In the dead of night, all is silent, and there is no moon.
A lamp emerged from the palace and slowly walked toward the Ministry of Justice.
The Minister of Justice was already waiting at the door. Upon seeing the person arrive, he immediately stepped forward and bowed.
The man, dressed in a black cloak, raised his hand to stop him: "No need for formalities, lead the way."
"yes."
The three of them walked into the dimly lit prison cell, and then into the innermost tier, the "Heavenly" cell.
After bringing the person in, the Minister of Justice and his attendants withdrew.
The man looked at Tang Xinghuai, who was sitting quietly in the cell, and said, "It's been a long time."
Hearing the voice, Tang Xinghuai looked up and smiled, "It's really rare. I didn't expect you to come to see me."
The man removed his hat, revealing his face; it was none other than His Majesty.
The current emperor is known for his virtue and benevolence.
Since ascending the throne, he has abolished many harsh laws and regulations of the previous dynasty, adopted advice, and brought much benefit to the people.
Because he himself had also suffered hardships.
Today, everyone in the world speaks highly of His Majesty.
But even if he was weak and kind, he had been emperor for so many years, it was impossible that he had no means at all.
"You and she look very alike."
One sentence was enough to break Tang Xinghuai's defenses.
He recognized him, recognized him?
Impossible, he had never seen the emperor when he was a child.
"I have seen you before. When you were seven years old, you performed a meritorious service. When you returned, I recognized you the moment I saw you."
Tang Xinghuai's lips trembled.
Impossible, impossible!
Since you recognized him, why not just arrest him?
“You look a lot like your mother. Before she died, your mother entrusted me to take care of you.”
If Tang Xinghuai hadn't fled back then, he wouldn't have died.
"My mother?"
Tang Xinghuai's mother was taken away by Prince Chen back then; she was supposed to marry someone else.
Back then, the emperor wasn't yet the emperor, and Prince Chen's power was too great for him to contend with.
If she hadn't been abducted, Tang Xinghuai's mother was originally going to marry his brother, the late emperor.
“Your mother is an innocent person. It was Prince Chen who defiled your mother, which is why you were born.”
Tang Xinghuai couldn't believe it. His father had always been good to his mother, even though his father didn't pay much attention to him, he loved his mother.
Then it dawned on him: his mother had never liked him...
The emperor sighed: "Originally, these things should have been buried with me, but I don't want you to live your life with hatred. I originally thought that if you could stop, I would not pursue the matter, but now..." It's too late.
Do you still remember your older brother?
Tang Xinghuai naturally remembered that the eldest son of the Prince Chen's mansion was exceptionally intelligent and skilled in both literature and martial arts at a young age. Everyone said that the Prince Chen's mansion had a worthy successor.
However, this boy died at the age of twelve, when Tang Xinghuai was seven years old.
After that, Tang Xinghuai's mother fell ill and never recovered, and soon after, she passed away.
“Your elder brother was not Prince Chen’s biological son at all. He was killed by your father. Your mother knew all this. Before she died, she saw me and told me about your elder brother’s background. She also asked me to take care of you. I met you at that time.”
Prince Chen is adept at disguising himself; he appears kind on the outside but is actually ruthless and cruel on the inside.
“You were a good child. When the Prince Chen’s mansion was in trouble, I sent people to look for you, but it seemed that the old subordinates of the Prince Chen’s mansion knew all along and hid you away. For so many years, I have had no news of you.”
“Prince Chen is indeed your father, but he is also the culprit who harmed your mother and your elder brother. In my eyes, it is truly wrong to seek revenge for such a person.”
Tang Xinghuai was speechless. If his father was really that kind of person, then what was the point of all those years of painstaking efforts?
Is he seeking revenge for the murderer who killed his older brother and mother?
What exactly has he been doing all his life?
No, he didn't believe it. His father wasn't that kind of person. He didn't believe it!
The emperor took out a letter from his bosom and handed it to him: "This letter should have been given to you after the incident at the Prince Chen's residence. So many years have passed, it may be too late, but it is the last thing your mother left for you."
Tang Xinghuai hurriedly took the letter; the signature on it was his mother's handwriting, which he remembered clearly.
I opened the letter, and before I even finished reading it, my hands were shaking uncontrollably.
"Your mother hoped you could live a good life, leave the Prince Chen's mansion, leave the Xiao family, and do your own thing, but alas..."
The belief that Tang Xinghuai had held in his heart ever since the massacre of the Prince Chen's family completely collapsed at this moment.
What exactly did he do?
The hatred he has held onto since childhood, the hatred that has sustained him to this day, is a joke.
His whole life was a joke...
When the emperor was released from prison, he ran into Jiang Shuyue, who had also come in the middle of the night.
Jiang Shuyue didn't try to hide anything and went straight up to him, saying, "Father."
The emperor paused for a moment, then seemed to remember something: "You've come to see him too?"
"Yes." After all, we've known each other for a while, so I'm here to see you one last time.
"Father, I have something I would like to say to you in a few days."
The father and daughter nodded, and Jiang Shuyue waited for the emperor to leave before stepping into the prison.
When Jiang Shuyue came out of the prison, she glanced behind her before turning away.
The next day, the imperial court issued an order to post a notice announcing Tang Xinghuai's crimes, and that he would be executed three days later.
Song Ning had already returned to the Duke's mansion. On the day of the execution, neither Jiang Shuyue nor Song Ning went; they stayed at the Duke's mansion to talk.
“Ah Ning, I’ve spoken to His Majesty.”
Song Ning didn't react for a moment: "What did you say?"
"It's about... giving Jiang Yuande advice and strategies."
Song Ning, who had been reclining, suddenly sat up: "You said it?"
"Um."
"What did His Majesty say?"
His Majesty's reaction was something Jiang Shuyue hadn't expected.
The emperor was not surprised, and simply said, "I know."
Jiang Shuyue was stunned. She never thought that what she had done would one day see the light of day.
She thought she was just a shadow in the darkness, someone who couldn't see the light, and that even if she told the truth, His Majesty wouldn't believe her.
But those three simple words instantly brought tears to Jiang Shuyue's eyes.
Your Majesty knows, Your Majesty knows everything.
"His Majesty told me that he had known all along, but had never said it out loud."
"I always thought His Majesty was kind and virtuous, but he turned a blind eye to all the messy things happening below, even the struggles among the princes. I never expected that he actually knew about it."
"That's a good thing, Sister Jiang. His Majesty knows about it and hasn't said anything about you. He supports you. Your ambitions may soon be realized."
Jiang Shuyue finally couldn't hold back her smile and leaned on the table, saying with a smile, "A-Ning, thank you so much. I only dared to tell you about this. You've always supported me. Don't worry, if I can really achieve what I want in the future, I'll give you an official position."
"Huh? No, I don't want to be an official, I just want to do business and make money."
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