Reason allowed the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage to steady himself.
He can't run away; if he does, it would be like trying to hide something obvious.
The eunuch who led the way was completely unaware of this and went to report to the Emperor and Empress.
The emperor was delighted. "Speak of the devil! Quick, let him in!"
Marquis Zhongyong had no desire to become Cao Cao.
He hadn't planned to enter the palace so soon, but as soon as he arrived in the capital, he heard about what happened at the Marquis's residence that night. He had someone send Granny Cai back to her residence because he was worried that Xie Tingzhou would clash with the Grand Princess and be no match for her. That's why he rushed into the palace.
Who would have thought I'd hear such horrifying words?
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage entered the hall and bowed. "Your Majesty, all the bandits of Lao Jun Mountain have been recruited and the leaders have already set off for the capital with their troops."
"They've been granted amnesty?"
The emperor's eyes lit up with even greater joy.
Local reports all say that the bandits of Laojun Mountain are numerous and powerful, difficult to deal with, and rampant in the countryside, and they despise the imperial court and government.
He thought that if the Marquis of Loyalty and Valor went there, there would be a fierce battle.
Marquis Zhongyong then explained the situation there, which was that the local government's report was untrue, and that although the bandits of Laojun Mountain were fierce, they rarely preyed on innocent people.
It was only because the government tarnished their reputation that the people became afraid and spread rumors.
But in reality, most of them were pitiful people who had no land to cultivate, or people who had been oppressed by local gentry and bullies and had nowhere else to turn, or even veterans who had retired from the battlefield.
Before the Marquis of Zhongyong quelled the bandits, he ordered his men to pretend to defect and secretly infiltrate Laojun Mountain, where they learned the truth.
Seeing that there were many strong young men inside, he decided to recruit them. The bandits didn't ask for much; they just wanted to be well-fed and clothed, have something to do, and a place to stay.
Before setting off, the emperor granted the Marquis of Zhongyong the authority to act at his discretion. The Marquis of Zhongyong assessed that he could meet the bandits' demands, so he did not write a letter to ask the emperor for instructions.
Upon hearing this, the emperor praised it twice. Then, as if thinking of something, he sighed to the empress, "Although we are the most honored people in the world, we are trapped in this deep palace. We can only see what others tell us to see."
"Your Majesty, please take good care of yourself. We'll go out and see the world properly someday."
Over the years, his wife has been deeply troubled by the Crown Prince's affairs, and her health has visibly deteriorated.
He was very afraid that the Empress's health would deteriorate.
He then added, "You see, Xie Bang is a capable man. He has never disappointed me in the tasks I assign him, and he always completes them better than I expected."
He spoke softly and gently, without any airs of an emperor, like an ordinary husband, saying, "This time he will surely be able to find the crown prince."
Marquis Zhongyong twitched the corner of his mouth; he had no desire to become a tool for the emperor to appease his wife.
Then the emperor straightened up, coughed lightly, and resumed his imperial majesty.
First, he said that the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery had rendered meritorious service and would be richly rewarded. Then, he set the task of finding the Crown Prince within six months.
The final threat was that if they couldn't find anyone, they would have to bring their head to them.
The Empress subtly tugged at his sleeve, implying that a king's word is law, and if the Marquis of Zhongyong could not be found, she would truly kill him.
She knew her son well; he had trained many people outside when he was very young, and he was very capable. She had sent out so many people but they hadn't been able to find him. The Marquis of Zhongyong might not be able to do it in half a year.
The emperor understood the empress's thoughts and whispered in her ear, "It's just the three of us here."
The Empress immediately understood the Emperor's meaning: just because it wasn't said in public doesn't mean it can be ignored. If the Emperor doesn't make trouble, Xie Bang can even take the initiative to remind the Emperor to kill him.
Spoiled by his father, Xie Bang was not so well-behaved.
Chen Banjun, who was standing bowing beside them, also understood.
Is he not human?
At the same time, they felt helpless, thinking that the two masters were playing the role of emperor and empress like they were playing house.
They also hoped that the Crown Prince would return to the palace, since he was much more mature and composed than the other two.
Marquis Zhongyong also heard the words, but he didn't understand their coded message at first, thinking they were just flirting in front of him.
I couldn't help but think of Lou Tinglan; they had shared similar moments. Thinking of Lou Tinglan, my thoughts drifted to Cui Yihuan...
The two men were still waiting for the interrogation results and couldn't sleep, so they whispered to each other, one of them lost in thought.
The eunuch's announcement outside the door signaled the three to return to their seats.
The Emperor and Empress quickly sat up straight and straightened each other's clothes, while the Marquis of Loyalty and Valor composed himself.
It was Xie Tingzhou and the two princes who arrived.
Xie Tingzhou saw the Emperor and Empress's actions at the door, his eyes darkened, and he followed the two princes inside to pay his respects.
After paying his respects, Prince Ning plopped down at the feet of the Emperor and Empress, resting his head on the Empress's lap. "Mother, I'm so tired, so exhausted."
The emperor kicked him, saying, "You're a twenty-year-old prince, and you're still acting like this. Aren't you ashamed? Get out of the way."
He was really annoyed that his son was trying to steal his wife.
"At twenty, I was still the Queen Mother's son."
He didn't even try to dodge, and argued back with the emperor, saying, "Besides, there are no outsiders here."
Clearly, he was favored by the emperor and empress, which is why he was not afraid of the emperor's authority.
The Empress smiled and looked at Chen Banjun, signaling him to prepare food for Prince Ning.
Prince Ning smugly snorted at the emperor, "My mother still loves me the most..."
King Yun coughed lightly, "Alright, Brother Ning, important business comes first."
He had the imposing presence of an elder brother, so Prince Ning quickly sat up straight and made a gesture of sealing his lips with his fingers.
Reminded by him, the emperor and empress also quickly composed themselves.
Xie Tingzhou's eyes darkened.
In the past, the four of them often acted this way in private, but whenever he appeared, they would revert to their royal demeanor.
At first, he felt that their words and actions were inconsistent with the court etiquette he had learned. Later, as he grew older, he saw the loving relationships among ordinary people and began to envy and yearn to integrate into their lives.
But they would immediately resume their serious expressions as soon as he appeared, as if he were a nuisance.
However, his mother's private words of comfort made him think that perhaps it was because his personality was not likable and they couldn't get along, hence her restraint, rather than because she disliked him.
But after the autumn hunt, he realized that he was indeed an outsider.
Biting the soft flesh on his cheek, Xie Tingzhou pulled himself out of his thoughts. Years had passed, and the boy who longed for his mother's attention had long been killed. Thinking about these things now was just being sentimental.
But my nose still felt a little dry.
Are you injured?
A deep, concerned voice rang in his ears as the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage looked him up and down.
The bitterness faded, and Xie Tingzhou smiled, "Don't underestimate your son."
Marquis Zhongyong felt a pang of guilt. He dared not acknowledge this son in front of the Emperor and Empress, so he quickly changed the subject, "How is the interrogation going?"
Prince Ning was a man of many words. “Two of them were the Grand Princess’s royal guards. We couldn’t get them to talk, but I guess they were there to kill your mother and daughter-in-law.”
The spies from Dongwu have all confessed; their full-scale operation was to kill Yin Jiuniang, and the rest of them were also there to kill her.
He paused, glanced at Xie Tingzhou, and continued, "However, they refuse to admit who ordered them."
Although he didn't understand why Xie Tingzhou wanted him to say that, Xie Tingzhou said it would help his father share his burdens, so he would do as he was asked.
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