My father, Gao Huan, is an invincible prince!

Chapter 49 The Crown Prince knocks on the palace gates, and the Emperor is terrified!

Meanwhile, Sima Ziru and the other three clapped their hands in celebration, thinking that Gao Cheng had fallen into their trap and they were just waiting to reap the benefits.

On the other side, Gao Chengye had already quietly arrived outside Ye Palace and was standing quietly in front of Xuanming Gate, looking up and down at this now-central city of the Great Wei.

Looking around, one can see that the scale of the Ye Palace is far less magnificent than that of the Luoyang Palace.

This is because after Emperor Wu fled west, King Gao moved the capital to Ye. He only slightly repaired the Wei Commandery Prefectural Office and used it as the imperial palace. Since then, the palace walls have been low and the defenses have been sparse, unlike the imperial palace.

Just then, the guards at the palace gates also spotted Gao Cheng and Liu Taozhi. They immediately put their hands on their sword hilts and shouted at the two men, "Who are you? How dare you spy on the palace gates? You have quite the nerve!"

Upon hearing these rebukes, Gao Cheng finally composed himself.

Immediately, he took out Princess Fengyi's name card and the Crown Prince's nameplate from his sleeve and handed them over, saying indifferently, "I am a poor scholar from the Gao family of Jinyang. I am here on the orders of the Crown Prince to request an audience with His Majesty."

Upon hearing the words "Gao family of Jinyang," the guard was taken aback.

Upon hearing that he had come on the orders of the Crown Prince, he dared not be negligent and hurriedly stepped forward to take the token and examine it carefully.

After a short while, he looked Gao Cheng up and down again.

Although this person was dressed in tattered hemp clothes, had a sallow complexion, and plain features, his overall demeanor was domineering. Moreover, the nameplate of the prince and the name card of the princess he held were genuine, so he had no more doubts.

He immediately returned the name card and stepped aside, saying, "In that case, please follow me."

Gao Cheng nodded and led Liu Taozhi into the palace with the two guards.

As you walk along, you see that the palace roads are narrow, the houses are low, the walls are peeling, and moss grows everywhere, exuding an air of decay. Occasionally, palace servants and eunuchs pass by, but they look pale and walk hurriedly, showing no trace of the grandeur of the palace.

The guards, however, did not notice anything amiss.

He led the two men to the entrance of the main hall, then stopped and said, "You two wait here while I go inside to inform them."

After speaking, he entered the main hall.

Gao Cheng did not say much, but nodded slightly. His gaze swept over the dilapidated furnishings in front of the hall, and he was filled with emotion.

Looking back, when Emperor Taiwu of Wei conquered the north and south and swept away the northern deserts, how arrogant he was.

When Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital to Luoyang and established the Taihe era, the Northern Dynasties experienced a rare thirty years of good governance since the Five Barbarian Invasions. Not only did the atmosphere in the court and among the people change dramatically, but exchanges between the north and south also became extremely frequent.

However, today, only thirty-six years have passed since Emperor Xiaowen passed away, and the power of the Great Wei has changed hands several times, resulting in the division of the territory, the loss of the imperial regalia, and the decline of the dynasty to this state.

It is true that "its rise was sudden, and its fall was swift."

"Nothing in this world is more unpredictable than this."

After a long while, Gao Cheng couldn't help but sigh softly, then looked away and waited quietly.

Just then, a high-pitched eunuch announced from inside the hall: "Summon the poor scholar from the Gao family of Jinyang to the hall."

Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng immediately took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and strode into the hall with Liu Taozhi.

The interior furnishings were simpler, with peeling paint and tattered brocade curtains, lacking any royal grandeur. Only the dragon-carved throne in the center retained a trace of imperial majesty.

On the throne sat a young man.

The boy was about thirteen or fourteen years old, the same age as Gao Yang. He wore a black crown and a black robe. Although he had a dignified appearance, his brows were full of gloom, and his eyes were dark and swollen, obviously because he had not slept well for a long time.

This young man was none other than Yuan Shanjian, the Emperor of the Great Wei, who addressed Gao Cheng as his brother-in-law.

Yes, the Emperor of Great Wei and Gao Cheng addressed each other as brother-in-law.

The reason, it is said, is that when Gao Cheng was twelve years old, he married Yuan Shanjian's younger sister, Yuan Zhonghua. In order to prevent a repeat of Yuan Xiu's westward flight and to completely bind Yuan Shanjian to the Gao family's cause, Gao Huan also married his second daughter to Yuan Shanjian as his empress.

Therefore, Gao Cheng and Yuan Shanjian were not only ruler and subject, but also related by marriage, and were each other's brothers-in-law.

Even though the two sides were related by marriage, Yuan Shan was still filled with fear and unease.

He had already heard about Gao Cheng's assassination attempt last night, and this morning, rumors that Gao Cheng intended to petition the Jinyang Emperor to depose and install the new emperor had even reached the palace.

When he first heard that Gao Cheng had sent someone to see him, he assumed that Gao Cheng had sent someone to interrogate him, and he was filled with anxiety.

Upon seeing the person in question arrive in person, he panicked even more.

However, he was still the emperor, and even if he was a puppet, he could not show weakness in front of his subjects.

Therefore, upon seeing the visitor, he still forced himself to maintain his composure and asked in a trembling voice, "What is your name? What is the purpose of the Crown Prince sending you here?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng smiled and simply bowed with his hands clasped in a standard greeting, saying calmly, "Your subject Gao Cheng greets Your Majesty."

"Gao Cheng?"

Upon hearing this name, Yuan Shanjian was immediately taken aback. His fear was instantly replaced by astonishment, and he almost thought he had misheard.

Immediately, he stared wide-eyed at the poorly dressed, plain-looking "scholar" before him, his face filled with disbelief: "You...you mean the Crown Prince of Bohai, Gao Zihui?"

Seeing his shock, Gao Cheng's smile deepened, and he immediately nodded, saying, "Exactly!"

Yuan Shanjian was even more surprised and asked in astonishment, "Why is the young master dressed like this?"

Gao Cheng smiled faintly, neither humble nor arrogant: "It is because the Governor's Mansion was attacked by assassins last night. I was too frightened to make a big show of it, so I came in disguise. I hope Your Majesty will not take offense."

"assassinate?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shanjian became even more flustered, thinking to himself, "Just as I thought."

He hurriedly stood up, his face showing concern, and feigned indignation: "Is the young master unharmed? Who is so bold as to attempt to assassinate him!"

Upon seeing this, Gao Cheng stared at him for a moment.

Seeing his blank expression, he said with a half-smile, "It's alright, we were just counting petty thieves. They were all executed last night. As for the mastermind, I'm investigating, but the current clues mostly point to the Prince of Fucheng and Grand Commandant Yuan Tan."

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shanjian turned even paler, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.

Yuan Tan was a relative of his, a high-ranking official of the Yuan clan.

If the assassin was indeed as Yuan Tan pointed out, then Gao Cheng's visit today is probably not to "punish" him, but to take his life.

His heart pounded with growing panic, and he hurriedly retorted, "Your Highness, please understand! The Grand Commandant is a member of the imperial clan, a man who has received the emperor's favor for generations. How dare he commit such a rebellious act? This must be a frame-up by treacherous individuals, an attempt to sow discord between the imperial clan and the Gao family. Your Highness, please investigate!"

"Oh? How can Your Majesty be so certain?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone turning cold: "Could it be that His Majesty already knew the truth?"

"I don't know, I absolutely don't know!"

Yuan Shanjian was so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead, and his voice trembled: "I just... I just felt that the Grand Commandant would never do such a thing. If the Crown Prince doesn't believe me, he can summon the Grand Commandant for a face-to-face confrontation!"

He became more and more anxious as he spoke, as if he wanted to tear his heart out and show it to Gao Cheng.

Gao Cheng remained silent, simply watching him with a calm and indifferent gaze, yet seemingly intent on devouring him.

Yuan Shanjian felt a chill run down his spine under the prince's gaze, and his cold sweat deepened. He hurriedly retorted, "Your Highness, I... I am telling the truth. The Yuan family is only able to survive thanks to the protection of the Gao family. How could we dare to commit such a treasonous act?"

"Your Highness is wise; do not fall for the treacherous schemes of villains!"

Seeing his anxious appearance, Gao Cheng's smile deepened.

However, he also knew that the reprimands should be given in moderation, otherwise pushing the Yuan family too far would only create more problems.

Therefore, when he saw that Yuan Shan was about to collapse, Gao Cheng finally spoke up leisurely: "Since Your Majesty is the guarantor, I have no reason not to believe you."