The queen's death made the atmosphere in the palace even weirder.
The empress was guilty and imprisoned in the cold palace, but the emperor did not depose the empress, so everyone did not know whether to be sad or happy. Of course, on the surface, inwardly, no matter Concubine Xu, Concubine Xian or the unknown concubines, they were all very happy.
The queen gave birth to a prince, and the emperor doted on the prince. For the sake of the prince's face, he allowed the queen to be domineering in the palace for so many years. Which concubine has not been bullied.
The emperor's mood was also very complicated.
For this queen, he had long regarded her as dead, and now that she was finally truly dead, it was as if his embarrassing youth was finally behind him, feeling a little relaxed and a little empty.
But there are still questions at hand.
Did the Queen really commit suicide?
"Did she commit suicide?" The emperor knew very well about the queen, pointing to the stove iron pot and spoon on the ground. There was still solidified rice paste in the iron pot. "She can eat such things that even dogs can't eat. She is willing to
die?"
She didn't see the prince ascending to the throne, and she didn't become the queen mother. How could she be willing to die?
Of course, Eunuch Jinzhong has also checked. Although people often die in the palace, and eunuchs at the bottom of the palace may commit suicide, people with a little respect are reluctant to die unless they are killed by others.
"There are not many eunuchs and maids in the cold palace, because the queen will beat and scold them, so they hide whenever possible and rarely stay with the queen." Eunuch Jinzhong said, "That day, a eunuch did approach the queen, and he was a sweeper.
The little eunuch who was living in the cold palace was resentful and deliberately told the queen about the prince's dethronement."
The emperor said: "What then?"
"Then the queen hit him with an iron spoon." Eunuch Jinzhong said, "He was frightened and ran away. Other eunuchs and maids in the cold palace also testified that they did hear the queen yelling, but everyone was used to it.
I hid and didn’t dare to come here.”
Did he not dare or did he not want to come? A trace of ridicule flashed through the emperor's heart, but that's all. For someone like the queen, you can't blame others.
"The queen died of suffocation and was not poisoned." Eunuch Jinzhong continued, "I personally checked the little eunuch. His hands were injured when he made mistakes in the past. He has little strength and can only hold a broom and put water in a bucket.
I can’t even carry the water.”
The emperor said nothing.
Eunuch Jinzhong said hurriedly: "Of course, it's not him, it could be someone else. The old slave is——"
The emperor waved his hand: "No need to check, the queen committed suicide."
Eunuch Jinzhong was stunned.
The emperor pointed in a direction outside the palace: "Go and see, Prince - what is that evil beast doing?"
The man who has been called Prince for more than 20 years cannot change his mind at all.
Eunuch Jinzhong responded quickly and came back not long after. He didn't even need to go to Chu Jinrong's mansion in person, as the news had already been sent there.
"He sold loose clothes, cried and vomited blood." Eunuch Jinzhong whispered, "please come to the palace to see the queen for the last time."
The emperor looked sad and disappointed: "Let him come."
Chu Jinrong was escorted by hundreds of guards. When they saw him appearing at the gate of the imperial city, the officials who came in and out were a little surprised, but there was no big surprise.
The queen has been declared dead.
The courtiers paid little attention to the queen. At that time, the country was unstable and the late emperor died suddenly. The three princes were kidnapped by the princes and fought to the death. In order to preserve the orthodox bloodline, the young emperor hastily arranged a marriage and chose one who was a few years older.
Women with many children in the family who show good fertility get married in a hurry - appearance, talent and virtue are not important.
The queen is indeed without talent or virtue.
The greatest achievement was giving birth to a strong eldest son in time. It was this eldest son who kept her firmly in the position of queen. Now, this eldest son has become the deposed prince, and the queen's life has ended.
The courtiers' eyes fell on the disheveled deposed prince with complicated eyes, showing contempt, disdain and even indifference.
Regicide and patricide are not tolerated in heaven and earth.
Chu Jinrong didn't care about the sight of these people. His messy hair covered his eyes. His eyes were not as sad and embarrassed as he looked, but a cold smile.
Heaven and earth cannot tolerate each other? How come heaven and earth cannot tolerate each other? The emperor did not declare to the world that he had killed his father. He only said that he had made a mistake. If he made a mistake, he could naturally correct it, or he could have been framed. According to the principles of the world, the winner is naturally the winner.
of.
So what if he killed his father? His father also killed his brothers. How did his two brothers die? He fled to the princes and kings and was forced to die. Not only that, but also with the help of the iron-faced general.
He used his hands to humiliate the corpses of princes and princes who had supported two princes, venting his hatred.
Heaven and earth cannot tolerate each other? How come heaven and earth cannot tolerate each other? Aren’t they all for the sake of becoming an emperor? As long as you become an emperor, heaven and earth will belong to you, and everything will be fine.
Chu Jinrong raised his head and cried out sadly, "Mother!" With his shoulders straight and his back straight, he walked through the imperial city gate under the escort of the imperial guards and watched by the ministers, and walked towards the deep palace.
Chu Xiurong stood on the steps and looked at the weeping prince.
"Chu Jinrong is really happy." He said, "There are people in this world who would risk their lives just to let him enter the palace and meet an emperor."
Xiaoqu sneered: "Who knows whether the queen volunteered or was forced to do so."
Regardless of whether it was voluntary or voluntary, the queen died in the hands of her son. A smile appeared on Chu Xiurong's face: "The queen should be very happy to die in the hands of her son."
Xiaoqu mocked: "We are also happy. She raised such a heartless beast with her own hands. Today it is her turn to suffer the consequences."
But these are not important.
"Your Highness." Xiaoqu frowned and asked in a low voice, "What does the prince want to do? To use the death of the queen to make your majesty pity him?"
No matter how pitiful he is, the emperor will not forgive this person who intends to murder his own son.
Chu Xiurong smiled and said softly: "Maybe he came to kill his father, or to kill me."
Xiaoqu was shocked, the prince could really be like this, but: "He can't even think about it! Unless he wants to die together."
Today's prince is a lonely man, and the emperor is on guard against him. Even when he enters the palace, he is escorted by numerous guards. As for Chu Xiurong, of course they will not give him a chance.
However, there are no absolutes in things in this world, especially when the victory is in your grasp, you should be more cautious. Xiaoqu is a little nervous.
"Your Highness, I will ask Lord Zhou to increase his troops and guard the imperial city."
Chu Xiurong said calmly and casually: "Axuan should have made arrangements a long time ago."
Xiaoqu still had to tell him and take a look before he felt relieved. Although Zhou Xuan was said to be in alliance with them, they actually didn't trust Zhou Xuan very much.
Chu Xiurong smiled and did not stop him. He watched Xiao Qu leave, and his eyes seemed to look beyond Xiao Qu and further away.
.....
.....
The atmosphere in the Queen's mourning hall was perfunctory.
There was no crying at first, but it wasn't until Chu Jinrong came that the crying started sadly.
Chu Jinrong knelt down in front of the queen's coffin with disheveled hair. After kneeling down, he did not ask to see the emperor as everyone had guessed. He even hid in the house when the emperor came over.
The emperor had someone kick open the door and asked coldly: "Why can't you see me?" Without waiting for Chu Jinrong's answer, he said with a half-smile, "Do you know why your mother died?"
The last sentence was cryptic but straightforward, and many people understood it. For a while, people in the palace quickly backed away.
Chu Jinrong knelt in this small inner room and covered his head and face with his sleeves: "The queen mother died so that her son could see his father."
This prince was actually very smart. The emperor said indifferently: "In that case, why did you let down your mother?"
Chu Jinrong let out a cry-like smile from his sleeves: "I drove my biological mother to death, what else can I do to let her down? She is already dead, so what if I don't let her down? I don't even want to let her down.
I don’t have the shame to see her, I don’t have the shame to call her mother, and there is no need to meet you, my father. My father, you just don’t think of me as your son, and I don’t want to be your son.”
He kowtowed as he spoke.
"I just want to see her one last time. No one else wants to see her. Don't look at me or see me."
While kowtowing, he covered his head with his sleeves and tugged his hair to cover his face, as if he was crazy.
Although he was deeply disappointed with this son, seeing this scene and hearing the words that he didn't want to be your son still made the emperor's heart ache.
"You don't want to be my son? Is it because you are my son that you are like this?" the emperor shouted, "are you still blaming me?"
Chu Jinrong raised his head, his eyes were red in his messy hair, and he let out a hoarse smile: "If you were not the father, I was not the prince, you were just the father, and I was just Chu Jinrong, of course I would not be where I am today."
They are not ordinary fathers and sons, they are heavenly fathers and sons. In addition to father and son, they also have authority. Father and son are affectionate, but authority is ruthless.
The son was deceived by the authority, which he gave to his son.
Yes, if he hadn't been the emperor and Jinrong hadn't been the prince, of course they wouldn't be in this situation.
The emperor closed his eyes and said: "You have made a big mistake, and you will spend your whole life to atone for it. You can have a good meeting with your mother, and you don't have to avoid me."
Although the people in the palace stepped back, they still heard the emperor's words and couldn't help exchanging glances. The deposed prince deserved to be the prince for so many years and he understood the emperor so well. In just a few words, the emperor softened his heart.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Chu Jinrong kowtowed heavily, "I have one more request."
Look, the emperor took advantage of his soft-heartedness and made a request. Originally, he came in for a meeting, but now he can make a further request, such as a funeral or something, so that he can stay in the palace for a few more days.
The emperor softened his expression and said, "What?"
Chu Jinrong's hair was matted on the ground: "My mother died because of me, and my fifth brother sinned because of me. Please allow him to come and see my mother. From now on, we, mother and son, will return to dust and return to dust. This is the fate of this life."
That’s it.”
The people in the palace were a little surprised that the prince did not ask for what he wanted.
Yes, the queen had another son, who was also indulged by her and was unforgivably sinned. The emperor looked at Chu Jinrong who was kneeling on the ground and said that he was ruthless, but he was still thinking about his brother - because of this
The brother had no conflict of interest with him, and the emperor laughed sarcastically in his heart.
"Yes." He said calmly, looking at the afterglow of the setting sun outside the palace, "I allow you to guard the queen all night."
.....
.....
The last trace of afterglow dispersed, and the night slowly opened.
The imperial cavalry rushing out of the palace were like dense raindrops on the empty streets.
But in the restricted mansion of the fifth prince in Xincheng, under the dim lights, there was no deserted atmosphere as in the past.
The fifth prince was surrounded by more than a dozen people. They were dressed in different styles and their faces were obviously covered. They looked anxious and sad at this time.
"Your Highness, please come with us quickly." One of them said hurriedly.
The fifth prince has been imprisoned for so long, but he has not lost weight, but is actually taller and stronger than before. His face is gloomy in the dim light.
"The prince's brother has been deposed?" He repeated the news he just learned in disbelief, "The queen mother is also dead? How is this possible?"
"It's true." Another person said in tears, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince fell into Chu Xiurong's conspiracy and was convicted and imprisoned by His Majesty for treason. Now the Queen has also been killed by them in the palace. The next person in danger is you.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince told us to rescue you quickly."
The prince warned, the fifth prince's blank eyes gradually condensed, brother, brother was thinking about him——
"Where is my brother?" He stared at the people in front of him, anger rising in his eyes, "Where is my brother!"
The person in front of him lowered his head: "The prince has been escorted into the palace -" he said, grabbing the sleeves of the fifth prince, "Your Highness, please come with us quickly, otherwise it will be too late. Your Highness the prince asked us to do whatever it takes."
Send you away - nothing can happen to you again - Your Highness, listen, there are soldiers on the street outside - it will be too late if you don't leave - "
The fifth prince shook his sleeves fiercely, raised his head and let out a roar.
