Chapter 138 Rescue 6 What role does Xie Wuhen play in this game? ...
After everyone finished paying their respects, Zhao Bo winked at the guards and Qing Chi.
Xiang Qingchi understood and immediately ordered someone to bring a throne with a curtain. Concubine Shu personally stepped forward and together with Wang Xinger helped the emperor get off the sedan chair and then helped him into the throne.
Concubine Shu feigned relief, "The Emperor is ill and cannot tolerate bright light. Fortunately, the Second Prince thoughtfully prepared this throne."
Zhao Bo also bowed his head in humility: "Respecting my father and mother is my duty as a son and subject."
The court officials watching couldn't help but praise Zhao Bo.
Zhao Bo responded modestly, then sent someone to carry the emperor into the hall.
Everyone followed him in.
The wedding custom in Liang State was to pick up the bride at dusk, and to host a banquet for guests during the day.
At this time, the emperor and the concubine were sitting in the first seat in the hall, Su He was sitting at the lower right, and the court officials were sitting in order on both sides of the hall according to their official rank.
Su He discovered that Zhou Ping, who was bedridden, had also come.
Xie Wuhen happened to be sitting below Zhou Ping, half a meter away from Su He. They could see each other if they raised their eyes slightly.
At this time, the tables in the hall were full of dishes and people were drinking and chatting.
Concubine Shu was very proud and said a few nice words. The emperor also echoed her. Then the groom Zhao Bo announced the start of the banquet.
For a moment, everyone raised their glasses and congratulated the second prince on his wedding.
The atmosphere in the hall instantly became joyful and everyone was united.
Halfway through the banquet, Concubine Shu suddenly spoke in a loud voice, "Thank you all for coming to attend the Second Prince's wedding. I have also prepared a gift for everyone present today."
As she spoke, she clapped her hands twice towards the side door of the main hall. A moment later, Nanny Qing from Kunning Palace came in with a group of maids. Each maid was holding a tray with a wine cup on it, which was already filled with wine.
The emperor spoke in a gentle tone, smiling through the curtain: "It seems that my beloved concubine is going to move out the family property of the Dong family's ancestors."
Concubine Shu smiled brightly: "I am very happy about Bo'er's wedding, so I will naturally bring out my family's assets."
A minister sitting at the end of the table asked loudly, "Is the Concubine Shu going to give us some wine?"
Concubine Shu replied: "That's right, I want to give you all a glass of wine."
The minister asked again, "What is so special about this wine?"
Concubine Shu replied, "This wine was buried in the Dong family's cellar by my father-in-law when he was a child. It is over a hundred years old and can be said to be the best of the best."
The ministers were delighted: "In this way, we are in for a treat. Thank you, Madam Shufei."
All the ministers in the palace shouted in unison: "Thank you, Madam Shufei."
In just a moment, Nanny Qing led the palace maids to serve wine and drinks to everyone present.
When it was Xie Wuhen's turn to present it, the emperor on the first seat suddenly called out "Wait a minute".
Nanny Qing paused, put the wine she had picked up back on the tray, and bowed to ask, "Your Majesty, what do you want?"
The emperor replied through the curtain, "Thank you for your great efforts in making it possible for me and the princess to recognize each other smoothly. This glass of wine should be presented to you personally by the princess as a token of gratitude."
Zhou Ping also immediately stood up and agreed: "Your Majesty is right. I heard that Master Xie has devoted all his energy and effort to finding the princess. The princess should be grateful to Master Xie."
The emperor ignored him and asked Su He, "Princess, what do you think?"
Su He remained calm and answered respectfully, "Your Majesty, I will obey your command."
After saying that, he stood up from his seat, walked down the stairs slowly, and walked towards Xie Wuhen.
At this time, Xie Wuhen also stood up from his seat, looked at her, and waited for her to come closer.
She is also getting closer to him step by step!
It seems to be steady step by step, but in fact it is superficial!
She has always been a calm and steady person, but she has never been as nervous as she is today.
She knew that this was a trap set by Bai Jinan, but she had no choice but to fall into it.
Bai Jinan wanted her to poison Xie Wuhen in public. This would not only kill Xie Wuhen, but also make her bear the stigma of murder, which was like killing two birds with one stone.
But Xie Wuhen asked her to do as Bai Jinan ordered. What was his plan? She couldn't see through it.
At this time, she had already walked to the glass of wine - to Xie Wuhen.
Everyone in the hall looked at her, including Xie Wuhen.
He smiled at her, a beautiful slant at the corner of his mouth, and jokingly said, "Princess, why are you standing there like an idiot? Don't you want to serve me some wine?"
Su He nodded: "Your Excellency is too kind." Then he turned around to take the wine cups from the tray.
While taking down the wine cup, she glanced at Nanny Qing who was standing beside her. Nanny Qing was also looking at her with an indescribable complexity in her eyes.
She took the opportunity to glance at Zhou Ping next to her. Zhou Ping had the same swollen eyes and flat nose as Zhou Yuanze. He was also looking at her, and there seemed to be deep meaning in his eyes.
She couldn't understand the deeper meaning, but she knew that she was in a difficult situation today.
She held the wine cup out to Xie Wuhen with both hands and said, "Sir, you have saved me from danger many times. I offer you a cup of wine to express my gratitude."
Xie Wuhen still had a faint smile on his face as he reached out to take the wine cup. He said, "I am just doing my duty. Thank you for being polite, Princess." After that, he raised the cup and drank the wine in one gulp.
Su He's breath was choked, and his heart instantly hung in his throat.
Bai Jinan behind the curtain had a relaxed brow and was gently stroking his beard with his only remaining right hand.
Xie Wuhen said: "It is indeed a century-old wine, with a mellow aroma and a long aftertaste."
Su He looked at him with worried eyes, afraid that he might make some mishap.
But he looked fine and cheerful. He reminded her, "The wine has been drunk. Princess, it's time to return to your seat."
Su He murmured, "Did your Excellency really...drink the wine?"
What she meant was naturally "Are you really okay, sir?"
Xie Wuhen turned the wine cup upside down and shook it: "Don't worry, Princess, I have drunk it all."
What he meant was naturally "Don't worry, I'm fine."
Does that mean there's no poison in the wine? Su He was puzzled.
She glanced at Nanny Qing again before turning back to her seat.
At this time, everyone in the hall had received the fine wine, and only the last glass of wine was left on the tray.
Concubine Shu looked at Zhao Bo with a look of relief on her face: "Today is my son's wedding. This wine is for him. I wish him a smooth life and a promising future."
Zhao Bo bowed to Concubine Shu and said, "Thank you, mother."
Just as he finished speaking, Zhou Ping suddenly stood up and suggested, "The Second Prince is the Emperor's favorite, and Lord Xie is the Emperor's most trusted minister. Why not have Lord Xie personally present this cup of wine to the Second Prince? This way, we can bring good luck to this happy occasion and to our Daliang State. What do you think?"
All the ministers echoed.
Concubine Shu also smiled and said, "Then let's do as the Minister of the Chancellery says."
Then he looked at Xie Wuhen and said, "Master Xie, please serve wine to the Second Prince."
Xie Wuhen stood up and clasped his fists: "I obey your command."
He stepped forward and walked towards the steps in front of the first seat.
Su He looked at his firm steps and felt vaguely uneasy. She thought that today's wedding banquet might be full of undercurrents and dangers.
At this time, Xie Wuhen had taken the wine cup from the tray, walked up the stairs, and came in front of Zhao Bo.
He bowed his head and respectfully presented the wine: "May the Second Prince have a sweet marriage and a long and happy marriage."
Zhao Bo was overjoyed and said, "Thank you very much, sir." He took the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. After finishing the drink, he whispered in Xie Wuhen's ear, "I promised to meet you at the top of the mountain, sir. Now the top should be not far away."
Xie Wuhen's expression subsided slightly, and he replied in a low voice: "Congratulations, Second Prince."
Zhao Bo laughed a few times and then returned to his seat.
He looked so arrogant, as if the kingdom of Daliang was already in his pocket.
Xie Wuhen then returned to his seat.
When I raised my eyes, I suddenly met Su He's gaze.
He was stunned for a moment, then lowered his eyes, avoiding her gaze.
He tapped the tabletop with his fingers, as if waiting for something, one breath, two breaths...
Sure enough, half a minute later, Zhao Bo suddenly stood up from his seat, staggered a few steps, then suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood on the ground, and fell down with his body tilted.
The incident happened suddenly and everyone in the hall was shocked.
Concubine Shu was so frightened that she stared with wide eyes: "Bo'er, my Bo'er, what's wrong with you?"
Zhou Ping also stood up and shouted, "Quick, call the imperial physician!"
After a flurry of activity, Zhao Bo was placed on the soft couch at the back of the hall.
Imperial physician Miao Dajing rushed over with a medicine box and examined the unconscious Zhao Bo several times, but could not find any illness.
He bowed and said, "Your humble servant is incompetent. I cannot diagnose what illness the Second Prince is suffering from."
Concubine Shu ordered sternly: "Change the imperial physician."
Next, the imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau took turns to diagnose and treat the prince. Even when it was the turn of the imperial physician Qi Huai, they still could not diagnose what disease the second prince had.
Seeing that Zhao Bo was already unconscious and that the happy event was about to turn into a funeral, Concubine Shu burst into tears and the emperor behind the curtain also sighed.
None of the ministers in the hall dared to speak, for fear of bringing bad luck upon themselves.
Only Zhou Ping stepped forward and shouted, "From your humble opinion, the Second Prince's symptoms appear to be poisoning, and it was only after Lord Xie offered him wine that the poisoning began to set in."
Xie Wuhen also stepped forward, his tone filled with disdain: "Master Zhou, please don't confuse people here. The wine and drinks were prepared by Concubine Shu. How could I poison them?"
Zhou Ping gritted his teeth and said, "Perhaps you took advantage of the opportunity to offer the wine and smeared the deadly poison on the wine cup."
Concubine Shu was so anxious that she was confused. After hearing what Zhou Ping said, she couldn't help but point at Xie Wuhen and ask repeatedly, "Tell me, are you the one behind this?"
Then he asked, "You must be the one who did it. You must have smeared poison on the wine cup."
Su He immediately stood up and argued, "Your Majesty, thank you for your loyalty and dedication to the emperor. He has no reason to murder the Second Prince." He added, "If Your Majesty doesn't distinguish right from wrong and arbitrarily arrests people, you will be letting the real murderer of the Second Prince go."
Concubine Shu was furious: "What do you know as a woman who just entered the palace?"
Then he shouted "Someone come here".
Fang Yushan, the commander of the Qianniu Guards in the palace, strode into the hall and said, "Your Majesty, please give your orders."
Concubine Shu ordered sternly, "Xie Wuhen, the Junior Official of the Dali Temple, has committed a heinous crime by poisoning the heir to the throne. He must be taken to Fengtian Prison and severely tortured. He must be forced to reveal the details of the poison he used on the Second Prince today."
Fang Yushan replied "Yes" in a deep voice, and then waved towards the outside of the hall.
Suddenly, several guards entered the hall and held Xie Wuhen down.
Xie Wuhen offered almost no resistance and let them hold his arms down.
Su He wanted to step forward to argue, but saw Xie Wuhen secretly "hushing" her.
Su Zheng was puzzled and stood there in a daze, watching several guards escort Xie Wuhen out of the hall.
That "hush" was a hint to her not to argue, as he had his own plans.
The sky outside the hall was gloomy and a cold wind was blowing.
His back looked somewhat embarrassed as he was being escorted, but he seemed not to care about it at all.
Su He was in a trance for a moment, and then he slowly figured out the trick.
Today, Bai Jinan wanted to kill two birds with one stone by poisoning Xie Wuhen through her, but the poisoned wine was replaced by someone.
Who switched it?
Su He thought of Nanny Qing and then of Zhou Ping.
After the Queen passed away, Nanny Qing should have become Zhou Ping's woman.
When Zhou Ping learned that Concubine Shu had killed the Queen, he must have hated her to the core, so he decided to kill the Second Prince. He then asked Nanny Qing to replace the poisoned wine with the Second Prince, and framed the incident on Xie Wuhen, whom he disliked. Wasn't this killing two birds with one stone?
This is a silent fight!
What role did Xie Wuhen play in this situation? What was he trying to achieve by getting himself thrown into prison? Su He was at a loss.
The second prince was poisoned and fell into a coma, so the marriage had to be put on hold.
The hall, which had just been bustling with activity, was now silent and even in a mess.
The court officials took their leave one after another, and Su He also took the opportunity to leave.
Shufei cried for a while and finally calmed down.
She first sent someone to Dong's house to report that the second prince was ill and the wedding was postponed, and then sent someone to carry Bai Jinan to the inner hall.
There were only two of them left in the hall.
Concubine Shu was the first to speak: "Why is there poisoned wine at the wedding banquet?"
Bai Jinan asked in return, "I am but a disabled man, how can I possibly know?"
Concubine Shu lifted the curtains covering the Grand Tutor's chair and looked directly into his old eyes. "Xie Wuhen is just a minister. Without the Emperor's favor, he can't even reach into the palace, unless someone in the palace is colluding with him."
After all, if something happened to them and their son, the biggest beneficiary would be Bai Jinan in front of her, which made her suspicious.
Bai Jinan sighed, "My Lady, now I obey you in everything and am always under your watchful eye. What else can I do?"
In fact, he had already done what he wanted to do. Wang Xinger had defected to him, and the commander of the Qianniu Guard, Fang Yushan, was already his man. It was easy for him to place a glass of poisoned wine at the wedding banquet.
But he didn't expect that the cup of poisoned wine had been replaced by someone.
After Xie Wuhen drank the wine and was safe and sound, he was very confused, and then began to wait, waiting for the unlucky guy who actually drank the poisoned wine. What he didn't expect was that the unlucky guy was the second prince Zhao Bo.
He couldn't help but feel ecstatic. Wouldn't this solve his worries in one fell swoop?
Concubine Shu finally relented: "Forget it, I don't bother to doubt you anymore. In your current state, there is really nothing you can do."
Then he said, "But weren't you good at poison before? Now that Bo'er is poisoned, try to detoxify him."
He was the one who poisoned her, so he must have the antidote.
But how could he let this mother and son get what they wanted?
He replied, "Don't worry, Madam, I will definitely do my best."
Concubine Shu breathed a sigh of relief: "In that case, I am relieved." Then she sent someone to carry Bai Jinan to the second prince's bed.
While Bai Jin was pretending to detoxify the Second Prince, Wu Sheng also led several men in black to sneak into the palace. A guard of the Qianniu Guard was once a subordinate of Xie Wuhen. With their cooperation, Wu Sheng's trip was extremely smooth, and he arrived at the cold palace without any suspense.
At that time, the emperor was still lying on the bed, in a trance.
Wu Sheng called out "Your Majesty" softly several times.
The emperor was unaware and kept muttering to himself.
Wu Sheng bravely put his ear close to the emperor's mouth and heard the emperor muttering the word "blessings".
He sighed and ordered the other two men in black to help. First, they changed the emperor into a eunuch's palace uniform, then they bent down and carried the emperor on their backs, and finally escaped from the palace without being noticed.
As soon as Su He arrived at Huayang Palace, she ordered Fang Yicheng: "Hurry up and go to the cold palace to see if the emperor has been rescued."
She remembered Xie Wuhen said that he would rescue the emperor today, but she didn't know whether he succeeded.
Fang Yicheng replied "yes" and turned to leave. After a few cups of tea, he hurried back: "Miss, the emperor has been successfully rescued."
Su He's face lit up with joy, and he breathed a sigh of relief: "Xie Wuhen really did it."
Fang Yicheng pursed his lips slightly. "Although he rescued the emperor, he ended up in jail. So, he was a step behind."
The implication is that he is nothing special.
Su He did not delve into the meaning of his words. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly asked, "What is the difference between Fengtian Prison and other prisons?"
Fang Yicheng thought for a moment and replied, "I heard that Fengtian Prison is under the concurrent management of the Ministry of Justice, but it doesn't hold ordinary criminals."
Su He asked: "Who are they holding?"
Fang Yicheng replied, "It is said that they mainly imprison those who offend the emperor's relatives, as well as those who violate the law."
Su He said, "So that's how it is," but she was thinking in her heart, did Xie Wuhen deliberately let herself be trapped in Fengtian Prison?
Her thoughts were in a tangle of confusion, and she was still distracted by dinner time.
Zhang Xiuhua kept nagging while she prepared the meal: "Princess, you are a married woman now. Why are you so worried? Everything in this world has its own solution. Princess, you should relax."
Su He stood up from the rose chair and said, "Aunt, I'm not hungry now. I won't eat."
Then he ordered Chunlan: "Hurry up and change my clothes. I have to leave the palace."
They both asked at the same time: "What is the princess doing outside the palace?"
Su He replied: "Go to Fengtian Prison to visit the prisoner."
Zhang Xiuhua turned pale with fear: "That's a prison...Princess, a mere woman..."
Su He comforted her: "Don't worry, aunt, I will be back soon."
Zhang Xiuhua said earnestly, "Master Xie was just captured today. Even if Princess wants to save him, she must think of a thorough solution. How can she rush over so hastily?"
Su He shook her head: "I'm afraid he doesn't intend to let me rescue him. I just want to ask him face to face about what happened today." She would feel at ease only after she understood.
Chunlan asked, "Do you want to ask Master Shangfang to come along?"
Su He shook his head again: "No need, too many people will only make things worse, let's just go by the two of us."
Then she took the badge, got on the sedan chair, and quietly left the palace. She then rented a carriage and rushed straight towards Fengtian Prison.
The Fengtian Prison is heavily guarded and not everyone can enter.
Su He acted like a princess and shouted at the guard. The guard had no choice but to call the warden. The warden was a man who changed his attitude according to the situation. Seeing that it was the princess who came, he did not dare to offend her. He responded carefully for a few words and then led Su He into the prison.
The prison was dark and damp, and filled with a foul odor. In addition to the ground floor, there were two underground floors of cells.
Xie Wuhen was imprisoned on the lowest floor.
Su He passed through three doors and came to a corridor.
The corridor runs from east to west, with countless prison cells lined up on both sides of the corridor.
The warden bowed and said, "To be honest, this Shaoqing was ordered by Concubine Shu to be severely tortured. He has already been tortured once. Princess, you must be mentally prepared."
He added, "I can only give the princess two cups of tea. Otherwise, if Concubine Shu finds out, I'm afraid I won't be able to explain myself."
Su He stuffed a silver ingot into his hand and said, "I understand your difficulty. You just need to send the jailer away and not disturb my meeting with Lord Xie."
The warden took the silver, replied "yes" respectfully, and then led the two jailers guarding the corridor away.
Su He came to the outside of Xie Wuhen's cell.
In the dim light, he was wearing prison clothes, with his black hair draped over his shoulders and his eyes slightly closed, sitting cross-legged on a straw mat in the room.
She had seen him strategizing, decisive in killing, and full of ambition, but she had never seen him so embarrassed as he was at this moment.
But even in such a miserable state, he still seemed to have retained his pride and dignity.
She approached the barred door of the cell and called out, "Sir."
Only then did he open his eyes and replied, "The princess is here?" He didn't seem surprised.
She caught a glimpse of the blood on his sleeves and asked, "I heard that the master was tortured?"
"I'm fine, Princess, don't worry." After he said that, he stood up from the straw mat and walked towards the fence gate.
He had iron shackles on his hands and feet, and it was a bit difficult for him to walk.
But his expression remained stern, and his excellent bone structure added a touch of broken beauty to his embarrassment.
He said: "Princess, don't worry, everything is going according to plan."
Su He was inexplicably annoyed: "May I ask what the adults' plan is?"
He replied in a deep voice: "Princess, there is no need to ask in detail." Didn't she hide everything from him?
She simply asked directly, "Did you tell the Zhou family that Bai Jinan was planning to poison you at the wedding banquet?"
He was silent for a moment and replied "yes".
She then asked, "So it was you who used Zhou Ping—used him to replace the poisoned wine, and then used him to imprison you in Fengtian Prison?"
He bit the back of his teeth and said, "The princess is indeed smart."
This man really calculated people's hearts!
Su He became increasingly angry: "What if Zhou Ping didn't replace the poisoned wine? What if the adult lost the bet?"
He said firmly: "I won't lose the bet."
"What if?"
"Nothing will happen."
This man is not only good at calculating people's hearts, but also extremely bold.
Su He was speechless for a moment, then asked after a moment: "Why do you insist on going to Fengtian Prison?"
He glanced at her and answered irrelevantly: "I know that the princess is skilled in poison. I wonder if she has any poison that can make people faint?"
She also looked at him, feeling a little embarrassed.
He knew she was good at poison because he found out when he was investigating her murder.
She asked, "What does the Lord want poison for?"
He replied: "Of course it is to facilitate my actions in prison."
She paused. "So, Your Excellency also anticipated that I would come to visit you in prison?"
He lowered his eyes, avoiding her scrutiny, and whispered, "I simply thought that the princess would be surprised by my sudden imprisonment, so I came to ask her a few questions."
"So I am also part of your plan?"
"After all...the princess and I share the same goal."
She was speechless!
After a moment, she pulled out a small packet of powder from her sleeve pocket. "The smoke produced by burning this powder can instantly knock people unconscious. Remember, you must cover your mouth and nose as well, otherwise you will also be knocked unconscious."
He took the powder and said, "Thank you, Princess."
She then asked, "Your Excellency is the one that Concubine Shu has personally ordered to be imprisoned. How do you plan to get out of prison?"
Xie Wuhen replied: "I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you, Princess, for this matter."
She said unhappily, "How do you intend to trouble me, sir?"
He replied, "Princess, go find Wu Sheng tomorrow. Wu Sheng will take you to see the real emperor. Then you can ask the emperor to draft an imperial edict to release me. Princess, take the edict to Fengtian Prison, and I will be released naturally."
She was puzzled for a moment: "Won't Bai Jinan come out to stop it?"
After all, the person sitting on the dragon throne now is Bai Jinan.
Xie Wuhen replied, "Bai Jinan has never signed any document since entering the palace. This means he hasn't obtained the Emperor's seal. The real seal should still be with the Emperor. However, Bai Jinan can't let others know that he doesn't have the seal, otherwise his identity will be exposed. Therefore, even though he knows that the imperial edict was not drafted by him, he dare not expose it. He has to admit it."
What a ruthless move!
I guess Bai Jinan and Concubine Shu will be so angry that they will be speechless.
"Why do you have to let me come to Fengtian Prison to deliver the imperial edict? Wu Shenglai can do it too!"
"Mr. Wu is of humble status, and I am worried about unexpected events. Only if the princess comes will we have a full chance of success."
"Your Excellency is quite capable of utilizing my value."
"The princess said that I and she are allies."
Su He became more and more annoyed: "If you regard me as an ally, why would you hide things and scheme against me?"
He lowered his eyes and fell silent.
She asked, "Why don't you speak, sir?"
He secretly clenched his fists and whispered back, "Hasn't the princess concealed and plotted against me enough in the past?"
During the time when she was the young lady of the Xie family, wasn't he also played around by her like a fool? What did his plot against her this time mean?
Su He choked and was speechless for a moment.
She was speechless, and so was he.
The atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward.
After a moment, she asked in a cold voice, "My Lord, is there anything else?"
He also replied coldly: "No more."
She said, "Okay, I'll go first." Then she turned and left without looking back.
This man is really hateful and despicable. If she still sympathizes with him, she won't be named Su.
Through the barred door of the cell, Xie Wuhen watched Su He leave slowly until she disappeared at the end of the corridor.
Then he stepped back and continued to sit cross-legged on the straw mat.
We sat like this until midnight.
The prison was very quiet in the middle of the night. Most of the prisoners were asleep, with only a few guards on duty in the cell shouting and yelling.
Xie Wuhen knew that they were gambling.
He took out a thin wire from his sleeve, inserted it into the keyhole of the shackles, and in a few seconds he untied the handcuffs and leg irons on his body. Then he tore off a piece of his clothes to cover his mouth and nose, used the wire to unlock the cell door, and turned around and walked out.
He walked silently through the corridor, and when he passed the classroom door, he used a tinder to light the drug powder in his hand, swung his arm and threw it into the room.
In just a moment, several prison guards in the cell fainted on the ground.
He breathed a sigh of relief, lifted his long legs and walked slowly through the classroom door, came to a wooden door, stopped for a moment, and pushed the door open to go in.
Inside the door was another corridor. Turning left, there was a separate cell. The person imprisoned in the cell was the one he was looking for this time.
He took off the corner of his clothes covering his face and called out "Your Highness" through the door.
The person in the room was reading a book in front of a solitary lamp. He looked up at the voice and asked, "Who are you?"
He replied, "I am Xie Wuhen, Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple."
The man called "Prince" stood up from the wooden bench and walked slowly to the gate.
In the dim light, his hair was gray and his face was full of wrinkles, but his eyes were sharp and his body was strong. His demeanor and behavior showed the dignity and arrogance unique to the royal family.
He looked Xie Wuhen up and down and asked, "Xie Lei's son?"
Xie Wuhen lowered his head and replied, "Yes."
He chuckled, "He looks a lot like your father."
Xie Wuhen bowed his head again: "Thank you, Your Highness, for remembering my father."
"After all, it's a meritorious service to our dynasty, so I will naturally remember it." He gave Xie Wuhen another meaningful look, then turned and paced around the cell, saying as he walked, "If you weren't a royal relative, if the emperor didn't allow it, a mere Junior Official of the Dali Temple like you wouldn't be qualified to visit a prisoner in Fengtian Prison."
Xie Wuhen replied: "I am also a prisoner in this jail just like Your Majesty."
The prince raised an eyebrow: "Oh? You are willing to defile yourself just to see me?"
He answered again: "Nothing can be hidden from the prince."
The prince asked, "Why?"
He said firmly, "For the Zhao family's kingdom."
As soon as these words were spoken, the prince stopped abruptly.
An old man and a young boy stared at each other solemnly through the fence.
After a moment, the prince chuckled again: "It seems that Zhao Chengye is in trouble?"
Isn’t Zhao Chengye the name of the current emperor!
Xie Wuhen replied: "Your Highness is right. I hope Your Highness can save the Emperor from this dire situation."
The prince sighed, "I have been imprisoned for many years, with no money or power. How can I save him?"
Xie Wuhen knelt down and said, "Although the prince has been imprisoned for many years, the soldiers on the frontier are still loyal to him. As long as the prince writes a letter, he can immediately summon them to the capital to defend the king."
The prince frowned and asked, "Hasn't the border commander been replaced by that nephew of the Zhou family?"
Xie Wuhen's tone was firm: "The generals have changed, but the soldiers haven't!"
The prince paused slightly and said, "It seems something has changed in the Zhou family."
Then he shook his head in disappointment: "My brother is really stupid. He is always wary of the Zhao family, but he gave the military power to his relatives without any scruples."
Xie Wuhen replied: "The emperor had originally planned to replace the defending general Zhou Cheng, but before he could do so... he was ambushed by someone else. Now the court is in turmoil and the country is in danger. I hope that Your Highness will put aside past grudges and lend a hand." After he finished speaking, he kowtowed again.
The prince stared blankly at the empty wall outside the prison, and after a long while he murmured, "Thinking back then, my father had high hopes for my brother and me. He named him Chengye and me Chengde. We studied together and practiced martial arts together. We were truly brothers and had a deep affection for each other. But I didn't expect that since he ascended the throne, he would change his face and change his attitude towards me, his younger brother. He took away my military power and freedom, and finally imprisoned me in this world. I was powerless to resist and had no way to argue, so I survived to this day. Now that he is in trouble, what reason do I have to help him?" After he finished speaking, he couldn't help but burst into tears.
Xie Wuhen replied: "Your Highness is not just helping the Emperor, Your Highness is helping the late Emperor and the Zhao family."
The prince shouted, "Shut up!"
Xie Wuhen leaned forward again and said earnestly, "I hope Your Highness will reconsider this."
The prince was silent for a long time, then he sighed and said with emotion: "Xie Lei raised a good son."
Then he changed the subject: "In view of your painstaking efforts to save the country, I will follow your request and write a letter by hand."
Xie Wuhen's face lit up with joy, and he breathed a sigh of relief: "On behalf of the people of Liang, I would like to thank the prince."
In just a moment, the prince wrote a letter in the cell, stamped his seal at the end of the letter, and then folded the letter and handed it to Xie Wuhen.
Xie Wuhen got what he wanted. After receiving the letter, he thanked again and then turned and left.
In Huayang Palace, Su He also slept soundly.
Since everything was within that person's plan, she had nothing to worry about.
After breakfast the next day, she asked Chunlan to change her clothes and comb her hair, ready to leave for the Xie family.
When Zhang Xiuhua heard that they were going to the Xie family, she was shocked: "Princess, what are you going... there for?"
Su He replied: "Of course it's something important, aunt, don't worry."
Then he ordered: "Aunt and Chunlan don't have to go with me. After all, the Xie family is familiar with you. Yicheng will accompany me."
She finally stopped calling him "Mr. Fang"!
Fang Yicheng, who was standing outside the door, was delighted and responded with a resounding "Yes".
After everything was packed, Su He took Fang Yicheng out of the palace and then got on a carriage and headed straight to Xie's house.
In less than half an hour, the carriage stopped at the alley opposite the Xie Mansion, next to which was the Guiyun Inn.
Even though I haven't been here for a few months, everything around here still feels so familiar.
Every little bit of the past came flooding back from the depths of her memory like a tide, causing her thoughts to surge and her emotions to mix.
Seeing her in a daze, Fang Yicheng couldn't help but call her "girl".
She finally came back to her senses from her trance and whispered, "Go find the gatekeeper and tell him you want to see Mr. Wu."
Fang Yicheng nodded and jumped off the carriage.
After a few more cups of tea, Wu Sheng hurried out of the house and came to the carriage where Su He was waiting. He bowed and said, "I greet the princess."
Su He replied: "No need to be polite, it was your parents who asked me to come find you."
Wu Sheng nodded: "I know, the boss explained everything clearly before he went to jail."
As he spoke, he looked around cautiously and lowered his voice, "Princess, please get off the carriage and follow me into the palace."
Su He paused: "The emperor was placed in the Xie Mansion?"
Wu Sheng nodded again: "That's right."
This Xie Wuhen was indeed extremely bold, and Su He took a breath of cold air.
Then he followed Wu Sheng through the alley outside the mansion and entered Xie Mansion through a hidden side door.
That side door was also the side door she passed through on the day she left the Xie family.
Then he walked through the winding corridors of the mansion and arrived at the door of the study.
The door of the study was also the door she and Xie Wuhen had walked through many times when they were husband and wife.
Wu Sheng couldn't help but ramble a little, "Everything in this mansion remains the same, even... the furnishings in Chunhua Courtyard haven't been changed. The boss said no one is allowed to move a single plant or object in Chunhua Courtyard without permission."
Su He remained silent and said nothing.
Fang Yicheng warned, "Just lead the way, no need to say anything more."
Wu Sheng gave him a disdainful look: "You speak as if you have the right to order me around."
Fang Yicheng choked and suppressed the anger in his heart.
Wu Sheng rolled his eyes at him again, then continued to lead the way obediently.
Several people walked across the open space in front of the study, walked down a staircase, and came to a wooden door. When they pushed open the door, they found the entrance to the underground secret room of Xie Mansion.
Su He looked around in disbelief: "I didn't expect the Xie family had a secret room."
Wu Sheng hurriedly explained on his boss's behalf, "The secret room has never been used before, so... the boss probably didn't tell the princess about it."
Su He said "Oh" and didn't ask any more questions.
They walked through a narrow corridor and came to the door of the secret room.
When he opened the door, he saw the emperor resting inside.
The room was brightly lit with several candles burning. The emperor was reclining on a soft couch. A teapot and several plates of cakes were placed on a small table beside the couch.
The moment she and the emperor looked at each other, they were both stunned.
Everything seems like a dream, real and unreal.
She went through long years, long waits, long pains, and long struggles, and finally came to this strange old man.
This strange old man who holds the supreme position is the one my mother loves, her father, her starting point, and her origin.
The emotions in her heart were complicated and difficult to describe. She felt a little uncomfortable and a little uncomfortable.
But she didn't want to make this strange old man sad, she wanted to comfort him.
Su He hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and knelt on both knees: "Your son Su He greets the emperor."
He has been searching for his mother for many years and deserves the title of "Father Emperor".
The emperor instantly burst into tears, and even the beard on his chin trembled slightly.
He said, "Stand up, stand up quickly." Then he said, "Come here, let me take a good look at you."
Su He followed the order and walked to the soft couch, allowing the emperor to look at her carefully.
When the emperor looked at her, she was naturally also looking at the emperor.
Compared to the last time he entered the palace to meet the emperor, the emperor today was obviously more haggard and older. His hair and beard were white, and his eyes seemed cloudy.
She said, "Thank you, Lord, for your help in planning everything. Father, you should relax."
When the emperor heard her call Xie Wuhen "Master Xie", his heart skipped a beat.
He knew that there was still a knot between them, which was why they had become distant from each other, but it was not convenient for him to persuade them at the moment.
The emperor's eyes were filled with tears, but a smile played on his lips: "Okay, okay, father will be relieved."
Then he said, "Your eyebrows and eyes... are exactly the same as your mother's."
So much so that in that moment, he thought he saw Duofu coming back to life.
Su He lowered his head and said nothing.
She thought, it had been more than a year since she had the bone reshaping procedure, maybe her bones had grown back to their original shape?
The emperor asked again: "The name He He was given by your mother, right?"
He actually called her by her nickname "He He"!
Su He couldn't help but feel his eyes warm up, and murmured: "Yes, it was my mother who gave it to me."
The emperor sighed with emotion: "Your mother loved lotus. She always said that the human heart is easily polluted, but only the lotus can cleanse itself. What a good name, what a good name."
He sighed again as he spoke: "I only blame myself for not being able to protect her back then, and now... I haven't been able to protect you either. Father has made a mistake, and I'm sorry for you and your mother..."
The emperor burst into tears again.
Su He consoled him several times, "Mother has probably never blamed Father, and now I can protect myself. Please don't blame yourself."
She got straight to the point: "I came here today to ask the Emperor to draft an imperial edict to rescue Lord Xie from prison."
The emperor calmed down and finally managed to calm down.
He took a deep breath, raised his hand and took out the seal from his sleeve: "Okay, I will draft the decree for you right away."
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