Now that the words have been spoken, everything has come to light.

The assassination case that caused uproar in the capital recently was actually planned by the fourth prince.

He first used Ning Fengzhi, a chess piece that had been buried for five years, to backstab the eldest prince. Then, through the connections he had made with civil servants through Xianyun Ping over the years, he deliberately dug up the second chess piece, Qian Yong, at the great court meeting in an attempt to

Putting the charges of the brother's feud on the second prince. In this way, the reputations of the two princes who are most likely to become heirs will be dealt a heavy blow.

Mo Haoli sighed softly: "Your Highness, they are your brothers."

The fourth prince smiled slightly and said, "So what?"

"Bang!"

Emperor Kaiping suddenly slapped the imperial case and said coldly: "You bastard!"

The fourth prince bowed his hands and said calmly: "Father, please calm down."

Emperor Kaiping looked at his face, his chest could not help but rise and fall slightly, and said to the others: "You all get out!"

Mo Haoli stood up tremblingly and said sadly: "Your Majesty, please don't get angry and harm yourself."

He was getting older and older now, especially after watching a series of big plays today, and it was obvious that he couldn't hold on anymore. Seeing this, Luo Ting stepped forward to hold his right arm, and then helped him walk out until they walked out of the palace.

In the study room, Emperor Kaiping did not respond to Mo Haoli's words of comfort.

"Pei Yue stays and guards the door for me." Emperor Kaiping suddenly said.

Pei Yue was slightly startled, and then frowned. Everyone knew that the conversation in the study that followed was definitely not a secret that could be heard by the ministers. He did not want to bear too many secrets of the emperor, as that would easily kill people. However, Emperor Kaiping was furious at this time.

, obviously unable to tolerate his refusal, Gu Liang also whispered: "Stay and protect your majesty."

Pei Yue felt helpless and stopped beside the gate.

Wang Pingzhang walked slowly and did not deliberately get close to the other three princes who left the imperial study together. Instead, he looked back at the fourth prince Liu Zan with deep meaning.

The palace guards escorted Ning Fengzhi towards the prison, while the four important ministers headed in the opposite direction. Everyone was preoccupied, and no one spoke a word along the way.

The three princes fell behind. Normally, the three of them would never walk together so peacefully. Needless to say, the eldest prince and the second prince were rivals for the heir apparent. Although the second prince and the sixth prince were from the same mother,

Compatriots, but Empress Chen seemed to like Lao Liu more, so the two brothers were not close to each other.

After walking a certain distance, the sixth prince Liu Zhi suddenly looked up at the sky and said with thought-provoking emotion: "Two royal brothers, what do you think the fourth prince wants?"

No one answered.

Liu Zhi seemed to have expected such a reaction. He chuckled, shook his head, and left quickly without looking back.

There was deathly silence in the royal study.

Emperor Kaiping was sitting behind the imperial desk. The fourth prince Liu Zan was about two feet away from him, and Pei Yue was at the gate five or six feet away.

After a long time, Emperor Kaiping said slowly: "Liu Zan, have I ever treated you badly in these years?"

The fourth prince thought seriously, then shook his head and said: "My father treated my son very well. He not only used the money from the palace to help him run the Xianyun Review, but also never interfered in his interactions with the literati, even if my father knew

Most of them will become officials in the court."

Emperor Kaiping's voice gradually became louder: "Then this is how you repay me?"

The fourth prince replied calmly: "Father, I have never thought of putting the two royal brothers to death."

Emperor Kaiping sneered: "I still have to thank you for your mercy?"

The fourth prince turned his head and glanced at Pei Yue, who was standing at the door, and said in a cold tone: "Father, in fact, I know that Ning Fengzhi is not dead. It's not because I'm trying to be mysterious, but because my father was wise in his life. How could he put such a

key role

Hasty execution? A dead Ning Fengzhi has no value and is not even qualified to bear the wrath of his father. But as long as he is alive, his father can use this chess piece to test the minds of many people. Of course, this includes his son and ministers.

."

Emperor Kaiping looked at his son who usually didn't pay much attention to him.

Pei Yue, who was in the distance, suddenly said: "His Royal Highness, King Yan, although you relaxed in the Bamboo House and promised to help me find Ning Fengzhi's family, he did not betray you. In fact, I was the only one in the Bamboo House that day.

You also have Jing Chu, the head of the Kun Department of Taishitai Pavilion, and Ning Fengzhi is not at the scene at all."

The fourth prince was slightly startled.

Pei Yue said calmly: "I didn't lie to you that day. Your Majesty did not want to see the tragedy of princes killing each other."

The fourth prince tilted his head slightly to think, and then said clearly: "You did say those words."

Pei Yue asked: "Since you are sure that Ning Fengzhi is not dead, why did you agree to my request? Why are you still unwilling to let go and must involve His Highness the Second Prince?"

The fourth prince smiled softly and said: "Because I know that I can't hide all this from my father. Since I can't hide it, why should I deceive myself? From the beginning to the end, I have never had the extravagant hope of being able to hide it from my father."

Pei Yue looked at the grievance between his eyebrows and vaguely understood what this person was thinking.

Emperor Kaiping said: "Since you know you can't do it, why do you insist on doing it?"

The fourth prince said softly: "Father, my son was detained by his mother and concubine when he was very young. He was not allowed to walk around the palace, talk and play with others, and could only study in Changning Palace. In addition, my son was also extremely

I rarely see my father. At that time, I was young

Ji Xiao, Erchen still couldn't figure out why he couldn't do what he wanted freely like his eldest and second brothers. Later, Erchen understood that the mother-in-law didn't want anything to happen to Erchen, she just wanted him to live in peace.

Finish this life."

Emperor Kaiping was silent.

The fourth prince looked at him and said stubbornly: "Father, I will not obey you."

Emperor Kaiping raised his head and looked at the pain gradually showing in his own son's eyes. He restrained his turbulent emotions and said, "This is your life."

The fourth prince smiled miserably, with a hint of confusion on his handsome face, and asked slowly: "Fate? Father, do you believe in fate?"

Emperor Kaiping frowned, of course he could hear the implication of this sentence.

The fourth prince lifted up his clothes and knelt down respectfully in front of Emperor Kaiping. With a look of reverence in his eyes, he said firmly and eagerly: "I have worked hard to do these things. I just hope that my father can see that I am better than my elder brother."

My second brother is stronger and more suitable for that position!"

Hearing these unabashed words, Pei Yue couldn't help but look at Liu Zan in surprise.

He had known Liu Zan not long ago, but the impression he had on him was not good. Back in Xianyun Village, this person seemed kind on the surface, but in fact he was digging holes everywhere, such as deliberately exacerbating him and even Princess Pingyang.

The conflict between the eldest princes. Now it seems that Liu Zan's purpose in doing this is obviously to pave the way for the subsequent assassination.

In other words, Liu Zan invited him to Huxinting to create conditions for Princess Pingyang to bully Pei Ning, otherwise the timing would not have been such a coincidence. If he had not taken advantage of this opportunity to cause him to conflict with Princess Pingyang, it would have been normal

Said that the two people would never interact at all. Without this prerequisite, Ning Fengzhi would not be able to use Princess Pingyang to drag the eldest prince into trouble later.

Just now Liu Zan praised Pei Yue for being good at calculations, but in fact he himself is the one who is used to hiding in the dark and making up conspiracies.

Based on this, Pei Yue didn't have the slightest fondness for him. If he didn't want to strike while the iron was hot to create an image of a loyal minister in Emperor Kaiping's heart, he would definitely not persuade Emperor Kaiping to let Liu Zan go.

However, listening to Liu Zan's straightforward words at this time, Pei Yue's thoughts were extremely complicated.

Emperor Kaiping was more deeply shocked than he was.

He slowly stood up and walked around the imperial case to Liu Zan, and asked in a deep voice: "Are you doing all this just to prove your ability to me?"

Liu Zan looked very calm, but there was excitement in his eyes. He nodded and said: "My son has never thought of hurting the two royal brothers, but my father has also seen it. They have no ability to change, how can they replace my father?"

The emperor protects these thousands of miles of mountains and rivers? Father the emperor, sons and ministers are just——"

"Enough!"

Emperor Kaiping shouted, and then said decisively: "I will not give you this opportunity."

Liu Zan was stunned, looked at Emperor Kaiping with a puzzled face, and asked: "Father, my son has always been in control and has not trapped the two royal brothers to death. I just want... I just want my father to see it."

My dear son!"

Emperor Kaiping said word for word: "If you are allowed to ascend to the throne of Dabao, none of your brothers will survive."

He turned and stepped forward.

Liu Zan stared at Emperor Kaiping's back and said tremblingly: "I don't accept it!"

Emperor Kaiping ignored it and walked towards the imperial case.

Liu Zan felt that all his hopes turned into despair. He clenched his hands tightly into fists, his body trembled involuntarily, and shouted at Emperor Kaiping's back: "The father can do it, but the son cannot do it?!"

Pei Yue was suddenly startled and immediately walked towards Liu Zan.

However, Emperor Kaiping was faster than him. The emperor, who was nearly fifty years old, was like a stabbed tiger. He turned around and stepped forward quickly, kicked Liu Zan on the shoulder, and said sternly: "You traitor!"

Liu Zan was kicked to the ground, and then struggled to get up, his eyes already red.

Pei Yue stopped and looked at the father and son, who had no affection at all but were very similar, and had mixed feelings for a while.

Emperor Kaiping raised his finger and pointed at Liu Zan, his chest heaved violently, and after a long time he only said four words: "Incurable!"

Liu Zan immediately knew that there was no chance of things turning around, so he laughed a few times, lowered his head and said nothing.

Emperor Kaiping said: "Here comes someone!"

A strong man came out from behind the curtain on the right, about thirty years old, with an average build and ordinary appearance.

Pei Yue's eyes narrowed and he looked at the man who seemed to emerge from the shadows. However, the man seemed not to notice and just faced the direction of Emperor Kaiping.

"Take Liu Zan back to Prince Yan's Mansion, clean up the inside and outside of the Prince's Mansion, and don't leave the mansion without orders!"
To be continued...