The fourteen-year-old boy still looks a little immature, but the determination in his eyes is no less than that of an adult.
Ning Yuxi said with a slight smile: "Why are you here?"
When he got closer, Cheng Zhao greeted her before replying, "Mother, I heard last night that my younger brother and sister had been found and that my father had also woken up, so I came to visit."
He had been following his mother's advice and staying indoors, pretending to be sick in bed. But such a big thing happened yesterday. Although his younger brother and sister were found, they were in a coma. How could he feel at ease?
But due to the palace ban, he could not enter the harem. He came here as soon as the palace gate was opened this morning. Last night, he heard that his second brother was imprisoned by his father. He thought that he had been pretending to be sick for so long, and it was time to close the net.
"Your father fainted again last night and is still in a coma. You can go visit him after he wakes up. Your mother is going to see Cheng Yao and Shu Xuan. You can go with her."
Prince Shen has been thrown into prison and his hands and feet have been mutilated. This alone is enough to end his dream of becoming emperor. Once the Ministry of Justice finds out what he has done with Marquis Wu'an in the past two years, he will be finished too.
In this way, Cheng Zhao doesn't need to pretend to be sick anymore.
In the side hall, Cheng Yao and Shu Xuan were still sleeping, but they were no longer seriously injured, they just needed to get some sleep.
After seeing the two people, the mother and son returned to the main hall together. The palace maids had already prepared breakfast.
After sending the palace servants away, during the meal, Ning Yuxi asked about Chengxi. Since he was young, she didn't tell him about Chengyao and Shuxuan's disappearance yesterday to avoid him worrying.
She hadn't told Cheng Zhao originally, but she didn't deliberately hide it. Cheng Zhao had already entered the court to attend to government affairs, and he had his own channels to get the news.
Cheng Zhao said: "He is still young, so I didn't tell him."
Ning Yuxi nodded, and then told Cheng Zhao the reason why Cheng Yao and Shu Xuan disappeared.
"I believe you also know that Chenghui was imprisoned by your father last night because of this matter."
Although Cheng Zhao knew that his younger brother and sister were missing, he didn't know the specific reason. Now he heard that they were being hunted by his second brother, he couldn't help but feel angry.
His second brother had tried to kill him before, without any regard for brotherly love. In order to protect him, his mother made him pretend to be sick, and he endured it to comfort his mother.
But now his second brother actually tried to kill his younger siblings. If the secret guard had not risked his life to come back and tell his mother, and if his uncle had not rescued him in time, his younger siblings would not be alive now!
"Bang!" Cheng Zhao suddenly stood up, overturning the stool behind him. "This is too much!"
Although he was young, he had done a lot in the past two years since he entered the court. He knew exactly what his good second brother had done.
Especially since he pretended to be sick these days, Gu Chenghui has acted even more without scruples. His fourth brother's grandfather, the Minister of Revenue, embezzled public funds, which was the work of Marquis Wu'an, and he also did some shameful things.
Although he was "sick", he knew everything he needed to know.
If Gu Chenghui dares to touch his younger brother and sister, he will make him pay the price!
Thinking of this, Cheng Zhao bowed and turned to leave.
Ning Yuxi held him back, "Where are you going?"
After all, he is still young. In anger, Cheng Zhao showed his sharp edge and there was murderous intent in his eyes.
Seeing this, Ning Yuxi was slightly surprised. Her Cheng Zhao had always been upright, kind, gentle and polite in front of her. She often thought that he would grow up to be a gentle and modest gentleman.
But she forgot that Cheng Zhao also had the emperor's blood, and should have the decisive and ruthless side that was unique to an emperor.
She didn't quite understand how to be a king, but she knew that to be a good emperor, one should be both strong and gentle. Being too gentle is not a good thing. It would be good for Cheng Zhao's future if he had this side of him.
But Chenghui’s matter does not require his son yet.
Ning Yuxi pulled Cheng Zhao to sit down again, her eyes narrowed slightly, "Even when Cheng Hui wanted to poison you, Mother had already wanted to tear him into pieces, but if you really did that, have you ever thought about the consequences?"
Cheng Zhao was a little surprised, as if he had not expected that his mother, who was always gentle and contented, could be so murderous.
Ning Yuxi looked at Cheng Zhao and smiled slightly. "You brothers and sisters are my mother's weakness, but also her armor. Anyone who wants to hurt me will pay the price with all my might."
"When Chenghui poisoned you, Mother could have killed him regardless of the consequences, but if it was discovered, Mother would have implicated you, so Mother couldn't do that."
"It's the same this time. Cheng Hui tried to kill Cheng Yao and Shu Xuan. Mother, like you, hopes that he will pay the price immediately.
But think about it, the reason your father is so angry is because he was so cruel and brutal to his brothers. If you retaliate now, it would be a legitimate counterattack, but in your father's eyes, it would also be fratricide."
"He is your common father. Naturally, he hopes that his children can live in harmony."
Cheng Zhao frowned, "But although we have the same father, we are not the same mother. We have different interests. There are many examples of siblings killing each other throughout history."
He meant that it was impossible for people with different parents to live in harmony if they had the same father but different interests and each acted independently.
Ning Yuxi saw what he was thinking and just smiled without saying anything.
What can be said? Modern monogamy can roughly solve this problem, but can she say it?
Moreover, as an emperor, he wanted to have many children and bring good fortune, so it was even more impossible for him to have only one woman.
This matter is too complicated, so it’s better for her not to tell it since she is in the ancient imperial palace.
Seeing that his mother was silent and had a helpless look on her face, Cheng Zhao secretly said: It would be enough for him to have only one wife when he gets married in the future. In this way, his children will all be born from the same mother and can live in harmony, instead of going down the path of fratricide.
In the stories his mother told him when he was a child, the male protagonist only had one wife, the female protagonist. Didn’t they live happily together as a family later on, carefree, warm and harmonious?
Ning Yuxi didn't know that this incident had given her son the idea of monogamy, so she continued, "Mother has already told your father about Chenghui's actions.
Your father will investigate. Just wait and see. Once he has discovered his crimes, he will punish him. Why would you hurt your father-son relationship over this?"
Cheng Zhao calmed down and realized that he was impulsive.
The emperor just woke up after breakfast, so Ning Yuxi took Cheng Zhao to see the emperor.
The emperor was finally relieved to see that Cheng Zhao was safe and sound. Although Xier had said before that Cheng Zhao was fine and was just pretending to be poisoned, he was still worried and afraid that Cheng Hui would do something to hurt him again.
He then asked about Cheng Yao and Shu Xuan, and felt relieved to know that they were fine.
Later, the emperor suddenly said that he wanted to eat the soup made by Ning Yuxi. Ning Yuxi was stunned at first. This was the first time that the emperor wanted to eat something after being ill for so long. Ning Yuxi hurriedly responded and went to make the soup.
On the way to the small kitchen, she realized that the emperor was sending her away to talk to Cheng Zhao alone.
Ning Yuxi shrugged her shoulders. What a mystery.
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