Chapter 17: Your Highness
In the 19th year of Shuncheng, the heavy snow came too early, the grain froze, and refugees emerged everywhere. The imperial court opened the granaries in time to provide grain and stabilized the people's hearts.
The good times didn’t last long.
By April, the granaries were running low on grain and urgent reports were passed up the chain of command, with people from all walks of life, including the government, wailing in general.
No less than 100,000 people starved to death. Every family hung white silk and cried bitterly. Some people even exchanged their own children for food. People were in a panic.
At this time, a voice came from somewhere among the people, spreading rumors that the disaster was caused by the emperor's unworthiness. As the voice spread, it became known that the emperor in power was not of royal blood and that he coveted the throne and caused this disaster.
The emperor was furious and sent court officials to investigate the truth and hunt down the rumor spreaders. For a time, there was war and chaos everywhere.
There is chaos in front and the harem cannot rise.
After his death by drowning in the Zhejiang River, Xiao Zhinian was decadent all day long and stayed drunk in Yanqing Palace. Outside, it was freezing cold and there were thousands of starving people, but inside the house, it was warm and there were flowers blooming, singing and dancing, and the sky was full of clouds and mist.
It's a mess.
A wine jug with a red tassel rolled down the steps from the high platform, gurgling and spilling the wine, hitting the blue cloth cotton shoes.
Han Zitang leaned over to pick it up, held it in his hand, and looked at Xiao Zhinian who was sleeping crookedly on the couch: "Your Highness, Your Highness, Han Zitang, greets His Highness the Crown Prince."
Xiao Zhinian opened his hazy drunken eyes and stared at the ceiling painted with colorful paintings for a long time before he reacted and said slowly: "Ah... it's you, I remember you... I hate it most that the gentleman associates with you, never mind, it's all in the past, come, drink!"
He reached out his hand and touched the low table twice, then grabbed one of the wine jugs lying on it and poured it into his mouth. He smacked his lips twice, but the taste was not what he expected.
I shook it and it was empty, the bottom was empty.
"No more? Liubao, bring some wine." Xiao Zhinian's sloppy voice seemed vague and unreal amid the singing and dancing. He called out twice, but still no one answered him. Immediately, the alcohol started to rise, and he raised his voice, "Where are the people? Where have they gone?"
Xiao Zhinian didn't remember that he had already sent Liubao out to get some wine.
"Your Highness," Han Zitang stood in the center of the hall and said, "I was entrusted by Chen Zhejiang before his death to bring you two words."
From that day on, the three words "Chen Zhejiang" became taboo words that could not be mentioned in Yanqing Palace, even if they were separated.
Last time, a palace maid uttered the word "Jiang" because of her chattering. Xiao Zhinian heard it and was beaten to pieces on the spot. She breathed her last.
Suddenly, the singing and dancing stopped, and there was an eerie silence.
The cold wind blew in through the window frames, causing the hanging bead curtains to collide with each other and make clanging sounds.
"Shen Zhejiang..."
At this moment, hearing the name that I haven't heard for several months, I have a different feeling.
Xiao Zhinian swallowed slowly between his lips and teeth, savoring the taste. After a while, he laughed, which frightened the palace slave who was kneeling beside him and feeding him fruit. She turned pale and quickly knelt on the ground, trembling.
"What's the point of mentioning a lonely ghost from the underworld? Don't you think so?"
Xiao Zhinian raised his bare-toed legs and tapped the palace slave's head lightly, shaking it back and forth, trembling straight into the slave's heart.
The palace slave shrank back, his face terrified, and nodded repeatedly in agreement: "Your Highness is right..."
"Yes? That's bullshit! Get lost!"
A hint of cruelty flashed across Xiao Zhinian's face and he kicked the palace slave away.
Unable to withstand gravity, the palace slave fell down the stairs, his forehead covered in blood, but he felt no pain and stood up and knelt before Xiao Zhinian got angry.
Han Zitang saw it all but said nothing. He had never expected that after Shen Zhejiang left, such a terrible situation would arise.
“Get lost! Didn’t you hear what I said?! I told you all to get lost!!”
Xiao Zhinian suddenly jumped up, roaring madly like a young animal that had lost its loved ones, so ferocious and so sad.
The dancers and singers retreated in fear, fearing that they would anger the Crown Prince again.
Han Zitang did not leave, but paused and said, "Chen Zhejiang Tuochen told Your Highness that he has always hoped that Your Highness can take up his position and do his job. As the crown prince, Your Highness should behave like a crown prince."
Perhaps it was the word "decent" that irritated Xiao Zhinian.
He looked ferocious, his eyes were bloodshot, and he roared, "Get lost too! What does my decision have to do with Chen Zhejiang? If you have the guts, ask him to come and talk to me in person! It's been so long, and he still hasn't talked to me in my dream! Why! I also want to know if he's cold, and if he's lost weight again? Why... why didn't he talk to me..."
Like a fishbone stuck in the throat.
It’s more like resentment than anger.
"I have conveyed what Shen Zhejiang wanted to say," Han Zitang said in a cold tone, "I also have a few words to say to Your Highness. Do you know how Zhejiang has been through these years? The Shen family was confiscated, and Zhejiang has been running around for ten years to change his confession. He has been ill from overwork and his body has long been depleted. Do you know how much suffering and struggle he has endured to put aside his hatred and teach you what he has learned in his life with a clear and fair mind?"
"What do you mean the Shen family was confiscated? When was the Shen family confiscated? What are you talking about?" Xiao Zhinian was half sober.
"Your Highness doesn't know what happened ten years ago. You can check the history books."
Han Zitang knew that Shen Zhejiang would rather swallow the pain himself than involve Xiao Zhinian in these matters, but things had to come to light when it came to this point.
Moreover, with the help of Xiao Zhinian, maybe the mastermind behind the attempt to kill Shen Zhejiang could be uncovered.
Xiao Zhinian shook his head and repeated, "Ten years ago...Liu Bao!!"
Liu Bao, who had just returned from fetching wine, heard the noise and rushed to Xiao Zhinian, quickly put down the wine cup and asked, "What do you want, Your Highness?"
"Go and find out for me everything that happened to the Shen family ten years ago. Don't leave out a single word! Go quickly!" Xiao Zhinian said.
“Yes, yes!”
Liubao hadn't even gotten his breath sorted yet and he was already running around busying around. It was really hard for him.
Han Zitang saw that everything he needed to explain had been done, so he bowed and said, "I will take my leave first and will not disturb Your Highness."
"Wait a minute," Xiao Zhinian hurriedly stopped Han Zitang on the steps, "Did he leave anything behind..."
The word "relic" doesn't seem quite appropriate.
Xiao Zhinian racked his brains, clenched his fingers, and finally resigned himself to his fate and asked, "Did you leave anything for me?"
Han Zitang glanced at him, took out a thin letter from his sleeve, held it in his hand, and returned it to Xiao Zhinian along with the wine pot: "Here."
On the thin envelope, written in powerful strokes, the following words were clearly written in red ink:
"Your Highness, personally."
It was Shen Zhejiang's handwriting.
After Han Zitang left, Xiao Zhinian held the letter in both hands, as if the weight of a mountain was pressing on them, and stood there in a daze for a long time.
So long that my feet became sore.
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