless, undetectable when mixed with ordinary medicine. But over time, it will slowly erode the heart meridian, making one appear to be seriously ill, but in reality... in reality, the poison has hollowed out their very essence."
Xue Beng clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white. "Then what about Father Emperor now...?"
"The old physician said, judging from the extent of the drug's corrosive effects, His Majesty has probably been under its influence for quite some time. This sudden flare-up is clearly because someone increased the dosage, trying to make His Majesty... unable to hold on any longer." The confidant lowered his head, not daring to look into Xue Beng's eyes. "He said, at this rate, His Majesty probably... probably won't last more than half a month, or even less."
"Half-moon..." Xue Beng felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, as if the blood in his body had frozen. He slammed his fist on the table, and a shallow mark was left on the fine sandalwood surface.
" Xue Qinghe!" He gritted his teeth as he uttered the name, his eyes surging with shock, anger, and murderous intent. "It's him! It must be him!"
The confidant remained silent, too terrified to utter a word.
Xue Beng, panting heavily, forced himself to calm down. He knew very well that once Xue Ye passed away, Xue Qinghe, as the crown prince, could rightfully inherit the throne and take control of the power of the Heaven Dou Empire.
By then, let alone the fourth prince, even the Prince Xue Xing, who holds some military power, will probably be seen as a thorn in Xue Qinghe's side and will be eliminated sooner or later.
"No... we absolutely cannot let him succeed!" A fierce glint flashed in Xue Beng's eyes. "If anything truly happens to His Majesty, this empire must not fall into the hands of a traitor who poisoned my father!"
He took a deep breath and looked at his confidant. "Investigate again! Find out the source of this poison, find out who prepared the medicine for His Majesty, find out who Xue Qinghe has met with these past few days! No matter the cost, we must get the evidence!"
"Yes!" The trusted aide acknowledged the order and hurriedly withdrew.
Xue Beng was the only one left in the study. He stood by the window, gazing in the direction of the palace, his eyes dark and unfathomable.
He knew that the days to come would be a battle between life and death. Either he would expose Xue Qinghe's conspiracy, protect his father, and protect himself; or he would face utter destruction.
Upon receiving the message, Xue Beng immediately ordered someone to summon Prince Xue Xing to his residence for a private meeting.
Upon learning of this, Prince Xue Xing dared not delay and immediately went to the location.
"Royal Uncle! We've found out! Father has been poisoned with ' Seven-Colored Mottled '! It's a forbidden poison of the Breaking Clan!" His voice trembled, half with anger and half with fear. "The old healer said that this poison is a mixture of seven non-toxic medicines, with an extremely long incubation period. Once it takes effect, it will devour life force, and there is no antidote... Xue Qinghe has been planning this for a long time!"
Prince Xue Xing was reading a military report when he heard this and suddenly slammed his hand on the table, knocking over the teacup and splashing hot tea onto his sleeves without him noticing.
He snatched the document from Xue Beng's hand and read it word by word. His face turned from red to green, then from green to black, and finally he clenched the document into a ball, his fingers turning white from the force.
" Seven-Colored Mottled... What a Xue Qinghe! What a cunning and ruthless wolf!" Prince Xue Xing's voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a chilling aura. "I knew His Majesty's health had always been robust; how could he suddenly collapse so completely! It turns out he meticulously planned this, using such a vicious method!"
He paced back and forth in the study, then abruptly stopped, his eyes flashing with a fierce light. "This traitor! He appears gentle and refined on the surface, but is so ruthless at heart! Does he think that by poisoning His Majesty, he can easily sit on the throne? He underestimates us!"
Xue Beng said urgently, "Uncle, what do we do now? Father won't last much longer. Once he passes away, Xue Qinghe will rightfully ascend the throne as Crown Prince! At that time..."
"At that time, neither my nephew nor I, nor any of the loyal ministers who served His Majesty, will survive!" Prince Xue Xing interrupted him, his tone resolute. " Xue Qinghe is vengeful and cunning. Your two brothers probably died at his hands back then. He has endured for so many years to set up this scheme, all to wipe out everyone who stands in his way to the throne. We have long been seen as thorns in his side. The day he ascends the throne will be our death day!"
Xue Beng's face was deathly pale, his clenched fist trembling slightly. "Then... then are we just supposed to sit here and wait to die?"
"Sit and wait to die?" Prince Xue Xing sneered, a resolute glint in his eyes. "I, Xue Xing, have lived most of my life, and I have never learned to bow down to a traitor who poisoned his father!"
He walked up to Xue Beng, placed his hands on Avalanche's shoulders, and his gaze was sharp as a knife. " Xue Beng, now we have no way out. Rather than waiting to be dealt with one by one, we might as well fight!"