Chapter 461 Protect You
"Yes. Although the Emperor does care for you, he wouldn't go to such lengths for you. You should know that in your heart. The only one who would risk everything for you, even his life, is me."
Su Leyan hugged Wen Kehao's leg, remembering Meng Lingge's words that she had told Wen Kehao about her predicament.
She looked up at Wen Kehao, her eyes blurry with tears.
"Over the past three years, I have searched almost every slave market near the capital and bought hundreds of young girls for you. Now that the Emperor is a good ruler, it is very difficult for me to find suitable women to sell themselves. We still haven't found anyone to add to the ranks this month."
“I have been prescribing birth control pills to these girls for a long time. If they continue to take them, they may become infertile for life, and it may also cause other health problems. I studied medicine to heal and save lives, but now I am using it for these kinds of things. Every time I prescribe this medicine, I feel extremely guilty.”
"Since the household wants to conceal the expenses of these young ladies, I can only put all their expenses on my own. The Princess Consort of Zhongqin spends tens of thousands of taels of silver a year, but I have not bought a single piece of clothing. Even the box of jewelry that the Empress gave me when I got married was all sold to make up for the shortfall."
Seeing Wen Kehao's face filled with even deeper remorse, Su Leyan felt a pang of heartache, but her tone became even sharper.
"I'm not telling you this to complain, but to let you know that the Prince Zhong's Mansion is already in dire straits. Even without the garrison in the northern frontier, the apparent tranquility of the Prince Zhong's Mansion will not last long."
"Now that the Emperor and Empress are determined to leave the palace, if you do not take on this important task, what will the new emperor do to us, and what will he do to the Emperor and Empress once he chooses someone else? If your crime of usurpation is confirmed, the new emperor can execute everyone in the Prince Zhong's Mansion. If he still has some fear of the Emperor, he may also deliberately kill them. At that time, we will all be in danger."
"The Emperor chose to abdicate in your favor not only because he believed you needed the position to escape your predicament, but also because he trusted you. Can you bear to betray the Emperor's trust? Can you bear to let the Prince Zhong's Mansion, and my child and I, fall into an abyss of no return?"
Upon hearing this, Wen Kehao felt a surge of emotion and immediately replied.
"No, I will definitely not let that happen."
His elder brother, Su Leyan, and his child were the people he cared about most, and he would not allow any of them to be harmed. Naturally, he would never give anyone the opportunity to harm all his loved ones.
Su Leyan is right. If the Emperor insists on abdicating, then he is the only one who can do it.
Looking at Su Leyan's slightly haggard face, Wen Kehao suddenly felt that he had matured a lot.
Su Leyan always had a smile on her face in front of him, which made him think that the princess was very capable of handling the affairs of the mansion, but he never really understood her difficulties.
It is already extremely painful for a woman to constantly find other women for her husband, let alone with his complicated situation. Su Leyan endured far more than he imagined.
Su Leyan's delicate shoulders have been able to protect him until today, so how could he, a dignified seven-foot man, be inferior to a woman?
Thinking of this, Wen Kehao stroked Su Leyan's face and said solemnly.
"Sister, you're tired. Now it's my turn. I'll protect you from now on."
That "sister" echoed through the long corridor of the Prince Zhong's Mansion four or five years ago, and through the long years, it has captivated Su Leyan to this day. Fortunately, the once naive and impetuous boy has finally grown into a mountain that can stand alone under her protection.
Su Leyan gently pressed her face against Wen Kehao's abdomen, and in her mind she seemed to see a huge clam shell, with the grains of sand inside nurturing beautiful pearls.
For two consecutive days, Wen Kehao was not seen at the morning court session.
The court officials guessed that Prince Zhong had already accepted his fate and was preparing to go to the northern frontier to garrison the area, and the court was unusually quiet for two days.
On the third day, when it was time for Prince Zhong to lead his troops to the northern frontier as planned, the officials still did not see any soldiers departing from the capital, and Prince Zhong was still not present at the morning court. Everyone panicked and began to speculate.
Some suspected that Prince Zhong was afraid of hardship and danger, and thus deserted his post, requesting that the emperor arrest him as soon as possible.
Some suspected that Prince Zhong was unwell and recuperating at his residence, and requested permission to visit him.
Some even suspected that Prince Zhong had met with misfortune and requested an imperial decree to investigate the truth immediately.
Listening to the various opinions below, Wen Zhiming relaxed and leaned lazily back on the dragon throne.
Wen Kehao came to the palace to see him yesterday. I thought that it would take a lot of persuasion to convince him when his third brother, who has a strong sense of principle, came to visit.
After confirming his purpose and determination to abdicate, Ke Wenkehao nodded in agreement.
“Since Your Majesty has made up your mind, I have no choice but to support you. Whether it is for Your Majesty’s sake or for my wife and children, since Your Majesty is determined to abdicate, only I can take on this heavy responsibility and ensure our safety. Your Majesty, I promise that as long as I live, I will guard the capital for you. If one day you and your sister-in-law want to come back and sit on the throne as Emperor and Empress again, I will gladly return it to you.”
Wen Zhiming would certainly not believe it if others said this.
Wen Zhiming believed Wen Kehao's words without a doubt.
Stroking the patterns on the dragon throne, Wen Zhiming smiled faintly. He was about to leave the palace, but he felt no reluctance. He figured that the day Wen Kehao had mentioned would never come.
The decision to abdicate in favor of Wen Kehao and to volunteer to serve as a garrison prince in the northern frontier was not an impulsive act, but rather a well-considered decision based on weighing the pros and cons.
This certainly reflects consideration for the plight of Prince Zhong and his wife, as well as a desire to spend more time with his wife and children. However, it also stems from the fact that while the throne represents the pinnacle of power for others, it is, for him, a stumbling block to his future development.
Thanks to his efforts over the past few years, the capital of the Golden Moon Kingdom has prospered, and it is no exaggeration to say that the country is peaceful and prosperous. However, the border regions remain corrupt and the economy is depressed.
Establish a separate capital in the northern border region, open up trade markets, make the northern border region the largest trading center of the five countries, ensure that the people in the border region are well-fed and clothed, and elevate the overall economy of the Golden Moon Kingdom to an astonishing level.
For him, it was far more meaningful than to remain in the capital as a praised wise ruler, spending his days wits and struggles with court officials over issues of the harem and offspring.
He and Meng Lingge would watch the northern border region gradually improve, and then grow old together under the moonlit flowers.
There was no intrigue or backstabbing, only achievements and romantic pursuits.
They may have many more children, but it doesn't matter if they don't; Woyu is enough to make him happy.
The ministers below the stage argued heatedly, their faces flushed, while the emperor on the stage had already departed for the heavens.
"Prince Zhong has arrived!"
The emperor's thoughts were brought back to reality by the eunuch's announcement at the door, and the courtiers instantly fell silent.
Everyone turned to look back at the same time, and saw Wen Kehao, shirtless with thorns tied behind his back, walking steadily to the front of the ministers and kneeling down in front of Wen Zhiming.
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