Chapter 81
◎Died of illness.◎
Mi Qing swallowed and said, "Your Highness..."
"Don't worry." Fusu's voice was still gentle. "You, your mother, and your family, you can continue as usual. This will not affect you in any way."
What about my father? Mi Qing almost blurted out, but he bit his tongue and barely swallowed the words.
Mi Qing wanted to save his mother, sisters and brothers, but... he didn't want to sacrifice his father's life.
Because of the previous experience, Mi Qing thought that as long as her father did not do anything wrong or cause any harm, he would always be able to keep his life.
"Your Highness..." Mi Qing's eyes were filled with pain. "Please, Your Highness, if my father didn't... didn't send any useful information, please, Your Highness and the King, spare his life."
Fusu looked at him and said, "I can forgive him this time, but what about next time? Mi Qing, can you guarantee that this won't happen again?"
"The fate of Changping Jun has always been in his own hands. This is his choice."
Mi Qing closed her eyes, her lips trembling as she couldn't utter a word.
Every word the prince said struck a chord with Mi Qing. Yes, her father knew the consequences of being discovered in contact with the Chu people. Even if he withdrew from government affairs for years, even if he couldn't convey much useful information, his actions still constituted betrayal. Didn't her father, once the Prime Minister of Qin, know the consequences of betrayal? Didn't he care that his wife and children would be implicated if his plans failed?
Fusu reached out and patted his shoulder. "This isn't your fault. The law says this. No one would tolerate him. Perhaps... loyalty and filial piety have always been difficult to achieve."
Mi Qing sobbed and lowered her head to hide her expression.
Fusu sighed and said, "You didn't tell me anything today."
After a while, Mi Qing choked out a sob and said, "...Thank you, Your Highness."
The meat was already roasted. Fusu held it in his hands, looked at the gradually dying charcoal fire and said softly, "You should go back first. If someone sees you and talks about you later, it will not be good for you."
Mi Qing staggered to his feet, bowed his head and saluted, then retreated without a word.
Fusu looked at the barbecue in his hand, but his heart was not as calm as he looked.
The bond between father and son... Fusu could understand Mi Qing's feelings. He might blame his father, or even resent his father, but he would never want to exchange his father's life for his own future.
But Fusu was the crown prince of Qin after all, and he was the son of the King of Qin. Even if he knew that some things would hurt some people, he had to do them for the sake of Qin and his father.
…
Fusu cut off a good portion of the meat with a knife, arranged it on a plate, and presented it to his father.
"My cooking skills are not very good, so let me just give it a try." Fusu smiled embarrassedly. He had forgotten to turn it over several times while talking to Mi Qing, and some parts were burnt.
Ying Zheng didn't care. He tasted the meat with a smile on his face and nodded in praise, "Very good."
Usually, the King of Qin would say "not bad" as a high compliment, but this time he used the word "very good", which showed that he was giving face to his eldest son.
Fusu smiled and said, "Then I want to try it too."
The remaining meat had already been divided up by the temple servants. Fusu took a small piece, dipped it in seasoning, and put it into his mouth. After swallowing it, he nodded and said, "Delicious! It turns out I have a talent for cooking!"
Ying Zheng just smiled and said nothing. The temperature of the barbecue was important and was all controlled by Fusu, but the marinating of the meat had nothing to do with him, so his talent as a chef was still questionable.
However, Ying Zheng did not intend to spoil his eldest son's fun. He would not really become a chef anyway, so what was wrong with being blindly confident?
After the father and son had eaten the barbecue, Fusu asked someone to make tea to help them get rid of the greasiness.
Ying Zheng advised: "It's late, drink less, otherwise you won't be able to sleep at night."
Fusu nodded and drank his tea before saying, "Father, Mi Qing just told me something. He said his mother told him to report it to me."
"Oh?" Ying Zheng put down his teacup. "What's the matter?"
Fusu told the story one by one, and by the time he finished speaking, Ying Zheng's previously gentle expression had turned completely cold.
"Father, calm down," Fusu advised. "This matter is easy to resolve. Changping Jun has a rebellious heart and is disobedient to you. He is not worth your anger."
Ying Zheng said coldly: "I have already given him a chance, this time..."
Changping Jun no longer has any chance with Ying Zheng.
…
The next day, Changping Jun died of a sudden illness at home.
Lady Changpingjun looked sad, but she still ordered people to prepare the funeral ceremony in an orderly manner. Mi Qing was the eldest son, so he led the family to observe mourning.
Changping Jun had served as the Prime Minister of Qin for many years. When he died, Wang Wan, Li Si and others came to his house to mourn in person. Seeing this, court officials followed him. The house, which had been deserted because Changping Jun was recuperating at home, suddenly became more lively than when he was alive.
It was not until nightfall that the mansion returned to its former peace.
Mi Qing asked everyone else to rest and he stayed to keep vigil, but his mother insisted on staying. Mi Qing tried to persuade her but failed and had to let her go.
Madam Mi knelt on the futon, staring at the coffin in front of her until her eyes were sore. She suddenly said, "He has his homeland and his ancestors. I must protect my child too. To do this, I will do whatever it takes."
Suddenly, someone spoke in the silent hall where the coffin was placed. Mi Qing broke out in a cold sweat and cried out, "What... Mother, what are you talking about?"
Madam Mi said quietly, "My son, you don't have to blame yourself. Every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt has its creditor. I was the one who killed your father. If he has any grievances, just come to me."
"..." Mi Qing's mind was in a mess after hearing these words. He knelt down and took a few steps forward to his mother's side and asked, "Mother, what...what do you mean by this?"
Madam Mi turned to look at her son, her face expressionless. "I don't attend court or participate in politics, but your father has been the Prime Minister of Qin for many years. I occasionally listen to him and have learned a few things."
Connecting these words of his mother, Mi Qing couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine: "Mother, you...you asked me to tell the prince those words, you anticipated... anticipated the situation today..."
Facing Mi Qing's pleading eyes, Madam Mi nodded firmly: "Your father and I have been married for many years. I would not do this unless it is absolutely necessary."
"Why is it necessary?" Mi Qing said sadly, "Mother, we can stop father. As long as we don't let anyone know, we can definitely have both!"
"Silly boy, didn't we stop him?" Madam Mi looked at him with pity. "But look, does he even have us in his eyes or in his heart? All he cares about is his Chu State..."
"At the beginning of the year, Fan Yuqi fled, and his entire family was implicated. Your father knew this, yet he still managed to contact the Chu people!" Madam Mi said bitterly, "He doesn't care whether my child lives or dies, so why should I show him mercy?"
The lesson of Fan Yuqi was also a thorn in Mi Qing's heart. Otherwise, he would not have followed his mother's instructions without thinking and reported his father's unusual behavior to Fusu.
But at that time, Mi Qing still naively thought that as long as everything was nipped in the bud, even if her father was still under house arrest in the mansion, his life would be safe and their family could be saved.
But I didn't expect that everything would change drastically overnight.
What Mi Qing could not have imagined was that the executioner who handed the knife to his father was not himself, but his mother.
No, actually it’s myself.
Mi Qing slumped on the ground, muttering, "To tell one's father on his own behalf is unfilial..."
Madam Mi stroked her son's cheek and tearfully said, "My child, this isn't your fault. I told you this because I knew you wouldn't be able to get over it. But... it's better than losing your life, isn't it? The Crown Prince isn't a suspicious person, and he's also mindful of our relationship. You and he have a childhood friendship, and in the future... he'll always remember you and promote you."
Mi Qing shook her head helplessly: "I don't want to... I don't want to think about it anymore."
"Okay, I don't want to." Madam Mi cried, "As long as you are well and you all live a good life, mother doesn't want anything else. My son, our family will be fine in the future."
Mi Qing fell into her mother's arms, sobbing, which made Lady Mi heartbroken.
Half a month later, after finishing all the affairs at home, Mi Qing went to the palace to meet Fusu and asked for permission to go home to observe mourning for a year.
In just half a month, Mi Qing had become so thin that his cheeks were sunken. Fusu looked at him and sighed softly: "From now on, you will be the pillar of the family, Mi Qing, you must be strong."
Mi Qing slowly bowed and saluted: "Thank you, Your Highness."
Fusu didn't know what to say, so he just said, "When you want to come back, just tell me."
"...Thank you, Your Highness." Mi Qing bowed again.
Seeing that he was truly dejected, Fusu simply ordered his men to pack his luggage and gave him some vegetarian recipes to take with him. After everything was in order, he asked, "Li You is in the palace today. Do you want to see him or wait until another day?"
Mi Qing paused and said, "Let's do it another day."
Fusu nodded: "I'll have someone send you off."
Mi Qing thanked him and, halfway through turning, suddenly turned back and bowed solemnly to Fusu: "Your Highness, thank you very much... for giving my father honor."
Whether it was the rumor that Changping Jun died of illness, or that he was privately allowed to commit suicide, it was a decent ending for Changping Jun and his family.
Fusu sighed again: "Changping Jun has assisted the king for many years, and he is grateful for the past friendship. If you have any problems in the future, just come to the palace and tell me. The king has many things to do, and I will always be able to help you."
Mi Qing bowed again in silence, then said goodbye and left.
When Li You heard that Mi Qing was entering the palace today and rushed to see him, he could no longer see her.
Li You frowned and said, "I'll go to his house after the New Year. Mi Qing is going to have a hard time this year."
Fusu was packing up his books when he heard this and said, "That's perfect. Take these books with you and give them to Mi Qing when the time comes."
"Okay." Mi Qing took a look and found that it was a new book written by a disciple of the Mohist School. The content had nothing to do with politics, only the science that the prince talked about.
"Your Highness, why do you want to give this book to Mi Qing?" Li You asked in confusion.
Fusu said: "Science can save everything."
Li You: “?”
Fusu said: "Let him change his mind, so that he won't have any wild thoughts."
Li You was silent for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "Your Highness, on the day Changping Jun... passed away, my father went to his house."
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