"Untie them!"
At the Emperor's command, Chen's father and Chen Choutian sided with each other, their eyes filled with hatred as they stared at the Emperor.
Although the Emperor was intimidated by the cold, hostile gaze, what did he, as the Son of Heaven, have to fear? "Chen Choutian, you could have killed me with a single blow back then, why did you hesitate?"
"I will make you, you dog emperor, give the Zhu family and my Chen family justice!" Chen Choutian's face began to contort with rage at the mention of this.
Yan Ning was so frightened by this expression that she almost couldn't stand up.
"How dare you! You dare to slander the Emperor!" Heshen shouted sternly.
Chen Choutian kept calling the emperor a "dog emperor," and the emperor's face did indeed show some anger. Heshen guessed the emperor's intentions from the slight twitch of his eyebrows.
With Heshen as a prelude, the Emperor softened his expression and continued, "The Zhu family slandered the sages, and you dared to harbor members of the Zhu family, bringing trouble upon yourselves. What does this have to do with me!"
Father Chen laughed loudly and said, "Qianlong, your rampant literary inquisitions will eventually incur the wrath of Heaven, and the Qing Dynasty will end because of your tyranny!" Father Chen's dry lips trembled, like a sorcerer casting a spell.
The Emperor's expression changed, and he slammed his fist on the table in fury, shouting, "Kill!"
A single word ended a life.
Chen's father's blood splattered far and wide. Yan Ning covered her eyes, biting her lip tightly, not daring to make a sound.
Chen Choutian witnessed his father's gruesome death, and the scene of the massacre in his home flashed through his mind—corpses lying everywhere, blood staining the asphalt path in the courtyard. His round eyes widened in shock, and he pulled out a dagger hidden in his boot and threw it at the emperor.
The dying man's anger and grief caused the dagger to fly towards the emperor like a fierce lion.
Caught off guard, Fukang'an could only extend his right hand, using his arm to weaken the force of the dagger and change its direction. The dagger, obstructed, flew off course and embedded itself in the wooden screen.
Upon seeing Fukang'an injured, the Emperor angrily waved his hand, and six imperial guards slashed at Chen Choutian with their swords.
The crimson carpet lay soaked in water, and Chen Choutian lay on the ground, his eyes wide open in death, staring at the Emperor. His face was covered in blood, except for the whites of his eyes, which were a different color.
Yan Ning stood beside the Emperor, witnessing Chen Choutian's dying moments clearly. Although she saw Tie Mu die from being pierced by ten thousand arrows, Chen Choutian's unseeing eyes still frightened Yan Ning so much that she fainted.
Despite the deep cut on his arm, Fukang'an picked up the fallen Yan Ning and knelt before the Emperor to pay his respects and resign.
After the Emperor granted his permission, he ordered Wu Shulai to invite the imperial physician to Fukang'an's yurt as soon as possible.
Heshen ordered his men to clear out the yurt the emperor used for handling state affairs and imprison the four burly men who were with Chen Choutian.
The Emperor followed Wu Shu to Fukang'an's yurt, where a royal physician was bandaging his wounds. Just as he was about to get up, the Emperor stopped him, "Sit down!" He obeyed and sat down, still expressionless.
After giving instructions on what to avoid, the imperial physician bowed and withdrew.
A palace maid entered to light the lamps and saw that the Emperor and Fukang'an were both sitting with solemn expressions. She quickly placed the candles on the candlesticks, bowed, and withdrew.
Wu Shulai watched as the shadows of the two men were reflected in the yurt, and stood outside the door with a look of comfort on his face.
Tears fell onto the bronze candlestick, resembling blooming plum blossoms. White plum blossoms adorned the brass, a beauty tinged with heaviness.
When Yan Ning woke up, she saw the Emperor and Fukang'an sitting at opposite ends of the table. Ignoring the haunting image of Chen Choutian's unseeing eyes, she slowly rose and smiled, "Even your expressions when you're silent are the same!" But her face was as pale as a veil, as fleeting as a wisp of wind.
Fukang'an's expression changed slightly, and he stood up and helped Yan Ning up with one hand.
Yan Ning gently touched the white cloth on Fukang'an's arm with her finger. "Is he alright?"
Fukang'an shook his head expressionlessly.
"Your Majesty, you are too stingy!" Yan Ning struggled to get up from Fukang'an's arms.
The Emperor's face showed a hint of doubt, and his voice held a touch of mild anger, "You little brat, you're spouting nonsense as soon as you wake up!"
Yan Ning pouted, "Other fathers would surely praise their sons for their bravery in saving their fathers, but you, you seem completely unmoved!" Having been in ancient times for so long, Yan Ning had learned some of the coquettish mannerisms of the women here, which, combined with her stunning beauty, made it impossible for anyone to resist scolding her.
In the candlelight, the Emperor's silvery-white beard trembled with joy. "A reward!"
Fukang'an tightened his grip on Yan Ning's hand, but his face was no longer expressionless. Compared to the Emperor's great joy, his emotions were much more restrained.
When the veil separating the two was removed, Fukang'an had no reason to run away anymore.
The next day, the Emperor instructed the imperial chefs to prepare many of the dishes that Fukang'an loved as a child, and asked Yan Ning to accompany him to deliver them.
As Fukang'an ate with his head down, the Emperor's expression was somewhat tense, like that of an ordinary father separated from his son for a long time. "These are your favorite dishes from childhood. They've been around for a while now. Do you still enjoy them?"
Fukang'an nodded, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
As Heshen watched the Emperor's entourage enter Fukang'an's yurt, his crescent-shaped eyes narrowed into almond-shaped ones. Fukang'an was favored by the Emperor, a fact known throughout the court, but why was he injured and required the Emperor to personally order his meal and deliver it to him?
Fu Chang'an returned from outside, his face covered in fine sweat, and he nervously grabbed Heshen.
Heshen knew he must have gotten into trouble, so he quickly pulled him into his yurt and poured him a cup of tea. With one hand behind his back, he asked, "What trouble have you gotten into this time?"
Fu Chang'an downed the tea in his cup in one gulp, then spit it out for a long time before saying, "I let those assassins in!"
Heshen sat down and slammed his hand on the table. "What exactly happened?"
Fu Chang'an wiped the sweat from his brow. "They said they just wanted to make some money here, and their accents didn't sound like they were from out of town. So..."
"So, you accepted bribes from others!" Heshen slammed the tea set on the table, his voice rising with anger.
He had one hand tied behind his back, his expression extremely solemn. "This is a capital offense! The only one who can save you now is your brother. He has rendered meritorious service in saving the emperor, and the emperor will surely spare your life out of consideration for him."
Fukang'an took the imperial chopsticks from Wu Shulai and picked up a piece of chestnut pastry ribs for the emperor.
The Emperor's eyes welled up with tears. "This is the best dish your mother ever made!"
Fukang'an put down his chopsticks, lowered his head and remained silent, staring at the dozens of palace delicacies on the table.
The Emperor was lost in memories of the past. "I remember when you were little, you lived in the palace. Your mother loved chestnut cake and assumed you loved it too. Every day she would bring you homemade chestnut cakes, but you only remembered that I loved them and would secretly share some with me!"
"Later, when my mother found out, she started making two portions every day!"
"Later, you and I both got tired of it and didn't eat chestnut pastries for a whole year."
After speaking, the Emperor and Fukang'an exchanged a smile, the atmosphere filled with memories of past anecdotes between father and son.
Yan Ning laughed along with them, while Wu Shulai secretly wiped away his tears.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
