"That may not be the case. I'm just afraid that he might be too clever for his own good. Just keep an eye on him." Zhong Zhiheng said calmly. While holding his tea, he raised his head and said slowly, "Where is the Prince of Hui now?"
"Your Majesty, according to the date, it will be a few days before the Prince of Hui arrives at his fiefdom." Jiang Bairen said. While sizing up Zhong Zhiheng's expression, he cautiously said, "Your Majesty, shall we still follow your decision?"
Zhong Zhiheng didn't say anything, just nodded slightly.
"But Your Majesty, if..." Jiang Bairen looked embarrassed. He bit his lip. Finally, he spoke, "If Prince Hui still regards the Cui family as his mother's family, then..."
"Just do as I told you before. I have done my best for him." Zhong Zhiheng said slowly, interrupting Jiang Bairen's words.
"Yes. I understand," Jiang Bairen said with a bow. "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."
Zhong Zhiheng nodded. Jiang Bairen bowed and left. For a moment, Zhong Zhiheng was the only one left in the bedroom. He put the teacup back on the small table, leaned against a soft pillow, and stared blankly at the red and gold painted beams with his head tilted back. Somehow, he suddenly remembered the appearance of Prince Hui kneeling in front of him with tears in his eyes. He looked at those red eyes, and the child trembling violently because of shock and fear. He couldn't help but clenched his fists, but the crying and helpless face of the child in front of him disappeared again, and was replaced by the face of Concubine Shu crying bitterly. There were also tears, but this face made Zhong Zhiheng's face gloomy instantly -
"Tell me, what did you say to the queen when she gave birth?"
On the evening of the first day of March, Zhong Zhiheng went to Zhongcui Palace. He asked this question to Concubine Cui's face, which had remained peaceful and docile for decades. As soon as he finished speaking, Concubine Cui's face suddenly froze, and a fleeting trace of panic flashed in her eyes. Then she returned to her usual gentleness and peace.
"Your Majesty, why did you ask about such a sad thing out of the blue?" As soon as Concubine Shu opened her mouth, tears welled up in her eyes. She wiped her tears and choked up as she spoke, "Every time I think of the pain that Empress Zhenxian went through when she gave birth, I feel sad and emotional. I dare not mention it in front of Your Majesty, for fear that it would make Your Majesty sad..."
"Tell me, what did you say to Siyao that day?" Zhong Zhiheng suddenly grabbed Cui's wrist. He used so much force that Cui gasped in pain, but he had no intention of letting go. He squinted at Cui, his cold eyes were like two ice holes.
Cui was frightened. Having been Zhong Zhiheng's bedmate for more than 30 years, she knew that Zhong Zhiheng was a moody person and knew how to serve this fickle and suspicious emperor. However, this was the first time Cui saw Zhong Zhiheng's face like this. She was so scared that the hairs on her body stood up and she couldn't even cry. She just looked at Zhong Zhiheng tremblingly. After a long while, she timidly said, "Your Majesty, you...are you thinking about the Queen Zhenxian? How about I accompany you to burn incense for the Queen Zhenxian?"
“Bang!”
A slap hit Cui's face hard. With a scream of pain, Cui fell to the ground. All the pearls and jades fell off her head. When Cui finally got up from the ground, her long hair had fallen down, dragging on the ground in a messy and awkward manner. The pearls and jades hanging on the ends of her hair made a harsh sound.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
