The young eunuch said at a loss: "General, what are you doing?!"
The young eunuch was sweating profusely, and couldn't understand why Wang Nan suddenly started to take off his clothes. This was impolite in front of the king.
Wang Nan unbuttoned his battle robe without hesitation, revealing his dark and strong upper body.
The young eunuch couldn't help but gasp, and saw that Wang Nan's chest, shoulders, back and even arms were all covered with raised scars. Some were old wounds, some were new scars, large and small, there were at least dozens of them, which was shocking to see.
Obviously, these scars on Wang Nan's body were the result of his decades of fighting through mountains of corpses and seas of blood on the battlefield.
The young eunuch closed his mouth and swallowed back what he was about to say.
"Your Majesty, please listen to my advice!" Wang Nan kowtowed heavily on the white marble floor, over and over again, making his forehead make a "dong dong" sound. Finally, his head rested on the ground, and his strong body lay on the ground like a mountain, motionless.
No one could see that his eyes were already wet. He roared again, "Your Majesty, you must not let the eldest prince act recklessly and make the people of the world feel disappointed with the court!"
The man's rough voice was so sad and resolute.
This scene was so powerful that many officials who heard the news saw it from afar.
In the evenings of the past, the palace had become quiet, but tonight the palace seemed unusually lively.
Some people knelt directly beside Wang Nan, silently expressing their position.
British Minister Fang Huairui also arrived.
Fang Huairui strode to Wang Nan's side, slapped him hard on the back, and said in a rough voice: "Brother Wang, are you kneeling here to force me to remonstrate?!"
He deliberately patted Wang Nan's back, making a loud patting sound, as if the two brothers were chatting and joking.
Fang Huairui was smiling on his face, but there was no smile in his eyes. It was as if he was saying to Wang Nan, who are you trying to scare with this look? Everyone has been to the battlefield. I have as many scars on my body as you do!
Several officials nearby couldn't help but twitch their lips, especially the generals who were kneeling beside Wang Nan, who secretly thought that the Duke of England was really a bad-mouthed guy.
Although they were indeed forcing the emperor to remonstrate, as they were all officials in the same court, some things were seen through but not spoken out. After all, when it came to "forcing remonstration", it was tantamount to saying openly that the court officials were extremely dissatisfied with the emperor.
Wang Nan and the others who were kneeling on the ground had faces that turned blue and white, and looked very ugly.
"Ahem!" Another middle-aged general cleared his throat, put on a good face, and said to Wang Nan in a gentle voice, "General Wang, the eldest prince has already said that all the evidence about the Gu Ce case will be made public at that time. Don't get so excited for now, or you will fall into someone's trap and be used as a pawn."
Although he did not mention any names, everyone knew that the "people" he mentioned referred to King Kang's party.
Xiao Shoufu naturally heard it, and snorted, waved his sleeves, and glanced at Fang Huairui coldly. The Duke of Ying was always stirring up trouble because of the old grudge between his son and King Kang.
"Heh." Wang Nan sneered and slowly stood up from the ground, with a swollen spot on his forehead.
He met the middle-aged general's eyes and sneered, "The eldest prince has clearly been bewitched by Gu Ce's daughter."
Thinking of the scenes that day in Tianyin Pavilion, Wang Nan still felt indignant. Gu Ce's daughter was so arrogant that she relied on her little tricks to play tricks on others!
Wang Nan's fists suddenly clenched, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Chu Yi walking towards him slowly not far away.
His mind moved, he narrowed his eyes, and said in a hard voice: "If the eldest prince is really fair..."
As he spoke, his provocative gaze steadily shot towards Chu Yi, staring steadily into the young man's deep and auspicious phoenix eyes, "Then make a vow that you will never marry a daughter of the Gu family."
"In this way, I will believe that the eldest prince has no selfish motives!"
His last words were full of energy and powerful.
Wang Nan's eyes and expression were extremely firm, as unshakable as a rock.
Gu Ce was a traitor and a traitor. Since the daughter of the Gu family instigated the eldest prince to vindicate his father, she was obviously a Daji or Bao Si type. Once such a woman married into the royal family, she would only bring chaos to the palace.
Chu Yi naturally heard what Wang Nan said, but his expression did not change. Even his eyes and eyebrows did not move. He walked to Wang Nan's side as usual.
He was standing and Wang Nan was kneeling, so he was naturally much shorter than him.
Chu Yi looked down at Wang Nan from above. Wang Nan had no intention of retreating, his eyes were scorching.
The two looked at each other, and Wang Nan spoke word by word, "With heaven and earth as witnesses, are you willing to swear an oath, First Prince?"
His eyes were firmly fixed on Chu Yi's, not giving him the slightest chance to avoid it.
He believed that he was loyal to the core, and he only hoped that the eldest prince would repent and wake up in time and not be seduced by beauty.
"Of course not." Chu Yi answered lightly.
The moonlight poured down like running water, casting a layer of silver halo on his white clothes. His skin was as white as jade and he looked handsome.
"..." Wang Nan showed an expression of disbelief.
Chu Yi turned around, bowed solemnly in the direction of the South Study, and said loudly: "Father, I admire Miss Gu the Second with all my heart, and hope to marry her as my legal wife. I beg you to grant my wish!"
Once these words were spoken, it was like a stone that caused a thousand ripples.
Everyone was stunned, and several people's jaws almost dropped.
Chu Yi, on the other hand, was calm and had a faint smile on his face, as if what he said was the most ordinary thing and he was completely unaware that his words were shocking.
The area within a dozen feet fell into an eerie silence, with only the occasional sound of a parrot chirping coming from the southern study.
Fang Huairui stroked his beard and thought to himself: This young man is really full of vigor and vitality!
Everyone else thought that at this critical juncture, even if the eldest prince was unwilling to swear an oath, he should at least keep a low profile and wait until the Gu Ce case was concluded before discussing other things.
Unexpectedly, their eldest prince acted completely unexpectedly and unconventionally.
Wang Kangyin, the Minister of Revenue, took a half step forward, sneering in his heart, but said to Chu Yi in a serious manner: "Your Highness, the second Miss Gu is the daughter of Gu Ce. Gu Ce is guilty of treason, and the second Miss Gu is not worthy of being the eldest prince's consort."
"If one day, Your Highness ascends the throne, wouldn't he want to make a daughter of a criminal the queen? How can the daughter of a criminal be the mother of the country?"
"Your Highness, please think twice before you act. Put the country first and don't humiliate your ancestors or unsettle the people!"
Wang Kangyin made an impassioned speech, and every word he said was full of righteousness.
Wang Nan usually didn't get along with these aristocratic families, but at this moment he felt that every word that Old Man Wang said touched his heart.
Chu Yi looked at Wang Kangyin calmly and asked indifferently, "So, Minister Wang thinks that my father will lose his throne and our Dajing Kingdom will be in turmoil?"
"..."Wang Kangyin was so confused that he even had the urge to flip the table.
His words just now were clearly directed at the eldest prince, but the eldest prince shamelessly misinterpreted his words and directed them directly at the current emperor.
Even if he really felt that the emperor was incompetent and could not hold the throne, and that only Prince Kang could inherit the throne, who would dare to say such treasonous words? If he dared to say it, the emperor would punish him for treason on the spot.
Wang Kangyin quickly assessed the situation, lifted his robe, knelt resolutely on the ground, and shouted in the direction of the South Study: "Long live the emperor! My Dajing country will last for thousands of years!"
Chu Yi said casually, "Since my Great Jing will last for thousands of years, then who my imperial consort is is not a matter of concern to the country."
“…” Wang Kangyin was speechless, his face instantly darkened, and Wang Nan and others seemed to be strangled by the throat.
"good!"
In the South Study, an exaggerated and loud voice of a parrot was heard, which was particularly harsh in the quiet night.
"Hahaha..." Feng Yang laughed loudly in the South Study, his eyes narrowed into slits as he laughed. He said with great joy, "Well said!"
"I used to think that Chu Yi was too gentle and a modest gentleman, but it turns out that I was wrong."
"I'm afraid Father would never have thought that the one who looks most like him is Chuyi, his great-grandson... What a pity! If Father had lived two more years, he would have seen little Chuyi being born."
Thinking of Emperor Taizu, Fengyang's face showed a hint of nostalgia, and the wrinkles from his eyes to the corners of his eyes were all filled with smiles.
The emperor sat next to Fengyang and said with a smile: "It's different!"
The emperor was in the same good mood as Fengyang, and happily fed some corn to the colorful parrot on the gilded bird stand, thinking that his parrot was really smart! Fengyang laughed heartily again.
After laughing for a while, Feng Yang drank tea while looking out the window at the crowd outside. His face turned serious and he said, "Wang Nan is getting more and more confused as he grows older. He is blinded by one thing."
"The Gu Ce case was indeed too hasty back then, and there were many doubts. I don't know what the late emperor was trying to cover up." Speaking of the late emperor, Feng Yang showed a hint of sarcasm in his expression, "It's a good thing that it can be re-investigated now. While I am still old, I can still support Chu Yi."
Feng Yang stood up and planned to go out to support Chu Yi. At the same time, he was thinking: If Chu Yi can successfully overturn Gu Ce's case this time, it will be enough for him to establish enough prestige in the court, and then the emperor can make him the crown prince.
She can rest assured! Feng Yang just stood up, and his thin body suddenly shook. His face turned pale, and his breathing became rapid.
She quickly held onto the coffee table, her fingers turning white from the force.
"Imperial Aunt!" The emperor rushed over and held Fengyang's arms and shoulders, carefully helping her sit down again, unable to hide his worry.
Feng Yang rubbed his brow with one hand and waved his hand: "It's okay, it's an old problem."
But the emperor was worried, staring at Fengyang closely, and said, "Why don't I summon the imperial physician to see the aunt?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a loud and powerful male voice sounded outside: "You guys, since you know nothing about what happened back then, don't fart here!"
The emperor subconsciously looked up and saw through the window that Duke Weiguo appeared beside Chu Yi from afar.
Fengyang did not look up, but his face twisted slightly. He lowered his head, covered his mouth with a handkerchief and coughed gently a few times.
When she removed the handkerchief, she could clearly see a pool of black blood in the middle of the white handkerchief.
Fengyang quickly wiped her mouth with the corner of the handkerchief and put the blood-stained handkerchief into her sleeve. When the emperor looked back at Fengyang, he saw her sitting there as if nothing had happened.
"No need." Feng Yang said with a smile, "I know my body well."
The emperor saw that she was fine, so he didn't force her, and said, "Aunt, don't go out. Leave the outside to Chuyi and A'shen."
The emperor said as he handed her tea.
Feng Yang took the teacup calmly, and her mind couldn't help but recall the last time she asked Gu Yanfei: "What kind of soul would be imprisoned?"
What did the little girl say at that time? She said: "People like you..."
The South Study was completely silent, with only the slight crackling sound of the burning candles.
When it's quiet, the sounds outside the house become clearer.
"So what if I'm vulgar?" The Duke of Wei's voice became louder and more powerful. "I'm not a civil official, so I have to curse without using dirty words."
"I'm going to get this straight today. There is something fishy about Gu Ce's surrender to the enemy. I support the Crown Prince in re-investigating the case!"
After these words were spoken, there was silence outside the Nan Study.
There were more officials outside, not just the Duke of Weiguo, but also five or six civil and military officials. At least a dozen people gathered outside the South Study. It was crowded, and the two sides formed a standoff.
One side was led by Xiao Shoufu and Wang Nan; the other side was led by Chu Yi and Duke Weiguo.
The eyes of both sides collided fiercely, and neither of them was willing to give in.
Both Chief Minister Xiao and Wang Nan had gloomy faces and could not smile at all, but Duke Weiguo was heartless and smiled as he saluted Chu Yi with his fists clasped: "Your Highness, the First Prince."
At noon, his granddaughter Wei Jiaoniang returned home to ask him for help. She told him about the Hua family and Lu Qin, and also mentioned the group of students who ran to the emperor in indignation to file a complaint.
At that time, Duke Weiguo guessed that this matter would not just be limited to the Lu family's affairs. With the eldest prince's scheming, he would definitely use this matter to make a big fuss.
Therefore, the Duke of Weiguo did not act in a hurry, but instead had people pay attention to the movements of the eldest prince and Wancaotang. Until he heard that the eldest prince wanted to overturn Gu Ce's case, he immediately understood the eldest prince's intention and rushed over.
Duke Wei secretly praised in his heart: The eldest prince is really a little fox who thinks ten steps ahead before taking one step. "Wei Shen!" Wang Nan stood up from the ground with his upper body naked, and shouted angrily, "I really misjudged you! In order to protect the eldest prince, you actually wanted Gu Ce to overturn the verdict regardless of right or wrong. You... you really disappoint me!"
Looking at the Duke of Weiguo, Wang Nan felt heartbroken that things had changed and people had changed. The once righteous Wei Shen had turned into the person who could not tell right from wrong in order to gain the credit of following the emperor.
"No, Your Majesty, you are not talking nonsense." A hoarse and rough male voice sounded from behind Duke Wei.
A hunched middle-aged man walked out from the crowd at the back. He limped towards Wang Nan with a cane, and the trouser leg on his right leg was empty.
The man looked to be in his forties, with an untidy beard, sunken cheeks and cloudy eyes.
The other people present did not notice when this man came. They all looked at him curiously and thought he looked unfamiliar. They only vaguely judged that he should have been brought into the palace by the Duke of Wei because he was standing with the Duke of Wei's entourage.
Wang Nan frowned and was about to scold the cripple, but his eyes suddenly fixed on the other person's face. His body trembled violently and he blurted out, "You...you..."
"Yu Cunzheng?! You are Yu Cunzheng!"
Wang Nan's voice was trembling, his eyes were wide open, and he looked as if he had seen a ghost.
The others nearby were all confused, and a square-faced general interrupted and asked, "General Wang, do you recognize this man?"
"He is Yu Cunzheng, a fifth-rank cavalry captain." Wang Nan nodded, his eyes still fixed on Yu Cunzheng.
Of course he recognized Yu Cunzheng.
Yu Cunzheng was a general under General Zhao in his time. He was once a comrade-in-arms with Yu Cunzheng. They had been on the battlefield together and killed enemies together. They were friends who could trust each other with their backs.
Later, he and Yu Cunzheng had some disputes over political views and the argument was endless. Gradually, the two drifted apart.
"Old Yu, aren't you dead?" Wang Nan strode forward and looked at Yu Cunzheng closely. The more he looked, the more frightened he became.
Nine years ago, Yu Cunzheng was only 32 years old, and now he is only 41, but he now looks at least a decade older than his actual age, with gray hair and skinny body. Because of his disabled right leg, he has been using crutches all year round. His spine is obviously tilted to one side, no longer as straight and strong as before, and there are even several nails missing on his scarred hands.
The Yu Cunzheng in front of him looked so unfamiliar that he seemed like a different person. No one could tell that he was actually younger than Wang Nan.
Facing an old friend whom he hadn't seen for nine years, painful memories came flooding in like a tide, almost drowning Yu Cunzheng.
Yu Cunzheng's chest was heaving, as if a wild beast was roaring and trying to break out of his chest.
He gave a bitter smile and said with difficulty: "I am a deserter!"
Yu Cunzheng said these five words with great difficulty, breathing heavily and his eyes were bloodshot.
"Nine years ago, I ran away."
So, over the years, he never dared to show up.
Until two years ago, when he accidentally met the Duke of Weiguo in Yizhou, he never expected that despite his half-human, half-ghost appearance, the Duke of Weiguo could recognize him at a glance.
Only after that did he finally have at least one full meal to eat.
Yu Cunzheng took two deep breaths, trying to calm his emotions, and then continued: "Back then, all the soldiers in Tailing City were buried alive after the city was captured."
"I was lucky enough to survive and crawl out of the pit..."
Because he was buried alive, he was lucky. He managed to use his ten fingers to dig up the loose soil, and even his nails fell off, so he escaped. "
By then, his injured leg had already begun to rot, and in the end he had no choice but to cut off his leg himself.
However, others did not have such good luck as him. All his comrades died in Tailing City, Yangzhou!
Wang Nan looked at Yu Cunzheng deeply, wanting to speak but stopping himself. He had many questions in his mind. He wanted to know the truth of the past, and wanted to ask why he didn't come to the capital now that he had crawled out of the pit...
Yu Cunzheng took another deep breath with difficulty, holding the cane tightly in one hand, with veins bulging on the back of his hand, and shouted: "First Dingyuan Marquis Gu Ce is innocent!"
"He never surrendered to the enemy. Until the last moment, he was still defending Yangzhou and Sishui County. He is innocent!"
(End of this chapter)
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