The Fourth Prince hadn't seen his elder brother, Prince Zhi, for several days. When he came in earlier, he kept his eyes straight ahead and didn't look at anyone. But now, taking advantage of the Emperor's summons of Prince Zhi, he could openly go see him.
Prince Zhi looked somewhat haggard, and at first glance, he seemed even more haggard than his father, the Emperor.
He looked much thinner. He straightened his back and knelt forward. When he reached the bedside, he lowered his eyes and said, "Father Emperor."
Prince Zhi has been having a tough time lately, as he's been met with cold indifference from the Emperor. His father's coldness has led to Prince Zhi's current situation.
Then there's Prince Zhi, who's also busy cleaning up his mess. But those assassins are all under the tight protection of Longkodo's men, so he hasn't been able to get a good night's sleep for several nights in a row.
At this moment, only a hint of weariness could be seen on Prince Zhi's face; everything else was clear.
With Liang Jiugong's support, His Majesty turned slightly to the side. He looked at his eldest son, whom he was always proud of. He seemed to raise his hand, but then seemed to withdraw it.
“You’ve lost weight…” He sat back down, and because of a flare-up of his headache, he subconsciously leaned back slightly.
Prince Zhi was unsure of his father's attitude. He paused for a moment and then said succinctly, "I suppose it's because I haven't had a good appetite in the winter. It's my fault for causing you worry, Father."
It was rare for him to show such a sincere attitude. The Third Master behind him couldn't help but purse his lips in a big way. Fortunately, everyone's attention was on Prince Zhi at the moment, so no one noticed him.
Upon hearing this, it became even more difficult to discern any change in the Emperor's expression: "Your two younger brothers are injured. Not only has Baoqing lost his appetite, but even I... have been suffering from a poor appetite lately."
These words not only brought the conversation to the main point, but also made the princes somewhat uneasy.
"Father, please calm down. It's all my fault." They said almost in unison.
Even the Fourth Master, who was originally sitting, stood up. He bent his knees and knelt down, though his brows were slightly furrowed.
As he knelt down, his shoulders naturally leaned forward, inevitably aggravating his wounds.
His Majesty had no time to worry about the Fourth Prince's injuries. It seemed that all the grown-up princes had arrived. He looked around again and suddenly asked.
"And you? Have you been losing sleep and appetite because your brothers got hurt?"
This was a rather pointed question, which directly put Prince Zhi in the spotlight.
Upon hearing this, the Tenth Master slightly raised his eyes, revealing a rather amused expression.
The next second, His Majesty's icy gaze swept over him, and the Tenth Prince immediately stopped smiling. He silently swallowed and then lowered his head.
The one sweating bullet right now should be Prince Zhi. The princes have been under the Emperor's holy might for many years, and even now, just a glance from the Emperor can make them tremble with fear.
Prince Zhi pursed his lips: "Yes, of course I care about my two younger brothers. It's also their fault; they should have come to visit them sooner."
The Emperor said calmly, "Is that so? But why do your trusted confidants say something different?"
His casual remarks left everyone somewhat taken aback.
How did Father Emperor suddenly bring this up? Wasn't he speaking so kindly just now?
Then there's the matter of trusted confidants. Wasn't it supposed to be about prying open the assassin's mouth?
All eyes turned to Prince Zhi, who was kneeling at the front. The prince, who had been standing straight, had bent slightly at some point.
"Your confidant confessed to the assassination attempt on the fourth prince yesterday. What else do you have to say? Baoqing, have you heard me say anything about brotherly love and respect?"
If His Majesty weren't bedridden at the moment, Liang Jiugong, standing beside him, would have been afraid that His Majesty would kick the Prince Zhi aside, judging from His Majesty's tone.
After His Majesty finished speaking, the Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince raised their heads at the same time. The Fourth Prince, who was mentioned in His Majesty's words, only belatedly raised his head after a while.
"Huh?" Fifth Prince's mouth dropped open amidst the princes. Wasn't it said that his foolish younger brother was involved in the assassination attempt on Fourth Brother? Then he must have come to the wrong place today! Is it too late for him to leave now?
The whole speech he had prepared to defend his brother was completely forgotten by Fifth Master. He was now so afraid that someone would settle scores with him later that he wished he could dig a hole in the ground and disappear.
The Emperor was referring to something Prince Zhi hadn't done. Given Prince Zhi's personality, he naturally wouldn't clean up someone else's mess, and he immediately blushed and began to defend himself.
His words were righteous and his reasoning was so clear that no one could find fault with them. Even Yinreng, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but admire his good older brother's quick thinking.
It takes real skill to come up with a solution in such a short time.
Prince Zhi said everything he could think of, until his throat was dry. He cautiously raised his eyes and saw that his father, the Emperor, had closed his eyes slightly, whether out of sleepiness or unwillingness to listen to him.
He was getting a little anxious and was about to say something to defend himself when his father suddenly raised his hand.
"If you didn't assassinate the fourth brother, then what about assassinating Bao Cheng?"
His Majesty's sudden change of tone caught Prince Zhi completely off guard, leaving him utterly bewildered.
This is where His Majesty's brilliance lies. He first brought up the assassination plot against the fourth prince, which also served as a test to see if Prince Zhi was involved. Only after Prince Zhi had talked until his throat was dry did he get back to the main topic.
This is where Prince Zhi's reaction will be seen.
Prince Zhi's reaction did not disappoint His Majesty, or rather, the answer did disappoint His Majesty.
He suddenly tilted his head and leaned closer to Prince Zhi. When his somewhat cloudy eyes stared at people, it gave them the illusion of being stared at by an eagle, even though this was an old and frail eagle.
"Baoqing, you have disappointed me greatly. It is hereby decreed that my eldest son, Yinzhi, is disobedient, unfilial, plotting against his brothers, and unfit for important positions. He is hereby demoted to Beile and confined to his quarters for six months. Get out."
Prince Zhi's assassination attempt wasn't limited to Yinreng. The Emperor still hasn't mentioned the Changchun Garden incident, but how can one tolerate another sleeping soundly beside one's bed? Prince Zhi has already offended the Emperor's wrath. Compared to the Third Prince Cheng, Prince Zhi is clearly in a much more difficult position to recover.
Given the precedent set by the Third Prince, His Majesty has gathered ample evidence before dealing with Prince Zhi, and this conviction is now a solid one.
From Prince to Beile in one fell swoop, Yinzhi was stunned once again. His lips trembled as if thunder was ringing in his ears. He even had tinnitus, the world seemed to be upside down, his vision seemed to be blurring, and even breathing seemed to become difficult...
Finally, Yinzhi heard a voice from who-knows-who.
"Big brother has fainted..."
Oh, he just fainted. He thought he was going to die.
But what difference is there between that and death?
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