Your Majesty, I also have people you want to protect…
Several imperial guards armed with weapons stood outside the Nanxun Hall.
Minister of Revenue Yan Bing walked slowly and shakily into the hall, and then knelt before Emperor Kang Le.
Emperor Kang Le suddenly shifted his gaze from the portrait of the Great Xia Emperor to Minister Yan.
He quickly walked over, intending to help Yan Bing up: "Yan Qing, why are you doing this?"
Yan Bing stubbornly remained kneeling and said, “Your Majesty, when the late Emperor was alive, this old minister promised to assist you until the day I could no longer move. But back then, this old minister was only able to serve you because of the late Emperor’s benevolence and the peaceful atmosphere of our Great Xia. Now, you are killing and killing at will, and the capital is no longer the same capital. This old minister can no longer sit idly by.”
"This old minister is too old to assist Your Majesty any longer. I resign now and go to search for the imperial tombs. If I am able to see the late Emperor, I will say that I... have done my best."
*
Beneath the palace gate.
The Luo family's eldest branch, who should have been in Jiangnan, had been standing at the snowy station for some time, accompanied by the elderly Madam Luo. Luo Chen from the second branch, along with witnesses Lu Yu and Sun Shaopu, followed closely behind. Xia Zhi, Zhuang Shijun, Song Zijin, and Mu Tong were also among them.
Standing beside the Luo family were the Xiao family, who should have been in Jiangnan, along with the wife of the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, Madam Yang, Pei Qing, the third aunt of the Chu family, and Liang Lang, who had received a secret letter from his servant who had been left at home a month ago and returned to Jiangnan without hesitation.
Madam Luo, dressed in the imperial robes bestowed upon her by the late emperor, leaned on a dragon-headed cane with one hand and held Jiu Bao's thin hand with the other, her wise eyes gazing at the majestic imperial city.
Luo's mother, Qiao Zheng, held a wooden tray with a cup of poisoned wine and a three-foot-long piece of white silk on it. Luo's father, Luo Songyue, stood beside her.
Madam Luo, leaning on her dragon-headed cane, suddenly slammed it heavily into the snow, shouting angrily, "This dragon-headed cane of mine was personally bestowed by the founding emperor. It can be used to strike down tyrannical rulers above and treacherous officials below. I am a title bestowed by the founding emperor himself, and today I must enter this palace gate! If I cannot enter today, I will end this with a cup of poison, or hang myself with a three-foot-long white silk ribbon at the city gate. Your Jiang family did not give me any face back then, so why should I give you any face today!"
At that moment, the old Earl of Chengyi, supported by his servant Fa Cai, shakily arrived. The wind and snow swept across his completely white temples, and also chilled his heart.
One is his daughter, the other is his son-in-law, and the third is his grandson, whom he has watched grow up and on whom he has placed great hopes.
This grandson lost both his father and mother at a young age, and his eldest son followed his wife in death that very night. Seeing his young grandson's tear-stained face, he took him in and made him his own. He never missed a meal, and for every bite he ate, his grandson would share with him.
As he grew older, he looked more and more like his beautiful mother. Whenever people saw him, they would say, "Lord Tao, your grandson is so handsome and talented. Why don't you take the imperial examinations and get a place in the imperial court in the future?"
He chuckled and dodged the question, saying, "My little grandson isn't cut out for it."
But he knew that his little grandson was the most clever and quick-witted, seemingly simple yet wise. He was born with a mind full of intelligence and could often charm him and make him smile.
So it's fine for the two of them to live together like this, and we'll find him a good marriage in the future.
But his grandson said to him, "Grandfather, I want to travel far and wide, to see the beautiful landscapes of this world, and to travel all over the lakes, seas and mountains."
Let's go then.
On one hand, he considered letting him go, and on the other hand, he thought about keeping him in this wealthy and luxurious capital, where he could live a peaceful life under the watchful eye of his aunt, or perhaps find a lovely girl and live a happy and harmonious life together.
But after that snowy winter night ten years ago, and now with snow just as heavy as today, this grandson, who longed to leave the capital to see the vast landscape, has decided not to go.
“Grandfather, I can’t leave… My old friends are all here, where can I go? We can’t lose a single one of us.”
But last night, his grandson, now grown into a handsome young man, seemed to return to his childhood, kneeling before him as if he were still a child, just like that day when he knelt before his parents' funeral hall, crying his heart out.
The grandson clutched his clothes tightly: "Grandfather... I beg you to clear the name of the Qin family and let the Chu family rest in peace."
He looked at the face that was growing up and resembling his eldest son, and it was as if he saw his eldest son talking with him all night on the night his wife left.
"Huizhu is gone, Father. I really can't go on living. Huizhu was my life."
He then said to his grandson, "Grandpa has saved enough money for you to travel the world and see all the beautiful landscapes. Go and travel far away."
However, the grandson's face was full of stubbornness: "No, at worst I'll die with them! We'll live side by side and die together!"
Amidst the vast expanse of snow.
Zhou Quan, Vice Minister of Revenue, Xu Lin, Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Zhu Juyuan, former Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and Tao Ming, the former Earl of Chengyi, stood under the Donghua Gate and jointly submitted a memorial impeaching Liang Shuwen, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, to "purge the emperor of corrupt officials." The memorial was then presented to the Nanxun Hall by Zheng Shi, the Left Censor-in-Chief.
Following Zhu Ruo, who was covered in blood, Zhang Zheng, the clerk, and Gao Xing, the Right Vice Minister, struck the Dengwen Drum.
Young Jiu Bao removed his monk's hat and robes, donned a coarse cloth garment, and, with anger in his eyes, shouted into the snow-covered landscape: "What wrong has my father done?"
*
Inside the Cining Palace.
The palace physician had just applied medicine to the young woman on the bed, and Zhao Shuhan stayed by her side without leaving for a moment. Then, the two suddenly saw the young woman on the bed open her clear eyes, stare blankly at the bright yellow curtains above her head for a moment, and then, without thinking, quickly get out of bed and run towards the palace gate.
Seeing that she was barefoot and that it was snowing heavily outside, Zhao Shuhan quickly chased after her, calling out, "Luo Luo—"
But the girl, still covered in blood-stained clothes she hadn't had time to change, had already run away without looking back.
Zhao Shuhan heard a soft whisper coming from under the eaves, followed by, "Grandmother Zhao..."
"Fourth Brother... Fourth Brother is in danger."
The Empress Dowager quickly reassured her and had Baozhu bring her clothes and shoes to help her dress: "I know, I have already sent Ding Wei over. I came to see you, and now I'm going to find your fourth brother." She completely lacked the majesty of an Empress Dowager, the mother of heaven.
"No! Grandmother Zhao! We have to go now!"
Inside the Nanxun Hall.
The Empress Dowager released the girl's icy hand and said softly, "Girl, you go in first. This time, I will not let anything happen to you sensible children."
Inside the hall.
Several men in their twenties stood side by side.
Jiang Yuanjun sobbed, "Father, I had my doubts, but I never imagined that you were the one who orchestrated this." He looked at the portrait hanging in the center of the hall and wept uncontrollably, "Father, have you ever thought about how you will face your grandfather one day?"
Liang Shuwen, who was being impeached by the crowd, was kneeling below Emperor Kang Le. He was about to speak when he suddenly felt a flash of cold light in front of him, followed by a burning pain on his face. It turned out that His Highness the Crown Prince had hidden a sharp weapon in his sleeve and was slashing at him.
Jiang Yuanjun shouted angrily, "Shut your mouth! You have no right to speak here! Get out!"
It was a rare sight for Liang Shuwen to see the usually gentle and refined Crown Prince so enraged. He completely forgot the pain on his face and before he could come to his senses, he saw two figures approaching from outside the palace.
The one standing expressionless on the ground was a subordinate of the Marquis of Jingning, while the one kneeling on the ground, covered in mud and snow and with disheveled hair, felt both strange and familiar.
Soon he heard Emperor Kangxi exclaim in surprise, "Great...Great Companion!"
Chu Yening suddenly let out a cold laugh: "Old emperor, it's a wonder you still recognize this eunuch."
Liang Shuwen looked again and was suddenly shocked.
Sun... Sun Shaopu!
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed outside the hall, and Qin Weixi stepped inside. Before she could even see who was standing before her, Chu Yening reached out and pulled her into his arms, his hands firmly supporting her. He said gently, "I told you not to stay in Cining Palace, go back..."
Qin Weixi's eyes darted over him repeatedly, and seeing that he was completely unharmed, she looked at the people beside him and suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
"No, I'm here..."
Before she could finish speaking, a mocking voice suddenly came from the head of the table: "Well done, what a show of brotherly and sisterly affection."
"I have planned for so many years, only to be deceived by you mere children!"
Chu Yening's eyes flashed with murderous intent for a moment. He handed the girl in his arms to Luo Ling beside him, and then slowly walked away. The Imperial Guards surrounding them also moved away step by step with his steps.
He said calmly, "Jiang Sinian, do you think I can kill you today?"
Emperor Kang Le slammed his hand down, his dragon eyes widening in fury, and roared, "You scoundrel! Then I will grind you to dust and scatter your bones! I will have you torn apart by chariots!"
Suddenly, the people below all spoke in unison: "Then let's go together!"
Chu Yening continued, “Father trusted you so much, how did you do Jiang Sinian? Now I have brought eight hundred Chu family soldiers to step into your sleeping ground. Although this is not enough to flatten your palace, Father’s wisdom still remains in the world, and it will make your Jiang clan suffer humiliation for decades without being able to breathe.”
“Jiang Sinian, why don’t you step out of this palace and see for yourself why you have incurred the people’s resentment?”
“Jiang Sinian, if I had wanted your Jiang family to abdicate during my ten years in the Northwest, I would have already stormed into the capital. But I, Chu Yening, disdain it, and neither does my father. Otherwise, the world would have been our Chu family’s domain long ago.”
As soon as Chu Yening finished speaking, Jiang Yuanjun said, "Father, you are not worthy of being a friend, and neither are Mother..."
Emperor Kangxi suddenly grabbed an inkstone and threw it: "Crown Prince, how dare you speak of your mother like that! I am the Son of Heaven! I am your father!"
This time, Chu Yening stepped forward and grabbed her, and the others surrounded Jiang Yuanjun. Luo Ling also stepped forward at this moment, looking directly at the supreme emperor.
"Your Majesty, you have ministers who want to protect their own."
Emperor Kang Le roared, "Guards! Execute these five brats!" Then he looked at the face that resembled his old friend Cheng Ji with eyes full of murderous intent.
"You brat, I did not kill you all to eliminate future troubles, allowing you to live for another ten years."
Chu Yening sneered again: "So now you're sending the Imperial Kitchen to poison me?"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Kang Le suddenly walked down to the side, snatched a sharp blade from a guard, and slashed at Chu Ye Ning.
Upon seeing this, Qin Weixi and the others surrounded him, just as they had done before.
A majestic and powerful voice suddenly rang out from outside the hall: "I'd like to see who dares to step over my dead body!"
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