Silence.
The main hall fell into a deathly silence.
The surrounding eunuchs and palace maids even forgot to kneel, staring dumbfounded at the figure standing below the imperial desk.
What did the Sixth Prince just say? Rebellion... rebellion?
Could it be that the Sixth Prince had just knocked his head and gone mad?
Since the current Qing Emperor ascended the throne, he had executed hundreds of civil officials and meritorious nobles, all for serious crimes that led to the extermination of their families.
But even these people, none dared to claim they would rebel in front of the Qing Emperor.
The first to recover was Huang Jin, who stood behind the Qing Emperor.
"Audacious! Ninggu Prince, do you know what you are saying?" Huang Jin jumped out, shielding the Qing Emperor behind him, "Offending your superior, attempting to conspire, you have sought your own death!"
"I naturally know," Li Che looked at the Qing Emperor without changing his expression:
"Your son wishes to rebel, and has come specifically to inform Father Emperor!"
At this moment, the Qing Emperor had already recovered from his astonishment, reaching out to push away Huang Jin who was blocking him:
"I understand. You want to use this act of madness to show me that you've damaged your brain?"
Hearing the Qing Emperor's words, Li Che thought to himself, 'As expected.'
This Qing Emperor was definitely someone who had mastered imperial stratagem to the highest level; feigning madness was useless in front of him.
Fortunately, his ultimate goal was not to feign madness.
"Your son's mind is perfectly clear, without the slightest madness, and every word spoken comes from the bottom of his heart!"
"Good," the Qing Emperor laughed in extreme anger, "Tell me in detail, I want to hear how you will rebel against me!"
Li Che stood up straight, his heart pounding, but he still forced himself to calm down.
"Your son plans to collude with the Previous Dynasty remnants and aristocratic families, gathering assassins and death warriors to assassinate Father Emperor."
Li Che spoke earnestly, as if he were truly preparing to rebel.
"Hmph," the Qing Emperor sneered, "The Previous Dynasty remnants in the imperial capital have already been wiped out by me; the remaining small fry can't stir up any trouble."
"As for the aristocratic families, given your current situation, which family would dare to cooperate with you?"
Li Che continued, "Then your son will go to the fiefdom to gather Previous Dynasty orphans and form an army to break through Shanhai Pass and march to the imperial capital."
Hearing Li Che's words, the Qing Emperor's face showed even deeper impatience.
"Ninggu County does indeed have tens of thousands of Previous Dynasty remnants, but they struggle even to survive. You expect them to form an army?"
"Moreover, do you think my Shanhai Pass is just for show?!"
"Shanhai Pass is the strongest pass in the world; it cannot be broken without an army of two hundred thousand. You, by yourself?!"
Hearing the Qing Emperor's refutation, Li Che's expression remained unchanged, and he continued:
"If that's the case, your son can persuade His Highness the Crown Prince and the various Princes to rise up together and force Father Emperor to abdicate."
"Crown Prince?" The Qing Emperor showed disdain, "The Crown Prince's authority is in my hands. Whoever I say is the Crown Prince, is the Crown Prince!"
"And the Crown Prince already has a rift with you; do you still expect him to join forces with you?"
"As for those Princes, do you think my Embroidered Uniform Guard is just for show?"
Li Che remained silent.
Seeing that Li Che had nothing more to say, the Qing Emperor looked at him with fierce eyes:
"Now tell me, with what will you rebel against me?"
Facing the Qing Emperor's almost tangible threatening gaze, Li Che raised his head and met his eyes.
As if resonating with this body, Li Che's eyes were slightly red, and his body trembled slightly:
"Yes, how can someone like your son rebel against Your Majesty?"
The Qing Emperor was suddenly stunned.
Yes, Li Che's situation was already this bad; how could he rebel?
The Qing Emperor finally understood why the usually gentle and tolerant Sixth Prince had suddenly spoken such shocking words.
He was using this method to show him that Li Che posed no threat whatsoever!
Since he couldn't rebel, why should he keep holding onto him?
Just because he had the bloodline of the Previous Dynasty imperial family?
He indeed hated the Previous Dynasty imperial family; this hatred was irreconcilable.
That was because Emperor Yang of the Previous Dynasty had killed his parents and brothers, annihilated half of the Li family's clan, and even the Li family's ancestral graves had not been spared.
But, should this hatred truly be placed on his own son?
The Qing Emperor silently looked at Li Che in front of him.
Li Che was handsome, unlike himself, but rather like his mother...
That gentle, skilled, and tender woman.
She was also like this; no matter how much injustice she suffered, she would only silently endure, always wearing a gentle smile on her face.
The Qing Emperor's recollection was interrupted by Li Che's voice, filled with grief and indignation.
"Your son is sixteen this year; Princes younger than your son have already been enfeoffed, and among all the Princes, only your son has remained in the imperial capital."
"Everyone in the court knows that your son is not favored by Father Emperor, and even the servants in the imperial palace don't take your son seriously!"
"Your son is alive, but life is worse than death!"
"Since Father Emperor dislikes your son, your son might as well rebel, and Father Emperor can then legitimately bestow death upon your son, and the people of the world will never question Father Emperor in the slightest!"
"All mistakes will be borne by your son alone!"
Every word from Li Che was like a sharp blade, piercing deep into the Qing Emperor's heart.
With each word spoken, the Qing Emperor's face grew paler.
By the end, he found that his hands and feet had begun to tremble uncontrollably at some point.
"I beg Father Emperor, bestow death!"
Li Che clasped his hands in a bow and remained prostrate.
The main hall once again fell into a long silence; only the Qing Emperor's heavy breathing could be heard.
The other eunuchs and palace maids dared not breathe, trying their best to minimize their presence, filled with terror.
Were these words something they were allowed to hear?
And at this moment, Li Che felt his heart about to leap out of his throat.
Yes, he was gambling.
Gambling that his words could dispel the Qing Emperor's suspicion of him; gambling that the Qing Emperor cared about his reputation and was unwilling to bear the infamy of killing his son; gambling that the Qing Emperor still valued family ties a little...
After a long silence, the Qing Emperor suddenly let out a long breath.
Huang Jin, standing beside him, instantly felt a surge of joy.
As soon as the Qing Emperor gave the order, he would call the imperial guards from outside the door and chop this ignorant, rebellious Sixth Prince into minced meat!
But then he heard the Qing Emperor say faintly, "This is the first time I've known that you possess such eloquence."
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