On September 21, the third year of Qianyuan, Wen Zhemao and Xu Xiangfeng were sitting and playing chess in the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Xu Xiangfeng held the white piece, dropped a piece on the corner, observed the chessboard pattern, and asked casually: "At this time, your highness still has the leisure to play chess with me?"

Wen Zhehan held the black piece and stopped the white piece's attack: "Didn't the Prime Minister often warn Xiao Wang not to be impatient when things happen? Besides, my father's health was getting better. After meeting with the emperor's brother, he resumed the administration of the government and put aside the affairs of the court.

Being well organized, Xiao Wang really doesn’t have much complicated things to do.”

"Your Majesty's good health is a blessing to Wu'an."

Xu Xiangfeng caressed the chess piece and thought about its whereabouts, "I heard that His Royal Highness King Su was detained in Yushu Hall by the Holy Emperor?"

"Yes, Mr. An is guarding it personally."

Wen Zhehan raised his eyes slightly and looked into the distance, as if he could see the palace in the distance through the heavy brick walls. "I heard with my own ears that the emperor's brother revealed the treacherous conspiracy, but he only put people under house arrest in Yushu Palace. If I were in the same position as the emperor's brother,

If you are upside down, you may end up in prison until everything is settled, or you may be exiled for thousands of miles, or you may be eliminated and then be fast.”

"The emperor's brother is different in the father's heart after all."

Wen Zhehan lowered his eyes and sighed, seeming a little puzzled, "We are both parents and children. I asked myself that his talents and virtues are not inferior to those of the emperor's brother. Why does the father prefer the emperor's brother so much? Even if he wants to kill his father and rebel, the father will not.

Still reluctant to part with it.”

This question has been weighing on Wen Zhehan's mind for a long time and has become a problem in his heart.

In the past, he always thought that he was not as good as his brother because of his lack of ability.

Later he discovered that even if he was good enough, he would not be able to get his father's undivided attention like his brother.

My father's eyes are full of his brother's. No matter how much I do, I can't get a single look from him to stay.

Many times in the past, he thought about giving up fighting for the throne with his brother, and he even tried. Only then did he realize that there were some things that he was destined to not be able to choose since he was born.

For him, giving up the fight for the throne means that he will die with everyone behind him.

He didn't want to die, so he had no choice but to fight. But he was destined to never win the favor of his father, so he had already prepared the emperor's plan for today.

But no one expected that the emperor's brother, who had always been smooth and cautious, would suddenly fall into the trap. The situation changed overnight, and in the end it was the emperor's brother who took the path first.

There were so many thoughts in just one breath, and before Xu Xiangfeng could think of how to admonish Wen Zhehan, he saw him suddenly smile and say in a confused way: "Sometimes, it's just fate that plays a trick on people."

Xu Xiangfeng glanced at Wen Zhehan, swallowed the words on his lips, looked down at the chessboard and said, "Your Highness, it's your turn."

"Prime Minister, what do you think your father is thinking?"

Wen Zhehan made a random move, obviously his mind was no longer on the chessboard, "Do you want to wait for this incident to whitewash the peace for the emperor, pretend that nothing happened, and let the emperor continue to act in the court?"

Xu Xiangfeng raised his eyes and met Wen Zhehan's eyes, and warned him meaningfully: "The emperor's heart is as deep as the sea. Instead of guessing what the emperor thinks, it is better to think clearly about what you want. Nian'er, what you carry on your back has always been

It’s not just your life. The result of indecision can only be that you lose everything.”

Nian'er is Wen Zhehan's nickname.

Wen Zhehan took a deep breath and exhaled. As he breathed, the tangled and complicated emotions in his heart sank. When he opened his eyes again, Wen Zhehan smiled slightly and said to Xu Yancheng: "You are right."

As he said that, Wen Zhehan's eyebrows narrowed again and he rubbed the chess pieces in his hands, "Brother Huang is under the personal watch of Eunuch An. It may not be easy for him to get out. He knows that entering the palace is a dead move... Brother Huang is also stubborn.

"

"The wife, children and mother of Vice Commander Xue of the Yulin Army said they were leaving the city to visit their relatives."

Xu Xiangfeng said this matter calmly, "I'm afraid I won't be able to come back until this matter is over."

"Even if this matter is over, how many of those people will come back?"

Wen Zhehan glanced at the chessboard, stopped Bai Zi's counterattack, and said with a slight mockery in his eyebrows, "Brother Huang is very fond of such crude methods."

Xu Xiangfeng held the opposite opinion to Wen Zhehan: "Although the method is simple, it has been tried and tested repeatedly. People in this world are tightly bound. A single word of filial piety can drag countless people to death."

Wen Zhehan was silent for a moment, and the mockery between his eyebrows faded away, becoming more pitiful and sympathetic: "Sadly, even if you bow your head, it may not have a good result."

"They are all being watched. Regardless of whether they bow their heads or not, it is destined to be a tragedy for them."

Xu Xiangfeng made a mistake, and was trapped in a dark spot. "Even if a young man succeeds like Yan Qing and is a woman, he still can't escape the control of a powerful person."

Wen Zhehan was silent, and the image of Yan Qing deep in thought on the Double Ninth Festival flashed before his eyes.

His intuition told him that Yan Qing was not the kind of character who could be manipulated by others, nor should he be able to clearly see the situation he was facing.

That day, Yan Qing did not agree to be an internal correspondent, but he did not refuse either. After that, he clearly drew a clear line between the two parties and seemed to have no intention of wading into this muddy water.

But she easily let Yan Qin go to Fo'an Temple with Yan Linger, and was easily involved in this situation.

What's interesting is that even though Yan Qin's life was threatened, she dared to confess to Hong Gong.

Perhaps she had already understood that no matter what choice she made, there would never be a perfect ending.

If they bow their heads, the Yan Qin family may survive for a while. But if they lose, the entire Yan family will have to be beheaded. If they win, Yan Qing, who is forced to bow his head, will definitely not be able to gain Wen Zhemao's trust, let alone

She also betrayed Wen Zhemao and informed Hong Gong of his rebellion to the emperor.

In the end, Yan Qing will be pushed out as the scapegoat and the best person to quell the grievances of the people and the anger of the officials.

Regardless of success or failure, she belongs to the Yan family and is a sinner in Wu'an.

If she doesn't bow her head, Yan Qin will definitely be killed immediately. Even though she has kept the Yan family's reputation, when people discuss her merits and demerits, not many people will praise her for her righteousness. They will only say that she is cold-blooded and ruthless.

Heart of stone.

What's more, she is still a woman.

The secular world always praises a man's righteousness and annihilation of relatives as a profound righteousness, but it sarcastically mocks a woman in the same situation.

Women should be emotional, gentle and put their family first.

For Yan Qing, this seemed to be a fatal move.

But he always felt that there was a glimmer of hope hidden in it.

This was not a guess he made out of thin air, but what Yan Qing asked him before going down the mountain: "If I lead my troops to attack the city, will Your Highness dare to open the city gate to welcome me?"

He replied: "Dare."

She replied: "I hope His Highness will take note of today's promise, and I will not let His Highness down."

After that day, she had no contact with Yan Qing. Yan Qing seemed to truly believe that as long as she helped Wen Zhemao win the imperial city, the Yan Qin family could be preserved.
Chapter completed!