Mengqing's eyes widened in surprise: "Mom, do you think Father might want to make you his official wife?"
After all, the First Madam is ill, and quite seriously so. If we can get on the Empress's good side, maybe her father will actually grant my mother a proper title.
After all, of his daughters, he is the most successful.
Who knows?
Although the Fifth Madam spoke casually, she was actually very excited.
If I really become the legal wife, then her daughter will be the legitimate daughter, and it wouldn't be too much to ask her to be a princess, right?
...
When King Zhen returned, it was already a month later.
Accompanying him was the former crown prince, Ouyang Fu.
Looking at the emaciated former crown prince, the emperor hesitated for a moment before smashing the inkstone in his hand!
"You've really gone too far! You actually dared to betray your country?"
The emperor was so angry he could hardly breathe. He never expected that this rebellious son would dare to betray the country!
The key point is, from childhood to adulthood, when has he ever wronged him? Even though the emperor knows he is ruthless, he has never done anything to him.
Even after he harmed Ouyang Zhen and sent so many people to hunt him down, the emperor didn't say anything.
At the time, the main consideration was that Ouyang Zhen had already disappeared, and they couldn't very well deal with this only child as well, could they? But now? With just a small setback, he has already defected to the Western Kingdom.
Fortunately, Ouyang Zhen discovered it in advance; otherwise, who knows what the consequences would have been.
We know nothing here, but the people over there have already started their attack.
You're scheming against them, but they're not. Besides, there aren't many people over there.
If they were truly caught off guard and attacked unexpectedly, what would this rebellious son want? Would he lead the people of Xishu Kingdom directly to the capital here? The Emperor was still not satisfied, so he stepped forward and slapped Ouyang Fu across the face.
Ouyang Fu dared not resist. His head was bleeding from being hit by the inkstone, but now... looking at the angry emperor, he remembered what he had been thinking about a few days ago.
"Father, I don't know how I got to Xishu Kingdom. I was attacked and fell off a cliff. When I woke up, I was already in Xishu Kingdom."
Ouyang Fu thought about it for a long time, and this was the best solution he could come up with.
He absolutely cannot say that he went there voluntarily, otherwise the emperor will not forgive him.
"Heh, you really know how to wake up. You're miles away on either side, tell me, how did you manage to wake up over there?"
The Emperor simply didn't believe it. Ouyang Fu frowned deeply: "Father, I don't know either. When I woke up, I was really over there. Seeing that place, I panicked and just wanted to get back to our country as soon as possible. But I was captured by those people and handed over to Xi Wujue."
Anyway, Xi Wujue is also in the capital, so he can't possibly betray himself.
This person is incredibly selfish; he needs my help to leave this place.
He should know perfectly well that if he doesn't get away from here, how can he help him? Even the Emperor laughed in exasperation upon hearing this: "So you really can wake up."
Ouyang Fu looked at the Emperor pitifully: "Father, I was only following your orders to distribute seedlings, but why am I being chased and killed, and not by a group of people?"
Ouyang Fu spoke with a pitiful expression, and seeing that the emperor did not refute him, he continued, "Is there someone who doesn't want me to come back? After I fell off the cliff, I heard that..."
"Heh, are you trying to tell me that Zhen'er attacked you?"
The Emperor sneered, and Ouyang Fu lowered his head in grievance: "Father, I didn't mean that. I just want to know who exactly dislikes me and won't let me come back."
The Emperor was well aware of the situation between his two sons. He hadn't intervened when the Crown Prince attacked Ouyang Zhen, so he couldn't very well interfere now. The boy already had grievances against him, and if he were to openly favor Ouyang Fu, the relationship between father and son would only worsen.
The emperor's eyes darkened. Regardless of the relationship between the two brothers, Ouyang Fu should not betray the country.
"Ouyang Fu, I truly never imagined that the Crown Prince, whom I have carefully raised since childhood, would do such a thing?"
Ouyang Fu was also aggrieved. If no one had laid a hand on him, how could he have gone to Xishu Kingdom? In the end, it all came down to Ouyang Zhen's matter, but his father's attitude towards Ouyang Zhen made him inexplicably uneasy.
No, he had to change his father's mind. Ouyang Fu thought to himself, and suddenly ripped his clothes, revealing the countless whip marks on his body.
"Father, for the past month or so, I have been living a life worse than death."
The Emperor was stunned to see so many injuries on Ouyang Fu's body. His son had been pampered since childhood; when had he ever suffered so many injuries and hardships? He never imagined that Ouyang Zhen would be so ruthless.
Just as the Emperor was about to help Ouyang Fu up, a figure rushed over: "Fu'er!"
When the Empress heard that her son had returned, he was extremely anxious.
Actually, she had been here for a while and had been waiting outside the Imperial Study.
She had originally planned to wait until the Emperor and the Crown Prince finished speaking before seeing Ouyang Fu again, but upon hearing that her son was injured, she could no longer hold back.
Upon seeing the Empress enter, the Emperor's expression changed, and he swallowed back the words he was about to say.
"Fu'er, what's wrong?"
Seeing the numerous wounds on Ouyang Fu's body, the Empress felt heartbroken, as if she were weeping blood.
When has her son ever suffered like this?
"Your Majesty, Fu'er is still your son. How could you treat her like this?"
"Hmph, how dare he betray his country? Does he still consider himself my son?"
The Emperor snorted coldly, and Ouyang Fu hurriedly said, "Father, I am innocent! I have truly not betrayed the country."
"Your Majesty, you heard it too. Fu'er said he did not betray the country. I believe he would never do such a thing!"
"He was already the crown prince, why would he need to betray the country?"
Besides, he's been by your side since he was little; you raised him single-handedly. Don't you know what kind of person he is?
These words softened the Emperor's heart a little. Although he preferred Ouyang Zhen, he had to admit that Ouyang Fu was the one who stayed by his side the most.
Regardless of the child's abilities, I've always been grateful for his companionship.
When Ouyang Zhen entered, he happened to overhear what the Empress was saying.
"Ouyang Zhen, you are already the Crown Prince, please, spare your elder brother!"
The Empress pleaded tearfully.
The Emperor also looked over: "Zhen'er, you..."
"It's nothing, I just heard Her Majesty the Empress say that Ouyang Fu couldn't possibly be a traitor, right?"
Ouyang Zhen remained indifferent, but his gaze toward the Emperor held a hint of coldness.
If the Emperor's past protection of Ouyang Fu could be attributed to his ignorance of Ouyang Fu's actions, what about now? The situation is so obvious, yet he still blindly defends him.
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