A few files of varying thickness lay quietly on the table in the royal study. In these short days, they had been flipped through countless times by that pair of steady eyes. Then, as if they had been forgotten, they were placed there with unusual silence. Time was not enough for dust to cover these files. However, the cool air of early autumn made the pages of these files curl up like they had been roasted by fire.
That pair of deep and scorching eyes slowly moved away from the scroll, cast outside into the dim and dazzling light of the palace before dawn. The light from the east had already illuminated the highest brick on the walls of Jingdou, but it was still unable to shine into the Royal Palace, which was deeply locked in darkness by the city walls and palace walls.
The Qing Emperor expressionlessly picked up the teacup by his hand and took a sip. The tea was cold. The eunuchs who usually served by his side did not have the courage to come in and change it to hot as usual. An entire night had passed, and all he drank was cold tea. Like a fish drinking water, only one knew if it was warm or cold. When the cold tea entered his chest and stomach, it turned into a burning stream of heat.
Was it anger that was difficult to suppress? Was it the pain of being deceived by someone he trusted? Or was it a sense of humiliation that he had never felt before? That old dog had hidden it from him for decades.
The angrier he got, the calmer he became. The Qing Emperor was no longer as angry as he had been a few days ago. His expression and gaze were as calm as two pools of ice water, extremely cold and calm. It was not like an ancient well. It was like water that was about to turn to ice, blindly cold. This coldness spread around the royal study, making everyone who stopped outside feel a fear that came from the depths of their hearts.
A familiar sound faintly rang out in the distance. It was the sound of a wheelchair rolling over the stone tiles of the Royal Palace. The special round chair and the cracks between the stone tiles rubbed endlessly. The width of the stone tiles was fixed, and the distance between the wheelchair and the stone tiles was fixed. Thus, the rhythm and timing of the sound of the wheelchair rolling over the stone tiles were also fixed.
This kind of fixed rhythm had rung out countless times in the quiet Royal Palace during these decades. Each time the Qing Emperor had something important to do or just wanted to talk, the sound of the wheelchair would travel from outside the Palace into the Palace, all the way into the royal study.
In recent years, the sound of the wheelchair has lessened. That old black dog hides in the Chen Garden to enjoy his life, leaving me alone in this cold palace to suffer. However, three years ago, when he had to deal with Yunrui and those three strange creatures, the wheelchair had entered the Palace twice. The Qing Emperor's expression was indifferent. In an instant, he thought of many past events. He then slowly raised his head.
When his calm and deep gaze landed on the tightly shut wooden door of the Imperial Study, the sound of the wheelchair rubbing against the stone floor stopped in the Imperial Study.
The Emperor's gaze suddenly became complicated.
Eunuch Yao's trembling voice rang out in the royal study. It was not that the head of the eunuchs had purposely used such a terrified voice to express the importance he attached to the figure in the wheelchair. Inside and outside the royal study, the coldness that the Qing Emperor naturally gave off with his Great Grandmaster realm had already controlled the hearts of most people.
The door to the royal study opened. A few eunuchs carefully and fearfully carried the black wheelchair in. Then, led by Eunuch Yao, they left as quickly as they could. This group of internal court eunuchs left the royal study very, very far away. They walked all the way to where the royal study went around the stone arched garden gate and led directly to Taiji Palace.
Eunuch Yao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and glanced at Commander Ye and Scholar He waiting outside the garden gate. He didn't say anything. There wasn't even a hint of expression. Ye Zhong's expression was heavy. He only sighed in his heart. After these top figures of the Qing Kingdom escorted the black carriage into the royal study, they all consciously hid far away. They knew that under the Emperor's cold envelopment, he would not want anyone to hear every word he said to the person in the wheelchair.
Old Director Chen returned safely and gently. Although they were not used to such an easy resolution, although they knew Old Director Chen was not a simple and terrifying person, including Ye Chong and Eunuch Yao, they were not worried that anything alarming would happen in the Royal Study.
The Emperor was a Great Grandmaster. After Dong Mountain, no one in the world would be able to harm him.
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The royal study's doors were tightly shut, cutting off all the air, sound, light, smell, and autumn outside. Only the Emperor, who was sitting ramrod straight on the couch, and Chen Pingping, who was casually sitting in a wheelchair, remained.
The two of them hid in the little building, cutting off the storms of the Qing Kingdom outside. The storms of the Qing Kingdom these decades had been stirred up by these two powerful people.
The Qing Emperor looked calmly at the old man in the wheelchair for an indeterminable amount of time. It was only when the wrinkles on Chen Pingping's face were like chrysanthemums under the Hanging Temple that he faintly said, "He Zongwei is secretly investigating Gao Da and wants to defeat Fan Xian. I knew of this long ago. The internal court sent three people over. When you passed by Dazhou a few days ago, He Qigan should have been there. Did you see him?"
If there was someone else present and saw this scene, they would certainly be shocked. The Emperor had mobilized so many people. All of the important yamens in Jingdou were on standby. The icy young master of the Overwatch Council had also begun to carry out the Emperor's edict and began internal pressure. Only then did he manage to invite the old cripple in the black wheelchair back to Jingdou. Everyone knew that there was no turning point between the ruler and his official. However, the Emperor's first words to Chen Pingping were an unremarkable name.
Chen Pingping was not surprised. He understood his Emperor too well. He smiled slightly and said in a slightly sharp and raspy voice, "When I was sent to King Cheng's manor, He Qigan was still young. I saw him once outside Dazhou. Presumably, he doesn't remember me at all."
"That's not strange. The name Chen Wuchang has disappeared from the Royal Palace for a long time." The Emperor nodded. The sleeve of his dragon robe flew up. A cup of tea slowly left the table and flew in front of Chen Pingping.
Chen Pingping accepted it and respectfully nodded his head in greeting. Holding the scalding hot teacup, he sighed comfortably and said, "It's best to drink tea hot."
The Emperor used his fingers to pick up his icy cold teacup and took a small sip. Calmly, he said, "When people leave, the tea gets cold. Otherwise, how could He Qigan not recognize you?"
Chen Pingping shook his head and said, "Other than Hong Sixiang, not many people knew that I had once stayed in the Palace."
The Emperor's eyelids lowered slightly and revealed a glimmer of mockery. "Later, you even made a fake beard and stuck it to your chin. Of course, you didn't want others to know that you were a eunuch."
Chen Pingping's expression did not change. He lowered his head slightly and lightly said, "It was only many years later that I understood that I had always been a eunuch. There was no need to hide it from the world."
"But, in the end, you still managed to hide it from the world." The Emperor placed the cold teacup on the table and stared into Chen Pingping's eyes. "Back then, you were sent to the manor by the Palace to monitor father's movements. However, not even the Palace thought that you would secretly reveal your identity to me and be willing to help my manor rise up. In the end, even old Eunuch Hong in the Palace was persuaded by you to stand on father's side. That was all because of you. Thus, the identity of a permanent eunuch in the Palace back then was a great service to you, me, and the Qing Kingdom. Why do you always keep this matter in mind? "
"The reason the previous Emperor was able to ascend to the throne had little to do with me." Chen Pingping called himself a servant. Unlike in the past, there was not much sense of inferiority in this "servant". He only followed the past and said it naturally. He slowly raised his head and looked directly into the Qing Emperor's cold eyes. Enunciating each word, he said, "That was because someone killed two Princes. That was why it was King Cheng's turn to sit on the throne and why it was possible for Your Majesty to have the vast territory you have today.
The Emperor's gaze suddenly became sharp. It was clear that he did not want to hear anything related to this matter. "But, why did you betray the nobles in the Palace and throw yourself into the manor to be loyal to me?" He asked.
Chen Pingping gazed at the Qing Emperor with a not-quite-there smile like he was looking at a great joke. After a long time, he slowly said, "Your Majesty, at that time, you were still a young man. Your nature was clear and broad. You treated people sincerely and your subordinates well. However, I was born with a strange personality. As long as someone treated me well, I would treat them well."
The Emperor fell silent. He sat ramrod straight on the soft couch as if he was still savoring Chen Pingping's words. His sharp gaze became like the long day at the beginning of autumn. Gradually, he revealed his cool side. The corners of his lips twitched slightly. Mockingly, he said, "So, you still know that I treated you well."
"Back then, the old prince didn't have any status in the court and didn't have any support in the court. Prince Cheng's manor wasn't big and unremarkable. I was actually the most useless little eunuch in the palace, so I was sent to the prince's manor. For someone as powerful as Hong Siyang, of course, he was always at the side of the nobles in the Palace. "
Chen Pingping seemed to be thinking of many things of the past. He slowly sighed and said, "However, being small has its advantages. Simple has its advantages. At that time, there were three big boys and one little boy. They did their best. Mother Fan would occasionally yell at them from the side, but no one seemed to think it was bad."
"At that time, King Jing was still young. No one wanted to pay attention to him." The Emperor raised an eyebrow and said, "Even if Fan Jian and him joined forces to attack me, in the end, they were still stopped by you. When the two of us join forces, no one has ever been a match for us. It is still the same today."
After these words left his mouth, Chen Pingping and the Emperor fell silent at the same time. After a long time, Chen Pingping gently touched the armrest of the wheelchair and sighed. "After all, Fan Jian was Your Majesty's milk brother. In the end, I am only a servant. At the time, I didn't think much. I just wanted to protect you."
The lines of the Qing Emperor's face gradually softened, but his gaze drifted into the distance. It was as if it had drifted to the scene of ruler and official holding hands without any disloyalty. Faintly, he said, "I have to admit, during those years, you protected me many times. If it wasn't for you, I don't know how many times I would have died."
After saying that, the corner of his eye suddenly caught a glimpse of the dossiers on the table. His eyes paused for a moment, and he gently took out the first one. He slowly opened it and read through the contents of the dossiers, including his sister, his son, and many, many other things.
"At the beginning of the Qing Kingdom's expansion, it did not disturb the Wei Kingdom's Iron Riders, so you and I were both careless and spied on the Chen Kingdom, which is now Yanjing's defenses. We were surrounded at Ding Mountain by Zhan Qingfeng's foremost killing general, Hu Yue. That person's archery skills were very good … "The Qing Emperor sighed." After all these years, the only person better than Hu Yue's archery skills is Xiaoyi. "
When he spoke of Northern Governor Yan Xiaoyi, who had once betrayed him, there was not a glimmer of hatred or anger in the Qing Emperor's tone. There was only pity. The Qing Emperor was a person who cherished talent and was extremely confident. He did not fear Yan Xiaoyi at all, which was why he showed such emotions. However, looking at the arrangements he had made for the Overwatch Council these days, in his heart, Chen Pingping was a person who far surpassed any other official.
He turned his head and looked at Chen Pingping in the wheelchair. "That day, if you had not sacrificed yourself to block Hu Yue's arrow, perhaps I would have died on the spot."
Chen Pingping calmly replied, "This is my duty as a servant."
The Qing Emperor smiled self-mockingly and glanced at the file in his hand. On it was written that during the Jingdou rebellion three years ago, Chen Pingping had secretly allowed the Eldest Princess to lead troops into Jingdou and successfully besiege the Royal Palace. Although the Overwatch Council's actions were meticulous and there was not much evidence on this file, given the Emperor's eyesight, he could clearly see the great evil hidden within.
He casually tossed the file to the side and ignored it. Then, he picked up another one. He squinted his eyes and read it again. He said, "At the Floating Temple, why did you want to have the shadow assassinate you?"
Earlier, it had been a gentle wind and drizzling rain reminiscing about the past. Now, an accusatory voice suddenly rang out in the royal study. A faint stench of blood gradually filled the air. However, Chen Pingping seemed to know nothing. Respectfully, he replied, "I wanted to see just what Your Majesty's final trump card was."
"You wanted to see my trump card." The Emperor's gaze stared at the wrinkles on Chen Pingping's face. After a long silence, he calmly said, "Looks like wanting me to die is something you've thought about for a long time."
Chen Pingping did not open his mouth to reply. He only smiled warmly and silently admitted to this great crime.
"Is the Shadow really Sigu Jian's younger brother?" the Qing Emperor asked.
"Your Majesty's gaze is divine. That day, you guessed the Shadow's true background in one gulp. I truly admire you." Chen Pingping said he admired him, but he didn't know if he truly admired him in his heart.
The Qing Emperor closed his eyes and thought for a bit. He then tossed the file to the side and said, "During the first Northern expedition, just as I was breaking through, I suddenly went berserk and was trapped by Zhan Qingfeng's army in the mountains. I was already at the end of my rope. If you had not led the Black Knights and risked your life to save me and exchanged your body for mine along the way, I would probably have died eight or ten times over."
Chen Pingping's gaze followed the Qing Emperor's hand movements. He watched as he tossed the file regarding the truth of the Hanging Temple assassination to the side. The smile in his eyes grew larger and larger until it withered. It was incomparably lonely. There was also a glimmer of mockery in the loneliness.
"Your Majesty, don't keep calculating like this. To use the merit of saving the Emperor in exchange for a great crime of deceiving or assassinating the Emperor, regardless of whether it is from the perspective of Qing law or Council regulations, I have taken a great advantage. " Chen Pingping's expression calmed. He looked at the Emperor and coldly said, "During these decades, I cannot remember how many times I have saved Your Majesty. I have never had the extravagant hope of using these merits to offset my own death sentence."
"Using a great merit to exchange for a great crime." Chen Pingping narrowed his eyes and said lightly and mockingly, "That was the little eunuch in the story she once told. However, I am not that little eunuch. Your Majesty is also not that foreign Emperor. Why waste so much time?"
"You think I am wasting time?" The Emperor's voice became icy, but his gaze burned. He stared at Chen Pingping like he was staring at a dead person. "In the hearts of the people, you are an old black dog at my side. After raising a dog for a long time, one also has feelings."
"Of course, Your Majesty has feelings for me. These years, the honor and power you have given me is no longer something a normal official can enjoy." Chen Pingping leaned slightly against the wheelchair and gazed coldly back at the Emperor. Enunciating each word, he said, "However, for you to say such things at this time, it is probably because you want to find a good reason for killing a dog to comfort your own feelings."
"Did you not deserve to be killed?" The Qing Emperor's anger made him laugh. He threw his head back and laughed loudly. The laughter passed out of the royal study and charged straight into the silent Royal Palace. There was a rare anger in the laughter.
He turned and grabbed the files on the table and threw them fiercely at Chen Pingping. The files of different thickness landed on Chen Pingping's body and the wheelchair, making slapping sounds.
The Qing Emperor's gaze became very deep and cold. He stared at Chen Pingping's face and said each word clearly, "You want to kill me, and you also want to kill my son. How despicable of you to force me to kill my own son. Do you, a shameless eunuch, not deserve to be killed?"
Chen Pingping slowly brushed away the pages on his body with a slight smile and a glimmer of pleasure as he admired the rare loss of composure the most powerful ruler in the world had in his life. This was probably one of his greatest wishes on this trip back to the capital. The dark desire for revenge that had been entangled at the bottom of his heart for decades, as well as the indescribable disappointment and sadness towards His Majesty, gathered together, causing the old cripple's state of mind to become so complicated.
"Your Majesty, if you didn't want to kill your own son, how could I force you to do these things?" Chen Pingping looked at the Emperor and faintly said. "When all is said and done, I only want to kill Your Majesty. As for the people of the Li royal family in the Palace, I only want them to accompany you in death."
The Emperor calmed down and became cold. He shook off his rare anger. A supreme being in the mortal world, a Great Grandmaster of martial arts, had revealed such a mortal side in front of Chen Pingping. It could only be said that the decades of interaction and trust between ruler and official had long become a spiritual need that the Qing Emperor could not shake off. This spiritual need suddenly became an illusion in an instant. Furthermore, behind the illusion hid the poison of betrayal. Even he found it difficult to endure the impact of such emotions.
He looked coldly at Chen Pingping and said, "What I am most angry about is not that you want to kill me or all of my sons. What I am most angry about is that since you have already left Jingdou, why did you still come back?"
"Even in such a situation, I still left you a way out. As long as you are willing to leave, I will not keep you." The Emperor looked at him coldly. His deep eyes were like an angry old man from ancient times. There was boundless power in the calmness. "If I really wanted to kill you in one move, I would do it myself. I would not have those useless soldiers do this work. However, why did you come back? Why must you force me to personally kill you? "
This was a wondrous and strange sentence. The major figures outside the royal study, including General Shi Fei, who had already returned to the garrison camp, could not guess the Emperor's intentions. They did not know that the so-called change in Dazhou was still a test of the Emperor and Chen Pingping's intentions regarding the last bit of trust between the Emperor and Chen Pingping, the ruler and official.
In the entire world, probably only Chen Pingping could understand. If he had left with the Black Knights in Dingzhou, it meant that he felt guilty toward the Emperor and was unable to face him. However, he did not leave. He returned to Jingdou and gazed coldly and fearlessly at the Emperor's face. His heart was open and clear of guilt as he forced the Emperor to kill the most loyal official in the history of the Qing Kingdom.
After a long time, Chen Pingping's eyes were like knives as he stared at the Emperor and asked, "Back then, did you give her any way out? I returned to the capital to ask the Emperor one thing. Why did you kill her? "
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