Chapter 221 Love and Hate
Although Li Changhuai was not a qualified emperor and could not bear to give up Qiao Yunshu in the end, he hoped that his son could become a qualified emperor!
"Go and look after the prince, and lend him a helping hand when necessary! The Song family can't stay any longer."
"As you wish!"
An Yi also took the order and left.
The emperor took a few deep breaths to relieve the tightness and pain in his chest. Then he picked up the memorial again and hurried to review it.
I have to go back to Fengming Palace to have dinner with my wife soon. Time is tight and the task is heavy, so how can I delay? If I don't go back, who will eat all these medicinal dishes she prepared?
After the Crown Prince left Qianyuan Hall, he rushed out to gather the three senior officials, and as the crown prince, he exercised the power of the king and with a stroke of his pen, he determined the crimes of many officials involved in the river silver case.
Those with less serious cases would lose their jobs to save their lives, while those with more serious cases would have their entire families executed. The Crown Princess's family, the Duke of Ping's Mansion, was on the list of those to be executed.
The authorities arrested people according to the warrants, and the entire capital was in turmoil. On every busy street, large numbers of men, women, and children were dragged into the prison in a panic. Everyone immediately became obedient. Some of the dandy young men were beaten several times by their elders, and then they stayed at home and didn't dare to move.
After two days of playing the game of officers and soldiers catching thieves, the news of the collapse of the Duke of Ping's Mansion was finally brought to the ears of the Crown Princess by someone with ulterior motives.
Song Ziying climbed up from the sickbed in disbelief, put a golden hairpin against her neck, and staggered into Chengqian Palace under the escort of a group of palace servants.
"Li Yanxiu!"
She seemed to be a little crazy. When she saw her husband, with whom she used to be in love, she rushed over with hatred on her face, waving a hairpin, and before he could react, she stabbed him in the chest with the hairpin.
Fortunately, the prince had practiced for a few days, and although his kung fu was not very good, he would not lose his life at the hands of a weak woman.
He reached out to hold the falling hand but accidentally grasped the sharp hairpin, which pierced his palm and caused bright red blood to drip onto his chest.
"Your Highness!"
"Don't come over here, all of you retreat!"
The prince chased away all the palace maids who wanted to come forward to protect him. He grabbed the other person's right wrist holding the hairpin with his left hand and squeezed it hard, and then the golden hairpin fell to the ground with a clang.
"Song Ziying, are you crazy?"
Pushing the man aside, the Crown Prince's face was stern. The Crown Princess, who had fallen to the ground, got up and rushed forward again in a panic, but after being restrained by the Crown Prince, she began to roar as if she had given up everything.
"I'm just crazy, you guys have driven me crazy! Li Yanxiu, you bastard, my family helped you get to the top so many times, and now you dare to cross the river and demolish the bridge?
We've been together for over a decade, and I gave birth to your eldest son. Do you still have any conscience at all to attack my family?"
"Who is the one without conscience between you and me?"
The prince gritted his teeth.
"I've given you everything I could, but it's you, the Song family, who's been greedy and insatiable! Your father should have expected this fate when he dared to instruct others to take the river silver!
"I'm dealing with corrupt officials who are corrupt officials in the imperial court. How can I say that I'm destroying the bridge after crossing it? If you really care about the relationship between us and Li Xun, why do you have to do it so ruthlessly?"
One of his men pushed the person away with force. He picked up the handkerchief on the table and pressed the wound on his hand. He looked at the woman lying on the ground, unable to get up for a while, and his eyes flickered with the past.
Song Ziying lay on the ground, gasping for breath, and turned to look at the man who had changed his mind. The hatred on his face was so obvious that it was hard not to understand.
"You just want to destroy my Song family, so why bother looking for such high-sounding excuses? You keep saying that my father committed a heinous crime by stealing the river silver, but haven't others done the same? Can you catch them all?
Even if my father did something wrong, he is still my biological father after all. Why can't you forgive him this time?
The Zhao and Qiao families had committed mistakes time and again, yet the Emperor showed leniency to them out of consideration for their loved ones. Why do you insist on destroying my Song family?!
It's obvious that you left no room for maneuver, and now you're trying to blame me! Li Yanxiu, I was so blind to fall for you, and now I've hurt my parents and family!"
The pain was heart-wrenching. If only the prince hadn't found out what she had done behind her back, he would definitely go over and hug and comfort the person he loved as he did before.
But now, he just felt cold.
It's not scary if a person is evil, what's scary is that she doesn't feel she is evil at all. She always stands on the moral high ground at any time and place, and wields the butcher knife unscrupulously against the poor people who have truly loved her.
When people are most disappointed, they actually have no other unnecessary emotions in their hearts. At least the prince doesn't feel that way at this moment.
He could only hear his own voice, without any ripples.
"It's obviously you who betrayed me, you know that, Song Ziying.
There's no need to quibble, I've basically found out everything you've done."
Song Ziying's expression suddenly changed, her face pale and her eyes terrified. She wasn't sure if the prince was trying to trick her, but she knew Li Yanxiu's methods well.
"You don't need to be afraid. I admit that I am a love-brained person. Even now, I still like you very much. But I am also a selfish person. I like myself more.
Look, how well-matched we are?
Even for my own reputation, for my son Li Xun, I will not allow you to be deposed. Crown Princess, you should just live out the rest of your life in the East Palace quietly. Why do you have to jump out and embarrass me?"
The prince walked over and squatted down, stretched out his uninjured hand, gently pinched her neck, and whispered in her ear.
"We were childhood sweethearts, and I've never been able to be cruel to you. But I know very well that if I want to be a qualified emperor, I should give you up. Ziying, what do you think I should do?"
The fingers gradually closed, pinching the slender neck to the point of breaking it. Song Ziying's face flushed and she couldn't breathe, but she was still mumbling in rebuttal.
"You said you would love me forever..."
"Yes, I will always love you. Even if you drugged me and wanted me to be childless, I would still love you."
The prince's tears fell on the back of his hand, and every drop hurt him.
"Ziying, can you go first?
I will send you off first. You will still be my only wife in this life. When I ascend the throne, you will still be the queen. We will be classmates after death, and we can continue to love and hate each other in the afterlife.
But now, I can’t keep you.”
"...husband...jun..."
"Shh, don't be afraid."
With a force from his hands, the Crown Princess fell limply into the Crown Prince's arms.
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