The arrival of spring rain did not completely dispel the chill of winter. As the saying goes, spring is chilly and warm, which makes people defenseless.
Mu Zhuohua stood in front of the window, frowning and looking at the rain outside the window. A cloak fell on her shoulders, bringing a touch of ironing warmth.
Liu Yan went to the palace to meet the emperor today. After returning, he did not go to the palace first, but came to this small house where she was.
A smiling voice sounded in
her ears: "You look worried, are you worried about the Zhou and Sun families?" Liu Yan put his arms around her body from behind. The warmth on the man's body was far better than the cloak. Mu Zhuohua leaned in his arms and sighed softly: "No, I am worried about your majesty."
Liu Yan raised his eyebrows and looked down at Mu Zhuohua.
Mu Zhuohua said, "The aristocratic families are united in hatred of the enemy. They have suspended court and work. Now the six ministries are in chaos, and the people of Dingjing are in panic. Your Majesty can't bear it. Liu Yan, the aristocratic families are powerful. There has even been a history of aristocratic families controlling the government and deposing and enthroning monarchs."
"With me here, this won't happen." Liu Yan smiled, "No matter how powerful the aristocratic families are, the world will ultimately rely on military force."
"But if it really comes to that, more people will be involved, suffering, and displaced." Mu Zhuohua shook his head, "This is the worst step."
Liu Yan tightened his arms around her, rubbing his chin lightly against her bun, and looking deep into the water outside the window where the raindrops had made thousands of pits: "There is no great cause that does not require sacrifice. We just choose the path with the least sacrifice."
"Some people have choices, while some people can only be chosen." Mu Zhuohua sighed, "My abilities are limited, but I am unwilling to be the pawn to be sacrificed."
Liu Yan's lips curled up slightly, and he whispered, "I won't let anything happen to you."
"What about you?" Mu Zhuohua looked up, looking into his warm and gentle eyes, "I don't want anything to happen to you either. If the situation is really irreversible, you will inevitably be trapped in it..."
"If something happens to me and I unfortunately die, what will you do?" Liu Yan stared into her eyes and asked with a smile, as if he didn't care about his own life or death at all.
Mu Zhuohua frowned and said, "If anything happens to you, I will marry a young and handsome man. I will burn incense for you during festivals and let you see how other men love me."
Liu Yan laughed, raised his hand to rub her bulging cheeks, and couldn't help biting her red lips lightly, then said in a low and hoarse voice: "That's good, I don't want you to love me too much, as long as you are willing to accept my feelings and let me be with you all the time, that will be enough."
Mu Zhuohua felt flustered when he heard this, and pinched him and said, "What nonsense are you talking about!"
Liu Yan chuckled and said, "You know, there are toxins in my body, and there is no certainty on how many days I can live. Maybe I can live a hundred years, maybe three to five years... I don't want you to be in pain because of my leaving if that day comes. I would rather you cry and then forget it completely. "You left me and lived your own life." His fingers ran through Mu Zhuohua's soft long hair, gently supporting the back of her head, as if holding the most precious treasure in the clinic. "I was poisoned, and I planned to be alone and not drag others down. But when I met you, I became much more selfish. I was afraid of hurting your heart, but I was reluctant to let you go. Fortunately, I know that your heart can always remain sober and rational. In your heart, I will never be the most important. Without me, you still have your life, your ideals, and Guo Juli, whom you regard as a relative. You can live well, and then I will be relieved."
Mu Zhuohua looked at Liu Yan in a daze, and suddenly a pain and throbbing surged in her heart. Her eyes were red and her throat was tight: "So... you think so?"
Liu Yan's eyes told her that he did think so, and he felt relieved because of it.
Mu Zhuohua lowered his head and smiled bitterly: "It's not easy for me to fall in love with someone. Maybe I can live well without you, but there will never be another person in this world who can tolerate me like you, and there will never be another person who I can like like this. So... even for me, you should cherish yourself."
Liu Yan wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with his fingertips. The moisture with a faint temperature quickly disappeared from his fingertips, but lingered in his heart. A light teardrop, hitting the heart, is a deep mark that is difficult to erase and unbearable.
Liu Yan leaned down and kissed her wet eyelids reluctantly, down along the straight nose, and held her soft lips.
"I will."
A soft murmur sounded between her lips, and the kisses that were more lingering and passionate than the spring rain fell densely on her lips, face, and neck. Mu Zhuohua wrapped her arms around his waist tightly and buried her head in his shoulder. Like a flying phoenix that found the only phoenix tree in the world, she stopped here and snuggled here, not wanting to go anywhere else.
On the fifth day after Zhou Kui was imprisoned, Shen Jinghong went to the palace to see the emperor overnight. No one knew what he said, but it was rumored in the palace that the imperial study was smashed to pieces that night, and the emperor was furious. They guessed that the Zhou family must have committed an unforgivable crime, which made the emperor so angry.
At one quarter past one in the morning, a large number of imperial guards assembled and ran to Zhuque Street fully armed.
At three quarters past one in the morning, Mu Zhuohua was awakened from her sleep and heard a noise outside.
The light of the torch shone through the window paper. She rubbed her eyes and ran to the window in her pajamas. She didn't care that it was late at night and the dew was heavy, and she suddenly opened the window. A gust of cold wind blew in, and at the same time, what came into view was the fire of Prince Ding's Mansion and the imperial guards surrounding it.
Mu Zhuohua was startled, and hurriedly changed her clothes and ran downstairs. Guo Juli was sleeping soundly, but was awakened by the sound of Mu Zhuohua coming downstairs. She came out with her clothes on, and saw Mu Zhuohua's back as he opened the door and ran out. She was stunned for a moment, and then she followed him.
Mu Zhuohua stood at the door of her house, and what she saw was the back door of Prince Ding's Mansion. There were dozens of imperial guards guarding the back door, ready for battle, and there were many people in the back alley of Zhuque who were awakened by the noise like herself.
The firelight made Mu Zhuohua's face dark and inexplicable. She clenched her fists, her heart beating very fast, but she didn't dare to show any clues.
Guo Juli ran behind her, and was stunned for a moment when he saw the scene in front of him. He asked, "Miss, what happened?"
Mu Zhuohua lowered his voice and said, "The Imperial Guards surrounded Prince Ding's Mansion, but no one knows why. Juli, ask the neighbors, I'll go to the front door to take a look."
After Mu Zhuohua finished speaking, he left Guo Juli behind and ran to the front door of Prince Ding's Mansion.
All the servants and guards of Prince Ding's Mansion were shackled and knelt outside the palace gate, guarded by heavy soldiers. Mu Zhuohua anxiously looked for Liu Yan's figure in the crowd, but he could not find him.
At this time, all the imperial guards withdrew from the palace, closed the gate, put up seals, and escorted all the servants in shackles away.
- Liu Yan was arrested?
- Why?
- Who gave the order?
A bunch of doubts flashed through Mu Zhuohua's mind, and her anxiety became even greater.
After the imperial guards left, the discussion around her became louder. When Mu Zhuohua returned to the door of her house, she saw Guo Juli coming up to her, panting and anxiously saying: "Miss, I heard them say that the prince was plotting a rebellion and found evidence in the mansion. Everyone was arrested. The prince was summoned to the palace in the middle of the night, and then he never came back!"
Mu Zhuohua choked: "How could he rebel? He was summoned to the palace in the middle of the night. His Majesty deliberately led him into the palace and ambushed him in the palace!"
"Didn't you say that His Majesty trusted the prince the most? Why did he do this?" Guo Juli was so anxious that she had no idea. She knew the relationship between Mu Zhuohua and Liu Yan. She was worried that Liu Yan would be convicted, and even more worried that Mu Zhuohua would be implicated.
"Your Majesty would not do this to the prince, and the prince would not rebel. What evidence can there be in the palace?" Mu Zhuohua's face turned pale, and he muttered to himself, "Dali Temple... Is it Shen Jinghong? Why did he do this? How could His Majesty believe it?"
Guo Juli had a bitter face and his eyes were red: "Brother Zhimo was also arrested. Miss, why didn't the prince resist?"
"He can't resist. In any case, this is an imperial decree. If he resists, the charge of treason will be confirmed." Mu Zhuohua took a deep breath, and his eyes gradually regained clarity. "At this time, we can't lose our composure. I want to go to the palace to see His Majesty." Just as
Mu Zhuohua was about to leave, Guo Juli grabbed her arm: "Miss, His Majesty will order the arrest of the prince, and he must be very angry. If you go to see him at this time, will he be angry?"
Mu Zhuohua paused: "Yes, I can't see His Majesty now, I'm going to see Shen Jinghong!"
Shen Jinghong was naturally in the Dali Temple.
It's darkest before dawn, but the Dali Temple is as bright as day, and there are a lot of people.
Ordinary prisoners naturally don't have the honor of being imprisoned here. Those who can be imprisoned here are all high-ranking officials and serious criminals. Today, Dali Temple has added another important prisoner. Although it is just one person, the entire Dali Temple is on high alert and heavily guarded by the Imperial Guards.
Tiger Prison is built underground in Dali Temple. Go down from the prison of Dali Temple, walk through dozens of steps, and go down two feet underground to the location of Tiger Prison.
There is no sunlight in Tiger Prison, and it is gloomy. There are a few torches hanging on the wall, but they can only illuminate a small area. There are not many cells in the prison, because not many people can be thrown into Tiger Prison. There are six cells in total, all surrounded by fine steel, with only a small window on the door. The window is only opened for a moment when food is delivered. Therefore, the people in the prison cannot see a ray of light. In the endless darkness, they don't know the time, and they can't see themselves. People are still alive, but they seem to be dead. The only sound that can be heard here is the faint screams, which echo in the empty cells. This may be the screams of the last prisoner, or it may be the screams of a longer time ago. It is like a ghost that is left here, making people feel like they are in hell, living a life worse than death. That kind of fear is even more terrifying than torture. There are always prisoners who can't stand this fear. They desperately hurt themselves and use pain to remind themselves that they are alive, and finally die tragically in prison.
Sun Ru, who visited here not long ago, is already half dead, and Zhou Kui is also dying and in a serious coma. There are a few others who have been dragged out and thrown away.
In the darkness, there was a clear sound of footsteps, and a man walked down the stairs and walked towards the last cell in the prison.
The footsteps finally stopped at the door. After a cold sound of metal colliding and rubbing, the door opened. The firelight shone in, illuminating the narrow cell and the man sitting on the ground. He sat upright on the ground with his eyes closed. His face was calm and composed, without any panic or fear. Even in such a hellish place, his demeanor and appearance were not damaged at all.
"Your Highness is really extraordinary. Even as a prisoner, he can remain calm." A deep and magnetic male voice chuckled.
Liu Yan slowly opened his eyes, raised the corners of his lips, and looked at the person who spoke with a slight smile.
The man was dressed in a black official robe and had a handsome face. It was Shen Jinghong, the Minister of the Dali Temple.
Shen Jinghong held a lamp in his hand and looked at Liu Yan with a smile: "Is the prince really not surprised or angry, and has no doubts or hatred?"
Liu Yan said: "Lord Shen would ask this, he must be convinced that the prince is innocent. Who can be so convinced that the prince is innocent? It can only be the real culprit."
Shen Jinghong was stunned, then laughed softly: "Hehe... Although the prince is in the dark, he has a clear mind. I exposed the secret with just one sentence. I really admire him."
Liu Yan closed his eyes and smiled: "Lord Shen dared to say this, he is not afraid of exposing his identity in front of me, and he is not afraid that the prince will complain to His Majesty. But I don’t know how many traps Lord Shen has set up and how much false evidence he has fabricated to deceive His Majesty."
Shen Jinghong said: "The prince will know sooner or later, but His Majesty is too disappointed in the prince and does not want to come to see the prince, so I can only let this humble official greet the prince."
"Lord Shen has really worked hard for His Majesty." Liu Yan stared at Shen Jinghong with a dim gaze, "You abolished the system of favoritism, cultivated power for His Majesty, dealt with the Zhou and Sun families, and weakened the power of the aristocratic families. Now, you want to get rid of me. You really have no selfish motives."
Shen Jinghong smiled lightly: "If I say no, will Your Majesty believe it?"
Liu Yan stared at his face, but did not find a single flaw.
"Your Majesty is also a great man of his generation. He has made great contributions to the State of Chen. I can't bear to humiliate you. His Majesty has an order and the evidence is conclusive. There is no need to interrogate Your Majesty. You can just wait here for the day when the charges are pronounced."
Shen Jinghong turned and left, closing the door, and the door returned to darkness again.
Shen Jinghong walked out of the Dali Temple at dawn. Mu Zhuohua had been waiting outside for a long time.
It was a day off, so there was no need to attend court, but it was estimated that all the officials were eager to go to court to get some information. They wanted to know why the Prince Regent, who was highly trusted by His Majesty, was imprisoned, and what evidence was found from Prince Ding. However,
Mu Zhuohua knew that there could be no evidence of guilt. If there was, it must be a frame-up.
As soon as Shen Jinghong came out, he saw Mu Zhuohua's calm eyes. She stood in the early morning spring breeze, seemingly weak, but with an indescribable vigor.
"Lord Mu." Shen Jinghong walked up to her calmly.
"What's going on?" Mu Zhuohua didn't beat around the bush and asked straight to the point, "Prince Ding is loyal to the emperor and patriotic, it's impossible for him to rebel."
Shen Jinghong smiled slightly: "The evidence is conclusive, I have to believe it."
"What evidence?" Mu Zhuohua asked.
Shen Jinghong shook his head: "Lord Mu, this is a secret, it's not convenient to tell you for the time being. But I believe that in a few days, you will know all his crimes."
"All, crimes..." Mu Zhuohua repeated the words he said, with a sharp look in his eyes, "Do you want to frame other crimes?"
Shen Jinghong smiled but didn't say anything.
Mu Zhuohua looked at his calm appearance, and his heart became heavier. What did Shen Jinghong say to His Majesty, why did His Majesty believe it so much that he even distrusted his most beloved uncle and even wanted to put him to death?
Mu Zhuohua knew that she couldn't get the answer from Shen Jinghong, but Shen Jinghong's attitude was already the answer for her. She didn't say anything more to Shen Jinghong, turned around and strode away.
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