Chapter 299: Make a decision when necessary, but also show compassion

Inside the Cining Palace.

The finest sandalwood was burning in the hall, and the curling green smoke swirled upwards, but it could not dispel the solemn atmosphere in the hall.

The Empress Dowager had obviously heard the news. She sat upright on the phoenix couch with a gloomy face. The red sandalwood Buddhist beads in her hands were clenched tightly, and her knuckles were slightly white.

Yan Shixu dismissed his attendants, leaving only Yongtai to guard the door. Only the grandfather and grandson were left in the hall.

Yan Shixu directly and concisely told the Empress Dowager the whole story of Xie Zhenrong's miscarriage, the replacement of her son with her nephew, and her sudden death in the side hall of the Imperial Study after the matter was exposed.

"Grandmother." Yan Shixu's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible fatigue, yet was extremely firm.

"My grandson knows this is appalling and a disgrace to the imperial family. But a short pain is worse than a long one. Only by cutting the Gordian knot and completely eradicating this cancer can we deter villains and ensure the stability of our Great Yan Empire. My grandson has issued a strict order to silence all of this. The only thing he can say to the public is that the Xie and Liu families were reported for possessing banned books. After investigation, the evidence was conclusive, and that is why they were punished this way."

The crime of concealing banned books can be serious or minor, and in serious cases, the family may be confiscated and the entire clan exterminated.

However, the emperor showed "special mercy" and lenient punishment to Duke Rong because the Duke's Mansion was the former queen's maternal family, and because Duke Wen had made great contributions in saving the emperor more than ten years ago, and only punished those involved in the case.

The rest were demoted to commoners and sent back to their hometowns.

This is a seemingly reasonable explanation to the people of the world.

After listening to this, the Empress Dowager closed her eyes for a long time, with a look of deep sorrow and helplessness on her face, which came from having experienced so much.

She twirled the Buddhist beads in her hand faster.

"I... understand."

She slowly opened her eyes, bloodshot and tired, and her voice was old and heavy.

"Xu'er, you did the right thing. The Xie family... deserved death! The Xie and Chen families... are being dragged down by their descendants. It's their fault for not raising their children well and not managing their families properly! It's just hard..."

Thinking of the child she truly loved, the Empress Dowager fell silent, tears welling up in her eyes.

How innocent the child is!

What does the sins committed by adults have to do with those ignorant children?

Can……

But the very existence of that child is an original sin that cannot be erased!

He is the ironclad evidence that the Xie family has confused the royal bloodline!

Once his background is revealed, there will be people with ulterior motives who will use his name to cause trouble, both now and in the future.

If not dealt with, it will always be a hidden danger!

Yan Shixu naturally saw what the Empress Dowager was thinking. He solemnly conveyed the order:

"The Second Prince, Yan Xingzhi, contracted a serious illness and tragically passed away young. According to...princely rules, he was buried in the Imperial Mausoleum."

"Upon hearing this tragic news, the deposed Empress Xie was so grief-stricken that she committed suicide to follow the Second Prince."

He paused and added, "According to our ancestral regulations, suicide is considered unlucky and cannot be buried in the imperial mausoleum. Therefore, his body was sent back to the Xie Mansion for disposal."

After Yan Shi finished his story, he paused for a long time, then changed his tone with a hint of complicated emotions:

"His surname shouldn't be Yan. I have someone...find a loyal and honest, childless farmer or minor official's family far from the capital, and give him up for adoption. From now on, this child will have no further connection to the royal family, and no one is allowed to reveal any details of his background to his adoptive parents."

In the end, he spared the child's life, but the price was the complete destruction of everything he once possessed—his noble status, his distinguished family name, and any possibility of future connection with the royal family.

From then on, there was no Second Prince Yan Xingzhi in the world anymore. There was only an unknown child who grew up ignorantly in the countryside, ordinary but away from the bloody vortex.

This may be the last bit of kindness he can give to Xie.

Tears welled up in the eyes of the Empress Dowager. She reached out and gently patted the back of Yan Shixu's hand, her voice choked with sobs and relief.

"Good...good boy, you did very well. You made a decisive decision, but you also showed compassion. I...am relieved."

This is the best ending.

The order was issued and executed quickly and secretly.

Soon, news spread in the palace that the second prince had died of a sudden illness, causing a wave of sighs and discussions.

Then he was completely overwhelmed by the huge shock brought by the private collection of banned books by the Rongguo Mansion and the Wenguo Mansion.

Everyone in the court and the country was shocked by the audacity of the two governments and the emperor's tyranny.

And the child who was sent away secretly disappeared silently from everyone's sight like a tiny stone thrown into the vast ocean.

…

Tourmaline Palace.

The hall was warm as spring, and the air was filled with the faint fragrance of pear blossoms.

When Yan Shixu stepped into the inner hall, he saw Wen Li'er leaning on the warm couch by the window, her posture relaxed and lazy, her slender fingers quietly fiddling with a chess board.

The yellowish candlelight flickered, and the warm yellow halo outlined the soft and obedient contours of her profile.

Bright eyes, straight nose, and tender red lips.

Every detail seemed to be meticulously painted, growing in his heart.

It seemed that as long as he saw her, all the worries accumulated in the past few days would be washed away in an instant, leaving only a soothing peace.

"Li'er." He called her, his voice unconsciously softening.

Wen Li'er, who was immersed in the chess game deduction, turned around when she heard the voice.

The moment I saw him, stars seemed to fall into my eyes, and a bright and pure smile bloomed on my face.

Just like the beginning of melting ice and snow.

"His Majesty!"

Wen Li'er exclaimed in surprise and immediately wanted to get up from the warm couch to greet him.

However, after sitting for too long, my legs and feet became numb.

His body was unstable for a moment and he fell towards the couch.

Yan Shixu's eyes flashed, and his figure flashed like lightning, and he was at the edge of the couch in an instant.

He stretched out his long arms and firmly took the soft and fragrant body into his arms.

Yan Shixu hugged her tightly with lingering fear, and scolded her in a low voice with a hint of fear:

"You're such a fool! You could fall even when you stood up. If I hadn't arrived in time, I wonder what you would have done!"

Although his tone was accusatory, his face was full of heartache.

Wen Li'er buried her little face in his arms, secretly curled the corners of her mouth, revealing a hint of cunning as if she had succeeded.

When he looked up again, there was only innocence on his face.

Her big watery eyes blinked, filled with dependence and longing for him.

"Your Majesty, I am simply overjoyed to see you. I have been waiting for you for days, until the flowers were almost wilted."

As she spoke, she rubbed her cheek against his chest, like a coquettish kitten.

Yan Shixu originally wanted to put on a stern face and scold her again.

Seeing her completely dependent, cute and adorable look, my heart instantly softened and I didn't even remember the thought of scolding her.

"Then I'll play a few games of chess with you, okay?"

Wen Li'er smiled brightly instantly.

She hugged his neck and kissed him on the cheek quickly, with a crisp sound.

"I knew it, Your Majesty treats me the best!"

As she spoke, she excitedly stood up from his arms, carefully moved the chessboard on the couch off the small table, and rearranged the chessboard.

After playing several games in a row, Wen Li'er racked her brains, and in the last game she even acted coquettishly and cheated, and "narrowly won."

She immediately smiled, cheered, and threw herself into Yan Shixu's arms without caring about her image and rolled around.

She kissed him several times in a row, and her laughter was as clear as a silver bell.

Yan Shixu was infected by her undisguised joy, and the fatigue and heaviness of dealing with the court officials' questions and handling subsequent matters in recent days seemed to be dispelled by this laughter.

His chin rested lightly against the top of her head, sniffing the fragrance of her hair, trying hard to control himself.

"If you continue to make trouble, you will suffer the consequences."

Wen Li'er immediately calmed down, snuggled obediently in his arms, and acted like a wooden stake.

Yan Shixu chuckled, leaned over and kissed her aggrieved little face.

"First, accompany me to see the three children, and then rest when you come back."

“Okay~~~~~~”

…