After many months of trekking, Crown Prince Li Chengqian and his group finally returned to Jingdou from the distant Nanzhao Kingdom. The road outside Jingdou was not paved with yellow earth or sprinkled with clear water. The green-black stone road smoothly stuck to the ground, welcoming the return of the heir apparent. The lush willows on either side of the road nodded slightly with the hot wind, indicating to the Crown Prince.
Outside the city gates, welcoming the Crown Prince's return were the civil and military officials of the court, as well as the three princes who had stayed in the capital. After the greetings, the Crown Prince gently helped his two elder brothers and younger brother up. Holding hands and looking at each other, he gently spoke of the situation after they parted.
The Great Prince looked at the Crown Prince with concern. After confirming that this difficult journey had not tortured his younger brother too much, he finally relaxed. Like everyone else, he was guessing why his father had given this task to the Crown Prince. However, his status was different from other people's. Additionally, his personality was indifferent, so he was not willing to think too deeply. In any case, what happened had nothing to do with him. It was fine as long as Chengqian was fine.
The Second Prince, who had been silent in the manor for almost half a year, welcomed the Crown Prince's return with his trademark smile. However, there was something else in his smile that seeped into the Crown Prince's heart bit by bit. The Crown Prince smiled slightly at him and nodded his head. He didn't say anything.
Li Chengqian held the Third Prince's hand and looked at the quiet and obedient face of the little boy beside him. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart. The situation had developed to this day, but his youngest brother had already faintly become his greatest opponent. It was truly difficult to understand.
He suddenly thought of the new King of Nanzhao. He seemed to be about the same age as the Third Prince. His heart suddenly trembled. His hand holding the Third Prince's hand unconsciously loosened. However, before his index finger had completely curled up, he reacted and gently and seriously held the little hand again.
The Crown Prince knew that his Third Brother was much smarter than the snot-nosed King of Nanzhao. Furthermore, his teacher was Fan Xian. However, the Third Prince's gaze as he looked at the Crown Prince appeared very calm. It far exceeded the calmness a child should have. Furthermore, there was not a trace of other emotions.
A few of the dragon sons stood outside the city gates, each with their own thoughts. The Crown Prince lowered his head slightly and looked at the lonely shadows in the sunlight. He thought with some sadness that it seemed that father and son killing each other was unavoidable. Did brothers also have to hack at each other?
…
…
The Crown Prince entered the palace, bowed, replied to the letter, kowtowed to the Emperor, and returned to the palace.
All of the procedures were as normal and smooth as the Ministry of Rites and the two temples had stipulated. There was not a single problem. At least, no one noticed that the Emperor and the Crown Prince's expressions were the slightest bit abnormal. However, people noticed that the Emperor seemed to be a bit tired and did not keep the Crown Prince in Taiji Palace to talk. It was completely unlike the expression a son who had not seen for nearly half a year should have when he returned home. He allowed the Crown Prince to return to the Eastern Palace.
Led by Eunuch Yao, the Crown Prince arrived outside the Eastern Palace. He raised his head to look at the Eastern Palace that had been repaired and couldn't help but sigh in shock. That day, he had burned down this beautiful and magnificent palace. It had only been a few months, but it had been repaired to its original state. It looked like his father really didn't want to make the matter too sensational.
He suddenly stilled and turned his head to ask Eunuch Yao, "I … want to go pay my respects to the Empress Dowager later. Is that possible?"
Eunuch Yao paused. He was responsible for escorting the Crown Prince back to the Eastern Palace. Naturally, he reported to the Emperor to secretly monitor him. He had to ensure that the Crown Prince could only return to the Palace. This was a disguised form of house arrest. However, the Crown Prince had suddenly asked and used such a reason. Eunuch Yao could not say anything.
He laughed bitterly and slowly lowered his body. In a slightly sharp voice, he said, "Your Highness has scared me. You are the master. You want to go see the Empress Dowager. Why are you asking me?"
The Crown Prince smiled bitterly and didn't say anything. He pushed open the main doors of the Eastern Palace. As he entered, he unconsciously glanced in the direction of Guangxin Palace. He knew that his aunt had already been imprisoned in a side courtyard of the Royal Palace and was being guarded by the people of the Overwatch Council. The Guangxin Palace that he was familiar with and yearned for was already empty, but he still couldn't resist greedily glancing in that direction.
To the side, Eunuch Yao carefully and inconspicuously watched the Crown Prince's expression.
The Crown Prince acted as if he didn't exist and stared in that direction in a daze. He thought to himself, as people lived in this world, there were always so many demons. He didn't know who was possessed or who was crazy. He thought of the words his aunt had said, and his heart began to thump. Yes, people were crazy. The world was crazy. Everyone in the royal family had crazy genes. If he wanted to own the world, he had to be crazy to the end.
Because of his craziness and self-control, he turned around again and smiled warmly at Eunuch Yao. He then closed the main doors of the Eastern Palace.
Logically, the act of closing the doors should be done by serving girls and eunuchs. However, the number of eunuchs and serving girls in the Eastern Palace was far less than the number set by etiquette. A few months ago, hundreds of eunuchs and serving girls disappeared without reason. No one knew where they went. The Crown Prince knew they went underground. Although the Eastern Palace had been replenished with many eunuchs and serving girls, these newbies were clearly nervous.
So many people had died in the Royal Palace. Naturally, it couldn't be hidden for long. However, no official dared to ask. For one, this was not something they should care about. For two, the officials were also afraid of death.
Along the way, serving girls and eunuchs kowtowed in greeting, but no one dared to come forward to serve.
The Crown Prince laughed self-mockingly and entered the main hall. Then, he furrowed his brows and sniffed. He smelled a thick smell of alcohol. A thick, nauseating smell of alcohol floated in the most noble palace in the Qing Kingdom.
The light in the hall was dim. There were only a few tall lamps lit. Li Chengqian was startled and regained his sight. Only then did he see a familiar woman lying on the couch. To the side of the screen, a large leaf fan produced by the palace treasury was being waved. It fanned a light breeze and dispersed the suffocating smell in the hall.
The woman wore a luxurious palace dress, but the decorations were terrible. Her hair was a bit unkempt. She held a wine jug in her hand and was currently pouring wine into her mouth. Between her brows was a haggard and hopeless expression.
The person holding the large leaf fan was a young eunuch whose appearance could not be seen clearly.
Li Chengqian furrowed his brows in disgust. Shortly after, he sighed. A glimmer of gentleness and pity rose in his eyes as he walked forward. He knew why his mother had become like this. He also loathed how she usually pretended to be mysterious. Once the truth was revealed, she would panic beyond belief. However, she was, after all, his mother.
"Mother, I'm back."
The half-drunk empress was startled. She rubbed her eyes and looked for a moment before she saw clearly that the young man in front of her was her son. A moment later, she suddenly burst into tears and sat up unsteadily. She threw herself in front of the Crown Prince and hugged him. Wailing, she said, "It's good that you're back. It's good that you're back."
The Crown Prince hugged his mother's body and smiled warmly. "I've been gone for many months. I've made you worry."
A glimmer of joy flashed through the empress's eyes. She said unclearly, "It's good that you're alive … I thought … I would never see you again …"
Ever since the Emperor had sent the Crown Prince to Nanzhao, the empress's mind had been immersed in despair. She and the Emperor had been husband and wife for 20 years. Of course, she knew how heartless and terrifying the man on the dragon chair was. She had originally thought that it would be difficult for the Crown Prince to return after going south this time. Seeing her son alive and well, she couldn't help but be overjoyed. She found a fleeting glimmer of hope in her despair.
The Crown Prince smiled self-mockingly. He hugged his mother and patted her back, comforting her with a few words. Up until now, the empress still did not know why the Emperor had suddenly given up on the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince also did not tell her the truth. Although the people of the Royal Family were crazy, they did a pretty good job in the area of filial piety.
Thus, the Crown Prince did not plan on telling his mother how many dangers and difficulties he had encountered along the way. If it wasn't for someone secretly helping him, even if he could return alive, he would probably be bedridden and unable to rise again.
Before long, the half-drunk empress gradually fell asleep in the Crown Prince's arms. The Crown Prince carried her to the bed and pulled over a thin embroidered towel. He waved his hand to stop the eunuch who was pulling the large leaf fan. He took out a round fan and began to carefully fan the empress.
After fanning for a long time and confirming that his mother had fallen asleep, the Crown Prince threw down the round fan and sat by the bed in a daze. Burying his head deeply between his knees, he did not raise it for a long time.
…
…
He raised his head. His face was slightly pale. His gaze drifted to the side. Looking at the only eunuch in this empty and lonely Palace, he asked, "Has the Empress often drunk these days?"
"Yes." The young eunuch walked out of the shadows and knelt down respectfully.
Looking at the eunuch's raised face, the Crown Prince was shocked. He immediately furrowed his brows and said with slight mockery, "There are over a hundred people in the Eastern Palace. Now, only you are still alive."
The eunuch was none other than the original head eunuch of the Eastern Palace, Hong Zhu. A glimmer of guilt rose to Hong Zhu's face. He lowered his head and didn't say anything. Up to this point, all of the servants in the Eastern Palace had been silenced by the Emperor's edict. Only he was alive. This already explained all of the truth.
Although Hong Zhu had never told the Emperor, he had told Fan Xian. All of this seemed to have started because of this, so the guilt on Hong Zhu's face was not fake. During his days in the Eastern Palace, the empress and the Crown Prince had both treated him well, particularly the empress who had been especially warm to him. These days, he had been following the Emperor's strict orders to secretly serve and monitor the empress. Seeing how the mother of the nation had gone from disappointment to despair, using alcohol day and night to numb herself, he couldn't help but feel a glimmer of pity in his heart.
The Crown Prince looked at him calmly and suddenly smiled unhappily. He said to himself, "At the beginning, I thought you had offended Fan Xian, which was why father had sent you here. So … I had forgotten. In the end, you are someone from the royal study. Then, is the enmity between you and the Duke of Danbo real?"
"It is real," Hong Zhu lowered his head and replied. "However, I am a citizen of the Qing Kingdom. Naturally, I will follow the Emperor's orders."
For some reason, the Crown Prince suddenly flew into a rage. Casually grabbing something beside him, he threw it over and cursed loudly, "You eunuch, how dare you call yourself a citizen!"
The thing he threw out was the round fan he had fanned the empress with earlier. It floated lightly and didn't hit Hong Zhu. Instead, it floated down beside Hong Zhu and landed on the lapel of the eunuch's robes.
The Crown Prince was afraid of waking up the empress and calmed his breathing with great difficulty. He looked at Hong Zhu with a hateful gaze. "It looks like the Emperor truly likes you. Knowing such a major matter, he still left you with your dog life."
Hong Zhu kowtowed twice and asked with some confusion, "Your Highness, what is it?"
The Crown Prince came to his senses and was silent for a moment. He then suddenly said, "The Eastern Palace is not what it used to be. What are you still doing here? If you want to leave, I will go and tell father. "
Hong Zhu's expression was hesitant. A moment later, he gritted his teeth and said, "I … want to stay in the Eastern Palace."
"Stay in the Eastern Palace to monitor?" The Crown Prince lowered his voice and said mockingly. "The entire Palace is filled with spies. Who cares if you are one more?"
Now that things had developed to this point, the Crown Prince knew that the Emperor was going to depose him. Since that was the case, why was he still putting on an act in this secret Palace?
"I want to serve the empress."
After the Crown Prince was silent for a moment, he suddenly sighed. A trace of pity rose to his face. He gazed at Hong Zhu and said, "Xiu 'er also died?"
Kneeling on the ground, Hong Zhu's body trembled. After a long time, he nodded his head sorrowfully.
…
…
The Crown Prince gazed calmly at Hong Zhu and asked a question that, logically speaking, would never have an answer. "What has happened in the Palace these few months?"
Hong Zhu was silent for a long time. He then said, "The Emperor went to Hanguang Palace a few times. Each time he came out, he was not very happy."
The Crown Prince had a slight smile on his face. His mood relaxed slightly. He looked at Hong Zhu with approval and said, "Thank you."
Hong Zhu lowered his head and said, "I wouldn't dare."
The Crown Prince sat by the side of the bed and began to think. It was clear that his father had not told the empress dowager the truth of this matter. Although the Emperor moved unhindered under heaven and no one dared to stop him, an Emperor like his father was still troubled by a thread of ties in his heart.
For example, his face was like toilet paper, and that filial piety.
The Qing Kingdom paid particular attention to using filial piety to rule the world. The Emperor had put a cage around himself.
Li Chengqian clenched his fists tightly. He knew he still had some time. His father was going to depose him and needed time to arrange the discussion. Even if the Eighth Bureau of the Overwatch Council wanted to create that kind of rumor, it would not be easy.
… …
"Xiu 'er died. I wonder how Hong Zhu feels," Fan Xian said quietly. "If it was a normal eunuch, perhaps he wouldn't think too much about it. However, I know that Hong Zhu has never been a simple eunuch. He has studied and been enlightened, so he cares about gratitude and grudges and values friendship. When all is said and done, the reason Xiu 'er was killed is my problem and his problem. It was the two of us who single-handedly caused the deaths of hundreds of people in the Royal Palace."
He furrowed his brows. "When it comes to the Emperor's ruthlessness, it seems that our imagination is still lacking. Fine, even if Hong Zhu doesn't hate me, he must hate himself. Will there be any trouble like this? "
He once again said "fine" and then said with great sadness, "But, those hundreds of deaths were caused by me. Yes, I am a very indifferent and emotionless person. In the end, I am not a monster like Uncle Wu Zhu. I still feel strange in my heart. In the past, I told Haitang that if I killed dozens or hundreds of people, I wouldn't even blink. But I can't be the Emperor because I can't keep calm when tens of thousands of people die in front of me. "
"The Emperor wanted to depose the Crown Prince because I secretly influenced him. Of course, even if I didn't influence it, this matter would have exploded in the end," Fan Xian shook his head. "But, now, I want the Emperor to not depose the Crown Prince so quickly. Why? Isn't this very senseless and absurd? What exactly am I afraid of? "
"After the oil is added to the raging fire, it will be the leftovers from the cold pot …" He laughed self-mockingly. "If the Crown Prince, Second Prince, and Eldest Princess are finished, then I will be the leftovers. Even if the Emperor truly loves me and is willing to take me to conquer a great world … you also know that I am a pacifist. Yes, a very hypocritical pacifist. I don't like fighting. Haven't I done so many things these two years to maintain my current state?"
"Thus, I have to delay a bit. At least, before I am ready, I cannot let the Emperor enter the path of preparing for war. When the time comes, I will have the Eldest Prince lead the army and have me be the supervisor. We will kill our way into Northern Qi and Dongyi. Our knives will be full of dead souls. Just thinking about these days of blood and iron makes me sad."
"This is the main hidden contradiction. You know that."
After Fan Xian said this, he put away the piece of paper in front of him and placed it back into the box. He then began to sigh. He was angry at his own curiosity. Each time, he couldn't resist taking out his mother's letter and reading it again. Each time, it was very troublesome.
He was in Hangzhou, in Hua Garden. The large box in front of the door was still open. The snowflake silver inside flickered with a beautiful light.
Like Minister Fan, he had also learned to speak to a piece of paper. However, his father was facing a portrait. He didn't have that ability, so he could only speak to the letter.
There were many things that could not be said to others. The only people he could say were not by his side, so Fan Xian had a hard time holding it in. There had been a period of time in the past when he had even treated Wang Qinian as his best listener. In order to prevent the old man from being frightened into a heart attack by his words, he had finally stopped his mental torture of Wang Qinian.
Uncle Wu Zhu was not here. Ruoruo was not here. Wan 'er was not here. Haitang was not here. Even if he had a thousand words, to whom could he pour them out? Where could he find support for thoughts that were rebellious and could not tolerate this world?
Fan Xian began to gradually feel that sense of loneliness. The meaning hidden in "I am very lonely".
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