173 Falling into a Trap
"Come here, take them down!" Zhang Quanfu waved his hand and shouted.
The guards who had been silent just now suddenly took action and put their knives on Xu Huaili's neck.
Concubine Shu was not spared either, the sharp silver blade reflected her changed complexion.
Even though Xu Huasong was trapped under the blade, he remained calm. He raised his head and said contemptuously, "Don't forget that Yinzhou is still in the hands of my Xu family. Hundreds of thousands of troops are guarding the north of Da Qi. Even if you have the late emperor's will, what does it matter? It is a fact that you are in cahoots with the queen mother and have confused the royal family!"
Yes, the army is still guarding Yinzhou. If Xu Huaili lets things take their own course and breaks through the northern border defense, then Da Qi will be in danger.
"Hey, old man, are you threatening His Majesty? Are you planning a rebellion?!"
Xiao Qu glared at him, and his voice echoed throughout the hall like the sound of a bell.
"Your Majesty has the emperor's personal edict, which means you are following the will of heaven to inherit the throne. Moreover, Your Majesty works day and night to handle state affairs, and the whole of Da Qi is prosperous. However, your Xu family took the opportunity to gather troops here and intend to rebel!"
Fang He was a man of upright character, and at this moment he glared at him angrily.
Obviously, he was disgusted by Xu Huasong's behavior today.
What's more, Da Qi was under attack from the north. Even if the eldest prince could not ascend the throne, he should not use this as a threat and cause turmoil in the court.
Xu Huasong laughed, "The world has been upside down for many years, and now this fake has appeared, deceiving you and making you forget the rules of your ancestors. It's really ridiculous and pathetic. My Xu family wants to set things right, even if you accuse me of treason?!"
How shameless!
High-sounding!
Fang He glared and turned away, not even wanting to look at him.
"Since the Xu family has such a cruel heart, I will wait. I hope you can wait too. Come, take Concubine Shu and Duke Xu to jail!" Pei Yuning said calmly, and determined the fate of the two.
Xu Huasong frowned, not understanding what he was up to.
But he believed in his grandson's ability, and Yinzhou was already in their pocket!
Concubine Shu no longer had the imposing aura she had just now, and was a little flustered in the face of so many swords and knives, but she calmed down a lot when she met her father's calm eyes.
So, under Qi Zhouhao's worried gaze, he was dragged away in a daze.
Qi Zhouhao really wants to be with his father...
No, not the Emperor Father...
Qi Zhouhao thought dejectedly that it should be the emperor's uncle who pleaded for mercy, but when he looked at Pei Yuning's face, he couldn't say a word.
He thought about the teachings his father had given him over the years, although sometimes he didn't understand why his father treated him so coldly. Apart from knowledge and the ways of being a king, his father had never shown him even a trace of the fatherly love of an ordinary person.
He originally thought that his father, as the ruler of Da Qi, was the king.
He was first a minister and then a son.
That’s why those invisible barriers exist.
He thought that as long as he was good enough and outstanding enough, he would always be able to receive a compliment.
Today I finally understand what the reason is.
It's the uncle, not the father.
It turned out that the warm scenes of his childhood were not just his illusion, but things and people had changed, and he had mistaken his father.
The farce in the court finally came to an end. The Queen Mother fell ill in bed, but Qi Zhouhao did not receive any punishment.
When he wanted to go to the prison to see his mother and grandfather, Pei Yuning agreed after a moment of silence, and then talked with him in Yanhua Palace for two hours before leaving in a daze.
On the second day, Qi Zhouhao was taken to the prison. He entered the prison through a narrow passage. The guard took him to a secret cell and then left.
However, the dark and humid air made him feel very uncomfortable and almost suffocated.
Soon, he saw a figure huddled in a corner.
My heart was tightly clenched, my eyes turned red unconsciously, I walked quickly forward, and clenched my hands tightly.
"Mother..."
Concubine Shu was resting with her eyes closed, but she opened her eyes suddenly when she heard the voice.
"Hao'er?!"
I couldn't believe that my son actually came here. My legs were numb from squatting, and I almost fell to the ground when I stood up.
"Mother, be careful!" Qi Zhouhao shouted through the thick wood.
Concubine Shu felt warm in her heart and shook her head with a smile, "Mother is fine."
With his hands on his knees, he moved slowly towards the door.
Soon, he touched his son's hand, and Qi Zhouhao reached out and held his mother's hand tightly.
"Mother, you have suffered."
Concubine Shu's eyes were sore and tears fell, "My son has grown up, and all the hardship for me is worth it, but you need to remember that you are the eldest prince of Da Qi!"
Qi Zhouhao's sad mood was suddenly poured with a bucket of cold water.
The Concubine Shu did not notice her son's change of mood at all, and continued to chatter, "Your father and I were deeply in love. When you were born, your father loved you the most and even said that he would make you the crown prince."
As he spoke, his expression turned fierce, "The hateful Queen Mother and that faker are in cahoots with each other. They must have forced your father to write a letter of abdication. Otherwise, how could he have sat on that position one day?"
"You are my son. The Xu family is still incomparable to others. Huaili holds the military power. They dare not act rashly. We still have some power in Kyoto. As long as you contact them, we can cooperate with Huaili..."
"Mother!" Qi Zhouhao shouted at her.
Concubine Shu looked puzzled, "What's wrong with the emperor? Is he worried about Yinzhou..."
Qi Zhouhao's throat was choked. He didn't expect his mother to say these words to him when he came here.
"Stop talking!" Qi Zhouhao choked and yelled angrily. He looked at Concubine Shu's face and lowered his head in pain. "Stop talking, mother..."
"It's not too late to stop. Mother, you should confess your guilt to your grandfather." Qi Zhouhao advised the woman in front of him with tears in his eyes.
Concubine Shu was incredulous, as if she had heard a joke. "Confess?"
"What crime are you admitting? What crime have I committed?!" Concubine Shu screamed, took two steps back, then rushed forward and grabbed her son's hand.
Qi Zhouhao's back of hand was pierced by sharp nails. It hurt a lot, but he didn't make a sound.
"Are you a coward?! You don't even have the courage to fight for this world!?"
Concubine Shu looked crazy, her red eyes full of unbearable desire for power, "My Xu family is a prominent family, and I was once the eldest daughter of the family, the apple of the eye, but I entered the harem and became a concubine. Do you know how many days and nights of suffering I endured?! Your father and I were once in harmony, he was so eager for you to be born, and loved you so much, but you can't even learn a bit of his ambition? "
When the vague memory was mentioned, Qi Zhouhao burst into tears. How could he not want to inherit his father's wishes, but his father's greatest wish was for the well-being of Great Qi.
"Mother, why do you think father... Your Majesty was able to reach Kyoto without anyone noticing?"
Qi Zhouhao suppressed the word "Father" on the tip of his tongue, and in the end he was unable to shout out "Uncle".
After a long while, Concubine Shu finally heard these words, and her red and swollen eyes wrinkled, "What did you say?"
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