Feng Ming immediately took Zhuang Li away.
Even without signing a separation agreement and filing it with the elders, the family was completely separated. No one dared to say that the emperor's decision was wrong.
The Dali Temple Minister was still on his way, and hundreds of Dragon Guards had completely sealed off the manor from both inside and outside. No one could leave here secretly.
Zhuang Ai sat in the hall, his forehead wrapped in a white cloth, a pool of bright red blood slowly seeping out. He seemed to have aged decades overnight, and his sorrow turned into wrinkles, covering his face.
Mrs. Hu slumped in a chair, her dress slightly open with two buttons undone, while several maids fanned her. She was breathing heavily, not breathing in, and looked as if she was about to collapse.
She was afraid of being punished, of being disgraced, and even more afraid of causing her two children to lose face in front of others for the rest of their lives. She had done so much for her two children, but she had never expected that in the end, she would leave them with nothing.
"Master, please think of a solution!" she cried weakly.
Zhuang Ai's face was as gloomy as water and his teeth were clenched.
Zhuang Yuqing said dejectedly, "The only way is to win over Zhuang Li, get him to write a letter of apology, and ask the emperor for mercy in the name of filial piety. But—"
He glanced at his father and didn't finish his words.
But Zhuang Ai knew what he was complaining about. If he hadn't revealed that look of deep hatred, the Emperor wouldn't have taken Zhuang Li away on a whim. Even his biological father wished Zhuang Li dead, so how could the Emperor possibly leave him in this dangerous place?
Zhuang Ai covered his eyes and said in embarrassment: "It's my fault, I'm used to it."
Even he himself was stunned when he said this. Zhuang Li was his son, just a little naughty, and had never caused any serious trouble. Why did he habitually show hatred in his eyes? Was it necessary to do so towards his own son?
Yes, if Mrs. Hu had not slandered her son in front of him all day long, he would never have developed such a deep prejudice against Zhuang Li.
A virtuous wife brings less trouble to her husband. The ancients were right!
Only now did Zhuang Ai feel the deepest regret. Making a short-sighted, greedy and vicious maid his legal wife was the root cause of today's disaster.
No, in fact, the root of the disaster had been planted long ago. When his wife was poisoned to death by Hu, he should have thought that this woman was no good and would definitely cause greater trouble in the future.
Zhuang Ai's eyes gradually became bloodshot, and his gaze stared blankly at Hu, looking extremely terrifying.
After years of marriage, how could Mrs. Hu not understand his expression? When she poisoned his wife, her husband looked at her body in the same way.
"Master, what's wrong with you?" Mrs. Hu's voice was trembling.
Zhuang Ai closed his eyes and said slowly, "When the Dali Temple Minister arrives, he will definitely arrest you and put you in jail. He will then conduct a public trial at dawn. By then, everyone in the capital will know about your deeds. If you don't want Yuqing and Yunzhu to be implicated by you, then you should take the blame yourself."
It means you should just hang yourself. Once you die, this case will not need to be tried. The Dali Temple will definitely choose to let the matter go peacefully for the sake of a life.
This is indeed a solution.
Mrs. Hu understood what her husband meant, and her heart sank.
"Master, you can't! We've been together for so many years, how can you bear to say such words? Isn't Zhuang Li alive and well? Even if the Dali Temple Minister comes, I won't be sentenced to death. I can live! Master, you can divorce me! Please give me a way out!"
Faced with death, Mrs. Hu lost all composure and fell to her knees at Zhuang Ai's feet, begging desperately.
Zhuang Yuqing and Zhuang Yunzhu were already stunned by the sudden turn of events.
Zhuang Ai glanced at the two of them and spoke calmly, "If you don't want to, Yuqing and Yunzhu's future will be ruined. Can you bear it? Think about it carefully. I won't force you."
Although he said "I won't force you", Zhuang Ai firmly grasped Hu's weakness and refused to let go. This is what he called "true love".
How can a man who allows his wife to be poisoned to death and watches his two children being harmed be a good person?
It was not until this moment that Mrs. Hu saw her husband's true face.
For a moment, she felt as if the sky was falling and the earth was collapsing. She turned around and looked at her son, but he avoided her gaze. She looked at her daughter, but she asked anxiously, "Dad, can I still be the Crown Princess?"
Her mother was almost driven to death, but she was only thinking about her own marriage.
Mrs. Hu opened her mouth and laughed miserably. These were the children she had raised with all her heart! What was her life worth?
Zhuang Ai also felt that his life was worthless, and the children he raised were more stupid than the last. After today, it was still unknown whether Feng Yu could become the crown prince, and his daughter was still thinking about becoming the crown princess!
"Shut up!" he shouted, then waved his hand and said, "All of you get out. Zhuang Si and Zhuang Wu stay."
Zhuang Si and Zhuang Wu are his confidants.
Zhuang Yuqing seemed to realize something, a look of horror evident on his face. He stood there frozen in place, his heart pounding with a fierce struggle.
"Yuqing, if there was a better way, I wouldn't have taken this step." Zhuang Ai said solemnly.
Zhuang Yuqing understood his father's intentions. Given Zhuang Li's unwillingness to cooperate, this method could indeed minimize the negative impact. A person who hanged himself out of repentance was more worthy of forgiveness than one who was tattooed or mutilated for his crimes.
When a person dies, it's like a light goes out. Before long, everyone will forget about it.
Zhuang Yuqing understood the truth, but he still couldn't bear it.
"Father, I'll go and ask Zhuang Li for help now. Can you please wait a moment?" he said with red eyes.
"Do you know where the emperor took him? Can you persuade him to come back and plead for your mother before the court session tomorrow?" Zhuang Ai asked calmly.
Zhuang Yuqing: “…”
"Go out." Zhuang Ai waved his hand.
Zhuang Yuqing gritted her teeth and left in the end, not forgetting to take Zhuang Yunzhu away.
Mrs. Hu realized something and quickly got up and rushed outside, but was quickly caught by Zhuang Si and Zhuang Wu. Zhuang Ai wiped away a tear and slowly closed the door to the hall.
Zhuang Yuqing covered her sister's mouth, stood in a dark corner where the candlelight could not reach, and looked at the closed door with red eyes.
He could well imagine what was going on inside.
Finally, he closed his eyes and gnashed his teeth, saying, "Zhuang Li, one day I will make you pay for your blood debt with blood!"
---
At the same time, Zhuang Li was half lying on the bed, drinking a bowl of Chinese medicine.
Feng Ming sat on the edge of the bed, holding his jaw with his palm to prevent the medicine from dripping from the corners of his mouth and staining his clothes.
"This medicine is for calming the nerves. You'll feel sleepy after drinking it." Qin Zhong, who was standing nearby, advised, "Good sleep is the first step to protecting your health. From now on, you must drink a bowl every night before going to bed. Don't drink alcohol or stay up late, and don't eat anything with strong flavors."
"Can his body be cured?" Feng Ming asked worriedly.
"As long as he insists on taking the medicine I prescribed and doesn't make trouble, he will be cured in four or five months. I am the only one in Dayan who can cure him." Qin Zhong said proudly.
Feng Ming nodded, and the tense expression on his face visibly relaxed.
Zhuang Xiaohui fell to her knees with a thud, kowtowed vigorously to Qin Zhong, and finally kowtowed to Feng Ming, her face full of gratitude.
Feng Yi also turned his head away and wiped his tears quietly.
As expected, Zhuang Li began to feel sleepy. As soon as he said thank you, his eyes closed and his breathing gradually became calm and long.
Feng Ming immediately waved at Zhuang Xiaohui, signaling her not to make any noise, then stood up quietly and prepared to leave.
But at this moment, Zhuang Li shook his head and struggled to wake up. His eyes closed for a while, then struggled to open them, and he muttered anxiously, "Don't go."
Feng Ming immediately sat back on the edge of the bed.
Zhuang Li grasped one of his fingers, and the uneasiness on his face finally vanished. He blinked at Feng Ming, then slowly let out a smile of immense satisfaction. Searching, stopping and starting, constantly wandering, always to meet you.
The next moment, he fell asleep with a calm and peaceful look on his face.
Feng Ming felt the warmth wrapped around his fingertips, and also felt the boy's obsession with holding on to him tightly and not wanting to let go. A glimmer of light could not help but flow out from his dark eyes.
The young man was attached to her, depended on her, and trusted her wholeheartedly. Realizing this, the corners of his straight lips curved slightly.
Qin Zhong looked at him in disbelief and whispered, "You just—"
Before he could finish his words, Feng Ming raised his index finger and made a gesture of silence.
Qin Zhong could only shut up in frustration. The Emperor actually laughed? This was bizarre!
Feng Ming sat at the head of the bed and watched over Zhuang Li quietly, with no intention of forcibly pulling out his index finger.
Feng Yi mouthed silently, "Uncle, I'll let him hold your hand. You should return to the palace early."
Feng Ming closed his eyes, too lazy to look at him.
Feng Yi: “…”
Zhuang Xiaohui stood aside in fear and trepidation.
Qin Zhong stretched himself and pointed to the next room, signaling that he would go to sleep first. He had lived here for the past four or five months.
Feng Ming nodded, and then waved to Feng Yi and Zhuang Xiaohui.
So everyone left.
Only then did Feng Ming slowly lean over, scrutinizing Zhuang Li's thin face closely. His eyes gradually darkened, then slowly brightened. He stared for an unknown amount of time before feeling a strong urge for sleepiness, and he lay down soundlessly.
He had only slept for two hours when his subordinates woke him up, saying it was time to return to court. Helplessly, he had to gently and slowly withdraw his fingertips.
Seeing Zhuang Li tossing and turning on the bed with an empty palm, frowning and seeming to be about to wake up, Feng Ming quickly took off the jade pendant from his waist and stuffed it into the other's hand.
Zhuang Li's frown immediately relaxed, and the feeling of holding Feng Ming tightly made him smile with relief again.
Feng Ming bent down, his eyes fixed on the smile, his usually emotionless eyes now filled with tenderness. He unconsciously curled the corners of his lips, then quietly left.
After getting on the carriage, he saw the hibiscus flower on the coffee table. He was stunned and the emptiness in his heart was filled in an instant.
Gently tucked the flower between the pages of the book, flattened it, and returned it to the secret compartment. Only then did Feng Ming lift the carriage curtain and gaze out at the imperial city shrouded in the vast night. Pink hibiscus and golden osmanthus blossomed on both sides of the dim alley, their rich fragrance wafting in the cool autumn breeze.
Feng Ming, who was filled with disgust towards this world, somehow sighed from the bottom of his heart: "The scenery tonight is so beautiful."
At the same time, Zhuang Xiaohui, who couldn't sleep, stood by the window, looking at the huge courtyard shrouded in the night, and murmured, "Am I dreaming?"
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