Chapter 48
Sheng Yu was shocked and quickly picked up Ling Wu. Then, seeing that there was not much fear in her pure eyes, but rather a hint of curiosity, he felt relieved.
But her voice held an icy edge: "There are countless servants in the palace, and there is no reason for a master to personally investigate under any circumstances."
In one sentence, she both pointed out the incompetence of the servants around her and subtly advised Lingwu not to do everything herself.
Imperial power is supreme and inherently indifferent.
Because of those words, everyone around instantly knelt down.
Aside from the Empress, the Crown Prince, and the Second Prince, even Mu Zhi and Zhang Delu felt a chill run down their spines.
They naturally knew that His Majesty was not only talking about this matter, but also referring to the Second Prince.
Ling Wu could clearly see everyone's expressions.
Zhang Delu's panic, the fear of the guards, the Crown Prince's calmness, the Second Prince's incomprehension, and Sheng Yu's indifference above their heads.
That was indifference to human life and extreme anger at what had happened.
When the emperor is angry, corpses will float for miles, but she must stop this anger and not let it spread to the crown prince and his entourage.
"Father, don't be angry. This is something Jiaojiao saw in a book of strange tales before the New Year. There is a kind of poison in the Northern Cold that can be sealed on swords, spears, and halberds and is invisible and odorless. If there is no flesh and blood, the poison cannot penetrate, but if it penetrates the bone, it will kill on the spot."
"However, there is also a drawback to its easy identification: it will melt away when a hair touches it."
The child's innocent words silenced the entire room, except for Lingwu's still childish voice, "The book says that this poison is extremely difficult to refine, and the materials are only available in the Northern Cold."
She tilted her head and stared at Sheng Yu. Seeing a hint of thought in his eyes, she suddenly spoke obediently, "It's the book that Father Emperor gave to Jiao Jiao before the New Year."
The fact that the young prince loves books is known throughout the entire Great Sheng Dynasty.
This even sparked a strange phenomenon in Dasheng where every woman was required to read one or two books.
Upon realizing this, Sheng Yu's suspicion quietly vanished. He stroked Ling Wu's hair and finally sighed, "Jiao Jiao is so clever."
But after saying that, his imperial aura intensified, and even the empress had to kneel down.
However, Sheng Yu, who had an eye ailment, still managed to support her, saying, "Zitong is my first wife and the mother of my second son. This has already made you uneasy. What wrong have you done? There is no need for you to kneel."
With tears in her eyes, the Empress's worries about the Second Prince instantly subsided. At that moment, she no longer cared about the many people present. The ice that had been frozen for more than ten years seemed to slowly melt away in these four years.
Seeing her face streaked with tears, Sheng Yu couldn't help but feel sorry for her. He held Ling Wu in one arm and put his other arm around the Empress's shoulder.
"I will definitely give you an explanation for this matter."
The empress's lowered eyes were full of irony. He had said the same thing back then, but her child still died because of his schemes.
The remaining concubines, still kneeling, couldn't help but feel bitter. All these years of neglecting the Empress were actually acts of kindness.
Then what are they anyway?
But both thunder and rain are the emperor's favor, and they can only laugh at it in their hearts.
Seeing that the two had finished their tender moment, Lingwu said in a childish voice, "That palace maid has the fragrance of Consort Han."
She left her words at that point, and then yawned, looking a little sleepy.
She can intervene in the dynastic changes in the smaller worlds, but she cannot allow innocent people to die unjustly. This time, she has saved many people, but it still caused a lot of suffering for the warriors of the northern frontier.
The princess from the Northern Han Kingdom was sent by the Northern Han envoy to marry Sheng Yu on her birthday that year, seeking good relations between the two countries. However, it just so happened that the Empress regained favor at that time.
Although Consort Han was not favored by the emperor, she was still a principal wife in the palace and could move freely within it. It was normal for Ling Wu to have seen her before.
She never imagined that despite the Crown Prince and Empress's meticulous planning over the years, their secrets were still uncovered by the Northern Han people who had infiltrated the area.
No wonder a golden age could eventually fall apart like that.
If Ling Wu could think of it, Sheng Yu and the Crown Prince certainly could too.
The Crown Prince's usually gentle face inevitably took on a cold tinge.
If it weren't for Jiaojiao, the Empress would not have changed her mind at the last minute, otherwise the enemy spy who had been lying in ambush for a long time would not have been able to be exposed.
What he dared not think about deeply was: how long had that force been entrenched over the past ten years?
If they have such people around them, are the other princes, the court, and even... the emperor truly clean?
Thinking of this, the group of people dared not look up.
After yawning, Ling Wu leaned against Sheng Yu's chest.
Children's bodies are bound to be constrained, but the little girl is pitiful and innocent, and she is willing to put in some effort for this purity.
This incident has shaken the very foundation of the nation, and the autumn hunt could not proceed. However, now that the cause of the external threat is known, it can be considered a good thing.
When she woke up again, she was already in a carriage. Lingwu rubbed her eyes.
Seeing that she was awake, the Empress gently combed Lingwu's hair.
"Jiaojiao is truly a lucky star for our Great Sheng, and also a little lucky star for Mother."
Lingwu looked up and gave the Empress a sweet smile, which brought a touch of joy to the Empress's heart, easing the worries and guilt of the night.
I feel guilty towards Xiao Er, and also towards my real child.
The people who killed her child back then are all dead, except for Sheng Yu, who, although he did not intervene, caused everything to happen because of him.
But were all those people really dead, or was it because Bei Han had already instigated them back then?
The Empress breathed a sigh of relief and embraced Lingwu in her arms, as if she were a precious treasure or a source of comfort.
She actually gave birth to a daughter.
——
The banana leaves are lush and green, my clothes are wet with tears; the rainy and misty days of early spring always stir the heart.
In the span of half a year, the Crown Prince not only eliminated all of Da Sheng's Northern Cold spies, but also picked out the remaining spies. Although Da Sheng suffered some damage, it was ultimately not a serious matter.
However, after Han Fei's lips and teeth were opened, she revealed a lot about Bei Han's secrets and was eventually left with a complete corpse.
The northern cold is nothing to fear, but for a nation to use such private and clandestine methods to plot the rise of a dynasty is naturally despicable.
Ironically, they almost succeeded in their scheme.
Lingwu also received a fiefdom on her fifth birthday. Although it was far from Shengjing, it was a prosperous and stable place.
Privately, Sheng Yu removed the jade thumb ring from his hand and handed it to Ling Wu.
"Father knows that Jiaojiao is intelligent, but the imperial family is ultimately a heartless tomb." Sheng Yu chuckled lightly as he said this, his laughter containing both mockery and sneer, before turning into a sigh.
"How much I spoil her now, and what the final outcome will be, I dare not think about now. I only know that I hope that Jiaojiao can live a carefree life, so that I can fulfill a wish I had fourteen years ago."
He longed for a beautiful wife and a son and a daughter, but in the end, he destroyed it all with his own hands.
The jade thumb ring in Lingwu's hand was large and of the highest quality, but beneath her long eyelashes, she showed no sorrow or joy, only blinking silently.
Seeing this, Sheng Yu couldn't help but feel sorry for her. He had held great power for many years, but Ling Wu was the only child he had raised with his own hands.
"What's wrong, Jiaojiao? Don't you like it?"
"Is Father going to die?"
Upon hearing this, Sheng Yu was stunned for a moment, then grinned and said, "Only you would dare to 'curse' your father like this in front of him."
His body was severely overworked, and Yu Bai also said it was a chronic illness that had developed over many years.
However, he didn't want to get involved in the rights and wrongs anymore, or rather, he didn't dare to investigate.
He was afraid that the person he had never been wary of in recent years would be the one he discovered, and he was also afraid that once the person was found out, even the last bit of his youthful innocence would vanish.
"Would Jiaojiao be willing to let her father die?"
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