Confessing love
A second chance at life?
Shen Wenqiu was startled, his eyes widened, and he stared intently at Jiang Heng in front of him.
All the previous questions were answered at this moment; it turned out to be a rebirth.
If I were to be reborn, I would contact my old comrades and strategize before anything happened.
Then everything makes sense.
Shen Wenqiu didn't think there was anything wrong with this; he just stared at Jiang Heng, who was being very cautious.
He suddenly realized that if he were reborn, then Jiang Heng would have suffered the same pain twice as Jiang Heng had in this book.
Rebirth might allow for planning ahead, but the things that caused Jiang Heng pain and the many things the Emperor brought up were difficult to avoid.
I watched helplessly as everything happened, staring at the empty Yaoyue Palace.
Shen Wenqiu briefly considered Jiang Heng's situation. He put himself in her shoes, and his heart ached.
He could clearly sense that he felt sorry for Jiang Heng.
Shen Wenqiu softened his expression and was about to say something when Jiang Heng spoke first.
"Qiuqiu, in these two lifetimes, I've seen far too much, good and bad, black and white. Of all the millions of people in the world, none can compare to you." Jiang Heng held Shen Wenqiu's hand tightly and spoke these words carefully.
Shen Wenqiu stared blankly into Jiang Heng's eyes.
He knew in his heart that he didn't dislike Jiang Heng, and perhaps... he even liked him a little.
But everything happened too suddenly today, and he may need time to think it over carefully.
"Jiang Heng." Shen Wenqiu called out to Jiang Heng, meeting his hopeful eyes before continuing, "I'm not rejecting you, I just... need some time to think it over, okay?"
"Okay, of course." Jiang Heng was already very happy to see that Shen Wenqiu did not refuse, but only hesitated before telling him this.
Jiang Heng understood that as long as he didn't refuse, there was hope.
He also understood that his Qiuqiu was the most soft-hearted, and perhaps she was just a little confused because everything was too complicated today.
Maybe things will be better tomorrow? But before that, he has to teach all those who bullied his Qiuqiu a lesson.
After saying what he had just said, Shen Wenqiu began to examine Jiang Heng's expression.
Seeing that Jiang Heng did not show any extreme emotions, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He couldn't help but recall the astonishing words he had heard earlier that day, and he decided to stop pretending.
He had been worried that Jiang Heng might be resistant to his answer, but now it seems he had worried unnecessarily.
"Qiuqiu, can we apply the medicine now?" Jiang Heng got Shen Wenqiu's answer and stopped worrying about it, focusing only on him.
Shen Wenqiu then looked at his ankle, where the marks had faded considerably from rubbing.
He even thought that if they had chatted a little longer, they might not have been able to see the mark at all.
But when Jiang Heng looked at Shen Wenqiu with those adorable puppy-like eyes, he really couldn't bear to refuse.
"Okay." Shen Wenqiu blushed and nodded in agreement.
Jiang Heng was somewhat pleased, knowing that this was a sign that Shen Wenqiu did not reject him.
So he gently and carefully applied the medicine to Shen Wenqiu.
Shen Wenqiu observed Jiang Heng's actions, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Jiang Heng, you don't need to pretend to be so obedient. Now that I know your true nature and I don't dislike it, you can follow your heart."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Heng looked up at Shen Wenqiu, smiled, and said, "Qiuqiu is my true self. I love Qiuqiu, that's why I act this way, it's not an act."
Shen Wenqiu never imagined that his persuasion would earn him sweet words from Jiang Heng.
His face turned even redder after being told that, and his heart pounded even harder.
Perhaps Shen Wenqiu already knows his answer.
But he thought he should wait a little longer and think about it carefully.
If, after careful consideration, he still holds this view, he will tell Jiang Heng in a few days.
In contrast to the tranquility on Shen Wenqiu's side, things were far from peaceful in the imperial palace.
The Crown Prince's palace was searched and found to contain a dragon robe. His men then killed the Emperor's confidants.
Regardless of whether Jiang Yunyan actually did these things, on the surface it appears that the Crown Prince was plotting a rebellion.
Even from the Emperor's perspective, he was getting older every day, while the Crown Prince was young and strong.
He couldn't gamble, nor dared he gamble on that one in ten thousand chance that the Crown Prince might be wrongly accused.
If that's true, how will he, as the emperor, ever sleep soundly in the future?
But Jiang Yunyan was the emperor's favorite son; in fact, one could say that the emperor considered Jiang Yunyan to be his only child.
With this in mind, the Emperor summoned his trusted confidants to his study to discuss how to resolve the matter.
The emperor did not want to depose the crown prince; he couldn't bear to.
However, the emperor dared not face even the slightest possibility of the crown prince rebelling, and he was quite dissatisfied with what Jiang Yunyan had done.
Moreover, we are currently in the eye of the storm.
Many eyes were fixed on the Emperor's movements, wondering if he would take action against Jiang Yunyan.
Inside the imperial study, the confidants were arguing noisily, just like they did in the court on any other day.
Almost everyone believed that the crown prince should be deposed.
These people are royalists. Most of the time, the Crown Prince's interests are on the Emperor's side, so they will support Jiang Yunyan.
But now that the Crown Prince has rebelled, Jiang Yunyan has already stood on the opposite side of the Emperor, so these royalists will naturally no longer protect Jiang Yunyan.
"Your Majesty, I know that Your Majesty and the Crown Prince share a deep father-son bond. However, treason is a matter of great importance that could threaten the fate of the nation! If the Crown Prince's treason is not dealt with and is let off lightly, I fear that other princes, and even other members of the imperial clan, will follow suit!"
The minister's words were true and made perfect sense.
Everyone present knew he was right.
But the emperor was not happy.
The Emperor knew that the minister was right.
The Emperor also knew that he had no choice but to punish Jiang Yunyan this time.
But the Emperor hated those who had spoken out about everything.
He wanted to cover his ears and run forward, wishing he could cover his eyes as well.
But he was the emperor, and he knew all too well that this wouldn't work.
If this incident leads others to follow suit, and the empire collapses, neither the emperor nor Jiang Yunyan will have a good end.
It's a principle that everyone knows, and even the emperor knows it.
But because the emperor harbored resentment, the minister who uttered these unpleasant but truthful words met a bad end.
"You audacious traitor! How dare you sow discord between me and the princes and members of the imperial family! Guards! Drag him out! Cut him in half at the waist!" The emperor slammed his hand on the table, stood up abruptly, his eyes bulging as he spoke, his whole body trembling.
The emperor knew he was wrong, and he knew the minister was right.
But he felt that he was the emperor, and if he was unhappy, he would kill the man.
The minister was dragged out of the imperial study, begging for mercy all the way.
The other ministers and eunuchs knelt on the ground, not daring to speak.
Only the chief eunuch, who had served the emperor for many years, stepped forward to massage the emperor's shoulders and offer a few words of comfort.
The Emperor then suppressed his anger, sighed, and said, "I really don't want to depose Yunyan. He is my only son, and he has been pampered since childhood. It would be too cruel to depose him! But we are in the eye of the storm right now, and I have no choice but to depose him! Listen carefully, I don't want to depose him. Once the storm has passed, I will make him the Crown Prince!"
With things already discussed to this extent, and considering the minister's earlier incident, most people dared not be the first to speak out.
However, the chief eunuch had served the emperor for a long time and was naturally worried about his master, so he said something extra.
"Your Majesty, since the Crown Prince has rebellious intentions, you should at least consider your own safety."
These words incurred the emperor's wrath.
The Emperor, like a raging beast, suddenly grabbed the head eunuch by the hair, lifted him up, and faced the assembled ministers in the Imperial Study, viciously slapping him across the face again and again.
The sound of the slap echoed in the imperial study for a very long time.
The emperor only threw the chief eunuch to the ground when his face was covered in blood and swollen like a pig's head.
After throwing it on the ground, he didn't forget to stomp on the person's sore spot a few times.
As he moved, the emperor cursed, "What do you know, you childless eunuch! That's my only son! I'm counting on him to create glory for the Jiang family's empire and bring honor to our ancestors! If you spout any more nonsense, I will summon all the officials and make them watch as your tongue is ripped out!"
The chief eunuch dared not speak anymore; his face was so swollen he could not utter a word. He could only kowtow repeatedly, making hoarse, incoherent sounds, as if begging for mercy and confessing his sins.
The others were terrified at the sight.
Everyone fell silent.
The emperor could silence the mouths of the people, but he couldn't stop them from thinking what they wanted to say.
The ministers will think.
There are other princes in the palace, some of whom are excellent in both character and academics. Why must we repeatedly indulge Jiang Yunyan, this cruel and selfish good-for-nothing prince?
This thought, along with everything that happened today, was planted in the hearts of the ministers like a seed.
After the ministers left the Imperial Study, the Grand Secretary, who had remained silent throughout, looked up at the gloomy sky.
He sighed softly, "The capital city is probably about to undergo a major upheaval."
That night, Jiang Heng stayed in Shen Wenqiu's room and refused to leave.
He was afraid that Shen Wenqiu wouldn't be able to sleep because of what happened today, so he stayed.
Moreover, he has been busy lately and is worried about Shen Wenqiu's safety.
But today's events also include Jiang Heng confessing his feelings to Shen Wenqiu.
When Shen Wenqiu saw Jiang Heng, he remembered the heartfelt words Jiang Heng had spoken in this room earlier that day.
How could Shen Wenqiu possibly sleep peacefully under such circumstances?
"Jiang Heng, why don't you go and rest first?" Shen Wenqiu couldn't say it outright, so he could only tell Jiang Heng to go and rest first.
"Qiuqiu was taken away by Jiang Yunyan because of me. I would feel really bad if I didn't stay and keep Qiuqiu company," Jiang Heng said cautiously.
"Is it because you feel bad, or because you like me?" Shen Wenqiu instinctively felt it was the latter, so she asked directly.
"I like Qiuqiu, so I feel even more guilty." Jiang Heng gave a sweet smile, her bright eyes fixed on Shen Wenqiu.
Even though Shen Wenqiu knew that Jiang Heng was not the obedient and pitiful girl he had previously thought, he was still fooled by Jiang Heng's appearance.
He remained silent for a moment, then lay down and stopped trying to drive Jiang Heng away.
Jiang Heng was overjoyed. He sat on the floor by the bed, put his hand on Shen Wenqiu, and gently coaxed him to sleep.
Before long, they actually managed to coax Shen Wenqiu to sleep.
Jiang Heng stared at Shen Wenqiu's sleeping face, then his gaze shifted to Shen Wenqiu's lips, and he suddenly felt a little dry in his mouth.
But he realized that Shen Wenqiu was only considering it; he was neither refusing nor agreeing.
At this juncture, it might not be good for him to do anything.
Let's wait and see.
Jiang Heng said to himself.
We've waited this long already, a little longer won't make a difference.
At this moment, a black-clad guard appeared outside the courtyard. Jiang Heng squinted and glanced outside, then stood up and walked out.
Upon entering the courtyard, Jiang Heng looked at the black-clad guards and asked, "Have you found out?"
The black-clad guard, one of Jiang Heng's subordinates, said, "Your Highness, we have obtained all the evidence regarding what happened back then. However..."
The black-clad guard hesitated for a moment before continuing, "But all those events back then were orchestrated by the Emperor. Do you still intend to announce this to the court? I doubt the Emperor will admit his mistake."
Jiang Heng knew, of course, that the Emperor wouldn't admit his mistake; he had already tried it once in his previous life.
So this time he doesn't intend to be so mild.
Jiang Heng sneered and said, "Of course we need it. As for the Emperor... whether he will still be the Emperor by then is another matter."
The black-clad guard immediately understood Jiang Heng's meaning, bowed, and turned to disappear into the darkness.
A month later, in the imperial court.
The Emperor had seen the deposed Crown Prince for a month and considered the matter to be over.
He then wept bitterly in the imperial court, praising Jiang Yunyan and expressing how wronged he had been for the past month.
The ministers remained expressionless, and none of them responded to the emperor's lies.
They also knew that the emperor did not need their response.
According to the emperor's plan, all he needs to do today is have the ministers watch him finish his performance, and then he will issue an edict to re-establish the crown prince.
This dramatic scene between the Emperor and his son Jiang Yunyan has now come to an end.
As for the tragic experiences the Emperor mentioned, how did he transfer them from the Ninth Prince Jiang Heng to Jiang Yunyan?
The ministers didn't bother to expose him, and just watched coldly as the emperor continued his performance, walked up the steps, turned around, and prepared to make an announcement.
Restore Jiang Yunyan's position as crown prince.
But just then, the palace doors suddenly swung open.
Everyone turned around and saw Jiang Heng, dressed in court robes and holding a knife, striding in.
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