Chapter 87
As the sky gradually darkened, the sandalwood incense curled up from the five-cornered copper burner under the east window of the Fengtian Hall.
The princess finished reviewing the last memorial and handed it to the emperor. She raised her eyes slightly. It was dark outside the window. The vast osmanthus fields brought an endless breeze, which made the window frames rustle.
The eldest princess stood up and walked to the window with her hands behind her back.
This place was the center of the entire Great Jin Dynasty. There were six government offices dotted around her feet. She could vaguely see a strip of lights flowing between heaven and earth like a brilliant Milky Way. She stood at the top of this strip of lights. The wind and waves grew stronger, blowing past her nose. The princess took a deep breath of cool air. The extreme pleasure brought by the absolute power in her hands rushed from the soles of her feet to her eyebrows, forming a vast stream of burning water, hotly washing her internal organs, limbs and bones...
She stood there for an unknown amount of time, until the heat wave slowly receded like the tide, leaving only a feeling of loneliness quietly lingering in her heart, until she lost consciousness.
After reading the memorials, the emperor twisted his stiff neck with great effort. After the incidents of the King of Han and the Crown Prince, the emperor was deeply traumatized and his health was not as good as before. At this moment, he was exhausted after trying to finish reading all the memorials. He raised his eyes and glanced at his sister in front of him. Seeing that she was standing there motionless, he said in a gentle voice,
"Why don't you go back to the palace and rest? Be careful not to get a headache again."
The princess turned around, glanced at the emperor's face, and said calmly, "He has returned to the palace."
The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking of what happened during the day, and sighed deeply.
"What are you going to do?"
The eldest princess was silent again.
The slender fingers stained with Impatiens juice gently rested on the corner of the copper stove. The strong aroma slightly burned her fingertips red, and the burning pain spread all the way to her heart. The eldest princess's face was almost numb, and she lowered her eyes and said,
"It's time to put an end to that matter."
The emperor's brows tightened when he heard this, "De Jong, you have to understand that once you make this decision, there will be no turning back for you and Wang He."
"Don't you want to, brother?" The eldest princess raised her eyes and interrupted him.
The emperor smiled bitterly. He naturally wanted to find out the truth as soon as possible, but he also had to consider his sister's feelings.
"I am afraid that things will not turn out as we expected, and we will be in a dilemma. It will be you, my sister, who will be sad."
The eldest princess smiled very lightly, and the smile was so fleeting that it was almost impossible to catch.
She looked at the dragon-shaped throne behind the emperor and said resolutely, "No one is allowed to sleep soundly beside my bed. Only after you find the secret decree, Your Majesty can sit firmly on the throne and put an end to the delusions of those old ministers in Jinning."
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Your Majesty. Last time the Queen had an accident at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, many civil and military officials were detained. I always feel that this matter is strange. The Duke of Zhenguo has been in seclusion for many years, and this time he suddenly held a high-profile wedding banquet for his youngest son. And such an incident happened at the wedding banquet. I really don't believe that they have nothing to do with the assassination of the crown prince and the death of the King of Han."
The emperor's expression changed immediately. "My sister, are you saying that the old officials of Jinning are secretly colluding to support Zhaode's restoration?"
The princess nodded vaguely.
"No matter what, we must immediately find the secret decree and burn it. In addition, wouldn't it be a good idea to take this opportunity to find out which officials in the court are close to Prince Zhaode?"
The emperor saw that the princess had made up her mind and said nothing more, "How do you plan to deal with this matter, my sister?"
"I will go back to the Wang family in person. If Wang He still keeps his mouth shut, Your Majesty can send the Embroidered Uniform Guards." The eldest princess spoke in a light tone, so light that she almost sounded like she was talking about family matters.
The emperor looked at his reserved sister, and suddenly felt a little pity in his heart. His sister had been calm and composed since childhood, with the determination to remain calm even when faced with a catastrophe. His mother always said that among her children, her sister was the most like her, and if she were a boy, she would have been the one to sit on the throne.
The eldest princess always hid her emotions without a trace, and the emperor could do nothing about her.
The emperor stood up and walked around the imperial desk, came to her side and asked, "When are you going back?"
"tonight…"
The emperor was surprised, "You are too impatient..."
The eldest princess looked expressionless. After a moment of silence, she said, "It is better to do it sooner rather than later. Cut the Gordian knot."
After saying this, the princess bowed to the emperor, turned around and left the Fengtian Hall, called Chao Yun and the eunuchs who were waiting outside, and walked down the stairs step by step with determination.
As if he had expected her to come back, Duke Wang He of Wang Guo was still awake at this late hour. He was wearing an ordinary brocade jacket with the inscription "Fu Shou Shuang Quan" (liveliness and good fortune) on it and was sitting idly in the main hall of Qinghui Palace, cutting lamp wicks.
The palace door was wide open, and the night wind rushed in, blowing the two silver lamps to flicker. The waiter immediately found a bright lampshade to cover it and advised him, "Duke, it's too late, you should go to bed early."
The Duke shook his head and glanced outside the dark door, "Wait a little longer..."
He didn't say what he was waiting for, and the waiter didn't dare to ask.
After a while, two eunuchs holding bright orange palace lanterns broke through the darkness and crossed the hall. Then a graceful figure came in, supported by someone. Behind her followed a dozen palace servants, some familiar and some unfamiliar. Their posture was no different from usual. The only difference was that she looked at them from a distance.
That glance was as far as the distance between mountains and rivers, as if returning to the day when the two first met decades ago. She also gave him such a glance, with three parts of complexity, three parts of helplessness, and a bit of determination.
Not everyone can last for decades.
They seem to have never changed.
Wang He kept smiling as he watched her slowly walk into the hall. He raised his sleeves and bowed, then asked with a smile, "You're back."
"Um."
The couple's life was always so plain and ordinary, and it seemed as if there had been no disturbance at all in the past few decades.
The eldest princess sat down opposite him, and Wang He sat with her.
At this time every day, the couple would always drink a bowl of ginseng soup to nourish their bodies. At this moment, Chao Yun led two maids in and then led everyone out.
The palace door was still wide open.
The wind blows slowly.
The princess raised her sleeves and stirred the soup slowly, and asked softly,
"It's been forty years, so it's time to tell us where the things are hidden."
Her tone was still so calm.
Upon hearing this, the Duke smiled deeply and looked at her gently, even tenderly.
"Your Highness, if I had it, I would have taken it out long ago. Why wait until today?"
The princess did not ask any more questions, as she understood Wang He's character. She tapped the table three times with her fingertips. A eunuch waiting outside bowed and quietly left.
The Duke shifted his gaze from the eunuch to the eldest princess, staring at her without moving.
The hall was so quiet that even the sound of the wind was silent.
Perhaps it was because they had been in such a tacit understanding for so many years that no one said anything.
The movement came from far away and gradually became clear, like slowly boiling water.
They entered in unison.
Soon, the whole mansion became restless, even with the sound of children crying.
The Duke looked at the Princess. The Princess drank up the bowl of ginseng soup and finally put it down on the table slowly. She stared at the clean bottom of the bowl without looking up.
The crying became louder and louder, striking the string in my heart again and again, and the string became tighter and tighter.
It was the voice of the Sixth Young Master Wang Shuye that first broke the silence in the hall.
"Who are you? How dare you trespass into the Duke's Mansion? Where is the imperial edict? Where is the document? Does our Great Jin still have laws?"
The leading Jinyiwei commander, wearing a fiery red Feiyu suit, had a sinister sneer on his sharp face. He glanced sideways at the thousand households beside him. The thousand households waved a bright yellow imperial edict in front of Wang Shuye.
Wang Shuye was wearing a moon-white gown, his body was as straight as a bow. He immediately took the imperial edict and took a look. He did not see the official seal of the cabinet. He waved his sleeves decisively and pointed towards the door, full of ridicule.
"Although it is an imperial decree from His Majesty, it has not been signed by the Cabinet. It is considered an imperial decree, and one can obey it or not!"
The seventeen-year-old boy has a strong character, a tall and handsome figure, and eyes that shine like the sun, dazzling people.
Han Liang, the commander of the Jinyiwei, warned with a cold look in his eyes,
"Sixth Master, do you know what you are talking about? Disobeying the Holy Order is considered treason."
When the fourth wife saw her son speaking rudely, she quickly pushed her husband to pull her son back.
The fourth master ran forward trembling with fear, and together with the first master, forcibly dragged Wang Shuye into the hall.
Wang Shuye was so angry that he yelled, "Let me go! Why are you stopping me? Our Wang family has been noble for generations. How can we allow others to insult us? You are afraid of death, but I am not. If you have the guts, come to me first!"
"How dare you!" The elder master bared his teeth and glared at him, and said in a low voice, "Your grandmother is here, how can you be so rude?"
Wang Shuye turned his head and looked at the eldest princess with red eyes, tears slowly seeping out of his eyes, "Grandma, is this what you meant?"
The eldest princess slowly raised her eyes and looked at him, her gaze was cold and calm. She never lied, nor did she bother to lie. "It's me."
Wang Shuye's eyes were filled with anger. He shook off his father and uncle, rushed to the princess and knelt down, "Why? We are all one family, we are all your children and grandchildren, why are you doing this?"
The princess drooped her eyelids indifferently, not wanting to explain to him. She just winked at Han Liang, and Han Liang immediately raised his hand, signaling the Jinyiwei to search the entire palace.
The four branches of the Wang family, young and old, were all crowded in the main hall of Qinghui Palace. The eldest wife had a worried look on her face, the fourth wife was wiping her tears, the third wife had a cold expression on her face, the second wife, Jiang, had trembling shoulders as she leaned on her husband, and the second master, who was usually gentle and soft, had a mixture of long-suppressed anger and the joy of finally having a complete break up in his eyes. He raised his hand to protect his wife behind him.
Dou Keling and Xu Shiwei hid at the back, each holding their child. The two sisters-in-law had fear in their eyes. The others were either angry or shocked. Only Xie Yunchu held Ke Jie'er with one hand and held Er Ge'er with the other, calmly protecting the two children by his side.
Such scenes were commonplace in the previous life. After the death of the Duke, the Emperor ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to search the palace. Wang Shuhuai and the Princess Consort confronted each other, causing great uproar.
The princess glanced around, not seeing Wang Shuhuai, and asked, "Where is Shuhuai?"
Xie Yunchu knelt down and replied, "Second Master is still on night duty in the government office. I believe he will be back as soon as he hears the news."
The princess said nothing.
At this time, Chao Yun stepped in from outside the palace and bowed to the princess.
"Your Highness, the director of the Imperial Observatory has come with two deputies. The three of them are using compasses to divine in various places in order to determine the location as soon as possible."
The princess nodded, and seeing that everyone in the royal family was indignant, she explained,
"Today's incident is not targeting the Wang family, nor is it a search for the Wang family. It is just a search for the treasure of the last emperor of the previous dynasty. Once it is found, everything will be back to normal."
Wang Shuye snorted coldly with a stern face.
The second master sneered, and the others remained silent.
It was almost midnight, and the children were tired of crying, so they dozed off in their mothers' arms. The Duke ordered his grandchildren's wives to take the children to the warm room inside to rest.
No one moved. No one wanted to leave, nor did anyone dare to leave.
Finally, the servants helped their masters to sit in the sheltered place under the screen. Brother Wei was eight months old and his body was very heavy. When Xie Yunchu got tired of holding him, he put him on the Luohan bed to sleep. The little guy was not affected at all and slept very soundly.
Xie Yunchu put his son down, picked up Ke Jie'er and held her gently in his arms. Ke Jie'er opened her big watery eyes and leaned quietly in Xie Yunchu's arms. She was very smart and noticed that the atmosphere was not right, so she didn't dare to say a word.
Zhou Min sat down next to Xie Yunchu with her pregnant belly bulging. Looking at the dark sky outside, she asked Xie Yunchu worriedly, "I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep tonight. I don't know if I can find a result."
Zhou Min was just two months pregnant and was experiencing the worst morning sickness. She looked pale and full of worry.
Xie Yunchu was in no mood to comfort others, and only said calmly, "No matter what the storm is, it will eventually pass."
It was noisy outside the hall, like a busy morning market. The sound of digging walls and digging the ground could be heard, which made people feel scared.
Perhaps because they were too sleepy, everyone gradually couldn't hold on any longer. Some dozed off in the armchairs, some cuddled up to each other, and some even cried quietly.
The eldest princess closed her eyes and tapped her brows lightly with her slender fingers, while Duke Wang He was like an old monk in meditation, remaining as steady as a mountain.
No one knew how long the commotion lasted, but when a hint of dawn appeared in the eastern sky, the sleeping capital city woke up. The news that the Imperial Guards had raided the Wang family's home overnight spread throughout the streets and alleys. Many relatives and old friends gathered in front of the door to look in. Wang Yining rushed over after hearing the news, but was stopped outside the door by the Imperial Guards and was not allowed to enter.
At daybreak, servants brought hot water for the masters to rinse their mouths and wash their faces, and helped to feed the young master. Everyone was listless after staying up all night. Xie Yunchu looked out the window. It was the second day of April, which was also Wang Shuhuai's birthday, but there was no sign of Wang Shuhuai.
By noon, the Embroidered Uniform Guards had searched every corner of the palace and the locations predicted by the Imperial Observatory, but there was no trace of the edict.
Han Liang entered the hall and saluted to the eldest princess. "Your Highness, we've searched everywhere, but nothing is found." He said in a low voice.
The princess raised her eyebrows slightly, and gently brushed her swollen forehead with her armor.
"There's still one place left to search."
Han Liang paused for a moment, and said in confusion, "Please give me your instructions, Your Highness."
The princess lowered her eyes and said calmly, "The body of Duke Wang He."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the room was shocked, and everyone except the head of the house stood up.
"Mother!"
The third master resolutely stepped forward and blocked the way of the Duke. Except for the eldest master, the other young masters also jumped out and stood side by side beside the third master. All of them had a stern look that did not allow for slighting.
The third master's eyes were piercing, "Mother, you can't do that. Father is a noble man, and he has been in love with you for many years. Why are you doing this?"
The eldest princess did not answer him, but looked up at Duke Wang Guo behind him.
Duke Wang Guo had just taken a short nap and slowly opened his eyes. He gently pushed his children and grandchildren away, slowly stood up, and first took off the brocade jacket on the outside, revealing a green shirt underneath.
The old Duke, who is over sixty years old, has a towering figure, standing with his hands behind his back, like a majestic pine tree standing on the edge of a cliff, exuding an aura of majestic and profound elegance.
He looked at the eldest princess with his wide eyes, sighing and regretting, and his tone was extremely calm.
"Your Highness, please search it yourself."
The third master Wang Zhang and the royal guard Han Liang retreated at the same time.
In the middle of the magnificent palace, only the couple were left.
The princess sat still, the dullness in her eyes gradually faded away, and the first thing that slowly emerged was a sense of desolation.
"Wang He, it's time for us to end this."
The Duke's eyes suddenly filled with sorrow, his lips moved, and after a long while he spoke, "Your Highness, have you ever thought that such a thing never existed?"
The princess stood up suddenly, her bleak features suddenly changing into a fierce light, and she approached the Duke of Wang Guo step by step, "What about you? Have you ever told me the truth from the beginning to the end?"
"What truth do you want to hear, Your Highness?"
"Where is the thing?"
"No!"
"impossible!"
The princess brushed her sleeves and stepped back, her hands resting on the table, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes twisted into a sharp blade, "It was the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month in the thirteenth year of Qianyuan. The winter wind was cold, and the bridgehead was covered with layers of ice and snow. The yellow silk was frozen and could not be spread out, and the ink stick was like a stone and could not be ground. It was your father who tore off the lining of the hem and gave it to the emperor's uncle in Jinning. The emperor's uncle bit his finger and wrote a belt edict."
"What does the edict say?"
The Duke's eyebrows slowly gathered together like thick ink, "What do you think it says?"
The eldest princess's face was cold as she looked outside the gate. "At that time, his eldest son died in battle, and his youngest son was still in the capital. The will probably said that his late cousin would succeed him."
The Duke of Guo put his hands behind his back and smiled softly, "If it was written that the second son of the Emperor would succeed him, why would he commit suicide if he was so attached to power?"
The princess narrowed her eyes, "Then tell me, what is written in the will?"
The Duke shook his head, his expression clear, "The world belongs to everyone, not just one person. Without the people, how can there be a king? Your Majesty Jinning is well aware of this, so he did not hesitate to sacrifice his life for the country to strengthen the people's determination to resist the enemy."
"At that time, the country was in danger and on the verge of collapse. The Wang family of Langya had always been known for their virtue in supporting the country. Before his death, His Majesty Jinning probably ordered my father to return to the capital and quickly appoint a new emperor to revive the government. Unfortunately, His Majesty Jinning committed suicide not long after, and my father also died in battle at the bridgehead, and was unable to carry out his order."
"Maybe the will was written, maybe not, but none of the 8,700 soldiers and 156 officials at the bridgehead survived."
"'Those who share the benefits of the world will gain the world, and those who monopolize the benefits of the world will lose the world.' Your Highness, instead of looking for this fabricated edict for Your Majesty, why don't you think about how to be a king and how to support the people?"
"Your Highness, this is all I have to say. I hope Your Highness will understand what is going on." The Duke bowed deeply to his former wife, now the regent princess.
The princess closed her eyes deeply, and a very light sneer uttered from her empty chest. She shook her head and spoke in a hoarse voice,
"Wang He, I am not the one who is holding him back. This matter has caused a great disturbance in the court, and people are talking about it. Your Majesty needs an explanation, the officials need an explanation, and the people also need an explanation. Otherwise, how can the Wang family of Langya clear itself of the charge of hiding the treasure of the last emperor?"
The Duke's face was covered with a layer of sadness, but he still smiled, "Since Your Highness returned home late at night, I knew that this matter needed to be resolved. It started with my father and will end with me."
"But, before I give an explanation, could Your Highness promise me one thing?"
The princess heard his calm tone, and suddenly a trace of anger rose in her chest. She shouted,
"Wang He, there are thousands of ways to survive in this world, why do you choose a dead end?"
"If what you said is true, and Emperor Jinning never left a will, then isn't it ridiculous that the two of us have been tied up for decades? If what you said is a lie, then, Wang He, you never chose me. I thought that after so many years of living together day and night, I and the Wang family have shared life and death, and you should stand by me. If I succeed, the Wang family will still be as prosperous as ever, but you didn't. You hid it too deeply, and I never even knew it. You smiled at me and got angry at me. At that moment, was it true, and at that moment was it false?"
Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes, but were suppressed in an instant. The princess took a deep breath and suppressed the trembling between her brows.
Wang Guogong looked at her restrained appearance and suddenly lost his mind. He was stunned for a while, and then a bitter smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
"Your Highness regarded me as a hostage, but I took Your Highness as my wife. Even if the late Queen was not right, Your Highness was innocent. When the late Queen granted the marriage, Your Highness was also reluctant. The Duan family was suspected of treason, and the child was so young and innocent. She threatened you with the child, and you had no choice but to marry me with the child. Even though I had no feelings for Your Highness at that time, I admired and pitied Your Highness in my heart."
Upon hearing this, the master Wang Bin fell to his knees and burst into tears.
"Mother…"
When the Duan family rebelled, Wang Bin, as the eldest grandson of the Duan family, should have been executed on the spot. He always thought that he was able to save his life because of his mother's identity as a princess. It was not until today that he realized that the late queen actually used him to threaten his mother to remarry Wang He.
Tears gently slid down the eldest princess's fair cheek. She stared blankly at the table in front of her. The incense she had lit last night had dried up, leaving ashes all over the ground. The breeze gently lifted up the dust, some of which fell on her feet, some on her clothes, and some of it quietly stuck to her heart, lingering.
"After all, my royal family has let you down by trapping you in Changchun Palace for so many years. Wang He, from now on, our marriage is over."
The third and fourth masters knelt on the ground at the same time, crying inconsolably.
After forty years of supporting each other and sleeping in the same bed, they could not overcome the chasm that had been drawn from the very beginning.
We are so close yet we seem to be worlds apart.
Perhaps on a quiet night they were very close to each other, but then went in opposite directions because of their different missions.
The sound of an ancient bell blew over from the vast wind. It was time for sutra chanting in the nearby Chang'an Temple. Every time at this time, the eldest princess loved to hold a cup of fragrant tea in her hand and listen to the Duke chant a passage from the "Purifying Heart Sutra".
Never again.
The warm spring breeze brushed across his pale brows, but could not erase the deep regret embedded in his eyes. These regrets included the guilt towards his late wife, the desolation of not being able to watch the heir of the Wang family standing in the court, and the regret of not being able to draw eyebrows for that person with his bare hands anymore.
The melodious sound of the bell seems to cleanse the dust and sins of this world.
The Duke remained silent for a long time.
Hearing the man behind her fall silent, the princess turned around with all her strength, her eyes as deep as a cold pond fixed on him, she suddenly raised her sleeves to grab the front of his shirt, pulled him in front of her eyebrows, and roared,
"I'm asking you one last time, do you have the Jinning edict in your hand? Are you an old official of Jinning, and are you planning to take the edict and usurp the throne?"
"As long as you tell me the truth, I will let you go today, Wang He, I just want the truth..."
That's all.
The eldest princess' eyes were tense, the veins on her forehead were throbbing, and the headache that had been dormant for a long time came back, making her dizzy.
Perhaps she had never known what tenderness was and had never bowed down to anyone. At this moment, the tears in her eyes were covered with a deep red.
The raging fire and the deeply suppressed anger in her eyes penetrated into the Duke's heart like a thorn. After forty years of marriage, today was the first time she spoke to him, the first time she tore off the disguise of this marriage and faced him honestly.
There was a look of desolation in the Duke's eyes, and he didn't even know how to react for a moment.
"Your Highness, if you don't believe me, I will die to give you an explanation, and to the people of the world, that my Wang family does not have any treasures from the last emperor, nor does it have Jin Ning's will..."
The eldest princess's slender hand trembled, and her eyes seemed to be covered with misty rain. At that moment, her heart seemed to be empty. She let go of his clothes, looked at him strangely, took two steps back, and bumped into the table, silent.
The Duke calmly straightened his clothes and said to the Princess with a peaceful expression, "After I leave, I hope Your Highness will take care of the children. Please spare the second wife because I have always been loyal to Your Highness during our years of marriage."
All the members of the Wang family behind him fell to their knees and cried.
The sky outside the courtyard is bright, mid-spring is about to pass, and early summer is coming. It seems that the fragrance of flowers is slowly carried to the tip of the nose along with the breeze. In this life, he has served in the court, been a general and a prime minister, and he, Wang He, has lived up to the people of the world. That's enough. A silver blade flashed from his sleeve, reflecting the face that once looked so glorious.
Just as the silver blade was about to cut the Duke's neck, a sharp stone shot out from the open door and hit the Duke's wrist. He cried out in pain and the dagger in his hand fell to the ground with a clang.
Everyone turned their eyes over at the same time.
A slender figure hurriedly jumped in from the gate. Wang Shuhuai, dressed in a white shirt, stood at the threshold with his hands behind his back, looking at the princess expressionlessly.
The eldest princess' eyes flickered, and she squinted and looked at Wang Shuhuai.
"Shu Huai, you are finally here."
Wang Shuhuai sneered, lifted his knees and walked in, quickly glanced into the hall, and found his wife Xie Yunchu. Seeing that she and her two children were safe and sound as before and nodded to him calmly, Wang Shuhuai felt relieved, and then he turned his gaze to the Duke, and then instructed,
"Someone, help grandpa down to rest."
The Third Master Wang Shukuang and the Fourth Master Wang Shutong were stunned for a moment, then they stepped forward and helped the dazed Duke to sit aside.
Wang Shuhuai slowly stepped forward and stood in the position of the Duke just now, facing the Princess, and pointed his long sleeves towards the inner hall.
"Your Highness wants a will, right? Huai will give you an explanation."
Their eyes met.
The eldest princess' eyes were deep.
Wang Shuhuai looked exceptionally calm.
The eldest princess hesitated for a moment and walked towards the inner hall first.
Chao Yun and Jinyiwei commander Han Liang followed closely behind.
Wang Shuhuai was the last one to enter the inner hall.
He stepped over the threshold and looked at the princess looking down from above.
"Your Highness, do you know who planned today's incident and what their purpose is?"
The princess's expression returned to normal, and she snorted coldly, "I don't care about Prince Xin's petty tricks. As long as I get the Jinning edict, whoever I want to make the crown prince will be the crown prince."
Wang Shuhuai smiled, his tall figure was young and vigorous, like a sharp sword inserted in the vast world. That very light laugh made the frivolous, cold and confident in his eyes show to the extreme.
"Your Highness finally told the truth," he said in a cold tone with a hint of understanding, "After all, what Your Highness wants in his heart is the supreme imperial power. What about the royal family, marriage, husband and children? What do they matter?"
The princess sneered and looked at him with disdain, "Shu Huai, are you going to teach me a lesson?"
Wang Shuhuai's face was indifferent. "Your Highness, do you know why my Wang family of Langya has stood for hundreds of years? Because my Wang family conforms to the general trend of the world and the will of the people. Your Highness may say that Shuhuai's words are empty. Then Shuhuai will tell your Highness, what did Shuhuai do during this missing day and night?"
"I have made it clear to Your Highness that if Your Highness insists on having his own way today and forces my grandfather to death, the entire court and the entire world will know about the old case of Jinning's will tomorrow. Perhaps by then, there will be a will even if there is no will. Do you believe it, Your Highness?"
The eldest princess narrowed her eyes.
Wang Shuhuai changed the subject, "Of course, Your Highness's use of the imperial power to suppress by force is nothing, but what about the entire Jiangnan? Three thousand students from the Jinling Imperial College gathered outside the Zhengyang Gate of the Southern Capital in a few days to denounce the court. Thousands of wealthy families in Jinling and countless bandits took advantage of the situation to rebel and occupy the mountains as kings... The entire tax-collecting area of Jiangnan will be freed from the control of the court. Is this the result you want to see?"
The eldest princess's throat rolled, "Are you threatening me?"
"I dare not." The young man's eyebrows were graceful, and his tone was even more nonchalant. "To the north, the Mongols are eyeing us covetously, and to the west, the Chu State is sleeping soundly. If we lose the south of the Yangtze River again, will your Majesty and your Highness still be able to hold on to this kingdom?"
The Wang family of Langya once occupied the south of the Yangtze River, and had many students and old friends in the south of the Yangtze River. Otherwise, Wang Shuhuai's implementation of state affairs in the south this time would not have been so smooth. It was in fact because of the Wang family's unparalleled reputation that all officials initially recommended Wang Shuhuai to be the Yuwenlang of the Jiangnan Qinglisi. Only the Wang family could implement the tax policy with great momentum and stabilize the entire Jiangnan.
Wang Shuhuai looked at the princess confidently, "Your Highness wants my grandfather's life, and if you want to get rid of this so-called chief of Jinning's old ministers, then I want the whole of Jiangnan. Your Highness, please do as you wish."
The anger was running wildly in her chest. For the first time, she felt a strong fear of this young man. The eldest princess laughed out of anger, "Wang Shuhuai, you are more cruel than your grandfather."
Wang Shuhuai said in a clear tone, "Yes, either everyone lives in peace, or no one lives in peace. Your Highness is ruthless, and so is Huai."
Just see who is more cruel.
The princess sneered, "Wang Shuhuai, it seems that Wang He has already told you everything, so he dared to die, but the Wang family won't give an explanation. Even if he dies, I will still hold you, Wang Shuhuai, accountable."
Wang Shuhuai laughed slowly, not taking the princess' words seriously at all.
"Your Highness does not understand my grandfather at all. What he said just now was all lies, but all of them were true. He told Your Highness not to stare at the edict, which was to tell Your Highness that instead of getting hung up on the Wang family, it would be better to deal with Prince Xin and deal with your real rival. When Your Highness gains control of the world, my Wang family will still follow you like a shadow. Do you understand, Your Highness?"
Suddenly, a silver light flashed in the eyes of the eldest princess, as if the clouds had been cleared and the moon had appeared. "So, if I don't do what you want that day, you still won't stand by my side, right?"
Wang He didn't give her an answer, but Wang Shuhuai did.
Wang Shuhuai nodded slowly, "Yes."
He said in a quiet tone, "'Where virtue is, the world will follow; where justice is, the world will rush to it; where benevolence is, the world will obey it.' This is the way of being a king."
"So, Your Highness must be a wise ruler."
The princess smiled angrily, threw her wide sleeves behind her and said, "But Wang Shuhuai, this matter is not up to me alone. The court officials and His Majesty are watching. Even if I don't want this explanation, they still want it."
"It's very simple," Wang Shuhuai stood side by side with her, looking out the open window together. There was a blue sky, white clouds, and a line of flying swallows circling deep into the sky.
"There are many people outside the palace gate watching the excitement, and many court officials are watching the situation from all directions. Your Highness only needs to come forward as the regent princess to make it clear that the Jinyiwei have searched the entire palace and found no treasure of the last emperor. If anyone else makes trouble out of nothing, they will be killed without mercy."
"As for how Your Highness will explain to His Majesty, Shu Huai has also thought about it for Your Highness."
This outstanding man calmly took something out from under his sleeve and handed it to the princess.
"Your Highness, don't you want to see the will? Here it is."
Everyone in the inner hall was trembling in fear.
I saw something spread out in his broad palm, a piece of yellowed plain jacquard satin with a white background, and there seemed to be faint flashes of dark red writing.
The eldest princess looked at Wang Shuhuai with suspicion. Chaoyun immediately stepped forward to take the item for the eldest princess, and then opened it for her to see.
The four characters on it were written by Emperor Jinning himself.
"The world belongs to all."
Chaoyun and the eldest princess were both shocked.
The princess took the so-called will and found it ridiculous. "Wang Shuhuai, is this your handwriting?"
Wang Shuhuai was an excellent calligrapher when he was young, and was good at imitating the calligraphy of various masters to the point where his calligraphy was indistinguishable from the real thing. It seemed easy to find an old piece of clothing of an old duke, or to go to the library and find the handwriting of His Majesty Jinning, thanks to Wang Shuhuai's perfection.
Wang Shuhuai still had that indifferent tone.
"Is it really important? Your Majesty holds this will, and can say that he is destined to be the emperor. Isn't Your Highness satisfied?"
Han Liang, the commander of the Jinyiwei, heard this and sneered, "Wang Shuhuai, you are so bold that you dare to fool His Majesty and the Princess in front of me..."
Before he could finish his words, he felt a flash before his eyes. The man was so fast that he was caught off guard. Then a cold light flashed by. He didn't even have time to draw his sword. An extremely thin blade slashed across his neck, strangling all the sounds in his throat.
The princess watched Wang Shuhuai's sword strike up and down with incredible speed and a mixture of shock, anger and indignation on her face.
"you……"
Wang Shuhuai threw the gradually weakened Han Liang aside with a cold face, took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and slowly wiped the blood off his hands, his tone indifferent,
"Han Liang, the commander of the Jinyiwei, was a chess piece lurking in front of Your Majesty by an old official of Jinning. He was ordered to follow Her Royal Highness the Princess to search the Wang family. After finding the will, he took advantage of the Princess's unpreparedness to seize it, but was killed by the female guards beside the Princess."
The eldest princess: “…”
Before returning home, Wang Shuhuai made some preparations. Han Liang was greedy for merit and reckless, and his methods were ruthless. He had recently gained the trust of the emperor and the eldest princess. Such a person might be pleased by his superiors, but not by his colleagues. There were many Jinyiwei who regarded him as a thorn in their eyes and a thorn in their flesh.
Wang Shuhuai could easily win people over and do some tricks in secret. Once Han Liang died and the crisis of the Wang family was resolved, he also made a secret friend in the Jinyiwei. Wang Shuhuai always planned three steps before taking one step.
Wang Shuhuai glanced over, his clear eyes showing a faint smile, "Your Highness, what do you think of this reason? Do you have any concerns?"
The eldest princess looked at Wang Shuhuai as if he were a madman and swallowed softly.
A quarter of an hour later, everyone watched as the eldest princess walked out of the inner hall with a grim face, holding something in her hand.
Behind her, Wang Shuhuai followed leisurely. There was no change in Wang Shuhuai's expression from beginning to end. The only difference was that there seemed to be spots of blood on his collar.
Chao Yun looked at Wang Shuhuai with fear and admiration, and finally nodded quietly to Xie Yunchu who was worried in the crowd.
The eldest princess came to the door, stood with her hands on the door frame, and took a long breath.
Chao Yun stood behind her, ready to support her at any time.
Everyone in the Wang family stared at the eldest princess and Wang Shuhuai in shock, not knowing what had happened in the inner hall.
Finally, the eldest master couldn't help but whispered "mother". The princess came back to her senses and turned around. She looked at her eldest son, who looked desolate, her third son, who was upright and clear-headed, her fourth son, who was crying bitterly, and even her daughters-in-law and grandchildren...
The princess's eyes finally fell on the Duke, whose expression was frozen, and she suddenly felt relieved and said,
"Wang He, when I return to the palace, I will deliver the divorce letter to you. From today on, you will be free."
The Duke's dark grey eyes slowly turned around, and he slowly raised his gaze to meet hers. He wanted to speak, but his throat seemed to be stuck and he didn't know what to say.
In a trance for a moment, he was in his twilight years.
The princess continued, "I will take Bin'er away and change his surname to Duan. The third and fourth masters..." At this point, she turned her gaze to the third and fourth masters, "What do you two think?"
The Third Master sat dejectedly at the Duke's knees, his eyes were empty but his tone was firm, "I am a member of the Wang family in life and a ghost of the Wang family in death."
The eldest princess had nothing to say, and she looked at the fourth master again.
The fourth master cried the most. He looked at his eldest brother who was showing joy and his third brother who looked as cold as ice. He hesitated for a moment, then wiped his tears and said seriously, "My son is also a member of the Wang family."
It is not known whether it was the Duke's words that shocked him, or the hundreds of years of Wang family's character that influenced him, but the fourth master had only one thought in his mind: he was a member of the Wang family, and he was proud to be a member of the Wang family.
The princess's expression did not change significantly. "That's it. As for this mansion..." She glanced at the plants and trees outside the gate calmly, and finally lowered her eyes. "Everything is back to normal."
Originally, the Princess's Mansion and the Duke's Mansion were next to each other. Later, the late Queen ordered the demolition of the wall, and now it has just been rebuilt.
Give him back what he deserves.
When the princess was about to leave, Wang Shuhuai suddenly stopped her.
"Your Highness, there is one more thing Huai would like to ask Your Highness."
The princess turned around, this time her eyes were very calm, "What's the matter?"
Wang Shuhuai asked, "Is the death of my late grandmother related to the death of my late queen?"
The princess was stunned for a moment, and couldn't remember that person. Her thoughts churned in her chaotic mind for a moment, and she said slowly,
"Your grandmother passed away in July of the fifth year of Jintai, and my late husband was executed on the second day of September of the same year. My mother only came up with the idea of marrying me to your grandfather after the Duan family got into trouble. Your grandmother must have died of illness, not my mother's death. Wang Shuhuai, I may be cruel and ruthless, but I have never disdained to use despicable tricks."
"I will never embarrass a powerless woman."
After saying this, the eldest princess took Chao Yun's arm and strode away.
When the Wang family married the eldest princess, there were many speculations in the court. Considering the methods of the previous queen, it was not surprising that some people speculated that Madam Wang had ordered her to be put to death.
The second master Wang Shou still didn't believe it, and threw himself on the Duke's knees and asked,
"Father, is that true?"
This has been a concern for him for many years.
The Duke looked at the receding figure with a dazed look in his eyes and said in a hoarse voice,
"Even if I were to commit suicide, I would never watch your mother being killed by others."
The second master was completely relieved.
That night, the eldest princess sent someone to deliver the divorce letter. After receiving the letter, the Duke hobbled into the small ancestral hall, numbly moved the tablet of his late wife from the side room back to the main hall, and then sat alone on the platform of the ancestral hall.
He inherited his ancestors' teachings since he was young and regarded the world as his own responsibility. When he was young, there was always a clear light on his body, like moonlight and sunlight, which could not be blown away by the wind or faded by the rain. Before his death, his deceased wife held his hand with her skinny hand and kept questioning him, asking what was important in his eyes. The eldest princess also asked him with a smile, what else did he have in his heart besides family responsibilities and the mission of a scholar-official.
Maybe you once had great ambitions, or maybe you still have unfulfilled ambitions.
Perhaps all that is left is a sense of emptiness after the great waves have washed away the sand.
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