Chapter eight hundred and eighty second aftertaste
"Chu Kuan, bring the new piece of ink given by your father."
When there was no response to this sentence for a long time, the third prince raised his head and sighed deeply. The longer he studied in Ciqing Palace every day, the more he felt Chu Kuan's thoughtfulness and kindness.
Benefits. People can often satisfy all your needs just by standing here silently, so whenever someone is suddenly absent like now, he is not used to it.
"Sure enough, it is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality." The little prince burst out with such a sentence that was not very suitable for this situation. Then he couldn't help but think about where Chu Kuan was going.
Went. The last time he went on a far journey, he still remembered, it was to rescue the second prince who was held hostage by a group of traitors. Although he failed to rescue him, he still killed all the traitors as sacrifices.
Chu Kuan was named the steward of Wan'an Palace, but his mother never asked Chu Kuan to stay in Wan'an Palace. Instead, she earnestly asked Chu Kuan to take good care of him. Now that he is not in Ciqing Palace, he is definitely not in Wan'an Palace.
He was out of the palace to do something again.
Speaking of which, since the incident with the second prince, my father seemed to have become much more distant from others. Did he want to give him some advice?
When the third prince was thinking about this matter in his mind, he suddenly heard a commotion outside, and then with the sound of "third brother", the fourth prince rushed in like a gust of wind. However, as soon as the person entered the door, he opened the door again.
He opened the curtain and shouted loudly to the outside: "I'm talking to Third Brother, all of you, stay away from me and don't come near me!"
The third prince suddenly felt puzzled. Today's classes were over, and the servants had all gone back. In view of the fact that some elders had hoped not to use literate servants here, and Chu Kuan often served here.
, there are some sweepers outside the Ciqing Palace, and they absolutely dare not come in or eavesdrop. Aren't his fourth brother's orders unnecessary?
Of course the fourth prince didn't know that his third brother was thinking about this. He rushed forward, grabbed the third prince, looked around for a while, and then immediately lowered his voice and said: "Third brother, Chu Kuan is dead!"
"What's dead?" The third prince didn't react immediately. After asking, he finally realized what the fourth prince had said, and his expression suddenly changed, "How could he be dead? Who assassinated him?
still……"
After two words came to his lips, the third prince cut them off abruptly. If it was not an assassination, then the only person who could kill Chu Kuan was his father. But why did his father do this?
Didn't Chu Kuan grow up with his father? It is said that during the most dangerous period, Chu Kuan saved his father and the Queen Mother several times!
The fourth prince saw that the third prince's expression was changing. He lowered his head and saw that the person's fists were clenching and unclenching, then loosening and clenching again. He was obviously excited. Although he didn't quite understand when the third brother had such a good relationship with Chu Kuan.
But he wisely did not ask further, but whispered: "Chen Yongshou specially told me, and also asked me to tell the third brother not to mention him again in the future."
In the eyes of the third prince, this was equivalent to confirming why his father killed Chu Kuan. His originally pale face suddenly turned paler. He was about to say something, but his lips trembled for a while.
But he was stunned and couldn't utter a single word. It took him a long time before he regained his language skills.
"Fourth brother, let me think about it..."
The fourth prince saw that the third prince's heart was confused at this time. He hesitated for a moment, and finally asked in a low voice: "This matter is quite sudden, and since Eunuch Chen reminds me like this, there must be something famous behind it... How about,
Shall I ask the teacher for advice? He is a person that my father trusts very much, and he is also well-informed. The sun has not set yet, so if I hurry up, I should have time to make a trip."
Although he told himself rationally that he should not disturb Zhang Shou for this kind of thing, and the third prince asked himself, after all, he had not reached the point where he could not live without Chu Kuan, let alone a deep affection. After all, he was not his father.
Like the emperor, he and I grew up together and got along day and night for decades.
Therefore, after thinking for a long time, he finally whispered: "Fourth brother, when you go to see the teacher, speak more gently and ask if Chu Kuan dies, will my father be depressed because of this? As a son, I
So what? Don’t ask any other questions. Since Eunuch Chen has reminded you alone, it’s best to be cautious about this matter."
"Third brother, just look at me!"
The fourth prince was full of confidence, but he didn't care about appeasing the third prince's emotions. He turned around and ran away. As soon as he left, the third prince, who had just barely maintained his appearance as the prince's brother, no longer had the strength to continue pretending.
It was full of indescribable fear. This fear was not because of Chu Kuan's death, but because he thought about the people who had disappeared from his father's side in the past two years.
The three deposed mothers, mother and son, plus Chu Kuan, and perhaps Liu Feng, the former steward... these can be regarded as the closest people to the father. Although the status of the latter two and the first three are
They are completely different, but the degree of closeness is not much different. After experiencing such severe blows again and again, how does the father feel in his heart?
The third prince tried his best not to think about his own affairs or Chu Kuan's affairs. Instead, he tried to put himself in his father's position and think about everything. Sitting there alone, he felt a little crazy without knowing it.
But the outsiders did not dare to come in without being ordered. He did not know how long he sat like this, and even forgot that he was thirsty in his mouth and hungry in his belly.
It wasn't until the familiar voice came back that he suddenly woke up. Looking up, he saw the fourth prince shouting for his third brother coming in, but Zhang Shou was not followed behind him. Although he realized that night was coming because of the surrounding environment, the palace
The door was about to close, and it was impossible for the teacher to enter the palace at this time, but he still felt a little disappointed and regretful in his heart.
But the next moment, these emotions were completely dissipated by the whisper of the fourth prince sitting next to him: "Third brother, luckily I asked the teacher. It turned out that Chu Kuan had an appointment with the teacher at Baiyun Temple today, and then committed suicide.
!”
Feeling that his brother beside him was completely frozen, and thinking that he had been so confused and almost speechless when he heard the whole story from Zhang Shou, the fourth prince felt that this was completely reasonable.
Although Zhang Shou did not tell him in too much detail, he still reprocessed the story Zhang Shou told him vividly and then relayed it to the third prince. Even without the many exchanges of words between Zhu Jing and Chu Kuan
The details of the confrontation, but the specific reasons are very clear.
However, when he came to an end and took a deep breath to curse someone, he heard a faint voice: "You would go far away to ask Zhang Shou about something like this. Why don't you know to ask me in person?"
The two brothers looked up at the same time. When they realized that it was their father who was coming, the fourth prince almost subconsciously ducked behind the third prince. Seeing that his father's face was pale and his eyes were even bloodshot, the naughty kid didn't know where the impulse came from.
He actually mustered up the courage to shout: "Father, don't be sad, it's not worth it for a guy like Chu Kuan..."
But before he finished speaking, he found that his father's expression was extremely scary, and he was immediately calmed down. He shrank his head timidly, intending to show his courage, but in the end he still closed his head.
He stopped talking. As a result, what the emperor said the next moment scared him again. So, the naughty boy was thankful that he did not continue.
"It's really not worth being sad for him. Your two useless brothers were both killed by him, and the queen was also killed by him. Now that I think about it, although these mother and son have done a lot of stupid things and wrong things, it is really not worth their while to die.
It’s unjust, but some things were probably framed by Chu Kuan on them. The reason why I abolished the queen and chased my son was actually largely due to him."
The third prince only felt a chill on his back. He wanted to comfort him, but his tongue seemed frozen and he couldn't say a word. Because he had already realized that the biggest beneficiary of his father's dethronement of his queen and his son was himself.
And he was in a state of confusion because of Chu Kuan's death. Once his father suspected him or his mother, it would really be a big disaster.
The little prince fell into unprecedented fear. It was not until he felt the soft touch of the fourth prince on his back that he woke up, but his voice was already a little hoarse: "Father, the prince
,Did the teacher say this?"
"Your teacher is not that talkative. He walked around the gate of hell but said almost nothing. The words were all said by his father-in-law, Duke Zhao. Of course, Duke Zhao is not the king of Yama who knows everything. These are the words of Chu.
Kuan told him personally. After thinking about it, Chu Kuan probably made the worst plan this time, and either we will die together, or he will be ruined and die."
"According to his character, if he dies, he will definitely not want me to still think about his past benefits, so he will speak clearly and let me hate him to the core."
Having said this, the emperor smiled suddenly, then suddenly stretched out his finger and flicked the fourth prince, who was stunned behind the third prince, on the forehead. Seeing that the naughty boy quickly covered his forehead, he said lightly, "Chen Yongshou is afraid
You two brothers are in trouble with me, so I would like to remind you that it would be better for you..."
"You actually went out of the palace to ask Zhang Shou for advice? He didn't turn his back on you or kick you out when he heard the word "Chu Kuan". That's considered very generous!"
Seeing that the fourth prince was silent and the third prince hesitated to speak, the emperor, who stood up straight, said calmly: "These days, I have been sad and sad so many times that I am almost numb, and this time is no exception. Especially.
Some of the doubts that have troubled me for a long time have finally been answered, so there is nothing to be sad about."
Although the emperor said so, the third prince was keenly aware that the corners of his father's mouth were drooping and his fists were still clenched tightly, indicating that he was clearly not in a calm mood. Even though he did not know many of the details, the fourth prince and the emperor alone said that
What he said was enough to shock him. So, the little panic he had just had suddenly turned into another kind of impulse.
The little Prince of the East Palace subconsciously reached out and hugged his father in front of him. However, he didn't say a word, he just hugged tightly, as if he was trying to use all his strength.
Zhang Shou had indeed taught this trick of hugging one's thighs and then crying, but what the fourth prince Feng Feng Huohuo said to the third prince just after he came in, the emperor heard clearly and thought that he would never teach this trick again. This is also true.
It can be seen from the stunned look on the fourth prince's face at this moment.
Therefore, after the initial slight pause, the emperor couldn't help but laugh. Although the laughter was full of bitterness, his tense emotions gradually relaxed until he heard a shout.
"Third brother, you are so cunning, and you didn't even call me!" The fourth prince didn't care, he rushed forward and hugged one of the emperor's thighs, and then he also didn't say a word, just hugging him tightly.
put.
Seeing that the little one was imitating the big one, but when he went to see the fifth prince before, the little baby who didn't understand anything still bared his teeth and claws at him, and ended up giggling. The emperor was stunned for a long time, and finally...
One with each hand, he gently rubbed their heads.
The third prince had already been crowned, but the fourth prince was unwilling to do so so early, so the difference in the attire of the two brothers was obvious. One had a golden crown on his hand, while the other was still dressed in horns. Therefore, based on the feel of the hand, the emperor rubbed it and could bear it.
Couldn't help but laugh.
Having grown up together, the second prince was obsessed with competing with the eldest prince on everything from the exquisiteness of his clothes and food, the size of his court, the number of followers, the size of his rewards, to the position in the East Palace. However, the third and fourth princes were much better off.
Sleeping together, going in and out together, even the younger one will be happy for the older one to occupy the East Palace, and will deliberately make mistakes and show his clumsiness for the older one...
Chu Kuan may indeed have done many things wrong, but there was at least one thing he did not do wrong, which was to let him learn from the experience and choose the third prince, who was not particularly suitable at the time, as the crown prince.
Thinking of this, the emperor finally shook his head, trying to drive these reveries out of his mind, and then let go of his hand and said: "Okay, okay, such a big man is still acting like a baby... It's getting late, follow me
Go to Qingning Palace and have a nice dinner with the Queen Mother."
The fourth prince breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling relieved that his father had put down those things. But the third prince suddenly thought that Chu Kuan had been in charge of the Supervisor of Ceremonies and was his father's confidant, and he had been by his side for a while.
, but in the beginning, he grew up with the Queen Mother. Such a person suddenly died like this. What would the Queen Mother think like that?
However, just when he tried his best to think about how to comfort and appease him, he arrived at Qingning Palace and saw the Queen Mother, but he only saw the Queen Mother still sitting there indifferently. During the whole dinner, Chu Kuan was not mentioned at all.
word, so that he felt that he had no place to use his energy. When he finally left with his father, his mood was even more messy.
After watching the emperor and his son leave, the Queen Mother turned her head slightly and told Yuquan: "The letter from Chu Kuan sent by Hua Qi... burn it, don't keep it."
After Yuquan obeyed the order and left, the Queen Mother was stunned. The child, who was mediocre in appearance but extremely capable and knew how to repay kindness, had finally reached this point because of his paranoia. He did not place any hope on paper to wrap up the fire forever.
Instead, she exposed what she had done one by one, and then sought death... If she hadn't made a mistake when she was choosing a queen for the emperor, would she not be where she is today?