The second son sent someone to assassinate the eldest son. As a mother, one can imagine the pain and anger in Empress Xiao's heart, but she did not want the second son to be severely punished for this incident, and she also did not want to believe that it was true.
Yang Guang had his own thoughts. He shook his head and said, "I know this matter well."
He glanced at Yang Jian and said, "Here, bring witness Zhou Cheng in."
After a while, several guards brought Zhou Cheng, who was still half alive, into the imperial study. When Zhou Cheng came in, he knelt on the ground without saying a word.
"Your Majesty, who is this person?" Queen Xiao asked doubtfully.
"This person is Zhou Cheng, the captain of the City Guards. He also participated in the assassination of Zhao'er the day before yesterday." Yang Guang sighed in his heart and said, if the evidence and motive hadn't shown that the second son sent someone to assassinate the eldest son, he would not have believed that the eldest son was assassinated.
This is what happened to the two sons.
"Zhou Cheng, if you answer truthfully when I ask you a question, I will let your family go, otherwise I will kill your three clans." Yang Guang said coldly.
Zhou Cheng said in a hoarse voice: "Excuse me, Your Majesty."
Yang Guang asked: "Let me ask you, who instructed you to assassinate the prince?"
Zhou Cheng said: "The guilty minister was ordered by King Qi to assassinate the prince. King Qi said that as long as the prince dies, he is your majesty's only son and will definitely become the prince. When he becomes the emperor of the Sui Dynasty in the future, he will definitely make me the general.
That’s why I took the risk and assassinated His Highness the Crown Prince, hoping that Your Majesty could spare the lives of my relatives.”
"You're talking nonsense!"
Yang Xian suddenly roared hysterically. When had he ever been so wronged? He shouted angrily: "I didn't, I didn't say these things to him, and I don't know him either!"
He pointed at Zhou Cheng and roared: "Did you say I bribed you?"
Zhou Cheng lowered his head deeply and said in a trembling voice: "Your Highness... I have to recruit this humble minister for the sake of my relatives. Please also ask Your Highness not to retaliate against my relatives, otherwise I will not let you go even if I am a ghost."
"Nonsense!"
Yang Jing was so angry that he suddenly pulled out the dagger from his boot, rushed towards Zhou Cheng, and roared: "How dare you wrongly accuse me like this, I'm going to kill you bastard!"
The sudden turn of events caused an exclamation in the inner hall. Only the immediate royal family did not need to be searched when they came to see the emperor. However, no one expected that King Qi actually had a dagger on him. Several guards wanted to pounce on him, but it was too late. He struck him with a knife.
Then it was inserted into Zhou Cheng's chest. The latter was already seriously injured. With a thump, he fell directly into a pool of blood and died on the spot.
Yang Jian suddenly woke up and realized that he had actually killed someone with a knife in front of his father and mother. He was so frightened that he let go of the dagger and dropped it to the ground with a clang.
Yang Guang walked up to Yang Jing with a livid face, raised his hand and slapped Yang Jing hard, knocking Yang Jing to the ground.
"You traitor, how dare you kill someone in front of me!"
Yang Xian fell to the ground and shivered. Yang Guang said coldly: "In addition to the witness, other evidence was also found at Zhou Cheng's home."
Yang Guang opened a box presented by the blue-robed guard, and a letter and several notes came out. He shouted: "This was found at Zhou Cheng's home. It is the order you wrote to him, and you also told this person to let him go."
After reading it, I burned it, but unexpectedly this person stayed. I also personally compared the handwriting with that of your traitorous son. It is the same as yours. What else can you say?"
As Yang Guang spoke, he glared at Yang Jian angrily and gritted his teeth.
Yang Jian was completely stunned, with a look of fear in his eyes. He suddenly burst into tears and knelt on the ground, banging his head. His heart was filled with grief, anger and grievance, and he cried: "Father, son, minister."
It is really unjust. My father is aware of it, and my son is really unjust."
He suddenly knelt down in front of Queen Xiao, hugged his mother's legs and cried loudly: "Queen, the child has been wronged, please save the child!"
Empress Xiao's eyes flashed with tears, and she gritted her teeth with a look of hatred on her face and said: "Who instigated you to send someone to assassinate your brother? I will send someone back to investigate your house thoroughly, and I will definitely kill Xiao Xiao in your house."
All of us were cut into pieces by a thousand swords."
Yang Guang ignored Yang Jian and Empress Xiao and let the mother and son talk. He stood up and left the imperial study with his hands behind his back. He walked outside to the lake bridge thirty steps away and silently stared at the scenery of the small lake outside the imperial study.
Thinking about the overt and covert fights between himself and his brothers when he was a prince, and then thinking about his two sons killing each other, at this moment, Yang Guang's lonely figure, in this vast palace, under this world
, seems so small and so desolate.
At this time, footsteps sounded behind him, and Yang Guang said displeasedly: "You still have to plead for this evil boy."
Empress Xiao said: "I have indeed come to intercede for Chen'er. He is my child, and after all, your majesty's son. I hope your majesty will not punish him too harshly."
Yang Guang sighed and nodded, "Don't worry! He is my son. If I am angry with him again, I will not kill him. A tiger's poison cannot eat its seeds. I have my own rules."
Queen Xiao walked slowly behind Yang Guang and asked in a low voice with a pleading look on her face: "Your Majesty, what are you going to do with Jie'er?"
Yang Guang did not answer her directly, but turned around and asked lightly: "You hate Wang Junlin, don't you?"
"I can't even talk about hating him. I just dislike him very much. I don't like outsiders to get involved in our family affairs."
"What about Zhao'er? I feel that you also hate him. If he died, you wouldn't take it to heart, is that right?" Yang Guang asked still without revealing his voice.
Empress Xiao was stunned. She slowly knelt down in front of Yang Guang, opened her eyes wide and said with tears: "Your Majesty, how can you say that? Although I prefer Jie'er, Zhao'er is my flesh and blood and mine too."
How could I want him to die, your majesty? How can a mother not take her son to heart?"
"That's right. Now that Wang Junlin has saved Zhao'er's life, shouldn't parents be grateful to him? Since you don't like him, I won't reward him, but do you still have prejudices against him?
"
"I know, I know." Queen Xiao said with her head lowered.
Yang Guang sighed and said: "If I had made Chen'er the crown prince, and Chen'er ascended the throne in the future, with his character, he would kill Zhao'er, and not even a single grandson born to me by Zhao'er would be spared. This is certainly inconsistent with Chen'er.
It is related to the character of Zhao'er, but it is also because Zhao'er is the eldest son. On the contrary, when I made Zhao'er the prince, with Zhao'er's generosity, I will not kill his brother a hundred years later, and I will also make him the prince.
Prince, may you live a life of glory and wealth."
At this point, Yang Guang let out a long sigh and continued: "If I give birth to the eldest son, then the second son will live a happy life. If I give birth to the second son, he will inevitably be killed by flesh and blood. This is something I never want to see, so I would rather let Zhao
My son will inherit the throne in the future."
Empress Xiao suddenly felt very tired. She admitted that Yang Guang was right. With the character of Qi King Yang Zhen, he would kill his brother if he got the throne.
Yang Guang finally turned his head, looked deeply at Empress Xiao, and said in a deep voice: "I don't want Xie'er to think that she still has a chance and assassinate Zhao'er again because of you."
"I understand your Majesty's intention," Empress Xiao said solemnly.
Yang Guang sighed and said: "Zhao'er is the eldest son, generous and benevolent. I believe he will be a benevolent king in the future. As for his body, I will tell the world about his body in a moment and ask all counties to search for famous doctors in the world.
Let the various states and counties offer the best elixirs to nurse Zhao'er back to health."
Queen Xiao hesitated for a moment and said: "But Wang Junlin is extremely vicious and his methods are extremely powerful. I am worried that he will take action against Chen'er and let Chen'er die in confusion."
Yang Guang said: "Queen, don't worry, in one more year at most, after I have completely cleared away the obstacles that hinder my great cause, I will release Wang Junlin so that he will not return to the capital easily."