Beside him, Xiao Beizhan lay obediently, but he tossed and turned, unable to sleep, his little body always nestled against Xiao Jin's back.
"Father, Father, are you asleep?"
"What's wrong?"
Xiao Jin turned his head and looked at Xiao Beizhan on the other side. He thought Xiao Beizhan also wanted a hug, so he stretched out his other arm.
"Father, when will Mother return? I miss her."
Xiao Beizhan climbed onto Xiao Jin's shoulder, resting his little face against his chest, blinking his exceptionally bright eyes and staring straight at him, melting his heart.
However, Xiao Jin kept avoiding thinking about this issue. He learned from his subordinates that Xie Changling had taken Xi'er away, and at that time Xi'er was still under the influence of traditional Chinese medicine.
Even late into the night, Xie Changling did not bring Xi'er back, and the outcome was self-evident.
What is this? Is this my own retribution?
Xiao Jin felt bitter inside, but he couldn't show it in front of the children, especially since these two little ones were both exceptionally intelligent. He couldn't let them notice anything amiss.
Thinking of this, he pinched Xiao Beizhan's little nose affectionately and gently.
"Go to sleep. It's dangerous in the palace these days, and we need to rearrange the staff. Your father is worried about your mother's safety, so he has arranged for her to stay outside the palace for a few days."
"Oh, Father is right. Mother needs our protection. And when I grow up, I will protect Mother and Father!"
Xiao Beizhan waved his little fists with great force, his face tense, looking very serious and earnest.
Xiao Jin's initial bitterness was temporarily suppressed and easily healed by Xiao Beizhan.
He thought, "That's it. I took Xi'er from him, and I'm always uneasy and worried. I wish I could just kill Xie Changling."
He had a premonition that if he didn't deal with Xie Changling then, Xie Changling would always come back and take away his Xi'er.
Now that the two of them are really back together, he feels a sense of relief and accepts it calmly.
Moreover, with the generals in the court suffering heavy casualties, Xie Changling can only occupy Xi'er for a few days. Once he has rested in the palace, he will send him out to lead troops into battle.
Thinking of this, Xiao Jin suddenly felt relieved. He was the emperor, and Xie Changling was the subject. As the general, it was Xie Changling's responsibility to protect the country.
All we need to do is send people out. The northern and southern borders, with their various nomadic tribes, will be taken down in ten or twenty years. Are we worried that Xie Changling won't have enough men to fight?
Thinking about it this way, Xi'er is still mine.
Xiao Jin was completely at peace with himself. He was no longer afraid that Xie Changling would take the opportunity to seize his throne. Otherwise, not to mention Xi'er, those two little ones alone would be enough to give him a hard time.
Father and son killing each other—I believe Xie Changling wouldn't want such a thing to happen to him!
"Alright, go to sleep. If you want to protect your father and mother, I will find you a master tomorrow to teach you martial arts. Now, you should rest early."
"Very well, Father, it's a deal!"
Xiao Beizhan was finally satisfied and snuggled close to Xiao Jin, falling into a deep sleep.
Even breathing sounds came from Xiao Jin's ears. He looked at the two little faces, one on his left and one on his right, sleeping with rosy cheeks, and a warm current gradually flowed into his icy heart.
Even though she had figured it out, Xiao Jin still couldn't sleep all night.
Too much has happened today. My trusted ministers have been killed, and my mother... and Li Peicong and the others who have served me for so long... but thinking about it now is of no use.
The dead cannot be brought back to life. He can only learn from this lesson today so that he will not repeat the same mistake in the future.
I spent a sleepless night.
...
Ten days have passed, and Xiao Jin has completed the arrangements for the palace, resuming the relocation of palace staff and cultivating trusted confidants.
Although they are not as good as Li Peicong, at least they have gotten on the right track.
The Empress Dowager's coffin has also been buried in the imperial mausoleum. It is currently the height of summer, and if we delay any longer, I'm afraid my mother, with her fastidious nature, will cause a scene.
Having just finished a grand funeral for the Empress Dowager, Xiao Jin collapsed from exhaustion, feeling mentally and physically drained from overthinking. It took him several days to recover.
Xiao Jin thought he wouldn't feel anything, but he still fell ill for several days in a row, suffering from both heart and mind problems, and almost became bedridden.
He didn't want to deal with her daughter in front of his mother, so the eldest princess is still alive, albeit insane.
Now that the Empress Dowager has been buried, it's time to deal with her...
Royal Court of Judgments.
The dungeon.
The constant dripping of water, along with the occasional appearance of mice, had driven the princess mad.
She stared at Xiao Heng's corpse every day; because of the hot weather, maggots had infested it, and it emitted a foul stench.
At first, the eldest princess grieved for her son, but later she went mad and cursed him every day until she finally had no strength left to curse.
She was now huddled in a corner, disheveled, looking like a madwoman, muttering nonsense, and seemingly out of her mind.
Two men arrived and, without saying a word, dragged her away. The princess offered no resistance, acting as if she knew nothing.
When she was brought before Xiao Jin, she was still in that dazed and foolish state, acting like a complete madwoman.
Xiao Jin didn't care whether she was truly insane or faking it. He only knew that the person in front of him was worse than an animal, daring to kill even her own mother, so she had to take responsibility for what she had done.
"Royal elder sister, it's been a long time. I won't say much else, I'll just ask you, how did you kill Mother?"
Xiao Jin saw her eyes dart around, then she clapped her hands with a grin, as if she hadn't heard anything, and started singing a song in a low voice.
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