Chapter 27 You seem to be having a good time here.

The two princes paused for a moment outside the palace gates, but did not immediately part ways.

At first they walked one after the other, but at some point they started walking side by side, yet they remained strangely silent.

The carriage stopped outside the palace gate, at a distance that was neither too close nor too far. The personal attendants waited quietly, but the two princes did not move forward.

"Third Brother," the Fourth Prince spoke first, "Father seems to be wavering."

The Third Prince, who had been pondering what to say, immediately put on a fake smile upon hearing this: "Since it is Father's will, how can we disobey? What do you say, Fourth Prince?"

The fourth prince lifted his eyelids, his smile gloomy, the red marks on his face not particularly noticeable.

He raised his hand and gently touched his cheek, saying softly, "Father Emperor listened to Tianmu's slander and is probably very dissatisfied with us."

hehe.

The Third Prince smiled and said, "Really? I don't see it that way."

Two similar eyes met. The Third Prince's gaze swept over the other's disheveled hair, and he let out a confident chuckle: "I suppose Father is quite satisfied with me."

Tianmu said he died young, but now it seems it was for the best.

The third prince uttered these words, bowed slightly, and swaggered into his carriage.

The fourth prince stood silently in place, his face extremely grim.

However, once the Third Prince was seated in the carriage, his mood was not as relaxed as he appeared.

He can't be the crown prince?

How could he not become the crown prince?

The person blocking the way...

A cold glint flashed in the Third Prince's eyes. He thought expressionlessly: Then kill them all.

...

Because Emperor Hong'an did not issue an edict, Zhou Xuyan still went to court as usual the next day.

He was prepared to die, and his former kind or obsequious colleagues kept their distance, and no one dared to associate with him.

Zhou Xuyan knew what was going on and stood silently at the front. A short while later, he heard a few undisguised voices drifting from behind him.

"Minister Zhou is still as upright and unyielding as ever—"

"The Zhou family is a powerful and influential family, and they even married a princess. They're not like you or me..."

Then came a low chuckle.

Zhou Xuyan: "..."

He couldn't be bothered with these opportunists, but a voice suddenly broke in from behind him: "Is this a place for you to whisper amongst yourselves?!"

The man scolded the two bored fellows, strode forward like a fighting rooster, and didn't even spare Zhou Xuyan a glance, only letting out a resounding "Hmph!"

Zhou Xuyan stared at the man's back and recognized him as Shen Mingzhe, with whom he had just exchanged insults a few days ago.

Zhou Xuyan: ?

Lord Shen was clearly in a bad mood; his usually upright face looked even more somber now.

After waiting a moment, Emperor Hong'an took his seat and finished speaking on the main topics. When the eunuch routinely announced, "If you have something to report, please do so; otherwise, the court may adjourn," Shen Mingzhe immediately rushed forward and loudly proclaimed, "Your subject has something to report."

He walked so fast that his silhouette became a blur.

Emperor Hong'an stopped yawning and gestured for Zhao Wen to fetch the memorial.

However, Shen Mingzhe had not prepared a memorial. He immediately launched an attack on Zhou Xuyan: "I would like to ask Minister Zhou, what are your thoughts on what Tianmu said?"

Zhou Xuyan had long known he was a stubborn rock, and secretly rolled his eyes, then stepped forward with apparent composure: "What does Lord Shen mean?"

"Even if the good son you raised is a future possibility, is he without fault?"

Zhou Xuyan ignored him. In the end, he only needed to give an explanation to the emperor. He turned to Emperor Hong'an and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I know I am guilty. Please punish me."

As he spoke, he pulled out a pre-prepared apology note from his sleeve.

On the throne, Emperor Hong'an's eyes were dark and he appeared unwell.

He also tossed and turned all night last night.

In his dream, a woman, the embodiment of the heavens, stood before him with her hands on her hips, muttering: "Emperor Ning Zhongzong, the tyrant of all time, plotted rebellion and usurped the throne, he deserves to die a thousand deaths..."

He wholeheartedly agreed and was about to deliver the fatal blow when he turned around and saw that the woman's face had suddenly changed. She glared at him coldly and said, "Zhong Shize! Your good son is useless, instead he's ruining my SSR?!"

Zhong Shize was stunned. He wanted to refute, but he couldn't think of any good qualities in his surviving sons.

In the blink of an eye, the figure transformed back into the deceased empress. Years had passed, yet she remained unchanged, standing before him silently weeping.

He stepped forward and put his arm around his wife's shoulder. The two leaned against each other, and suddenly he heard her sorrowful voice: "My lord, if you kill Zhou She, what will happen to our Zhun'er?"

Emperor Hong'an remained silent.

When I woke up again, it was still night, the sky was dark, and there were only a few stars.

He refused Zhao Wen's offer to follow him, picked up the lantern, and went to the Imperial Study alone.

The long table was filled with memorials; on the far right was the section on military affairs, in the middle on people's livelihood, and on the left on governance.

The emperor sat in his chair, casually picked up a book, and opened it to the first page, which read: "A certain general has been leading troops in the field for many years, and his family has few children. Feeling old and frail, he requests to retire."

Looking at the words "few offspring" and thinking about the current situation of the generals in the court, the emperor felt that a few more strands of hair had turned white.

He stared blankly at the memorial, the candlelight flickering slightly, mirroring his fluctuating emotions.

Until Zhao Wen arrived in a hurry.

"Your Majesty..." Zhao Wen called softly from outside the door. Hearing the emperor's voice, he pushed the door open and entered.

He seemed oblivious to the messy desk and the emperor's worried expression, and simply said respectfully, "It's time for court."

Emperor Hong'an suddenly came to his senses.

Several eunuchs brought forward the court robes. While he was changing, he suddenly remembered something and asked, "What was Zhou She's reaction in prison yesterday?"

Zhao Wen kept his eyes down and remained silent, saying, "This servant is unaware. This matter is entirely up to Lord Huai; this servant dares not utter a word."

The emperor paused for a moment, then chuckled, "Old man, when did you become so cautious?"

Zhao Wen laughed along, but in his heart he thought: It's not like I'm tired of living.

Therefore, the emperor looked somewhat haggard even when he officially went to court.

Seeing Shen Mingzhe talking so enthusiastically, he really didn't have the energy to reply.

Meanwhile, Zhao Wen handed the letter of apology to Emperor Hong'an.

The emperor casually flipped through two pages. With Zhou Xuyan's literary skills, he naturally wrote with great emotion, and his confession was exceptionally remarkable.

He didn't bother to look, closed the book again, and asked Zhou Xuyan, "Zhou Qing, where do you think you've committed your crime?"

Zhou Xuyan knelt down, bowing deeply. When he spoke, his voice trembled slightly: "Tianmu speaks of the future, and I have no way to defend myself. The Zhou family has served Your Majesty for decades, fulfilling our duties faithfully and without any oversight. Your Majesty, I have nothing to say."

As soon as the words were spoken, whispers immediately filled the previously silent court.

What stopped all this was the emperor's soft sigh: "Why are you acting like this? Minister Zhou, I know you are not that kind of person. However... you don't need to attend court for the time being. You should stay at home and reflect on your mistakes."

Zhou Xuyan knelt on the spot, a slight redness appearing in his eyes.

Emperor Hong'an looked at Zhou Xuyan and felt a pang of emotion: the Zhou family had served the royal family for generations, and Zhou Xuyan had served as Minister for several years. Although he had a bad habit of being a bit dramatic, he was still a useful person.

If it works well, then I'll use it for now.

Although Shen Mingzhe was not entirely satisfied, he considered it a response, given that the emperor had already issued his punishment.

Zhou Xuyan was barely considered an extra. Shen Mingzhe pressed his advantage, saying, "Your Majesty, Zhou Xuyan's crime is failing to properly educate his son, but it is far less serious than the crimes committed by Zhou She! In my opinion, the Zhou father and son should be executed as a warning to others!"

This time the emperor remained silent. After a long silence, he finally spoke: "I have my own arrangements."

The room erupted in uproar.

Judging from His Majesty's words, does that mean he is not yet prepared to take action against Zhou She?

The poor relationship between Zhou Xuyan and his son Zhou She was known to all the officials present. Given that the emperor and his minister had enjoyed a harmonious relationship for over a decade, it was not entirely unexpected that the emperor would not execute Zhou Xuyan.

But Zhou She... he was truly at the very center of the storm!

The emperor left those words behind, then rose and stood up. Only after he had walked a considerable distance could one hear the eunuch calling out, "If there's nothing else, court is adjourned!"

Emperor Hong'an walked out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony and boarded his palanquin. The weather was much better than yesterday; washed clean by the rain, it appeared even clearer and brighter.

Emperor Hong'an suddenly said, "Go to the Heavenly Prison."

Zhao Wen hurriedly caught up and, upon hearing this, immediately arranged for manpower and made careful preparations before changing direction and heading towards the prison.

Halfway there, the emperor added, "Bring Huai Leju here as well."

Emperor Hong'an made no prior arrangements, and of course, no one informed Zhou She.

When the emperor arrived, Zhou She was changing the strips of cloth on his leg; the one he had put on the night before was already soaked with blood.

He heard a rustling sound behind him, but Zhou She didn't think much of it, assuming it was Huai Leju coming to spy on him: "Lord Huai, could you please bring me something..."

As he spoke, he turned his head to look. There was indeed Huai Leju present, his face appearing even paler than yesterday.

As for the person standing at the very front, he felt his hair stand on end.

The emperor stood with his hands behind his back in front of the iron railing, smiled slightly at him, and asked, "What do you want me to bring for you?"

"..." Zhou She glanced at him, his Adam's apple bobbing as he tried to calm himself down. Finally, he managed to utter a sentence, "Bring some wine."

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the emperor's face darken.

Emperor Hong'an turned around, his gaze sweeping over Huai Leju, his voice still light and airy: "It seems you two have a good relationship."

Looking at Huai Leju's expression, Zhou She felt that he was going to assassinate him tonight: "Your Majesty, it was I who took the liberty of making the decision. Lord Huai was unaware of it."

The emperor ignored him, waved his hand, and signaled to open the prison door. With a click, the lock came off, the iron door opened, and he slowly walked into the cell.

Zhou She quickly moved forward a little.

He really wanted to pay his respects to the emperor, but given his current physical condition, it was quite difficult.

Therefore, after trying, he found that he really couldn't move and could only cast an apologetic look at the emperor.

Emperor Hong'an looked down at him condescendingly: "Zhou She, do you feel that your crimes are unforgivable and that you are completely indifferent?"

This is a tremendous injustice!

Zhou She immediately rolled up his trouser leg to prove his innocence: "Your Majesty, please understand, it's not that I didn't want to perform the ceremony, it's just that I'm not feeling well..."

As he moved, everyone present saw a deep wound that exposed the bone.

The new strips of cloth, not yet fully replaced, lay not far away, while the old bandages had already been removed. The emperor glanced at them briefly, but his gaze stopped before it even fully swept over them.

He coughed lightly: "Aren't you going to put it down? What kind of behavior is this!"

Zhou She readily agreed and lowered his trousers. He didn't expect the emperor to take him to see a doctor, and obediently adopted a humble and receptive posture: "Your subject knows his mistake."

Emperor Hong'an stood there for a moment, and a chair was immediately offered to him. Zhao Wen quietly withdrew, leaving only Huai Leju standing straight behind him.

The emperor looked at Zhou She's pale face, which was pale from blood loss, and said quietly, "I see you're quite happy here."

Zhou She felt a toothache upon hearing that tone.

The emperor was indeed benevolent, but his ability to be sarcastic and unpredictable was far beyond that of ordinary people.

Of course, he thought this in his heart, but he couldn't show it on his face. He smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty, I am not happy here."

The emperor's gaze fell on him, his expression indifferent: "You're not even afraid of death, so why should I let you live? What else could you be unhappy about?"

What do you think?

Zhou She muttered to himself, but put on a sincere expression of respect: "I fear I will not be able to serve Your Majesty in the future."

As soon as he finished speaking, Huai Leju, standing behind the emperor, changed his expression slightly.

Upon hearing this, the emperor seemed to have been struck by a joke, and laughed so hard he almost fell over: "If you are still the Zhongzong Emperor that Tianmu speaks of, I dare not let you serve as my advisor."

Zhou She silently lowered his head: "Your subject understands."

The laughter abruptly stopped. The emperor stared at Zhou She and said calmly, "You understand? No, you don't."

To Huai Leju's astonishment, he stood up, paced back and forth in the cell, and said in a low voice, "Tianmu, even if he has read extensively in history books, he is nothing more than a bookworm."

His voice held an arrogance that he would never normally display.

Zhou She was bewildered, not knowing why he suddenly brought up the sky.

Huai Leju was also bewildered, but having served the emperor for over ten years, he understood him better and seemed to have a sense of something amidst his confusion.

The light footsteps stopped. He wasn't standing very straight. The emperor, who was always reserved, spoke in his usual calm and gentle tone, but his eyes gleamed with a sharp light: "I don't use force? I want future generations to see clearly that this dynasty doesn't use force because I don't want to, not because I can't."

As he spoke, he turned around.

"Zhou She." He uttered Zhou She's name casually, a lingering smile still playing on his lips. "Tianmu says you will rebel. I ask you, do you dare?"

Zhou She prostrated himself and said, "Your Majesty's grace extends to all under heaven. I am burdened with the Emperor's favor, but I cannot and dare not."

"You just don't rebel against me," the emperor corrected. "But it doesn't matter. So what if you're a traitor? I dare to use you."

The emperor was always gentle, and most of the time he would never show such an expression.

Such majesty, such disdain for the world.

In the dimly lit prison, only the candlelight from the lanterns spilled onto the floor, making it impossible to see even the faces of the people inside.

The light was dim, obscuring the emperor's expression. He looked at Zhou She and said calmly, "I see you are in good spirits. In that case, go to the Imperial Guard to take up your post tomorrow."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

The next moment, two voices rang out simultaneously.

"Your Majesty, I thank you!" This was Zhou She's voice expressing his gratitude.

"Your Majesty..." This was a rather unexpected voice from Huai Leju.

The emperor took one last look at Zhou She's prostrate figure, then turned and left, his voice echoing softly: "Ziyou, I entrust him to you."

The emperor strode away, leaving Zhou She and Huai Leju staring at each other in bewilderment.

Huai Leju's expression was cold, his face slightly pale, and it took him a long time to say, "Since His Majesty has given the order, you shall come with me now."

Zhou She remained silent.

"Are you going to defy the imperial decree?" Huai Leju asked expressionlessly.

“…” Zhou She pointed to his leg, “My leg seems to be broken.”

Huai Leju: "..."

Zhou She: "Lord Huai, you refuse to treat me? Do you know what His Majesty means?"

Although the situation was still unclear, both of them were intelligent and could sense the emperor's unspoken words.

Therefore, upon receiving the order, he had already begun to skillfully pull up the tiger shield as a shield.

After an awkward silence, Huai Leju finally said, "I'll get you a doctor."