The palace was heavily guarded late at night. Even a fly had to be counted before it could fly in or out. Those who didn't count were allowed to leave their heads behind as a pass.
Another failure. Useless, all idiots. They only went to kill a cripple, but every time they went and never came back, without even getting a scratch on the cripple's head.
Thinking of the corpses that were thrown back into the palace, Wen Ziyu wished he could grab his sword, rush out of the palace, and kill his way to the Regent's mansion.
Do it yourself.
However, he couldn't. Even if he wanted Wen Shaoxing dead, he couldn't do it himself, and he couldn't let anyone see that he was going to do it.
Therefore, upon seeing those white corpses, he could only grit his teeth and utter those words against his will: "Investigate thoroughly. I want to see who has repeatedly tried to kill my imperial uncle."
…＊…
Inside the emperor's bedchamber, the lights were on, and a group of palace maids and eunuchs knelt in fear, lest they offend the emperor and lose their lives.
Fifteen-year-old Wen Ziyu, dressed in a dragon robe, wandered around the palace, taking increasingly larger strides that caused the hem of his robe to sway, occasionally stirring up a gust of wind.
Finally, under the watchful eyes of everyone, the emperor stepped on his own clothes with his left foot and his right foot stepped on the hem of his robe, successfully falling flat on his face.
A muffled thud and a cry of pain echoed through the bedchamber.
The entire palace seemed to be frozen solid in an instant, even the flickering candlelight was frozen.
Their breathing ceased at that moment, and like quails, they buried themselves deeper into their arms, fearing the sight that could cost them their heads.
If they could hear their innermost thoughts, right now, their hearts would probably be filled with the same plea: "Save me! Save me!"
Suddenly, as if the heavens had heard the prayers of the many palace maids and eunuchs, a slightly hurried voice broke the deadly silence.
Like a savior descending upon us.
That shrill voice sounded so pleasant at that moment; if the timing hadn't been so inappropriate, they would have loved to look up and catch a glimpse of the person's charm.
"Oh dear, my little emperor, you'd better be careful, or you'll hurt yourself."
The chief eunuch, Zhang, rushed over. Upon seeing this scene, he couldn't help but raise his hand to shield his eyes, as if he hadn't seen anything. After a moment of stunned silence, he hurriedly stepped forward to help the young emperor up.
But to everyone's surprise, Wen Ziyu's expression froze upon hearing Eunuch Zhang's words, and his face, which had been contorted from the fall, immediately darkened.
His eyes turned cold, and he pushed away Zhang Gonggong, who came to help him, but he staggered backward and fell down again because of the excessive force.
How lucky this time! It wasn't a dog falling flat on its face, but a little turtle lying flat on its back.
However, no one dared to laugh at this ridiculous and absurd scene. Everyone in the hall was sweating profusely, while those outside were completely unaware of it.
Steward Zhang dared not move. His body stiffened slightly, his outstretched hand remained suspended in mid-air, and his feet seemed to be nailed down, unable to move an inch.
After a long while, Wen Ziyu finally stood up, his face flushed. He shook his sleeves, pointed his index finger at Steward Zhang in front of him, then looked at the rows of kneeling, trembling servants, pointing at them one by one, before roaring angrily:
"An emperor is an emperor. What do you mean by a little emperor? I am the only Son of Heaven under Heaven. No one can take my throne, and no one can step on my head. Even a cripple is no match for me!"
The thought that the man in the palace was still alive kept him awake day and night. He wished he could tear him to pieces rather than strip him of his power and imprison him.
Why didn't he just fall off the horse and die from the fall? Why didn't the poison kill him directly instead of just killing his injured leg?
A cripple, a cripple, a cripple.
He's already a cripple, yet so many courtiers still share his heart. He should kill all those scum, cut off their heads, and let them see the consequences of choosing the wrong master.
A hint of murderous intent flashed in Wen Ziyu's eyes as he looked at Steward Zhang, who had been with him since childhood, and even thought that he was also that person's subordinate.
I could hear his repeated words of comfort echoing in my ears.
"Young Emperor, just listen to the Regent. By seniority, he's your uncle, and blood is thicker than water; he wouldn't harm you."
"If the young emperor insists on proceeding with this matter, it will surely cause the people's hearts to crumble and also break the regent's heart. The young emperor must consider this carefully."
"The Regent was only doing it for the young emperor's own good. Those two were treacherous officials who exploited the people, always gossiping about him. Killing them is fine, but the young emperor mustn't let the Regent down and disappoint his good intentions."
...
Kindness?
Whose kindness is this, that of a cripple who holds the imperial seal?
Trying to ride on his coattails and act like a fox borrowing the tiger's power? Dream on!
He didn't need his kindness; rather, he was somewhat inclined to dig out that heart and see if it contained the words "loyalty to the emperor."
"What is your intention in addressing me in this way? Are you trying to remind me that I, the emperor, will remain subservient to others for a long time, or do you actually have someone else in your heart?"
Thinking of this, Wen Ziyu gritted his teeth, his still-childish face filled with anger and resentment, while Zhang Gonggong, upon hearing this, immediately knelt down.
He knelt without hesitation, yet with a hint of sorrow.
He was the chief eunuch left to Wen Ziyu by the late emperor. When the late emperor passed away, he specifically instructed him to supervise Wen Ziyu well so that he could become a wise ruler, and not to make unfounded suspicions or listen to the instigation of villains.
But now, the young emperor has finally walked down the path that the late emperor least wanted to see.
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