Su Yongqing looked at the cup in front of him. After a long time, he reached out and held the cup in his hand. He drank the tea as if nothing had happened.
Su Ronghua sat on the side and looked at him. He said slowly, "This assassination was planned by you and Hua Le and Consort Rou?"
"Yes." Su Yongqing finished the tea and put it on the table. Su Ronghua looked at him and continued to ask, "When did you and Consort Rou work together?"
"When His Highness Ping L E established the Inspection Department."
Hearing this, Su Ronghua closed his eyes. He paused for a while and finally said, "Do you still remember the family rules?"
"Yes."
"What's the first rule?"
"The Su Clan does not participate in the struggle for the throne."
Su Yongqing found it difficult to pronounce each word. Su Ronghua slowly opened his eyes. "You colluded with Consort Rou. Do you need me to tell you what to do?"
Su Yongqing was silent. Su Ronghua stood up. "I will report this to father. You can wait for the result."
"Brother," Su Yongqing called out to Su Ronghua. "Aren't you going to ask me why?"
"What Consort Rou did is not something the Su Clan can handle. No matter why you did it, you have implicated the family. I protected you during the Hong De case. But now, I can't anymore. "
"I have my reasons."
"Who doesn't have a reason for making mistakes?"
Su Ronghua lowered her eyes. "Have a good rest."
Su Ronghua raised his hand to open the door. Su Yongqing stopped him. "Brother, let me tell you a story."
Su Ronghua stopped by the door. After a long time, Su Yongqing said softly, "I had a dream. It was the future of the Su Clan. It was also your future. Don't you want to hear it?"
Su Ronghua turned around in shock. He stared at Su Yongqing. Su Yongqing stood up and walked calmly to the side of the tea table. He knelt down.
He lit the charcoal fire in the small stove on the table, raised his hand to fetch some water, and poured it into a small pot. Then, he raised his head. Behind the long sandalwood table, his hair was half tied up in a bun, and his black hair hung down behind his back. His white clothes made him look as thin as bamboo, and he knelt upright.
He raised his hand and made a "please" gesture. His elegant voice was calm as he said, "Big Brother, please take a seat and listen to this story."
Dark clouds covered Huajing in winter. It seemed that heavy snow was coming. The cold wind blew into Huajing, driving away the pedestrians and slapping the windows.
Li Rong listened to the sound of the wind blowing against the windows. He leaned against Pei Wenxuan shoulder to shoulder. "Then I'll listen to you talk about the wind and rain first."
"What does Your Highness want to hear?"
"Things from my previous life. Things I don't know."
"Where does Your Highness want to start?"
Li Rong fell silent. She thought for a long time.
After a long time, she finally said, "Shangguan Ya and Su Ronghua. Let's start with them."
Pei Wenxuan heard this and laughed. He pulled Li Rong's hand and said calmly, "Okay, then let's start with them."
"In the third year of De Xu, Qin Zhenzhen was poisoned to death. His Majesty ordered me to investigate this matter. I investigated all the way to Su Ronghua. I spent five years investigating him until he died. In these five years, I found out quite a lot. Su Ronghua was the eldest son of the Su Clan. Logically speaking, he should be the successor to the position of the head of the clan. However, he took Gu Zixiao as his master when he was young. "
"He's a madman."
Li Rong knew this person. He was one of the rare outliers in the aristocratic families. However, he was quite well-behaved when he was young and was rather talented. It was normal for the Su Clan to invite him to be Su Ronghua's master.
"Actually, Gu Zixiao did not teach Su Ronghua for long before he was expelled from the Gu Family because he eloped with a woman from a humble family. After that, his whereabouts were unknown. No one knew if he really wandered the world or if he was purged by the Gu Family. Su Ronghua might have been influenced by the Gu Family and was rebellious since young. When he was 11 years old, he announced to everyone that he would not inherit the position of the head of the clan. From then on, he wandered outside for more than half a year. He did business everywhere and was passionate about making friends in the pugilistic world.
"In the 15th year of Yuan Wei's reign, Su Ronghua returned to the capital and was summoned to be Prince Su's master. From then on, he gambled and gambled every day and became a complete hedonistic son.
"In the 18th year of Yuan Wei's reign, Shangguan Ya came to the capital. The two of them met in the Wealth Gathering Hall.
"In the 18th year of Yuan Wei's reign, you met Shangguan Ya by chance in the Wealth Gathering Hall. That day, when you returned home, you told me that you met a lady who dressed up as a man and gambled in the casino. She gambled ten rounds with you and lost all ten rounds. She even asked you to gamble again tomorrow."
Su Yongqing opened the white porcelain jar and used a teaspoon to take out the tea leaves and put them into the teapot.
"That day, you smiled very happily and said that this lady was very interesting. After that, you often mentioned her to me. She was unwilling to talk to you, so you kept teasing her. This lady avoided you and changed to another casino. You went to another casino. In the end, when you were on your way home one day, you were beaten up with a bag. "
When Su Ronghua heard this, she burst out laughing.
Su Yongqing also laughed. He looked up and glanced at Su Ronghua. "You were indignant and wanted to take revenge. Hence, you secretly schemed and kidnapped her as a human trafficker when she was on her way to the cockfight. In the end, you really met bandits after you were kidnapped out of the city. The two of you were kidnapped together. I don't know what happened when you were kidnapped, but when you were rescued, you told me that you had made up your mind to marry her.
"You knew that the Su Clan had a high status and power. With your status, if you went to propose marriage, the lady had to agree even if she didn't want to. Hence, you planned to ask for her opinion first. That day, I picked out clothes for you, and you personally made a jade hairpin and brought it to look for her. At night, when you came back in the rain, I asked you what happened and you told me that you were fine.
"From that day onwards, you didn't go out much until a palace banquet. As Prince Su's teacher, you were forced to attend.
"At the banquet, he saw Shangguan Ya."
Pei Wenxuan's voice was very soft. Li Rong put his chin on his knees and said, "Shangguan Ya shouldn't have paid attention to him."
"Yes," Pei Wenxuan answered. "But Su Ronghua knew the reason why she refused him, so he naturally wouldn't let her go so easily. Hence, he went to Shangguan Ya and asked if Shangguan Ya liked him. If she liked him, he would go to her and propose marriage. "
"How is that possible?"
Li Rong was somewhat puzzled. "Shangguan Ya came to the capital for the Chuan'er. This was something that the Shangguan Clan had already decided. The Su Clan wouldn't be so muddle-headed. How could they participate in this kind of thing? "
"How could Su Ronghua not know?"
Pei Wenxuan sighed. "But people always want to try, so they decided to give it a try."
"When you came back from the palace banquet, you went to find Father and said that you wanted to go to the Shangguan Clan to propose marriage. But Shangguan Ya was the Crown Princess. You wanted to be the future Crown Princess. How could Father tolerate you? Father didn't allow you to, so you told Father that you were willing to be expelled from the Su Clan, leave the clan, and propose marriage to the Shangguan Clan. Whether you live or die, you bear the responsibility alone. "
The water in the kettle was boiling. Su Yongqing poured the boiling water into the teapot that was filled with tea leaves.
"According to the clan rules, you were beaten 300 times and went to the Shangguan Clan with injuries all over your body." Su Yongqing's voice was slightly choked, but he still maintained his usual calmness. "The Shangguan Clan didn't dare to let you stop at the entrance, so they let you enter the inner courtyard. You knelt in front of Shangguan Xu and begged him to let Shangguan Ya marry you. You analyzed the pros and cons for him and told him that marrying Shangguan Ya into the Eastern Palace would only cause the Shangguan Clan to perish even faster. How could Shangguan Xu listen to your nonsense? He couldn't drive you away and couldn't kill you because you were the eldest son of the Su Clan. So he made you kneel in front of the Shangguan Clan. "
"You knelt for three days. During those three days, the Imperial Palace had already drafted a decree and was preparing to grant the marriage."
"During those three days that Su Ronghua knelt in front of the Shangguan Clan, Shangguan Ya was locked in the inner courtyard. You know her temperament now. She has a clear distinction between love and hate, and she acts decisively. Su Ronghua did this for her, so how could she let him down? So she kept begging Shangguan Xu and kept shouting. She said that the Shangguan Clan had so many daughters, so why did he have to choose her? She already has someone she likes. She doesn't want to be the Crown Princess, so let her go. "
"The Shangguan Clan ignored her until the imperial decree for the marriage was sent to the Shangguan Clan. Shangguan Xu directly took the imperial decree to Shangguan Ya. He told Shangguan Ya that the Shangguan Clan had given her more than ten years of wealth and glory. Was she going to abandon the Shangguan Clan at this time? The imperial decree for the marriage had already arrived. If she left with Su Ronghua, then the Shangguan Clan would become the biggest joke in Da Xia. "
"Shangguan Ya can't tolerate it." Li Rong felt that her throat was a little sore. "She can't bring shame to the clan for her own love."
"You're right." Pei Wenxuan knew that Li Rong was upset. He put his hand on Li Rong's shoulder and hugged her. "Shangguan Ya personally went to the inner courtyard. Then she saw Su Ronghua kneeling on the ground. He was covered in blood. Shangguan Ya cried when she saw him."
How could she not cry?
This was the first time in her life that someone was willing to risk life and death for her.
This was also the first time in her life that she had removed the layers of restraints that an aristocratic family had placed on her and saw the most gentle and bright existence outside. She tried hard to catch him.
But she couldn't.
It was raining heavily that day. She lowered her head to look at the young man kneeling in front of her. She should have scolded him directly and humiliated him, but as soon as she opened her mouth, her tears fell.
She couldn't say anything. She could only squat down and tremblingly hand over the jade hairpin that he had given her on the day of his confession to her.
"Let me go," she said in a hoarse voice. "And let yourself go."
"Love is nothing. Liking is nothing. As long as we're alive, we have our own responsibilities. I will enter the palace, become the Crown Princess, and become the future Empress. You won't like me in the future. Just pretend that you've never seen me. Just like you said, leave Huajing. "
"Go far away and go to many places. Just pretend that you've seen the mountains and rivers for me. Just pretend that you've seen them for me. If you do something that makes you happy, just pretend that you've done it for me. If one day you meet someone you like and tie the knot with her, that would be the best."
"Su Ronghua," she said in a trembling voice. "Don't force me."
"How could you bear to force her?"
Su Yongqing had brewed the tea for the first time. He raised his hand to pour the tea for the second time.
"So when you came home, Father saw that you were still soft-hearted, so he let it go. Your relationship with Shangguan Ya was covered up by the two families. Shangguan Ya entered the palace and became the Crown Princess. You also left Huajing and went to many places. "
"And then?"
Su Ronghua lowered her eyes. Su Yongqing poured the tea into a teacup and pushed it to Su Ronghua. "Then, as you expected, the marriage between the Shangguan Clan and Li Chuan became a knot in His Majesty's heart. He supported Prince Su and deposed the Crown Prince. After dethroning the Crown Prince, Pei Wenxuan lobbied the aristocratic families, hoping that they would send troops. "
"In fact, the aristocratic families were still hesitating whether to send troops or not. In the end, you stood out first and hoped that the Su Clan would send troops. You had countless reasons, and they were indeed suitable. But I knew in my heart that no matter how many reasons you gave, it couldn't cover up the thoughts that you shouldn't have. "Su Yongqing looked up." You were worried about Shangguan Ya. "
"I won't gamble with the Su Clan's feelings for me."
Su Ronghua spoke calmly. Su Yongqing nodded. "You weren't gambling, but it just so happened that this decision was more suitable. You made the right choice. At that time, supporting Li Chuan was indeed the choice that the Su Clan should make. Li Chuan was wise outside, and he was also the legitimate heir. His ascension to the throne was the most justifiable, so as to avoid dissatisfaction and rebellion in the future. If you wanted to end the chaos, Li Chuan's ascension to the throne couldn't be better. "
"Therefore, the aristocratic families gathered their troops and attacked the Imperial City together with Qin Lin to support Li Chuan's ascension to the throne. After Li Chuan ascended the throne, Shangguan Ya became the Empress, and you stayed in Huajing. In the first year of De Xu, Li Chuan had just ascended the throne, and there was a war in the north. Everyone in the court wanted peace, and only Li Chuan, Qin Lin, and Pei Wenxuan wanted to go to war. Later, Li Chuan and Pei Wenxuan helped Qin Lin to get money and force the war. "
"After the war, they found that the national treasury was empty and not enough to support the northern front. Therefore, they were forced to stop. At this time, Li Chuan had some ideas. "
"What did he want to do?"
"He wanted to reform the system." When Su Yongqing said this, he couldn't help but laugh. "To implement the imperial examination, he wanted to collect taxes from the aristocratic families, limit the number of land and servants the aristocratic families could buy, and establish a grading system. He wanted the Ministry of Personnel to promote officials according to their scores. When grading, the aristocratic families would deduct ten points, and the commoners would add ten points."
Hearing this, Su Ronghua frowned. "Too hasty."
"He had just ascended the throne, and yet he made such a big move. Naturally, many local aristocratic families didn't agree. His subordinates didn't carry out his orders, or they deliberately distorted his intentions to increase the burden on the common people. He wanted to kill people to establish his power, but he couldn't even touch a second-class aristocratic family. At the end of the winter of De Xu, he ignored Pei Wenxuan's dissuasion and let Qin Lin kill the patriarch of a local small clan. As a result, that place had continuous uprisings for three years. The city, which was considered passable at first, became deserted in the end. "
"That year, there was war in the north, floods in the south, the national treasury was empty, and the local government was corrupt." When Pei Wenxuan talked about the events of that year, his tone was a bit cold. "I followed His Majesty to the north and south. Your Highness, you didn't see that scene. On the battlefield, corpses were everywhere. In places of famine, people ate each other. Huajing sang and danced. Heaven and Hell were just like that. His Majesty was benevolent by nature. After he came back, he made a plan to reform the system. "
"But you were too hasty." Li Rong's voice was steady. "Chuan'er was too young. He didn't understand that a country is like a big ship. You have to move slowly. If the Emperor casually pointed in the direction of the ship, thousands of people would be crushed. I know about Chuan'er's decree. I understand what he meant. It's not that he can implement a good decree. "
"But in His Majesty's eyes, his heart is not wrong, and his decree is not wrong. The only ones who are wrong are those aristocratic family officials who don't implement it. Therefore, the conflict between the aristocratic families and him became more and more intense. And the one caught in the middle is Shangguan Ya. Shangguan Ya is His Majesty's cousin. His Majesty still has some feelings for her, but he can't control his inner disgust for the aristocratic families. His Majesty told me that every time he enters Weiyang Palace and sees Shangguan Ya dressed in gold and silver, he will think of those people who don't have enough to eat. "
"And Shangguan Ya only thinks that she can't compare to Qin Zhenzhen. The more she dresses up, the more gentle and considerate she is, the more His Majesty hates her. Later, His Majesty and Qin Zhenzhen's feelings for each other gradually deepened. He can't even sleep with her. His Majesty told me that every time he sleeps with her, he feels disgusted. He dislikes himself. He doesn't like Shangguan Ya. He also feels that he has betrayed his lover. So when he sees Shangguan Ya, he can't even have any impulse. "
"Shangguan Ya is not favored. Naturally, the Shangguan family is anxious. They constantly put pressure on Shangguan Ya, asking her to work harder and strive to give birth to the eldest son. She has no other choice, so she came to you and asked you to help her. "
"I remember." Li Rong lowered his eyes. "I heard that Chuan'er left after sleeping in the palace, so I went to scold him. At that time, he pushed the government decree too quickly. The Shangguan family is his root. If he eliminated the Shangguan family, I was afraid that something would happen to him. "
"When you scolded him, he also felt guilty. He knew that the Shangguan family supported him to be the Crown Prince. Shangguan Ya is also innocent. So, His Majesty used medicine. Every time he went to see Shangguan Ya, he would take medicine in advance. When he came back, he would vomit non-stop."
When Li Rong heard this, she turned around in a daze and looked at Pei Wenxuan. "Does Shangguan Ya know?"
Pei Wenxuan pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "She should know. In fact, Shangguan Ya also uses medicine. "
Li Rong was at a loss for words. At that moment, she suddenly felt a great sense of pity.
Shangguan Ya was such a proud person, but she was trapped in the palace like an animal and gave birth to a Crown Prince. She also had to face the fact that her husband had to use medicine to touch her and vomited secretly after touching her. She remained silent.
The two people who did not love each other to the point that they almost hated each other had to do such immoral things on a luxurious bed for the sake of a child.
And such a secret, no one knew. Only the two of them could swallow it and hide it.
Li Rong felt an indescribable chill in her heart. Pei Wenxuan hugged her and kissed her. "Don't be sad. It's all in your previous life. Shangguan Ya hasn't entered the palace yet, right?"
"What happened after that?"
"After that, His Majesty finally found out that Shangguan Ya also uses medicine. He realized that this was a deadlock between the two of them. His Majesty made up his mind. After drinking wine, he went to the palace and found Shangguan Ya. He discussed with her that she would be the Empress and he would give her all the power she wanted. The two of them could stop pretending. "
"But Shangguan Ya didn't have a child. How could Shangguan Ya tolerate this? She abandoned herself and the love she should have. She didn't come to the palace to listen to His Majesty naively tell her that they were doing well. She also didn't come to the palace to help His Majesty. Shangguan Ya cried very hard that night. She asked His Majesty why she should be buried in the palace while His Majesty could live willfully. "
"His Majesty asked her what she wanted. She said that she wanted a child. His Majesty agreed. The two of them drank medicine together, took off their clothes, and went to bed. But when His Majesty touched her, His Majesty couldn't help but run out. "
"I heard from the palace servants that Shangguan Ya kept retching that night. She was retching and crying. The next day, Shangguan Ya took the initiative to find His Majesty and asked for peace. She was very understanding and pitiful. His Majesty promised her that no matter what, she would be the Empress. "
"Three days later, Qin Zhenzhen was found to be pregnant. That night, Shangguan Ya sent a letter from the palace to the Shangguan family. She said that His Majesty had made up his mind not to touch anyone in the harem other than Consort Qin. She needed a man, anyone would do. She wanted a child."
When Su Yongqing said this, Su Ronghua's hand that was holding the teacup trembled slightly. He tried to calm himself down, but he still felt pain.
Even now, he was already in such a state. He simply couldn't imagine how much pain he would have felt if this matter was true.
"At that time, Big Brother wanted to leave again, but the Shangguan Clan found Father. The Shangguan Clan didn't dare to mix up the royal bloodline. But if they watched Qin Zhenzhen's child inherit the throne, it meant that the Qin Family, a cold family that completely supported His Majesty's change, would have a crown prince. "
"The Shangguan Clan hoped to use this child to form an alliance with the Su Clan. The child born from the Shangguan Clan and the Su Clan's bloodline would be supported by both clans in the future. At that time, the imperial court was extremely dissatisfied with His Majesty. Father disapproved of Li Chuan's actions. The two clans secretly discussed for a long time and finally decided to let you go. You wanted to leave. You told me that you wouldn't come back this time. But when Shangguan Ya was placed in front of you, you thought about it all night and finally decided to stay. "
Staying was equivalent to sinking into the depths of the palace with that person.
There wouldn't be the distance she talked about, and there wouldn't be the freedom and beauty she talked about.
But he was still willing to stay. Therefore, under the arrangement of the two clans, Shangguan Ya waited in the palace for the strange man to enter and humiliate her like Li Chuan.
What she saw was the best dream she had when she was young, arriving on the moon.
He knelt in front of her and looked up at her. "Greetings, Your Highness."
Shangguan Ya looked at this distant yet familiar person. After a long time, she said in a hoarse voice, "What are you doing here?"
"To accompany you."
To accompany her into hell, to accompany her to the Yellow Springs.
Shangguan Ya's tears fell. She could accept anyone, but not him. She said in a trembling voice, "Leave. I don't want you."
"But you don't have a choice." Su Ronghua held the back of her hand and kissed it. "I don't have a choice either."
From the moment he entered the palace, he was going to be buried with her.
Therefore, they entangled in the dark. That night was the best dream of Shangguan Ya's life. It was full of guilt and sin, but it was the only harbor in her life that she could escape from.
"Two months later, Shangguan Ya was diagnosed with pregnancy. Su Ronghua participated in the imperial examinations and became the second to enter the government. The timing of this child was too awkward. In fact, even now, I don't know who this child belongs to. "
"Does Chuan'er know?" Li Rong curled up and asked softly. Pei Wenxuan shook his head. "At that time, His Majesty didn't even know that Shangguan Ya and Su Ronghua were having an affair. At that time, it was De Xu's third year, and His Majesty had already cultivated a group of his own people. When the people of humble families saw that His Majesty doted on Qin Zhenzhen and that Qin Zhenzhen was pregnant, they spread rumors among the people and created miracles. After the child was born, there were even officials of humble families who wrote that the child was the eldest son and should be made the Crown Prince. "
"They were forcing Qin Zhenzhen to his death."
"Many of the officials of humble families were poor, and there were elders in their families who had never participated in court politics. How could they know about these twists and turns? His Majesty actually knew that Qin Zhenzhen was in danger, and Qin Zhenzhen personally wrote a petition to make Li Xin the Crown Prince to show that he and his child had no intention of taking the throne. In fact, at that time, His Majesty was already preparing to make Li Xin the Crown Prince, but rumors had already spread among the people. That year, a strange bird happened to fall in front of the Huguo Temple. Everyone said that the strange bird was a phoenix and that it was a sign that the empress would be abolished. "
"The aristocratic families couldn't help it."
"So Su Ronghua personally took action," Li Rong leaned on Pei Wenxuan, "and poisoned Qin Zhenzhen to death."
"You originally wanted to poison Li Ping," Su Yongqing looked at Su Ronghua in front of him, whose expression was somewhat unfocused. "But Qin Zhenzhen protected Li Ping day and night, and ate and lived with Li Ping. She tasted every mouthful of water, every mouthful of medicine, and every mouthful of rice. So she poisoned him first and protected Li Ping. "
"After Qin Zhenzhen's death, His Majesty's temperament changed greatly. He didn't care about the war, the people, or justice. He only wanted to overthrow the aristocratic families. In those years, Da Xia was in a precarious situation, and flames of war were everywhere. He used the humble families and killed the aristocratic families indiscriminately. There were also many cruel and corrupt officials, from top to bottom, and the people had no way to make a living. The Su Clan racked their brains to persuade the emperor and pacify the people. They gave away countless riches to relieve the disaster and save the people. They consumed soldiers and food to suppress the rebellion. In fact, when I think about it, he did all this on purpose. He used these rebellions to consume the aristocratic families' strength. "
"In the eighth year of De Xu, in order to gather the troops, he framed Prince Su for rebellion. As Prince Su's teacher, you stood up for Prince Su. He accused you of colluding with the enemy and imprisoned the entire Su Clan. At that time, I didn't know about your affair with Shangguan Ya, and only felt wronged. Princess Ping L E knew that the Su Clan was wronged and tried to save us. In the end, he protected the Su Clan, but Li Chuan sentenced all the men of the Su Clan to castration. "
Su Ronghua's pupils shrank, and he clenched his fists, "Castration?"
"How could the Su Clan endure such humiliation? They all committed suicide in prison. With hatred in my heart, I was willing to become an evil spirit and stay in this world. So I dragged out an ignoble existence. Thanks to Princess Ping L E, I survived. "
"After Qin Zhenzhen's death, the last bit of tolerance in the emperor's heart disappeared."
Pei Wenxuan talked about the past of his friend in his previous life, with a bit of pity in his expression. "When he was keeping vigil for Qin Zhenzhen, the courtiers of the aristocratic families were kneeling outside, forcing him to confer Li Xin as the crown prince. His Majesty told me that day that only by turning into a ghost would I have a chance to win against the evil ghost. Then he walked out and conferred Li Xin as the Crown Prince. "
"The aristocratic families thought that this was the emperor's compromise. Then, the emperor became a ruthless emperor. He was temperamental, taxed heavily, used the poor, and killed the aristocratic families indiscriminately. He used the tax money to support Qin Lin's soldiers, used the poor to intimidate the aristocratic families, and got close to the Shangguan Clan. It seemed that he liked Li Xin very much and used the Shangguan Clan as his protective talisman. "
"So the local aristocratic families rebelled, and the Shangguan Clan helped to suppress them. Big clans like the Su Clan were known for their benevolence. When the world was in turmoil, they could only send troops and money. Because of this, the emperor finally had his own power. I investigated all the way and found the real murderer of Qin Zhenzhen's death. "
"In the seventh year of De Xu's reign, I told the emperor the cause and effect of Qin Zhenzhen's death. The emperor imprisoned the empress dowager, killed Shangguan Xu, and exterminated half of the Shangguan Clan. He originally wanted to kill Li Xin and cripple Shangguan Ya, but Shangguan Ya insisted that the child was the emperor's and took the initiative to ask for a blood test. The emperor tested it, and the blood was indeed compatible. Shangguan Ya cried and begged the emperor, saying that the emperor said he wouldn't cripple her. Then the empress dowager committed suicide in the cold palace, begging the emperor to let Shangguan Ya and Li Xin live. The emperor was trapped by his family and didn't kill her in the end. "
"Mother …" Li Rong's lips trembled slightly. "She committed suicide."
Pei Wenxuan didn't speak. He was silent for a long time. "In the eighth year of De Xu's reign, the emperor wanted to send troops to the north, but the Su Clan insisted on obstructing. They said that the national treasury was empty, and the Da Xia couldn't afford to continue fighting for years. But they didn't understand that the emperor didn't want to send troops to the north. What the emperor wanted was the military power in their hands. He wanted to exhaust the aristocratic families. So he deliberately framed Prince Su, saying that Prince Su had rebelled, and asked the Su Clan to send troops. Su Ronghua stood up and denied that Prince Su had rebelled. The emperor imprisoned the Su Clan on the charge of collaborating with the enemy. The emperor really wanted to kill them at that time, but Su Clan begged. In the end, to humiliate them, the emperor castrated the entire Su Clan. "
"Su Ronghua couldn't bear the humiliation and died in prison. When the emperor and I went there, we found that he was holding a jade hairpin in his hand. The emperor took the jade hairpin from his hand and went to find Shangguan Ya that night. He described in detail how Su Ronghua died to Shangguan Ya. When he handed the jade hairpin to Shangguan Ya, Shangguan Ya suddenly screamed. "
"Shangguan Ya cried and screamed. The emperor slapped his thigh and laughed. I stood outside. I felt that it was ridiculous and sad. In fact, at that time, I really missed His Highness. His Highness was like the only light in the entire palace. All the lights would be extinguished. Only His Highness would always hold the sword and move forward. "
"At that time, the Chuan'er wanted to abolish Shangguan Ya, right?"
Li Rong hugged himself. "It was just that Shangguan Ya had allied with the aristocratic families. The Su Clan was a benevolent and righteous clan. Even if there was a reason for the Chuan'er to frame them, the people of the world would not accept it. After years of war, the people couldn't stand it anymore. The aristocratic families' patience had also reached its limit. As far as I know, there were no less than 20 aristocratic families who wanted to rebel. "
"Yes." Pei Wenxuan responded. "Didn't the emperor and these aristocratic families also join forces?"
"If I don't take over the aristocratic families, someone else will. At that time, I'm afraid the Chuan'er won't even have a way to survive."
"The emperor also understands." Pei Wenxuan leaned against the wall. "That's why the emperor forced the Su Clan to their deaths. After the northern expedition, he proposed to cultivate and seek the Dao. It wasn't that his wish was fulfilled after taking revenge. It was because he knew that Da Xia no longer needed a tyrant like him. It was time for Da Xia to rest and recuperate."
"In these eight years, the Han Clan had risen, the aristocratic families had declined, and the aristocratic families were now at the end of their rope. The emperor couldn't force them to their deaths. Otherwise, it would be a life and death struggle. That's why he chose to cultivate and seek the Dao. He made the emperor the Grand Princess to supervise the country. As for Shangguan Ya, he couldn't and didn't dare to do anything. He could only wait for another opportunity to make a decision. "
"I was the leader of the Han Clan, and the emperor was the representative of the aristocratic families. You and I kept each other in check and were allies. In the remaining 22 years of Da Xia, we should rest and recuperate. Finally, we will welcome the golden age again."
"But in 22 years …"
Li Rong looked up at Pei Wenxuan.
"But in 22 years …"
On the other side, Su Yongqing looked at Su Ronghua in front of him and smiled bitterly.
The two of them were in different spaces. They sighed together. "It's too long."
It was so long that it was unrecognizable. It made people forget their original appearance. It made people unable to see the road ahead and also forget the way back.
Therefore, the sword wielder looked around blankly and slashed randomly, hurting others and themselves.
The ghost wielder sank into hell. He used unscrupulous means and wrongly killed his loved ones.
Who remembered the original intention of the northern expedition? Who remembered the purpose of obstructing the tyrant?
Who remembered the promise of the northern expedition in the palace? Who remembered who it was for?
They also didn't remember the promise they made to the emperor under the promenade that they would never let him down.
Only two figures were left in this quagmire. Separated by the gauze curtain of time, each holding a long sword, each serving as a beacon for the other. They brushed past each other.
Now, the wheel of fate had turned once again. It was time for another choice.
Pei Wenxuan looked at Li Rong quietly. "Your Highness, the past is known. Do you still want to return to Qingzhou?"
Su Yongqing poured the last cup of tea into the teacup. He looked up at Su Ronghua. "Big Brother, the story has ended. Huajing, do you still want to stay?"
Li Chuan watched the palace doors open layer by layer. In the main hall, two rows of bronze lanterns with vermillion birds holding pearls in their mouths rose to the top of the main hall. At the end of the main hall, Li Ming was sitting on a golden throne. He was wearing a black emperor's robe and had twelve crowns on his head. His face was similar but older. He stared at the young man with bright and cold eyes in front of the palace doors. He looked at him quietly. An old voice came from above. "Crown Prince."
Li Ming's eyes were filled with pity. "You're finally here."
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
