"Thank you, brothers and sisters, for coming to see me, a criminal." The second prince's words were filled with self-mockery, which was not in line with his usual style.
When Xu Yixing saw him and heard the first words he said, he understood why the emperor did not punish him severely - he was really seriously ill.
This is his condition after a few days of rest. I can't imagine how heartbroken the emperor was when he saw his once favorite son so sick when he met him on the first day.
"Second brother, don't say such polite words. The most urgent thing is that you get better quickly and return to Qibei as soon as possible. Otherwise, it will be bad if father investigates." The fourth prince brought the medicine bowl. Seeing him busying around, those who didn't know him would think he was the second prince's follower.
"You really don't want me to stay in the capital?"
The Fourth Prince was stunned and seemed to be choked.
"Second brother! Fourth brother obviously left the country without permission because he was afraid that you would be held accountable by our father. Please don't get me wrong!" The Sixth Prince rarely spoke, and the Fourth Prince looked at him with gratitude.
However, the Second Prince was not impressed. "If you really care about me, you should think about how to go to the Emperor and ask for mercy and release my mother, rather than saying these hypocritical words."
Xu Yixing stood at the farthest point, tilting his head and looking at everyone in the room with a smile. It was really interesting that the Second Prince had become much more straightforward in his speech since he went to Qibei.
"I don't believe that my mother would intentionally harm Fourth Sister's child. There must be something hidden behind this!"
After he said this, everyone's eyes naturally turned to the Third Prince's wife. After all, there were only her and the Fourth Princess that day.
The Third Prince's wife hid behind the Third Prince for a moment, then felt something was wrong and stopped abruptly.
The Third Prince, already dissatisfied, was now even more indignant: "Second brother, are you saying that we are committing perjury? Can you also fake the fact that Xier's child is gone? The reason for this matter is known to my father, the emperor, and my mother, the empress. If you are dissatisfied, go and talk to them!"
After throwing down his own theory, the Third Prince left angrily with the Princess, saying, "I shouldn't have come today!"
Xu Yixing is now even more grateful that he did not go with them at that time. It was absolutely the right decision.
However, the Second Prince clearly had no intention of letting Lu Anyuan and his wife, who were standing at the back, go. He glanced at them and spoke again, "During the time I've been away from Beijing, have you and your sister-in-law been at peace? Have you ever thought of me, who's far away in Qibei?"
Hey! Who would miss you! Xu Yixing felt uncomfortable all over. How could I be so depressed that I miss you!
"Of course I'm worried about you all the time. Now that I see my second brother, everything is fine. As his younger brother, I feel relieved." Lu Anyuan deliberately used the words "everything is fine", which was very annoying.
"That's good. I feel the same way. I'm really afraid that you will forget me." The second prince spoke like a woman who had gone mad because of being abandoned by her husband. His tone was resentful and undisciplined, as if he wanted to offend everyone.
Lu Anyuan apologized and walked out with Yixing in a swagger, not wanting to pretend anymore.
"He must be sick and stupid. How could he offend so many people just by opening his mouth?"
"Maybe this is his purpose. My second brother sometimes acts like Concubine Ying, and it's hard to understand with ordinary people. There's no need to be too serious with him."
Xu Yixing and the other man left the palace, boarded a carriage, and slowly returned to the mansion. When he saw the empress dowager again today, she wasn't as strange as before, and had returned to her usual confused self. Xu Yixing couldn't verify his previous guess.
"By the way, looking at the Second Prince's condition, I'm afraid he'll need quite some time to recover. Do you think the Emperor will let him live in the palace forever?"
"I'm afraid so. If it's placed in his house, wouldn't it be convenient for him to do things?"
"Yes." Xu Yixing caught the wrong point in his words: "Why, do you assume that the emperor really allows him to recuperate in the capital?"
"Of course, and he's not here to recuperate, he's staying here permanently. My second brother came back with a clear plan and had no intention of leaving at all."
"How do you know that?"
"He only brought ten guards with him when he returned to the capital. Those guards were not allowed to enter the palace and stayed in the mansion. Isn't this clearly because he knew that bringing more would be useless, so he simply didn't bring any, and that would also put Father at ease."
"This..." Xu Yixing suddenly remembered that the strangeness in Zhaode Hall just now was due to the lack of people. In such a huge palace, the princes and concubines were standing all over the floor, and there were only two or three palace maids waiting on them. No wonder he felt something was wrong.
"If that's the case, then he would have left his wife and children in Weeping North and stayed in the capital. Is that possible?"
"Why not? My wife and children are a burden. Now that they are gone, and without Concubine Ying's constraints, it's a great opportunity for Second Brother to show his talents."
"Oh." Xu Yixing nodded indifferently. She felt that what Lu Anyuan said about his wife being a burden was too harsh, so she didn't want to respond.
"Don't worry, Second Brother has his reasons for coming back. Let's just wait and see how the situation develops. Even if things get really dangerous, you still have your shadow guards to protect you. What are you afraid of?"
"Yes, there is nothing to be afraid of about me." Xu Yixing let out a long breath through his nose. These princes would not tolerate any unstable factors around them when they really wanted to exert their strength. They were really cold-hearted.
If one day Lu Anyuan is about to accomplish something, will he also abandon himself to Qinan like the Second Prince did, and worry about himself every day in that wild land?
If that's the case, then I might as well throw him away first to avoid being considered a burden.
Lu Anyuan didn't know why Xu Yixing suddenly became depressed, but since they had just arrived at the mansion, he wanted to go back to his room to talk about it, but Xu Yixing declined by saying that he had to show his father the wedding arrangements, and he went out again in the carriage.
Lu Anyuan had no choice but to take care of himself.
A few days later, just as Lu Anyuan had predicted, the emperor not only did not rush to expel the Second Prince from the capital, but instead issued a gracious decree, praising his deep love for his mother and his commendable filial piety, and absolving him of the crime of leaving the garrison. He also specifically instructed him to cultivate himself and postpone his return to Qibei. Thus, he once again found a foothold in the capital.
However, the emperor did not change the punishment for Concubine Ying, and he did not allow the second prince to visit the cold palace. So a very strange phenomenon appeared in the palace: the son was recuperating in Zhaode Hall every day, while the mother was imprisoned in the cold palace. The treatment of the two was very different.
Moreover, this time the second prince was exceptionally well-behaved and obedient. He insisted on following his father's words to the end and did not leave Zhaode Hall for ten consecutive days. Even the people originally sent by the emperor to monitor the second prince gradually believed that he really had no partiality.
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