Chapter 2198: Chapter 2198: Can You Still Cover the Sky with One Hand?

Because the little one was scared of spicy food, he saw the purple dish and clamped his small mouth shut like a clam, refusing to eat no matter what.

…

The news from the palace had already reached General Ning’s Mansion.

Upon hearing that Emperor Zhong had been captured, and that the Empress Dowager, the Ninth Prince, and several influential ministers were selecting a new emperor, General Ning was both furious and shocked.

What angered him was how little regard these people had for him. Was he not considered one of the prominent figures in court? Even if Emperor Zhong was no longer viable, wasn’t such a critical matter of choosing a new monarch something he, as the great general, should have some say in?

What shocked him was that the Empress Dowager was choosing a candidate for emperor rather than directly appointing the legitimate son of the Emperor to ascend the throne.

Wouldn’t that mean that, in the days to come, he would lose his position as great general in court? Without the backing of the Empress and the new monarch, and with so little military power under his command, he would truly become a nobody.

“This is outrageous! The Empress Dowager is too much!”

He was so furious that he nearly ripped his courtyard apart, pounding the soil and smashing everything he could, terrifying his subordinate deputy general into trembling.

“What does the Ninth Prince amount to? Why should he have the authority to lead the selection of the new emperor? Didn’t the Empress give birth to a legitimate son? What are they thinking, ignoring the principle of choosing the legitimate heir or the eldest heir? Do they not understand this basic reasoning?”

He continued his tirade in his courtyard, venting his anger. Whether they chose the legitimate heir or the eldest heir, they were still his nephew. How could the throne fall to those worthless princes?

“So, who did they select in the end? One of the Imperial Noble Consort’s sons? Or a son of another consort?” His eyes blazed red as he questioned the deputy general nearby.

“This… No one has been chosen yet.”

The deputy general trembled, unsure whether he should speak, cautiously glancing at the great general.

“The Empress Dowager has her eyes on a prince born to a palace maid.”

“Which one?”

General Ning didn’t care which palace maid gave birth to the prince; he only wanted to know who it was.

As long as he knew, he had ways to ensure that prince wouldn’t live to see tomorrow. Dare to compete with his nephew for the throne? Those sons of concubines should first consider whether they even have the destiny to sit on that throne.

“He has no proper status. He was abandoned by the Emperor and raised carelessly in the palace,” replied the deputy general.

“One of those bastard whelps?”

General Ning was so infuriated that his nose seemed to twist out of shape.

He knew those princes well, and it had been his suggestion to Emperor Zhong to keep them around, precisely to highlight the magnanimity of the Empress.

Who could have anticipated that, in the end, those bastard whelps would block his nephew’s path to becoming emperor!

“Where is that bastard whelp now?” he asked.

“In the Empress Dowager’s Ci’an Palace.”

Hearing General Ning’s question, the deputy general immediately understood what he had in mind, and his heart began to pound wildly.

“Great General, the Ninth Prince has sent many secret guards to protect that prince, and there are also several State Knights teaching him courtly etiquette. Our people cannot get close to him,” he cautioned.

The current situation was nothing like before; Emperor Zhong’s forces were now history. It was nearly impossible for them to act freely within the palace anymore.

General Ning closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath.

Indeed, it was true. Even to merely survive now, he had to depend on the whims of the Empress Dowager and the Ninth Prince, let alone attempting to take action within the palace.

The Empress Dowager was undoubtedly keeping a tight watch on him.

“This general refuses to believe it! That the Empress Dowager and the Ninth Prince can truly overturn the heavens themselves!”