Xu Yixing had a complicated expression. The emperor was almost fifty years old, and at this critical moment he had to experience the pain of losing a son, and that son was the least troublesome among all the princes. How could he not be miserable?
The emperor had a very smooth life when he was young. There were no competitive princes in his generation, and Prince Cheng and the empress dowager both favored him. After he ascended the throne, he fought several major battles and gradually pacified the surrounding tribes. He was a successful man. There were countless beauties in his harem. Although the princes and princesses had different personalities, they were all capable. If he found out that someone was trying to murder his son now, he would be so angry and crazy.
Xu Yixing could only pray silently in his heart that this gentle eldest prince would really die of illness, otherwise both Lu Anyuan and Lu Chiyan would be affected by the emperor's wrath.
A few days later, the emperor claimed to be ill and adjourned court, waiting silently in the palace, waiting for news from Tutor Liu and also waiting for his first son to return home.
Even Lu Anyuan went to the palace these days, but was unable to see his father. Everyone said that he was sad and sick, and now he didn't want to see anyone.
Helplessly, Lu Anyuan had no choice but to send out secret letters one after another, hoping that his people in Qinan could be a little faster than his father's people. This little advantage was very important for him to decide whether to take self-rescue measures.
Few cared about the great victory against the Song Kingdom anymore. On the contrary, everyone felt a faint sense of humiliation. A war that should have been a great victory had ended with the death of the commander. The usually proud people of Great Xia could not accept this fact.
The Second Prince, Lu Chiyan, had, to some extent, chosen a strategy completely opposite to Lu Anyuan's—faking illness. He claimed to have fallen ill after hearing the tragic news, and he immediately closed the gates of the Qibei Palace, severing all ties with Consort Ying in the palace.
This can be considered a wise move. After all, when the emperor thinks of the death of his eldest son, he will remember that this was entirely caused by Concubine Ying's groundless accusation against his third son. How can he not vent his anger on his third son?
On February 15th, the eldest prince's coffin was escorted to the capital by the deputy general of the Longwu Guard.
At this time, white lanterns were hung high at the eight gates of the capital to welcome the first son of the current emperor who died on the battlefield in his twenty-plus years on the throne.
As the younger brother's wife, Lu Anyuan and Xu Yixing naturally wore plain clothes and greeted them at the city gate.
It had only been a month since the eldest prince went off to war, but I didn't expect that the next time we met, we would be separated forever.
Lu Anyuan received a reply yesterday. After confirmation by the coroner, his elder brother did die of severe dysentery and no signs of human error were found.
That's why he could come to greet him calmly today. Although the time for sadness had passed, when he saw the hearse passing by, Xu Yixing could still hear his uneven breathing and sobbing.
"Will the eldest prince's body be taken directly back to his palace?" The hearse had already gone far away. Xu Yixing looked at the white road paved with paper money in front of him and asked Lu Anyuan softly.
"Yes, my father has instructed the Ministry of Rites to treat the body with respect and bury it directly in the imperial mausoleum after the full period of rest."
"It's what I deserve." Most of the time, it was fate that played tricks on us. In short, among the ten thousand ways of death that Xu Yixing imagined, dying from diarrhea was not one of them.
"Let's go back."
"Aren't you going to worship now?"
"Big brother's mother has already left the palace and entered the mansion. There are too many people and it's chaotic over there, so we don't need to go there to make up for the crowd."
"Okay." Xu Yixing followed Lu Anyuan into the car and returned home. The whole capital was shrouded in sadness today, which was really suffocating.
"By the way, my father conferred the title of King Pingsong on my eldest brother, and buried him with the rites worthy of a prince."
"Why didn't I hear when the imperial edict was issued?"
"The Ministry of Rites had already drafted it on his way back to the capital, and they were just waiting to be summoned today. I guess the eunuch has already gone to announce it."
Xu Yixing lowered his head and sighed. Aside from the Second Prince's self-proclaimed "King of the Weeping North," this man was now the legitimate first prince among the princes. However, the dead were gone, and these titles were ultimately empty.
"Yuan, who do you think the emperor will vent his anger on for the death of the eldest prince?" The main culprit could be said to be the emperor finding an excuse to attack the Song State, but Lu Anyuan, the assassination mastermind, could not escape blame either.
Every time he thought of this incident, Xu Yixing would secretly be glad that Lu Anyuan had done a clean job last time, but at the same time he would also be afraid because he had acted too impulsively.
"It's not us anyway."
"Aren't you afraid that the Second Prince will go to the Emperor and complain about you? If I were him, I wouldn't miss this good opportunity."
Lu Anyuan put down the ring in his hand and gently dropped it into the small box in front of him. Inside were the things his older brother had given him since he was a child. Xu Yixing glanced at them and saw that they were nothing more than some children's toys, including a slingshot, a wooden bird, and some accessories.
It's hard for Lu Anyuan to collect them one by one, which is quite thoughtful.
"That's because you don't understand Father. He only believes the answers he has chosen. If Second Brother were to start a fight now, he would definitely become Father's punching bag."
"Well... then congratulations on escaping the disaster."
Lu Anyuan smiled bitterly. The current outcome was not within his plan. At least as for his elder brother, he had never intended to harm him.
"Your Highness, Madam, the imperial edict has arrived!" As the message was passed, the two of them perked up and went to the front yard to greet it.
What the strong man brought was not an imperial edict, but an oral instruction: "The emperor has ordered that the second prince Yan take up his post in the north, constantly intimidate the southern barbarians, contain the barbarians, and take charge of all important affairs within the fiefdom. He must leave the capital within three days. Inform all the officials of the imperial court. This is my order!"
"Huh?" Xu Yixing's shock was muffled by his head hitting the ground.
How do you explain this?
After sending the strongman away, she almost fidgeted, her feet on the door frame, pulling Lu Anyuan aside to ask, "It seems your father has already made up his mind. He wants to drive the Second Prince away. Do you think he will be desperate and force you out at this point?"
Lu Anyuan held her hand in his hand and squeezed it gently, indicating that she should be at ease.
"I don't think so. Although the emperor expelled him from the capital, the reason he used was respectable and it doesn't count as a criminal exile. But I just can't understand why the emperor would insist on expelling him before the eldest brother's funeral when the eldest brother's coffin will be buried in seven days and the second brother hasn't been there recently to cause bad luck..."
Lu Anyuan thought for a while, as if he had made up his mind: "Madam, you stay at home and I will go to the palace."
"What are you doing in the palace now?" Concubine Ying knew that the second prince was leaving the capital, and she didn't know how to make a fuss. If she went to the palace now, it would be too chaotic!
"Go and plead for mercy for my second brother!" Lu Anyuan said, without bothering to explain, he hurriedly let go of Yixing's hand and rode his horse straight to the palace. If he guessed correctly, some of the other brothers had probably arrived before him.
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