Mu Zhuohua was stunned for a moment, his lips slightly parted, a rare hint of stupidity on his clever face. Liu Yan's eyes fell on those pink lips, and the dream of that night inexplicably emerged in his mind. He vaguely dreamed that he was holding down this restless little girl, and she twisted under him to tease his desires, her little face flushed, and he leaned over and kissed her petal-like lips impatiently, and a strong throbbing surged in his heart. It was the first time in more than 20 years that he wanted to possess and invade her.

I wonder if her taste is as sweet and soft as in the dream.

Liu Yan's eyes suddenly darkened by three points.

Mu Zhuohua suddenly trembled, stepped back, and knelt down on the ground with a loud "bang" sound, which was very painful to hear.

Mu Zhuohua knelt on the ground, his forehead touching the floor under Liu Yan's feet, and shouted: "This subordinate deserves to die, and I will let the prince punish me!"

All the beautiful thoughts were suddenly shattered.

Only the painful throbbing in the heart still lingered, but it gradually cooled down.

The heat in Liu Yan's eyes cooled down. He lowered his head and looked at Mu Zhuohua who was kneeling in front of him very devoutly. After a while, a bitter smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He took it seriously, and he also misunderstood.

A strong sense of fatigue came over him. Liu Yan closed his eyes and said lightly: "Forget it, considering your youth and ignorance, the king will not blame you."

Mu Zhuohua secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the prince was still easy to talk to. As long as she admitted her mistakes sincerely...

For some reason, her heart beat so fast and her hands and feet were weak. The power of the superior was really unbearable. In the final analysis, it was because she was too insincere that she felt guilty now. What Guo Juli said was not unreasonable. She was just a bit of a scumbag. She cheated Liu Yan of money and sex and got all the benefits. Sooner or later, she would be punished.

I don't know if Liu Yan will give her a chance to be a good person now...

Mu Zhuohua hasn't spoken to Liu Yan for several days since she confessed her crime to him that day. She was relieved, but she was always worried. The more she deliberately distanced herself from him, the more she couldn't help but look for his figure. Liu Yan said that he didn't blame her, so he really ignored her. Mu Zhuohua got what she wanted, but she felt lost. She walked home from Lifan Temple every day, walking alone on the road, and she missed the days of riding Liu Yan's carriage home. The carriage was spacious and comfortable, full of the scent of Jialuoxiang, but since she was picked up, she was often stained with the aroma of various pastries from Yipin Pavilion. Because she was always hungry, Liu Yan asked Zhimo or Zhijian to buy her some snacks when they passed by Yipin Pavilion. This made Guo Juli stand at the door every day waiting for her to come home with expectation, and he would always whisper in her ear to ask the prince to change the taste and buy a new bun tomorrow.

But now there is no such benefit. When Mu Zhuohua came out of the Lifan Temple, she happened to see Liu Yan coming out, but the latter got on the carriage without stopping. In the past, the driver was either Zhimo or Zhijian, but these days, it was the driver of the palace. She stood behind and walked slowly, watching the luxurious carriage "da da" away - she felt inexplicably wronged, like a pet thrown away by the owner.

Guo Juli was even more wronged. She didn't have the pastries and buns from Yipin Pavilion to eat. She stamped her feet angrily and groaned, "Why didn't the prince buy buns for the young lady? Did the young lady do something wrong?"

Mu Zhuohua sighed, "Juli, I decided to be a good person and not lie to the prince."

Guo Juli was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, young lady, it will be good for you to accumulate more good deeds."

Mu Zhuohua choked and glared at Guo Juli with resentment.

Guo Juli sighed and said, "So, young lady, when can you get an official rank that allows you to buy the buns from Yipin Pavilion without queuing?"

Looking at her Juli, he really has lofty ambitions.

Mu Zhuohua was full of worries and looked up at the sky in silence.

Liu Yan's meridians had been soaked in the medicine pool for a while, and the residual medicinal properties were finally cleared away, and he no longer felt a dull pain.

But his heart always ached, as if the poison had been transferred.

He restrained his urge to find Mu Zhuohua, and only used more work to force himself to divert his attention, but his efficiency was terribly low. He often didn't read a page of paper for half an hour, and finally just pinched his eyebrows in annoyance, closed the file, and walked into the courtyard to enjoy the cool breeze.

He moved back to Dingwang Mansion to avoid being too close to affect his mood, but he still had someone staring at the courtyard, but his subordinates reported that everything was normal, and Mu Zhuohua had no suspicious behavior of intending to sneak into the other courtyard.

Liu Yan smiled bitterly in his heart. Both of them were equally cautious and hypocritical.

A few days later, Zhijian and Zhimo brought back the results of Xue Xiaotang's investigation, which made Liu Yan temporarily forget about Mu Zhuohua's troubles.

"Xue Xiaotang was born in Jingzhou, an orphan, and joined the army eight years ago. I checked the list of soldiers who joined the army in Jingzhou eight years ago, and found seven people with very suspicious names. These seven people have the same pronunciation as the names of the Seven Eagles of Jingzhou, but with different characters." Zhijian paused here, and his voice became much colder, "Your Highness, the Seven Eagles of Jingzhou use eagle claw hooks as their weapons. We checked the Seven Eagles of Jingzhou before, and we only knew that they disappeared for many years, but we didn't expect that they actually changed their names and joined the army."

Liu Yan's eyes fell on the names on the table. "Xue Xiaotang is one of the Seven Eagles of Jingzhou. So they are the ones who kidnapped Deputy General Yuan's wife and daughter three years ago."

Zhimo said, "I checked the list of soldiers killed in the war three years ago. Xue Xiaotang died on the battlefield, but the bodies of the other six were not found and they were listed as deserters."

Zhijian added, "The prince led 3,000 elite soldiers as bait, but the information was leaked and he was surrounded by Yelu Jing's army. Later, the prince returned with serious injuries and was unconscious. The plan went wrong. Deputy General Yuan's whereabouts were unknown, and the troops he led also disappeared in the vast grassland. , the eldest prince concluded that it was Deputy General Yuan who had betrayed the prince, and he was furious, so he forced Xue Xiaotang to send troops to avenge the prince. However, the army was demoralized at the time because the prince was seriously injured, and Xue Xiaotang thought it was not the best time to go to war. The eldest prince ignored Xue Xiaotang's dissuasion and led his troops to the battle himself. He won several small victories in a row, which made him proud and underestimated the enemy. In the end, he fell into Yelu Jing's trap. Xue Xiaotang rushed to the rescue with his personal soldiers, and saved the eldest prince at the risk of both sides being injured. He severely damaged Yelu Jing's troops, but he himself died in the chaos. "

Xue Xiaotang couldn't leave his post, so he asked six other confidants to kidnap Deputy General Yuan's wife and daughter and hunt down Deputy General Yuan. Later, something must have happened, and the six people could not return to the army." Liu Yan said.

Holding the sword, he said coldly: "Your Highness, I suspect that the six men have already died. When you were unconscious, His Majesty issued an order to kill all deserters. Why did he do this? Was it to kill the six men to silence them?"

Liu Yan frowned, but said nothing.

Zhijian gritted his teeth and said, "Your Highness, Xue Xiaotang loves Princess Roujia deeply and has no grudge against you. He has no motive to frame you, unless he is acting on orders. Who else in this world can make a General of Cavalry and a future prince consort obey orders? The current emperor is terminally ill, and everyone knows it. If an accident happens, will the three princes be able to take over the throne?"

"Three years ago, your highness was seriously injured and unconscious for half a year. During this half year, your highness, who has always been kind and benevolent, went on a killing spree and killed many related people. He said it was accountability and revenge for you, but he also killed all the people involved in the case and all the people who knew about it, leaving you with no clues. Is this accountability, or silencing?"

Liu Yan's palm suddenly fell heavily on the table with a loud muffled sound, "Shut up!"

Zhijian was stunned, but did not shut up. His eyes were filled with hatred, "Your Majesty still refuses to believe it! Mu Zhuohua also said that the Huanyang Powder must have come from the Imperial Hospital! Only the Imperial Hospital has the financial resources to develop such a medicine. Who else can let the Imperial Hospital do such a thing? Why did he develop such a murderous medicine? Why did he develop the medicine but not keep the files! He just wants to kill the prince, but he still wants to leave a reputation of being wise in front of the world. He is afraid that the world will say that he is killing his brothers and sisters! "

Liu Yan's face turned pale in an instant, his fists clenched tightly, and blue veins appeared on the back of his hands. He said in a hoarse voice: "He saved me, saved me with his life..."

At this point, Zhimo had to believe the facts in front of him. He and Zhijian both lost all their close relatives and friends in this conspiracy. The only one they could rely on and trust was the prince. He hated it, but he also felt sorry for the prince. That was also the prince's most cherished close relative, but every piece of evidence pointed to him. Is this the mind of the emperor? For the throne, he can do anything?

Zhimo looked at Liu Yan quietly, his eyes fell on his hand on the table, blood was flowing from his palm, he knew how much pain the prince felt in his heart, so much so that he forgot the wound on his palm. Zhimo asked softly, "Prince, are you going to avenge this?"

Liu Yan was silent for a long time, then he slowly said, "Dr. Wan said that it will be difficult for him to survive this winter."

"Prince, we want justice, so much blood cannot be shed in vain!" Zhijian suppressed his hatred and roared in a low voice, "My father, brother, and my master are all dead! They fought bloody battles on the front line for the State of Chen, but in the end, they were stabbed in the back by their own people. If it weren't for them, the prince would not have come back alive!"

"Zhijian!" Zhimo scolded, "Don't be rude to the prince!"

Before Zhimo finished speaking, he saw Liu Yan's face change, and a streak of bright red blood overflowed from the corner of his lips. Zhimo was shocked and stepped forward to support Liu Yan's shaky body. He stretched out his hand to take Liu Yan's pulse.

His pupils shrank, and he said anxiously: "The prince's meridians are disordered, and the qi and blood are attacking the heart!" Zhijian was also panicked and said, "What should we do!" Zhimo said in a deep voice

: "Take the prince to the Yaochi Villa, I will go to invite Mu Zhuohua!"

As soon as Zhimo finished speaking, he was grabbed by Liu Yan's wrist. Liu Yan opened his eyes slightly and said in a hoarse voice: "Don't call her."

Zhimo was stunned and murmured: "Prince, she is the only person you can trust now."

Liu Yan shook his head gently: "I'm fine, I just need to adjust my breath for a while. This matter... involves His Majesty, don't involve her."

Zhimo frowned in surprise, and suddenly understood something. He didn't say anything else. He helped Liu Yan sit cross-legged on the bed, and he and Zhijian took turns to practice energy to heal him.

Zhimo and Zhijian guarded Liu Yan all night, and finally restored his meridians and blood, but the trauma was still there. Liu Yan looked much paler, so Zhijian couldn't say anything to force him to kill the king for revenge.

"Prince, you'd better not go to the morning court today." Zhijian looked at Liu Yan's expression worriedly.

Liu Yan smiled faintly and said, "It doesn't matter. It's almost time. Let's go."

Liu Yan has never missed a morning court in many years, and today will be no exception.

When Mu Zhuohua was waiting at the palace gate, he found that the carriage of Prince Ding's mansion arrived half a quarter of an hour later than usual, and the coachman today was finally changed to Zhijian and Zhimo.

Mu Zhuohua looked at him secretly, and felt a little strange in his heart - in the past, only one of Zhijian and Zhimo came, why did two people come today.

Just as he was thinking about it, he saw Zhimo pushed open the door and helped Liu Yan get out of the carriage.

Mu Zhuohua was shocked - help?

Why did Liu Yan need someone to help him?

Mu Zhuohua hid in the crowd and observed secretly. When Liu Yan came closer, he found something wrong. Liu Yan's face was not good. Although he had a smile on his face and looked normal, Mu Zhuohua, as a doctor, was sensitive enough to detect signs that he had been injured.

His steps were weak, his breath was unstable, and his lips were pale...

How could he be injured for no reason? Who else in Dingjing would dare to hurt him?

Mu Zhuohua thought about this matter all morning, but he didn't have the courage to ask for the truth.

Liu Yan locked himself up when he returned to Lifan Temple. If there was no major incident to report, the people below would not bother him. Mu Zhuohua looked at the closed door and didn't have the courage to knock. Suddenly, he remembered that there was a window in the backyard where he could see the scene inside, so he found an excuse to go out and walked around to the backyard.

Fortunately, the window was half open. Mu Zhuohua carefully touched the window and pricked up his ears to eavesdrop on the movement inside, but heard nothing. She poked her head out slightly and peeked inside. With a turn of her eyes, she saw Liu Yan resting on the armchair.

At this time, Liu Yan did not hide his tiredness and pain. His brows were knitted and his face was extremely pale. He seemed to be enduring some torture.

Mu Zhuohua felt as if someone had tugged at her heart, which was painful and numb. He was injured, but he did not ask her to treat him.

It turned out that he did not want her anymore. Although she was the first to say that she would not pester him and would turn back from the wrong path, she was still his subordinate after all. If he needed anything, he could just tell her and she would naturally do things for him. Why should he keep him at a distance?

Mu Zhuohua sighed in her heart and returned to her post with melancholy and worry.

As soon as Mu Zhuohua sat down, he saw the eunuch beside Emperor Zhaoming hurried into the Lifan Temple and said with a smile: "Is His Royal Highness Prince Ding here? His Majesty has summoned you."

The Left Assistant Minister who had passed the entrance immediately stood up and said with a smile: "Your Highness is working in the inner room. Please wait a moment, I will go and inform you." The

Left Assistant Minister walked to the door of Liu Yan, knocked on the door, bowed and said: "Your Highness, His Majesty has ordered you to see him." After a while, Liu Yan's voice came from inside the door: "I know, I will go right away."

Soon, Liu Yan pushed the door open and came out. The tiredness and pain on his face disappeared. He even smiled slightly and nodded to the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict

, saying, "Please lead the way, eunuch." Mu Zhuohua looked at Liu Yan's receding back and sighed in her heart.

It was just a forced disguise.

She felt sour in her heart, and she felt a little distressed and wronged.

When Liu Yan arrived, Emperor Zhaoming was sitting in a pavilion by the lake fishing. There were two big fish caught in a wooden barrel beside him.

Liu Yan saluted Emperor Zhaoming, who smiled and said, "We are two brothers, so let's not be polite. Sit down quickly."

Liu Yan sat down next to Emperor Zhaoming with a smile.

Emperor Zhaoming turned his head to look at Liu Yan, examining his face, and after a moment said, "At the morning court today, I noticed that you looked different. Is it your old illness that has come back?"

Liu Yan smiled and said, "It's just a minor injury. I'm used to it."

Emperor Zhaoming sighed and said, "Don't I know you? You love to hold on. I've sent the imperial physician to see you. You should have a good rest here today. I'll be watching you, otherwise you will definitely pretend to have nothing to do and go about your work. It just so happens that I caught two big fish today. I'll ask the imperial kitchen to make fish soup and sweet and sour fish. Fish soup is nourishing, and sweet and sour is your favorite flavor."

Liu Yan lowered his eyes, endured the waves and pain in his heart, and forced a smile, "I obey your command."

The imperial physician soon came to the pavilion, and after taking Liu Yan's pulse carefully, he bowed and said, "Your Majesty, His Royal Highness Prince Ding's meridians are shaking, and his qi and blood are not flowing smoothly. I have prescribed medicine for you, and you just need to take it on time , you will be fine after a few days of rest."

Emperor Zhaoming nodded when he heard this, and waved his hand, saying, "I will boil the medicine and send it to you after dinner."

Emperor Zhaoming waved away the others, looked into Liu Yan's eyes and asked, "Hasn't it been much better in the past two years? Why did you suddenly get sick again?"

Liu Yan smiled and said, "Maybe I was overworked in dealing with the Northern Liang delegation a few days ago."

Emperor Zhaoming said, "You always ask me to pay more attention to my health, but you don't pay attention to it yourself. The affairs of the Lifan Temple can be handed over to the subordinates, so you don't have to do it yourself. Mu Zhuohua, she really has some talents and is a plastic talent."

Liu Yan nodded and said, "My royal brother has a keen eye."

Emperor Zhaoming said, "She, and Shen Jinghong, are the pillars I leave for the future of Chen State. Shen Jinghong is a sword, and Mu Zhuohua is the scabbard. Shen Jinghong is already under Chen'er's command. Chen'er didn't like Mu Zhuohua at first, but now he understands her advantages. If he intends to marry her..."

"No." Liu Yan interrupted without hesitation. Seeing Emperor Zhaoming's inquiring eyes, he explained, "The harem is not allowed to interfere in politics. If Your Majesty wants to use her as a scabbard, you can't hide the scabbard."

Emperor Zhaoming smiled and nodded: "You are right, I was confused. Besides, with Mu Zhuohua's background, the empress dowager would not agree. If I let her enter the palace, it would harm her instead."

Liu Yan breathed a sigh of relief and said softly, "My royal brother is wise."

Emperor Zhaoming was playing with the fishing rod and suddenly said, "You were the one who knocked over the inkstone."

Liu Yan froze.

"You don't want her to show her talent too early, you want to hide her under your wings and let her grow up slowly." Emperor Zhaoming's eyes were filled with a clear smile, "You are worried that she will be involved in right and wrong, and you are also afraid that she will be coveted by others. Brother Yan, you are moved, right?"

Liu Yan fell silent, turned his eyes away and looked at the lake, and after a long time he said: "I can't hide it from my brother."

"She is indeed a child who is loved by everyone, but she is not so easy to handle. We Liu family members are all sentimental, but we are not sentimental. If possible, we should not easily entrust our feelings to her, so as not to hurt others and ourselves." A trace of nostalgia and regret flashed across Emperor Zhaoming's eyes.

"Your brother understands, and has drawn a clear line with her." Liu Yan subconsciously explained, and the four words "hurt others and hurt yourself" in Emperor Zhaoming's words made him think a little more. When

Liu Yan was nervous, he felt that his blood was blocked in his heart, and he couldn't help but cough twice. Emperor Zhaoming poured him a cup of warm water and said, "This is snow ginseng water. It replenishes qi and blood and is good for your body. Drink more."

"Thank you, my brother." Liu Yan took the cup and drank it all.

"I am a broken medicine jar. No matter how expensive the medicine is, it will be useless. It's all wasted." Emperor Zhaoming laughed at himself, "Brother Yan, you must take good care of yourself and help me look after this country."

Liu Yan held the cup, the cold porcelain cup pressed against the bloody mouth of his palm. He sighed and said, "Brother, don't say such things anymore. You are the emperor, and you must live a long and happy life."

"There is no need to say such empty words between you and me." Emperor Zhaoming waved his hand, smiled lightly, turned his head and looked at the shimmering lake, "If we have to say those official words between the monarch and the minister, it would be meaningless. Brother Yan, in this world, you are the only one I can rely on."

If Liu Yan heard this in the past, he would definitely feel deeply moved, but at this moment, his mood was very complicated. He didn't know what expression to make. Not only did Emperor Zhaoming become a stranger to him, but he also felt strange to himself.

"Brother..." he murmured.

Emperor Zhaoming said, "The imperial physician said that my time is limited, and I should make preparations early. I know that the most important thing is to appoint a crown prince. In the past, the prince was still young, and there were rumors that my health was damaged. There were always some people with ulterior motives who wanted to shake the Kingdom of Chen. I could only hold on and give my subjects some confidence so that those villains would not dare to act rashly. If I appoint a crown prince one day, they would know that I am about to die." Emperor Zhaoming laughed at himself, "This time, Beiliang sent an envoy to Dingjing, just to find out the truth about Dingjing and see if you and I can still hold on to the Kingdom of Chen."

"Look at the lake." Emperor Zhaoming pointed at the shimmering lake, with a faint smile on his lips. "It looks calm, but there is so much dirty mud underneath, so many things ready to move."

Before he finished speaking, the buoy shook, and Emperor Zhaoming raised his hand to reel in the line. Another big, fat fish bit the hook tightly and swung its tail, but it eventually fell into the fisherman's net.

Emperor Zhaoming said, "The green mountains and white snow bury not only corpses, but also ambitions."

"Brother Yan, I am not as good as you in civil and military affairs. It would be most appropriate for you to sit on this throne."

Liu Yan was shocked when he heard this, and suddenly raised his eyes to look at Emperor Zhaoming: "Royal brother!"

Emperor Zhaoming raised his hand to interrupt him: "I know you don't like to hear this, and I also know that you don't have such thoughts. Those are malicious speculations and slanders of you by outsiders. They want to sow discord between you and me, but I will not believe them. It's just that I was sick a lot in the past, the prince was young, and you had outstanding achievements, so it is inevitable that people are suspicious, but I don't doubt you, and I hope you don't doubt me."

Liu Yan lowered his eyelids and said, "Your Majesty, I trust your brother wholeheartedly."

Emperor Zhaoming smiled slightly and said, "Brother Yan, I am only the face of Chen State, and you are the backbone of Chen State. As long as we brothers do not fall, Chen State will continue to move forward. But... I still have to go first. You should accompany the children on the road ahead. I am tired too. Brother Yan, you are still young. I hope you will be safe and sound. Don't be like me..."

Liu Yan stared at the profile of Emperor Zhaoming in a daze.

In fact, he is not even forty years old, which is the prime of a man's life, but his temples have already been frosted. Although the corners of his lips are slightly raised at this moment, the smile does not reach his eyes. Liu Yan took a look and felt that his deep eyes were calm, as if he had seen through everything and was tired of everything. He laughed about life and death without any reluctance or nostalgia in his eyes.

Did he do it...

Could it really be him...

"In a while, you will accompany me to draft the edict of succession. I will put it behind the plaque of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. After I leave, you can take the ministers to get it."

Liu Yan lowered his head solemnly and said in a deep voice: "Your humble servant obeys your order."

"Chen'er respects and loves you. If he becomes the emperor, you must be the king of the council." Emperor Zhaoming said, "I will only feel at ease if I hand over this country to you two."