Li Fuguo, dressed in a red robe, led two young eunuchs and walked expressionlessly between two rows of guards until he arrived in front of Li Heng.
"Your Highness, my condolences. Sad news in the palace. King Di has passed away."
"What? Shiro... No, I don't believe it. I want to see him."
Li Hengcai came back from the funeral of King Ruyang. The sad look on his face had not faded. He was looking at Li Fuguo's red robe in a daze. Hearing this, he raised his hand to cover his mouth. Then his eyes turned red and he burst into tears.
"Your Highness, please don't grieve too much."
Li Fuguo persuaded, and when he looked up, he saw that Li Heng's body was crumbling, and he quickly stepped forward to support him.
"Quickly, help His Highness to rest inside the house. You go and ask the imperial doctor to come... go."
The surrounding eunuchs and palace maids were all escorted out. Li Fuguo walked outside the house and took a look. He signaled his men to guard the courtyard, closed the door calmly, bolted it, and turned to look at Li Heng.
Li Heng's face was clearly still crying, but a happy smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and he asked: "Promoted?"
"This slave has been promoted to the rank of internal servant and serves in the province, starting from the fifth rank." Li Fuguo said, "This is all the grace of His Highness."
"This is the grace Gao Lishi gives you." Li Heng said: "The grace I give you is to let you replace him."
Li Fuguo was greatly moved and quickly bowed down and saluted, but he was no longer as trembling as before. He could face these honors and disgrace with a normal heart, but he thought that what moved him was not the promises, but that Li Heng saved his sweetheart for him.
"Back to Your Highness, Wu Huaishi died, several confidants were demoted, and there were some changes in official positions in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. General Gao asked me if I was monitoring your Highness well. She answered honestly, and he promoted me to serve as a servant."
"Get up." Li Heng personally helped Li Fuguo up and praised: "You are becoming more and more alert, and our situation will get better and better."
The East Palace has been suppressed to the bottom, but of course it is getting better and better. For example, every funeral is an opportunity for Li Heng to win over courtiers. What's more, there are really more and more funerals for ministers recently.
Li Longji prevented Li Heng from contacting Wang Zhongsi, fearing that he would get involved in the troops who were going to Nanzhao this time. However, Li Heng also tried his best to attack the east and west. What he really wanted to win over was the Shuofang army. It was not necessary to do anything immediately, but at least
He needs the support of Shuofang's army. Only when he encounters a situation where he is deposed and is competing for position can he have the trump card to compete.
"Zhang Qiqiu, the governor of Shuofang, has a son, Zhang Yi, who is appointed as a judge in Dali."
This is the news that Li Heng found out at Li Jing's funeral. He pondered and said, "Let's find a way to arrange it. I want to see Zhang Yi at Li Yan's funeral."
"Here."
Li Fuguo responded and said: "I also asked about something... King Shou was also imprisoned in the Eagle Dog House today."
"Another one?"
Li Heng was a little surprised, raised his eyebrows, and then shook his head mockingly.
"How did you find out?"
"Princess Shou asked people everywhere to plead for mercy, and she also appealed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs."
"In that case, I have to plead for Shiro Shiro, so that I don't have to attend Shiro Shiro's funeral and then his."
~~
Mrs. Guo's Mansion.
Mingzhu lowered her head and walked between the two rows of eunuchs and concubines, rushed into the boudoir, and saw sisters Yang Yuyao and Yang Yuhuan sitting opposite each other, with solemn faces.
"Yao Niang, Xue Lang is here."
"Is he coming here now?" This was the first time that Yang Yuyao was not happy when Xue Bai came over.
Yang Yuhuan asked in a low voice: "Did he come secretly?"
Mingzhu quickly apologized and said, "I didn't tell you clearly that Xue Lang came with Uncle Yang Guo."
"That's good, let's meet them in the lobby."
Yang Yuhuan nodded, knowing that Xue Bai had always been measured and would not cause trouble at such a time.
In the lobby, Yang Guozhong had already invited Mrs. Korea and Mrs. Qin over, and they were discussing anxiously, but the content of their discussion was nothing more than "what to do".
Only Xue Bai sat there calmly and drank tea, and there was a calm power in the chaos.
"What's the matter with you? I heard from Guozhong that you met King Shou?" When Mrs. Han saw Yang Yuhuan arriving, she immediately stepped forward and asked urgently, "How can you see him?"
Yang Guozhong helped explain: "It was King Shou who made false prophecies. He knew that he would die and wanted to harm the Yang family."
"Then let's explain it clearly to the saint. We have been wrongly accused for no reason."
"..."
Listening to these buzzing discussions, Yang Yuyao couldn't help but shake her head, quite disdainful of these brothers and sisters. Although she was too lazy to think about it, she knew where the real brain trust of the Yang family was, so her eyes fell on Xue Bai.
But it was Yang Yuhuan who asked Xue Bai first.
"Abai, I heard that you were also imprisoned in the Eagle Dog House, are you okay?"
Xue Bai stood up and saluted: "Thank you, Concubine, for your concern."
"How many times have I told you to call me sister?"
"Yes, sister. I was also framed by King Shou, but fortunately I have been cleared of wrongdoing."
Yang Yuhuan sighed: "I couldn't help you this time, I'm afraid I will cause trouble to you again."
"If it weren't for my sworn sister and sworn brother, I wouldn't even have an official status, and my family wouldn't speak the same language."
In front of others, although they said some superficial words, in fact both of them were very sincere, and there was a sense of sharing weal and woe in their plain polite words.
Yang Yuhuan then asked: "I want to explain it clearly to the saint, do you think it is feasible?"
"no."
Xue Bai had many reasons to say, but it was difficult to say them in front of everyone.
What Li Longji wanted was not an explanation at all, but simply a grudge and jealousy of Li Xuan's youth. In this case, the more Yang Yuhuan explained, the less able he was to eliminate his suspicion.
Fortunately, Yang Yuhuan understood the reason and nodded.
Yang Guozhong asked: "Why not?"
"Sister should think about the saint, not just herself and the safety of the Yang family." Xue Bai said, "The important thing is not that the saint suspects that sister has seen King Shou, but... how can sister have the heart to let the saint issue an order?"
To execute your biological son and suffer the pain of losing him?"
"ah?"
Yang Guozhong opened his mouth to say something, but was speechless for a moment.
He now speculates that the Sacred Heart is already very powerful, but because he knows so well what the saint wants, he ignores what the saint should want.
The saint wants the concubine's sincerity and wants to kill King Shou. This can be seen by anyone with a discerning eye, but what should be done to be truly good to the saint?
Xue Bai said: "King Shou committed a serious crime by falsely claiming prophecies. Why did he come to see my sister at night? This was his way of confusing the crime. He took advantage of my sister and threatened the saint. In this way, if the saint wants to punish him for falsely claiming prophecies,
Instead, I will be accused by everyone in the world...accused of being jealous of my son. At this time, if I only care about explanations, where will I leave the saint?"
Yang Yuhuan asked: "What should I do?"
"Self-sin," Xue Bai said, "My sister's sins are very serious, and she should ask the saints to punish her. If the mistake is made by me alone, then the father and son will be spared from killing each other, and the whole world will be silenced."
After he finished speaking, he saluted Yang Yuhuan quite solemnly, as if he was inviting her to die.
Yang Yuhuan stood there, watching Xue Bai's eyebrows slowly raising his head after saluting, and pursed his lips with some relief.
She felt that although this foster brother was young, he was mature and steady, and he was extremely reliable...
However, her problem this time was not just that she met Li Chan in private, but that Li Chan had said that she would confirm in front of the emperor that she had an affair with Xue Bai.
She wanted to discuss this matter with Xue Bai, but she couldn't do it in front of everyone, and there was no suitable opportunity at the moment.
~~
Xingqing Palace.
There was a sense of solemnity in Nanxun Palace, which was even more frightening than when the news of the Nanzhao rebellion came. In the peaceful and prosperous years, the saint has been having more and more troubles recently.
Yuan Siyi stood on one side with his head lowered, listening to Gao Lishi's low-pitched report about King Shou's false prophecy.
After King Shou was arrested for having a private meeting with Concubine Yang, and he focused on reporting the matter, it was possible to vaguely see Gao Lishi's intention to protect the concubine, and tried to attribute the reason for this private meeting to King Shou's desire to escape guilt.
"The old slave sent people to Huiling to verify the story of the guard Miao Mao. During the period when King Shou was observing filial piety for King Ning, he did have some criticisms of the saint... occasionally."
"Are there any occasional criticisms? Are there any criticisms on the prophecy?"
Hearing the saint ask this question with a mocking tone, Gao Lishi did not dare to answer easily.
During this quiet moment, the young eunuch reported: "Sage, the prince has asked to see you, saying that he has something important to report."
Gao Lishi frowned quickly, waved his hand and shouted: "Back off."
He knew very well that the saint was not in the mood to see the prince at the moment, but this time he guessed wrong.
"The prince is allowed to have an audience." Li Longji said.
"According to the decree."
Gao Lishi became more and more worried, knowing that the prince's visit would only add fuel to the fire and make the saint even more angry.
He continued to report the details, and when all the evidence was presented to the emperor, Li Heng also arrived.
"Father, please spare Shibaro!"
As soon as he entered the palace, Li Heng stepped forward, knelt down on the ground, and begged: "The fourth man just died of illness, and some people accuse the eighteenth man of falsely claiming prophecies. Someone must be framing the kings..."
"You are so well informed."
"I know I'm guilty!" Li Heng was horrified when he heard this and repeatedly begged for mercy, but still pleaded for Li Xuan.
Li Longji asked: "Answer me, where did you get the news?"
"My son... I came to Si Lang's funeral and heard that Shiba Lang was in trouble, so I rushed here." Li Heng said, "I beg you, my son, to have a deep sense of brotherhood."
Li Longji watched silently, thinking that in this way, the prince's name of benevolence and righteousness was fulfilled, and he was a prince who cared about the brotherhood between father and son.
Thinking like this, his murderous intention towards Li Chen became even more serious.
"Since the prince has said so, please come and bring Shiba Lang and let the prince come for trial."
"According to the decree."
Li Heng was pleading with all his strength, and was slightly startled when he heard this, feeling a little embarrassed.
He came to plead for mercy and gain a good reputation for benevolence and righteousness. Even if Li Longji was displeased, he could not destroy him for this trivial matter. But it was very troublesome for him to try Li Xuan, and no matter how he was sentenced, it would not matter.
He finally became quiet and stood there thinking about countermeasures.
Gao Lishi silently gave him a confession.
…
"Sage, King Shou has arrived."
Li Chan stayed awake for several nights, with sunken eye sockets and a haggard expression. However, he still maintained a weird excitement due to extreme fear, and his bloodshot eyes were wide open.
"My son, I bow to my father and wish him well."
"I am not your father." Li Longji said: "You adopted me to my brother and kept filial piety for him, so you don't regard me as your father in your heart."
With these words, Yuan Siyi asked all the irrelevant people in the palace to retreat.
Li Chen complained in his heart: "It's obvious that you don't regard me as your son."
He did not dare to say such words, so he knelt on the ground and cried: "I am scared. I love and respect my father, so I don't dare..."
"Prince, what are you doing standing still? Interrogation."
"My son, I obey your orders."
Li Heng had no choice but to ask: "Eighteen Masters, let me ask you, during the first year of Tianbao, when you were keeping filial piety for Prince Ning, did you ever have any words of resentment towards your father?"
"No." Li Chen shook his head and said, "Absolutely not."
"Do you know Huiling guard Miao Mao?"
"There are countless guards in Huiling, how can I remember which one it is?"
Facing Li Heng, Li Chan's tone was not good, and she was very resistant to this kind of interrogation. She also knew very well that Li Heng came to plead for mercy, but in fact he only angered the saint even more and wanted to kill him.
Li Heng really wanted to kill Li Chen.
The relationship between the two people was not good. After the three commoners case, he snatched away the reserve position that was easily available to him, but he held a grudge and secretly framed him. In short, they were killed inextricably.
After pretending to be tolerant and asking a few words, Li Heng showed his benevolence and his questions gradually became sharper.
"Does Prince Li Jing of Ruyang often meet with you in private?"
"Occasionally, but not 'often'."
"Did you mention the criticism against Cheng Yu in your secret talks?"
"We didn't." Li Chen said anxiously: "Li Heng, you want to harm me and deliberately use these things that make me unable to defend myself to convict me."
"The evidence is conclusive, do you dare to lie in front of my father?"
"Father." Li Chan turned to the direction of the royal couch, kowtowed heavily, and cried, "My son has been wronged!"
Li Longji had been watching the scene of the brothers fighting each other coldly, like watching two fighting cocks.
He saw through Li Heng's hypocrisy, and seemed to see the resentment and resentment Li Chan used to curse his death when he was hiding in Huiling...
"Father!"
Li Chen cried loudly, knowing that the father and brother in front of him were full of murderous intentions, and he would definitely die.
Yang Yuhuan lied to him and did not help him.
What's ridiculous is that it's all because of her that he has fallen to this point. How worthless is it that he has lost everything in his life because of that woman?!
"I did not criticize Chengyu, let alone make any false claims. It was Xue Bai who framed me. Yes, he was Li Ying's son. He came to harm me for revenge. These confessions are all forged. Yang Guozhong and Du Youlin of Jingzhao Mansion are all
They are Xue Bai's people, and they teamed up to frame me because Xue Bai had an affair with the imperial concubine. Wu Huaishi was right, father, I was really wronged!"
With that said, Li Chan turned his head and looked at Li Heng with pleading eyes, asking him to frame Xue Bai with him.
He has found someone who also has a grudge against Li Heng, hoping that Li Heng's murderous intention will turn to Xue Bai.
"Xue Bai composed new lyrics and music for the imperial concubine. Wu Huaishi heard it. Father, all of them are deceiving you. And he, Gao Lishi, was instigated by the imperial concubine to exonerate Xue Bai. Take these
The confession framed me..."
After hearing this, Gao Lishi took a step forward. He wanted to explain, but after thinking about it, he didn't speak and instead stepped back.
Li Heng was silent, wishing that the saint would kill Li Xuan first and then Xue Bai.
"I went to Mrs. Guo's house last night to find evidence!" Li Chan said again, "Really, I just wanted to find evidence of Xue Bai's crime to prove my innocence."
Li Longji, who was sitting on the imperial couch, looked calm. He called over Gao Lishi and asked, "How did Taizhen explain this matter?"
"This... the imperial concubine has not explained yet."
Gao Lishi actually knew that Xue Bai had gone to Mrs. Guo's house to offer advice to Yang Yuhuan, but he deliberately didn't mention it at this time.
The saint will know this sooner or later, but hearing it when he is angry is completely different from hearing it when he is calm.
Li Longji looked at Yuan Siyi again.
Just as Yuan Siyi was about to arrange for someone to ask, the eunuch rushed back and handed a small scroll with both hands.
"Sage, this is your concubine's statement."
Li Longji took it and slowly spread it out. He saw that Yang Yuhuan had confessed his crime and deserved death, but did not give him an explanation.
When the scroll reached the end, there was only a handful of hair at the end. She actually cut her hair to show that she knew she was going to die.
He was shocked and angry, and became more and more unhappy. He threw the scroll aside and said, "Take Shiba Lang back to Yinggufang to think about his mistakes."
When Li Heng heard this, he was secretly happy, knowing that Li Chan would definitely die, otherwise, he would have been released from the palace today.
"Thank you, Father, for showing me kindness! Shiba Shiro, you still can't thank Father."
"Please forgive me, Father!" Li Han was so frightened that he cried out: "Silang died in Yinggufang! They are all the flesh and blood of Father, even if you are thinking of your mother, please spare my life.
!”
Li Heng comforted him and said, "What are you talking about? Father just asked you to think about your mistakes and didn't thank you?"
The more he behaved like this, the more angry Li Chan became with blood rushing to his forehead.
"Go away, don't be so pretentious, you clearly want to kill me! Also, my father clearly knows that I was wronged, why do you still do this? What did the imperial concubine say in her letter? She wronged me!"
Li Longji was too lazy to pay attention to him, waved his hand and asked someone to drag Li Chen down.
The pleading words have been filling the palace, making it seem noisy. After this son dies, it may be much cleaner...
suddenly.
"Li Longji!"
A roar like a thunderbolt from the blue made everyone shiver.
The two eunuchs who were holding down Li Chen were also frightened and stood there at a loss.
Li Xuan seemed to have gone crazy, like a madman, he took out a hand, pointed at Li Longji, and shouted: "Tiger poison does not eat its seeds, what did you do to me?!"
When Li Heng heard this, he raised his eyebrows unnoticeably, and quickly lowered his head to cover it up.
Gao Lishi, Yuan Siyi and others hurriedly stepped forward to stop Li Xuan's mouth, but Li Longji had already stood up, walked towards Li Xuan and blocked their movements.
"I am your legitimate son!"
Li Chen finally gave up and was framed to death. He wanted to vent all the anger in his heart to Li Longji.
Scolding Yang Yuhuan last night made him realize what he needed, not to live in an ignoble existence, but to act like a man and break all the humiliation that was weighing on him.
"My biological mother, Queen Zhenshun, has the blood of the Wu family. She stabilized the Tang Dynasty for you. You promised that she would make me the crown prince, but how did you do it? You robbed my wife... You...
you……"
Li Chan had phlegm in his throat. Seeing Li Longji getting closer and closer, he finally spit out two words.
"Beast."
"What did you say?"
"I said you are worse than a beast."
Li Chen avoided Li Longji's murderous eyes, his chest heaved, sometimes he was cowardly, sometimes he was brave, and then he thought that no matter how presumptuous he was today, it was already too late.
It's too late, the people in this world will laugh at him, and the people in the world will laugh at him for thousands of years to come, and they will never be eliminated.
Only at the moment when he first received the oracle, if he could commit suicide together with Yang Yuhuan, everything would be different, and Qingshi could leave his name as a martyr.
But at that time, he said the same thing - "I am the legitimate son."
He couldn't let go of his status as a prince, and he couldn't let go of his vague and supreme power. He even thought that if the saint got Yang Yuhuan, he could make him the prince.
Who would have thought that in the end, when he finally dared to resist, he would start with these words.
"I am your son, how can you treat me like this?"
Big tears rolled down Li Chan's face, and he wanted to curse with endless anger, but in the end he only cursed "worse than a beast", and his tone turned to sadness and resentment.
"You have no shortage of women, but why do you want to destroy me? Do you remember how loving you were with my mother when you took me back to the palace? Do you remember how affectionate you were for our mother and son at that time? You kill all your relatives,
You ruthless beast, how did you put on that face in the first place?!"
"Crack!"
Li Longji walked up to Li Chen and slapped him without saying a word.
Half of Li Chen's face was flushed red from the slap, and despite the pain, he looked up to the sky and laughed.
"I know why you killed me. Let me tell you, I went to find Yuhuan last night. I relived my old dream with her, hahaha..."
"Crack!"
Li Longji mercilessly slapped Li Chen again, until he was so painful that he could no longer laugh.
"I don't care, you can't hurt me."
"Ahem... you are jealous, haha. In ancient times, there have been many people who were jealous of their daughter-in-law. It's ridiculous, it's ridiculous..."
Li Longji pulled Li Chen's collar and said: "You are wrong, I am not jealous at all. If I really cared about this, I would not take her away. As long as you know, I am better than you, better than you
Even more worthy of her. No matter how old I am, weak trash like you are not worthy to be compared with me, you are not worthy of inheriting me, and everything you have is mine."
Li Chan was still smiling ferociously, preparing to retaliate with words, but when he heard this, he gradually froze.
He originally thought that Li Longji loved Yang Yuhuan and took her away. He was wrong. In Li Longji's eyes, no one else was important, only the emperor's supreme authority was the most important.
He is so selfish that he cannot even tolerate his own son, nor can he tolerate his son having something better than him.
Li Chan didn't speak anymore, but stared deeply at the emperor in front of him, trying to find any trace of his father on that face.
No.
He couldn't find his father, he only saw power.
Extremely strange.
Until he was dragged out of the hall, Li Chan did not speak again, because he had no way to vent his long-standing anger towards his father, leaving only cold despair.
…
Li Heng was still standing there, no longer secretly happy about Li Chen's fate, he only felt his hands and feet were cold.
He regretted coming here today to plead for mercy, as he heard too many things he shouldn't have heard.
Suddenly, he felt Li Longji's majestic gaze sweeping over him, and he quickly bent down in fear, expressing that he had heard nothing.
In the end, Li Heng left Xingqing Palace in despair and thought for a long time alone. He realized that the heart hidden under the saint's free and easy appearance was far colder and more ruthless than imagined.
Until he was woken up by crying, he came back to his senses and saw Zhang Ting coaxing his youngest son Li Yi.
Li Heng looked at his son's milky appearance, and his heart warmed, and he secretly thought that he would never be able to kill his son like a saint.
~~
The next day, Baisun Courtyard.
Li Heng's third son, Li Tan, the king of Jianning County, was standing at the table looking at the map, his eyes looking deep in thought.
What he was looking at was the map of Nanzhao, thinking that since Wang Zhongsi was seriously ill and the court had not changed the commander yet, he could probably understand the strategy of this battle.
"King Jianning, Li Fuguo is here."
"Please."
Li Tan then put away the map and sent someone to summon the palace maid named Xiao Mozi.
Xiao Mozi was originally just a skinny little country girl. After staying in Prince Jianning's Mansion for several months, she was well fed and clothed, and she gradually grew into a graceful figure.
"Sanlang, look for me."
"Your brother Gou'er is here." Li Tan said, "I'll see you first."
"Xie Sanlang, you treat us so well."
Li Tan smiled and waited for a while in the hall, then he saw Li Fuguo rushing over, so he asked: "Are you relieved after seeing the little moth?"
"Don't worry, Prince Xie Jianning." Li Fuguo took two steps forward and reported in a low voice: "Prince Shou was too frightened and died in Yinggufang."
Li Tan was silent. He was not overjoyed, but rather sighed. He finally sighed: "Xue Bai is really good at it."
"Why his method?" Li Fuguo was puzzled.
Li Tan said: "The moment Xue Bai sued King Shou for falsely claiming a prophecy, King Shou was already destined to die."
"But the news that I have found out is that after Xue Bai arrived at Guoguo's wife's house, the imperial concubine did not prove her innocence and only asked the saint to give her the death penalty. This made the saint even more furious. Now many people are guessing that the saint may do what she wants.
Already."
"Really?" Li Tan was a little surprised. After thinking about it, he said, "Retreating in order to advance?"
Li Fuguo asked again: "I still don't understand, please ask King Jianning for advice."
Li Tan could indeed understand Li Longji's self-confidence, and added: "King Shou's cowardly look, he met the imperial concubine privately once, do you really think that a saint would be disgusted by this? After all, false claims of prophecy are the most taboo, at this time
The more magnanimous the noble concubine is, the more the saint knows that she is innocent."
Li Fuguo said: "The slaves are just strange. Are they not afraid of the wrath of the Holy Spirit? Of course, it would be best if they were also dealt with."
Li Tan thought for a while and was not sure about the relationship between men and women. He just said: "When the saint calms down, he will naturally calm down... maybe."
~~
Mrs. Guo's Mansion.
Yang Yuhuan paced and murmured to himself.
"I would rather die than see the saint bear the infamy of murdering my son for my sake, so why do I need to explain? Just ask the saint to give me death..."
What she was preparing was what she would say when she met the saint. Xue Bai had already arranged it. Once the saint calmed down, she would express her thoughts for the saint and maybe return to the palace.
Although it’s pretty good outside the palace.
"Lady."
Zhang Yunrong's face was serious, he walked over and whispered: "There is news from the palace... King Shou is dead."
At this point, she glanced at Yang Yuhuan and saw that she didn't react much, so she continued: "The saint's anger has not subsided. General Gao is still waiting for an opportunity to plead for mercy. Please remind me not to show sadness."
"Don't worry." Yang Yuhuan said with a calm expression.
"Besides, until the saint calms down, I'm afraid this life will be difficult. Please bear with me, noble concubine."
Yang Yuhuan nodded when he heard this and said: "It's okay, there's no rush."
She sent Zhang Yunrong away, walked to the window, and looked at the palace people in the distance. She wanted to close the window, but she didn't. She just held the window sill with her hands, closed her eyes, and secretly breathed a long sigh of relief, slightly relieving the depression in her heart. emotions.
She couldn't say that she was too sad. She felt that Li Xuan was more comfortable dead than alive. She just felt that the life in the palace with a king as a tiger was too cruel.
After all, tiger poison does not eat its children, but the saint kills its children without mercy.