Chapter 114: Defeat the scheming boy and tease the sultry general (24)
No one likes war.
The same is true for Chu Heng.
Even if his martial arts skills were useless and he had no chance of promotion, he did not want another war.
But this time it is unavoidable. If they do not fight, the world will be overthrown and only the people will suffer.
In the past, Chu Heng was not afraid of death. Dying for the country was the supreme honor for their Chu family. But now it is different. He has concerns in his heart and he is reluctant to die.
He also wanted to go back to see Li Ziyan and live with him.
Touching the red line on his hand, Chu Heng sighed with a firm look in his eyes.
Wait for me to come back, Zi Yan.
The war lasted for more than a month, and the King of Southeast never returned, but he was not in the capital either.
In other words, he found a place to hide, which is a hidden danger.
Those guilty accomplices have been imprisoned and beheaded one by one, but this also poses an additional threat to Li Ziyan's safety.
Some clueless "loyal ministers" were indeed loyal to the country and the court, but it was precisely because of their "loyalty" that they couldn't think straight, and they knelt all day long begging the emperor to execute Li Ziyan as a warning to others. If the situation wasn't so tense, Li Zihan really wanted to pry open these people's brains and see what clichés they were filled with!
"Your Majesty! I beg you to behead Li Ziyan in public! The emperor is guilty of the same crime as the common people! I know your Majesty is kind-hearted and values brotherhood, but if you let this traitor go, your country will no longer be a country!"
"Your Majesty!" The ministers knelt down and called out. Only a few people who were on good terms with Li Ziyan stood not far away. In fact, anyone with a little bit of brains knew that Li Ziyan always knew how to avoid suspicion. After returning to the court, he rarely appeared in the court, and he would not have too many interactions with important officials of the court. How could there be evidence so suddenly?
Li Zihan's eyebrows were twitching. These ministers under him were innocent; they were only fighting for the country. But Li Ziyan was even more innocent. Why did he have to bear such a bad reputation?!
"Shut up! Your insolence will not be tolerated in the court!" Li Zihan slammed the dragon throne fiercely, his chest heaving. "I know that you, my dear ministers, are determined to protect our country, but I have already issued an imperial decree. All matters will be decided after General Dingyuan returns to the court. I am dismissing the court!"
"This!..." The people in the court, both old and new faces, looked at each other, but no one said anything in the end.
Li Ziyan lived deep in the house, not knowing what kind of disputes were happening in places he couldn't see.
It was autumn now, and the weather was starting to get cooler. Li Ziyan's clothes had become much thicker, but she still looked so slender. Her cheeks, which had been fattened by Chu Heng, had become thinner and even a little sunken.
He already had an old illness, which was more likely to relapse in autumn. Although Li Zihan still provided him with delicious food and drinks, there were always those ignorant people who made trouble.
"This medicine is all wet! How can you boil it and drink it?! The people in the Imperial Hospital are so unreliable! This has happened several times this month!" Yun Le's face turned red with anger. He pointed at the basket on the ground and gasped, "And this vegetable, there's not even a bit of meat! It's just some rotten cabbage stalks. How can I feed it to the prince?"
As Yun Le spoke, her eyes turned red and her voice became muffled. She squatted on the ground, hugged her legs and started crying. It was not the silent crying she used to do, but she held it back and cried until the fabric of her pants was soaked with tears.
He wouldn't blame the Emperor. The situation was tense. He had just ascended the throne and faced two wars. If he hadn't handled the situation properly, rumors might have spread. Furthermore, after this incident, the Emperor, facing opposition from court officials and for their safety, had only imprisoned them in the palace. He felt sorry for his own prince, who was clearly a truly good man. Why did he have to endure such suffering?
"Yunle, don't cry." Caiwei also came over. She took a look at the vegetable leaves and medicine residue on the ground and knew what was going on. She squatted on the ground and picked up the things. "It will be fine. You have to believe in the general and the emperor."
"I believe it, but what should the prince do? These medicines are completely inedible. The prince has become even thinner these days and can't eat much every day. Can the prince wait any longer?"
Caiwei paused while picking up something, her fingertips trembling, "Don't talk nonsense."
The small kitchen was quiet, and soon sobbing sounds were heard. The cooks and servants were all in tears. They did not regret following Li Ziyan, nor did they believe that their prince was a traitor. Even though life became increasingly difficult during this period, they never complained.
But now, Yun Le's words made her cry. Can their prince still wait?
From the good food and drink at the beginning to the blatant deductions now, everyone knows that someone is interfering, but they are in a difficult situation now and there is nothing they can do.
"Okay, stop crying. Don't tell the prince about this. I will find a way to solve it." Caiwei wiped her tears and pulled Yunle to take out the usable things in the basket. Now the prince could not protect them, they had to stand up.
Outside the palace, the soldiers of the guard team looked around, frowned, and were hit by the people around them.
"Hey, what are you looking at? Why are you always distracted?"
"Do you feel like someone is looking here?"
"Ah? No."
"Really?" The soldier scratched his head, the feeling of being spied on disappearing. "Maybe I didn't get enough rest last night."
"The shift is about to change, just hold on for a while."
"I know."
The two men exchanged a few words and started chatting, not noticing the figure that flashed by in the tree.
A nimble figure appeared and landed in the courtyard of the palace. Not far away there was a recliner with a man curled up in it. He was wearing a green robe, and the autumn wind blew up his clothes, giving him a vague feeling.
He walked over slowly, lightly walking, and met a pair of blue eyes.
"Meow--"
Naigao's cry woke Li Ziyan up. He opened his eyes and met a pair of familiar eyes.
"Dong--uh--" The rest of the words were blocked in his mouth. Li Ziyan's mouth was covered, and the next second he was hit on the side of the neck and fainted on the recliner.
“Meow—meow—”
The man touched Li Ziyan's thin cheek, glanced at the milk cake that was roaring on the ground, snorted coldly, picked up Li Ziyan, tiptoed lightly, and disappeared into the courtyard.
Everything happened silently, and no one knew what happened in this heavily guarded palace.
The kitten on the ground meowed a few times, trotted all the way to the small kitchen, and grabbed Yun Le's trouser leg tightly.
“Meow—meow—”
"Milk cake? What's wrong?"
“Meow—meow—”
Naigao couldn't speak and could only make anxious noises. Yunle looked at Naigao and his heart stopped for no reason. He stood up and ran to the small yard. Unfortunately, when he arrived, there was only a desolate field of fallen leaves.
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