When the news about Chengchun's fall into the river reached the palace, the Queen Mother, who had always been indifferent, called the emperor into the palace overnight. It is said that she cursed him so much that as an emperor, he didn't know how to distinguish right from wrong and still helped his ministers.
A poor commoner was forced to death, and the emperor was scolded so hard that he could not hold his head up. It was the queen who begged for mercy, and the queen mother released the emperor.
The frogmen fished for several days and nights in a river that could freeze to death at any time. They only fished out a hairpin from Chengchun, and nothing else. According to those frogmen, if it fell into the river on such a cold day, even if it fell into the river,
In less than a quarter of an hour, the person will die, let alone no news for such a long time.
Su Xubai also started to faint from that day.
When he was brought back to the house by Xie Chengyin, he had already started to have a fever. Unexpectedly, the fever would not subside in the next few days. Whether he was half awake or asleep, he would hold the embroidered shoe tightly.
Mrs. Su was so anxious that she cried for several nights. The prince, who had always been powerless, was forced to take charge of the overall situation. Fortunately, Mrs. Su was capable and took care of everything in and outside the house in an orderly manner.
The Hao family sent people to say hello several times, and Hao Jiaojiao also came several times, but Mrs. Shizi coaxed her back. No matter what she said, she refused to see him.
Mrs. Su felt sorry for her son and cursed her behind her back. First she cursed Cheng Chun. Then she thought about it, a good little girl was forced to jump into a river, and even her body was not found. Then she thought about the sins she suffered before, all because of her parents.
She was pitiful when she thought about it, so she didn't say anything to her. Later, Hao Jiaojiao came to trouble her, so she focused all her resentment on Hao Jiaojiao.
Su Xubai's health was pretty good. He had been in a coma for five or six days and then recovered. He did not continue to have a fever. He just didn't talk and locked himself in the study alone. He refused to see anyone. Xie Chengyin came several times.
He was rejected all the time. If the prince hadn't been good-tempered, Su Xubai wouldn't have been able to cut off his head.
Later, Meng Shaoqing came to visit. The relationship between him and Su Xubai was actually not very good. Su Xubai looked down on Meng Shaoqing's playboy style, and Meng Shaoqing looked down on Su Xubai's self-righteousness. The two of them had never been very good at each other in the past.
But this time, Su Xubai refused to see anyone and met Meng Shaoqing alone.
As soon as Meng Shaoqing entered the study, he found that Su Xubai was unusual. In the past, he always kept things clean and tidy, but this time, his study was in a mess, with balls of waste paper everywhere. And Su Xubai,
Like a zombie puppet, sitting there lifelessly, with one portrait after another in front of him.
Meng Shaoqing walked up to Su Xubai and picked up a portrait. The woman in the painting was exquisite in appearance and well-dressed, but her eyes were empty, without any charm, and the smile on her face was so false: "Why, what is the success in your memory?"
My dear, is this what it looks like?"
"It seems that she has never smiled since she arrived in the capital. She obviously smiles every day, but I just can't remember the way she smiles!" Su Xubai slowly raised his head.
Meng Shaoqing was startled by Su Xubai's appearance. He was unshaven and did not look like a noble young man in the past. Instead, he looked like a depressed drunkard wandering in the market: "If you look like this,
Tanhua Lang, I’m sure he won’t be forced into marriage by that girl Hao Jiaojiao!”
Su Xubai wiped his face: "It's just a stinky skin!"
"I heard that you have turned away His Royal Highness the Crown Prince several times?" Meng Shaoqing found a clean place to sit down, and then shouted to the door, "Make a pot of tea!"
"Yes, sir!" After a burst of footsteps outside, there was no sound.
Su Xubai didn't speak, just looked at the portrait in front of him in a daze.
"Don't you feel disgusted when you pretend to be affectionate like this?" Meng Shaoqing said suddenly.
The pen in Su Xubai's hand paused, and a huge ball of ink spattered directly on the scroll. He did not say a word, but silently collected the scroll and threw it aside.
"When she was alive, you allowed her to live a submissive life. Now that she is gone, you are here decadent and affectionate. Don't you think that you are just using this method to declare to others that you have many things to do?
Do you care about her?" Meng Shaoqing smiled and leaned back on the chair, "But that person is no longer here. No matter how affectionate you pretend to be, she can't see it anymore!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the pen in Su Xubai's hand flew out and hit Meng Shaoqing straight in the face.
Meng Shaoqing tilted his head slightly, and the pen flew past his ear, hit the wall behind him, and then fell to the ground.
"Actually, if you send her back to Jiangnan from the beginning, nothing will happen. She will still be the little lady who doesn't know anything and is well-raised by you!" Meng Shaoqing looked at Su Xubai coldly, "
You clearly know what way is easier to protect her, but what about you? In order to show that you are not threatened by power, you took her back to Beijing, and in the end she died!
Don’t you feel that you are hypocritical when you look at Si Si’s affectionate appearance?”
Su Xubai rushed up quickly and grabbed Meng Shaoqing by the collar: "Shut up!"
Meng Shaoqing just looked at him indifferently: "Su Xubai, you have never been able to beat me since you were a child. Do you want to challenge my strength now?"
Su Xubai gritted his teeth tightly: "I told you to shut up!"
"What, does it sound uncomfortable?" Meng Shaoqing sneered, "Why is it uncomfortable, because I poked your spine?"
"Meng Shaoqing, I tell you to shut up!" Su Xubai waved his fist fiercely.
When the maid came in with tea, she saw Meng Shaoqing riding on Su Xubai's body, pressing his face tightly. The maid screamed in fright, but Su Xubai coldly drove her out.
Meng Shaoqing looked at Su Xubai who was beaten like a pig's head by him but still refused to let go. He suddenly lost interest and let go: "Su Xubai, the nobleness of a scholar will make you destroy yourself! You
Look at those famous ministers who have been famous throughout the ages, those who do not eat whole grains and grains, and who are too high-minded to be able to earn a living. The world is never black and white!"
Su Xubai was lying on the ground, looking at the beams, with a few tears falling from the corners of his eyes.
Meng Shaoqing walked aside and sat down: "You are not bad. After all, our ancestral Wuhou family is inferior to me. Don't be discouraged and keep working hard! No matter how ferocious the tiger is, it will grow old one day. No matter how bad you are,
, there will be a day when you grow up!”
After about a stick of incense, Su Xubai stood up slowly: "Here comes someone!"
The maid just now pushed the door open with fear on her face: "Fifth Master!"