"PS: The second update yesterday. I will send you the 4,000-word chapter first, and then I will code today's chapter. It may be very late. Book friends who can't wait can read it tomorrow."
————The following text————
"...did that happen?"
About a stick of incense after the incident, Emperor Wei had already learned from the eunuch Tong Xian in the Ganlu Hall that "Concubine Shi led people to Fengyi Hall to provoke the Queen."
In this regard, Emperor Wei acted quite calmly and just said: "The Queen will handle this matter well."
It was not until half an hour later that the bad news came from the Jinxiu Palace that "Concubine Shi had committed suicide by taking medicine." Emperor Wei sat up in shock with a gloomy expression on his face.
After a while, he asked in a deep voice: "Where is Prince Xiang?"
The great eunuch Tong Xian lowered his head and replied: "A moment ago, His Royal Highness King Xiang left the palace and went straight out of the city, probably heading straight to Yangdi..."
Emperor Wei frowned, his eyes changing for a while. After a long time, he relaxed his tense body, slowly leaned against the edge of the bed, and closed his eyes.
Beside, the eunuch Tong Xian was also secretly shocked.
In fact, as early as more than ten years ago, a rumor circulated in the palace, saying that "the eldest prince Zhao Hongli and Yong Wang Hongyu were artificially exchanged at birth." However, this rumor was not taken seriously, and because it involved the king
The queen and the two princes, therefore, after the eunuchs found out the source of the rumors, they executed the gossiping eunuchs and maids with a cane.
Even the great eunuch was shocked when something like that happened today.
Perhaps because he had not seen Emperor Wei speak for a long time, the eunuch Tong Xian cautiously added: "It is said that His Royal Highness King Yong also left the palace and returned to the palace. He is currently in Jinxiu Palace, under the care of His Royal Highness the eldest prince..."
As if he had read through his mind, Emperor Wei said after a long silence: "I order the palace not to speak nonsense about this matter. As for the rest... leave it to the queen."
"...As ordered." The great eunuch Tong Xian bowed his head and responded.
Because of Emperor Wei's order, "Concubine Shi's death" did not cause a sensation in the palace, as if Concubine Shi simply died of illness rather than committing suicide by taking poison.
For the next two or three days, King Yong Hongyu secluded himself in the palace, neither making public appearances nor going to Chui Gong Hall to handle government affairs.
According to what the Chamberlain knew, His Highness Prince Yong only drank in his study all day long. Even Zhang Qigong, his most trusted aide, wanted to give advice but was blocked out of the room several times and stamped his feet anxiously.
On the other hand, the eldest prince Zhao Hongli took care of Concubine Shi's funeral arrangements with a confused look on his face due to various reasons.
Probably Concubine Shi fell into his arms that day, coughing up blood and saying "I'm sorry, my son". This made the eldest prince Zhao Hongli feel inexplicably shocked and heartbroken - even though he couldn't accept Concubine Shi at the moment.
The fact that she is his biological mother.
During this period, the eldest prince Zhao Hongli entrusted King Huan Zhao Hongxuan to take care of the funeral arrangements, and he himself came to Fengyi Palace again to ask Queen Wang about the truth of the whole matter.
He mainly wanted to ask clearly whether Concubine Shi Guifei was his biological mother.
No one knew the outcome of the conversation that day, but King Huan Zhao Hongxuan knew that the eldest prince Zhao Hongli seemed to be a different person after returning to Jinxiu Palace. He just silently ordered the maids and eunuchs of Jinxiu Palace to organize the funeral without saying anything.
anything else.
Before the day of the funeral, the eldest prince Zhao Hongli sent Feng Shu, the chief of the clan guard, to Prince Yong's Mansion. Unfortunately, Feng Shu did not see Yong Wang Hongyu after all. He only heard the unprecedented angry roar of Yong Wang Hongyu in front of the study:
"Tell him to get out!... Get out of here!"
Seeing this, Feng Shu truthfully reported to the eldest prince Zhao Hongli.
After the eldest prince, Zhao Hongli, learned about this, he nodded silently and without saying anything else, he put on mourning for Concubine Shi and arranged the funeral.
This incident caused consternation among officials in the DPRK: How could it happen that Concubine Shi died of illness despite everything going well?
Due to the blockade of news in the palace, most officials in the DPRK and the Central Government did not know that Concubine Shi had committed suicide by taking poison. They only thought that she died of illness. They secretly felt sorry for the concubine in their hearts: it was clear that their son (Yong Wang Hongyu) was only one step away from the throne.
, but died of this illness, hey, what a miserable woman.
However, what surprised these officials was that it was clearly the funeral of Concubine Shi. Why did Yong Wang Hongyu hide in the palace and never come forward, but instead the deposed prince Zhao Hongli came forward to handle it?
Many officials cannot understand it.
Among them, some of Concubine Shi's natal family, namely the "Chenliu Shi clan", came to pay their respects. They did not see Yong Wang Hongyu during the funeral, but saw the eldest prince Zhao Hongli covering Concubine Shi in mourning. They were also extremely shocked.
The mother is dead, but the son is hiding in the palace and does not show up. How is it possible?
Chen Liushi's people came to Yong Wang's Mansion, but they failed to see Yong Wang Hongyu after all, as if the latter deliberately wanted to avoid certain things and certain people.
Only some well-informed people could not stop exclaiming after learning about the accident that happened in the palace that day.
A few days later, according to Emperor Wei's instructions, Concubine Shi was buried in the royal tomb outside the city.
During this period, King Su Zhao Hongrun and Princess Su Mi Jiang also attended the funeral of Concubine Shi and presented her with a funeral gift.
At this time, Princess Su Mi Jiang also asked about this matter: "Isn't Concubine Shi's son King Yong? Why is the eldest prince doing nothing?"
Zhao Hongrun was speechless.
Even after many days, he still couldn't digest this matter.
On the day after the funeral, King Huan Zhao Hongxuan went to the eldest prince's mansion to visit Zhao Hongli. He saw the elder brother, still wearing mourning clothes, sitting in the garden of the mansion, drinking wine in silence with Luo Yao.
After instructing Zong Wei to stay away temporarily, King Huan Zhao Hongxuan came forward with Zhou Min: "Brother Changhuang?"
"Hongxuan, come, sit down and have a drink together."
Seeing Zhao Hongxuan, the eldest prince Zhao Hongli forced out a smile and took care of Zhao Hongxuan and Zhou Min to sit down together.
The four of them were sitting across from each other drinking, and the atmosphere was extremely dull. Even if they were as wise as Luo Yao and Zhou Min, they shouldn't have spoken at this time.
After a long time, Zhao Hongxuan asked cautiously: "Brother Changhuang, are you really... seriously..."
"Is he really born to Concubine Shi...is this what you want to ask?" Zhao Hongli asked calmly.
Zhao Hongxuan nodded slightly.
In fact, during the funeral of Concubine Shi, when he learned that Zhao Hongli, the eldest brother of the emperor, had gone to Fengyi Palace again to confirm to the Queen, he had always wanted to ask this question. However, because Zhao Hongli was busy with the funeral of Concubine Shi at that time,
Therefore, Zhao Hongxuan did not open his mouth to ask.
After drinking three glasses of wine in a row, Zhao Hongli said with a hint of drunkenness: "That day, I asked my mother repeatedly... Well, Queen, she told me that I was indeed born of Concubine Shi Guifei..." At this point, he
He shook his head and laughed at himself: "It's so ridiculous, it turns out that I am "King Yong"..."
"Brother Chang Huang..." Zhao Hongxuan didn't know how to persuade him.
Zhao Hongli seemed not to have heard Zhao Hongxuan's words, and murmured to himself: "I have always told myself that although I am not as intelligent as King Yong, even if my mother...well, the person from Fengyi Palace is disappointed, I
After all, he is her son, and she will still stand by me in the end... I never expected that the person I have called "mother" and "mother queen" for nearly thirty years is not my biological mother... Yes
, what reason does she have to come forward to help me?"
Seeing Zhao Hongli's face full of sadness, Zhao Hongxuan couldn't bear it and couldn't help but persuade him: "Maybe things are not what the elder brother thought, maybe..."
"Perhaps Queen Wang just thinks that I am not suitable to be the prince?" Zhao Hongli glanced at Zhao Hongxuan, making the latter's second half of the words stuck in his throat.
After a while, Zhao Hongli laughed at himself and said: "Maybe that's it... When I took that secret letter to Fengyi Palace to ask for an audience with Queen Wang, she advised me to give up the idea of competing with King Yong for the throne, saying that I was not suitable.
As the king of the Wei Dynasty, she also said that among all the brothers, I have always had the most opportunities... It was only after this incident that I understood what she meant by that sentence."
"Brother Chang Huang..."
"I'm not feeling sorry for myself. While I was handling the funeral for my mother and concubine, I kept thinking about the past. Queen Wang was right. I have been the crown prince since I was a child, and she also fulfilled her duties as a mother and asked for everything from me.
It's just that I didn't live up to expectations... She is not my biological mother, and to be able to do this is extremely benevolent..." Zhao Hongli said with a wry smile.
These words were indeed spoken from the bottom of his heart.
After all, how Queen Wang treated him was something Zhao Hongli knew best: apart from not being that close, Queen Wang treated him with utmost benevolence and righteousness.
Therefore, even after King Xiang Zhao Hongjing revealed that Queen Wang had deliberately concealed evidence for her biological son Yong Wang Hongyu in the "Beiyi Military Camp Xiao" incident, although Zhao Hongli found it unbelievable and angry at the time, when he thought about it carefully afterwards, he did not
I suspected that Empress Wang deliberately wanted to replace her with her own son, King Yong Hongyu.
As Empress Wang has mentioned many times, Zhao Hongli has had the most opportunities since he was a child. I think back when he was still the crown prince of the East Palace, King Yong Hongyu struggled in the face of his huge momentum. At that time, Empress Wang could not
Secretly helped Yong Wang Hongyu?
Perhaps at that time, Empress Wang was sincerely inclined to him - to him, Concubine Shi's biological son, to become the Prince of the East Palace and to inherit the throne of the Wei Kingdom in the future.
It's just that he, Zhao Hongli, was once arrogant and ignorant, missed many opportunities, and gradually lost Queen Wang's expectations for him - maybe as Queen Wang said, she didn't come forward to help him, not because he was not her relative.
The reason is flesh and blood, but because: he is really not suitable.
"...For now, let's leave it like this."
As he thought about it, Zhao Hongli felt a little lonely in his eyes. Perhaps these words were not so much comforting Zhao Hongxuan, Luo Yao and others as they were comforting himself.
Thinking about it, the woman he has called mother for decades is not actually his biological mother. How can this almost desperate feeling be relieved in just a few days?
At this moment, Feng Shu, the clan guard of the eldest prince Zhao Hongli, came to the garden, clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness, Shi Fen and Shi Liang of the Chen Liu Shi family would like to see you."
Hearing this, Luo Yao and Zhou Min looked at each other with a hint of surprise in their eyes.
Shi Fen and Shi Liang were the brothers of Concubine Shi.
Concubine Shi had three brothers, namely the eldest brother Shi Rong, the second brother Shi Fen, and the younger brother Shi Liang.
Before the "Beiyi Military Camp Roar" time, Shi Rong and Shi Fen came to Daliang to contribute part of the war profits to the court on behalf of the Chen family. At that time, Yong Wang Hongyu also introduced these two uncles to Zhao Hongrun.
However, in the past two days, Shi Rong, Shi Fen and Shi Liang were shocked when they learned that Concubine Shi had died of illness. They came to Daliang to mourn, but they were shocked to learn that it was the eldest prince Zhao Hongli who came to attend Concubine Shi's funeral, while Yong Yong was shocked.
When Wang Hongyu hid in the palace and could not come forward, the three Shi brothers had a dispute.
The eldest brother Shi Rong suppressed his anger and asked someone in private to find out what happened. Shi Fen and Shi Liang went straight to Yong Wang Hongyu's house to question their nephew - among them, Shi Liang had the most bad temper because Yong Wang Hongyu was hiding in the study.
Refusing to meet him, he stood outside the mansion and cursed for a full two hours before he left angrily under the pull of the Shi family's children.
Later, on the day of the funeral, the three brothers Shi Rong, Shi Fen and Shi Liang looked at the eldest prince Zhao Hongli with strange expressions.
Maybe they didn't expect that back then, the Shi family had deliberately tried to help Yong Wang Hongyu ascend to the throne, but they had single-handedly pushed Zhao Hongli, their own nephew, from the throne of the East Palace Crown Prince.
"It seems that Mr. Shi has learned the truth." Luo Yao said quietly from the side.
Obviously, at this time, Shi Fen and Shi Liang came to visit the eldest prince Zhao Hongli, a former "enemy", so it was obvious that the other party had already learned about the changes in the palace.
Luo Yao even dared to make a bold guess: The Chen Liushi family might be divided because of this incident.
However, at this moment, the eldest prince Zhao Hongli ordered Feng Xu, the chief of the imperial family, to say: "Feng Xu, please tell those two people that I have been busy with funerals for the past two days and am very tired. I have rested."
Zhao Hongxuan, Luo Yao, and Zhou Min were shocked when they heard this, and turned to look at Zhao Hongli, because Zhao Hongli's words clearly meant that he was rejecting people thousands of miles away.
"Brother Changhuang?" Zhao Hongxuan said in surprise: "Maybe they are here to surrender..."
"Will you defect to me?" Zhao Hongli glanced at Zhao Hongxuan, shook his head and said, "Even if the Chenliushi family splits, it will not be able to shake King Yong's current status. Besides..." He glanced at the wine glass in his hand and shook his head again.
Said: "I am no longer good, Hongxuan..."
Zhao Hongxuan and Luo Yao couldn't help but change their expressions when they heard this. Of course they understood what Zhao Hongli meant by "no".
At this time, Zhao Hongli was seen shaking the wine in the glass and murmuring: "After losing the position of Prince of the East Palace, I have always hoped to restore the honor I once had. The most important thing is to...want to let the people of Fengyi Palace...
Seeing my change, I let her know that her son is not an incompetent person. However, this has no meaning now..."
Having said this, he put down the wine cup, turned around and bowed to Luo Yao, and said guiltily: "Luo Yao, I admit that you have always assisted me. I really feel sorry for you."
"Your Highness... you are serious." Luo Yao forced a smile on his face.
After many years of getting along, he already knew Zhao Hongli very well, and he knew that Zhao Hongli was really frustrated this time.
"What are your highness's plans for the future?" Luo Yao asked, sighing secretly.
Zhao Hongli was silent for a while and said bitterly: "I plan to go to Chenliu first to see where my biological mother once lived... As for a few years later, let's talk about it then." At this point, he
He looked at Zhao Hongxuan, then at Luo Yao, and continued: "Luo Yao, what I can't worry about right now is Hongxuan. Please look after him for me. His fiefdom and the Beiyi Army are exactly
When employing people...this is my last plea."
Luo Yao glanced at the dumbfounded Zhao Hongxuan, bowed his hands and said: "Luo Yao... I only comply with the wishes of His Highness."
At this time, Zhao Hongxuan finally reacted and exclaimed: "Brother Changhuang?"
Unfortunately, his words were interrupted by Zhao Hongli.
"I have made up my mind, Hongxuan, you don't need to persuade me anymore."