Chapter 3: Deposed Crown Prince Zhuo
Speaking of Xiao Zhuo, he is really miserable.
Not long after Emperor Yongde ascended the throne, the empress gave birth to his eldest son, Xiao Zhuo. Emperor Yongde was overjoyed and made him the crown prince.
Before him, there had been four princes in the palace, all born to concubines. Because their mothers' families were of low status and they behaved very low-key, the harem appeared to be harmonious.
Since being named the crown prince, Xiao Zhuo has lived up to everyone's expectations and has been self-disciplined and disciplined towards others.
He was diligent and hardworking since childhood, and was extremely intelligent. He read all kinds of classics, history, and literature at an early age. He was praised by the court and the public as "there is a stone of talent in the world, and Zhuo Qing has eight buckets."
The Great Yan Dynasty was fortunate to have such a crown prince, and all the ministers praised him highly. Some even began to look forward to the future of the Great Yan Dynasty, with peaceful seas and clear rivers, and a prosperous and bright era.
So when Xiao Zhuo was fourteen years old, some ministers in the court began to report to the emperor, saying that with the prince's abilities, he could enter the court early to assist the emperor in governing the country and gain experience.
The crown prince's brilliance naturally overshadowed the other princes. If there was any prince who could rival him, it was the second prince, born to Concubine De.
For the first time ever, the emperor did not agree to the court officials' memorial, but ordered the second prince to attend court to discuss state affairs.
Xiao Zhuo didn't take it seriously and personally reported to the emperor that the border of Dayan was unstable and he was willing to defend the border for his father to keep Dayan peaceful.
Emperor Yongde was satisfied with his son's request and approved it with a wave of his hand.
When Xiao Zhuo was sixteen years old, he joined the army for training. In just one year, he had made many military achievements.
In just four years, he swept away the powerful enemies in the north, and his reputation spread throughout the Great Yan Dynasty. The people of the Great Yan Dynasty all respected the prince.
When he returned triumphantly at the age of 20, the emperor granted him a marriage with Chen Lan, the legitimate daughter of the Duke's Mansion.
Who could have imagined that overnight, the situation would change so drastically, and Crown Prince Xiao Zhuo would be deposed as crown prince and demoted to a commoner, and exiled thousands of miles away.
Shen Yuexi sighed in her heart, this emperor was clearly using his own son to practice.
In the end, I'm afraid the capable will prevail.
Therefore, although Xiao Zhuo was named the crown prince shortly after he was born, this position was not indestructible. For Xiao Zhuo, it was more like walking on a tightrope. One mistake would lead him to fall into the abyss.
The emperor probably thought that as long as he could train a qualified emperor, his mission would be accomplished.
The emperor is permanent, but the crown prince comes and goes.
It is really not easy to survive under the nose of this emperor.
Xiao Zhuo might still be waiting for the emperor to repent, but now half a month has passed and there is no movement at all.
People tend to seek benefits and avoid harm. When they saw that Xiao Zhuo had no signs of rising again, the yamen runners no longer concealed their bad attitude.
At first, they took Xiao Zhuo's status as the deposed crown prince into consideration, so his daily meals were not too bad and his attitude was quite polite.
Now, they only give him one steamed bun every day, which is thrown on the ground. With Xiao Zhuo's status, why would he fight with those people for the food on the ground?
She hadn't eaten for three days because she was seriously ill, and Xiao Zhuo hadn't eaten for several days either.
If this continues, both of them will be finished sooner or later.
She was still counting on this man to take her away, so Xiao Zhuo couldn't die now.
She picked up the remaining half bowl of water, took the steamed bun that she had not yet eaten, stood up and walked over slowly.
Fortunately, because of her behavior of lying dead just now, the yamen runners thought she was really dead and removed her chains.
It’s also because she is a weak woman, and she is afraid that she can’t run away even if she wants to.
For the first time, Shen Yuexi felt someone's aura could be so strong. She hadn't noticed anything from a distance, but when she got close, the person's aura suddenly changed. He exuded a cold, repulsive air, a sense of rejection that kept people at arm's length. A cold, vicious aura swirled in the depths of his piercing black eyes.
He is not someone you want to mess with.
In order to survive, she met his cold gaze, ignored the oppressive feeling he brought, and sat down beside him.
Only then did she feel that this man had been the crown prince for more than ten years after all, and the majesty of the superior made people feel respectful.
Come to think of it, after being the crown prince for more than ten years, could he be an ordinary person?
After making sufficient preparations in her heart, she coughed lightly and tried to call out in a low voice: "Husband?"
I just drank some water and I feel much better now. When I spoke again, my throat at least didn't feel the burning pain it had just now.
Even though I lowered my voice, I didn't get a response for a long time.
She looked up at Xiao Zhuo.
The strong wind blew the black hair on the side of his face, and Xiao Zhuo still looked confused.
His handsome face was as clear as if carved by a knife, with long eyebrows reaching his temples, a straight nose, and thin lips slightly pursed. His cold star-like eyes contained a hint of pride, and his former ambition could be vaguely seen.
Seeing her sitting next to Xiao Zhuo, the officers guarding Xiao Zhuo gripped their swords at their waists and looked at her vigilantly.
Her heart skipped a beat. She pretended to be calm and pulled Xiao Zhuo's sleeve, shamelessly persuading him, "You haven't eaten for a few days. Eat something."
As she said this, she handed the steamed bun to him.
Seeing that she was just feeding Xiao Zhuo, the officer looked away with relief.
Xiao Zhuo suddenly turned his head to look at Shen Yuexi. His sharp eyes were like a cold knife that seemed to pierce a person's heart. He was like a wounded beast, ferocious and sinister. He was instinctively alert to any creature that approached, as if he was always ready to bite the opponent to pieces.
Shen Yuexi was frightened by those frosty eyes and shuddered, almost throwing the bowl in her hand.
There was no way. She used to stay in the laboratory all day and rarely interacted with others. She had never met someone with such a strong aura.
She stopped in front of him with the bowl in her hand, not knowing what to do. The atmosphere was extremely awkward.
But in order to escape, she could only bite the bullet and whisper: "You must always think about the relatives who died for you."
They are still waiting for you to avenge them and clear their grievances.
Xiao Zhuo's demotion had far-reaching consequences, with the first to be affected being the Duke of Zhenguo, the prince's mother's family. Everyone in the mansion was taken away and beheaded. Now, the family members of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion are no longer seen on the road of exile.
Not to mention the ministers who defected to him.
And the Queen's death.
So don’t do things that will make your enemies happy and your loved ones sad.
A hint of cruelty flashed in Xiao Zhuo's eyes.
Seeing that Xiao Zhuo finally responded, Shen Yuexi continued to persuade him: "Think about who hurt you to this point, and then think about those high-ranking enemies. Why do they have the right to live peacefully?"
So cheer up, stop being passive and get to work!
Xiao Zhuo breathed hard, as if trying to suppress the anger in his chest. His eyes were red, and his shackled hands were clenched into fists, with veins bulging on his hands.
Shen Yuexi looked around and saw that the yamen runners guarding them had already started handing over in groups of three or four, and did not notice the change in Xiao Zhuo at this time.
I breathed a sigh of relief, but I couldn't continue to provoke him. If he had a fit, it would attract the attention of the police.
But when he looked at Xiao Zhuo again, he found that he had already returned to normal.
It seemed that the change just now was just an illusion for her.
The worry just now was unnecessary.
Seeing that he drank all the water in the bowl in one gulp, Shen Yuexi cut the steamed bun in half and gave him half.
"Eat quickly, we have to go on the road soon."
Xiao Zhuo glanced at her, took it and started eating.
Very good, he listened to what I just said. It seems that we are one step closer to a successful escape.
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