"I believe this was certainly not the commander's original intention, but given the commander's relationship with that person, it is understandable that he was misled."
Zhang Bingzhi's murky gaze swept over Song Ting, and he said meaningfully, "And if Huaiyue is really that person, it is not surprising that she has committed any crime."
The two started arguing back and forth, and Chu Minghuan, who was already in a bad mood, became even more annoyed and had a headache from the argument.
"Alright, stop arguing." The young emperor tapped the table lightly with his fingers. "In that case, summon Huaiyue and Master Kongxing together. I will question them myself."
Kongxing usually spends most of his time outside chanting sutras and praying for the Empress Dowager, only resting for a few hours each day. Since he didn't see anyone outside just now, Zhang Bingzhi sent someone to invite him.
Huaiyue arrived first. The young emperor was drinking tea with his head down when he heard footsteps. He instinctively looked up and immediately saw the man in red following behind the palace maid.
picture.
They look so alike.
Chu Minghuan was overjoyed and shocked, yet also filled with unspeakable sorrow. He lost his grip on the teacup, which fell to the ground at his feet and shattered into pieces.
"Chu—" In a moment of desperation, he stood up abruptly, a name rolling on his tongue, but he swallowed it back down.
He recalled what Song Ting had just said.
I cannot say that name.
I can't say...
But this is clearly... He would never be wrong.
Absolutely, absolutely.
...
In a daze, the person was already in front of him. Huaiyue knelt at his feet and bowed deeply to him:
"This servant, Huaiyue, pays her respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!"
The emperor remained stunned, his mind filled with many things to say and many questions to ask, yet he could not utter a single word, his fingertips trembling violently.
To avoid arousing suspicion, he had to hide his hands in his sleeves and clench them tightly. But something seemed to be stuck in his throat, and he still couldn't make a sound.
It wasn't until Song Ting reminded him, "Your Majesty..."
Chu Minghuan suddenly realized what was happening, and without making a sound, he exhaled the breath he had been holding in his lungs and raised his hand: "Get up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Your name is Huaiyue?" Chu Minghuan looked at Huaiyue, his eyes scrutinizing her, though he had quietly concealed the undercurrents of emotion surging within him.
In the past few years, sitting on that dragon throne that everyone envies, the best thing he has learned is patience.
Huaiyue nodded slightly, her eyes lowered, and said meekly, "Yes."
"You look very much like one of my old friends." After considering it for a while, the emperor finally said it.
He immediately regretted his words, glancing at Song Ting, whose expression was indeed not pleased. The young emperor felt uneasy.
"I know." Huaiyue remained calm. "Commander Song brought me back from Jiangnan because I resemble an old friend."
Chu Minghuan had already heard about this. He nodded and couldn't help but sigh again, "They really do look alike. Even I almost couldn't tell them apart."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Bingzhi's expression immediately changed.
"Almost couldn't tell, but I already have." With a simple sentence, the young emperor deflected the huge blame placed on Huaiyue.
Song Ting and Huaiyue were equally surprised. Their eyes met almost imperceptibly for a moment. Huaiyue smiled and asked the emperor, "I wonder what Your Majesty finds lacking in me?"
“That person doesn’t have the mole you have at the corner of their eye. And your temperaments are completely different,” Chu Minghuan said.
Seeing that the young emperor meant it this way, Zhang Bingzhi hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, a mole doesn't prove anything, and one's demeanor can be altered. This person is—"
“I will not admit my mistake.” The young emperor interrupted him, his expression solemn. “Grand Secretary, I will not admit my mistake.”
The young emperor's throne was seized for him by Zhang Bingzhi and Song Ting. He had respected and feared the two men since childhood.
In Zhang Bingzhi's eyes, Chu Minghuan, like his mother, was a pushover. But this pushover had dared to challenge him today, openly daring to oppose him.
"..." Zhang Bingzhi's expression froze instantly, a hint of surprise showing in his eyes.
"I will not let a disobedient person go unpunished, nor will I wrongly kill my subjects simply because they look alike. Otherwise, what would I become? Grand Secretary, Minister Song, don't you agree?"
Song Ting respectfully replied, "Your Majesty is wise."
“That’s right. The world is full of wonders. It’s not unusual for two people to look alike. Others may not be able to tell them apart, but I won’t, and neither will Song Qing, right, Song Qing?”
Song Ting replied with a "yes" again.
The emperor was determined to protect Huaiyue.
If Zhang Bingzhi had only speculated about this before, it was now completely confirmed. The young emperor's meaning was clear enough: whatever his purpose, he was on Song Ting's side.
“Even so, Your Majesty,” Zhang Bingzhi concealed his horror and still wanted to drag Huaiyue into it, “those treasonous things were found in this person’s room.”
"In my opinion, regardless of whether he is a remnant of the Prince Duan's family, he cannot deny that he wanted to harm His Majesty and the Empress Dowager."
"Since ancient times, witchcraft and sorcery have been intolerable. We beseech Your Majesty to make a wise judgment."
Song Ting rested one arm on the wooden table and slightly lifted his eyelids: "How can the Grand Secretary prove that these things weren't put there by someone with malicious intent?"
"What do you mean by that, Commander Song? Do you suspect that I am deliberately framing him?"
Song Ting's gaze swept across his face, neither confirming nor denying.
Seeing that the two were about to start arguing again, the young emperor quickly smoothed things over: "My two ministers, please calm down. There may be some misunderstanding here."
The young emperor glanced towards the entrance. "But is Master Kongxing's monastery far away? Why hasn't he arrived yet?"
Although the two courtyards are located in opposite directions, one to the east and one to the west, they have been talking for so long that they should have arrived by now.
Zhang Bingzhi also felt strange. He glanced at Song Ting without making a sound. The latter was calmly drinking tea with her eyes down, without the slightest hint of anxiety on her face.
Zhang Bingzhi's heart sank suddenly, and he had a bad feeling.
"Your Majesty!" Just then, the guards who had gone to fetch Master Kongxing returned, but he was nowhere to be seen. Zhang Bingzhi's premonition grew even more ominous. The young emperor asked, "Where is Master Kongxing?"
The head guard presented a wooden box: "This humble servant is incompetent and did not find the master, but I did find this."
Chu Minghuan reached out to take the box, but the guard said, "Your Majesty, please be careful. When we arrived, the wooden box was on fire. Although the fire has been extinguished, the box is still very hot. It would be best if Your Majesty did not touch it."
Chu Minghuan looked closely and indeed found that the bottom of the wooden box had been burned black, and a large area around the edge had also been burned.
You can still feel the lingering warmth when you bring your hand close.
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