Chapter 74: Shame on you. So, Emperor An also deserves to die! He must die! ...
Emperor An's health is indeed not as good as before.
Although he had recovered from his previous illness, the root of the disease was still there. In addition, the court affairs were very busy recently, and both the front court and the harem were so complicated. After Pei Ji completely resolved this matter, he fell ill again.
The disease came on with great force, and it seemed that it was going to severely weaken his body. For three to five days, his health showed no improvement. He could only stay in bed temporarily to review memorials. Most of the time, it was the prince who helped him.
The purpose of appointing a crown prince early was to prevent this from happening. If Emperor An had died before the crown prince was appointed, the court would have been in turmoil. However, no one dared to say anything at this time.
Emperor An's sudden fall made the Crown Prince more prominent. Many court officials had avoided the reprimand before, but now everything was open and aboveboard.
Inside the west warm room.
Emperor An was lying on his bed reviewing memorials, while the Crown Prince was standing beside him waiting quietly. Next to him was Pei Ji, who was playing chess with the Ninth Prince.
The prince hurriedly took the memorial to Emperor An for review, until Pei Ji and the ninth prince were also present. He originally thought that Emperor An summoned Pei Ji to inquire about state affairs, but he did not expect that he wanted him to play chess with his ninth brother.
In the past, he could also play in his father's bedroom.
"Summer is approaching, and according to the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, we expect abundant rainfall. We must pay close attention to water levels in various regions and take timely precautions to prevent irreparable flooding." Emperor An, while reviewing the memorials, reminded the Crown Prince, "State affairs require more than just reviewing memorials. We must also consider the lives of the people."
The prince was quite impressed and said respectfully, "I will keep this in mind. Your Majesty, please do not worry. If I do not understand something, I will ask the senior officials. I will not cause any trouble for Your Majesty."
Emperor An nodded with great satisfaction, "That's right, I appreciate your steadiness now. Do your job well and don't let me down!"
These words were spoken with great gravity, yet with clear trust, which clearly showed that they had high hopes for the prince. If he could do his job well, it seemed that Tianqi would be completely handed over to him one day.
The prince could naturally understand the hidden meaning of these words, and the joy on his face was almost overflowing, but when he thought of what Emperor An said about being calm, he suppressed his emotions.
He hurriedly bowed, "Your Majesty, I obey your command! If your Majesty has nothing else to say, I will take my leave."
"Go ahead." Emperor An waved his hand, signaling him to take the memorials with him. "You should be more careful when reviewing them in the future."
"yes."
The prince came with memorials and left with them in a hurry, which made Pei Ji and the ninth prince look particularly relaxed.
Emperor An coughed lightly and asked, "How's the chess game going?"
"Your son is incompetent and cannot be compared with Lord Pei." When the Ninth Prince heard the question, he immediately told the truth in a somewhat weak tone, but there was a glint of dissatisfaction in his eyes.
He can't do it now because he is still young, but when he grows up a few years, he will definitely be able to do it.
Now does not mean forever!
Emperor An chuckled, "Then you better try harder. Once you can defeat him, I'll let you attend court as well, okay?"
Before the prince is thirteen years old, he must be raised in the palace, studying and practicing calligraphy with his father and sons, and occasionally listening to a few words about state affairs, but he is not allowed to be involved in state affairs too early.
But if he could have given birth to his uncle before he turned thirteen, he would have been able to serve in the court early!
only……
"Your Majesty, when you say this, you're telling me there's no hope..." He pursed his lips, a look of obvious disappointment on his face. "By the time I can rival them, I'll probably have already reached adulthood."
His mother once told him not to act too smart in front of His Majesty, and to show weakness when necessary and act coquettishly when necessary. He is still young and should have all the natural instincts of a child.
The emperor had seen many princes in their childhood, some timid, some intelligent. He was not special, but he was more aware of current affairs than all his brothers, so the emperor liked him especially.
What's more, there are not many brothers who can be liked by his father now, and he can't stand out like this.
Of course, if the emperor agrees, then that's fine.
Perhaps because of his age, Emperor An particularly likes innocent and kind children. Seeing the children laughing in front of him, it is as if he has returned to his youth, and the joy of being a father for the first time will surge in his heart.
Therefore, during this period of time, he especially liked to call the Ninth Prince to talk.
He saw through all his little tricks. What bad intentions could a child who tried so hard to please his father have?
"If you care so much about the chess game, come to me when you have nothing to do." Emperor An said with a smile, it would be okay to spend some time teaching him.
The Ninth Prince shook his head and refused. "Mother said that Father is recuperating recently and asked me not to bother you. Mother, holding my brother in her arms, prays for Father day and night and cries. I don't want you to be sad, and I also want Father to get better soon."
The series of "mother, concubine, father, emperor, and sons" was extremely annoying to hear, but Emperor An laughed.
He said softly, "I've been ill recently, and I didn't want to pass my illness on to Concubine Rong. I haven't seen her for a few days. When you go to pay your respects next time, remember to tell her that I'm thinking of her, too."
He knew more or less what the concubines and princes were thinking all day long. During the years since Concubine □□ entered the palace, she had been considerate to him and diligently and respectfully towards the empress, and had never done anything wrong.
Now that they have raised their child to be so well-behaved and sensible, he feels very relieved.
"Mother will surely be pleased!" The Ninth Prince's eyes widened instantly, unable to hide the smile on his face. He then remembered something and rolled his eyes, "Does Father have any reward for Mother?"
Emperor An laughed when he heard this, "Oh? But is there anything your mother wants?"
The Ninth Prince immediately nodded heavily, "Mother said that if you are going to give a reward, it should be the bow in the warehouse..." He spoke more and more quietly, feeling more and more guilty.
"Your mother wants me to give her a bow?" Emperor An laughed in anger. "Is your mother thinking about the autumn hunt?"
The Ninth Prince didn't dare to speak for a moment, and even looked at Pei Ji for help.
Pei Ji simply pretended not to see it and didn't even give him an extra glance. In front of Emperor An, he naturally listened to Emperor An in everything.
"I know I was wrong..." The Ninth Prince apologized dejectedly.
"It's good that you admit your mistake. I won't reward your mother with a bow, but I can reward you." Emperor An said, "You have good taste and only care about my good things. But the bow is very heavy for you, so let the masters take good care of it."
The Ninth Prince immediately stood up straight and said, "You are a coward, not my father's son. I will definitely practice diligently!"
"Good!" Emperor An nodded with satisfaction. He did not blame others or belittle himself. If there were any shortcomings, he would think about making up for them with hard work. It was very good.
Emperor An glanced at Pei Ji and said to the Ninth Prince, "Since you don't want to disturb me, you can ask a palace maid to accompany you to Pei's residence to ask for advice if you have nothing to do."
"Thank you, Father!" The Ninth Prince was instantly delighted. "I haven't left the palace for a long time. If I can see the people's lives, I can come back and tell you!"
"Okay, go ahead." Emperor An was obviously a little tired, so he waved his hand to signal them to leave.
He has been like this for a while now. It's time for him to take a good rest.
"I will take my leave."
"I'll take my leave."
Peng Tongmin respectfully escorted them both out, looking at them with admiration. Things were really about to change.
The most important thing is to win the favor of His Majesty. Who would care about whether the child is born legitimate or illegitimate?
The Ninth Prince had never expected that he would be able to go to the Pei Mansion by accident. Before, except for banquets in the palace, he seldom saw his grandmother, and he had never met his two new aunts either. This time he had to pay a good visit to the mansion.
Yuan Rong had already sent someone back to convey the message that although the Ninth Prince had Pei family blood, he was still a prince after all and had to be treated with respect. Therefore, when he arrived, he saw everyone from the Pei family waiting in the front hall to greet him.
"Grandma!"
The Ninth Prince deliberately ignored this etiquette and threw himself directly into Qin Yurong's arms. She was stunned at first, and then held him firmly.
"Grandmother, I miss you so much." The Ninth Prince dragged her to the front hall and sat down. He then turned to look at the tall and strong Qi Guan and the frail He Zhi. "Hello, aunts."
Everyone coughed in unison.
He Zhiliao and Qi Guan bowed slightly to him, "Your Highness, how are you?"
The Ninth Prince curled his lips in displeasure. He came to Pei Mansion intending to have some fun, but everyone was so strict with etiquette, so how could there be any fun?
The atmosphere was a little awkward for a moment, and everyone didn't know what to say. After all, he was the prince who was related to their family by blood, and they were more afraid that he would dislike them.
The Ninth Prince pouted, "It's not fun here, I want to leave..."
Pei Ji tutted, "Why are you throwing a tantrum? You've only been here a few times, why do you want everyone to be so close to you as soon as they get here?"
"Husband...Sir..." He Zhiliao spoke slowly, and did not forget to tug at Pei Ji's sleeve while speaking. How could she speak to the Ninth Prince like this?
"Aunt..." The Ninth Prince saw that He Zhiliao was leaning towards him, so he immediately ran to him and hugged his arm. "Aunt, can you play chess? Can you play chess with me?"
He had heard of this aunt a long time ago. He heard that the young aunt had been treated well in the Jing'an Marquis Mansion in the past, and guessed that she had never learned any of the arts. If he could beat his aunt, it would mean that his chess skills were also very superb!
Besides, his father once said that a chess game is like life, and it can reveal a person's character most clearly. His character is still immature, so it's understandable that he can't beat his uncle, but he doesn't believe that he can't even beat his aunt!
He Zhiliao turned to look at Pei Ji and asked what he meant.
Although he was not completely sure, his chess skills were taught by Pei Ji, so he should be able to beat the Ninth Prince.
"Just play with him." Pei Ji chuckled.
This meant that He Zhiliao wanted to curb his arrogance.
He Zhiliao's chess skills were all taught by Pei Ji, but he has his own style. At first, when the Ninth Prince saw him playing chess randomly, he thought he was sure to win and a smile appeared on his face unconsciously, but soon he couldn't smile anymore.
By the time he realized that his chess piece was surrounded by layers, the whole game had already come to an end. Only then did he taste Pei Ji's presence between the chess pieces.
"What... is he here for? To play chess?" Qin Yurong asked in a low voice. It's not that she was unwelcome, but she also wanted to do something more to entertain him.
"He's just here to play, don't worry, mom. Don't be too polite to him, he will feel uncomfortable." Pei Ji reminded softly.
In the palace, only Concubine Rong treated the Ninth Prince sincerely. The rest of the people were naturally afraid of him because of his status and were respectful and obedient to him.
The Ninth Prince knew that Concubine Rong was thinking about her mother's family, so he wanted to visit on her behalf. However, what he wanted to see was family harmony, not the alienation and flattery that was different from that in the palace.
Qin Yurong sighed slightly. She was not the type to flatter others, and she naturally loved her grandson, but because of his status, she was afraid that he would not like her enthusiasm.
Pei Ji turned to look at them, "That's enough, let's rest for a while and then it's time to eat."
"Xiaojiu, if you want to eat anything else, please tell the kitchen." Qin Yurong said with a smile.
"Is it possible?" The Ninth Prince was instantly delighted. In the palace, the imperial kitchen would not take everyone's taste into consideration. He always ate whatever was available, and even his favorite dishes could not be eaten too much.
"Of course." Qin Yurong smiled. "When you're at home, of course you have to eat what you like."
The Ninth Prince was even more delighted and listed a series of his favorite dishes. He was a little skeptical at first, but he was completely relieved after learning that the former imperial chef was still in the mansion.
He insisted that He Zhiliao and Qi Guan take him to play in their mansion, looking around the mansion which he had never been to before, thinking that any good things he had could be sent to them.
It was not until the afternoon that the palace servants came to pick him up, and the Ninth Prince reluctantly left with sleep marks all over his face.
"Aunt, I will come back in a few days." The Ninth Prince waved to He Zhiliao reluctantly.
"Okay," He Zhiliao quickly responded. Although his voice was a little loud, no one would laugh at him.
As the carriage gradually drove away, Qin Yurong finally asked what was on her mind, "Did His Majesty really allow him to come?"
"Yes, Your Majesty means that he can come if he has nothing to do." Pei Ji said. Although he said so, he knew that his elder sister would not let him leave the palace casually.
After all, the prince was raised in the palace. If he is too close to his in-laws, those with ulterior motives will inevitably take advantage of him and make trouble for him.
It’s just that Emperor An is ill now, and his love for him is the strongest.
That's why we treat him with extra care and love. However, when he recovers in the future, he might complain about it. It's better to eliminate this problem at the root.
Qin Yurong didn't ask any more questions. "Since you are in charge of the government affairs, we naturally have nothing to worry about. However, you should be more vigilant in your daily life and don't fall into other people's traps."
"Don't worry, mother."
"Everyone go and rest."
Pei Ji had nothing to do today, and now he was even more free, so he took He Zhiliao into the house to continue learning to speak.
He Zhiliao used to be able to speak and there was nothing wrong with his ears. It was just that because of the toxins he hadn't spoken for a long time, his voice became particularly awkward and his tongue was inexplicably clumsy.
You just need to exercise slowly, and you will be able to recover completely over time. After all, the poison of the bone-eroding incense has dispersed many of the remaining toxins.
Pei Ji was particularly considerate and only taught him the most commonly used and practical things nowadays. He was really a bit like a teacher, but the student in front of him was exceptionally intelligent.
"Read it again." Pei Ji said.
"I,"
"Time, eat, "
"full!"
"Oh!"
"No,"
"Yes."
He Zhiliao finished speaking with some difficulty, and then immediately looked at Pei Ji with surprise, as if waiting for him to praise him. That kind of joy was particularly touching.
Some people may think it’s nothing, but it’s definitely not Pei Ji.
"Very impressive." Pei Ji held him in his arms and praised him, then leaned close to his ear and whispered, "You can tell me at night..."
He Zhiliao's cheeks flushed instantly. She raised her hand and gently pushed Pei Ji away. She didn't want to hear what he said, but she was also happy that he said this to her.
He has no shame at all.
As they were chatting, they suddenly heard a dripping sound coming from outside. He Zhiliao immediately pushed him away and went to the window to look. It was indeed raining outside.
Spring and summer are the rainiest seasons, so it is time to water the crops.
"Rain." He nodded heavily.
"I'm afraid this is the last spring rain. It will get hotter and hotter from now on." Pei Ji walked to his side and stared out the window. The summer he hated the most was coming.
Hearing the sadness in his words, He Zhiliao smiled. He would ask Yanhua to make a lot of mosquito repellent purses for him to wear, otherwise he would be bitten by mosquitoes.
Perhaps in response to Pei Ji's words, the rain came silently but slowly brought about wind, obviously intending to blow away the slight coolness from before.
The rain continued until night, and the small vegetable patch in the yard was almost washed away. He finally remembered and asked his servants to come back to repair it, otherwise the vegetables would not be able to grow.
After dinner, the two of them sat in the house chatting by candlelight, listening to the constant noise outside. The window was ajar, and occasionally a cool breeze blew in, making their bodies seem much more relaxed.
He Zhiliao has now learned 70% to 80% of Pei Ji's calligraphy, and no one can easily tell the difference, so it can even be mistaken for the real thing.
"With my souvenirs, you can overthrow the Pei family." Pei Ji looked at his words and laughed jokingly. The candlelight was gentle, and even the words on the paper seemed light and soft.
He Zhiliao looked at him smugly. Of course, he would not do that, but he could still hear the praise for Pei Ji.
Occasionally there would be lightning and thunder outside the house. He Zhiliao didn't like this kind of weather very much. It always made him feel like the sky was about to burst.
"It's so late, it's time to rest." Pei Ji noticed his discomfort and suggested immediately. Besides, he still had to listen to what the other party said to him.
He called Xixin, who was on night watch, and asked her to help them lie down before letting her go out.
Although the room was extremely dark, the occasional lightning and thunder could illuminate the room so brightly that they could even see each other's expressions.
The person in his arms was shivering, so Pei Ji hugged him tighter. In this situation, even the slightest bit of romantic feelings he had disappeared completely.
The person who was originally leaning on his arms suddenly turned over to face him and asked quietly and carefully, "No?"
To Pei Ji, these two simple words sounded like a warm invitation, making it hard for him to refuse.
In the darkness, he seemed to be touching a piece of fine mutton-fat jade, and he touched it with such care and love that he couldn't let it go. The smooth feel made his breathing quicken.
This mutton-fat jade seemed to be particularly spiritual, and it actually became a little moist under his touch. He stroked it with extra care, as if afraid of disturbing it, until the jade slipped smoothly in his hand, and then he felt relieved.
Outside the house, there were lightning, thunder, wind and rain, and the sounds were endless. Inside the house, there were also high and low sounds echoing, as if they were playing a piano tune together in this cool night.
The sound of rain grew louder and louder, followed by a few hoarse and pleading voices, and then returned to silence again.
There was a faint noise outside the house, and Pei Ji suddenly opened his eyes. The sound was mixed in the rain. Although it was not clear enough, it was special enough.
He immediately got up and went downstairs, put on a simple coat and prepared to go out. He covered the mutton-fat jade on the bed with a quilt, even tucking in the corners, and then left with peace of mind.
As soon as he walked out, Xixin woke up. She quickly turned over the thick quilt and saluted, "Master."
"Listen to what Zhengjun is doing." Pei Ji said and walked towards the study, and soon disappeared in the corridor.
As soon as he pushed open the study door, several shadows approached from the darkness behind him. Their black suits were still dripping with water. To avoid being noticed, they were all dressed in black even on such a night.
"Master, the person has been found."
The low and hoarse words touched Pei Ji's nerves and drove away all his sleepiness at night.
"Where is the person?" His voice became cold, like the ice in the coldest months of the year, as if he wanted to freeze the person into ice.
The secret guard said: "He has been locked up in the secret room under the rockery."
Pei Ji nodded in satisfaction, "Lead the way."
The secret guards are loyal to their masters. No matter what their masters ask of them, even if it is detrimental to themselves, they will do their best to complete it.
Pei Ji originally wanted to step directly into the rain, but suddenly thought of something, turned around, opened an umbrella, and walked towards the rockery.
The secret guard opened the mechanism, and a black passage immediately appeared under the rockery. Pei Ji walked in calmly. This passage was rarely used, at least not in this life.
The steps made a sound as he stepped on them, and he soon arrived at the secret room. The candlelight on both sides illuminated the hung person very brightly.
Pei Ji picked up the portrait on the table next to him and lifted the man's chin with the handle of the knife for comparison. Although there were still some differences, they were almost the same. It can be seen that He Zhiliao really has a good memory and good painting skills.
"Why are you arresting me!" The man was still struggling, thinking that he could escape as long as he denied it.
But he knew very well that he was caught here because he must have been targeted for a long time. He didn't expect that he would end up like this even though he was so cunning!
He really hates it!
Pei Ji stared at him expressionlessly, "Why? When you say these words, you don't even have a hint of innocence when you say them. Why don't you guess why I want to arrest you?"
"The fourth master of the Pei family is famous and a favorite of the current emperor. If you want to do evil, do you need to explain to others?" The man had an ordinary face but spoke in extremely provocative words.
He just wanted to provoke Pei Ji, and even wanted to escape from this airtight secret room.
Pei Ji just thought he was farting.
"If you don't guess, then I'm going to take action." Pei Ji curled his lips at him.
As soon as he finished speaking, the person beside him handed him a dagger.
It must be said that he was indeed furious at the moment. Whenever he saw this face, he would always think of his past life. The Pei family was unreasonably accused of genocide, and everyone wanted to kill them. It was obvious how they had protected Tianqi in the past!
But Emperor An was indiscriminate and unwilling to continue investigating. He only took those so-called letters as evidence and executed the entire Pei family!
The whole family of loyal heroes was completely overthrown due to false accusations. How could he accept that his former loyalty could not win back the emperor's trust!
Therefore, Emperor An also deserves to die, he must die!
What else do I know?
His little husband was so obedient and sensible, timid but kind-hearted, he just wanted to go to the temple to pray to the gods, but he had to suffer such a disaster!
For every single thing, if he doesn't kill this man, he would be unworthy of being a human being!
Pei Ji swung the dagger and stabbed it into his eyes. The thief immediately howled in pain. Lin Feng, who was beside him, quickly covered his mouth. Apart from whimpering, he could not make any other sound.
"Whatever you do, don't let him die."
"I don't want to hear his confession. I just want him to suffer."
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The author has something to say: Little Zhiliao: "So shameful, so shameless, I really have no shame." [covering face and peeking][covering face and peeking][covering face and peeking]
Pei Gouzi: "It's raining, the weather is getting cold..." [glasses][glasses][glasses]
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