"Your Highness, we've arrived!"
As he was lost in thought, the driver's voice came from outside the carriage. Li Heng faintly smiled and quickly regained his composure.
"Let's go! Let's go to the Gold Silk Shop first. I've always felt that the clothes in the palace are too extravagant and unworthy of you, so I invited the number one tailor of the Tang dynasty, Madam Ya, to personally tailor them for you. "
As Li Heng spoke, he suddenly picked up Du Zhiqi, opened the carriage door, and alighted amidst the cries of surprise from the beauty.
Dusk was falling over the capital of the Great Tang, but the Golden Brocade Shop, which was known as the number one silk shop in the capital, was still brightly lit. The shopkeeper of the huge Golden Brocade Shop personally closed the door and declined all customers, only receiving a pair of guests.
From dusk to daybreak, Li Heng took Du Zhiqi on a tour of the capital. The Celestial Street Tea Market, Shou 'an Square, Zhongan Bridge, Randeng Monastery … They played all the way until daybreak. Only then did Li Heng and Du Zhiqi sit in a carriage, mingling with the scholars who accompanied them in their studies, and return to his own palace.
"Qi-er, I'm a little tired. In a while, I'll go pay my respects to Teacher. I'll probably be back a little late, so you should rest first. If I still haven't returned by the time you wake up, you can play here for a while. I've already ordered that no one will stop you from going anywhere in the residence, but you mustn't go to my study, "Li Heng said.
"It's fine.
No matter how late it is, I'll be waiting for you. "
Du Zhiqi gently said.
"In addition, you're also tired. I'll prepare some fruits for you. When you go pay your respects to Teacher, you can eat them on the way."
"Mm."
Li Heng nodded. His heart warmed, and his eyes grew even gentler. To be able to meet such a considerate beauty was enough for him to live the rest of his life.
Li Heng quickly left with the fruits Du Zhiqi had prepared. Soon, only Du Zhiqi and the palace maids were left in the palace.
"I'm a little tired. There's no need to take care of me. All of you can go and rest."
Du Zhiqi waved her hand.
"Yes!"
The palace maids quickly dispersed. Du Zhiqi also seemed to be a little tired. She brushed away the hair on her temples, walked softly to the side of the bed, and lay down slowly.
After an unknown period of time, all the palace maids had left, and the room was silent. Suddenly, a light breeze blew past, and the curtains rolled up. With a flash of light, an exquisite figure suddenly appeared beside the bed. It was Du Zhiqi, who was originally sleeping soundly.
In just a moment, Du Zhiqi was still the same Du Zhiqi, but her expression and temperament had completely changed. She was a completely different person.
If the original Du Zhiqi was demure, graceful, gentle, weak, and lovable, then the current Du Zhiqi was like an unsheathed longsword, her aura was sharp, and her ability was revealed in full.
Xiu! Du Zhiqi warily examined her surroundings before leaping out of the window like a leopard. In just a few seconds, she had arrived at the study not far from Li Heng's palace.
"Found it! Make a copy and quickly hand it to the First Prince. "
After searching around, Du Zhiqi's eyes flashed, and she quickly spotted a thin list of names on the table. Taking a brush from a nearby brush, she quickly made a copy and left.
Throughout the entire process, she did not notice that in another place not far away, a pair of bright eyes had been silently staring at her.
Flapflap!
A few moments later, a messenger pigeon took off from Fifth Prince Li Heng's palace. This messenger pigeon did not leave the Imperial Palace. Instead, after flying for some distance, it quickly landed in the First Prince's palace.
… …
Days passed, and seven days later …
"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! His Majesty has ordered for you to immediately go! The First Prince, Second Prince, and Third Prince are all present. The Grand Tutor, Grand Preceptor, and all the teachers of the palace are also present! "
Early in the morning, when the world was at its most tranquil, a voice broke the silence.
A guard barged into the Fifth Prince's resting palace.
"What?!"
The Fifth Prince's face froze in shock as he pushed aside his pillow and sat up on the bed.
"Your Highness, you should quickly go! His Majesty is furious, and everyone is waiting there. Your Highness, please act quickly! "
"Zhirou, rest first. I'll be right back."
With no time to say anything else, Li Heng got off the bed, put on a set of clothes, and left.
… …
Deep within the Imperial Palace, Perpetual Fortune Palace.
When Fifth Prince Li Heng pushed open the door and walked in, the atmosphere was solemn. High up in the hall, the Holy Emperor sat motionlessly, his face as gloomy as still water.
To his left and right, the Grand Preceptor and Grand Tutor, who rarely appeared, stood on either side, their expressions equally solemn. Looking further down, the teachers of the princes were all standing in a row with nervous looks on their faces. It seemed like they were feeling very uneasy.
And in front of the teachers were the princes of the various palaces. The First Prince, the Second Prince, the Third Prince … these princes, who were normally very difficult to find in the palace, were all gathered here.
When Li Heng pushed open the door and walked in, everyone looked at him. Some sneered, some were proud, some were mocking, some were sympathetic, and some were trembling in fear.
Li Heng scanned the hall, seeing those mocking and mocking gazes waiting for a good show. He vaguely understood something, but there was no fear in his heart.
"Your son Li Heng pays respects to Imperial Father!"
With a wave of his sleeve, Li Heng strode forward, respectfully bowed, and then kneeled in front of the hall, his expression calm and unruffled.
"Your Highness, His Majesty is here! Why haven't you kneeled down and admitted your wrongs!?"
Li Heng's teacher, Xu Shao, immediately shouted before Li Heng could kneel, a very uneasy expression on his face.
"Teacher Xu, His Majesty is here, so how can you speak? Are you trying to exonerate His Fifth Highness? "
Grand Tutor Chen Yong's voice came from the side, his expression stern.
The Grand Tutor was the head of the teachers and had the highest status among the teachers of the princes. His words made Xu Shao's heart clench and he immediately shut up. As he looked at Li Heng, he couldn't help but give a deep sigh.
He had personally taught this Fifth Prince, watched him grow up step by step. He had managed to watch him grow bit by bit in the palace, gradually gaining the attention of the Holy Emperor, but he had never imagined that this would happen.
"All my previous efforts have gone to waste!"
Xu Shao deeply sighed and closed his eyes, unable to bear to see what would happen next.
"Heng 'er, We will give you a chance."
In the hall, the Holy Emperor's face was ashen, but his voice was abnormally calm.
"Tell us, just who have you recruited and which civil and military officials have you colluded with?"
The Holy Emperor's words caused the atmosphere in the hall to become ten times more solemn. Everyone, including the Grand Tutors, the Grand Tutors, the teachers of the princes, and the princes, fell silent and even began to breathe cautiously.
All eyes were focused on Li Heng.
Forming a clique and colluding with important officials of the court had always been a major taboo in the palace. It was tantamount to rebellion, a heavy crime.
Although everyone had been doing this since ancient times, it was one thing to do it in secret and another to be caught by others.
Just the fact that Li Heng had formed a clique was enough to completely disqualify him from fighting for the throne. It would already be quite good if he wasn't sent to the border to live as an ordinary commoner.
Recently, Fifth Prince Li Heng had been slowly gaining the attention of the Holy Emperor, causing many princes to feel uneasy. But now, they could all relax.
"Imperial Father, your son has not colluded with any civil or military officials. Imperial Father, please investigate!"
To everyone's surprise, Li Heng stood up and clasped his hands, his expression calm and composed, neither servile nor overbearing.
Li Heng's words caused the Holy Emperor's face to darken.
"Your Highness, there is no need for Your Highness to quibble in front of the Holy Emperor. If there were no evidence, His Holiness would not have called Your Highness here. Your Highness should quickly come clean to avoid further enraging His Holiness. "
An elderly voice came from the side. Grand Preceptor Pei Guangting's temples were graying, and he suddenly sighed.
Pei Guangting was already seventy or eighty years old. Adhering to the teachings of the Confucian school of self-restraint, he was highly respected in the court. Although his achievements on the battlefield and his status in the court were inferior to that of the virtuous minister Wang Jiuling, in terms of seniority and prestige, even Wang Chong's grandfather Wang Jiuling had to respectfully address him as Lord Pei.
In the reign of the previous emperor, Pei Guangting had been highly esteemed, and in the current dynasty, his status was even higher and he was deeply trusted and respected by the Holy Emperor.
Pei Guangting was already very old, and he usually lived in seclusion, never receiving guests. Even the princes of the palaces rarely saw him. But this time, Fifth Prince Li Heng had colluded with important ministers of the court and formed a clique for personal gain, violating a great taboo of the palace. This was a heavy crime that even Pei Guangting had been alarmed by.
According to the rules of the palace, Fifth Prince Li Heng was probably completely crippled.
"Lord Grand Preceptor, it is not that Li Heng is quibbling, but that Li Heng has never done anything. Since it's a groundless crime, why should Li Heng admit to it? "
Li Heng was neither servile nor overbearing, arguing with reason. Even when facing this esteemed Grand Preceptor, he showed no fear.
"Haaah!"
The teachers of the princes couldn't help but shake their heads and sigh at Li Heng's words. Li Heng's teacher, Xu Shao, felt his heart sink to the bottom of a lake.
"Quibbling at a time like this is truly asking for trouble!"
Near the wall, Second Prince Li Yao sneered.
"To dare argue with Grand Preceptor Pei Guangting in front of Imperial Father, is this fellow an idiot? Does he not know that Imperial Father has always respected and trusted Grand Preceptor Pei? "
Third Prince Li Ju looked at Li Heng, his eyes brimming with derision.
The Holy Emperor had always revered loyalty, filial piety, and fraternity. By doing this, Li Heng was only lowering his image in the Holy Emperor's mind. This was asking for trouble.
Li Ju could already guess what Li Heng's fate would be.
"Haaah, Fifth Imperial Brother, what need is there for this? He clearly knows that Imperial Father is a perceptive person and would never have summoned him without conclusive evidence. What meaning is there in denying it now? "
Across from Li Yao and Li Ju, on the wall to the left of the Holy Emperor, the seventeen-year-old Tenth Prince Li Qi shook his head, his eyes brimming with sympathy. Just like Li Heng, he had been unsuccessful in the palace and had been suppressed by the princes of the other palaces.
For this reason, of the princes, he was the only one who deeply sympathized with Li Heng, but that was all. Li Heng's attitude toward the Holy Emperor and the Grand Preceptor had left him deeply unsatisfied.
Arguing with Imperial Father and the Grand Preceptor while clearly knowing that they had something to use against him was not a wise move.
The Fourth Prince, Sixth Prince, Seventh Prince, and the other princes all sneered. Just based on Li Heng's words today, it would be very difficult to resolve this matter peacefully.
"Bastard!"
As expected, upon hearing Li Heng's words, the Holy Emperor exploded into a thunderous rage, causing the entire hall to hum and tremble. A terrifying pressure shrouded the air, causing all the princes to lower their heads in fear.
"Unfilial son, even at this stage, you're still quibbling! Look at what this is!"
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