Chapter seven hundred and fiftieth seven would rather die than retreat
Lao Zhou glanced at the remains of the soldiers placed on the ground by Liu Mingzhi, his eyes a little helpless.
“Prince-in-law, we don’t know where those people came from. Although you lost seventeen brave men on your side, those who were all of high quality did not get any advantage in the military formation.
Leaving a dozen corpses behind, he returned in vain.
We will definitely give the Prince Consort an explanation for this matter. Now we just hope that you, Prince Consort, can accept the order.
If the Prince Consort turns against His Majesty, wouldn't it mean that he has just fallen into the enemy's trap and made His Majesty separate from the Prince Consort and his Majesty, thereby achieving his own ulterior purpose?
If the prince-in-law is not lenient to this, it will just make the insidious people hiding in the dark proud.
Consort Prince Consort, think twice."
Liu Mingzhi looked at Lao Zhou's helpless expression, with a hint of uncertainty in his eyes.
Could it be that these people really have nothing to do with Li Ye? Someone is deliberately alienating their relationship with Li Ye, causing the relationship between the emperor and his ministers to gradually become irreconcilable.
“Old Zhou, I will give you this face temporarily and will not pursue this matter, but I will still not change my insistence.
"If the world is not unified, I will never return to Beijing to report on my duties."
Old Zhou's rickety body trembled slightly, and he looked up at Liu Mingzhi, who had a hard expression, and was a little at a loss.
I thought that the prince-in-law had taken a step back under his advice, but now it seems that the prince-in-law is still the same as before, and his determination not to return to Beijing to report on his duties has not wavered at all.
Lao Zhou's eyes were a little tangled, he sighed silently, and his eyes struggled for a moment.
“Prince-in-law, let’s use someone else to persuade you.”
Liu Mingzhi frowned and nodded subconsciously as he looked at Lao Zhou who looked sad.
Even Lao Zhou, an old friend with whom I have a close friendship, cannot persuade me. Is there anyone more suitable and convincing than Lao Zhou?
Under Liu Mingzhi’s puzzled gaze, Lao Zhou turned to look at the fifty people behind him and waved gently.
The sound of rolling carriages came from Fengyun Ferry in the cold wind, coming from south to north, and gradually became clearer.
When the appearance of the carriage came into view, Liu Mingzhi's pupils suddenly shrank, and he subconsciously looked at Lao Zhou who looked troubled.
Although he only glanced at this carriage, Liu Mingzhi recognized it at a glance as the carriage that Chen Jie was riding in when it left the restaurant next to the Xinzhou City Station.
As expected, the carriage slowly stopped, and Queen Mother Chen Jie's personal chamberlain Gao Jin jumped out of the carriage tremblingly under the guard of two chamberlains.
As the wooden bench was moved down, Chen Jie, who was wearing a bamboo hat, also stepped out of the carriage with the help of a maid.
Seeing Chen Jie's figure appearing more than ten steps away, Liu Mingzhi's unnaturalness flashed away, and he withdrew his glance at Chen Jie from the corner of his eye.
“Prince-in-law, this lobbyist is much more noble than us. If our consort doesn’t give us face, we can’t help but give her some face!”
Liu Mingzhi controlled his emotions and said, "Old Zhou, I wonder who this person is? He is even more noble than you, an old senior."
Lao Zhou shook his head with a bitter smile on his lips. He looked at Liu Mingzhi who was calm and composed with a hint of sadness in his eyes. His mouth was tightly closed, but the words that were condensed through the internal force clearly lingered in Liu Mingzhi's ears.
“Prince-in-law, we don’t talk secretly between us.
There are some things that I don’t point out for the sake of the prince-consort, and also for the sake of people of high status.
Your Majesty has inadvertently found out about the personal affairs of the Prince Consort and the nobleman.
Still not completely falling out with the Prince Consort, but going to the imperial mausoleum alone, asking me to act as a lobbyist, hoping that the Prince Consort can return to Beijing to report on his duties.
The Ma Ma, the insulting wife and mother were afraid to bear it in any person's heart, but His Majesty still did not completely turn his face with the Ma Ye.
So, Your Majesty doesn’t value the Prince Consort enough?
It doesn’t matter that we can’t persuade the prince-in-law. If the prince-in-law still insists on refusing even if the nobleman comes forward, we really don’t know what else to say.”
Looking at Lao Zhou's sad face, Liu Mingzhi looked at Chen Jie who was more than ten steps away with a slightly stiff expression.
The cold wind blew up, lifting the gauze under Chen Jie's bamboo hat, revealing Chen Jie's helpless eyes staring at him with anger and resentment.
Although it was only a short moment, Liu Mingzhi felt too many meanings from Chen Jie's eyes.
I have advised you, why do you have to be so stubborn?
The fact that Chen Jie can appear here shows that her whereabouts have been known to Li Ye.
In this way, the unexplained affair between himself and Chen Jie is no longer a secret to Li Ye.
Two cases of sexual immorality, one was because Chen Jie or Nangong Meng drugged her wine, and she had unintentional lovemaking.
Once, because I and Li Ye were angry because of power matters, and drunkenly and unconsciously, they forcibly violated a beautiful woman and had a loving relationship with her.
Although it was not my and Chen Jie’s original intention twice, what is the use of talking about it now?
Things have been settled and it is too late to say anything.
The fact that he and Chen Jie had an affair as a couple is something that cannot be erased.
“Prince-in-law, for the sake of your kindness, please accept the order.
As long as you return to Beijing to report on your work, everything will remain the same as before.
Your Majesty has said that the late Emperor has been in power for many years and the Queen Mother is in her early thirties. She has been living alone in a deep palace for a long time and is really lonely.
As long as the prince-in-law returns to Beijing and out of respect for the Queen Mother and respect for you, he can let this matter go.
However, this matter must not be spread, as it will ruin the reputation of the late emperor and the face of the royal family.
Your Majesty has always kept in mind the kindness his consort had shown him in the past, and has never dared to forget it easily.
Hand-in-law, please stop making mistakes again and again."
Liu Mingzhi looked at Lao Zhou's pleading look, and his lips trembled slightly: "Can I, my king, have a private conversation with you?"
Lao Zhou looked startled and hesitant.
Looking at Liu Mingzhi’s extremely sad and slightly pleading eyes, he finally nodded silently.
“Of course, I hope the prince-in-law can turn around and make peace with your noble admonition, please!”
“Lao Zhou, thank you very much!”
“As long as the consort and your majesty are safe and sound, and the emperor and his ministers can still be in harmony, and continue the good story of the two generations of emperors, we have completed our task and can go back to guard the tomb.”
Liu Mingzhi sighed silently and walked towards the carriage not far away with difficulty.
The two imperial guards did not stop him and retreated a few steps away, but they kept their eyes fixed on this side.
“Your Majesty, please save our lives.”
Liu Mingzhi looked at Gao Jin's sad face, raised his hand and patted Gao Jin's shoulder, and got into the carriage.
Chen Jie glanced at Lao Zhou not far away through the veil, seemed to understand something, and walked towards the carriage holding the hem of the big cloak.
As soon as Chen Jie entered the carriage, she saw Liu Mingzhi sitting in the carriage looking at her with a somewhat lonely expression.
“Jie’er, I didn’t expect things to get to this point.”
Liu Mingzhi's guilty words made Chen Jieruan sit down, raised her hand and grabbed Liu Mingzhi's collar and shook her.
“Why don’t you listen to my advice? Why don’t you listen to my advice?
Now that our affairs have been known to the emperor, why do you want me to have the face to meet him again?
I have been advising you, why do you continue to be so stubborn?
Tell me, why does it become like this?
You tell me."
Chen Jie behaved a little crazy and dropped the bamboo hat on her head in the carriage, revealing her face with tears streaming down her face, panic and helplessness.
Liu Mingzhi raised his hands and held Chen Jie's wrists, pulled her into his arms and imprisoned her.
“You will reap melons if you sow melons, and you will reap beans if you sow beans. Is this my fault alone?”
Chen Jie's delicate body trembled when she heard this, and she lay weakly on Liu Mingzhi's shoulder and cried loudly.
“I’m so scared and don’t dare to think about what will happen next.
Senior Zhou told me on the way that the only chance of improvement now is for you to return to Beijing to report on your work. Please stop being stubborn and return to Beijing to report on your work, okay?
Do you know that if you continue to persist in your stubbornness, you will die?
The emperor has given you many opportunities, why can't you understand his difficulties?
He is the king of a country.
You were so tolerant and humble to him even when we didn't have sex before, why can't you take a step back now?"
Liu Mingzhi raised his hand and patted Chen Jie on the back. Hearing Chen Jie cry in his ear, he felt a little confused.
“I retreat again and again, haven’t I retreated enough?
What did I get in the end? :(/
I have made it very clear. It is not that I will not return to Beijing to report on my work. As long as the world is unified, I will take the initiative to return to Beijing to report on my work.
I have withdrawn so many times, why can’t he withdraw once?
Looking at the kindness I have given to him in the past, is it difficult for him to back down from me?
The more he pushes his limits, the less sure I feel.
He is becoming more and more like an emperor, and I no longer recognize him.
Chen Jie, I don’t want to take another step back unless it’s me.
But I have no retreat."
“He is the emperor, the king of a country! Isn’t this enough?”
“Under the circumstances back then, would it be difficult for me to support King Zhao Li Tao to ascend the throne as emperor?”
Chen Jie suddenly trembled, lifted Zhen's head off Liu Mingzhi's shoulders, and stared helplessly at Liu Mingzhi's somewhat gloomy eyes.
“That’s what you came to me to say? Do you know the consequences of your decision?”
Liu Mingzhi nodded silently.
“When a series of unpredictable events happened in the past, today was already expected.
If I had not followed the order, I might not have been able to survive the storm today.
But even if he is buried here today, Liu Mingzhi is still in the same state as he said to this day.