Everyone left, and Zong Zhengli was able to rest alone. The secret guard appeared and knelt on the ground:

"I am useless, please punish me, my master!" He covered his injured arm and banged his head hard on the ground, full of self-blame and guilt.

Zong Zhengli raised his eyes and just glanced at him lightly without saying anything.

His eyes fell on the injured hand. Perhaps it was because it was too painful and it became numb; perhaps this hand was already disabled and now it had lost sensation.

I didn’t feel any pain and I couldn’t move.

Becoming a disabled person is a huge blow to an ordinary person, but at this moment his heart was strangely calm.

He has nothing and can do nothing. So what if he becomes a disabled person? He is alone and can even despise his own life. What else can he not lose?

Let it be useless.

Isn't it expected that one will be powerless and at the mercy of others?

Zong Zhengchen, you are so cruel...

.

Imperial Palace, Imperial Study.

The Emperor was troubled by Prince Li's matter. Although he had sent people to investigate, it was easy to guess that this matter was most likely a "family affair".

Born in the royal family, he had seen a lot of infighting within the family. When he was still a prince, he also fought openly and secretly with his brothers, and the fights were life-and-death.

well……

As he was reviewing the memorials, he let out a heavy sigh.

Defu hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. The Dali Temple will definitely find the murderer who killed Prince Li!"

This is a family matter, what else can be found out?

If he found out the truth, he would lose face; if he didn't, his son would be beaten to a cripple, and he would also lose face.

Stuck in the middle, unable to move forward or backward.

The emperor held the brush tightly, wrote a few words, and sighed deeply:

"Alas... When I was young, my brothers were friendly and respectful to each other, and their relationship was harmonious. But in the end, due to the power struggle, they changed their original intentions, and the brothers broke up and confronted each other..."

"I've had enough of this coldness and cruelty, so I've taught my sons since they were young to cherish brotherhood and not to fight among themselves. But I've been telling them for decades, and these bastards have ignored my words!"

Fight, fight as usual.

Fight, fight as usual.

It's just that he didn't do it openly, but did it secretly. His sons did it right under his nose. How could he, as a father, not know what they did?

Defu bent down slightly.

From what the emperor said, it seems that he already knows who harmed Prince Li...

He did not dare to say much about the royal family's affairs. He looked at the emperor's expression and said cautiously:

"Your Majesty, since ancient times, who could resist the temptation of power? Which king's throne was not obtained by stepping on blood and corpses?"

"If the princes quarrel, isn't that a good thing? In the fight, they will definitely go all out and use their respective abilities. Isn't that a process of survival of the fittest?"

Only those who are good enough can win in this game of life and death.

Only those who succeed can better protect the country and the nation.

Isn’t it?

The emperor frowned. Although he said that, his sons were all his own flesh and blood. If they quarreled, who should he help?

The palms and backs of your hands are all made of flesh, who can you help?

"Your Majesty, please don't worry about me. Your children and grandchildren will have their own blessings." De Fu advised.

"well."

Even if he wanted to worry, he couldn't. The children have grown up and become independent. How could they be as obedient as they were when they were little?

The emperor rubbed his tired temples, closed his eyes and relaxed for a long time before he said solemnly:

"Forget it, forget it... Let them make a fuss. As long as they don't kill their own brothers, I won't bother to care."

It's just a minor fight and a minor injury, so just turn a blind eye.

"Yeah." De Fu responded with a smile, walked behind him, and gently massaged the acupuncture points on his head. "Each prince is very capable. If they make a fuss and give their all, they can also make a lot of contributions to the country."

The princes vied with each other to perform and to make achievements. The more achievements they made, the more stable the country became. Isn't this equivalent to benefiting the people?

The emperor raised his eyebrows and snorted with a smile: "You old thing, you are good at talking, and you are very pleasing to me."

Defu has served the emperor for half his life, so he naturally understands the emperor's joys and sorrows.

He smiled and said, "However, I am very curious. Since the eldest prince was deposed as the crown prince, do you have a favorite candidate in mind?"

In other words, who will be the heir to the throne?

The emperor paused slightly, then suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Defu with a cloudy yet sharp gaze.

Defu's heart tightened, realizing that he had asked something he shouldn't have asked, so he quickly knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.

The emperor said nothing, but raised his eyes and slowly fell on the painting on the wall.

It was a painting of a Taoist in white, deep in a paradise, with his robe fluttering in the wind.

The Taoist priest, crane, evergreen tree and evergreen grass in the painting all represent the same meaning...

Longevity.