Chapter 88 The Prodigal Brother (The End) The Merchant's Son's Path to Becoming a King of a Different Surname...
Inside the side hall, an eerie silence reigned. The air seemed frozen, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.
"Qi'er, what nonsense are you spouting? Xuan'er is the heir whom you personally requested to be granted the title of heir. Where do you place Xuan'er with these words?" Emperor Hongjing frowned and questioned.
"Father, I have kept this secret for more than ten years. Please forgive me this time, considering how devoted I have been to Tingxuan all these years!" Prince Ding said with a sorrowful expression, crawling a few steps to stand in front of Gu Tingxun.
What do you mean by that?
"Father, before I go on, I only want to ask you one question: if this matter is indeed what Xun'er did, how do you intend to deal with him?" Prince Ding took a deep breath and asked in a trembling voice.
Emperor Hongjing gave a cold laugh and said sternly, "Xun'er is involved in such a major case and even secretly plotted to murder the crown prince. According to the law, he should be executed by slow slicing. However, considering that he is a member of the imperial family, I will give him some dignity."
Upon hearing this, Gu Tingxun immediately collapsed to the ground, stammering incoherently, "Grandfather... no, you can't do this to me... you can't, you can't kill me! In the future... I will be honored and respected, I will be made Crown Prince, I will... I will become the Emperor of Great Qi, you... you can't... you can't kill me..."
Upon hearing such treasonous words uttered by Gu Tingxun, Emperor Hongjing's face immediately darkened.
"Listen to what your good son has said! He dares to spout such nonsense in front of me! Not only did he send someone to assassinate Yang Yan, but he also plotted to murder the Crown Prince and covet the throne. His heart is wicked! Chu Xu! Immediately imprison him in the Heavenly Prison and keep him under strict guard! No one is allowed to visit him in the Heavenly Prison!" Emperor Hongjing roared.
"Father, no, please! Your son begs you! Xun'er is just a child, he doesn't understand anything, he knows nothing! Everything... everything is your son's fault, please have mercy, Father!" Prince Ding knelt on the ground, clutching the hem of Emperor Hongjing's robe tightly, and cried out with tears streaming down his face.
Emperor Hongjing's face was icy, unmoved by Prince Ding's pleas. He merely stared coldly at everything before him, and resolutely said, "Qi'er, do not remain obstinate. The crimes Xun'er has committed are intolerable to Heaven. As the Emperor, if I do not strictly enforce the law, how will I command respect in the future?" With that, he waved his hand, signaling Chu Xu to pull Prince Ding away.
Upon hearing this, Prince Ding was struck dumb and collapsed to the ground. His eyes were vacant as he stared at Emperor Hongjing, the emperor he knew all too well, the one who was high above him, and then he suddenly laughed.
"Father, if it were Xuan'er who committed such a heinous crime today, how would you deal with him? Let me think, would you just take it lightly and then put it down lightly?"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Hongjing flew into a rage and roared, "How dare you!"
"How dare you! Father, do you think Xun'er is inferior to Xuan'er in every way? But let me tell you, in my heart, Xun'er will always be the most outstanding and the most considerate. Because he is my own son. But what about Xuan'er? Do you dare to say that he is my own flesh and blood?" Prince Ding looked at Emperor Hongjing with grief and indignation and roared loudly.
Emperor Hongjing staggered back two steps, his body swaying, and said sternly, "Prince Ding! Are you insane? Do you intend to rebel with Gu Tingxun today? Look at your attitude, do you still consider me your father?"
“Father! Your son has always respected and revered you from the bottom of his heart! You have told me more than once that among all the brothers in the palace, my personality is the most like yours! Only I am the most like you! But what about you? Ask yourself, have you done right by your son?” Prince Ding shouted uncontrollably.
Upon hearing this, Chu Xu's expression hardened, and he immediately took a large step back, loudly interrupting Prince Ding: "Your Majesty, this humble subject will take Prince Yeling and the Second Young Master away first!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Hongjing glared at Chu Xu, then quickly waved his hand, signaling him to take the person away immediately.
"No, don't take Xun'er away!" Prince Ding tried to stand up, trembling, but Emperor Hongjing waved his hand and pressed him down heavily.
Prince Ding watched helplessly as Gu Tingxun was dragged out of the side hall by Chu Xu. For the first time in his life, tears streamed down his face. Never before in his life had he cried so freely and without reservation in front of Emperor Hongjing and his own father.
“Father, do you really not remember, or are you afraid to admit it? In the second year of Hongjing, your son was ordered to go to the border to resist the invaders of our Great Qi. After three months of fierce fighting, I finally returned to the court victorious. But when your son returned to the palace and saw the Su family I had been longing for, she was already pregnant.”
At this point, Prince Ding, with tears streaming down his face, looked at Emperor Hongjing and suddenly laughed, "Your Majesty, I have been away on campaign for more than three months, while my Queen Consort has become pregnant with another man's bastard child!"
Emperor Hongjing stared directly at Prince Ding and asked coldly, "Prince Ding, what exactly do you mean by that?"
"What do you mean? Father, I think you should know what I mean. Do you really want me to say it out loud that the bastard child conceived by that vile woman Su is your own flesh and blood? The son I raised for more than ten years is actually my own brother! Isn't that right?" Prince Ding could no longer suppress his anger and roared.
"Prince Ding, I think you've lost your mind!" Emperor Hongjing's face turned extremely ugly. He took a step back in disbelief and rebuked him.
“Father, now that I have made my point clear, I naturally have no intention of returning alive. But Xun’er is still a child and not yet married. I am willing to give my life for his, in exchange for Xun’er’s life.” Prince Ding pleaded with Emperor Hongjing with tears in his eyes.
Emperor Hongjing closed his eyes, breathing deeply, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I only ask you one question: who exactly was it that spoke such treasonous words to you?"
“Father, if you don’t want people to know, then don’t do it in the first place. It’s not that someone is so fearless as to come to me and spread rumors, but that I saw it with my own eyes.” Prince Ding covered his face and choked up as he spoke.
"That day was the eighth day of the sixth month. After I returned to the capital in triumph, I brought Lady Su to the palace for the first time to pay my respects to Your Majesty. Afterwards, Your Majesty invited me to dine with you and kept urging me to drink more wine. Later, I got drunk. After I was drunk, I woke up in a daze and found you and that Lady Su embracing each other... Not long after, Lady Su fell ill, and the imperial physician came to the palace to treat her. Only then did I learn that this lowly woman, Lady Su, was more than a month pregnant."
"Nonsense!" Emperor Hongjing roared in fury, slamming the plain vase with intertwined floral patterns at Prince Ding's feet. "I have never had any improper relationship with your Princess Su! Besides, I was drunk that day, just like you, and rested in the palace. Yang Yan... the palace records contain detailed accounts of this. If you don't believe me, I'll give you a token, and you can verify it yourself!"
"Qi'er! Can't you use your brain? I am the ruler of a nation, with three thousand beauties in my harem. What kind of beauty can't I have? Why would I go and provoke my wife! Besides, that Su woman is my daughter-in-law. Am I crazy? If I really did such a thing, our Great Qi would probably perish in a few years! Although I dare not compare myself to the Holy Ancestor and the Great Ancestor, I still have principles! Do you really think your father is such a despicable person? Huh?"
Prince Ding was startled when he saw the genuine anger on Emperor Hongjing's face. If, if Xuan'er wasn't his father's child, then, whose child was he...?
Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, Emperor Hongjing asked in a deep voice, "Which imperial physician examined Lady Su's pulse at that time?"
Prince Ding's face was contorted, a mixture of crying and laughing. He murmured, "Yes, it was Imperial Physician Dong Qinjin. I remember, not long after, Imperial Physician Dong suddenly died. At the time, I thought... I thought..."
"What did you think?" Emperor Hongjing roared as he looked at Prince Ding's lifeless state. "That Dong Qin has committed the crime of deceiving the emperor! He has no medical knowledge whatsoever, yet he bribed his way into the Imperial Hospital and became a physician. When I discovered this, I ordered his execution!"
Upon hearing this, Prince Ding was instantly struck dumb, frozen in place.
"Father...Father, what did you say? Dong Qinjin...doesn't know medicine?" Prince Ding froze on the spot, his mind in complete confusion.
Seeing Prince Ding's distraught state, Emperor Hongjing felt both anger and a pang of pity. After all... he was his son.
"If you don't believe me, you can ask the palace servants who serve in my palace. They were all present at the time and know the whole story," Emperor Hongjing said in a deep voice.
"No, no, it's impossible... I clearly... I clearly saw it with my own eyes..." Prince Ding slumped to the ground, as if his soul had been taken away, and murmured.
Upon seeing this, Emperor Hongjing sighed deeply, looking quite weary and helpless, and said, "Qi'er, that day, you and I, father and son, were both drunk. The hangover soup served by the palace servants was also made by Dong Qinjin's apprentice. When I woke up in my bedchamber, I felt something was amiss, because that day, I saw the late Emperor Taizu, who is also your imperial grandfather. He stood by my bedside and said that the thing he regretted most in his life was making me the crown prince. He said that I was inferior to your fourth uncle in every way, and that our Great Qi would perish at my hands sooner or later."
Prince Ding slowly raised his head, looking at Emperor Hongjing with a confused expression, "But my fourth uncle, wasn't he killed by my grandfather himself..."
"Yes, I immediately sensed something was wrong. Fortunately, the hangover soup that day was bitter, so I only used half a bowl. Later, I had Yang Yan go to the Imperial Hospital to ask other imperial physicians to examine the soup, and only then did I learn that Dong Qinjin had mistakenly put a datura plant in it."
At this point, Emperor Hongjing gazed deeply at Prince Ding, who was standing there in a daze, and sighed, "If this medicine is ingested by mistake, it will cause hallucinations, and all that one sees will be an illusion. On that day, I saw that you were calm and assumed that you were fine, so I did not mention this matter to you."
Prince Ding opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his throat felt terribly dry, and he couldn't utter a sound. All these years, the "truth" he had firmly believed in—could it all have been a lie?
“Father…Father, then…Xuan’er…” Prince Ding’s voice was terribly hoarse as he murmured.
“Xuan’er is naturally your own flesh and blood! Besides, every time you invite the imperial physician to your residence, there are records of his comings and goings as well as his medical history. If you don’t believe me, you can go and check it yourself.”
After a long pause, Prince Ding said softly, "Father, son, son... was wrong."
The impulsive urge that had overwhelmed Prince Ding had almost completely dissipated, replaced by a sudden surge of fear.
"Hmph!" Emperor Hongjing snorted angrily, his gaze fixed on the child whose personality most resembled his own. "You still know that I am your father? How dare you be so disrespectful! Tell me, how should I punish you?"
"I...your son..."
"Alas..." Emperor Hongjing sighed deeply, his heart filled with sorrow. "This time... let it go. In any case, only you and I, father and son, know about this matter. If there is a next time, I will certainly not let it go lightly!"
Upon hearing this, Prince Ding stared blankly at Emperor Hongjing's face, then could no longer hold back and knelt down, sobbing softly.
"Hiding my son was too ruthless this time, I must punish him, so don't plead for him anymore! You still have Xuan'er, so make it up to that child properly in the future!" Emperor Hongjing said solemnly.
"Yes... Father Emperor."
Seven days later, because the Crown Prince personally went to the palace to plead with Emperor Hongjing, Gu Tingxun, who was originally sentenced to death, was ultimately spared the death penalty and instead exiled to Lingnan. Upon hearing the imperial edict from the palace, Consort Yan immediately fainted.
This concubine, who had always lived a life of luxury in the Prince Ding's mansion, insisted on following the Imperial Guards escorting Gu Tingxun all the way to the outskirts of the capital.
"Xun'er, once you arrive in Lingnan, you must take good care of yourself. Your mother... Your mother will be waiting for you at home." Consort Yan held Gu Tingxun's hand tightly, her voice choked with emotion as she said, "These are the clothes and travel expenses your mother prepared for you. You must keep them safe, do you hear me?"
"Mother, your son is unfilial." Gu Tingxun knelt down with a thud and kowtowed three times to Consort Yan.
Prince Ding whispered instructions to the servants who were following Gu Tingxun, "You must ensure Xun'er's safety throughout the journey to Lingnan. There must be no mishaps."
Although Gu Tingxun had made a grave mistake, he was still his beloved son of many years. Now that he was leaving for distant lands, how could his father, as the king, not make sure everything was taken care of for him on his journey?
"Xun'er... take good care of yourself," Prince Ding sighed.
"Father, your son... your son... has brought shame upon you!" Gu Tingxun choked with sobs. He already knew that during the days he was imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, it was Prince Ding who pleaded for him everywhere, which barely saved his life.
“Between father and son, why say such things? Xun’er, you… go! Your father will watch you leave from here, and only when I can no longer see you will I return.” Prince Ding felt a pang of pain in his heart and said softly.
"Father, Mother, your son is leaving!"
On the high walls of the imperial city, Gu Tingxuan and Song Ce watched the procession gradually disappear into the distance, remaining silent for a long time.
"Song Ce, I have requested permission from the Emperor to guard the border, and the Emperor has granted my request. I will be leaving the capital soon." Gu Tingxuan spoke slowly with a smile after the long procession disappeared from sight.
Song Ce was taken aback, "You..."
“I have been estranged from my father for a long time and I don’t want to play the role of a loving father and filial son with him anymore. Yesterday, my grandfather summoned me to the palace and explained the whole story to me. He hoped that I would forgive my father, but I… cannot do it. Because to do so would be to betray my mother who died early… I will never forgive him.”
Song Ce looked at Gu Tingxuan and sighed, "The border is fraught with danger. Who knows when you'll return? The winds and sands beyond the Great Wall are bitterly cold..."
Gu Tingxuan remained calm upon hearing this, and shook his head slightly, saying, "In this imperial city, although I have been granted the title of king, I am restricted in every way, and I have no say in anything. Now that I can go to the border, it is a relief for me. You still have your mother and younger sister to take care of, so this time, you should stay in the capital!" As he spoke, he took out an exquisite wooden box from his bosom and handed it to Song Ce, "This is a small token of my appreciation, and it can be considered as a way to fulfill our friendship over the past few days. Here, open it and take a look."
Song Ce took the wooden box and slowly opened it. On top was a book called "Miscellaneous Diseases Internal Classic" and a set of gold needles, and below that was a thick stack of silver notes.
"I don't have much to give you. This is a copy of the *Miscellaneous Diseases Internal Classic* that I transcribed in my spare time, as a parting gift. Last time, Guan Mao heard you say that two of your gold needles were broken, so I had him make you a new set. After all, our connection began with this set of gold needles. These silver notes are the dividends you gave me when Xinglinchun opened. I bought a few more. Things are expensive in the capital, so please take care." Gu Tingxuan looked at Song Ce and smiled.
Upon hearing this, Song Ce's throat tightened. He wanted to say something, but ultimately couldn't utter a single word. After a long while, he solemnly bowed to Gu Tingxun, "You... have a safe journey, and I hope you take good care of yourself."
"Alright, then I'll take your good wishes."
...
Time flies, and twelve years have passed in the blink of an eye.
On the ninth day of the fifth month, the new emperor ascended the throne, and all the people paid homage. The crown prince... no, he should now be called Emperor Yuande. The first thing Emperor Yuande did after ascending the throne was to enfeoff Song Ce as a king with a different surname and bestow upon him the title of Ning.
On September 19th of the same year, Song Yu, the younger sister of Prince Ning, married Xu Chenhe, the second son of Xu Wang, the Grand Secretary recently promoted by Emperor Yuande. After their marriage, the two treated each other with respect and affection, which greatly pleased Lu Wuniang, whose hair was turning gray.
Seeing that Song Yu was already married, but Song Ce showed no intention of getting married, Lu Wuniang was very anxious. It wasn't until later, when the mother and son had a long talk, that Lu Wuniang slowly accepted his rather unconventional idea of not getting married.
Later, as Lu Wuniang grew older, she became increasingly nostalgic. More than once, she would hold Song Ce's hand and repeatedly talk about the silvery-white apricot tree in the village that she and her mother had planted together.
Song Ce remained silent for a long time before finally deciding to take Lu Wu Niang back to her hometown.
Despite Lu Wuniang's advice, Song Yu, who was already married, insisted on escorting her mother and brother to the outskirts of the city. Xu Chenhe gently comforted Song Yu all the way until she could no longer see her mother and brother. Only then did Song Yu, with tears in her eyes, tightly grasp her husband's hand.
Lu Wuniang was already old, and even with Song Ce's meticulous care along the way, she inevitably looked somewhat haggard. By the time they returned to Wenyuan County, a full two months had passed.
The former magistrate of Wenyuan County, Rong Chuying, had long since been promoted and left. The current magistrate of Wenyuan is surnamed Zhao. He had received news from his superiors long ago that Prince Ning and his mother were returning to their hometown to visit relatives. He respectfully offered to give up the county office and invite Prince Ning and his mother to stay for a while, but Song Ce refused with a smile.
Song Ce brought Lu Wu Niang to his great-aunt's house. Great-aunt Song was in good spirits. When she saw the mother and son, she happily held Lu Wu Niang's hand tightly, and the two hugged each other and cried their hearts out.
The mother and son stayed at Aunt Song's house for most of the day before saying goodbye and leaving.
When they returned to their home on the farm, Li Mama, whose hair was also gray, burst into tears upon seeing Lu Wu Niang. The two women talked for most of the night before they could finally calm down.
It was from Li Mama that Song Ce learned that after Master Song returned to his hometown with Madam Wen, he was initially quite well-behaved and lived a peaceful life for more than half a year. However, later, when Master Song came to the county alone to sell mountain products, he was ambushed by that scoundrel Wang Laizi again.
Mentioning Wang Laizi, a flicker of disgust crossed Li Mama's eyes. It turned out that Wang Laizi's younger brother, Wang Le, had been dead for many years. Because of the confirmed evidence of his abduction and trafficking, his former grandfather, Rong Chuying, sentenced the brothers to ten years of hard labor at a quarry. Unfortunately for Wang Le, in his third year of labor, he was struck by a large rock that rolled down from the quarry and died instantly.
After Wang Laizi was released from his military service, without his younger brother's protection, he once again shamelessly pestered Master Song.
Wang Laizi used sweet talk and persistent coaxing all day long... and finally succeeded in persuading Master Song to return to the path of gambling.
Soon, Master Song became deeply addicted to gambling and found it difficult to extricate himself. Before long, he had gambled away all the money in his house. Blinded by greed, Master Song wanted to confront Lu Wu Niang and Song Ce to demand some money, but to his surprise, they had quietly moved away without anyone telling him where they had gone.
Out of desperation, he once again considered selling Madam Wen.
But Wang Laizi was shrewd. Upon hearing this, he approached Master Song and offered his advice, saying that if they sold Madam Wen just like that, it would only be a quick buck, a one-off deal. But if they took good care of her, wouldn't they be able to make money in the future? After all, in this small mountain village, Madam Wen was one of the most beautiful women.
After hearing this, Master Song found Wang Laizi's words quite reasonable and immediately agreed. From then on, Madam Wen began her life of pain and humiliation. For a whole year, she was used as a money-making tool by Master Song and Wang Laizi, suffering immense physical and mental torment. Until a year later, Master Liu, who was blind in one eye, happened to come to the Song family. Seeing Madam Wen's beauty, he immediately decided to take her as a concubine.
Madam Wen glared hatefully at Master Song's face, which she loathed, and hastily agreed to Master Liu's suggestion, hoping to escape her misery as soon as possible.
However, after more than a year of torment, Madam Wen's body was already ruined beyond recognition. Unable to satisfy his lust, Master Liu's lust grew stronger and stronger, and he completely ignored Madam Wen's cries for mercy, venting his desires on her body every night.
Just over two months later, Madam Wen was tortured to death by Master Liu.
Master Liu was already used to the deaths of his concubines, so that very night, he hastily ordered his servants to carry Madam Wen's body to the riverbank and bury it under the cover of darkness. Little did he know that this was being done by Magistrate Zhao, who had come to carry out his orders late at night.
Magistrate Zhao, newly appointed to his post, was naturally ambitious. Upon seeing this situation, he was furious and immediately rushed to the yamen, ordering Headman Lu and Headman Li to quickly gather their men, arrest Master Liu, and bring him back to the county.
In court, Master Liu, relying on his connections, refused to plead guilty as soon as he arrived. He even pointed at Magistrate Zhao's nose and threatened him to release him as soon as possible, or else he would suffer the consequences.
Little did he know that this Magistrate Zhao was the second son of a high-ranking official of the second rank in the capital. How could he tolerate such a small wealthy household speaking so arrogantly and rudely?
Under Magistrate Zhao's strict orders, Head Constable Lu and Head Constable Li led their constables in a thorough search of the riverbank, where they unearthed eight corpses that very day. This discovery shocked the entire county. A major local case, Magistrate Zhao immediately upheld the law, and within two months, Master Liu was beheaded in the street. This rid the people of Wenyuan County of a great scourge.
And what about Master Song? After he sold Madam Wen, he vanished without a trace; no one knows where he went. Perhaps he went into hiding, or perhaps… he died.
The weather was fine that day, and Song Ce helped Lu Wu Niang to the newly opened clothing shop in the county town. Perhaps because she was back in her hometown, Lu Wu Niang was in a particularly good mood, and her spirits were much better than before.
Neither of them noticed that in a corner not far away, an old beggar with both legs broken was curled up.
The old beggar was disheveled, his clothes were tattered, and he reeked of a nauseating stench. At that moment, as if sensing something in the darkness, the old beggar struggled to open his cloudy eyes and looked towards the entrance of the newly opened Caiyi Pavilion.
In an instant, the old beggar saw two extremely familiar figures appear before his eyes.
He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, afraid he was seeing things. When he looked again, it was true! It really was them! Those were...those were his family! His family!
The old beggar opened his mouth and tried to stand up, leaning against the wall, but his broken legs could not support his body at all. With a "thud," he fell heavily to the ground again.
But he didn't give up. Using both hands and feet, he crawled desperately towards Song Ce and Lu Wu Niang. He had suffered so much over the years, and now that he had finally seen his family, how could he give up this sliver of hope? That was his son! He was dressed so elegantly, so outstanding... he... he was saved!
The old beggar made indistinct syllables. Many years ago, because he couldn't pay his gambling debts, his creditor forced a cup of scalding hot tea into his mouth, ruining his voice ever since.
Just then, Wang Laizi, who was not far away, saw the situation and immediately recognized the imposing mother and son. Seeing the old beggar's gleaming eyes and excited expression as he desperately crawled, Wang Laizi curled his lips, strode over, grabbed the old beggar by the collar, and dragged him back like a chicken, even though he had crawled more than halfway.
The old beggar struggled desperately, uttering incoherent syllables, but with both legs crippled, all his efforts were in vain under Wang Laizi's brute force.
Only after watching Song Ce and Lu Wu Niang's figures disappear at the end of the street did Wang Laizi release his grip. He glared fiercely at the old beggar and threatened in a low voice, "You old fool, still thinking of going to find them? Keep dreaming!" Still not satisfied, he punched the old beggar hard, then dragged his limp body away into a dark alley…
After Song Ce saw Lu Wuniang and Song Yu off, the familiar electronic announcement from 702 rang in his ears again.
702: Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the mission. Please leave the mission world immediately.
Song Ce tilted his head slightly, then calmly said, "Okay, let's go."
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Author's Note: The sky has fallen! [crying][crying] Gao Shen cuddles tightly to his little cutie! [crying][crying]
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