The sky was gray, and the palace was dark. Not long after the sun rose above the horizon, it did not have time to spread its warm light over the land of the Qing Kingdom. It had already been swallowed up by a dark cloud that had appeared out of nowhere. The red light immediately dimmed, and the sky grew darker.
In the rear palace, serving girls who had woken up to wash in the morning began to boil water. The eunuchs who did chores began to sweep the dust off the ground with bamboo brooms taller than themselves. No one knew what was happening in the front of the Royal Palace. Like the common people, they repeated their missions and lives day after day. The nobles were no exception. Although the strange situation in Jingdou had faintly entered their ears, the matter was limited to a very limited number of people in the Qing Kingdom. Thus, no one knew what had happened.
At the gate of the garden, the important figures gazing at the royal study from afar were naturally one of the people who knew about this matter. However, their eyes were sunken and their expressions were solemn. They were as wooden as clay statues and did not react at all.
Old Director Chen had been in the royal study for a long time, but there was still no movement. Because everyone was far away, they did not hear the Emperor's rare angry roar. Perhaps Ye Zhong and Eunuch Yao had this kind of power, but they would not be stupid enough to gather their power and eavesdrop on the sounds in the royal study. As for those things, it would be better if they could hear as little as possible.
Chen Pingping wanted to hear a reason and an explanation. Thus, he returned to Jingdou and sat coldly in the black wheelchair. Calmly, he looked at the master he had served for decades, the Qing Emperor. He wanted to hear from his mouth exactly what had happened in the past.
When a person was about to die, what they clung to was nothing more than the most infuriating and inexplicable mysteries of their lives.
However, the Qing Emperor did not reply. He only looked calmly at Chen Pingping. Ever since he heard Chen Pingping's words, he had maintained his standing posture. He looked at him coldly and mockingly for a long time.
The sharp light in his eyes gradually turned into a faint mockery, as well as a great deal of confusion. The corners of his eyes narrowed slightly, like a lion watching a wandering spirit pass by its own kingdom, trying to pull up the branches of a solid tree in vain to announce something to itself.
The Qing Emperor smiled strangely. Tilting his head slightly, he pressed his lips together tightly. Looking at Chen Pingping, he said faintly, "It's actually because of this, because of this!"
The Emperor did not understand. He looked at Chen Pingping as if he was looking at a monster. After a long silence, he shook his head and sighed speechlessly. Only now did he finally understand why this old black dog, who had followed him since he was young, would betray him and return to the capital to question him, even at the cost of his life.
The Qing Emperor knew very well how much his companions liked that woman. However, no matter what he thought, he would never have thought that Chen Pingping would feel a powerful desire for revenge and stand against him because of a woman who had died many years ago. He sat back on the soft couch and was silent for a long time with his hands on his knees.
Chen Pingping's hands rested on the arms of the black wheelchair as he looked at him silently and coldly. He didn't say a word, only waiting for the answer.
The Qing Emperor's face was slightly pale. After a long time, he quietly said, "For her … you betrayed me?"
The meaning contained in these words was disappointment and sorrow, as well as anger and irritation that came from the depths of his heart.
"I just want to know why." Chen Pingping sighed and said, "In my life, I have never seen a woman like her again. No, I have never seen a person like her again. She descended into this mortal world like a fairy and did her best to change what she should change and save what she thought she should save. She helped you, saved me, saved the Qing Kingdom, and made the world beautiful. Yet, you destroyed her. "
There were no exclamation marks or anger in these words. There was only a wave of vicissitudes and sorrow.
The Qing Emperor was silent for a long time. His hands slowly rubbed against his knees. In this life, no one had ever asked him this question. More accurately, no one dared to ask him this question. Not many people knew about this question. However, those who knew about this question had all become wandering spirits in the yellow earth.
None of his closest companions knew about this matter.
"I didn't kill her." The Qing Emperor narrowed his eyes. Facing the old dog in front of him, he originally didn't need to explain anything. For some reason, there was a glimmer of pain in the depths of his heart. A glimmer of pain that he had forcefully suppressed for over 20 years slowly seeped out and took over his body and mind. He wanted the most powerful man in the world to explain something.
Perhaps he wanted to explain it to Chen Pingping. Perhaps he wanted to explain it to the yellow-clothed woman in the portrait in the little building in the rear palace. Perhaps the Emperor only wanted to explain it to himself.
"I didn't kill her." The Emperor's voice rose slightly. His tone became firmer and colder as he repeated it to Chen Pingping with narrowed eyes.
"You didn't kill her?" The wrinkles at the corners of Chen Pingping's eyes were so deep that they almost covered his eyes. He raised his head tiredly and looked at the Emperor. Using an extremely cold laugh, he asked, "Then, how did she die?"
"Don't talk about not returning from the Western Expedition, don't talk about nobles rebelling, and don't talk about fate. Coincidentally, at that time, Fan Jian, Wu Zhu, Ye Zhong … everyone was not in Jingdou. Coincidentally, she had just given birth and was at her weakest!" Chen Pingping's gaze was like two knives stabbing into the Emperor's face. Coldly, he said, "Your Majesty rules the world with filial piety. It is best not to push all these crimes onto the empress dowager's body. That idiot empress and her family have already carried the blame for you for 20 years. Do you want your own mother to continue carrying the blame?"
"The Western Expedition to the grasslands was your order! At the time, Fan Jian was only the treasurer of Taichang Temple and vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue. He was responsible for all military supplies. Why was he also moved by you to follow the army in the King's tent? " Chen Pingping's eyes narrowed tightly. Endless coldness seeped out from his sparse and old eyelashes. "Based on our methods in the past, military supplies and logistics were always given to Fan Jian to handle. When the Iron Riders of the Qing Kingdom went on expeditions, he usually stayed in the capital to handle everything. Why did you insist on having Fan Jian follow you into the Western Expedition?"
"What are you afraid of? You're afraid that if Fan Jian stayed in the capital, the Tiger Guards he secretly trained would ruin Qin Ye's plans? "
A cold smile rose to the corners of Chen Pingping's lips. "Yes, you're bringing up the old man of the Qin family again. Who would have thought that this veteran of three dynasties was the killer move you left in Jingdou? Ye Zhong, who was then the Jingdou Garrison Commander, was also urgently summoned to Dingzhou. All of Jingdou is under the Qin family's control. Even if the empress wants to rebel and break into Taiping Courtyard, if Qin Ye doesn't nod his head, who can do it?"
"Three years ago, when Jingdou rebelled and Qin Ye jumped out, were you happy? You finally had a chance and an excuse to get rid of the only person who knew of your role in the Taiping Courtyard murder case and silence him?" Chen Pingping said coldly to the Emperor. "Of course, you disdained killing people to silence them. Even if the Qin family said anything, you wouldn't care. However, Fan Xian had grown up. You had no choice but to accept that your son with him was the most talented of all your children. The longer you spent time with him, the more you valued Fan Xian. You also didn't want him to know that his birth mother had died to your hands. So, how could Qin Ye not die?"
Chen Pingping's slightly sharp and raspy voice rang out endlessly in the royal study. The Emperor didn't speak. He only listened coldly and calmly. Listening to each word, his expression became slightly strange. There seemed to be a faint sorrow, but there was also a faint relief.
"Let's go back to Taiping Courtyard 22 years ago." Chen Pingping spoke in a bit of a rush. These words were probably the words and deductions this old cripple had secretly held back for decades. Now, he finally had the opportunity to say it all in one go in front of the Emperor. He coughed loudly until two unhealthy patches of red rose on his face.
After a long time, he finally calmed down and sighed. "Let's talk about me. At the time, since you had already decided to act against Taiping Courtyard, you would not allow me to remain in Jingdou. Thus, the entire defense line in the North suddenly became tense. Occasionally, there would be news that the country in the North was about to attack the South with full force. As the Director of the Overwatch Council and the chief military strategist, and you were busy with the Western Expedition, I could only go north on behalf of the Emperor and personally investigate the situation. "
"Now that I think about it, to have the entire military system cooperate with this performance and even mobilize the power of a foreign country, other than Your Majesty's will, who could do it?" Chen Pingping narrowed his eyes and said, "However, I've always had a question in my heart. To be able to make the newly established Northern Qi court cooperate with the Emperor's intentions, could it be that you and Ku He are secretly colluding?"
"Of course, Ku He is already dead. I have no one to ask." Chen Pingping shook his head.
"I did not look for Ku He." At this point in Chen Pingping's accusation, the Qing Emperor finally opened his mouth coldly and said his first words. "I did not need to look for anyone, nor did I look for anyone."
Chen Pingping looked at him with a pitiful and disdainful gaze. "Finally, speaking of Wu Zhu, he was the person least likely to leave her side. Yet, at the time, he left Jingdou. Without question, this is the thing I have been unable to understand the most these years. As long as Wu Zhu was at her side, no matter who in the world, it would probably be difficult to kill her. "
The Qing Emperor's brows jumped slightly, but he still maintained his silence.
"Your Majesty, I've always been suspicious of you, and I've even been suspicious of Fan Jian. I still don't know which of my companions did this." The corners of Chen Pingping's lips fell. In a slow voice, he said, "It was not until many years later that Wu Zhu told me that he met a person in a small alley outside Fan manor. He killed that person and was heavily injured himself. Only then did I understand one thing."
"There are too few people in this world who can injure Wu Zhu, other than the four Great Grandmasters," Chen Pingping said calmly. "Thus, I determined that another emissary from the Temple has come to the world."
"Since the people from the Temple could come at that time, then 22 years ago, they could also have come. You and I both know that only the people from the Temple could make Wu Zhu so wary, to the point that he would leave her side and make sure the people from the Temple did not get close to her. "
"The assassination outside the Fan manor by the people from the Temple targeted Fan Xian, but the person they injured was Wu Zhu. That was because you always wanted to know where Wu Zhu was," Chen Pingping said. "The first time the people from the Temple appeared, they targeted her, but the person they moved away was still Wu Zhu."
"Wu Zhu seemed to be a wall, a wall that only the Temple could move and move." Chen Pingping suddenly smiled. "Although it only happened twice, both times were too coincidental. They both appeared at times when you had a motive."
"Your Majesty, I know you've always been afraid of Lao Wu." Chen Pingping's gaze became indifferent as he gazed calmly at the Qing Emperor. "Ever since Fan Xian entered the capital, you've always wanted to know Wu Zhu's true whereabouts. Fortunately, Fan Xian has always kept it from me, so you also don't know."
"Why are you so afraid of Lao Wu?" The corners of Chen Pingping's lips twitched as he smiled mockingly. "You're afraid that Lao Wu will find out about what happened back then and bring that metal rod to the Royal Palace to kill you? As the Emperor, are there still people you're afraid of? "
The Emperor suddenly smiled and shook his head. "No, it is just that someone like Lao Wu should not exist in this world. He should return to where he came from. Perhaps you still don't know, but when An Zhi was in Danzhou, I asked Uncle Liuyun to visit Lao Wu once. As long as Lao Wu had not completely woken up, he was of no threat to me. "
"This is what you've always thought. A monster like a Great Grandmaster should not exist in this world," Chen Pingping said coldly. "That is why I am curious. Why are you still alive? Why don't you just kill yourself?"
These words were very vicious, but the Emperor's expression did not tremble at all. Perhaps those emotions were brewing in his heart, but they still did not explode.
Chen Pingping did not show any fear. He continued to speak coldly. "Back then, you moved away all of our people and provoked that idiot empress to go crazy. Then, you had Qin Ye watch and control from the side. That was how the murder in Taiping Courtyard happened. Although it looked simple, it was actually incomparably difficult. If one of the links had gone wrong, perhaps she would still not have died."
"A simple and powerful plan without any flaws. In this world, probably only you, Your Majesty, can weave it."
Chen Pingping gently stroked the smooth armrest of the wheelchair and sighed. "Particularly regarding the matter of the people from the Temple, I still do not understand why the Temple would act according to your plan."
"Perhaps it was because your goal was always the same. You all wanted her, a person who stood proudly in the world, to be silently wiped out." Chen Pingping looked at the Qing Emperor mockingly.
The Qing Emperor was silent for a long time and did not refute this reasoning. He only smiled warmly and said, "You old dog, you've spent your entire life thinking about how to harm people. It is not difficult to think clearly about these things. I just never thought you would keep this matter on your mind."
"However," he said with a heavier tone, "I did not kill her."
"Yes, you did not kill her." Chen Pingping smiled strangely. "Of course, our great Emperor would not personally kill the woman who gave the Qing Kingdom a new lease of life. Of course, you would not kill the benefactor who helped the Li family sit on the throne. Of course, you would not kill the woman you loved the most. Of course, you would not kill your son's birth mother."
"Blood is difficult to wash away. Of course, you would not let blood flow onto your own hands." Chen Pingping's brows were furrowed tightly. His voice forced out from the depths of his chest with a threatening coldness. "Your hands are still pure white. You will always be incomparably bright and correct. The ones with blood on your hands are only those stupid or ruthless people under the throne …"
"We avenged her and wiped out all of the stubborn nobles in the Qing Kingdom. How much blood was shed in Jingdou that night? That night, all of the empress and empress dowager's family were killed. Did you smile happily? " Chen Pingping asked faintly. "All of the light poured into your body. All of the darkness and shamelessness returned to your officials and family. There is nothing more beautiful in the world."
"Of course, you didn't kill her." Chen Pingping pressed his lips together. As he coughed softly, he slowly said, "Because you have never moved a finger. Especially after the death of the Qin family, no one in the world knows what happened in the darkness back then. No one has evidence to say that Your Majesty personally controlled the Taiping Courtyard murder case."
"However …" The old cripple in the black wheelchair shook his head with slight mockery. "You will never be able to convince yourself or me. You will also not be able to change this reality. 22 years ago, you personally killed her. You killed a great … no, a lonely woman who had just given birth to your son and was at the weakest moment of her life."
"The most despicable and shameless thing in the world is nothing more than this." After Chen Pingping said the last sentence, his whole body seemed to be exhausted. He leaned against the black wheelchair and slowly closed his eyes.
The Emperor also slowly closed his eyes. His usually calm face appeared slightly pale. After a long silence, he quietly said, "Correct, I killed her."
After that, he opened his eyes, and they were filled with calmness and solemnity as he said, "So what?"
…
…
After writing the last four words, I suddenly felt very cold. I don't know if it's because of the attack of the cold wave. Writing to this point, I won't write today even if you beat me to death. Recently, I've been writing about emotions, so I have to control the emotions and plot within a certain rhythm. The last conversation between the Emperor and Chen Pingping in the royal study was a very important and important process. I have to write carefully.
I won't jump scenes like Dong Mountain. Some readers are worried and smile and say, "Don't worry, I have to finish this before it's Fan Xian's turn." I will let everyone know that starting tomorrow, I will still update every day. However, I don't want to make the update time so fixed. This way, I can write more freely. I don't want to always feel rushed at five or six in the afternoon. I'm afraid the more I write, the rougher it becomes.
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