End
Zhong Yujing woke up in the warm winter sun. The quilt was still at the familiar temperature, and the surroundings still lingered with a familiar scent. Her mind was filled with scenes of tenderness. The quilt was thick and tightly covering her. The room was clean and dust-free, the fire was burning brightly, and there was a sweet smell in the air, the same as on him.
Everything made her feel at ease. She didn't feel lost because she couldn't see him when she opened her eyes. It was as if he was right beside her.
Chen Qing went to the palace to report. She had not had a moment's rest yesterday from the time she entered the palace until late at night. When it was dawn, he could not bear to let her go, so he did not want to wake her up when he left.
Inside the Qianyuan Hall, Jinhong stood up to greet Chen Qing as he entered. Just as Chen Qing was about to bow, she raised her hand to support him, "Brother Wang, please stand up quickly. No need to be so polite."
"Someone come! Please take a seat!"
Chen Qing sat across from Jinhong at the imperial desk. Jinhong's face was filled with joy. "A few days ago, the imperial physician reported that my brother had recovered. I was so happy. I had been looking forward to my brother's return to the palace. Only by seeing him in person could I feel at ease. Now, as the imperial physician had said, my brother looks very well. My worries for so many days are now completely relieved."
Chen Qing bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness and for sending the imperial physician to treat me. I am now fine, so I have come here today to report."
Jin Hong sighed, "Speaking of the Imperial Physician, it took just over half a month to get your brother back to health. Imperial Physician Zhang is truly a skilled doctor!" After a pause, she continued, "According to Imperial Physician Zhang, he used some kind of folk remedy to speed up your recovery. It was your own request, and he suffered quite a bit in the process. Why should you be so hard on yourself? Even if you rest for a few more days, what harm would that do?"
Chen Qing said, "State affairs are hectic, and the military is overwhelmed. As a minister serving the country, I must do my utmost to recover as quickly as possible so that I can devote myself to government affairs and help Your Majesty solve problems."
Jin Hong was moved and said, "My brother has been so worried about me and Daqi, and now he is seriously injured because of saving the emperor. I heard from the imperial physician that my brother's injuries are serious and he almost... Alas, I hope he can recover safely."
"This is all within my responsibility. Your Majesty, don't worry about it."
Jinhong was relieved and said, "But it's good that Brother Wang recovers soon, otherwise Jing Xiang... I don't know how long she will worry~" She raised her eyes to see Chen Qing's reaction.
His eyebrows twitched slightly, but his expression remained calm. "I was able to pull myself back from the brink of death this time, thanks to Prime Minister Jing's care."
Jin Hong hummed and immediately said, "Prime Minister Jing has made great contributions! I have already generously rewarded Imperial Physician Zhang. As for Prime Minister Jing... I must reward him even more generously! What reward I should give him? I need to carefully consider it. I need to find a big reward, something generous that will satisfy both Prime Minister Jing and my brother."
Chen Qing, however, sensed something unusual in these words and fell into deep thought. His eyes wandered to the side, a smile gradually forming on his lips...
"Brother Wang?"
As if I didn't hear it.
"Brother Wang?" Jinhong called again softly.
Chen Qing was stunned, turned his eyes back and said "oh".
Jinhong smiled, blinked, and deliberately asked, "What beautiful thing were you thinking about just now, brother Wang?"
Chen Qing was stunned again, his eyes a little flustered. He coughed lightly and said with all his strength, "Well, I just survived a disaster and have a lot of emotions in my heart."
Jinhong continued, "Oh? Tell me what you feel."
"Life is unpredictable and ever-changing. Everything you think about must be realized in time. Otherwise, it will slip away from your fingertips in a moment, leaving you with only regret."
Jinhong was stunned when she heard this. A string in her heart was plucked, and the echo of a name spread in her mind. Her expression was gloomy.
"Your Majesty?" Chen Qing blinked.
Jinhong came back to her senses and smiled again, "My prince's realization has moved me deeply. I still remember how much trouble Shen Qingci's incident gave me last time. My mother's tossing and turning almost made me become a bad person and harm my prince. I still feel scared when I think about it. If my prince ever meets a soulmate, he must be the first to tell me so that I can act as a matchmaker for him and help him find a good relationship. This is my mother and my apology to my prince."
Chen Qing immediately bowed and said, "I am deeply apprehensive. Your Majesty, please do not speak so harshly. Last time, the Queen Mother and Your Majesty had good intentions. I was disrespectful and I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
Jin Hong burst out laughing. "Brother Wang, by saying this, are you finally admitting that you were pretending to be drunk at the dinner party and that you were also feigning illness afterwards?"
Chen Qing was silent and collected his thoughts.
Jin Hong slapped the imperial desk and said loudly, "Others may not know, but I see it clearly. Even if my brother doesn't say it, I still feel that woman is not worthy of my brother! Alas, I had to do it that day out of consideration for the Queen Mother's favor... You know, I haven't had a good year trying to cover up for you in front of the Queen Mother."
Chen Qing stood up and was about to apologize, but Jinhong stopped him, "I was just joking, brother, why take it seriously? It's all in the past." He then said solemnly, "Brother, you must remember what I just said. If you find a good match, you must tell me, your brother, first! I want you to be happy more than anyone else."
Chen Qing stood up solemnly, cupped his hands and said, "I will definitely live up to your Majesty's expectations."
After coming out of Qianyuan Hall, Chen Qing met Sun Zili. After exchanging pleasantries, Chen Qing asked, "How is the progress of Wen Renrang's case?"
Sun Zili bowed and said, "Your Highness, Wen Renrang's case has been concluded. The case report has been submitted to His Majesty. Wen Renrang has confessed to instigating the conflict between the two countries as the Imperial Preceptor. Add to that the assassination of the monarch. These two crimes combined make him a capital crime. However..."
"Just what?"
Sun Zili looked up at him, pondered for a moment, and then said, "He also has some connection with His Majesty King Yao..."
Chen Qing raised his eyebrows, his tone deliberately rising, "Oh? Sun Shaoqing, tell me about it. I am also interested."
Sun Zili pondered for a moment before speaking, "Wen Renrang said that in his early years he was a retainer of His Royal Highness Prince Yao, and that he had done some dirty things for His Royal Highness. For example, when His Royal Highness Prince Yao colluded with Emperor Qingfeng to frame Emperor Qinghuan, he assassinated Emperor Huan on His Royal Highness Prince Yao's orders... He also said that the reason he came to assassinate Emperor Hong was to fulfill His Royal Highness Prince Yao's will and help Your Royal Highness Prince Xian ascend the throne."
After saying this, he bowed and listened, waiting for instructions from above.
Unexpectedly, the virtuous king did not get angry as expected. Instead, he smiled and said, "The villain has a deep mind." Then he asked, "What do you think, Your Majesty?"
Sun Zili did not rise, but continued leaning forward, "Your Majesty, upon hearing of King Yao's actions, was enraged and felt his death was not worth regretting. As for Wen Renrang, you considered him to be utterly devoid of conscience, and ordered me to torture him." He then added, "Your Majesty did not vent his anger on anyone else because of King Yao."
Yes, if King Yao had any ulterior motives, he, the son of King Yao, would be the first to be implicated. However, his meritorious service in rescuing the king, coupled with his years of loyalty and bravery in defending the country, was enough to dispel everyone's suspicions. Otherwise, Yi Hong wouldn't have said that to him just now. So he said in a deep voice, "I will go to the Heavenly Prison to meet this lunatic."
Sun Zili then said, "Your Highness, please wait for me for a moment. After I go into the palace and report to Your Majesty on the sentence imposed on Wenren Rang by the Dali Temple, I will accompany Your Highness to the Heavenly Prison."
Chen Qing asked again, "What kind of punishment did the Dali Temple impose?"
Sun Zili replied in a deep voice, "He will be executed by slow slicing. His body will be hung at the city gate. After seven days, his bones will be ground into dust and his ashes will be scattered."
Chen Qing and Sun Zili disembarked from their carriage at the entrance to the Dali Temple's prison. The jailers, having already received the news, were waiting outside. Sun Zili and the jailers led Chen Qing to the end of the prison. That cell was reserved for the most severely convicted criminals. Anyone imprisoned there had committed heinous crimes and was unforgivable. In other words, even if they went to hell, they would not be pardoned or leniency, but would be subjected to the ultimate punishment of the Eighteen Levels of Hell.
Chen Qing stood outside the cell and waved to the people beside him, and Sun Zili led the jailers to retreat.
The prison stank to the heavens, a stench of decaying flesh or a murky odor mingled together. Wen Renrang lay dishevelled on the ground, his hair disheveled and face grimy, his body devoid of any remaining flesh, only half alive.
Chen Qing sneered. Even if such a man were imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, he wouldn't confess so thoroughly without extreme torture. He stood still outside the prison for a moment, perhaps noticing someone blocking the light. The prisoner in the cell opened his eyes and looked in his direction. When he saw clearly, he was overjoyed and laughed out loud. "You kid really aren't dead! I knew it, I knew it. King Yao's lifelong ambition will be realized!" He laughed madly.
"At this point, you still haven't given up?" Chen Qing said coldly.
"It's God who won't let me give up! Although His Highness has passed away, his ambition still lives on! That ambition is you! I have been secretly helping you. The emperor's son wanted you to marry Shen, but how could that bitch be worthy of being your wife? So I deliberately set up a trap to lure you into Yinfeng Forest so that you could see her true face. I knew that Prince Ping coveted the throne, so I pretended to cooperate with him, but in fact I was undermining his plan just to destroy his plan, expose his tracks, and help you remove the obstacles. I let Emperor Feng declare war on Qi State so that you could establish your achievements and prestige in Qi State during the national chaos. But you are obviously more meritorious than your master, so why don't you take the opportunity to get rid of the little emperor and replace him, and even protect him wholeheartedly? A real man should have great ambitions, and power should be handed over to virtuous people. You really have the demeanor of His Highness in the past, but you don't have the ambition of King Yao!"
"Stop talking nonsense! How dare you, a traitor, a villain, a flatterer and a lunatic, compare yourself to me!" Chen Qing shouted angrily.
Wen Renrang struggled to pull himself up, "You can insult me, but you can't slander your father! He has been so kind to me, and I'm willing to die for him. And you, his only flesh and blood in this world, you..."
"How outrageous! In my eyes, your master is nothing but a despicable scoundrel. He has nothing to do with me. I have come here today to tell you this, so that you can die knowingly. Since you are so devoted to him, save your grand ambitions and speak to him in detail in the underworld."
After saying that, Chen Qing left the cell without even turning back.
Inside Qianyuan Hall, Jinhong suddenly stood up, looking at the virtuous king in front of him in astonishment. "What? My brother is going to Qing to negotiate peace? The war between Qing and Qi is a foregone conclusion. I heard that Qing is only ruled by Emperor Yifeng's five-year-old son. The state affairs are temporarily stable and they will not attack Qi. Why are you going there this time?"
Chen Qing bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have heard from Sun Shaoqing that Wen Renrang's confession involves King Yao, and King Yao's crimes during his lifetime are related to the death of the previous emperor of Qing. If this matter were to spread to Qing, I am afraid it would be detrimental to our Great Qi. After careful consideration, I have decided to go to Qing alone to quell the hidden dangers and prove my innocence. I hope Your Majesty will approve it."
Jin Hong said anxiously, "I don't blame you, my brother, nor have I ever doubted you. Why do you need to prove your innocence? Please, get up! You've only just recovered from your injuries. You shouldn't be worrying about this. Besides, the Dali Temple has already concluded both Wen Renrang's case and King Yao's murder. The entire court respects the virtuous king. Please don't dwell on it." She walked over to Chen Qing, trying to lift his arms. "Furthermore, you've just recovered from a serious injury, and you're heading to Qing State. If anything happens to you, how can I explain this to Prime Minister Jing... to the people who care about you?"
Chen Qing did not stand up, but bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I beg for your approval!"
Jinhong paced around in embarrassment for a long time, but finally couldn't stand him anymore and had to agree.
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