Chapter 324 A Lifelong Effort
After seeing off Queen Wen, Su Mo and Xiao Beiheng returned to the hall together.
Su Mo wanted to know what the mother and son had said. After Xiao Beiheng sat down, she couldn't wait to ask:
"Beiheng, what did the Queen Mother say to you?"
"Nothing much, mainly about..." Xiao Beiheng grasped the scabbard of the Yanque Sword and pushed up the hilt with his thumb. Yanque unsheathed an inch with a "click". Then he pressed it back in with his thumb again. "Suggestions on what to do next."
"It's about my sister-in-law, right?" Su Mo stood in front of Xiao Beiheng. "Haven't you already decided? Aren't we going to the capital to see our father now?"
"I won't go," Xiao Beiheng pulled the Yanque Sword out of its sheath again and then put it back in. "The Queen Mother will naturally go and tell the Emperor."
The sound of the sword being drawn in and out of the sheath repeatedly made Su Mo feel uncomfortable. In this somewhat gloomy hall, the scraping sound was particularly harsh.
She stepped forward and held down Xiao Beiheng's sword-holding hand: "Beiheng, your previous idea was obviously good, why did you suddenly decide not to go? If you don't tell father about this and don't catch the murderer, my brother will really think that you killed my sister-in-law."
"If he really thinks so, let him think so." Xiao Beiheng seemed to be resigned to the answer from heaven and earth.
Su Mo looked at him in surprise: "If that's the case, my elder brother will misunderstand you, and my father will also..."
"I told you, my mother will go and explain to my father." Xiao Beiheng raised his hand impatiently to interrupt Su Mo.
Su Mo was stunned for a moment, then turned around and walked out.
"Stop," Xiao Beiheng stood up, "Where are you going?"
Su Mo walked and said, "I'm going to Shengjing to find my eldest brother and tell him that you didn't do it. Besides, my sister-in-law is dead, so I should go to pay my respects."
Xiao Beiheng took a few quick steps and grabbed Su Mo's wrist: "You can't go."
Su Mo struggled twice but couldn't get free. She turned around angrily and asked, "Why don't you let me go?"
Xiao Beiheng said, "Xiao Zhuo will definitely compete with me for the position of crown prince. No matter what Shen Yuexi says, it's all lies. I want to strike first, so naturally I can't let you go."
Su Mo shuddered and said, "Is that what Mother told you? Are you going to attack my eldest brother?"
Xiao Beiheng pulled her back and said, "If I don't do it, he will do it to me. Shen Yuexi's death is his excuse."
Su Mo shook her head repeatedly, trying to pry Xiao Beiheng's hands apart, but to no avail. She could only say, "I don't believe it. Sister-in-law is not that kind of person. She definitely didn't lie to me... Let me go and let me go to Shengjing."
Xiao Beiheng's hands were like iron hoops, and no matter how she struggled, it was useless.
"Momo, you have to understand clearly," Xiao Beiheng held her wrist tightly, "You are my wife, you should be on my side and help me."
Su Mo felt pain from being held, and frowned as she said, "I'm helping you right now. As long as I go to Shengjing and talk things over with Big Brother, Big Brother isn't the kind of person who doesn't understand things..."
Xiao Beiheng said coldly, "I didn't restrict you enough before. You could go wherever you wanted. But this matter is of great importance. I can't let you mess around. You stay in the palace and don't go anywhere."
Su Mo was so angry that her face turned red and she shouted, "Bei Heng, you will regret it if you insist on doing this."
Xiao Beiheng remained unmoved, released Su Mo's wrist and said, "Someone come here."
The chief guard led several guards in. Xiao Beiheng said to the chief guard, "Escort Princess Ping to rest. From now on, Princess Ping cannot leave the palace."
The head guard was surprised. Ever since Su Mo married into Prince Qi's palace, Xiao Beiheng had always been very kind to her. Why did he suddenly turn against her?
Is it a quarrel between husband and wife?
But Xiao Beiheng had already given the order, so the head of the guards did not dare to delay and came to Su Mo, bowed and said, "Princess, please follow me."
Su Mo's face was as gloomy as water, and she said nothing. She walked out under the protection of the guards.
A cold wind blew in from outside the hall, and the candles on the table were not covered, and the flames began to dance wildly.
Xiao Beiheng stood alone in the hall, his face flickering in the firelight.
Empress Wen was right to reprimand him; he was still too weak and timid. No matter how many people he had killed or how much blood had been shed, his cruelty was always superficial. The proof was that when he was about to kill Xiao Zhuo, he flinched and backed down.
Such a mistake must not be made again, no matter whether it comes from the Queen Mother's request or for his own benefit.
After Shen Yuexi's death, Xiao Zhuo became Empress Wen's only hatred and his only fear. Only by killing Xiao Zhuo could Empress Wen be comforted and he find peace.
Another stronger gust of wind blew in, completely blowing out the candles and burying his face in darkness.
"Someone come here." He whispered.
A servant came in and bowed in the darkness, saying, "Prince Ping, I will light the candles right away."
"No need," Xiao Beiheng said, "How's Hua Duoduo doing?"
The servant said, "According to King Ping's orders, one hundred and twenty-one cuts have been made so far..."
"Don't let him die before he's cut a thousand times. His father is right here watching. Let him heal his son's wounds."
"yes."
After the servant finished answering, he raised his head tremblingly. In the dark hall, there was no trace of Xiao Beiheng.
…
It was already noon when Empress Wen returned to the capital. She went straight to the imperial study in the rear hall to see Emperor Ming of Qi.
Emperor Ming of Qi was not reading or painting as usual. He paced back and forth anxiously in the room. When he saw her come in, he immediately stepped forward and asked, "Zi Tong, you are finally back. Why didn't you go directly to the capital, but went to Anzhou overnight?"
Empress Wen said angrily, "Your Majesty, Prince Ping couldn't sleep that night, and I'm worried about my son. Can't I go and see him?"
Emperor Ming of Qi sighed, "Bei Heng has had this disease since he was a child, you know that."
"It's even more serious now," Empress Wen sat down and took the tea brought by the palace maid. "He is your Majesty's son, and your Majesty doesn't care enough about him."
Emperor Ming of Qi was a little embarrassed. He waved his hand to let the maids and others leave. He came to Empress Wen and said, "I... ahem, I have indeed neglected to discipline our son, but don't you have a good wife to help me?"
Queen Wen smiled softly, put down the teacup and said, "You, a man, have left your son to me for a long time."
Emperor Ming of Qi came up behind Empress Wen, patted her shoulders with both fists, and said, "An envoy has arrived from Shengjing, saying that Princess An died of poisoning after drinking a pregnancy-preserving drug. I've been so worried about this matter these past few days that I've asked Song Zhen to investigate. I must give Zhuo'er an explanation."
When he learned that Shen Yuexi had died of poisoning, he was so shocked that he couldn't speak. After he came to his senses, he immediately called Song Zhen and ordered him to meet with relevant officials to arrest all the imperial doctors who prepared the medicine for interrogation.
"Zhuo'er... humph," Queen Wen leaned back in her chair, "There's no need to investigate. I was the one who poisoned her."
Emperor Ming of Qi was startled, then said, "Madam, this matter is of great importance, please don't speak in anger."
He would never believe that Queen Wen would do such a thing, and his first reaction was that Queen Wen was just speaking in anger.
"I'm not joking," Queen Wen responded coldly, "I hate Xiao Zhuo and his wife, so I poisoned her."
Emperor Ming of Qi repeatedly soothed her, "Madam, Madam...please calm down. I know you're a little unhappy that they didn't come for the Mid-Autumn Festival."
Queen Wen turned around and looked at him. "What does this have to do with the Mid-Autumn Festival? Don't you think that woman has been dead for a year and I shouldn't be brooding over it anymore?"
Emperor Ming of Qi sighed helplessly and said, "How many times do I have to tell you before you believe me? I'm sincere to you. I've never taken a concubine in twenty years. Is there anything I've done wrong?"
"You've made so many mistakes," Empress Wen stood up and glared at Emperor Ming of Qi. "You've always mistaken me for her. You were thinking of that woman. That's why you were so kind to Xiao Zhuo. You made him Prince of An and gave him prefectures and counties... You wanted to make it up to her son."
Emperor Ming of Qi looked at Empress Wen's white hair and sighed heavily, "She's dead, why are you still so obsessed?"
"Of course you don't understand," Queen Wen said, sitting down again. "You have no idea how much effort I've put into you. I've given you my whole life... and yet you're only devoted to that woman. I can't stand it."
"I didn't deliberately look for a woman who looked like her," Emperor Ming of Qi said, changing the subject. "Our meeting was fate."
Thinking back to the moment when he met her in Yuzhou, he really couldn't believe that there was such a similar woman in the world.
Queen Wen rolled her eyes at him and said, "Are you saying I'm a loser and a loser?"
Emperor Ming of Qi turned his back and put his hand on his forehead. "Madam, you are really angry today. What can I do to make you happy?"
Empress Wen remained silent. Suddenly, she stood up, opened her arms, and hugged him from behind. Tears streamed down her face, "Your Majesty, I have lived my entire life for you. You... you have no idea what I have done for you..."
"I know," Emperor Ming of Qi turned around and hugged Empress Wen. "You have been with me for twenty years. How could I not know? You came from a poor family, and now you are the Empress of Dayan, with boundless honor. Isn't this enough?"
"That's not enough," Queen Wen whispered, "I want you to give the crown prince to our Heng'er."
Emperor Ming of Qi was somewhat embarrassed: "But the decree to appoint a crown prince has already been hung on the Zhaixing Tower. I can't issue another decree..."
"Then tell me, who exactly is the one appointed in your decree?" Queen Wen pounded his chest with her fist. "I've asked you several times, but you just won't tell me."
Emperor Ming of Qi hesitated for a moment and replied, "I...would have appointed Heng'er as the heir."
Empress Wen smiled and said, "Your Majesty, if you really want to make Heng'er your successor, why bother with this trick? In fact, the person you really want to make your successor is Xiao Zhuo, right? Is that right?"
"It's really Heng'er."
"Then open the decree and let me see it to prove that what you said is true."
"I said it can only be opened when I die..."
"You're clearly guilty."
While they were arguing, the eunuch's voice rang out from outside the door, saying, "Your Majesty, the Empress. Minister Song and the Supreme Court Minister have jointly investigated the case and have discovered that the poisoner is Lin Kui. He has now confessed everything."
Emperor Ming of Qi was overjoyed and stopped arguing with Empress Wen. He came to the door and said to the outsiders, "Write your confession quickly. I want to see it soon."
Behind him, Queen Wen straightened her messy hair and smiled.
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