Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Lower your spine and throw away your armor [Copywriting drama...
The prince stood on the white jade steps of the Golden Throne Hall, looking down at the young man below.
Even now, what else does he not understand?
At the court meeting this evening, there were more than ten officials who were supposed to be present, but nearly 30% of them were important officials in the court, holding high positions in the six ministries.
Zhang Jingxuan was about to go on an expedition with the army. As the crown prince, he had to appease the Zhang family. Zhang Jingxuan took advantage of this and promised benefits to make the court officials absent from the court meeting at this critical moment to protect the crown prince's ascension to the throne.
Among these 30%, 20% were relatives of the Zhang family or court officials with common interests, and the remaining 10% were remnants of Prince Yu's faction, such as the Minister of War.
Zhang Jingxuan did not need to win over these ten percent of court officials. They naturally knew how to take advantage of the situation and put pressure on him, the crown prince, to force him to release Xue Yuanyin.
Although the emperor was bedridden, he would not die anytime soon. If he did not release them, they would delay and protect his ascension to the throne.
The prince turned around and slowly scanned the people in the Golden Throne Hall.
Thirty percent of the more than ten people present were important officials. It might not seem like a large number, but they all held important posts in the six ministries. It was obvious that this court meeting could not continue.
The prince retracted his gaze and looked at Zhang Jingxuan again.
In the eyes of the crowd, this outstanding young man, even when kneeling on his knees, still maintained an upright posture, gentle and handsome demeanor, and a natural demeanor.
His expression was humble and respectful, his eyes not looking at the ground, nor at him, but slightly lowered to look at the white jade steps in front of him.
However, the prince seemed to see a person who had always stood by his side, given him advice, confided in him, and prevented the enemy from making trouble for the Eastern Palace. But this time he stood on the opposite side of him, holding the chess piece in his hand, and placing it in the way of his urgent progress.
He used the same tactics he had used against his enemies in the past to come back against himself, trapping him and putting him in a difficult position.
Even though Zhang Jingxuan lowered his back and almost begged, he still managed to use this subtle method to find his weak spot, forcing him to consider his conditions.
Zhang Jingxuan lowered his head and waited for a moment, then raised his eyes to look at him and said:
"Although Xue Yuanyin is the daughter of the Marquis of Qing'an and hailed from the Xue family, she possesses a rare and sincere disposition and impeccable character. She has been intelligent and clever since childhood, and we have a deep friendship. As she grew older, she became even more gifted, courageous, and resilient. Her only fault was choosing a master carelessly, which led to her becoming embroiled in factional disputes. I have served Your Highness for over a decade, loyally and without fail, and have never transgressed the rules or committed any immoral acts. I now boldly implore Your Highness to consider our past friendship and show some mercy, releasing her from prison and granting her a lenient sentence. I hope Your Highness will grant this."
After he finished speaking, the area in front of the Golden Throne Hall became so quiet that you could almost hear a pin drop.
In deep winter, fine snow fluttered down in the twilight and melted as soon as it touched the white jade steps.
The prince walked slowly down the stairs, stopped in front of Zhang Jingxuan, and looked down at him.
The prince remembered that he had promised Zhang Jingxuan that he would not have to perform formalities or kneel when he saw him. Although they were monarch and subject, after years of living together and supporting each other, their friendship had long gone beyond the scope of monarch and subject and was no different from that of good friends and brothers.
He granted this beloved minister, who had helped him along the way, the greatest honors and grace, hoping that he too would soon enjoy the power and authority he deserved. Even before his evening court session, he would search the imperial study for vacancies in the court, hoping that he would return safely from the expedition and continue to serve in the court.
The position couldn't be too high, otherwise it would attract attention, as a tall tree attracts wind; nor could it be too low, as it would be unsuitable for this person. He even consulted senior officials, eunuchs, and retired ministers... He wanted to find the one that best suited Zhang Qing, paving a smooth path for him to ascend to the top, until Zhang Qing would be below him and sit in the position that was second only to him and above everyone else.
The prince thought he had considered every aspect for him, even how to arrange his affairs after his death if something unexpected happened after he went on the expedition. However, he never expected that this person would turn against him and use the strategies that he had planned for him in the past to deal with him.
The prince felt incredible.
A huge sense of betrayal washed over him, leaving him feeling faintly overwhelmed. He was so angry that he almost wanted to laugh, and he laughed, his laughter echoing in front of the Golden Throne Hall. When he had laughed enough, the prince leaned over and squeezed Zhang Jingxuan's shoulders hard, almost crushing them.
"Are you plotting against me?"
Crown Prince Dunshan's face was covered in bulging veins, and he suppressed his surging anger. His eyes were bloodshot, and he shouted at him, almost collapsing and trembling, "Zhang Qu, I have known you for over ten years, and in the end you actually plotted against me?!"
Zhang Jingxuan said calmly, "Your Highness, please calm down. I have no intention of plotting against Your Highness. I simply wish to buy some time before Your Highness ascends the throne so that I can hold some leverage in negotiations."
He simply didn't want the prince to ascend the throne so smoothly, and wanted him to understand that he still needed the support of the Zhang family on his way to the throne.
His Royal Highness's face was distorted with anger. A threat! This was a naked threat!
"I'm the crown prince! The crown prince! You plotted against me, but have you ever thought about what the consequences will be?!"
The prince almost lost control of his words, his rationality about to be completely burned out by anger. He tried hard to maintain his composure and not appear to be losing his composure.
"Without those court officials, I could still ascend the throne smoothly. I just had to wait for my father's death, which delayed me by half a year or a year! What makes you think you can threaten me? What makes you think I will change my decision for you?"
Zhang Jingxuan lowered his head and said slowly, "I dare not."
"Don't dare? I think you dare very much!"
The prince was so angry that his chest heaved. After saying this, he slowed down a little, turned around and walked back to the steps, stood in front of the Golden Throne Hall again, and turned to face him.
Standing here and looking down at Zhang Jingxuan, the prince felt a little more at ease, as if Zhang Jingxuan was still in his hands and still firmly supported his ministers.
He forced himself to suppress the anger in his heart and said:
"How much benefit did you promise to these important officials to help you delay my ascension to the throne?"
Zhang Jingxuan's eyelashes drooped slightly, his lips moved, and he finally swallowed his words, his expression calm and composed.
I thought, how much can I promise to pay? If I want to persuade these people, it would be a huge profit.
The snow had grown heavier, floating down like grains of salt. The cold wind blew the snow particles around the black tiles and red walls, making the vision vaguely blurred in the darkening sky.
The prince felt cold and pulled his fur coat closer. He subconsciously wanted to let Zhang Jingxuan go into the hall to avoid the snow, but suddenly remembered that they were in a confrontation, so he forced himself to suppress the thought.
He took a while to calm down, and said coldly with a tone of sarcasm and anger:
"Zhang Qu, for a woman, you schemed so hard, planning every step, even using my kindness towards you as a bargaining chip! Don't you owe me an explanation?"
Zhang Jingxuan silently looked at the white jade steps before him. Those were the stairs he had climbed every time he went to court, but now he had no chance to climb them. His eyelashes trembled, and he replied softly:
"Your Highness, this is my fault... I was young and ignorant of the heights of heaven and the depths of earth, yet I still dreamed of having both officialdom and jewels."
The prince's eyes fixed on him, his throat trembling slightly as he said:
"Zhang Qu, when have I ever treated you unfairly?"
Zhang Jingxuan pursed his lips and remained silent for a long time. Finally, he lowered his eyes and said softly:
"Your Highness has not treated me unfairly. It is I who have failed to appreciate your kindness and betrayed your Highness's trust."
The air was silent for a while.
The sky had become completely dark, and the snowflakes had grown larger, dancing in the air with the wind. The entire capital city was shrouded in this winter snow.
Auspicious snow indicates a good harvest. This snow made the people in the capital feel at ease and look forward to a good new year.
The prince's throat moved slightly, and he asked slowly, "Do you really have to make this choice?"
Zhang Jingxuan was silent for a moment.
The sky was completely dark, and snowflakes covered the white jade steps, forming a thin layer of frost. His vision also dimmed, and apart from the sky and the earth, there was only the staircase.
He couldn't see the road ahead clearly and couldn't tell the direction, but he had to keep moving forward.
Zhang Jingxuan lowered his eyelashes, bent down and knelt on the ground, touching his forehead to the ground. He concealed the slight tremor in his voice and answered word by word in a voice as steady as possible:
"I beg Your Highness to grant my request."
The prince pursed his lips tightly, and even his usually mellow and kind face tightened slightly.
He stared silently at the person kneeling upright at the bottom of the stairs. Even though he maintained his noble demeanor, he was kneeling and kowtowing, acting as if begging for help.
But in his memory, this proud eldest grandson of the Zhang family had never done anything so humble, let alone said such words of pleading.
He thought the young man would remain calm and dignified forever, just as he remembered when he first met him.
The prince clenched his fists, unclenched them, and then slowly clenched them again. The wind and snow blocked his throat, making him feel that even breathing hurt his lungs. After a long while, he finally asked in a slightly trembling voice:
"You're still in love with her, aren't you?"
Zhang Jingxuan's position and decision tonight had never wavered. When he opened his mouth, his throat felt blocked for a moment.
The prince asked him again and again tonight, and he answered again and again, but this time, he knew clearly that this was the last chance the prince would give him.
Zhang Jingxuan remembered that he had once told the Crown Prince that if he wanted to do something, he should just go for it without hesitation. He and the Zhang family behind him could give His Highness the opportunity to make mistakes and allow for regrets.
Unexpectedly, the prince remembered what he had done before and now returned the favor, giving him so many chances.
Zhang Jingxuan knew rationally that he should turn back, so that he and His Highness could pretend that nothing had happened. He had not plotted against the Crown Prince, and he was still the Crown Prince's most loyal and trusted minister.
Even if he died while serving in the army, his name would certainly be recorded in the history books.
But in this snowy night, Zhang Jingxuan remembered the tears that were about to fall when she was under him last night.
The forced, feigned cheerfulness of the suppressed bitterness gripped his heart. His growing feelings for her were like the startling winter snow, gradually piling up, deepening until he could no longer bear its weight. These feelings eventually turned into a deep, piercing pain that stamped across his heart with overwhelming force, wanting him to live, wanting him to die, trapping him in the mire of love and desire, lowering his spine, abandoning his armor, and becoming a broken army.
After tonight, he will go out with the army tomorrow morning and probably won't see her.
When the winter snow is gone, it is the time for all things to be renewed. He hopes that she can be like this in the future, with the years passing by and spring coming again after the snow falls.
Therefore, even if the prince gave him a thousand chances, he would still make the same choice.
In the snow, Zhang Jingxuan could clearly hear the sound of himself hitting the ground, slow, astringent, yet clear:
"yes."
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The author has something to say: The prince is not a bad person, he is only a loyal fan of his real sister-in-law.
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