Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Raising an Army to Punish the Crime
"I will summon the Crown Prince to Changchun Palace tomorrow," Queen Wang said nervously. "No, I will summon him today." After attending the morning court each day, the Crown Prince would conduct government affairs in Xuanguang Hall, usually returning to the Crown Prince's Mansion at twilight hour.
I guess the prince is now in the Xuanguan Hall in front.
"In that case, I'll leave first," Li Luohua said, preparing to return home. After all, she was the emperor's biological sister, and a girl. Her presence might make him even more uncomfortable.
Queen Wang also thought of this, and without even bothering to see her daughter off, she hurriedly sent for Bai Shuqi, the director of the Imperial Hospital. After he arrived, she briefly instructed him before sending Nanny Song to the front hall to invite the Crown Prince.
Ever since that night, when he drank blood-red wine and nearly made a mistake, Li Cheng had always felt something was wrong with him, tossing and turning at night. Even when he finally managed to fall asleep, the woman's face would appear in his dreams.
She kissed him forcefully, and the thin layer of window paper between them was broken, and their relationship seemed to have become different.
Li Cheng sat at the top, his brows furrowed into the shape of a "川" character, his elbows resting on the desk, his bony fingers rubbing his temples unbearably, and he couldn't hear clearly what Xia Changzai, who was sitting at the bottom, was saying.
"Your Highness, Your Highness!" Xia Chang called out several times before finally bringing the man back to his senses. All the officials were shocked. Today, His Highness was restless and absent-minded, a far cry from his usual serious and solemn image.
What is going on?
Only Li Fu knew the details, and he silently shook his head at their prince. He was the one who rejected her, and now he was the one who missed her. His Highness was truly stubborn.
I really don’t know when a young master will be born in their Prince’s Mansion.
Xia Chang repeated it patiently again. After listening to it, Li Cheng casually gave a few instructions and sent the man away.
"Your Highness, would you like to rest for a while?" Li Fu asked as he approached him.
Li Cheng also felt tired and was about to nod when a eunuch came from outside the door to announce that Nanny Song wanted to see him.
What did Queen Mother Song want from him again? Li Cheng had a hunch that something was up, and he couldn't help but frown.
Nanny Song bowed as she entered, stating her purpose: "Her Majesty knows that Your Highness is busy with official duties, so she has specially prepared a meal and invites Your Highness to come to Changchun Palace for a chat."
Li Cheng was about to refuse, but Nanny Song said, "The Queen has been feeling unwell these past few days, and I just asked the director to come and take her pulse. Why don't you go in and see her, Your Highness?" As soon as these words came out, the prince had no reason to refuse.
Filial piety has been the most important thing since ancient times. Now that his mother is unwell, the son turns a blind eye and ignores her. How can this be justified?
However, the Crown Prince had not forgotten the time when the Empress tricked him into going to Changchun Palace and giving him wine. He was cautious, thinking that no matter what the Empress gave him next time, he would not accept it. Even if he had to accept it, he would not take it back to the Eastern Palace, let alone give it to Fengyi.
When they arrived at Changchun Palace, there was no food, but Queen Wang was seen pacing anxiously, and Bai Shuqi was standing beside her with his head down and silent.
Hearing the noise, the Queen turned around and said in surprise, "Is Cheng'er here?" Only the Imperial Physician and the Queen Mother were in the room. The usual maids had all left the room. Li Cheng felt strange, but couldn't say it directly. She only said, "I heard from Nanny Song that the Queen Mother was not feeling well."
"It's just a slight headache and fever, which is not a big deal. But now, Queen Mother is more worried about the health of the prince."
"My son's health," the prince wondered. He had always been in good health and had practiced martial arts for many years, training in the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer. While he wasn't as sturdy and brave as a great general, he was definitely not a sickly person.
Now the Queen Mother says she is worried about his health. Why should she worry about his health?
Queen Wang, looking anxious, ordered everyone to wait outside and close the door; not even Li Fu could be kept. The Crown Prince's confusion grew increasingly apparent, wondering what his mother was up to.
There were only three people left in the hall. The Queen pulled the Prince to sit down in front of the couch and asked carefully, "My son, have you felt unwell these years?"
Li Yan pinched his fingertips and said expressionlessly: "No."
"There are only three of us here. Dean Bai is a man of high moral character and would not say anything nonsense. My son, please don't hide it anymore. It is not okay to hide your illness and avoid seeing a doctor."
Li Cheng was amused by the absurd scene before him and asked, "I don't understand what your Majesty means. I have always been in good health, so why would I be afraid to see a doctor?"
After playing dumb for so long, the Queen could no longer hold back. She raised her voice slightly and said, "My son, please stop hiding it. Mother knows everything. Is it because of your health that you haven't had sex with a woman for so many years?"
As soon as the words fell, the room fell into silence.
Li Cheng:!
Where did you start saying this!
His mind suddenly went blank, he was stunned by the anger. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down, suppressing the urge to run out.
He gnashed his teeth and said, "Mother, who told you this?" Who was spreading rumors about him behind his back?
"It doesn't matter who said it. You are the crown prince. If you don't have an heir, you will definitely be criticized by the court officials. Mother is also doing this for your own good. We are not afraid of your illness. Chang'an City has gathered many great doctors from all over the world who can definitely cure your illness..."
"Mother!" he said, his voice rising, interrupting the absurd conversation. "Today, I'll tell you the truth. I have no hidden illness. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." He was about to leave, his usually expressionless face shrouded in gloom.
Queen Wang quickly grabbed the man's sleeve, her face filled with surprise. "No matter what, we need to let the imperial physician take his pulse first." Once a mother asserted herself, the prince couldn't argue.
Li Cheng found this illogical and absurd: "Mother, everything I said is true, why don't you believe it?"
Bai Shuqi lowered his head and stared at the tip of his shoes, not daring to say a word. He just listened silently to the ridiculous confrontation between the mother and son.
Seeing the prince's serious expression, the queen was also shaken for a moment. Could this really be a misunderstanding?
"Then why haven't you had a concubine for so many years?" Not only concubines, but even the servants were men. The two maids she sent to the Prince's residence complained all day about having nothing to do.
Li Cheng sneered: "When my father didn't marry my mother, he didn't have concubines and maids around him, did he?" This is the basic respect for the future wife. Why did it become a hidden illness in his case?
Thinking of the emperor, the queen touched her nose awkwardly and said: "Then why didn't you come to Fengyi the night when my mother sent the blood-red wine?"
Her voice became weaker and weaker, as she seemed to have realized that this was indeed a misunderstanding.
Li Cheng raised his eyes, as if he had caught something, and asked: "How could the Queen Mother know whether my son had the honor to perform the ceremony?" Could it be that someone had spies in the East Palace?
Realizing her son's misunderstanding, the queen quickly explained: "Don't worry too much, my son. Your mother has not sent anyone to monitor you."
"Then why..." You even know such a private matter?
Queen Wang sighed, feeling that she could no longer hide the truth, so she laid it bare: "Luo Hua came to see me just now and said that Feng Yi told her yesterday that he seemed to have noticed that you were unwell. Your mother was anxious for a moment, and that's why she made a big mistake."
Fengyi Li Cheng recalled the evasive look he had shown her last night, and finally understood. It turned out that she was the culprit behind all this!
He was so angry that he gnashed his teeth and could barely breathe. He had worried that she was unconscious and taking advantage of him, but he hadn't expected that she was not only lucid but also still brooding over the matter.
That's how he was arranged outside!
If this happens again and he can still tolerate it, he is not Li Cheng!
The Queen saw the Prince's face turn pale and blue, and she became a little worried: "My son, are you okay?"
Li Cheng's blood boiled and he began to explain: "Fengyi was drunk and unconscious at that time, so it was difficult for me to do anything to her. As for my health problem, you don't have to worry about it, mother. It is nonsense."
Since his mother really wanted to have a grandson, why didn't he fulfill her wish to prevent that woman from spreading rumors about him all day long? She deserved a beating!
Whenever Li Cheng thought of the woman from Zhilanju, he became so angry that his teeth itched.
Li Fu was puzzled when he saw his prince walk out with a gloomy face. Didn't the queen say that she had prepared delicious dishes? Why did he just leave without eating a single bite?
Arriving at the Xuanguang Hall gate, Li Cheng paused and turned around, ordering, "Return to the East Palace." After this outburst, he had no time to attend to official business.
-
When Li Gu returned, he saw the queen alone, leaning against the railing and gazing into the distance. Her figure looked incredibly depressed. He walked over and said,
"I just saw the prince returning to the East Palace in anger. I don't know what happened. Why are you so unhappy again?" Could it be that the mother and son are connected by heart and their tempers are released at the same time?
Queen Wang made a bitter face and pinched the collar of his golden dragon robe, "I think I did something wrong." After understanding the whole story, Emperor Hui'an clapped his hands and laughed.
The queen was furious: "What are you laughing at?" How could he be so unkind? Not only did he not comfort her, he even added insult to injury!
Li Gu's eyes were smiling, and his voice was deep and filled with warmth:
"Have you forgotten, Queen, that I, too, held back for years before I married a wife?" For a man with high standards, sexual pleasure isn't something he can do with just anyone. That person must be someone he truly loves.
Apparently, the same goes for the prince.
"You, don't worry about these trivial things. I see that the prince is about to leave. Tsk tsk, Fengyi must be in trouble."
The Queen also felt sorry for Fengyi and complained, "It's all Luo Hua's fault!" Her heroic eyebrows rose, her face flushed. Time had left no trace on her face, and at this moment she still looked as charming as a young girl.
At least that's what the emperor sees.
Emperor Hui'an was moved by what he saw, and recalling the difficult decades that the couple had spent supporting each other, he was filled with emotion and coaxed her in a low voice: "Yes, Luo Hua is too unruly. Why does she tell everything to others? I will teach her a lesson some other day."
He took her hand in his, squeezed it carefully, and sighed, "Zhen Niang, I have made you suffer all these years." If he had not rebelled, she could have married into the family of a duke, with no worries about food and clothing.
Yet, he watched helplessly as years of war raged and people's livelihoods declined, while the princes and nobles of Chang'an City continued to live in peace and prosperity, unaware of the dangers of war. Local corrupt officials were treacherous and arrogant.
That dynasty was rotten to the core.
Perhaps it was for the sake of the people, or perhaps it was for the selfish pursuit of fame and fortune. Emperor Hui'an was not arrogant, nor did he boast of his amazing talent.
But as he watched the absurd imperial family, where "soldiers fought half their lives on the battlefield, while beauties sang and danced beneath the tents," the setting sun gradually faded, and a strong desire welled up in his heart—if he were the ruler of this world, he would never rule like this. So, recruiting troops and keeping a low profile, the Li family launched a rallying cry against the Liang Dynasty in Shu, shocking the world.
He was the one who was disloyal and unjust, the one who deceived the world and stole his reputation, and yet he caused his wife and children to suffer along with him. When Xuan'er was born and she was still in confinement after giving birth, Yizhou was besieged, and he was far away in Xuzhou, unable to take care of himself. The empress was brave and personally rode on horseback to fight the enemy, successfully repelling the attacking army.
But because of this, he developed a chronic illness and had to drink herbal medicine from time to time to regulate his body.
Li Gu was no saint. He had done his duty to the people of the world, but he always felt guilty towards his wife and children. If he hadn't rebelled, Zhenniang wouldn't have suffered so much, and Zhen'er wouldn't have become a stranger to his parents.
The queen sensed that he was in a low mood, and her voice became heavy as she asked, "What's wrong? Why are you being sad here in broad daylight?" He was already the emperor, so why would he abdicate?
"I don't find it hard at all. You respect me and love me. You never take concubines and never make me angry. I am already lucky among all the women in the world."
After saying that, she couldn't help but hit him, looking at him with disdain, "Do you regret it and want to take a concubine?"
Emperor Hui'an shook his head repeatedly and grabbed her hand. "I'm already very old, how could I still have the energy?" His tone was soft and his eyes were gentle enough to overflow with tears. "Besides, even if I were decades younger, I would not take concubines. I, Li Gu, only have Zhenniang in this life. We will sleep in the same bed and die together."
Mo Ming heard his confession, and the queen blushed. She asked embarrassedly, "Then why are you so sad?"
Li Gu smiled, raised his hand and pulled the person into his arms, and let out a long sigh, "It's nothing. Seeing that Cheng'er has grown up a lot, the imperial edict he issued is appropriate. I think... it's time for me to abdicate." After all, they didn't have much time left.
They had fought so hard to build a vast kingdom, but they had never witnessed it with the Queen...
-
When Li Cheng arrived at Zhilan Residence, Liang Hanzhang had just finished lunch and was reclining on the couch reading. She always felt particularly sleepy after a meal, so she held the book in her hand, nodding her head, and before she knew it, she closed her eyes.
Suddenly, a greeting came from outside the door. Before I could react, I saw a man in an ochre-yellow python robe standing in front of me.
I couldn't help but wonder: he rarely comes back at this time, and he would never come to Zhilanju at this time.
Glancing at the man's dark face, Liang Hanzhang felt that something was not going on.
Just as he was about to put down his book and stand up to pay his respects, the Crown Prince spoke indifferently, "What rumors did you spread about me when you went out with Luo Hua yesterday?"
rumor-mongering
How could she, in all conscience, spread rumors about the prince?
The pair of dark eyes stared at him, and Liang Hanzhang was too frightened to look him in the eye. He lowered his head and thought: Did she spread rumors? No. Why didn't he remember this happening? Could it be that someone was slandering the prince outside, trying to sow discord between the two?
The prince's face was gloomy, with a hint of a smile. His tall figure stood in front of the couch, giving off an oppressive vibe. Liang Hanzhang didn't dare breathe loudly, and cautiously raised her head to defend herself: "Your Highness is a beautiful lady, and I have admired him for a long time. How could I have spread rumors about you?"
"Heh," Li Cheng sneered, with anger suppressed on his purple face: "It was you who spread rumors with Luo Hua yesterday that I was incapable of doing anything."
If you ignore his face and just listen to his usual cold voice, you wouldn't be able to tell that the man was angry. These words fell into Liang Hanzhang's ears, like a thunderclap.
She remembered that she had indeed told the princess yesterday that the prince was ill. But it was just a casual remark, so how did it reach the prince's ears?
Liang Hanzhang was shocked and confused. She secretly looked up at him and then quickly lowered her head. Her face was full of guilt, and her voice was as soft as a mosquito's whisper: "This...this...I think Your Highness must have misunderstood."
"Misunderstanding!" Li Cheng slammed his fist on the table, and everything on it instantly fell to pieces. He half-closed his eyes, his tongue pressed against his back teeth:
"Today, my mother summoned me to Changchun Palace, saying that she wanted to ask the director of the Imperial Hospital to treat me. You said that it wasn't Fengyi's fault that this rumor spread so widely."
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