Hao Zekai reacted quickly, trying to make his voice calm and gentle, "Princess, the Crown Prince's matter is really not my or my father's fault. I don't think you are the kind of woman who doesn't understand things. Let me say something more to you: the Crown Prince's leg is broken, and even the most skilled physician can't cure it. What do you think is the fate of a lame crown prince? While we still have good reputation among the people and gold mines, the Crown Prince is filial and knows what is best for the Empress. He chose this path himself, and it has nothing to do with us. As his uncle, do you think I don't want him to live well and then inherit the throne? To put it bluntly, the one who most wants the Crown Prince to ascend the throne is not you, not Prince Yong, not the Huo family, but my Hao family."
He spoke with great earnestness, and seeing that Zhao Shu remained unmoved, he continued, "To save the Crown Prince, my father, in his sixties, tirelessly traveled for months, nearly losing his life several times. I know that the Princess and the Crown Prince are close, but Princess, think about it: the Hao family's fate is intertwined with the Crown Prince's. Why would we harm the Crown Prince? Where is the evidence? The Princess cannot punish my father and me based on rumors from who-knows-where. That is unfair to us." He concluded that Zhao Shu had no evidence, and without evidence, he could not be touched.
Hao Zekai was much more rational than Hao Zi, who was more of a rough and uncouth man. Hearing his son's words, he snorted coldly, "Without evidence, you still dare to act recklessly! Quickly tell these two eunuchs to release me!" He roared at Zhao Shu, his eyes wide open. As a first-class military marquis in charge of 80,000 defense troops and the current emperor's father-in-law, he had always been arrogant and disdainful of everyone. Now, to be humiliated by a little child and a few eunuchs was simply outrageous!
Upon hearing the word "eunuch," Xiao Zhu and his companion increased the pressure on Hao Zi's feet, causing him to sweat profusely from the pain.
Hearing Hao Zekai's words, Zhao Shu was furious. It was this kind of thinking that had ruined the Crown Prince! She raised her foot and stomped on Hao Zekai's heart. "At the age of sixty, you've toiled and struggled, nearly losing your life several times, and you still have the strength to yell at me? You have no evidence? This princess never needs evidence to do anything! Do you even know who the Crown Prince trusts most?"
With her last words, she turned and glared at Hao Zekai, saying painfully, "The people the Crown Prince trusts most are you! His uncle and maternal grandfather! And what about you? You personally pushed him into the abyss! You say the Crown Prince knows what's best for the Empress, and that best thing is to die?!"
She spoke loudly and hysterically, her eyes brimming with tears, "If the Crown Prince had wanted to die from the beginning, why would he have endured so much suffering until now! Is he a fool?!"
"When a person is struggling at the lowest point in their life, what they hope for most is to see hope and care. But when the person they trust most tells them, 'You might as well die, since you have no value in living,' how painful must their heart be!"
"For the Empress's sake? I think you're doing this for the sake of your Hao family, for the sake of your filthy, greedy hearts. The Empress only had one son, and you murdered him, robbed him of everything, and then, in the name of the family, made her work for you! And when it's time to sacrifice, you abandon her without hesitation! You are her father, do you think she calls you 'Father' just so you can kill her son and take everything from her?"
Before the two could speak, she slowly picked up the bowl of daphne soup from the tray. "The current emperor doesn't despise his son for being a cripple. I believe that even if the emperor strips my elder brother of his title as crown prince, he would never take his life! The Empress has tried every means to find His Highness the Crown Prince. What she wants is not a corpse and a cold gold mine. I don't despise my brother for being a cripple. Even if he is not the crown prince and cannot become emperor in the future, he is still my beloved elder brother. What right do you outsiders have to despise him? What right do you have to let him die? He is a member of the Zhao family. What business is it of yours!"
"Do you know what 'Heavenly Daphne' is? What happens if you eat it? It will cause hallucinations and an increased heart rate. This dose can cause a person's heart to burst and die within fifteen minutes!" Zhao Shu blew on the dark medicinal soup. Her previous anger had faded, and she had returned to her previous calm and composed demeanor.
Looking down at Hao Zekai, who was skilled at scheming, he said, "Uncle, feed him to your father, and you can immediately become the Marquis of Loyalty and Valor. Anyway, he's already lived for sixty years and won't live for many more years. Living is just a waste of food."
Unlike Hao Zekai, Hao Zekai had no doubt that Zhao Shu dared to do this. Hao Zekai felt that even the emperor wouldn't dare to touch him casually. A little princess could at most torment him. He had a military career, so a little torment was nothing. Those who humiliated him back then were long gone.
Hao Zekai didn't move or speak. Zhao Shu walked up to him and smiled mockingly, "Didn't you just think the Crown Prince deserved to die because of his lame leg? Little Guo." She gestured slightly.
Xiao Guozi said, "Yes." Zhao Shu didn't know how he did it, but she only saw a blur before her eyes. Xiao Guozi moved too fast, and with a scream, Hao Jie's leg was broken. The sound of the bone being broken was extremely crisp.
"Alright, your father's leg is crippled too, there's no need for him to live anymore. Feed him water, and I, this princess, swear on my life that I will never kill you." Zhao Shu said very sincerely, and didn't forget to wink after she finished speaking.
At this moment, Wu Gang said from outside, "Princess, the Hao family has all been dealt with."
"Tsk tsk, how pathetic, no one even claims the body after death." Zhao Shu laughed mockingly. Hao Jie and his son felt a chill run down their spines as they looked at the deranged Zhao Shu. They had never seen such a vicious woman!
"The truth will eventually come out. I advise you, Princess, not to play with fire and get burned. Do you think that killing me and my father will solve everything? The truth will be revealed one day. As relatives of the Empress, dying without knowing the truth, what will become of Dayong's reputation? What will become of the Emperor's reputation? What do you think the Emperor will do? If the Crown Prince is allowed to inherit the throne in the future, what will become of his reputation? How will the historians evaluate the Crown Prince? How will they evaluate the royal family? Without evidence, Princess, don't do anything wrong, or you will have a hard time getting out of it." Hao Zekai was anxious, but he still tried his best to find a reason to persuade Zhao Shu.
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