Hearing this, the two of them were overjoyed and hurriedly bowed to Hong Zhou and left. After they left, Hong Zhou called Cui Jia and others to come in and change clothes for him. When they heard that he was about to enter the palace, Cui Jia said sadly: "Your Highness.
The wind and cold haven't recovered yet, so it's really not suitable to work hard, so I'd better wait until tomorrow."
Hong Zhou said without any doubt: "This matter is of great importance. I must enter the palace immediately and fetch the clothes immediately. Ah Fu, go and prepare the carriage."
Seeing his stern tone, Mrs. Cui Jia took out her clothes and asked doubtfully: "Your Majesty, what happened?"
Hong Zhou shook his head and said nothing. After washing up, Ah Fu also prepared the carriage. Cui Jia helped Hong Zhou, who was walking sloppily, into the carriage, and watched him go to the Forbidden City with a worried look on his face.
Hong Zhou got off the carriage and hurried to the Yangxin Hall. However, he was still ill and was out of breath after walking a few steps. His feet felt like lead and it was difficult to walk. He had to stop and rest until the eunuchs arrived.
As he passed by, he called him and helped him to the Yangxin Hall.
Huang Ying saw Hong Zhou coming from a distance and hurriedly came up to him and said, "I would like to pay my respects to you, Your Majesty. Your Majesty, please be safe!"
Hong Zhou wiped the sweat from his forehead and said feebly: "I have something important to see the Emperor. Please let me know."
"Hey!" Huang Ying followed the instructions and entered. After a while, he came out and asked Hong Zhou to come in. The latter dragged his weak legs and walked in. Before he could salute, Hong Li already raised his hand and said: "Old Wu, are you there?"
I'm sick, so there's no need to salute, just sit down quickly."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." After Hong Zhou sat down, Hong Li said with concern: "Since you are unwell, you should rest in the palace. Did you come to the palace with an illness? Did something important happen?"
Hong Zhou coughed a few times and said with a flushed face: "Yes, this matter involves many lives. I really don't dare to delay, so I have no choice but to disturb the emperor."
When Hongli heard this, he looked solemn and said: "What happened?"
Hong Zhou raised his head and said, "I heard that the emperor wanted to use the lives of ninety-nine boys to complete the lives of the twelve elder brothers. Is it true or false?"
Hearing this, Hong Li's face suddenly darkened. He stared at Hong Zhou coldly and said, "Where did you hear this?"
"It doesn't matter where I heard it from. What matters is whether the emperor really intends to do this?" Faced with his words, Hongli said in a cold tone: "Is it Yun Zhongzi or Kongjing? They are so brave.
How dare you leak this matter to the public? It seems that I treat them very well, and how dare you turn a deaf ear to my words."
Hong Zhou said quickly: "Your Majesty, Master Yun Zhongzi and the others don't want your Majesty to make the same mistake again and again, so they took it upon themselves to tell the matter to my younger brother."
"Make the same mistake again and again?" Hongli smiled coldly, "Old Wu, tell me what is the right thing to do. Is it right to just watch Yongxing die from smallpox?"
"Although smallpox is terrible, it is not a fatal disease. I asked Master Kongjing and he said that the chance of the twelfth elder brother surviving this calamity should be more than half."
"Half..." Hongli slowly shook his head, "I know, but I can't afford the gamble. Yongxun will definitely not die. As long as he can live, I will do anything, including taking the lives of those ninety-nine boys."
"For so many years, the emperor has always wanted to be a wise king who will be passed down through the ages. Over the years, under the emperor's governance, the Qing Dynasty has become prosperous and the people live and work in peace and contentment. I can imagine that a hundred years later, the emperor will be like Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and Taizong of the Tang Dynasty.
Praise for the common people; but now, my brother Shu, I bluntly say that if the emperor really does this, what will be passed down will not be praise, but...spit."
Hong Li said coldly: "As long as I can save Yong Cang, I don't care even if people in the world rebuke me." Before Hong Zhou could speak, he said again: "You don't need to persuade me anymore, I will not change my mind. Those people
You must die, no one can save you, including you!" The last three words are as cold as iron and as hard as stone.
Hong Zhou sighed and said: "Your Majesty, I would like to venture to guess that in the secret edict behind the upright plaque, the candidate for the crown prince is the twelfth elder brother, right?"
Hongli stared at him and said coldly: "You have grown up with me since childhood, and you know my thoughts best. Yes, Yong Cang is the most suitable candidate for the crown prince. If he succeeds to the throne, he will definitely make the Qing Dynasty more prosperous and prosperous."
.”
"Have you ever thought about it, your Majesty, if this matter is leaked out, and all the civil and military officials and even all the people in the world know that the life of the Twelve Prince is made up of hundreds of lives, do you think they will still support the Twelve Prince?
Is my brother the emperor?"
Hongli's face changed slightly, and he immediately said: "This is my order. If they don't obey it, they are resisting the order and should be punished!"
"One or two people can certainly be killed, but if there are thousands of people who disobey, including the executioner responsible for the execution, what will the emperor do to kill them?" Before Hong Zhou could finish his words, Hong Li shouted loudly: "How dare they!
"
"Huang Ama has taught us since childhood that the king is the boat and the people are the water. Water can carry the boat but cannot capsize it. I am afraid that when the time comes, it will not only be difficult for the twelfth prince to become emperor, but even the Qing Dynasty will be in danger of falling apart.
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"Presumptuous!" Hong Li suddenly stood up, pointed at Hong Zhou and shouted: "You dare to curse the inheritance left by your ancestors, you are really audacious!"
Hong Zhou stood up with difficulty holding on to the armrest and said: "I know my crime, but I don't want the emperor to make a big mistake!" After a pause, he said again: "Fourth brother, forget it!"
Hongli stared at him without saying a word. For a long time, he nodded slowly and said, "I understand."
Just when Hong Zhou thought he had listened to his advice, Hong Li said something that made him furious, "You are right. Once the matter is leaked, it will be a great disadvantage to the Queen and Yong Cang. In order to keep
With this secret, the families of the ninety-nine boys, as well as Ziyun Temple and Wanshou Temple, will completely disappear from the world, leaving no one behind!"
Hong Zhou said in disbelief: "Your Majesty wants to kill them?" Facing Hong Li's cold gaze, he shook his head in shock, "Are you crazy? Those are hundreds of lives, not to mention your people, Your Majesty. Why?
Can you just kill me?"
Hongli waved his sleeves and said in a cold voice: "I don't want to either, but I have no choice." At that moment, murderous aura filled the entire Hall of Cultivation of the Heart, making the people inside feel as if they had been exposed to nine cold days, shivering with cold.
Hong Zhou gritted his teeth and said, "What about my brother? Does the emperor plan to kill my brother as well?"
Hongli walked up to him slowly and said coldly: "You are my brother, I will definitely tolerate you, unless you insist on going to the road of death, then don't blame me for not thinking about brotherly love."
Facing Hong Li's cold gaze, Hong Zhou didn't know what to say for a moment. For more than 40 years, he had never seen Hong Li look so ruthless and decisive. In order to save Yong Cang's life, he was really crazy...