I died tragically in my previous life, and I want to be an empress in my next life

Xuanyuan Che stared at the bloodstain on Pei Zhiyan's white neck, which was gradually expanding, and his heart was broken. He pursed his lips tightly and took a deep breath to calm himself. Then, he looked up at Xuanyuan Ping and said in a deep voice, "She is innocent."

Hearing this, Xuanyuan Ping sneered. He tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword, and the blade cut a deeper mark on Pei Zhiyan's neck, and blood dripped slowly. He stared at Xuanyuan Che, his tone full of threats, "Do you really want to see her die in front of you?"

Xuanyuan Che's eyes were firm and cold. He stared at Xuanyuan Ping's eyes, trying to find a flaw in them. He knew that retreating at this moment would only put Pei Zhiyan into deeper danger. He had to remain calm and look for an opportunity to rescue Pei Zhiyan.

At the same time, Lin Xiaoyu had quietly come behind Xuanyuan Ping. He held a long sword in his hand, staring closely at Xuanyuan Ping's every move, looking for the right opportunity.

Suddenly, Lin Xiaoyu shouted, "Your Highness Prince Jing!"

The loud shout made Xuanyuan Ping turn around instantly. Taking advantage of this flaw, Pei Zhiyan suddenly broke free from Xuanyuan Ping's control and rushed towards Xuanyuan Che desperately.

When Xuanyuan Che saw Pei Zhiyan break free from the restraints, he immediately felt relieved. He hugged Pei Zhiyan tightly, feeling her heartbeat and body temperature. Only after he was sure that she was safe and sound did he let go of his arms with confidence.

"Are you okay?" Xuanyuan Che asked with concern.

Pei Zhiyan shook her head and said with a smile, "I'm fine."

Suddenly, she raised her hand, and a cloud of white powder instantly filled the air. Xuanyuan Che and Lin Xiaoyu were unable to dodge in time. They only felt a cold wind blowing past them, and then they lost control of their bodies, and even the most basic standing became extremely difficult.

Pei Zhiyan took out an antidote from her bosom and swallowed it, quickly recovering her strength. Then she handed another antidote to Xuanyuan Ping. Xuanyuan Ping smiled proudly and took it without hesitation.

"Yan'er, why are you doing this?" Xuanyuan Che struggled to stand firm, but found that his body was out of control and he collapsed to the ground.

Pei Zhiyan looked at Xuanyuan Che's painful expression, and her heart ached, but she still said coldly, "I am the Princess of Jing, so naturally I will always put the interests of Prince Jing first!"

Pei Zhiyan's words were like a sharp knife, piercing deeply into Xuanyuan Che's heart. He looked at her in shock, his eyes full of disbelief and pain.

The affection and trust between them became so insignificant in her words "Prince Jing's interests are the most important".

"Yan'er, you..." Xuanyuan Che struggled to continue speaking, but found that his voice had become trembling and weak. His body was still limp on the ground, and his consciousness gradually became blurred.

At this moment, the emperor on the dragon bed spat out a mouthful of black blood. He had seen too much fighting and bloodshed in his life, but seeing his own children killing each other for power and status still made him feel deeply painful and powerless.

A trace of deep pain and helplessness flashed in the emperor's eyes, and his face became even paler, as if his vitality was rapidly fading away.

"What a bad fate, what a bad fate." The emperor murmured in a low voice, and every word was filled with endless sorrow and disappointment. He closed his eyes, as if he wanted to erase all the pain from his mind, but those images were deeply imprinted in his heart like a brand.

Xuanyuan Ping stepped forward and picked up the imperial edict, and said coldly, "Father, please stamp the jade seal on it."

"Prince Jing..." The emperor's voice was weak and trembling, "Do you really think this is right? For the sake of power, you won't even let your own brothers go?"

"Father, this world is a place where the strong prey on the weak." Xuanyuan Ping said coldly, "As for the sixth brother, he is too weak and not suitable to sit in that position."

"As long as you promise me not to harm Che'er's life, I will pass the throne to you!" the emperor said slowly.

"Father, why are you so obsessed with protecting him?" Xuanyuan Ping's voice was filled with confusion and anger. "He is just a weak and incompetent prince. How can he be qualified to compete with me for the throne?"

The emperor continued, "If a country or a dynasty cannot tolerate even its own brothers, how can it gain the support of the people and the loyalty of its officials?"

Xuanyuan Ping listened to the emperor's words and thought to himself, his father only said to spare Xuanyuan Che's life. If he was no longer a prince, he would just be a useless person. What was there to be afraid of?

He whispered, "As long as you promise to pass the throne to me, I promise not to harm Sixth Brother's life."

The emperor said nothing more. He just silently picked up the imperial seal and stamped it heavily on the edict. He closed his eyes tiredly, as if he had unloaded a heavy burden from his shoulders.

At this time, the second prince Xuanyuan Feng hurried over with a group of people.

"Father!" He ran to the emperor's bed, knelt down, and held the emperor's hands tightly with both hands, trying to feel a trace of life from his hands.

However, his hands were cold and stiff, as if they had lost the warmth of life. Xuanyuan Feng's heart was filled with unspeakable grief and despair, he knew that his father had left him.

Eunuch Liu stepped forward to feel the emperor's breath, then knelt down and cried out, "Your Majesty has ascended to heaven!"

Following Eunuch Liu's cry, the entire palace fell into deathly silence. Everyone knelt on the ground. Soon, the death knell was sounded in the palace.

"No...impossible..." Xuanyuan Feng murmured in a low voice, his voice full of pain and disbelief.

Xuanyuan Ping looked at the scene in front of him, and a complex emotion surged in his heart. He felt grief and guilt, because he knew that all this was caused by him; he also felt a sense of relief and relief, because he finally got the throne, what he had always wanted.

At this time, hurried footsteps and noise were heard outside the palace. Xuanyuan Ping knew that the court officials had heard the news of the emperor's death and rushed to the palace to check the situation. He had to stabilize the situation as soon as possible and establish his position.

In the evening, the palace was lit up by countless candles, as bright as day. Concubines from all palaces rushed to the outside of the emperor's bedroom, their faces full of worry and anxiety, kneeling there and praying silently. The whole palace was in panic and the atmosphere was solemn.

In the hall, among the originally silent crowd, someone suddenly choked up, and then everyone present began to cry quietly.

"The emperor passed away suddenly, and the country cannot be without a king for a day!" At this time, a minister's voice sounded in the crowd.

Pei Zhiyan looked over there and recognized the minister at a glance—it was Zhang Musheng.

"We should establish a new monarch as soon as possible to stabilize the court," Zhang Musheng continued.

As Zhang Musheng finished speaking, the crying in the hall gradually subsided, and the court officials began to whisper and discuss.

At this time, Xuanyuan Ping's personal guards quietly escorted Eunuch Liu, holding the imperial edict of succession, and strode to the center of the hall.

"Everyone listen!" the guards ordered loudly, "Keep quiet! No noise!"

Eunuch Liu stepped forward and read aloud, "The Emperor, in compliance with the Will of Heaven, proclaims: During my reign, I have felt that I am old and frail, and am no longer able to manage state affairs. I now pass the throne to Prince Jing Xuanyuan Ping, hoping that he will inherit the throne and continue the prosperity of the royal family. I decree this!"

The court officials looked at each other, obviously shocked by this sudden edict of succession. Many of them originally had little respect for Xuanyuan Ping, but now they had to bow their heads in submission.

Xuanyuan Ping stood in the center of the hall, feeling both proud and deeply worried. He knew that although this edict established his position, the real challenge had just begun. He needed to win the sincere support of the court officials and consolidate his power base.

"Long live the new emperor!" Suddenly, a court official shouted loudly, and then other court officials knelt down and shouted in unison, "Long live the new emperor!"

"Thank you all for your support." Xuanyuan Ping said majestically, "I will live up to your expectations and work hard for the prosperity of the royal family and the people to live and work in peace and contentment."