But what he saw was a swollen and unfamiliar dead face.

Even though she was swollen, she could tell that it was not Rong Ting.

It's not Rong Ting...

It was the eunuch who was bribed by Rong Ting, Si Ying.

Queen Jiahe staggered back a step, swayed heavily, and almost fell to the ground.

Her eyes went dark, she lowered her head, her pearl hairpins swayed, and her hair became messy.

She has walked step by step to her current position, her hands are stained with a lot of blood, and she has seen many people die in front of her.

To her, there is no difference between the death of a person and the death of an ant.

But this time it's different.

This time, it was Rong Ting who was demonstrating to her.

He wanted her to know that not only did he know that she wanted to harm him, but he also had the ability to kill her again and again.

Just like when he was a child, she asked the palace maids to put snacks laced with poison in his palace, pretending that they were poisoned rats, in an attempt to trick him into taking the poison and dying.

But the little boy, who was only six or seven years old, did not die.

Instead, there were a few dead mice hanging in front of her window.

There was a dead rat in front of it.

This time it's a dead person.

He escaped her calculations time and time again, and no matter how old he was, he was able to survive, which made her tremble with fear. When he grew stronger, he would use all the means she had used on him in return.

Life is worse than death.

Empress Jiahe's eyes dimmed. Suddenly, she heard a deep voice, like a blade breaking through the ice, coming from outside the palace gate. "You're calling my name before the coffin is even opened. Why is mother so sure that I'm the one in trouble? Huh?"

There was a jolt behind her ears.

His nails dug into his palms tightly, he raised his eyes and said coldly, "You barged in without notifying the palace servants. Don't you remember the rules?"

No one stopped him.

But when she raised her eyes and saw the figure beside Rong Ting, she was stunned.

The young man had a charming smile on his thin lips. A bright yellow figure stood beside him. "I came here with Xiaojiu."

The man had a gloomy face and looked intimidating without even getting angry. It was Emperor Zhaowu.

…

Emperor Zhaowu was also pleased that Rong Ting was favored by Yan Nanxun.

Yan Nanxun had a very stubborn temper. He wanted to ask him to be the Grand Tutor and teach his sons, but the man surnamed Yan was not afraid of being beheaded. He said that his sons had mediocre talents and he didn't want to teach them and was too lazy to do so.

If he didn't value talent so much and knew that Yan Nanxun had profound academic attainments and was an unparalleled talent in the country, he would really want to chop off Yan's head on the spot.

Among so many princes, there is finally one who can be Yan Nanxun's relative.

Disciple's.

It can be considered as a slap in the face of that guy named Yan.

Emperor Zhaowu was feeling proud and happy, so he came as soon as Rong Ting invited him to see who was the person who wanted to kill his ambitious ninth son.

Unexpectedly, as I approached Jinxiu Palace, I heard Empress Jiahe shouting "Xiaojiu". The crying was so loud that it could be heard just walking outside the palace.

The wailing sounded like someone was mourning.

If Rong Ting had not been right beside him, he would have really believed that his son had met with an accident.

Emperor Zhaowu frowned and looked at Empress Jiahe.

Seeing her with her head down, messy hair, tear marks on her face, and untidy appearance, there was a sense of strangeness in her sight.

Rong Ting's words just now magnified the strange feeling in his heart to the extreme.

He also saw with his own eyes that before the coffin was opened, Empress Jiahe was calling Rong Ting's name.

The prince's unexpected death was a serious matter, and it was impossible for the palace servants to spread the wrong news.

As he continued to think about it, Emperor Zhaowu felt somewhat frightened and a little bit unbelievable.

Why did his queen act like she knew it all along?

The way she coldly questioned Rong Ting's manners just now, and her gentle and gentle appearance that never gets angry on weekdays, are a little different?

…

The coldness and questioning in Emperor Zhaowu's eyes chilled Empress Jiahe's heart.

Even though she was not really kind and gentle by nature, she managed to hold on for nearly twenty years by pretending to be kind and gentle in the position of queen.

Today, she was just careless for a moment, but the man who had slept with her in the same bed for nearly twenty years actually showed criticism and suspicion in his eyes?

She felt a chill of mockery in her heart, but sadly, the moment she saw Emperor Zhaowu, her body seemed to have remembered something and she immediately performed a flawless salute.

Her face seemed to have remembered something, and she showed a gentle smile, and said softly and generously, "How come the emperor came without telling me? I am sorry for not welcoming you in person."

"I came here today to accompany Xiaojiu, so I came in a hurry."

Emperor Zhaowu frowned and asked, "Why did I hear you crying and shouting for Xiaojiu outside the palace?"

But when they first stepped into the palace, they saw the coffin being opened.

"Why do you think it could be Xiaojiu?" Emperor Zhaowu asked again.

Empress Jiahe's heart skipped a beat, and a feeling of uneasiness spread throughout her body. She felt hatred in her heart but could not express it. She still looked tearful as before, looking at Rong Ting like a loving mother who had finally found her child, "The palace servants must have spread the wrong news."

Under his sleeves, he clenched his fingers quietly and glanced at Yuying.

Yu Ying received her gaze and hurriedly knelt down before the Empress.

In front of the two of them, she took the blame and said, "It's all my fault. I heard someone say that something happened in Shouhuai Palace, so I thought it was the Ninth Prince."

Emperor Zhaowu could be somewhat good-looking in front of his empress, but his face fell immediately in front of a palace maid, and he said solemnly: "How can you make irresponsible comments on the life and death of a child of the royal family?"

There was a strong sense of displeasure in her voice, "This maid should be expelled from the palace."

Emperor Zhaowu's gaze was calm to the point of being almost ruthless.

For him, someone sitting on the throne of the queen must be dignified and proper at all times.

She was born into a noble family, had a gentle and virtuous temperament, was able to take care of his harem, and had the dignity and bearing of a mother of a country in all occasions, big and small, so as not to bring shame to Da Zhao.

Fortunately, Empress Jiahe’s misconduct just now happened in this small Jinxiu Palace and not many people saw it. If other people saw it, it would make people question his royal dignity.

Emperor Zhaowu could not tolerate this maid who had made the mistake being around the empress anymore.

Empress Jiahe trembled.

The assassins who went to Yecheng suddenly disappeared, and Nanny Ji no longer dared to use them. She had worked hard to train Yuying for many days, and the tasks originally assigned to Nanny Ji had almost been transferred.

To break Yuying's shadow was like breaking half of her. wing.

She pinched her palm and endured it, saying, "I understand."

Seeing that Emperor Zhaowu was angry at the moment, she knew the situation and shut up.

First, she would force Yuying to leave the palace, and when she could make Emperor Zhaowu happy one day, she would then beg him to relent, say a few good words for Yuying, explain what happened today, and let Yuying come back.

However, Emperor Zhaowu was a king who rarely set foot in the harem. In recent years, when I came to the harem, I went to Concubine Yun's place more often, and coming to her place was more like a response. When will she get the chance to get Yuying back?

I had thought that Xiao Shiqi's admission to the White Egret Academy would please Emperor Zhaowu, but who would have thought that Rong Ting would show up halfway through, and it suddenly seemed that Xiao Shiqi's admission to the White Egret Academy wasn't that impressive...

When she thought of this, she simply hated Rong Ting!

…

Rong Ting was sitting quietly in his wheelchair at this moment.

There is a red cinnabar dot on the forehead, as red as crying blood.

He had not spoken a word since entering Jinxiu Palace, and it was so quiet that people almost forgot his existence.

It was so quiet that it would make people forget that it was him who stirred up the turmoil between the emperor and the empress.

He held the small cinnabar box in his hand and looked at his nominal father, the Emperor, and his nominal mother, the Empress.

Even if Emperor Zhaowu does

It was something that supported him, but his heart was desolate and cold.

If it were before, his father would not have come with him.

Even if it was him lying in the white coffin today, he was just the one who died in the most obscure way among his many sons.

After a few days, his father would no longer remember that he had a son.

Just like when the tenth prince drowned, his mother was so shocked that she went crazy.

In the end, his father, the emperor, ended up imprisoned in the cold palace for disturbing the emperor's health.

…

He looked at Emperor Zhaowu as if he were a puppet to be used by him.

There is no father-son affection.

His expression was gentle, but his heart was full of sarcasm.

His fingers circled the exquisite little cinnabar box, holding tightly this only obsession.

…

Emperor Zhaowu looked at Si Ying on the ground with contempt, "Today's incident must be thoroughly investigated, including the autumn hunt last time."

The last autumn hunt had no result, and Emperor Zhaowu had almost forgotten about it. Today's events gave him a wake-up call, and he had a vague guess in his mind that both incidents might have been done by the same person.

Rather than caring about Rong Ting, he cared more about his own kingdom.

If the results are not thoroughly investigated, people would think that he can't even protect his children.

If the royal heir is killed, who will inherit his kingdom and how can it be passed down from generation to generation?

Queen Jiahe thought of what Yuying had told her, that no one saw her and Si Ying meeting last night, and she felt a little relieved.

But she was afraid that her deeds would be exposed, so she immediately wanted to take the blame on herself.

Rong Ting opened his mouth slowly and said, "Mother, you have been working hard for my seventeenth brother's studies in recent months. You have black eyes. I am very worried about you."

He looked at Empress Jiahe, who was blessed with an appearance as beautiful as ice and snow, and whose situation of sitting in a wheelchair made people unconsciously feel love and sympathy for her.

Kejia and the Queen felt a buzzing pain in their heads.

Anyone who heard Rong Ting's words would be filled with sincere filial piety.

But she is not

He worried so much about Xiao Shiqi's studies that his eyes were black, but he could only watch Rong Ting become Yan Nanxun's direct disciple. Isn't this a mockery and joke?

The words sounded nice, but they were like a knife stabbing into the most painful part of her heart.

"Now that my seventeenth brother has entered the White Egret Academy, his studies must be even more demanding. I cannot bear to see your mother worry about me anymore. Father, let the Ministry of Justice investigate this case. I will follow him personally, so you don't need to bother your mother."

Empress Jiahe had a dignified face, but she was furious inside.

Why wasn't he in front of Emperor Zhaowu?

Before Complaint

He had no evidence, so he didn't dare.

Today, Rong Ting is just a fledgling, and he has only met Emperor Zhaowu a few times, so their relationship is neither distant nor close. In front of Emperor Zhaowu, he needs to present evidence. But if one day, the two of them become close, Emperor Zhaowu will believe whatever Rong Ting says, and she will be finished.

"I am not tired."

Empress Jiahe did not want to make any mistakes and wanted to take the responsibility herself, so she said to Emperor Zhaowu, "I can start investigating this case."

"I was the one who investigated the Qiu Lie case. If we investigate both cases together, perhaps we can investigate them faster."

Rong Ting narrowed his eyes, "It's been a year and a half since the Qiu Lie case was solved, and it's going to be very difficult if it's not solved thoroughly."

"No wonder the Queen Mother has so many white hairs on her temples and looks so much more haggard."

Empress Jiahe was choking to death.

She has white hair and looks haggard. Isn't this a roundabout way of scolding her for being old? Is she trying to make Emperor Zhaowu think that she is already an old woman?

As time went on, Emperor Zhaowu treated her more and more like a subject rather than a woman he wanted to favor.

But no matter how angry she was, she couldn't beat or scold Rong Ting in front of Emperor Zhaowu.

He gritted his teeth and couldn't vent his anger, feeling resentful in his heart.

Rong Ting continued, "If today's case cannot be solved even after spending another year or two, and Queen Mother has gray hair again, what should I do?"

These words gave Emperor Zhaowu a wake-up call.

The Qiu Lie case was originally handed over to Queen Jiahe for investigation because she begged her to catch and severely punish the murderer of her child.

But a year and a half later, they still haven't found out who the murderer is...

"You spent a year and a half on the last case but failed to find anything. This time, please don't interfere." Emperor Zhaowu looked at Empress Jiahe's pleading expression, hardened his heart, and refused, "It's rare that Xiaojiu is so filial. I will allow him."

Emperor Zhaowu saw that Empress Jiahe was indeed as haggard and ugly as Rong Ting had described, so he consoled her, "I am as anxious as you are, and I hate the murderer just as much. When we find out who is the murderer who wants to kill our child, I will punish him severely in front of you by pulling out his tendons and peeling off his skin."

Queen Jiahe's smile suddenly became more stiff.

There was a hint of fear in that bitter smile.

Pulling out the muscles and peeling the skin...

Give severe punishment...

No, she would never let the emperor find out that it was her.

"Thank you, father." Rong Ting thanked Emperor Zhaowu, looked at Empress Jiahe, and smiled gently, "Mother, please take care of yourself."

There was deep meaning in his words and a hint of smile in his long eyes.

look

Dejia and the Queen wanted to strangle him to death

…

She once acted out the role of a loving mother and a filial son in front of Emperor Zhaowu, which won his favor and a good reputation, and she felt secretly happy.

But today she discovered that this system of loving mother and filial piety was like a shackle that had bound her.

Rong Ting earned the reputation of a filial son, and she became the one who had hatred in her heart but could not express it.

…

Although Empress Jiahe ordered Yuying to be expelled from the palace, she also ordered someone to send her back to her parents' home, the Xu family mansion.

As the Queen's confidant, Yuying couldn't help but feel sorry for Queen Jiahe when she spoke for her queen.

The head of the Xu family was dressed simply, but he used fine silk to wipe the seal given to him by other officials.

When he heard that his daughter had been wronged in the palace, he immediately looked dissatisfied.

Of course, he did not dare to be dissatisfied with Emperor Zhaowu.

He was just dissatisfied with his daughter's performance.

He knew that his daughter was aggressive and jealous by nature and would never learn to be tolerant.

So he reminded her again and again to be gentle and to know the big picture, fearing that she would make mistakes. He carefully planned behind her back, and when she became the Queen of Dazhao, he thought he could sit back and relax, but he didn't expect that she almost made Emperor Zhaowu angry?

Does she understand that her status is closely related to the Xu family and she cannot be careless?

…

The letter from the head of the Xu family was sent to the Queen's palace.

The queen opened the letter, thinking that her father would give her some advice and help her.

The result was a curse on his face.

After reading the whole article, I can only curse.

Rouge and lead powder were sent along with the letter.

Tell her to take good care of her appearance.

Empress Jiahe looked at herself in the bronze mirror.

I have been unable to sleep or eat well for several months, coupled with the recent events.

She touched her cheek, but could no longer find the youthful and pretty feeling she had when she was young.

She is indeed not beautiful anymore.

She took a deep breath.

I felt extremely anxious and depressed.

There was only one thought that kept her going.

When Xiao Shiqi ascends the throne, she will be the empress dowager, the emperor's mother. Then the grievance she is suffering now is worth it.

…

After that day, Huai Qing felt a little scared when he was alone in Shouhuai Palace.

Although Rong Ting never let him serve him closely, he was sometimes quite scared when he watched from afar.

Not long after the change, other palace maids appeared in the palace.

Some are good at martial arts, and some are good at medicine.

Huai Qing could only sigh after seeing it.

Miss Jiang Si not only found servants who were loyal to her, but also found the most capable ones.

As for loyalty, there is no second thought...

...Two eunuchs died in Shouhuai Palace one after another. The palace maids and eunuchs outside were secretly spreading the rumor that the Ninth Prince was cold-blooded and heartless. Those who served here now did not dare to displease him for fear of losing their lives, so how could they dare to betray him?

Rong Ting was sitting under the window, tapping and banging. The new palace servant was curious, so he asked Huai Qing, the old man, "What is the Ninth Prince doing?"

Huai Qing took a look.

On the table, the cinnabar box was wiped clean as if it were new and placed in the most conspicuous position.

No matter how precious or rare the gifts sent by others are, in the end they will just end up gathering dust in the corner.

Rong Ting was now hammering away, as if he was making hairpins and jewelry for girls.

Huai Qing knew that Rong Ting wanted to give the hairpin to Fourth Miss Jiang.

If there was a girl who treated him so well, he would definitely want to give her everything she wanted.

He just didn't expect that the master who was so cruel to others would seem to disappear all the thorns in his body once he thought of the fourth girl.

You don't even need to look at the person in front of you. Just when he is doing things related to her, you can't find any signs of cruelty or madness on him.

But Huai Qing has a six-word motto hanging high in his heart: Talk less, live longer.

To put it simply, "Don't ask too many questions."

…

After returning to Jinling, Rong Ting was unable to give away the hairpin that he had not given away in Yecheng.

He had never before, and never once, noticed the jewelry on a woman's head.

After returning to Jinling, when he saw what other people were wearing, he felt that the ones made by others were better than the one he wanted to give to Jiang Rao.

But he wanted the best for her, better than anything anyone else had.

I do a lot of things at a time and compete with myself stubbornly.

The table is filled with a dazzling array of goods, comparable to the jewelry shops outside.

But he was hardly satisfied.

Seeing this scene, the new eunuch was deeply moved, "Ninth Prince... this must be the result of a demon."

Huai Qing continued to be a little mute and didn't say anything.

But I thought to myself, what do you know? A beautiful woman’s smile is priceless.

…

Rong Ting worked late for several nights.

Classes at Bailu Academy would start at the end of April, so he wouldn't have much time to make jewelry.

Once I entered the Bailu Academy, I had to study in the academy for more than twenty days every month, which left me even less time.

Taking into consideration that some students from the countryside have to go back to farming, Bailu Academy is only open in summer and winter. The course schedule is extremely tight and there is no time to go out.

But even after staying up late for several days, he was still dissatisfied with what he produced.

Unhappy with the possibility that she might not like it.

He is not a woman, he does not know himself

I wonder if women will like these things.

The Ninth Prince, who had always scared others since he was young and had never been afraid of anyone, was showing fear for the first time.

They didn't dare to present the gifts in person, but the day before classes started at the academy, they put all the hairpins and jewelry they had made during this period into a wooden box and asked a eunuch to deliver it to the Jiang Mansion and to Jiang Rao's hands.

In other words, "If she thinks it's ugly and doesn't want to keep it, she can just find a place to throw it away."

If she didn't want them, all the things he made would be worthless.

…

At the end of April, the academy started classes.

On the first day of class, the front of the college was crowded with people.

There were only a few students coming to the academy to study, and most of the people on the street were ordinary people who wanted to see what this class of students looked like.

After all, many of those who entered Bailu Academy would become high-ranking officials in the future.

Especially this time, two princes were admitted to the hospital.

Naturally, his curiosity about the Ninth Prince, who was accepted as a disciple by Yan Nanxun, far outweighed that of the Seventeenth Prince.

"I heard that the Ninth Prince is a cripple who can't walk."

"Even if he is a cripple, a cripple who can be accepted as a personal disciple by Mr. Yan is much better than a fool whose mind is full of wine, meat and women."

The Queen knew that the people in Jinling would be curious about Rong Ting, so she had already found someone to mingle among the crowd and say something to discredit Rong Ting, so that her little Seventeen would not be overshadowed by that cripple.

"But I think the seventeenth prince is more capable. He entered the White Egret Academy at the age of twelve. He is a child prodigy."

"Being disabled or something, with ugly and deformed legs, looks... always makes people feel uncomfortable and unsightly. Even if you are educated, if you show your face in public, wouldn't it scare the children?"

"I heard that the Ninth Prince had a bad temper and was very vicious since he was young. He is indeed not as good as the Queen's biological son, Little Seventeen."

The people's discussion was diverted. When some heard that he was disabled and had a bad personality, they couldn't help but speculate, "Then the Ninth Prince must look like a fierce ghost? Why did Mr. Yan accept him as his personal disciple?"

Amid the discussions, a young man of about fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a white shirt and a scarf, was seen sitting in a wooden wheelchair, slowly walking past here.

His black hair was tied up high, and as he walked through the crowd, his eyes, as deep as a pool, only looked forward, without paying any attention to the passers-by on both sides.

But the passers-by on both sides were attracted by the young man with exquisite and superior profile.

This creature was so different from the evil ghost they had been talking about. Instead, it was so beautiful that it looked like a demon or a fairy. They didn't dare to recognize who it was for a moment.

"What a handsome young man..."

Until there is

The first person to speak was: "The one who just passed by, is that the Ninth Prince?"

This is how he was matched with the Ninth Prince.

They pondered the appearance of the Ninth Prince, and found that he had nothing to do with being vicious. Even in a wheelchair, he stood out among the crowd.

Not to mention scaring the children, there were even parents holding their children, pointing at Rong Ting and poking their children’s chubby legs, “Look at the Ninth Prince, his legs are crippled, he’s not that old, and he can be a disciple of Mr. Yan. Your legs are fine.”

The child squeaked and swung his legs in his parents' arms, but his eyes were always following Rong Ting, unwilling to look away and miss his good-looking brother.

The praises gradually overwhelmed the criticisms.

An old scholar with considerable reputation in the crowd said, "Speaking of which, the Ninth Prince is only less than fifteen years old. He is not only the first among the princes who are his personal disciples, but also the youngest of Mr. Yan's children. Although the Seventeenth Prince is also very capable, he is only a few years older than the Third Prince. There were also several students who entered the White Egret Academy at the age of twelve. It is easy to tell who is superior and who is inferior. Some people are born with healthy limbs, but they don't have a brain to distinguish right from wrong."

Those who agreed with him nodded.

Only the people arranged by the queen long ago were left. They had already said everything the queen had taught them to say and were panic-stricken and didn't know how to discredit them in order to reverse their reputation.

…

Before Rong Ting entered the academy, he looked back.

His eyes swept across the bustling crowd, but he failed to see the Jiang family's carriage.

I quickly retracted my gaze, with no ripples in my heart.

He mentioned to Jiang Rao that on the day the academy opened, the roads would be too crowded and would bump into her, so he told her not to come and see her off.

At that time she pursed her lips and looked reluctant, so he thought she would not listen and came secretly.

Now that I don't see her around, I feel a little relieved.

It's just... I felt that she was obedient, but at the same time, I felt a little sad that I couldn't explain, as I could have seen her once but would see her less instead.

But he suddenly frowned, as if he heard a sound in his ear, and looked back again as if he sensed something.

This time, he looked at the second floor of the restaurant across the street.

…

On the second floor, Jiang Rao was holding the railing, standing on tiptoe and leaning her head out.

Rong Ting didn't let her come, but she came secretly. He said there were many people on the street, so she booked the second floor of the restaurant to take a look secretly.

How could she not come to see him on such an important day when he entered the academy to study?

This is the letter of recommendation she asked her father to write. Half of his success today is due to her.

I heard there were a few ugly people on the street.

Instead of insulting him as a cripple, she found an old scholar she knew to scold those ugly freaks.

The old man is very knowledgeable and he scolded very well!

…

She was feeling very proud of herself. Unexpectedly, Rong Ting would suddenly turn around, raise his eyes, and see her accurately.

Subconsciously, she felt nervous as if she had been caught, so she lowered her head and used the railing to protect herself.

But through the gap in the railing, she saw him smiling at her.

As expected, he was caught...

But when she saw that he didn't have a fierce expression at all and was smiling at her instead, her subconscious fear disappeared. She poked her head out from the railing again, shamelessly blinked her eyes, and smiled too.

…

She didn't listen.

But in Rong Ting's slightly curved eyes, there was a happiness that could not be concealed at all.

There was a smile on her clean, fair face, a smile that seemed both disobedient and a bit naughty.

The smile on Rong Ting's face unconsciously became a little doting.

Her smile is very pure, with two deep dimples on her lips and her eyes curved into crescents, which makes people feel good at first sight.

His eyes moved to her slightly shaking little head.

See a jade hairpin, inserted flat. Enter the hair.

Rong Ting's eyes grew slightly deeper.

What she was wearing seemed to be... the jade hairpin he had made for the first time in Yecheng.