The sun sets in the west, and dusk shrouds Changchun Palace. The cold wind outside the palace blows in some fallen leaves, gently brushing the corners of the brother and sister's clothes.
Yuan Cheng knelt in front of the incense table, his expression calm, only the candlelight in his eyes reflected a faint light.
Yuan Zhao was beside him, his hands resting on his knees, silent.
She looked up at her mother's tablet, with some anger still lingering in her heart, but more of it was an indescribable sense of disappointment.
She pondered for a moment, but couldn't help asking,
"Did...Is it...something that caused you trouble?"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Cheng's eyes turned slightly, glanced at her, then lowered his eyelids and said in a steady tone -
"Deal with the Imperial Guards, clear out the palace maids in the Qinzheng Palace, smash the Imperial Concubine's bedroom, and slap the Imperial Concubine..."
He enumerated them one by one, his tone neither light nor heavy, but with a unique rhythm. He paused for a moment after each sentence, as if waiting for her to react.
Yuan Zhao's heart tightened when he heard this. He subconsciously straightened his back and tightened his fingers quietly.
This familiar feeling...
From childhood to adulthood, whenever she got into trouble and Yuan Cheng scolded her, he would analyze her "crimes" word by word in a clear and logical manner.
Yuan Zhao instinctively wanted to speak up to defend herself, but was she really in the wrong this time?
She did not regret what she did today, but facing Yuan Cheng's tone, she still felt guilty.
Just as she was thinking about how to explain, Yuan Cheng suddenly sighed, looked up at his mother's tablet, and said in a leisurely tone,
"Mother, do you think Zhao Zhaoli is powerful?"
Inside Changchun Palace, candlelight burned quietly, illuminating the silhouettes of the brother and sister kneeling in front of the incense table.
Yuan Zhao was slightly startled and turned his head to look at Yuan Cheng.
His eyebrows were calm and there was a hint of smile at the corner of his lips.
There was no longer the fierceness in his eyes as in Linhua Palace just now, but a hint of gentleness and playfulness.
"You..." Yuan Zhao couldn't help but blink, his tone uncertain, "Royal brother, you are not angry?"
Yuan Cheng did not answer, but picked up the three slender sandalwood sticks next to the incense burner, lit them gently, and inserted them into the copper burner in front of the incense table.
Wisps of green smoke rose up, filling the dim candlelight.
He looked at his mother's tablet and said calmly,
"Zhao Zhao, do you know what your biggest weakness has been over the years?"
Yuan Zhao frowned slightly, lowered his head and answered after a while,
"Too cautious, too kind."
Yuan Cheng looked at her with some surprise, "So you knew."
Yuan Zhao said nothing.
Yuan Cheng's tone remained steady.
"Even though you have been pampered since childhood, you know etiquette and respect."
"Especially after the death of our mother, in order not to affect me and Huo Yan, you have to be cautious and self-controlled, and handle things in a comprehensive manner."
“Even if I was wronged, I never really acted recklessly.”
Yuan Zhao pursed his lips and said nothing.
That's right.
She herself has always been aware of her weaknesses.
Whatever she does, she always takes a lot into consideration.
"So even if you're facing a scumbag like Wei Shaoqing, you can kill him, but you still have to plan every step carefully."
"I'm afraid it will cause trouble for me. I'm afraid it will cause a disaster if I'm not careful."
Yuan Zhao exhaled lightly and said,
"I just... don't want my own affairs to implicate you..."
In that life that Zhizhi talked about, because she wrongly trusted others, her father and brother were both killed, and her country was destroyed and her family was ruined.
She couldn't afford such consequences anymore.
Yuan Cheng looked at her with deep eyes, and reached out to touch her head like when they were little.
"Since I let you be so domineering, I have the ability to support you."
"You are my dearest relative. If even you cannot live freely, what use is there for me in this world and in this power?"
"But today..." There was a rare hint of admiration in his eyes, "You finally became a real 'Showa Princess'."
Yuan Zhao was stunned for a moment, then sneered.
"Brother, do you think I look a lot like you today?"
"I actually think..." Yuan Cheng gave her a meaningful look, "You look a lot like my mother."
Yuan Zhao was stunned.
Queen Mother...
Memories of her youth emerged in her mind, that gentle and dignified woman who never gave in.
"Be kind to everyone, but also dare to love and hate." A hint of tenderness flashed in Yuan Cheng's eyes.
Yuan Zhao lowered his eyelashes, and a soft corner in his heart was quietly touched by these words.
Her nose suddenly felt sore.
Yuan Cheng continued, "You did a great job today."
Yuan Zhao raised his eyes and looked at him in surprise.
Yuan Cheng sighed softly and tapped his slender fingers slowly on his knees.
"Do you think that if you don't take action first today, Concubine Shu won't take action?"
His voice was calm, yet sharp.
"She's been preparing to make a move for a long time. Today, you destroyed her temple and humiliated her. She must be so angry that she wants to tear you apart."
"But at the same time, she was also afraid."
Yuan Zhao raised his eyebrows slightly.
"I'm afraid that if you dare to smash her bedroom today, you'll dare to take the Phoenix Seal from her hand tomorrow."
"I'm afraid you can slap her in public today and throw her out of the palace tomorrow."
Yuan Cheng slowly lowered his eyes, looking at his mother's tablet, his voice low and steady,
"You have already ignited this fire today."
"Next, it's my turn to make it burn even brighter..."
…
What happened in the palace spread quickly to all the powerful people in the capital in just one night.
Everyone said Yuan Zhao was "crazy".
In just one night, the situation in the entire palace changed drastically, and there was a huge storm in the court.
Whether it was the court officials, princes and nobles, or even the palace maids, they could not hide their shock when discussing it privately.
Even though Concubine Shu had not yet been crowned empress, she held the phoenix seal and held great power in the harem. She was also the biological mother of Prince Jin, so her noble status was self-evident.
But now, not only was her bedroom smashed and she was slapped by Yuan Zhao, but she was also imprisoned by Yuan Cheng himself and even confined to Linhua Palace, losing her former glory.
How humiliating is this?
Looking back at the entire history since the founding of Dacheng, no one has ever dared to be so bold!
There was an uproar inside and outside the palace.
The next morning, all the ministers gathered in the Golden Palace and wrote letters to impeach Yuan Cheng and Yuan Zhao. The voices of accusation were like surging waves.
"The Crown Prince and Princess, brother and sister, have disregarded the principles of human ethics and are disrespectful to the Imperial Concubine who gave birth to the Prince of Jin. This is truly against the will of Heaven!"
"There is a hierarchy of rank. Imperial Concubine Shu holds the Phoenix Seal and is the master of the six palaces. Princess Zhaohe is so disobedient. Is she challenging the palace rules and ancestral system?"
"As the Crown Prince, you should set an example, cultivate yourself, manage your family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world. Now you are aiding and abetting the tyrant, showing no respect for filial piety and rites. How can you convince the public with such behavior?"
"Even though Princess Showa is the legitimate daughter of the late Empress, the Imperial Concubine holds a high position of power and influence. Acting in this way is reckless and disregards the overall situation!"
…
Memorials were submitted like snowflakes, pointing out that Yuan Zhao and his sister were guilty of heinous crimes. Several old ministers were even so excited that they knelt on the spot and denounced them with tears in their eyes, as if the brother and sister were traitors to the country.
The entire court was in turmoil.
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