Chapter 218.1
“Boom—”
A thunderous roar shattered the clear sky, instantly darkening the once-bright day. The atmosphere turned gloomy as heavy, rolling clouds seemed to plunge the day into night in an instant.
In the Eastern Palace, silence reigned supreme. No one dared to speak, and even their breaths were hushed.
Ever since the crown prince had reached his last moments, the once wise and valiant Emperor Jin’an had gone mad. Perhaps he had been mad all along, but no one had noticed.
Three days ago, the crown prince had passed away, and it was customary to prepare his body for burial, place him in Zi Palace, and then proceed with the funeral. However, His Majesty forbade anyone from touching the crown prince’s corpse. He and a group of monks and Taoists remained behind closed doors in the palace, performing some unknown rituals.
During these three days, there was no court assembly, and the emperor was nowhere to be seen. If it weren’t for the continuous chanting of Buddhist sutras and Daoist incantations echoing from the palace, it would have been unbearable.
As a result, the eyes of all the court officials, consorts and imperial concubines were fixed on this place.
Madness! Even if the crown prince was the emperor’s only heir, this was excessive. Truly, it was madness!
But no one dared to utter such words, not even in their dreams. Ever since this emperor defied the world and ascended the Dragon Throne, he had proved himself to be an authoritarian and ruthless ruler. Over the years, many ministers who opposed him in court had mysteriously disappeared, and those who were given beatings were countless. The civil officials were known for having a penchant for challenging emperors, but after witnessing his methods, they were all filled with dread at the thought of going against him.