Chapter Five
Fourth Prince Mo Wangshu was stunned for a moment, clearly startled by the sudden greeting from the Marquis of Beiding. Seeing the Marquis's sharp, eagle-like eyes staring straight at him, he couldn't help but tremble slightly. He put away the white fan, bowed slightly, and said softly, "Greetings, Your Excellency."
The Marquis of Beiding was both familiar and unfamiliar with this fourth prince. He had only seen Mo Wangshu three times. Once was when Mo Wangshu accompanied his mother to the palace. At that time, he was not yet the Marquis of Beiding, but merely a general, tasked by the late emperor to escort the two into the palace. The fact that a general from Yunxiu Kingdom personally escorted them showed how much the late emperor adored the mother and son. Mo Wangshu was not even ten years old when he entered the palace. However, three years had passed, and things had changed drastically.
In a place like the imperial harem, some people gain favor while others fall out of favor. The general didn't think much of it at the time, considering it perfectly normal.
The second time was after the mother and son fell out of favor. The late emperor summoned them, and on their way back to the palace, they happened to meet again in the palace garden. The two were dressed extremely plainly, unlike the concubines and princes of the palace. The two encounters were like heaven and earth. As the general watched them greet each other and then walk away, he couldn't help but sigh at the emperor's ruthlessness, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings.
Once again, it was now. Marquis Beiding couldn't help but glance at Mo Wangshu a few more times, and he increasingly realized how much he resembled his mother, especially those eyes that were shaped like peach blossoms, watery, with parallel, slightly drooping, and slightly upturned corners. A man with feminine features, extremely handsome and beautiful; even the late emperor had sighed, saying how beautiful Mo Wangshu would be if he were a princess.
With his clean, ethereal, and otherworldly air, handsome and elegant demeanor, and profound knowledge of poetry, no one would guess that Mo Wangshu came from a brothel, was once a concubine of the imperial concubines, and was a famous courtesan of the Drunken Flower Pavilion.
Her talent and beauty were unparalleled; her charm captivated the capital.
To date, Marquis Beiding has only met Mo Wangshu three times and is indeed not familiar with him. However, Mo Wangshu is handsome, and he was deeply impressed after just one meeting.
However, every time the Marquis of Beiding saw him, he would feel a sense of familiarity. This familiarity did not come from intimacy, but was due to a summons from the late emperor.
On the evening of April 14th, the 22nd year of the reign of Emperor Lizhao, Marquis Beiding clearly remembered that the late emperor had ordered Chief Steward Shang to urgently summon him to the palace for an audience. That night, a torrential downpour ravaged the fallen petals on the ground, turning them into mud and returning them to the earth without a sound.
"Your Majesty, the Marquis has arrived." Chief Steward Shang looked at the late Emperor's back, not daring to get too close, and said softly.
"You may leave. Do not let outsiders in. I have something to say to the Marquis." The late emperor waved his hand, still with his back to the two men.
"Yes, ma'am." Steward Shang slowly withdrew, gently closing the door. Watching the heavy rain fall from the sky, he stood stiffly at the doorway, his hands tucked into his sleeves, not allowing anyone to approach.
"Marquis of Beiding, I have a matter to entrust to you." The late emperor had his back turned the whole time, but his tone was filled with a hint of sorrow and pleading. He paused for a moment, then continued, "Fifth brother, your imperial brother only trusts you."
"Your subject is prepared to die ten thousand times over," said the Marquis of Beiding, kneeling on one knee and clasping his hands in resolute determination.
"If I am no longer here in the future, and Mo Wangshu harbors any ambition for the throne, execute him immediately; if not, let him live a life of comfort and ease, and his descendants shall not inherit the title of prince." The late emperor said each word with utter indifference.
When Marquis Beiding heard this, he was stunned for a long time, his hands clasped in prayer, his eyes fixed on the late emperor's back. For some reason, he felt that the figure on the back seemed to have aged considerably.
"This matter is known only to you and me. There's a box on that table over there containing my handwritten edict. In the future, if there's any obstruction, and if Mo Wangshu truly harbors disloyalty, then produce this edict and execute him. Everything is up to your judgment; no solid evidence is needed. I have already stated this in the edict." The late emperor didn't wait for his reply, giving the instructions directly, his tone resolute, and continued, "Marquis of Beiding, do you understand what I mean? If you believe Mo Wangshu has disloyal intentions, you can execute him without any evidence!"
Outside the palace, a loud clap of thunder startled him, causing his hand to tremble slightly.
And ahead, the emperor's back remained unmoved. The sound slowly rose again.
"Marquis of Beiding, go and take that box yourself. I am too weak to walk any further. Take the box and return to your residence," the late emperor said softly.
About twenty years have passed since then, and the Marquis of Beiding can no longer remember how he went to get the box or how he returned to his residence. It's not that he has forgotten due to the passage of time; when he returned to his residence that night, he held the box tightly in his arms. He lacked all other memories, but the words of the late emperor were deeply etched in his ears and crystal clear.
Back at his residence, he realized that he hadn't seen the late emperor's face at all. Several times, he felt a sense of unreality, as if the whole thing was a lie, but the late emperor hadn't allowed him to ask any further questions. However, when he opened the edict and read it carefully, the Marquis of Beiding knew that it was absolutely true.
Why the late emperor issued this edict remains a mystery to the Marquis of Beiding. The late emperor never mentioned it again, so the Marquis naturally dared not inquire further. Until the thirty-first year of the reign of Emperor Lizhao, when the late emperor passed away. At that time, he was far away in the north defending against the Xiongnu, and did not even attend the late emperor's final farewell.
Therefore, this matter became a secret between him and the late emperor. Later, when the emperor passed away, this matter became a secret only for him.
Naturally, this incident also created a strange and inexplicable connection between him and Mo Wangshu.
However, as everyone knows, Mo Wangshu, true to his name, is a man of many talents: a flower fan, a red robe, a frequent visitor to brothels, and a man of many poems. Let alone anyone coveting the throne, even if it were offered to him, he would certainly not accept it.
His refined and frail appearance couldn't hide even a trace of his ambition. Even some scions of noble families dared to mock and ridicule him, showing no trace of the dignity befitting a prince.
Sometimes, seeing him as both infuriating and pitiful, Marquis Beiding did indeed breathe a sigh of relief.
More importantly, the current Emperor Zhaoming is a paragon of virtue, enlightened and receptive to advice, his imperial authority is evident, and all officials are subservient to him; the current eldest princess is a highly decorated general and also the emperor's elder sister. Mo Wangshu fears that this dynasty will not even be stirred by such a ripple.
Upon seeing Mo Wangshu, Marquis Beiding was immediately reminded of the late emperor's instructions and fell into deep thought. He forgot to look away from Mo Wangshu and remained silent for a long time, forgetting to respond to his greeting.
"Lord Marquis." Mo Qiming noticed that Marquis Beiding was staring at Mo Wangshu, so he approached and coughed lightly.
Xu Yong and Suo Qian were also surprised, as this was the first time they had ever seen the Marquis so out of control.
Marquis Beiding then realized his mistake and hastily cupped his hands, saying, "I have been impolite."
Mo Qiming smiled and cast an elder brotherly glance at Mo Wangshu, patting his shoulder lightly. He then turned and said, "Father once praised Fourth Brother as the most handsome. Look, even our Marquis is stunned."
Xu Yong couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Marquis Beiding turned around and glared at him. Xu Yong swallowed the laughter that was about to come out, his face turning bright red. Marquis Beiding coughed and then bowed to the two princes, saying with a smile, "On behalf of all the soldiers, I thank His Majesty and the two princes. I would like to host a welcoming banquet for Your Highnesses tomorrow at noon. What do you think?"
"Thank you for your trouble, General. Xiao Yan will suffice, but please refrain from extravagance," Mo Qiming said with a smile, then paused, "And, Lord Li..."
"Hahaha! Yes, Lord Li," Marquis Beiding laughed loudly.
Xu Yong and Suo Qian, the two deputy generals, also had smiles on their faces, with the corners of their mouths turned up.
Only Mo Wangshu had little expression on his face, and he just looked out of the tent, lost in thought.
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