Author: Bei Wei

Anzhou Hunting Ground is located in the southwest of Anzhou, with a radius of fifteen miles. It was a place set up by Emperor Yongde for autumn hunting. The hunting ground has lush vegetation, mountains and forests, and many animals. Rabbits, deer, deer, wild boars and other animals are everywhere.

visible.

In the few years after Emperor Yongde ascended the throne, he had nothing to do, so he decreed the establishment of this hunting ground. The hunting ground was completed in the fifth year after he ascended the throne.

With a place to play, Emperor Yongde was very excited. Every autumn he went to the hunting grounds to hunt with his ministers. He was quite happy at first, but he always used bows and arrows to shoot rabbits, deer and the like. Emperor Yongde felt that there was no challenge.

Sex was not exciting at all, it was uninteresting, and I stopped doing it at all.

In order to cater to the emperor's wishes, a certain minister specially captured a pair of tiger cubs from the south of Yuzhou, which were not much bigger than dogs. One male and one female were placed in cages, intending to put them in the hunting ground as a surprise to His Majesty.

The tigers were half way through the transport. When the Queen learned about it, she summoned the minister and scolded her. Although the two tigers were young, what if they hurt Your Majesty?

Queen Pei personally spoke, and the ministers did not dare to disobey. Then Queen Pei ordered people to dispose of the two little tigers, and they did not know where they were sent. The matter was settled.

Now, fifteen years later, the scene of the hunting grounds remains the same, but things and people have changed.

Emperor Qi Ming stood on a flat ground, looking at the undulating sea of ​​grass in the distance. There were many guards behind him, some with falcons and some with hounds. When the wind blew down the grass and the elk appeared, the falcons began to flap their wings.

, fluttering its wings and ready to fly. The hound also let out a low growl, as if to break free from the chain and rush towards the prey.

Everyone was eager to try, but Emperor Qi Ming was not in the mood for hunting. He came here not for fun, but to resolve the conflict between Xiao Zhuo and Xiao Beiheng, so he did not ask the ministers to follow him like Emperor Yongde did, but just brought

Qi Shengjue.

"Qi Qing, when will the queen arrive?" he asked Qi Shengjue behind him.

Qi Shengjue said: "Back to Your Majesty, the Queen's phoenix chariot is still on the way. It only takes half an hour to arrive."

"Okay." Emperor Qi Ming nodded slightly.

Today is the date we agreed to meet our two sons. When they arrive, father and son will go hunting together. Let's talk openly and don't hide it.

There is him, the queen, Xiao Zhuo, and Xiao Beiheng. Even if the family is together, they can make up for the regret of not being reunited during the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is a pity that the two daughters-in-law are not here. I heard that Shen Yuexi is returning to Shengjing after leaving Prince An's Mansion.

And Su Mo had a quarrel with his son and stayed in Prince An's Mansion. He couldn't intervene in these family matters one by one.

In his opinion, the most important thing at the moment is to solve the problem between Xiao Zhuo and Xiao Beiheng. All other problems will arise from this, as long as the two of them no longer have disputes.

After standing for a while, he felt the autumn wind blowing a little cold on his body. Just as he was about to turn around and tell Qi Shengjue, the latter had already shaken out a cotton cloak and put it on his shoulders.

"Your Majesty, it's very windy in the field. It's easy to catch cold while standing like this. How about I ask my servants to drive away the prey? Your Majesty can try shooting a few arrows and stretch your muscles first?"

Emperor Qi Ming shook his head and said with a smile to Qi Shengjue: "I don't come here just for fun. Today I will make it clear to King An and Ping which of the two of them will be the crown prince."

At the beginning, in order to seal the prince's mouth, he hung the decree of appointing the crown prince on the Zhaixing Tower. It indeed calmed the discussions of the ministers, but he did not expect that the two sons would be estranged over this. But if he directly crowned one of his sons as the prince,

The other son would definitely be dissatisfied with the prince's words. There was no way he could level the bowl of water.

Now he made up his mind to tell the truth when the two of them arrived. As for the decree hanging in the Star-Zhaing Tower... it didn't count.

Damn all the gold-plated words and eloquent words. As long as the two of them can get along well, it's okay for him as a father to be laughed at. It's not the first time.

After hearing what he said, Qi Shengjue was stunned for a long time and then said: "Your Majesty, do you want to establish the crown prince here today?"

"Yes, I will tell them clearly, and then we will return to the capital together. I will give the order in front of the civil and military ministers."

"The imperial edict of the Star-Zhailing Tower..."

"No," Emperor Qi Ming waved his hand, "I was confused at that time."

What he said at that time was that only after his death could the will of the Star-Zhaing Tower be activated. Now that his two sons were on the same level, he had to make a decision early. Naturally, the purpose of the Star-Zhaing Tower could no longer count.

As soon as he finished speaking, a eunuch came to report: "Your Majesty, Prince Ping has arrived."

"Xuan." Emperor Qi Ming turned around.

Xiao Beiheng held the Yanque Sword on his waist, strode over, pushed the approaching eunuch away, lifted his clothes and knelt down: "My dear father, I wish you the best."

Emperor Qi Ming looked at his son. He looked tired, in a daze, and his eyes were dull. He looked like he had aged by more than ten years, and he did not have the high-spiritedness that a young man should have.

Would this position of prince actually torture him into this state?

"Come on," Emperor Qi Ming sighed, "I have always wanted to talk to you, and you are finally here."

Xiao Beiheng stood up and said to Emperor Qi Ming: "Father, I have something to say to you."

Emperor Qi Ming tightened his cloak tightly, pointed to a high hill behind the woods in the distance and said, "Let's go there to talk."

The two walked forward, Qi Shengjue following behind with a sword. After walking a few steps, Xiao Beiheng turned around and said, "Go back and don't disturb me from talking to my father."

Qi Shengjue was worried and said: "Prince Ping, there is a wild boar in the forest. If it breaks out and hurts your majesty, I will..."

"Nonsense, I will protect my father!" Xiao Beiheng interrupted Qi Shengjue impatiently.

Qi Shengjue stopped and looked at Emperor Qi Ming. Emperor Qi Ming said, "It's okay. I'll talk to Heng'er. You can all wait here to welcome the queen."

The father and son walked into the woods side by side and walked several dozen feet in silence. Xiao Beiheng stopped and said, "Father."

Emperor Qi Ming also stopped and looked at Xiao Beiheng: "Heng'er, just say what you have to say. Today is the time to say this."

"You...do you want your eldest brother to be the prince?"

Emperor Qi Ming said: "Do you think you are more suitable to be the prince than Zhuo'er?"

Xiao Beiheng looked a little excited, but he concealed his expression and said: "Father, I am your real son. I have fought for you in the east and west, pacified the two states of Jingliang, and destroyed Xiao Kai. What the eldest brother did, and

I can't compare."

Emperor Qi Ming shook his head and said: "As far as I know, most of Xiao Kai's Jingzhou army was destroyed by Zhuo'er. He fought all the way to Yongwei City, and you were still in Nanping at that time."

Xiao Beiheng did not expect that Emperor Qi Ming would investigate the events at that time so carefully and said: "My child...it was also because of his father's instructions. At that time, Xiao Zhuo was confronting Xiao Kai in Yongwei and was unable to break through the city for a while..."

Emperor Qi Ming said nothing and continued to walk forward.

Seeing that Emperor Qi Ming did not respond, Xiao Beiheng became anxious and followed him: "There are Xirong troops behind the boy and Nanping defenders in front. They are attacked from both sides. There are also 30,000 Xiliang troops led by Mei Pu, the prince of Xiliang at that time, who came to attack the boy.

The child's ability to turn the tide and finally annihilate Xiao Kai, doesn't this prove the child's ability?"

He chased Emperor Qi Ming all the way to the high hill. When he turned around and looked behind him, he saw that the forest had completely covered the tent in the distance.

Seeing that Emperor Qi Ming was silent, he became more and more anxious, and turned to fight for himself in another direction, saying: "Father, in your heart, the eldest brother is better than the child. But he is hypocritical and deceives teachers and destroys the Tao. How can such a person do this?

To be a prince."

"You said he deceived the master and destroyed the Tao?" Emperor Qi Ming turned around and looked at him.

Xiao Beiheng felt guilty when Emperor Qi Ming saw him. He couldn't help but take a step back and gritted his teeth: "The child sent his former teacher Ji Zhong to persuade him to surrender. He actually killed his teacher. Don't you hate it too, Father?"

Emperor Qi Ming sighed, turned his head and stopped looking at him: "Heng'er, do you want to frame your brother again?"

Xiao Beiheng's face turned pale and he said, "My child doesn't understand."

"Forget it, I'll tell you the truth," Emperor Qi Ming said. "When I went to Shengjing, I met that liar named Hua Duoduo. At that time, I... didn't want you to lag behind your brother."

Xiao Beiheng's expression turned joyful and he said, "Father, what do you mean?"

"I am protecting you. However, when I left, Mr. Ji's granddaughter found me and told me what happened. Zhuo'er did not kill Mr. Ji, Mr. Ji committed suicide. You tried to frame your elder brother

, stabbed Mr. Ji more than a dozen times on his body to pretend that it was your elder brother who did it."

Xiao Beiheng was shaken and said with a flustered expression: "Father, don't believe that woman. She hates the fact that the child gives them a small salary for the Ji family. She is slandering me..."

Emperor Qi Ming put his hand on the tree and his voice turned sad: "Even now, you are still unwilling to admit everything you have done. You know that Zhuo'er is your brother, but you still send troops to attack Shengjing because you don't want him to snatch it.

Your position. You hid it from Momo and from me... you kidnapped Lin Kui and detained Yue Xi, how did you ask me to explain to Zhuo'er? Huh?"

Xiao Beiheng stretched out his hands tremblingly: "Father...those are all slanders. The murderer is not Lin Kui..."

Emperor Qi Ming did not stop and continued to speak.

"You massacred the entire Beidi village and shot and killed the son of the Beidi Generalissimo. He regarded you as his sworn enemy and wrote a letter to me, saying that if you become the prince, the treaty between Beidi and Dayan will be invalidated. He will lead Beidi

The army avenged his dead son."

Xiao Beiheng could no longer stand, his legs went weak, he knelt at the feet of Emperor Qi Ming, hugged Emperor Qi Ming's legs and cried: "Father...Father, but I am your son...I am."

Only now did he realize that everything he had concealed back then was like using a thick white paper to cover a burning flame. Emperor Qi Ming investigated everything in the past in secret. Now the flames have burned through the white paper, revealing the truth.

"I know...I know," Emperor Qi Ming turned around and bent down to hold his head, tears streaming down his face, "I didn't teach you how to be an emperor. You can't stand without faith, and you are full of lies..."

Xiao Beiheng hugged Emperor Qi Ming and said in a hoarse voice: "Father, you don't know. In order to harm the child, Xiao Zhuo arranged for the army to secretly come to Anzhou..."

"Don't you understand why he arranged the army?" Emperor Qi Ming said loudly, "You have gone too far. You have made your brother afraid to trust you, and you have made Momo afraid to trust you...

"

Xiao Beiheng suddenly raised his head and looked at Emperor Qi Ming, tears streaking down his face: "Dad... you can't hand over the position of prince to him! You can't!"

Emperor Qi Ming looked up to the sky and sighed: "This is my fault, it is my fault as a father. I have left you behind for too long. But..."

Before he could say the next words, he felt a stabbing pain in his lower abdomen.

Looking down, he noticed that Xiao Beiheng's Yanque sword had been unsheathed at some point, and the extremely sharp blade had penetrated into his body and come out through his back.

"Heng'er!"

Emperor Qi Ming couldn't believe what he saw in front of him. His eyes were mixed with surprise, anger, and sadness, like a sharp sword piercing Xiao Beiheng.

Xiao Beiheng pulled out his sword, his handsome face was distorted, and fear filled his eyes, as if he had encountered an evil spirit seeking his life. He stumbled back a few steps and sat down on the ground. He was shaking too hard while holding the sword.

, which greatly enlarged the wound, the sword was pulled out, and blood immediately spurted out, immediately dyeing the dragon robe around Emperor Qi Ming's waist red.
To be continued...