Teahouse quiet room.
The ceramic kettle on the small red clay stove was bubbling.
The tea is boiling.
A pair of slender hands lifted the kettle, washed and brewed tea, with an indescribably graceful posture.
There was a smile on her lips. Even though her child was supposed to get married in a few years, she was still as beautiful as ever.
This person was none other than Concubine Xiao Shuer.
Sitting opposite her was Liu Yi, who looked impatient.
"What do you want from me?"
He was reluctant to keep the appointment, but Xiao Shu'er was aggressive, and he didn't want to make a scene at the palace gate and be seen, so he had no choice but to follow her to the quiet room in the teahouse.
Watching her brew tea might be a pleasure at any other time.
However, at this moment, Liu Yi just felt that she was doing something unnecessary and wasting time.
"Is the prince anxious?"
"I have to hurry back home." Liu Yi said without hesitation.
Xiao Shu'er raised her eyebrows and smiled, placing the teacup in front of him, "Your Highness, have some tea!"
Liu Yi sat still, "What do you want from me? Why don't you just get straight to the point?"
"From what I know, in recent years, the Duke of Duan's mansion has been run by Sister Qin'er. The prince is either addicted to drinking or painting. In short, he doesn't care about anything. He hasn't even asked about the marriages of his nephews and nieces. May I ask, is the prince, who is so idle, in a hurry to go back to drink?"
Xiao Shu'er smiled, with a hint of sarcasm at the corner of her mouth.
Liu Yi scolded him, "When is it your turn to interfere with what I do? You are the Queen Mother, and I am the Prince. You are older than me in terms of seniority. We are also cousins. Logically, you shouldn't be sitting here drinking tea and talking."
Xiao Shu'er's eyebrows curved and she smiled, "But the prince is here after all."
Liu Yi was furious. "If you hadn't forced me, I wouldn't have come here with you."
"Oh! What can I use to force Your Highness? Please tell me clearly, Your Highness." Xiao Shu'er looked like she was in control of everything and became more and more unscrupulous.
Liu Yi's chest heaved and he was burning with anger, but he never lost his temper.
He picked up the teacup and drank.
He also showed the teacup to Xiao Shuer to prove that he had drunk all the tea.
Xiao Shu'er covered her lips and giggled.
Liu Yi said with a stern face, "Can you tell me now? I'll only give you one stick of incense. Whether you want to tell me or not, I won't wait any longer."
After Xiao Shu'er laughed, her attitude straightened out and she no longer pressed Liu Yi too much.
She coughed lightly and said, "I asked you to come here today for only one thing."
"explain!"
"Xiaojiu is growing up day by day and is now old enough to get married. I need your help."
"What can I do for you?"
"Help Xiaojiu get the title of a county prince."
"Impossible!" Liu Yi denied without a second thought, "The titles of all of us brothers were determined by our father before his death. My brother can only take away the title, not confer another one."
"It would be impossible for someone else, but it might be possible for you, the emperor's younger brother, Prince Duan." Xiao Shu'er was very firm and would not tolerate any refusal.
Liu Yi sneered, "You think too highly of me. How could I possibly convince His Majesty? I can't even handle my own problems, and yet I'm helping you with Xiaojiu's title. You really think too highly of me."
"If you don't try, how do you know it won't work?"
Liu Yi sneered, "You don't really think that His Majesty and I have a deep brotherly bond, do you? Don't forget, I've been idle for four or five years, and the palace has never shown any interest in using me. I'm now what people call an idle prince, indifferent to everything, powerless, and full of empty pretense. Your desire to confer the title of prince on Xiaojiu is not only wishful thinking, but you've also found the wrong person. You should go to the Empress; she's the only one who can convince His Majesty."
Xiao Shu'er slowly shook her head, "If I'm not looking for the Queen, I'm looking for you."
"Mr. Xiao, I don't owe you anything." Liu Yi was furious.
Xiao Shu'er chuckled, "You don't owe me, but you owe Sister Qin'er. You didn't refuse my love back then, nor did you refuse to join forces with me."
Liu Yi's chest rose and fell, and then he laughed again, "Did you misunderstand something?"
Xiao Shuer's expression changed slightly.
Liu Yi sneered, "Back then, I was the legitimate prince born to the Empress, and you were just a mere Consort Zhaoyi. Joining forces with you? Do you think you're worthy? Ever since you gave birth to Xiaojiu, the Emperor hasn't shown much favor to you."
Bang!
Xiao Shuer clapped her hands on the table.
"Mr. Liu, don't go too far."
Liu Yi took the initiative and taunted him, "Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you have leverage over me? How foolish! That little thing doesn't matter. Even if you go to the palace now and tell my brother that I coveted the throne and did all sorts of tricks in private, do you think he would pay any attention to you? As a prince, if you don't covet the throne, you have a real problem."
Xiao Shu'er was so angry that her chest heaved, her expression was tense, and her eyes were full of resentment.
Liu Yi's face was cold as he said, "Don't look at me like that. I don't owe you anything. Back then, we only cooperated because we each needed something. When my father became seriously ill and went to the imperial palace, our cooperation ended at that time. You're pestering me now, so I can't help Xiaojiu get a title, but I can still demote him to an idle member of the royal family."
"You threaten me?" Xiao Shu'er couldn't believe it.
Liu Yi laughed sarcastically, "Why can't I threaten you? Who do you think you are?"
Bang!
A cup of tea was poured directly on Liu Yi's face.
Fortunately, the temperature of the tea had dropped, and Liu Yi was just embarrassed but not burned.
He closed his eyes and let the tea drip down his head. The muscles on his face were twitching one after another.
He took out a handkerchief, slowly wiped his cheek, and snorted coldly.
"She's a shrew indeed!"
"Who are you scolding?"
"Isn't she a shrew?" Liu Yi opened his eyes with a cold look.
Xiao Shu'er was so angry that she yelled, "Liu Yi, don't go too far. Don't forget, Sister Qin'er is my biological sister. I have plenty of ways to make your family restless."
Liu Yi's face turned cold. "You can try and see if I will give you a chance. When you die, don't regret it."
After saying that, he stood up and left.
Xiao Shu'er was powerless to stop him and could only watch him leave.
Bang!
She was so angry that she overturned the whole table and smashed all the teacups and teapots.
The quiet room turned into a mess in the blink of an eye.
…
Liu Yi returned to the palace in a carriage.
Xiao Qin'er was waiting for him.
"How did it go? Did the Queen Mother forgive me?"
Liu Yi nodded. "On the first day of next month, you and I will go to the palace to pay respects. Queen Mother has agreed to forgive your punishment, and you don't have to copy the Diamond Sutra."
Xiao Qin'er breathed a sigh of relief and was in a good mood.
It was only at this time that she noticed that there seemed to be tea stains on Liu Yi's clothes.
"What happened? Did you spill the tea?"
Liu Yi pondered for a moment and said, "I ran into Concubine Xiao in the palace today."
Huh?
Xiao Qin'er asked hurriedly: "And then?"
"She stopped me at the palace gate and asked me to go to the quiet room in the teahouse to discuss something."
Xiao Qin'er frowned, "And then you went?"
It was obvious that she was unhappy.
Liu Yi nodded. "Yes, I kept her appointment. She was very aggressive, and I was worried that she would cause a scene at the palace gate, so I had no choice but to compromise."
"What does she want you to do?" Xiao Qin'er asked while pinching her handkerchief.
She did not forget that Xiao Shuer had always coveted Liu Yi.
Who made Speaker Liu so good and of such a noble status?
This is really too much. They actually blocked people at the palace gate.
Xiao Qin'er gritted her teeth, a fire burning in her heart.
Liu Yi said calmly, "She wants me to help her get Xiaojiu the title of a prince."
"Is she daydreaming? Does she think the prince is like cabbage on the street, something that can be bought and sold?" Xiao Qin'er was furious. "You didn't agree to her, did you?"
Liu Yi shook his head. "Don't worry, I've already rejected her. But she's very unwilling to give in, and she'll probably start with you. You better be careful with her, don't let her seduce you with a few words."
"Do you think I'm stupid enough to be abducted by her?" Xiao Qin'er rolled her eyes at him.
Liu Yi laughed, "Of course I know you won't be bewitched by her. But we have to be prepared. We all know Concubine Xiao, she's very capable of causing trouble."
Xiao Qin'er gritted her teeth and said, "You are not allowed to meet her in the future. I will deal with her."
It's time to settle the accounts between sisters.
She was rubbing her hands in anticipation and couldn't wait to confront Xiao Shuer.
However, Xiao Shu'er was as quiet as a chicken, without any movement at all.
This is not right!
This didn't suit Xiao Shu'er's temperament. She was a woman who would never give up until she achieved her goal, so how could she give up so easily?
Xiao Qin'er was suspicious, but unexpectedly, a big disaster happened in the palace.
First, there was the murder lawsuit.
Someone reported to the authorities, saying that Prince Duan's Mansion was forcing innocent people and taking lives.
Before the matter was fully investigated, rumors spread in the court that Prince Duan was rebellious and wanted to rebel.
The censor came with great force.
The Jinwu Guards were also sharpening their swords.
Xiao Qin'er suddenly panicked.
"What should we do? What should we do? Who is harming us? They are blaming you and me for things we didn't do."
The other party is not entirely framing us.
In such a big palace, there are always a few bad apples.
It is not surprising that people do bad things outside in the name of the palace.
As for his rebellious intentions, seriously speaking, Liu Yi stayed at the palace all day long and never went to the palace to pay his respects, nor did he submit congratulations during the holidays. He did not do what a prince should do. If we really want to investigate, it is completely possible to charge him with the crime of disrespect.
Is it a crime to criticize the emperor and be dissatisfied with him?
Under imperial power, this is a sin, it means having a rebellious heart.
As for the accusation of rebellion, it is completely groundless.
But the censors and court officials did not see it that way.
If you have a rebellious heart, how can you not rebel?
The crime is judged entirely by the heart, not by the actions.
If you think about something you shouldn't think about, you are guilty regardless of whether you have done it or not.
The censors were like crazy and started to investigate Liu Yi thoroughly.
All of Liu Yi's past was dug up, with more and more contents and more charges.
To sum up, the rebellious intention is obvious.
"Your Majesty, please punish Prince Duan severely!"
"Your Majesty, please strip Prince Duan of his title as a warning to others."
"Prince Duan is clearly a traitor and has long harbored rebellious intentions. If this traitor is not eliminated, the world will be in turmoil."
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