Chapter 258 Extra 2: What if Hongzhao died in front of Yinzhen? (2)
Hongzhao was eventually moved back to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Yinzhen, supporting his knees and bending over, stood in front of the side hall door. It was clearly just a step away, but no matter what he did, he couldn't take that step. He stood at the door, staring at the large character he had written on the plaque hanging inside, refusing to look any further in.
Hongzhao lived in this place for more than ten years. Just standing at the gate, it was as if he could see his shadow and hear his voice. From childhood to adulthood, whenever he saw me enter this courtyard, no matter how far away I was, I would call out "Father".
People are inside now, but there's no warmth at all; it's as cold as an ice cellar.
"Go and prepare the medicine."
Yinzhen hardened his heart, turned his head away, and staggered to face away from the door.
This sentence left Zhou Qi dumbfounded. The medicine the Emperor wanted to drink had naturally been prepared long ago and was just sitting there without the Emperor even glancing at it. So the medicine the Emperor mentioned decocting was... for the Crown Prince?
Seeing Zhou Qi hesitate and stand still, Su Peisheng quickly turned around and scolded, "Do you need the Emperor to tell you what medicine to give the Crown Prince? Go now!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey." Zhou Qi noticed the topic and, upon meeting Eunuch Su's signal, quickly bowed and agreed before walking out the door.
"Where is the Empress?" Yinzhen asked.
Su Peisheng's heart tightened, and he quickly replied, "Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress, upon hearing this... upon hearing this..."
He hesitated a bit when he got to this point. The Emperor clearly didn't want to believe that the Crown Prince was dead, and even ordered the imperial physician to prepare medicine, so he naturally had to be extra careful in his speech.
"Her Majesty the Empress fainted from grief and has not yet woken up, which is why she was unable to come in time."
Yinzhen remained noncommittal, making no gestures or expressions, seemingly agreeing with the statement, before turning to ask, "Where is that bitch?"
This refers to Meng Jingxian.
"No matter where you are, go and deliver the decree: all direct descendants of the Meng family shall be executed by slow slicing, their entire families shall be exterminated, and their bodies shall be left exposed for seven days. All palace servants and slaves who served the Meng family shall be beaten to death. All those in the Imperial Kitchen who were involved in the cooking shall be punished along with the Meng family."
Yinzhen's fists were clenched so tightly they were trembling. He straightened his back and gritted his teeth as he uttered these words, clearly indicating that even this could not alleviate the hatred in his heart.
"The Eastern Palace guards have neglected their duties and failed to properly protect the Crown Prince. They are hereby dismissed from their posts and exiled three thousand li away. Before the execution, Su Peisheng, you shall investigate thoroughly. Anyone who is an accomplice shall be executed along with their entire family. There is no need to report this to me."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Su Peisheng quickly responded. These two short sentences involved far more than just the Duke of Pei's mansion, but his intuition told him that this was far from over.
Yinzhen stood there, his gaze aimlessly fixed on the distance. His once shrewd eyes were now vacant and lifeless, devoid of any heart-wrenching pain. Yet, they were not indifferent either; only an endless stillness and emptiness remained.
It was as if a string was taut over his nerves. If it weren't for this matter, he probably would have collapsed long ago.
Hongzhao is now lying inside, and he won't let go of anyone connected to him, no matter how small the connection.
"Clang—"
Just as Yinzhen was about to speak, the sound of a teacup falling from the inner room reached his ears. He paused noticeably, then practically ran towards the inner room.
He said his Hongzhao would be alright, and now he's awake!
Yinzhen moved too fast, and Su Peisheng, who was only two steps away, almost couldn't catch up. When he finally caught up with him and entered the hall, he saw the emperor's silent, mountain-like back and a palace servant frantically holding a teacup and begging for mercy.
The crown prince remained lying there quietly, and did not accidentally break the teacup as the emperor had expected.
Normally, he would treat the palace servants well and would not hesitate to plead for them. But today, this person was really blind and happened to run into the fact that the Emperor's gun was right in front of the Crown Prince's bed.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was truly frightened by the Crown Prince's condition, that's why..."
These words made Su Peisheng's vision go black again. Yinzhen waved his hand and, without saying a word, someone stepped forward, covered her mouth, and took her away. Su Peisheng understood the fate of this little palace maid.
Yinzhen had been standing outside, too afraid to come in, but now that he had entered and seen Hongzhao lying there all alone in such a pitiful state, his feet seemed to be rooted to the spot, and he couldn't bear to look away.
He had raised his son since he was three years old, holding him in his arms and carrying him on his shoulders from a young age. As he grew older, he would hold his hand and personally teach him every stroke of the pen, personally initiating his education, selecting famous teachers for him, and testing his academic performance.
He carried Hongzhao onto his horse for the first time, and led him to court for the first time. He saw Hongzhao off on his first solo journey right under his nose, and Hongzhao tacitly approved of Hongzhao's first feigned illness.
The child, pieced together from individual fragments, was incredibly vibrant. Now, he lies there quietly, unable to utter a sound, cold and silent.
Yinzhen moved his legs, which felt like they were made of lead, to the bedside. He sat down without any hesitation and carefully examined the child's face on the bed.
If I hadn't called him back from Yongshou Palace for a meal that day, even though we had already agreed that he would have a meal with his mother, it was only because I suddenly had a whim and saw his favorite dishes that I personally served him the few bites he ate.
His son, Hongzhao, could have stood properly before him and called him "Father."
Of all the people dealt with just now, it was his father who was the one who directly handed the food to Hongzhao's plate.
The tears that had been held back for so long finally burst forth at this moment, in front of Hongzhao's bedside.
This is not merely the lament of an emperor who lost his carefully nurtured heir in his later years, but also the lament of an aging and frail father who pushed his own child into the abyss.
There are very few things that can make an emperor shed tears, but Yinzhen was the supreme ruler, and also a living, breathing human being. The excruciating pain of losing his beloved son was something that ordinary people could not bear.
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