Waiting for the flowers to bloom
The dust has settled, and the rewards have been bestowed.
He Mo returned to the Mo Prince's Mansion, standing in the empty hall, his fingertips tracing the cold, coiled dragon pillars. The past glory and injustice were all like fleeting clouds. His father's name had been cleared, and his mother's last wish had been fulfilled, but the emptiness in his heart was like a bottomless, icy pool.
Yin Li approached, carrying a cup of hot tea. The jade hairpin at her temple gleamed warmly, reflecting the concern in her eyes. "What are you thinking about?"
He Mo accepted the teacup, but the warmth couldn't dispel the gloom in his heart. "Crown Prince," he said in a low voice, "the way he looked at me in court today was far too complex. Beyond gratitude, there was more of an... indescribable scrutiny."
Yin Li was slightly taken aback: "Your Highness may simply be still shaken."
"I hope so." He Mo took a sip of tea and looked out the window. He thought of his younger brother He Xuan, who died at the age of three. The jade pendant with the character "Xuan" engraved by his own hand had long been buried with his brother, becoming the deepest pain of the Mo Prince's Mansion.
A few days later, the Crown Prince, under the pretext of expressing his gratitude, invited He Mo and his wife to a banquet at the palace.
At the palace banquet, the sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air, and the singing and dancing were lively. The Crown Prince frequently raised his cup, speaking earnestly, but a barely perceptible tension lurked in his eyes. After several rounds of drinks, the Crown Prince excused himself and invited He Mo to a secluded spot in the Imperial Garden for a chat.
The moonlight, like a ribbon, spilled onto the bluestone slabs. The prince stopped in his tracks, remaining silent for a long time, his back conveying an indescribable sense of loneliness.
"Brother He Mo," the Crown Prince finally spoke, his voice slightly hoarse, "there's something I've kept from you, and from everyone in the world, for fifteen years."
He Mo's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm and said, "Your Highness, please speak."
The prince took something out of his robes, and by the moonlight, He Mo's pupils suddenly contracted—it was a jade pendant with the character "轩" (Xuan) clearly engraved on it! The edges were smooth, obviously from years of handling.
This was the birthday gift he personally chose for his younger brother, Hexuan, who had already been buried with him after Hexuan's untimely death.
"This jade pendant..." He Mo's voice turned cold.
The crown prince turned around, his face drained of color, yet unusually calm: "I am not He Xuan."
He Mo was struck dumb, but forcibly suppressed his shock, his fingertips already secretly tightening around the sword at his waist: "What makes you say such a thing, Your Highness?"
"My real name is A-Zhong. I was the personal guard who served the young prince He Xuan back then." The prince's (A-Zhong's) voice was soft, but every word was clear. "The young prince and I were twins. Because of poverty, I was sent to the palace as a servant, and to outsiders, I was only known as the young prince's only son."
"What about He Xuan?" He Mo's voice was already filled with murderous intent.
"When the young prince was three years old, he didn't die suddenly from an illness; he was poisoned." Ah Zhong's eyes darkened. "It was the Shadow Pavilion. They've long wanted to get rid of the heir to the Mo Prince's mansion, paving the way for a future rebellion."
He Mo's fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"After the young prince's death, the prince and princess were devastated," Ah Zhong continued, his tone eerily calm. "The people from Shadow Pavilion then came to our door, threatening my family's lives and forcing me to impersonate the young prince to survive. To protect me, and to preserve the 'hope' of the Mo Prince's family, the prince and princess had no choice but to comply."
"Father, Mother... know?" He Mo's voice trembled.
Ah Zhong nodded: "They not only knew that for the past fifteen years, every time I entered the palace to pay my respects, every time I played the role of 'Crown Prince' in public, they were behind the scenes providing guidance and cover. Before his death, the Prince gave me a letter, instructing me to personally deliver it to you on the day his name is cleared at the Prince Mo's residence."
He took out a sealed letter from his pocket and handed it to He Mo. The handwriting on the letter was indeed his father's.
He Mo took the letter, his fingertips icy cold. The letter detailed the conspiracy of that year, filled with guilt and helplessness. His father wrote that he had Ah Zhong impersonate He Xuan for two reasons: first, to save his life, and second, to plant a pawn in the palace, waiting for the right moment to avenge the Mo family.
"So," He Mo slowly raised his head after reading the letter, his eyes sharp as knives, "all these years, your careful maneuvering in the palace, even going so far as to feign compliance with the Empress Dowager, was also arranged by Father?"
Ah Zhong was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Yes. The Prince anticipated that Shadow Pavilion must be colluding with forces in the palace, and ordered me to secretly gather evidence. However, my abilities are limited. If it weren't for Brother He Mo's appearance, I'm afraid we still wouldn't have been able to shake them in the slightest."
Looking at the person before him who looked exactly like his younger brother, He Mo felt a mix of emotions. Anger, sadness, sympathy, and a hint of humiliation at being deceived. The "brother" he had always believed in was actually a pawn burdened with the fate of others. And the real He Xuan had already become a victim of power struggles when he was only three years old.
"What do you plan to do?" He Mo's voice was as cold as ice.
Ah Zhong met his gaze calmly: "I was never the crown prince. Now that the truth is out, I should resign. But as for the throne..."
Before he could finish speaking, He Mo understood his concerns. With Ah Zhong's identity exposed and the position of Crown Prince vacant, the court was bound to be in turmoil.
Just then, footsteps sounded, and a eunuch's shrill voice broke the silence: "His Majesty's decree summons General He Mo and His Highness the Crown Prince to an audience immediately!"
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness in each other's eyes.
Inside the imperial study, the lights were on. The emperor sat on the dragon throne, his face grim, with a memorial before him.
"You've all come." The Emperor's voice was devoid of warmth. "He Mo, take a look."
He Mo took the memorial, and after reading only a few lines, his expression completely changed. The memorial was actually impeaching him, accusing him of using the pretext of redressing the injustice done to the Mo Prince's Mansion to form cliques for personal gain and harbor treacherous intentions. At the end, the names of several former court officials were prominently displayed.
"Your Majesty, this is a frame-up!" He Mo immediately knelt down.
The Emperor waved his hand, turning his gaze to Ah Zhong: "Crown Prince, what about you? Do you have anything to say?"
Ah Zhong took a deep breath, stepped forward, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I have something to report. I am not the real He Xuan, the heir of the Mo Prince's Mansion, but a guard named Ah Zhong. When the Mo Prince's Mansion suffered a calamity, I was forced to impersonate the heir and was later brought into the palace and made crown prince. Today, I wish to reveal the truth to the public and humbly request Your Majesty to punish me!"
The Imperial Study was deathly silent.
The Emperor looked at Ah Zhong, then at He Mo, and suddenly laughed, a laugh tinged with weariness and understanding: "I knew it all along."
He Mo and A Zhong were both stunned.
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