The news that the Zhenguo Princess brought the Zhuxie Sword into the palace shocked the court and the public. After all, this princess was the only one in the world who could threaten the emperor's power, and she had this power, but she always kept a low profile and did not interfere in government affairs. The sudden appearance of the Zhuxie Sword naturally aroused many people's speculation. Most people speculated that it was related to Prince Ding's rebellion, but they didn't know whether the Zhuxie Sword wanted to kill Prince Ding or save him.
Princess Roujia accompanied Princess Zhenguo back to the royal villa, and saw that her temples were stained with frost and snow because of this incident, and she felt a little bit reluctant. She knelt down in front of Princess Zhenguo and said softly, "Grandma, please don't be sad..."
Princess Zhenguo stroked her temples, her eyebrows full of regret. She sighed softly, "Jiaojiao, do you know why I don't want to go back to Dingjing... This imperial city can always drive people crazy..."
Princess Roujia lowered her eyes and sighed, "I didn't expect that the emperor's uncle would do such a thing, but the Zhou family murdered the emperor's uncle first, and the emperor's uncle had no choice..."
Princess Zhenguo seemed to have aged a lot overnight, and the fatigue after many days of running around came up at this moment. "I can only let Your Majesty postpone for one day, tomorrow..." Princess Zhenguo couldn't bear to say anything more, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then hugged Princess Roujia, trembling, "Jiaojiao, you go back to Taoyuan Villa with Grandma, Grandma will protect you for the rest of your life."
Princess Roujia rested her head softly in the arms of Princess Zhenguo, as if she was still the weak and helpless little girl who lost her parents twenty years ago.
"Grandma, let Jiaojiao protect you..."
In the eyes of many people, one night cannot change anything. Liu Chen's suspension of the death penalty was just a face-saving measure for Princess Zhenguo. In fact, Princess Zhenguo knew that the throne was originally bloody. She just didn't want to see too much intrigue and strife, so she didn't want to return to Dingjing.
Looking at the heavy rain outside the door, Princess Roujia persuaded Princess Zhenguo not to enter the palace again.
"Grandma, the imperial physician said that you have been running around for many days and your mind is hurt. You need to have a good rest. It's raining so hard outside. You should not enter the palace again. What if you get sick?" Princess Roujia gently persuaded Princess Zhenguo who wanted to enter the palace to meet the emperor.
"But today Yan'er... will be executed..." Princess Zhenguo closed her eyes with regret. That was her brother's most beloved child... She didn't know whether what Liu Yan did was right or wrong. It was true that Zhou Yi hurt Liu Yan first, but Liu Yan killed Zhou Yi and Liu Ju after all. She had no way to stop Liu Chen from taking revenge. Revenge would never end...
"Grandma, you can't make His Majesty change his mind. Even if you enter the palace, it will be useless. His Majesty has promised to let the emperor's uncle go in a decent way."
Princess Zhenguo stared blankly at the heavy rain outside the window. After a long time, she let out a heavy sigh.
Princess Roujia helped Princess Zhenguo drink the medicine and rest, then she gently closed the door and came out.
It was cloudy outside, and a heavy rain was about to start.
Princess Roujia walked slowly through a dark corridor with her long skirt dragging on the ground. Man'er followed her closely, lowered her head and whispered, "Princess, Lord Shen has entered the palace."
Princess Roujia's steps did not stop at all, but her eyes moved, looking at the thick clouds not far away. No light could penetrate the heavy obstacles.
Noticing Man'er's hesitant expression, Princess Roujia asked lightly, "What's the problem?"
"Mu Zhuohua..." Man'er frowned, "She also entered the palace."
"Didn't we send someone to keep an eye on her yesterday? She didn't leave the house. How can she find a way to rescue Liu Yan in one day at home?" Princess Roujia didn't care.
Man'er said in a deep voice, "Princess... Mu Zhuohua, came back from outside the city and went straight to the palace."
Princess Roujia's footsteps suddenly paused, and she frowned in confusion: "Come back... from outside the city?"
"She returned home yesterday, and I don't know how she disguised herself and left the house, but she actually hid from our eyes." Man'er twisted her sleeves nervously, "Princess, did she find out something?"
Princess Roujia's heart sank, and after pondering for a moment, she said, "Send a message to Shen Jinghong and let him act according to the circumstances."
Liu Chen looked at the storm in the corridor with a gloomy face, and asked in a low voice, "What time is it?"
The little eunuch beside him replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, it's five quarters past the hour of Si."
Si hour...
He has already ordered the execution to take place at noon, and there is less than an hour left...
"Where is Shen Jinghong?"
The little eunuch said, "Lord Shen has just entered the palace, and is waiting for the time of execution in the Dali Temple."
"Very good." Liu Chen took a deep breath and walked back to the table with his hands behind his back.
Liu Chen had a sleepless night, and the bruises under his eyes were getting worse. When he was half asleep and half awake, it was Liu Yan who called his name with a smile. He saw himself, who was only as tall as his waist, swinging a special short sword. Liu Yan patiently instructed his movements. He looked up at his uncle with admiration.
"Uncle, when I grow up, I want to be like you, go to the battlefield to kill the enemy and become famous!"
At that time, the uncle was still a young man with high spirits. There was still a sharpness and pride in his eyes. He started to swing the sword with great momentum and smiled brightly: "Okay, uncle is waiting for you!"
He continued to pick up the sword and swung it harder. Liu Yan's smiling face in front of him became blurred again, and the spring light around him turned into a sea of fire. He looked around in horror, calling his uncle, but saw a sword piercing his father's chest in the depths of the sea of fire. He widened his eyes, watching the blood slide from the tip of the sword, and watching the person holding the sword slowly turn around - it was Liu Yan with an indifferent face.
Liu Chen suddenly raised his head from the table, his forehead covered with cold sweat and panting.
He saw the short sword hanging on the wall, which was polished by Liu Yan himself as a birthday gift for him. Liu Chen's face was pale, and he was trembling all over as he looked at the sword, his eyes surging with undercurrents. He closed his eyes in pain, and clenched his fists hanging at his sides tightly, his knuckles were white, and his veins were throbbing.
It was raining heavily outside, hitting the eaves with a crackling sound, deafening.
A eunuch hurriedly ran to the door and reported: "Your Majesty, Lord Mu wants to see you!"
Liu Chen frowned, opened his dark eyes, and said, "What is she doing here?"
The moment he asked, he already had the answer in his heart. He knew that she must have only one purpose for coming here. Yesterday, she raised the sword of killing evil in the Dali Temple and forced Shen Jinghong to retreat. He knew this very well. Even earlier, she pretended to be sick and did not attend the court, and he also knew...
He knew everything, but he just didn't want to think about it. Since the night Liu Yan took her away from his bedroom, he suddenly understood many things.
Without waiting for the eunuch to answer, Liu Chen turned his back and said coldly: "Let her go back. I won't see you again."
The eunuch said tremblingly: "Your Majesty... Lord Mu is waiting outside the door."
Liu Chen was shocked and asked: "How could she enter the palace without being summoned? Who let her in... Was it the eldest princess?"
The eunuch said: "Your Majesty, Lord Mu is holding the token of the Queen Mother's palace."
Liu Chen said inexplicably: "When did she get the token from the Queen Mother?"
The Queen Mother in Liu Chen's mind at this moment is his mother. Although they were from the same Zhou family, his mother had been submissive and submissive in front of the former Queen Mother for twenty years. Even if she wanted to act like a queen mother in front of Liu Chen, she couldn't do it. Since she was refuted by Liu Chen not long ago, she has been living in seclusion and dared not contact the Zhou family anymore, let alone other people.
Liu Chen did not remember that Mu Zhuohua had any contact with her.
The eunuchs did not know why, so they could only say what they knew: "Your Majesty, Lady Mu said that she has something important to report to Your Majesty. She said... Prince Ding was wronged, and she has important evidence to present to Your Majesty." Liu Chen concealed the real reason why he killed Liu Yan from the outside world, and did not want the world to know that Liu Yan killed the king and killed his brothers, so these eunuchs did not know the inside story. Mu Zhuohua did not dare to say it clearly, but when Liu Chen heard this, he naturally knew what she meant.
However, Liu Chen closed his eyes and hardened his heart: "It's just an excuse to delay the death penalty and let her go back. Otherwise, don't blame me for not considering the feelings of the Princess Zhenguo."
He did not want her to be involved in this matter.
Mu Zhuohua was waiting in the courtyard with an umbrella, but the strong wind and rain could not be blocked by an umbrella. She was still mostly wet by the rain, her wet hair stuck to her cheeks, and her little face was pale from the cold, but she was unaware of it and stared at the door of the imperial study.
The eunuch came out of the study and shouted to Mu Zhuohua, "Mr. Mu, His Majesty does not want to see you. He wants you to leave quickly, otherwise even the Grand Princess cannot protect you."
Mu Zhuohua was shocked and shouted anxiously, "I have evidence to present to His Majesty! Prince Ding is innocent!"
The eunuch waved his hands impatiently, "His Majesty told you not to try to delay the execution, it's useless."
Mu Zhuohua gritted her teeth and said, "I must see His Majesty today!"
As she said that, she suddenly rushed in. The people around her did not expect her to be so bold and presumptuous. They were all shocked and had no time to stop her, so she ran through two doors in a row. When Mu Zhuohua saw the eunuchs coming forward to grab her, she picked up the umbrella in her hand and waved it to force them back. Looking at the door of the study that was close at hand, she shouted loudly, "Your Majesty! The real murderer that night was someone else. Your Majesty, please take a look at the evidence, just take a look!" But
the door of the study was still closed.
The heavy rain blurred her vision. Mu Zhuohua stared at the door persistently and shouted, "Does Your Majesty want me to reveal the truth to the world?"
At this time, the door of the study was fiercely opened from the inside. Liu Chen's dark eyes fell on Mu Zhuohua's face, which was more chilling than the rain. However, Mu Zhuohua was not afraid at all. She threw away her umbrella and let the heavy rain hit her face. She knelt down in front of Liu Chen and said loudly, "I don't want Your Majesty to kill the wrong person and regret it for the rest of my life. I beg Your Majesty to listen to me!"
Mu Zhuohua lay on the ground and kowtowed hard. A touch of light red was washed away by the rain and spread under her.
Mu Zhuohua's shoulders couldn't help shaking slightly. It seemed that it had been a long time before she heard Liu Chen's low voice above her head.
"Come in."
Mu Zhuohua was overjoyed and hurriedly got up from the ground. She staggered and followed Liu Chen into the study and closed the door from the inside.
Liu Chen put his hands behind his back and looked coldly at Mu Zhuohua kneeling in front of him. Mu Zhuohua was wearing a coarse cloth dress that was inconsistent with her status. She was soaked all over, her hair was disheveled and stuck to her forehead, and her face was pale. Because she had just kowtowed hard, her forehead was now a shocking red. She raised her sleeve and wiped her face roughly, wiping away the blood on her face, but it could not cover the wound on her forehead.
Mu Zhuohua knelt in front of Liu Chen, his lips were pale and bloodless, but his voice was firm and unyielding: "Your Majesty, I am risking my life to speak the truth. On the night of the fire in the imperial palace, it was me who went to the temporary palace to invite back the late emperor, holding the token of the late empress dowager!"
Liu Chen's pupils shrank when he heard this, and he clenched his fists and looked at Mu Zhuohua: "Do you know what you are saying?"
Mu Zhuohua raised his head and looked at Liu Chen fearlessly: "I know that I cannot escape the guilt of the death of the late emperor. Your Majesty wants to kill me or chop me up, and I have no complaints. I only hope that Your Majesty will believe that every word I say at the risk of my life is true!"
Staring at Liu Chen's gloomy eyes, Mu Zhuohua took a deep breath and took out a token from his arms. "This is the token from the late Empress Dowager's palace. On that day, I relied on this token and, under the name of the late Empress Dowager, was able to leave the city unimpeded and enter the palace to meet the late emperor."
Liu Chen took the cold and heavy token from Mu Zhuohua, stroked the ancient characters engraved on it, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Where did you get this?"
Mu Zhuohua replied, "I accidentally found a secret compartment in Xue Xiaotang's study, which contained this token. Your Majesty... must have known about Xue Xiaotang's collusion with the Zhou family."
Liu Chen remained silent, which meant he tacitly agreed to the matter.
"I don't know how much Your Majesty knows. Today I am here to meet you and I would like to tell you everything I know." Mu Zhuohua was trembling with cold and took out another piece of evidence from his arms. "This is a prescription and a suicide note. The name of this medicine is Huanyang Powder, and the late emperor died of this medicine. This medicine was developed by my grandfather, Fu Shengru, the head of the Imperial Hospital in the Yuanzheng Dynasty. He intended to develop a holy medicine that could bring people back to life, but he failed in the end. This medicine is extremely overbearing and fierce. If the dosage is not controlled well, it will kill people invisibly. After my grandfather failed, he hid the medicine, but it was stolen. Later, Concubine Yun died of dystocia due to this medicine. In this suicide note, my grandfather wrote down everything he knew. Please read it, Your Majesty."
Liu Chen took the wet parchment from Mu Zhuohua. Fortunately, it did not affect his reading. He read Fu Shengru's suicide note at a glance. His face was gloomy and his breathing suddenly became rapid. "The death of Concubine Yun...wasn't it an accident?"
Mu Zhuohua took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty, the one who stole the Huanyang Powder was the Zhou family, and the one who killed Concubine Yun was the late Queen Mother!"
Liu Chen stared at the words on the paper absentmindedly, muttering, "He only told me what happened three years ago, but never mentioned the death of Concubine Yun..."
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Mu Zhuohua felt vaguely that something was wrong with this, but she didn't have time to think about it. She knelt forward, looked at Liu Chen earnestly, and said in a hoarse voice: "Your Majesty, the Zhou family and the prince do have a deep hatred. The late emperor has been ill for a long time, and the late queen mother was afraid of the prince's prestige. So she took advantage of the late emperor and Your Majesty's absence from the capital to set up a trap to kill the prince. It was because of the late emperor's eagerness to save his people that I invited the late emperor back to the palace, but I didn't expect that the late emperor drank the cup of poisoned wine himself to resolve the hatred between them. The prince was also because of the death of the late emperor. The poison took effect on his heart, and it was I who saved him. After that, the will changed, and he forced himself to stabilize the government by holding on to his sick body, relying on drugs every day. If the prince really had ill intentions, if he really wanted to retaliate against the Zhou family, why did he delay in taking action? That's because he was grateful for the late emperor's kindness and gave up revenge. He only wanted to assist Your Majesty wholeheartedly, and he had no second thoughts! "
Liu Chen's hands trembled slightly, and he lowered his eyes and silently looked at the water stains on Mu Zhuohua's knees. His white knuckles revealed his inner struggle.
Mu Zhuohua continued: "Your Majesty, all the records of entering and leaving the palace that night were burned in the fire, but you can investigate other entrances and exits, and you will know that the prince did not mobilize any troops that night. He entered the palace alone, and even left his trusted guards outside the palace gate. If he wanted to take revenge on the late queen mother, how could he enter the palace alone for the banquet? "
The witnesses that Mu Zhuohua mentioned can indeed be verified. She can't possibly deceive the emperor on such a matter...
"Yesterday, I checked the records of entering the city that day. The time when the late emperor entered the city was 2:45 pm. There is also a record of entering the palace. I remember it was 3:45 pm. Not long after the late emperor entered the Queen Mother's Palace, he asked everyone to stay away, not wanting others to know what happened inside. I was also waiting at the palace gate, until it was almost 12:45 pm, when I saw the prince walk out with blood on his body. I saw that Prince Ding's heart meridian was injured, so I pierced his acupoints to make him fall into a coma, and took him back to Prince Ding's Mansion. At that time, I didn't know what happened in the Queen Mother's Palace. It was not until midnight that I learned that a fire had broken out in the palace. The fire was unstoppable, burning most of the palace and killing countless palace people."
Mu Zhuohua said in a hoarse voice: "I checked the records last night. The fire in the palace was first discovered at 2:45 pm, and Prince Ding had already fainted at that time. I ordered Zhimo and Zhijian to get medicine, and there are also records at the pharmacist! Your Majesty, he couldn't have set the fire, and he couldn't have killed anyone!"
"Your Majesty, I know that you still have doubts in your heart, but since you have doubts, you can't kill people rashly!" Mu Zhuohua pleaded, "Your Majesty, that's your uncle! You have been with him for twenty years, don't you know what kind of person he is? He fought in Beiliang to repay the late emperor's life-saving grace when he was young. He put aside his hatred and assisted Your Majesty because he was entrusted by the late emperor before his death. When the Juliang Pass mutiny occurred, he stepped forward to stop it and confessed his guilt in public. Is it because he is really guilty? Is he really just protecting his subordinates and treating them as his closest relatives? "Is he going to kill the late emperor?" Liu Chen seemed to have lost his soul, and he murmured, "Yes... He won't... But..."
Liu Chen seemed to be hesitant. He closed his eyes and dared not look at Mu Zhuohua's eyes. "The late emperor died because of him, and he must die."
"Your Majesty!" Mu Zhuohua's voice was hoarse, like a cuckoo crying blood, and she cried sadly.
She looked at the emperor in front of her in disbelief. Is this still the Liu Chen she knew? Could it be that this position and this dress really change a person?
Mu Zhuohua bent her spine and hit her forehead heavily on the ground, making a dull sound. She stretched out a hand and trembled to grasp the corner of Liu Chen's clothes, her voice broken and sobbing: "Your Majesty, do you still remember... you once made a promise to me."
Liu Chen was stunned, his eyes fell on Mu Zhuohua's trembling and thin shoulders.
"Your Majesty once said that if I... have any request, I will grant it." Mu Zhuohua's voice was weak and humble, "Your Majesty's words are as good as gold... I dare to ask Your Majesty to spare the prince's death!"
Liu Chen looked at Mu Zhuohua quietly, as if suddenly, everything around him was silent.
"I thought you would never use this promise." Liu Chen's voice was hoarse with a hint of tiredness, "What will you do if I don't agree?"
Mu Zhuohua's back suddenly stiffened, and she didn't speak. Her body crawling on the ground was low in the dust, which was unbearable to watch. Her hands were clenched into fists, restraining the uncontrollable trembling, her nails sank into her palms, but she was numb and could not feel any pain.
Liu Chen lowered his head and smiled: "I understand..." A badge was thrown on the ground, "Take my badge and ask Shen Jinghong to let him go."
Mu Zhuohua grabbed the badge fiercely and held it tightly in his hand. His eyes, washed by tears, were clear and bright. He looked at Liu Chen in a daze, then came to his senses, knocked his head hard, and said with a sob: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Then, he staggered to his feet and rushed out of the door without stopping.
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