Chapter 69 Chapter 69

(Note: A lot of words were missing in the previous chapters, so I added 200 words at the end. If you haven’t read it, take a look.)

Wang Shun also guessed that Gu Huaisheng would take Qian Zhi to see the emperor today, so he sent his assassins to intercept them at this time.

There are so many dead soldiers, and I don't know if the secret guards they brought today can fight against them...

Before he could think further, those people shot another arrow into the carriage, heading straight for Gu Huaisheng. He dodged to the side and barely avoided it.

The secret guards stopped watching and started fighting with their swords drawn.

Gu Huaisheng was a real civil official. Although he was good at writing and riding and shooting, he had no experience in martial arts. Even if he survived, his physique was only slightly stronger than that of an ordinary person. He could not do anything about this sudden situation. He could only hide in the carriage. If he showed up outside, he would cause trouble for others.

Gu Huaisheng took out a sharp knife from the box in the car compartment, and then lowered his voice to Qian Zhi who was hiding under the car, "Hide well, don't come out."

Qian Zhi was also a little frightened; he didn't expect Wang Shun's men to arrive so quickly.

He had no time to react and could only nod.

Gu Huaisheng pushed him in again.

When he was unsure, he couldn't help but feel a little flustered. Only by stuffing Qian Zhi in and letting him hide inside could Gu Huaisheng feel at ease.

Nothing can happen… Nothing can happen to him.

He finally found someone who proved the teacher's innocence, and he couldn't let anything happen to him.

What if something happened to him? Gu Huaisheng didn't know what he could do.

It was broad daylight now, but there were few people in this long alley, and after such a bloody incident, people had disappeared without a trace.

Gu Huaisheng could do nothing at this moment and could only leave it to fate.

He opened the car curtain to take a look outside and found that the situation here was not good.

Wang Shun's death-defying followers were numerous and fearless.

After all, if Qian Zhi went to the palace this time, the truth of what happened would be revealed to Emperor Taihe. How could Wang Shun allow them to bring people into the palace?

Gu Huaisheng cannot bring too many secret guards into the street as it is not in accordance with etiquette. If they are discovered by the soldiers patrolling the city, they will definitely be stopped and interrogated. If there is any delay, it will be unknown how long they will be taken away.

He had already brought as many people as he could, but he obviously still underestimated Wang Shun.

He actually kept so many assassins in private.

They were determined to take Qian Zhi's life, and even if they were discovered, they would bite their tongues and commit suicide, so that no one would find out that they were Wang Shun's men...

Gu Huaisheng couldn't think any further because there were fewer and fewer people here.

Until someone came towards the carriage and no one could stop him anymore...

Gu Huaisheng hid behind the carriage. When an assassin came in this direction, he directly opened the curtain and came in.

Don't let him find Qian Zhi.

Can't.

Gu Huaisheng took the initiative and stabbed the assassin with a sharp blade. The assassin was not careful for a moment and after being stabbed, he immediately slashed at Gu Huaisheng's hand. Gu Huaisheng was slashed away by the sword and took a step back.

The assassin didn't say anything and tried to stab Gu Huaisheng. Gu Huaisheng dodged a few times thanks to his agility, but he failed to dodge the last time and was hit in the abdomen.

The masked assassin wanted to stab again, but Gu Huaisheng took advantage of him not paying attention and took another step forward, stabbing the sword a little deeper. The assassin was also startled by Gu Huaisheng's action for a moment, and his pupils widened. It would have been fine if he had been stabbed once, but he actually stabbed a little deeper? !

You are really risking your life!

By the time he reacted, Gu Huaisheng was already in front of him, stabbing him in the neck with the sword.

Blood spurted out instantly, splashing onto Gu Huaisheng's face and eyes.

The sword pierced his abdomen too deeply, and Gu Huaisheng spat out mouthfuls of blood from the corners of his mouth.

At this moment, he looked as if he had been soaked in blood, which was very scary.

The assassin was already dead, his eyes were still wide open before he died, he never thought that he would die at the hands of Gu Huaisheng.

The sword was still stuck in Gu Huaisheng's abdomen. He sat down weakly on the floor of the carriage, leaning on the chair next to him to prevent himself from falling down completely.

Qian Zhi poked his head out and saw Gu Huaisheng's expression. He was immediately scared to death, "You...why did you do this?"

Of course he knew that he was trying to save him, but how could he even risk his own life?

Even at this time, Gu Huaisheng was saying to him, "Go... go back and hide..."

He raised his head in pain, blood still dripping from the corners of his lips.

He could clearly feel the blood draining out of his body bit by bit.

The curtain of the car was lifted by someone. Gu Huaisheng thought that another assassin had sneaked in here. He reached out and touched the sharp knife beside him. He forced himself to take a breath, but found that the person who came was not an assassin, but Shu Liang.

Although Shu Liang was also injured, his injury was obviously not as serious as Gu Huaisheng's. He was shocked to see Gu Huaisheng's condition, "Master!"

Gu Huaisheng didn't have time to care about anything else. He asked him, "Are all the people... dead?"

Shu Liang explained: "It was the patrolmen who found this place. They heard some noise here and rushed over. Some of the assassins were killed, and the rest who were caught committed suicide by taking poison."

That means death.

Gu Huaisheng wanted to say something, but he heard a noise coming from outside the carriage.

"Gu Huaisheng!"

Shuliang opened the curtain and saw Zhao Jinhe outside.

He was riding a horse and looked like he had just arrived here.

Zhao Jinhe was just in the Xiandian Hall of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, but he heard Gu Huaisheng's men pass a message to the eunuchs, saying that the person had been found and asked him to go to the Wumen Gate to pick him up.

He was waiting at the Meridian Gate, but he heard someone say that something had happened in an alley not far away, and a bloody incident had occurred. He felt uneasy and immediately rushed here.

As expected.

It is the Gu family's carriage.

Zhao Jinhe was frightened when he saw Gu Huaisheng covered in blood through the car curtain.

How could this happen?

He got off the horse and stepped onto the carriage. Seeing Gu Huaisheng like this, his voice was a little hoarse. "How are you...Are you okay? Can you still hold on?"

"It's okay." Gu Huaisheng was about to faint, but he still said it was okay. He said to Qian Zhi under the chair: "Come out..."

Qian Zhi crawled out from underneath.

When Zhao Jinhe saw Qian Zhi, his face couldn't help but turn ugly. Gu Huaisheng said to him, "Take him to the emperor quickly, don't worry about anything else for now..."

His voice was very soft. He had lost too much blood and barely had the strength to speak. The sword was still stuck in his abdomen, and the pain was so severe that he had become numb.

After hearing what Gu Huaisheng said, Zhao Jinhe realized that time was running out and there was no time to deal with other things. He grabbed Qian Zhi's collar and pulled him off the carriage.

Gu Huaisheng watched the two of them gradually disappear from his sight. He could no longer hold on and suddenly coughed up blood.

His whole body was filled with pain and cold, and Gu Huaisheng felt that his vision had become a little blurred. He could also hear Shuliang crying in fear.

"Young Master...Young Master, please hold on for a while. We will find a doctor."

Gu Huaisheng's fair face was stained with blood, and Shu Liang could hardly recognize his original appearance.

He put his hand on the tip of his nose, but felt that the breath was getting weaker.

"The lady is still waiting for you at home, sir. You promised her that you would go shopping with her in the evening... If you die now, what will happen to the lady... Think about her, can you hold on for a while?"

The carriage was already heading back towards Gu's home. Shuliang had been talking to him, keeping him on hold. If he fainted now, he might never wake up again.

Jiang Jingchun......

The pain became worse when I thought of her.

No way.

She holds a grudge like this. What if he cheats her this time and she ignores him again?

Gu Huaisheng was so worried that he almost died, and tears of worry came out of his eyes.

He doesn't want to die.

But the sword stuck in his body really hurt, it hurt so much that he almost died.

The capital was covered with snow. The carriage drove through the snow, leaving trails of blood. The blood gradually disappeared, and the next moment it was covered by the snow again, just like the filth in this dusty world, buried under the snow.

The carriage finally drove back to Gu's home.

Gu Huaisheng was already dying, his eyelids could hardly be lifted, but he struggled all the way and finally arrived at the Marquis' Mansion.

The gatekeeper was so frightened at the scene on the carriage that he almost staggered and hurried in to call for help.

When Jiang Jingchun heard that Gu Huaisheng was in trouble, she was still in the house making sachets for him. Hua Yun came running in from outside in a hurry, but the sound came in before she came in.

"Miss, Miss! Oh no! Something happened!"

Jiang Jingchun felt her eyelids twitching violently today. When she heard Hua Yun's words, the needle in her hand accidentally pierced her finger, and a bean-sized drop of blood spurted out instantly.

Jiang Jingchun felt pain, put down the needle and thread in her hand, looked up at Hua Yun who ran in from the door, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Hua Yun was almost scared to tears, and her words were a little halting, "The young master is going to die... dying soon..."

What?!

Jiang Jingchun jumped up from her chair.

She couldn't believe what she heard.

Hua Yun is always exaggerating. Something may seem like nothing at first, but in her mouth it becomes a huge deal.

Besides, Gu Huaisheng is so powerful, how could he die?

Jiang Jingchun didn't believe Hua Yun's words. She said, "Hua Yun, the new year has just begun. Don't say such nonsense. It's unlucky."

Hua Yun shook her head and said, "No, the young master was stabbed by a sword and his eyes are almost closed..."

When Jiang Jingchun heard this, he felt his ears buzzing.

She ran out immediately and just happened to see Gu Huaisheng being carried in from outside by a group of people. There was a sword stuck in his abdomen, and the original color of his cloak could no longer be distinguished. His face and body were covered in blood.

Jiang Jingchun almost fainted after seeing this.

Hua Yun really didn't exaggerate this time and didn't mean to scare anyone. Gu Huaisheng looked like he was really going to die.

But wasn't he fine when he went out today? Why is he like this now?

It wasn't until he was carried into the room and put on the bed that Jiang Jingchun reacted.

The doctor was beside him, treating his wounds, but the sword stuck in his abdomen was really a headache. He had to pull it out, otherwise he would bleed to death on the spot.

He quickly asked someone to prepare needles, thread, and medicinal wine, and stood by to get ready for the operation.

Seeing this, Jiang Jingchun finally reacted. She immediately ran over and rushed in front of Gu Huaisheng. Looking at the blood on his body, her legs could no longer stand.

"Gu Huaisheng...what's wrong with you..."

Her voice was trembling uncontrollably, and it sounded like she was about to cry.

Gu Huaisheng's mind had been somewhat distracted, but he finally came back to his senses when he heard Jiang Jingchun's voice.

He opened his eyes, which were already blurred by blood, and the people in front of him were somewhat unclear.

Before I could come to my senses, I could hear Jiang Jingchun's incessant crying.

"Why are you like this? Didn't you say you would go shopping with me tonight? How could you lie to me? Liar, you lied to me again...!"

Listening to Jiang Jingchun saying that he had cheated on her again, Gu Huaisheng actually started to recall when he had cheated on her.

He seduced her and deceived her... Although this was not a good thing, when had he ever gone back on his word?

She is the little liar who lies without hesitation.

Gu Huaisheng was in pain and had no strength to speak, but he still forced a smile and said, "I have never lied to you, cousin."

How could Jiang Jingchun remember whether he had cheated on her or not? She was already crying profusely, "Don't die, I'm only seventeen, so young, I don't want to be a widow, Gu Huaisheng, if you die, I won't be a widow for you, I will go out and find a romantic and happy life right away..."

Didn't he dislike her being like this? Didn't he get angry even when he talked to others? Could he bear this?

Gu Huaisheng smiled. He raised his hand, intending to touch her face, but his hands were covered in blood. He wanted to put them down, but Jiang Jingchun noticed his movements, picked up his hand and put it against her face. The dried blood became wet again when it came into contact with her tears.

Gu Huaisheng's hands were completely cold, like the kind of dying ice. Jiang Jingchun could clearly feel that there was no heat left in his body. Gu Huaisheng looked at her and wanted to remember her face firmly. Even if he really couldn't hold on any longer, he would always remember her.

From the sky up to the underworld.

Always remember her.

He said, "Cousin... at least let me be a widow for three years. Three years... I think I will still be in this world. I am afraid that if I see you being affectionate with others, I will be furious and pester you. This is not good... Three years after I die, you can find someone else to marry and still be romantic and happy... It's all good..."

She was a resentful woman when alive and a resentful ghost after death.

Gu Huaisheng was afraid that she would be worried about him after his death, and that he would be reluctant to leave the world.

Three years, just three years, let him watch her for another three years, and the rest is fine, as long as she is happy.

After his death, the poor cousin had no one to protect her anymore.

He was about to cry just thinking about it.

Her first half of life was not smooth, and she became a young widow at a young age...

"Don't... don't make me a widow..."

The word "widow" was too harsh. Gu Huaisheng couldn't die. Jiang Jingchun really didn't dare to think about what she would do if Gu Huaisheng died.

She can no longer live without him.

She didn't know what she would do after he died.

She was still negotiating with him, "I don't want you to go shopping with me anymore. Please get better, Gu Huaisheng. If you get better, I will forgive you for lying to me this time, okay..."

Tears fell in strings and flowed into Gu Huaisheng's palms. Gu Huaisheng had no strength left, but he still smiled, still nodded, and still said okay.

He was only 22 years old in his life. His cousin came when he was 8 years old. He didn't like her, but he fell in love with her unconsciously. In the end, he married her by some trickery. It happened so fast. He felt that he would die without having a few days of happiness. It happened so fast that he was a little unwilling to accept it.

She liked him, but he pushed her away. She pushed him away, but he pushed her away...

She was finally willing to let go of the past, but he couldn't take it anymore.

Is this a punishment from God?

Who is being punished?

He was not the son of destiny, and he was not blessed with any fate that he had to die. If he had known that this was his fate, he would have gotten up half an hour earlier to practice martial arts.

But it's too late to regret...

The court doctor had already prepared everything. He said to Jiang Jingchun, "Madam, please step aside. The treatment is about to begin."

It was bound to be bloody, and she was crying so hard, it would be difficult for him to handle the situation in there, so he should just go out and wait.

Jiang Jingchun didn't dare to leave. She was afraid that if she left, what she would see when she came back would be Gu Huaisheng's dead body.

Seeing this, Hua Yun had no choice but to half support and half drag her out.

Jiang Jingchun went outside to wait. Lord Gu and Madam Gu had also rushed over. After they finished their congratulations, they went back to rest. But not long after they slept, news came that something had happened to Gu Huaisheng.

When I rushed over, I saw Jiang Jingchun crying so hard, which made me even more uneasy.

On their way here, they heard the cause of the incident. It was said that after Gu Huaisheng left Gu's house and was heading towards the palace, he was assassinated by a group of assassins.

In broad daylight, under the feet of the emperor, someone would actually do such a thing.

Now Gu Huaisheng is still lying in there, his life or death unknown. They all have ugly faces and don't look very good.

They waited outside the house from afternoon to evening. There was nothing they could do at this point.

On the other side, Zhao Jinhe had already taken Qian Zhi to the direction of the palace. Now Emperor Taihe was still praying in the Xian Hall, where the Empress Dowager, the Empress, concubines, princes and princesses were kneeling. The prayers would continue until the sun set at 3 p.m., but Zhao Jinhe could no longer wait.

Every minute, every moment now was torture for him.

Unable to wait any longer, he immediately entered the Imperial Ancestral Hall, walked to the side of Emperor Taihe, and said to him, "Father, I have something to report."

Everyone's eyes fell on the prince.

They didn't know what was wrong with the prince today. Didn't they see clearly what he was doing? It would be over in another hour. Why would he be so anxious?

The Queen said, "Prince, please stop messing around. Don't you see we are praying for blessings now? Come back and kneel down."

Zhao Jinhe refused to listen to the empress and remained silent. He said to the emperor in a stubborn tone, "Father, I have something important to report to you."

Emperor Taihe finally opened his eyes, interrupting the Queen's next words. His eyes were fixed on the front, not on the Crown Prince. He was not annoyed by being interrupted, but simply asked, "What could be so urgent?"

Apart from his teacher, what else could make him lose his composure like this?

The emperor is now asking a question even though he already knows the answer.

He did not ask for the prince's answer. After saying this, he reached out his hand towards Zhao Jinhe.

Zhao Jinhe understood what he meant and immediately helped him up.

The two men went outside, and Qian Zhi was pinned down in the snow outside the temple, unable to move.

Zhao Jinhe asked him to speak and tell the truth about the incident at Hangu Pass that year.

At this point, it was useless for Qian Zhi to try to hide the truth. He knew that he might not have a good ending, so he just hoped that they could let his wife and children go.

Qian Zhi was shivering with cold. He trembled as he told the truth of that year. It was nothing more than that Wang Shun joined forces with the Mongolian Iron Cavalry to frame Shen Changqing, which eventually led to the defeat of the troops at Hangu Pass.

After he finished speaking, he almost buried his head in the snow and didn't dare to look up again.

The truth of the past, which has been sealed for more than a year, was finally revealed today.

After he finished speaking, the surroundings fell into dead silence.

The prince knew that Qian Zhi was involved in his teacher's death, but he never expected that it was Qian Zhi who had teamed up with Wang Shun to commit treason and frame Shen Changqing.

Finally, Zhao Jinhe finally reacted. He looked at Emperor Taihe and said, "Father...did you hear that? The teacher was framed..."

Zhao Jinhe's voice sounded a little trembling.

At first, everyone said that Shen Changqing deserved to die, everyone said that he was the hero in the Battle of Hangu Pass, and everyone said that he was a traitor, making him bear the curse of the world.

But no, it is not like that at all.

The teacher shouldn't die. He never deserved to die.

Compared to Zhao Jinhe's emotional look, Emperor Taihe looked much calmer. Compared with him, Emperor Taihe could be said to be somewhat indifferent, so indifferent as if he had known the truth of the matter for a long time.

He ignored Zhao Jinhe's gaze on him, and from beginning to end, his eyes were on Qian Zhi lying in the snow.

No...it's more like her eyes were empty and focused on the air rather than looking at him.

He responded to Zhao Jinhe's voice calmly, and said, "Well, I understand."

I know...

He said he knew it, as if he knew something that was very common.

This matter is not even as important as what he is going to eat tomorrow.

When Zhao Jinhe heard this, the expression on his face froze.

Is it just knowing?

Why does he look like he knew it a long time ago?

He recalled the time when he went to plead for Shen Changqing. At that time, the emperor said that the evidence was conclusive and he had to die.

Zhao Jinhe felt a chill all over his body. He looked at Emperor Taihe, his voice trembling. He said, "Does father know... or has he known it for a long time?"

What kind of person is Shen Changqing? Doesn’t the emperor know this?

How could he be so deaf and blind, and so biased and credulous?

If that was the case, why did Emperor Taihe let Shen Changqing be his tutor?

Emperor Taihe heard what Zhao Jinhe said, but he laughed. He was finally willing to retract his gaze. He turned his head and looked at Zhao Jinhe, but his eyes were still emotionless.

Emperor Taihe said, "It's not important."

It doesn't matter whether he knew it or not.

"How can it not be important?"

Zhao Jinhe's voice became a little sharper, and his eyes unconsciously became a little redder.

He didn't understand, why such an important thing could be so unimportant in his mouth? !

After Zhao Jinhe finished speaking, his expression suddenly froze, as if he had thought of something...

Some things do not happen suddenly without any warning.

It's like the death of a teacher.

It was the emperor who originally sent Shen Changqing to the Northern Frontier, and it was also the emperor who sentenced Shen Changqing to death in the end.

It is now unclear whether this was Wang Shun's will or the emperor's will.

Zhao Jinhe was almost questioning Emperor Taihe. He asked him why the truth was not important. If the truth was not important, what was the death of Shen Changqing, and what was the curse he carried?

Emperor Taihe also responded to his words generously, saying, "Didn't I tell you that he had to die?"

The afternoon sun mixed with snow hit them. The emperor, now nearly forty years old, had lost all the childishness in his eyes. Every move he made was filled with the majesty of an emperor.

Compared to the somewhat out-of-control prince, he was unusually calm from beginning to end.

In the past, the emperor once said to the prince: The evidence is conclusive, you must die.

But from now on, it is unclear whether it was because the evidence was conclusive that he had to die, or because he had to die for some reason.

"Father, why? On what basis do you do this?"

Zhao Jinhe had always thought that it was Wang Shun who wanted Shen Changqing to die, but now it seems that it was not just Wang Shun who wanted him dead.

However, the new policy launched by Shen Changqing was for the good of Dazhao. How could his father be so confused as to stand behind Wang Shun?

Emperor Taihe heard Zhao Jinhe's inappropriate words, but he did not hold it against him.

He looked at him and said, "Why? Why? Because he is your teacher, your tutor."

"Ahe, you know, clearing someone's name is actually the simplest thing."

He said, "As long as you ascend the throne in the future, you can clear the name of your tutor without any witnesses. An emperor can do a lot of things, you know."

The emperor told the prince the truths he had learned through hard work over the past twenty years, trying to tell him how correct his decision was.

"When I ascended the throne, I was still young, and everything was already in the hands of the Prime Minister. The Dazhao legal system has ministers but no dukes. The six ministries should all obey me, which means that if I want to give money to the Northern Frontier, I will give it to the Northern Frontier, and if I want to build the Tianlu Terrace, I will build it. However, the Prime Minister, under the pretext of assisting the emperor, and together with my mother, turned my rights into his own. The emperor's dictatorship has become a ridiculous act of the Prime Minister acting on his behalf."

The Prime Minister can be powerful for a while by relying on the power he gained by deceiving the emperor, but it is impossible for him to maintain his power for long. Imperial power is imperial power after all. When the emperor grows up and is no longer willing to tolerate and wants to take back what belongs to him, the struggle between "prime minister's power" and imperial power is bound to be bloody.

"Do you know why Wang Shun is so arrogant? Because I trusted him at the beginning, just like you trusted Shen Changqing."

Perhaps the emperor had already figured out this terrible cycle.

They will all trust those foreign ministers.

The supremacy of imperial power eventually became a ridiculous joke.

So, we can't continue like this.

Shen Changqing had to die.

"My whole life, I have always been constrained by others and controlled by foreign ministers. Do you want to follow my old path?"

He said, “I am doing this for your own good.”

To be honest, among all his children, the prince was the one who was most like him, so perhaps that was the case, and in the end, he ended up in the same situation as him.

But now, he will solve all of this for him, and he will never let him repeat the same mistake again.

After hearing what Emperor Taihe said, Zhao Jinhe did not respond for a long time.

The look he gave him was filled with a bit of despair.

"For my own good?"

How could he say it was for his own good?

He was doing it for his own selfish reasons from the beginning to the end. He was obsessed with this matter and was determined to break this shackle, but in the end he said it was for his own good.

He treated Shen Changqing as a chess piece. He wanted him to teach him how to behave, but he was also afraid that he would become the next Wang Shun.

The tutor he respected the most was not even a human being in the eyes of his father.

Come when you need it, discard when you don't like it.

Zhao Jinhe didn't understand why Shen Changqing would be the next Wang Shun?

"The teacher won't be him, and I won't be the father either, never... You are hurt, so no one wants to believe it. But, he is my tutor, my teacher, why do you bully him like this?!"

Having said this, Zhao Jinhe almost roared.

They are heartless and ungrateful, so they should think that others are the same as them, right?

But even though the prince had lost his composure like this, and even though what he said was extremely treasonous, Emperor Taihe's expression was still very calm. He looked into his eyes without even any anger.

He just said, "Well, the more you say this, the less I think my original decision was wrong. After all, I was the same as you are now. I can't leave him, just like you can't leave Shen Changqing."

But now, he will not let the past happen again.

Regarding Shen Changqing's treason, Emperor Taihe finally said, "Wang Shun cannot be in trouble now. Northern Xinjiang still needs his people to fight."

The current war situation in the northern border does not allow for a change of governor.

This means that even if Qian Zhi told the truth of that year, it would be of no use.

Emperor Taihe said without reservation: "Shen Changqing's grievances will be cleared up when the time comes."

Maybe it was when Zhao Jinhe ascended the throne, or maybe it was some other time.

Zhao Jinhe wanted to say something else, but the emperor had already spoken, "I know you are tired today and said some nonsense. Go back. I won't bother with you."

Having said that, without waiting for Zhao Jinhe to speak, he turned around and went back to the Xian Hall.

But Zhao Jinhe's voice came from behind again.

The prince's voice seemed colder than the winter wind.

He said, "I am different from my father. It was my father who forced me into this situation. If it weren't for my father, why would I be so obsessed with my teacher? If my father didn't like me, I would not even be as good as the prince. My teacher likes me, so I respect him."

Love will flow to those who love you. This is true for love, friendship, and the relationship between teachers and students...even the rarest and most uncommon father-son relationship in the royal family is like this.

Why couldn't he let go of Shen Changqing? After all, wasn't it because he was forced to do so?

The emperor himself fell into such a quagmire, and forced his own prince into the same state as well.

Zhao Jinhe no longer expected an answer from him. He looked at the emperor's back in disappointment and turned away.

Even though he had seen through the conspiracy and knew the truth, the prince would never cry as bitterly as he did before.

All he had was disappointment in the emperor.

He had long since freed himself from the shackles of foreign ministers and teachers. Only Emperor Taihe was struggling for this.

After hearing the prince's words, Emperor Taihe did not move and stayed where he was for a long time.

There seemed to be a crack in his motionless expression, and an indescribable emotion flashed in his eyes, but in the end, it was quickly covered up. He looked normal and re-entered the hall.

When everyone saw that he had no expression on his face after returning, they also kept silent.

After the worship and prayers were over, the emperor ordered everything to end and everyone got up and went out.

Only the Queen Mother did not leave.

She stood aside and looked at Emperor Taihe who was still kneeling on the spot, and asked, "Why did the prince come to look for you so eagerly just now?"

After hearing this, Emperor Taihe was silent for a while, and then finally spoke.

He looked at her and said truthfully: "The prince came to see me just now and brought Shen Changqing's former subordinates..."

Before Emperor Taihe finished speaking, the Empress Dowager's expression changed.

Even though it was quickly covered up, Emperor Taihe still managed to capture it easily.

Emperor Taihe looked at her and continued without pausing, "That subordinate said that it was the teacher who asked him to frame Shen Changqing for colluding with the enemy and committing treason."

The Queen Mother's expression became even uglier when she heard this. She immediately said, "It's been a year since this incident happened. Have you found out where this subordinate came from? Don't you know what kind of person your teacher is? This prince only wants to overturn Shen Changqing's case. He is really capable of anything!"

Emperor Taihe only said that one sentence, but the Empress Dowager already responded so passionately.

Emperor Taihe raised his eyes and glanced at her, with a hint of mockery in his eyes.

Then, he chuckled and said, "Why are you so anxious, mother? I haven't done anything yet. Master, you are doing this for my own good, don't I know? Don't worry, mother, I will act the same as before and pretend nothing happened, just like you taught me before."

As soon as these words were spoken, the expression on the Empress Dowager's face froze.

The hidden meaning in his words was so obvious, how could the Empress Dowager not hear it?

Yes, the emperor is no longer the same emperor as before.

How could he be willing to do what he did before?

The Empress Dowager wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Emperor Taihe.

"In fact, I have never understood it. When Qiong Zhang was still alive, my mother was always nicer to him. No matter what mistakes he made, my mother would protect him. But no matter what I do, my mother always says that it is not good enough, or not good enough."

"Am I not the Queen Mother's child?"

Throughout one's life, one will eventually be trapped by the things that one did not have when young.

He is almost forty.

But I am still bothered by what happened when I was a teenager.

He didn't understand, he really didn't understand, he was the child who crawled out of her belly, not Qiong Zhang.

But she had never said those coaxing words to him.

He never said it when he was a few years old, nor when he was a teenager, and even less when he became emperor.

Why is he called Qiongzhang, but he should be called Zhengze.

The characters they gave him were all so good.

No one knew how sad he felt when he heard Wang Yuxing eagerly share the word "Qiong Zhang" with him.

Some people's names are filled with the sound of gold and jade, while some people can only have such mediocre names in their entire lives.

So what if he is an emperor.

No love, no power.

"Your mother doesn't love your father, so she doesn't love me either, right? When my father hadn't passed away yet, your mother often hung out with Wang Shun, saying that she would love Wang Yu more because she pitied the widowed. You... really don't have any selfish motives of your own."

When Wang Shun was young, he was a brilliant and talented top scholar. When the Empress Dowager was still the Empress, he saved the Empress from drowning during a palace banquet. Not many people knew about this, but Emperor Taihe was one of them. He was only five years old at the time, and he watched his mother crying in Wang Shun's arms. He thought she must have been scared because she almost lost her life when she fell into the water.

Fortunately, the emperor was magnanimous and did not care about these things. He even blocked the news. Anyone who dared to spread rumors would be beaten to death.

Wang Yu was younger than Emperor Taihe at that time. From then on, the Empress told the Emperor that she pitied the orphan and would often let Wang Yu into the palace to look after him.

The late emperor was kind and still said nothing.

Wang Yu had no mother, but his mother treated him as her own son.

Emperor Taihe didn't think much of it at the time. He felt that Wang Yu was indeed pitiful because he had lost his mother since birth. It was not until he grew older that he finally sensed that something was wrong.

Something seemed to be wrong between my mother and Wang Shun...ever since that time they fell into the water.

When Emperor Taihe looked at the Empress Dowager, he finally showed some disgust in his eyes. He said, "Father treats Mother like this, but why does Mother do such a thing?"

Her father is so good to her, but why should she treat him like this?

The young Emperor Taihe did not take those things to heart. At that time, he had no idea about those trivial matters, and his father did not say anything, so he thought it was no big deal.

He even believed his mother's words and regarded Wang Shun as closer to him than his own father.

Speaking of the late emperor, the Empress Dowager's expression finally changed.

She looked at the emperor, her voice becoming a little sharp, her elegant face wrinkled at the moment, "What have I done? What's wrong with me? You mentioned Qiong Zhang now, just because you suspect that I have an affair with Wang Shun! But I never made peace with him until my death, and I never did anything to let your father down. Isn't this kind enough!"

"I am in the Xian Palace right now. I dare to say this. I am not afraid of being punished by God!"

The Queen Mother seemed to have recalled something sad. She pointed at the Emperor and spoke in a bad tone. She was usually well-mannered, but at this moment, she was so excited and out of control. She questioned him, "Wang Shun and I have been childhood sweethearts. We almost agreed to get married. We should have been together. If it weren't for your father, would I have done this?! Would I have done this! You are speaking for him. What do you know? You are going to speak for him!"

As soon as the Queen Mother said this, there was a long silence in the air. No one spoke. After a long time, only the Queen Mother's sobbing could be heard.

The former Emperor Taihe did not understand their messy affairs. It was not until he grew up and looked back that he discovered something unusual. However, he thought he had figured out what was going on between them. He thought it all started with the time the empress fell into the water.

It turns out that it started when the empress was not yet an empress.

Everything happened earlier than he thought.

Emperor Taihe didn't say anything else. At this point, he really didn't know what to say.

Qiong Zhang was not her child, but she loved him because she loved Wang Shun.

He was her child, but she did not love him because she did not love the emperor.

Love the house and hate the dog.

Emperor Taihe thought that he had been good enough in the past ten years. No matter how partial they were, didn't he still regard them as his closest people?

The emperor was sorry to the queen mother, but what about him? Why should she be so sorry to him?

Why should they be so unfair to him?

It's too late.

It's too late to say anything now...

Everything has an end. He has been trying to break free from their constraints every day for the past decade. Now everything is about to end. There is no need to say anything else.

He chuckled and said, "My mother is kind to Wang Shun and lets me be his puppet. It's all right. He will get whatever he wants, just like before."

The Emperor Taihe's face had returned to normal. He asked her, "Qiong Zhang has another child. Does your mother know?"

The Empress Dowager naturally didn't know.

Qiong Zhang would not tell her, because if she knew, she would definitely tell Wang Shun.

The emperor smiled and stood up. He looked at the empress dowager and said, "Look, mother, no matter how good you are to him, there are some things he will never tell you even after he dies."

After saying this, he went out of the temple.

The Empress Dowager looked unhappy, and she felt something was wrong. She shouted at the back of Emperor Taihe: "What do you mean? What do you want to do...!"

But this time, no matter what the Empress Dowager said, Emperor Taihe would not turn back.

Wang Shun will soon find the answer to what he wants.

But whether he can bear it this time depends on himself.