reason
Inside the palace, preparations for the banquet to entertain the ministers were proceeding smoothly. The Emperor was in high spirits as he looked at the newly renovated palace. He spent his days either admiring flowers and plants with his concubines or enjoying music and dance performances. He even forgot to pay his respects to his mother, but he never missed a chance to torment Shangguan Zeyu.
On this day, the Emperor went to torment Shangguan Zeyu as usual, but seeing that Shangguan Zeyu looked like he was about to die young, he kindly spared him this time.
Shangguan Zeyu was not grateful for his kindness. With a stiff smile, he said, "If Your Majesty doesn't act today, what if you regret it tomorrow? Perhaps you shouldn't show any mercy?"
For some reason, the Emperor was quite interested in this phrase "show mercy." He put his hands behind his back and kept repeating the word with amusement. After a long while, he stopped in front of Shangguan Zeyu and said sarcastically, "Show mercy? Does the Prince want the Emperor to spare your life?"
Shangguan Zeyu was amused by him: "Your Majesty really knows how to misinterpret!"
"Isn't that so?" The Emperor, with an expression that said, "That's exactly what you mean, and you still won't admit it," straightened his back and said, "It's not impossible for my brother to spare your life, but..." He then looked down at Shangguan Zeyu with disdain, "...but this is the price... Haha, it's a bit too high!!"
Shangguan Zeyu watched him as if he were a joke the whole time, listening to him say his self-righteous things.
"I know you don't want to ask me for help right now, and I won't force you. But soon, I think you'll definitely ask me for help, hahaha." The Emperor laughed arrogantly and wildly.
Shangguan Zeyu looked at him and smiled, but it was a smile as if he were looking at an idiot.
Not long after the Emperor left, it got dark, and visibility in the prison became dim. At that moment, a dark figure swiftly knocked down the soldier guarding Shangguan Zeyu and ran to Shangguan Zeyu's side.
"Your Highness, I am late." It was Zhang Qin. He quickly took off his mask and then quickly put it back on.
"It's alright, is everything ready?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Our men are already waiting in the woods outside the city, just waiting for Your Highness to come." Zhang Qin carefully helped Shangguan Zeyu up, helped Shangguan Zeyu change his clothes, and then quickly left the prison with Shangguan Zeyu.
Local officials had begun arriving in the capital, and the flow of people was unprecedented. Every street corner and alley in the capital was packed with people, so the liveliness and prosperity were beyond description.
Zhang Qin led Shangguan Zeyu to hide in a narrow, secluded alley, disguised Shangguan Zeyu as a merchant, and they went to the city gate together.
To leave the city, they must pass through the city gate tower, so whether they can leave the capital safely depends on this action.
However, as mentioned before, local officials came to the capital one after another with large entourages, and the city was bustling with activity, with merchants coming and going in an endless stream. Therefore, the soldiers guarding the city did not suspect Zhang Qin and Shangguan Zeyu, and the two of them left the city smoothly and went to their troops in the forest.
Shangguan Zeyu was free. As soon as he mounted his own warhorse, he was filled with excitement. He whipped his horse and rode away with his men, raising a cloud of dust.
Emperor Shangguan Kangde was still fantasizing about the joy of presenting Shangguan Zeyu as a trophy to his ministers at the banquet, completely unaware that Shangguan Zeyu had already left, and utterly oblivious to the endless abyss that awaited him.
Although Lady Lezheng did not visit Shangguan Zeyu again, she arranged for people to protect Shangguan Zeyu in secret, so the news of Shangguan Zeyu's rescue quickly reached her ears.
She was overjoyed, tears welling in her eyes, and said, "It's good that she's gone; she's no longer bound!" Then she murmured to herself, "It's Mother's fault! Mother thought too simply!!" Then, she involuntarily lost in thought...
"Empress, why do you insist that I choose De'er as the Crown Prince? Yu'er is clearly more suitable to be the ruler."
"Your Majesty, it is precisely because Yu'er is highly skilled and capable that he is made a minister, so that he can take care of De'er for the rest of his life. De'er is mediocre, and if he were a minister, he would certainly not fare well."
"But, Your Majesty, there is a distinction between ruler and subject. Once it is made, there is no turning back! I am worried about De'er in the future... Your Majesty must have seen it as well. De'er is not broad-minded and has a heavy heart. If... His achievements overshadow the emperor is a great taboo in the imperial family. There will be no return!"
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. De'er and Yu'er are brothers. They have been together since childhood and grown up together. Blood is thicker than water. Unlike other brothers, they will not go that far!"
...
"Mother, why are you so devoted to my brother?"
"Does De'er think that the Empress Dowager is biased? The Empress Dowager is not biased! The Empress Dowager treats you and your brother equally."
"Then why did the Empress Dowager personally sew clothes and boots for the Prince?"
“Your brother is away fighting, and the Queen Mother is worried that clothes and boots made by others will not be sturdy and will be difficult to wear.”
"Mother, why did Father give military power to my brother, the Prince? I am clearly the ruler of the country!"
“De’er, you are the ruler, and your brother the king is the subject. Only with military power can he protect the country and ensure your long-term peace and stability, free from worries!”
...
"Mother, I believe that the lack of military power is our greatest worry!"
Suddenly, images flashed through Yue Zhengshi's mind, images she hadn't thought were problematic, one after another, so real, as if she were experiencing them again.
She's too naive!
The late emperor was right. In the imperial family, there is only the distinction between ruler and subject, not between brothers.
And it was precisely because of her, because she kept telling her Yu'er that he should be loyal to his royal brother and devote himself to his royal brother and the entire Great Zhou Kingdom, that her Yu'er never doubted his royal brother's intentions and never thought that his royal brother would betray him one day!
When Lady Lezheng thought about how she had kept bestowing beautiful women upon Shangguan Zeyu in order to help the Emperor keep an eye on him, and how she had deliberately gotten close to Prince Su in order to test Shangguan Zeyu's loyalty, she felt so guilty that she could not face herself.
In the end, she did nothing right and ruined both brothers.
The palace banquet was being prepared in full swing, and more and more officials were coming to the capital to report on their duties and pay homage to the emperor. Emperor Shangguan Kangde no longer had the energy to torture Shangguan Zeyu in the imperial prison, so he handed over the important task of torturing Shangguan Zeyu to Chen Run, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and the Left Prime Minister.
Upon receiving this mission, Chen Run immediately went to the imperial prison to see Shangguan Zeyu, but was escorted away by a eunuch from Empress Dowager Lezheng's side.
Chen Run was eager to see Shangguan Zeyu, but he couldn't neglect the Empress Dowager either. After weighing the options, he followed the eunuch to see the Empress Dowager, Le Zhengshi.
When Chen Run saw Empress Dowager Le Zhengshi, he couldn't help but wonder: How come the Empress Dowager has aged so much in just a few days?
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. May Your Majesty live a thousand years!"
"Get up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
Lady Lezheng was weak and listless. She lazily propped her head up with her right hand, slightly opened her eyes, and looked at Chen Run.
Chen Run pondered for a moment and said, "This humble subject dares to ask why Your Majesty the Empress Dowager summoned this humble subject?"
Lady Lezheng closed her eyes, then sighed and said, "Are you going to interrogate Prince Duan?"
Chen Run was startled, but his face remained calm as he replied, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, His Majesty only ordered me to go to the Imperial Prison to take good care of Prince Duan."
Empress Lezheng couldn't help but chuckle: "What a fine 'look after'! I'll tell you the truth, Prince Duan is no longer in the imperial prison!"
Chen Run's expression instantly turned serious: "What does the Empress Dowager mean?"
"Lord Chen, you have rendered meritorious service in capturing Prince Duan, and the Emperor values you highly, for which I have nothing to say. However, Lord Chen should understand how important Prince Duan is to the Great Zhou Kingdom, shouldn't you?"
"Your Majesty understands."
"His Majesty is arrogant and presumptuous! He ordered Prince Su to recall the troops guarding the border to the capital, completely disregarding the security of the territory and the lives and livelihoods of the people on the border. I fear that war will soon break out in the Great Zhou Kingdom. I believe that Minister Chen should understand that the Great Zhou Kingdom was established by Prince Duan's army. If something were to happen to Prince Duan, who do you think would stand against the enemy? Before the nation, the self is but a small matter. Minister Chen should understand this, shouldn't he?"
Chen Run nodded heavily.
Lady Lezheng said, "If His Majesty finds out about this, I will take full responsibility and will not make things difficult for Lord Chen."
Chen Run nodded blankly.
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