Chapter 162 Chapter 162 is the only genuine version...
The late emperor passed away during his southern tour.
It was also during his southern tour that he issued an edict to depose the crown prince.
At that time, Prince Li did not accompany the emperor, but stayed in the capital. The imperial edict to depose the crown prince was sent to the capital at an express speed of 800 miles.
The whole court was shocked.
Prince Li suggested at the time that they should first imprison the Eastern Palace without arresting anyone, and then make a decision after the late emperor returned to Beijing.
He planned to leave the capital to catch up with the late emperor and find out the truth.
Unexpectedly, before he left the capital, the deposed Crown Prince and the Crown Princess committed suicide together.
Too fast.
Prince Li shook his head and sighed, looking at her suspiciously.
What she meant was that the late emperor's temperament suddenly changed, and the deposed crown prince and Changfeng were also involved?
No way?! Prince Li was skeptical.
However, although this girl is a little difficult, stubborn, and overbearing...she always keeps her word and never speaks nonsense.
Gu Zhizhuo didn't explain either.
Some things are better seen with your own eyes than just words.
She put the musket back into the holster at her waist, picked up the cat, and said, "Anyway, Your Majesty, please go to the Meridian Gate and take a look. We can discuss the rest after you've taken a look."
Seeing her serious expression, not a hint of perfunctoriness, Prince Li nodded solemnly, "You go back first. I'll be right there."
Prince Li left in a hurry.
"Ah, a life of hard work."
"Shorten your life."
Gu Zhizhuo turned his head and smiled at Xie Yingchen, a smile that was filled with malice. He asked slowly, "Right, sir."
Xie Yingchen: "..." He didn't know if it was his illusion, but he always felt that there was a hint of indirect criticism here.
"I had a good rest." Xie Yingchen offered her his wrist, "Touch it."
The cat lying on Gu Zhizhuo's shoulder slapped his hand away, and then rubbed Gu Zhizhuo's cheek in front of him.
"Meow."
Gu Zhizhuo chuckled softly, like the trembling branches of a flower, and under the halo of the lantern, it was as soft as warm jade.
Xie Yingchen took her hand, passed his fingers through hers, intertwined their fingers, and walked back side by side. Qingmei tactfully stayed ten steps away.
The cat wagged its tail intermittently and ignored Xie Yingchen.
Gu Zhizhuo leaned against him and told him everything that had happened as they walked.
It was full of twists and turns and very exciting, she said with great joy.
After detailing the transfer array set up by Changfeng and Prince Jin in Blackwater Castle, and her own speculation, she added, "...hence, the late emperor suddenly deposed the crown prince and died suddenly."
After she finished speaking, she felt her palm tighten slightly.
Xie Yingchen seemed to be thinking about something.
His usually gentle face was gloomy for a moment.
Gu Zhizhuo leaned on his shoulder. She knew that this matter was a knot in the young master's heart that was difficult to resolve.
In his previous life, at the end, the young master was still brooding over this matter and couldn't understand why the late emperor suddenly changed his temperament and convicted the deposed prince without waiting for his explanation.
The young master once sighed and told her that the relationship between the late emperor and the deposed prince was as close as that between a father and son in the common people. The late emperor always naggingly said that he would help the deposed prince for a few more years and then abdicate to enjoy his retirement on his sixtieth birthday.
How could such a late emperor so easily believe that the deposed crown prince would poison him and kill his father and the emperor?
Gu Zhizhuo looked up at him, the starlight reflected in her pupils.
Xie Yingchen lowered his eyes. After a moment, he smiled faintly and said, "I see."
If one had not witnessed the emperor's crazy behavior in recent days, who would have believed that the late emperor's edicts, merciless scolding and rebukes, and even the harsh words to kill the deposed prince, were not his own intention.
"Sir, what happened back then?"
After the deposed crown prince committed suicide, the late emperor died on his way to the south. Soon after, the emperor ascended the throne according to the will.
At that time, Gu Zhizhuo was still young and it was impossible for him to get to the bottom of these things.
The sky gradually darkened.
After the Yulin Army left, the streets gradually became bustling again, with red lanterns and flickering candlelight hanging on both sides of the street.
As the two walked, Xie Yingchen spoke, "That year, the late emperor was on a southern tour, inspecting river works. When he reached Xuzhou, he suddenly fell ill. Initially, he felt dizzy while reviewing memorials, and at one point, he fainted. After that, his illness worsened rapidly. First, the late emperor couldn't get out of bed, and soon after, he vomited blood and was on the verge of death."
Gu Zhizhuo's eyelashes trembled slightly. This really sounded like poisoning.
She didn't ask further questions, and listened to Xie Yingchen continue: "...The emperor stayed in Xuzhou for several days, and the imperial physicians took turns treating him. The late emperor recovered. At that time, one imperial physician suspected that the late emperor had been poisoned. The late emperor had the East Factory thoroughly investigate the items used, and nothing was unusual."
"The late emperor was a man who could not rest. After recovering from his injuries, he continued on his journey. However, only three days later, he vomited blood and collapsed again."
"The imperial physician at the time was seeking permission to thoroughly examine everything the late emperor had used and consumed, this time even the nourishing soup my father had sent me was included."
The late emperor had trouble sleeping, so my father specially found an ancient recipe and made a nourishing soup with my mother. After drinking it, the late emperor slept much better. Later, no matter where the late emperor went, my father would ask someone to bring the specially prepared medicine bag and have the eunuchs cook it.
"The poison was found in the Yang Shen Soup. It's a chronic poison."
"The late emperor... he was furious. Without a trial or questioning, he directly convicted my father. He sent word: The crown prince murdered his father and the emperor, plotting against the law. He is unworthy of being a human being, and his actions deserve death."
"With him, father and son will never meet again."
Xie Yingchen's fingers were clenched tightly and his palms were burning hot.
He held her hand and said slowly, "That day, the late emperor personally issued an imperial decree to depose the crown prince."
"The imperial edict and a letter written by the late emperor were delivered to the capital. My father wept and committed suicide, and my mother followed him."
For Xie Yingchen, everything changed in just a few days.
Looking back on all of this now, Xie Yingchen still finds it quite absurd.
The day before, he had been with his father, learning how to deal with the bandits in Yongzhou. That night, his mother had even cooked longevity noodles for his father. But the next day...
"I am the only one left in the imprisoned East Palace."
"And me."
Gu Zhizhuo looked up and smiled at him.
Xie Yingchen smiled gently: "And you."
Her warmth gradually calmed his restless heart, and he continued, "After Dad and Mom committed suicide, a secret report reached Grandfather, who immediately suffered a heart attack. He cried uncontrollably, and kept asking, 'Why?'"
Xie Yingchen was confined to the Eastern Palace at the time. He later learned all this from the chief eunuch who served the late emperor.
"The late emperor was consumed by remorse and depression over his parents' deaths. He completely collapsed within two days."
"At that time, Prince Jin was accompanying the late emperor, who was ill. The late emperor knew he was not well, so he asked Prince Jin to draft an imperial decree and ordered someone to summon Prince Rong from the capital."
After the thunder in the daytime, the night sky was surprisingly clear and the moonlight was bright, leaving two faint reflections on the ground.
Gu Zhizhuo whispered, "Sir, was there anyone forcing you to commit suicide at that time?"
The deposed crown prince died.
The young master is the only obstacle, and the best strategy is to take the opportunity to force him to death.
The young master is alive, not because King Jin and his men were merciful and let him go, but because Yin's sister ran away, and God left the young master a glimmer of hope.
Xie Yingchen nodded and said, "Everyone around me at the time advised me to go with my parents. Otherwise, if the late emperor didn't calm down, he would grind my parents into ashes and I would be an unfilial son."
At that time, Xie Yingchen was less than fourteen years old.
"I pretended to agree and took the opportunity to sneak out of the Eastern Palace and headed to Xuzhou. Whether alive or dead, I had to see the late emperor. Unexpectedly, on the way, I discovered that I was poisoned."
It was not until later that Xie Yingchen discovered that this was exactly the same poison that the previous emperor had been poisoned with. It was obviously intended to create the illusion that he had died out of fear of crime.
He was delayed on the road for several days because of the poisoning.
"By the time I arrived, the late emperor had already passed away."
"Prince Jin produced a will, stating that the late emperor had passed the throne to Prince Rong before his death."
Gu Zhizhuo snorted without thinking, "The will must be fake."
Xie Yingchen also laughed.
At that time, he had suffered a series of blows and was deeply poisoned. When he heard that the previous emperor had passed away, he could no longer hold on and collapsed.
He was bedridden for a whole month.
At that time, it was the chief eunuch who was beside the late emperor who looked after him and brought him to the capital alive.
Gu Zhizhuo suddenly snapped her fingers, remembering something. "Young Master, do you remember? Shortly after I returned from Western Xinjiang, the Emperor and Prince Jin had a falling out, but later reconciled. Cancan said it seemed like Prince Jin had used some leverage to coerce the Emperor."
Xie Yingchen was responsible for this matter.
He said, "It's an ink stick."
"An ink stick made by the emperor himself as a birthday gift."
Gu Zhizhuo's mind moved, and he met his gaze. Xie Yingchen smiled and said only one word: "Yes."
"Prince Jin is really a man."
No wonder the emperor was so tolerant of him.
I don’t know how much leverage he has over the emperor.
With the previous emperor's will, the emperor is the legitimate heir.
There is an order to depose the crown prince, which is tantamount to patricide and regicide, and his crime should be punished by death.
But what if these two things are gone?
Then the legitimate heirs should be the deposed crown prince and the grandson appointed by the previous emperor.
"Sir, if the city gate is not closed, let's go to Taiqing Temple. I miss my master."
Unfortunately, they were a step too late and the city gate was closed after all.
There was no one near the city gate. It was quiet and far less noisy than during the day.
Gu Zhizhuo sent Qingmei back to tell her grandmother, so that she wouldn't worry if she didn't come back for a long time. Then he took Xie Yingchen up the city wall with him. They stood against the wall and talked for a while. Gu Zhizhuo pointed to the sky and said with a smile, "Young Master, look over there."
"This is the Emperor Star."
Nights with a bright moon and sparse stars are perfect for stargazing.
Gu Zhizhuo was studying astrology, and Xie Yingchen also went to listen to Wuweizi's classes several times.
Gu Zhizhuo's talent is amazing, while Xie Yingchen can only recognize Emperor Star, General Star, Ziwei Star and so on.
A while ago, two Emperor Stars appeared, a rare sight. One shone brightly, dazzling the eyes, while the other was dim, like a firefly.
At least that was the case in the past few days.
But now, it's different.
The originally dim imperial star is now rising like a morning star in the darkness.
“Destiny is really changing.”
Gu Zhizhuo looked back at her with a smile. In Xie Yingchen's eyes, her smile was far brighter than the imperial star.
Xie Yingchen frowned slightly. The star next to the Emperor Star, which she called the companion star, didn't seem as bright.
“Yaoyao…”
"Miss Gu, it really is you."
An annoying voice sounded in his ears. Gu Zhizhuo frowned slightly, without even turning his head, too lazy to pay attention to him.
"Miss Gu."
Xie Jing took a few quick steps and came up to her. He was wearing light armor and holding a sword, and seemed to be on duty here.
Xie Yingchen gently squeezed her palm to indicate that her guess was correct.
When Gu Zhizhuo was still in Yihe County, King Jin brought Xie Jing to the Five Armies Commandery. Now he is on duty in the Five Armies Commandery, and recently it is his turn to guard the city.
"Your Highness."
Gu Zhizhuo bowed his head and had a standard demeanor.
"I, I've been to the Meridian Gate."
Xie Jing sighed softly.
The cage holding Changfeng was placed in front of the Wumen Gate, so people coming and going could see him.
"oh."
Gu Zhizhuo responded perfunctorily.
Xie Jing had become accustomed to her ignoring him, and he continued, "It was Lord Jiang from the Ministry of Personnel who told me."
Fearing that she didn't understand, he explained, "The Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Works are both controlled by the Prince of Jin, and the two ministers are also the Prince of Jin's men."
Gu Zhizhuo was getting impatient: "Just say what you want to say."
It's a rare opportunity to watch the stars with my master, but he always stares out without thinking. It's so annoying.
"In order to impeach Shen Xu, Lord Jiang asked me to negotiate with Xie Yingchen. However, Xie Yingchen was not there, so I went to the Meridian Gate."
Xie Jing had seen Changfeng several times before. In his memory, Changfeng had the appearance of an immortal. Therefore, when he first heard that the East Factory had imprisoned and tortured people, he was really angry. He never expected that Changfeng would become a living dead.
His exposed skin was covered in black spots and exuded a strong smell of death.
Xie Jing had not seen many dead people, but as soon as he saw Changfeng, the word "death" appeared in his mind. Not only that, Xie Jing also smelled a strange stench. There were more than a dozen flies hovering around Changfeng's hand, and that hand was clearly rotten.
Lord Jin from the Daoluo Si, who was traveling with him, burst into tears and scolded the Dongchang for torturing a good person and turning him into this state. However, how could torture be used to extract a confession?
Xie Jing thought of Xie Qiyun at that time.
He asked in a trembling voice, "Is Changfeng really a demon?"
Gu Zhizhuo smiled slightly: "Of course."
Xie Jing's shoulders trembled slightly. Even though she spoke in such a nonchalant manner, Xie Jing believed her.
He laughed at himself, "So, the reason Father became like this was because Ji had Changfeng cast a witchcraft spell on him?"
"Or was it Ji Nanke who asked Chang Feng to do it?"
Gu Zhizhuo smiled but said nothing.
Xie Jing didn't intend to get an answer from her, and said to himself, "It's Ji Nanke, right?"
"Ji Nanke and Changfeng have a very close relationship. She said that Changfeng is a master who has attained the Tao and cannot be compared with Master Qingping. She asked me to treat him with respect."
Ji Nan Ke had never left the capital, but she trusted Chang Feng so much and obeyed his every word. Xie Jing originally thought that it was because Chang Feng was too good at talking and kept calling Ji Nan Ke "Lucky Girl" to make her happy.
"she……"
Xie Jing hesitated to speak, as she hadn't paid any attention to him for a long time, but he finally continued speaking.
This was really hard for Xie Jing to say.
"I suddenly don't like Ji Nanke that much anymore."
Xie Jing finished his words in one breath and then stared at Gu Zhizhuo nervously.
Gu Zhizhuo raised his eyebrows with a slightly strange look in his eyes.
In the past, Xie Jing was very protective of Ji Nan Ke, at least he would not call her by her name all the time.
Xie Jing looked outside the city wall. The silver light armor did not make him look tall and straight. Instead, he looked a little bleak, like the shadow of a tree swaying in the wind.
He really likes Ji Nan Ke very much, and his heart would be burning with longing if he doesn't see her for a moment.
Even if she lied to him and used him again and again, Xie Jing would only be angry for a short while at most.
But somehow, this feeling faded away inexplicably.
When he saw Changfeng, he didn't think about whether Ji Nan Ke would be deceived by Changfeng, but whether his love for Ji Nan Ke was not as real as he thought.
"Miss Gu, you're quite good at fortune-telling. Tell me..."
Xie Jing subconsciously wanted to grab her arm, but Xie Yingchen slapped his hand away: "If you have something to say, just say it."
"I……"
Xie Jing was a little embarrassed, but he still finished his words in one breath, his voice high and high: "Did Ji Nan Ke also use witchcraft on me?"
"Like her aunt, unscrupulous."
After he finished speaking, he stared at Gu Zhizhuo closely, wanting to get an answer from her.
Gu Zhizhuo stared at him for a while, then suddenly moved his gaze behind him and let out a teasing chuckle.
Xie Jing subconsciously followed her gaze and turned back.
Ji Nan Ke was standing just a few steps away, her beautiful face showing disbelief, as if she had been betrayed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
