Chapter 174 This is a last meal before execution.
In the spacious and bright private room, the round table was filled with fragrant and mouthwatering dishes.
On the stool, the younger boy wiped his drool and looked at his older brother.
"Brother, can we eat all of these things?"
"Um."
The boy nodded, swallowed hard; it was the first time he had ever seen such a sumptuous meal.
"But brother, I heard that the people of the Central Plains only give us a good meal before beheading us. Are we... going to die?"
The boy's expression shifted; he had clearly heard this before. He picked up his rice bowl and began feeding his younger brother.
"Eat your fill first, save up your strength. If they want to behead you later, I'll help you escape. I won't let you die."
The food smelled delicious, but the little boy's eyes welled up with tears. He felt it was all his fault for letting his brother down, even though his brother had already passed...
So when Yu Nian arrived at the side room, she saw this scene.
The little boy cried as he ate, tears streaming down his face. The older boy wiped away his tears and stuffed food into his mouth.
"What's wrong? Is the food not good?"
Yu Nian sat down beside the two children, tilting her head slightly to try to be at eye level with them.
The two children didn't speak; they just nodded. They recognized Yu Nian; she was the one who led them out of the wolf's den.
"Then why did you cry?"
The little boy was sobbing, his eyes red like a little rabbit's.
"Because it's their last meal before they die."
Yu Nian was slightly taken aback. What was this child thinking about? No wonder she was crying like this.
With a smile on her lips, Yu Nian wiped the little boy's nose.
"Don't cry. This isn't a last meal before your execution. You are Chunyu Han's adopted sons, and I am your godmother. You will grow up safely under the protection of the Regent's Mansion."
The little boy was still breathing heavily, his eyes glancing at his older brother.
The boy paused for a moment, then spoke with a slightly childish tone.
"What price will we have to pay?"
They were born into the Xiongnu's slavery, and no one would offer help to people of such low status for no reason.
The boy's eyes held a desolation far beyond his years, a sight that brought a dull ache to the heart. Yu Nian considered briefly before slowly beginning to speak.
"The price... is that you grow up strong and healthy, and then protect the Regent's Palace."
The boy lowered his eyes and carefully wrote down Yu Nian's words.
"Greetings, Your Excellency!"
The guards at the door saluted, and Chunyu Han also stepped into the room. However, his face was gloomy, and he was surrounded by a coldness that never dissipated, like the peak of a snow-capped mountain.
As soon as the children saw Chunyu Han, they immediately stood up from their chairs and knelt on the ground in unison.
They were rescued from the battlefield where the Xiongnu were retreating when Chunyu Han was inspecting the border. Although they had only met Chunyu Han once, they were all afraid of him.
"What kind of airs are you putting on at home... Look how scared they are."
Yu Nian scolded him helplessly. The two children were injured. She reached out to help them up, but Chunyu Han interrupted her coldly.
"Get up yourself."
Chunyu Han's eyes showed considerable displeasure. They weren't unable to stand up; why did Yu Nian need to support them? He didn't need such a fragile adopted son.
What are your names?
Yu Nian ignored the man who had suddenly become strange again and continued chatting with the two children.
This time, both boys shook their heads. They were just abandoned slaves, and even when they arrived at the Eastern Depot, they were all referred to as adopted sons, and they were adopted sons who were not recognized.
"Husband, why don't you give them names?"
Chunyu Han sat next to Yu Nian, seemingly unmoved, his gaze sweeping over the two children with little interest.
"You're the one who promoted them, so take it."
Yu Nian secretly rolled her eyes at Chunyu Han, thinking how lazy he was.
If it weren't for the fact that her mind is always filled with food when she's choosing a name, would she even need him?
Let her take it; we can't let Chunyu Han look down on her.
"Hmm...you guys eat first, let me think about it."
Yu Nian tried hard to search her mind for more elegant words, and after thinking for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she finally slapped her thigh.
He dipped his finger in tea and wrote two words on the table.
wing.
Yu Nian recalled the first time she saw the two children in the wolf's den. The way the older brother firmly protected the younger brother was just like the feathers protecting delicate wings.
"The older brother is Yu, and the younger brother is Yi. No matter what happens in the future, you must support each other and overcome difficulties together. Do you like this name?"
While sipping tea nearby, pretending not to care, Chunyu Han, whose ears were actually perked up, revealed a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. Hmm, not bad.
The children nodded, their eyes regaining their light, and silently memorized how to write the character. They finally had names too.
Yu Nian smiled, her eyes crinkling. Little did she know that the two names she had chosen would become famous throughout the capital ten years later.
After leaving the room, Chunyu Han still looked unhappy, and Yu Nian reached out and grabbed his sleeve.
"My husband must be upset that I'm meddling. The Regent's Mansion is so big, it would be more lively with two children."
Chunyu Han's expression hardened slightly. Did she want a child?
She wasn't incapable of having her own children, yet she suffered mistreatment because of him.
Thinking of this, Chunyu Han's resentment dissipated somewhat, but he was still a little unwilling.
"You wiped his nose."
Yu Nian: ...
Did he see it? This won't work either.
How can you be jealous of a child?
"That's a boy!"
Chunyu Han's answer was so confident and self-assured that it made Yu Nian laugh in exasperation.
"Okay, shall I wipe it for you too?"
Chunyu Han used Youzi to pull Yu Nian into his arms and lowered his head to touch the tip of Yu Nian's nose.
“They can stay, but they cannot live in Yuyuan. They must move to the Rendong Pavilion.”
This was Chunyu Han's bottom line; he didn't want to be bothered by these two adopted sons all the time.
Li Mingjin took the box to the Dali Temple. When the little eunuch Fululai helped the prince dismount, he saw the box and his eyelids twitched.
"Your Highness, why are you holding this..."
"This is evidence. Do you recognize it?"
He not only recognized it, but he also had an identical box displayed in the Eastern Depot.
With so many people around, Fu Lu leaned close to Li Mingjin and whispered a few words in his ear.
Li Mingjin's gaze gradually became complicated, but he also felt that Chunyu Han might be using this as a pretext to secretly carry out his plan.
"Go find a locksmith and have them open it and take a look."
If it's not evidence, we can simply return it to Chunyu Han.
Thus, Li Mingjin's eyes were opened, and he saw objects he had never seen in his two lifetimes...
The items were later returned to Chunyu Han, but the news spread like wildfire along the official road, and Prime Minister Yu immediately submitted a memorial impeaching the Crown Prince.
His daughter was already seriously injured, and now his son-in-law had to suffer this humiliation. He couldn't bear it.
He gave money to his students and ordered them all to write reports.
So one after another, the officials of the Censorate who had agreed with him submitted their memorials.
The emperor also felt that this matter was inappropriate. Chunyu Han and Yu Huaifeng were his trusted ministers, and the crown prince's actions had actually pushed them to stick together.
But even if the two of them team up, they will only be civil officials. The Crown Prince has a maternal grandfather who holds military power, and the Duke of Zhenguo will be returning soon.
In the imperial palace, the emperor made a decisive decision.
"The Crown Prince has been unwell and restless lately, so he should suspend his duties. He will resume his duties once he has recovered."
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