Chapter 44 He really doesn’t have this habit…
Suburbs of Beijing.
The Earl of Danyang was shackled, his cloudy eyes mingled with deep regret and unspeakable heartache. "Jiang'er, let's go. We can't stay here for long. Although the Queen Mother is imprisoned, there's no guarantee she won't take action against you. It's too dangerous out there."
Wang Jiang's eyes were red, tears silently falling. He solemnly lifted his robe and knelt heavily, "Father, it's me who has implicated you! The Empress Dowager wanted to punish me, but in the end, it has put you in this situation."
"But I have no choice. The empress dowager and Your Majesty are destined to fight to the death. If I side with the empress dowager, I'm afraid the entire Bo family will be doomed."
"This Huainan flood relief case implicated numerous officials. The local prefect was sentenced to death, his men were exiled, and his women were confiscated as prostitutes. You colluded with local officials to force the purchase of over a thousand acres of flooded farmland, yet you were only sentenced to exile, sparing the Earl's family. This is the best outcome I could have achieved."
"Besides, His Majesty has promised me that he will send the Inspectorate's shadow guards to protect you and will not allow the Queen Mother's men to take advantage of you."
The Earl of Danyang sighed deeply, "Your Majesty, your father, does not blame you. When His Majesty first employed you, he was also suspicious. You may not know that the Supervisory Office has been keeping an eye on our family for a long time. If you dare to go along with the Queen Mother, I'm afraid you would have been..."
"The Queen Mother exposed my weakness this time just to make an example of her. She's in decline now, and if she doesn't set an example, those people under her will probably get wind of it and act."
"It's all because of my greed that I've implicated you. But it's alright, I'll take the blame for what I did. From now on, there will be no more connection between our Danyang Marquis' Mansion and the Queen Mother."
As he spoke, he lifted his heavily shackled hands, bent over to help his son up, and said, "From now on, the Bo Mansion depends on you."
"Dad." Wang Jiang suppressed the heat in his eyes and said solemnly, "Don't worry, your son will do his best to protect the Danyang Marquis's family."
At this time, the officer urged: "It's time to get going."
The Duke of Danyang glanced at the officer and said in a gentle voice, "Please be patient for a moment, officer. I will just say a few more words and then leave."
Wang Jiang understood immediately and took out a heavy silver bag from his sleeve and put it into the hands of the leading officer. "It's just a small token of my appreciation. Please help me, my two gentlemen."
The officer weighed the silver bag and snorted, which was considered as his tacit agreement.
The Earl of Danyang pulled Wang Jiang aside. After making sure the two officers couldn't hear clearly, he leaned close to Wang Jiang's ear and whispered in a low voice, "The Queen Mother has hidden pawns in the Imperial Guards and the three major camps. Now that she's been forced into this situation, she might be desperate. Tell His Majesty immediately and tell him to be careful."
"To protect His Majesty now is to protect our family."
Wang Jiang's pupils trembled, "Daddy, do you know who they are?"
Danyang Bo shook his head and smiled helplessly: "If my father knew, would the Queen Mother still let my father leave the capital alive?"
However, he changed the subject: "But, the late emperor back then..."
As he spoke, he glanced warily at the officers, seeing them unpacking the silver pouch and counting the coins intently. Then he added, "The true cause of the late emperor's death...is hidden in the study, in my father's favorite book. You know which one it is. The Empress Dowager has a hidden chess piece in her hand, and that is the murderer from that year."
When Wang Jiang suddenly heard this earth-shattering news, he felt like he was struck by lightning and a chill ran down his spine.
"The late emperor was... murdered?!"
At this point, the officer put away the money bag and began to urge: "Hey! It's time! What are you dawdling for?"
Danyang Bo finally shook his son's hand vigorously and made up his mind, "Dad is gone."
After saying this, he turned and left.
Wang Jiang lowered his head, wiped the corners of his eyes with the edge of his sleeve, and shouted with all his strength to his father who was walking away: "Dad, take care on your journey!"
He clenched his sleeves tightly, determined to bring this clue to His Majesty as soon as possible!
*
Funing Palace.
The two of them had been fooling around for too long last night, and Wen Xing was exhausted and slept very soundly.
Ning Wujie had already woken up, but remained lying on his side, his arm numb from the pressure of Wen Xing's pillow beneath him. Afraid of disturbing the sweet dreams of the person in his arms, he remained motionless, simply holding her in his arms as he gently placed several memorials in front of Wen Xing, his gaze passing over the soft crown of her head as he silently reviewed them.
The hall was silent, with only the faint sound of shuffling papers.
At this time, Li Dequan bowed and came in. Seeing that the emperor was still asleep, he lowered his voice and said, "Sir Ning, the old Marquis Ning and the eldest son Ning wish to see Your Majesty."
Ning Wujie frowned, lowered his eyes and saw that Wen Xing was still sleeping soundly, so he said, "His Majesty is asleep, let him go back."
He could guess what his father was going to do, maybe Ning Buhuo would follow him.
Thinking of this, he froze, and then added inexplicably: "Just say it's His Majesty's order and tell them to go away."
When Li Dequan heard the word "get out", he was stunned.
He thought Lord Ning was a respectful, benevolent, and filial person, but he actually said this word to his own father?!
But when he saw Ning Wujie hugging his Majesty with such caution, he understood everything. He was probably afraid that the old marquis would disturb his Majesty, so he might say something without thinking in a hurry.
Tsk tsk tsk. Look at how sticky it is.
The old eunuch smiled and retreated to pass on the message.
However, a moment later, Ning Buhuo's voice came from outside the door: "Your Majesty! My father and I are here to plead guilty. Please grant us an audience!"
Ning Wujie rubbed his twitching forehead.
Ning Buhuo, that idiot!
He shouldn't have falsely conveyed the imperial edict just now, making Ning Buhuo think that the emperor was awake.
Wouldn’t such a loud voice wake people up directly?
He could no longer care about anything else and could only anxiously and slowly pull his arm out from under Wen Xing bit by bit while Ning Buhuo kept calling him "Your Majesty".
As soon as he was freed, he jumped off the bed, not even bothering to put on shoes and socks. He touched the ground barefoot and rushed to the door of the hall in a flash.
Outside the door, Li Dequan was sweating profusely from anxiety. He waved his hands at Ning Buhuo and said in a low voice, "General Ning, His Majesty hasn't woken up yet. Please keep your voice down!"
Ning Buhuo was puzzled: "Didn't His Majesty just order us to 'get out'?"
He was shocked and confused, thinking that His Majesty already knew that they had "secretly released" Ning Wujie last night, and was so angry that he didn't even give him a chance to explain.
Ning Wujie stopped at the entrance to the hall, pressing his throbbing solar plexus with one hand, suppressing his surging anger. "I said it."
"Wujie?!" Ning Buhuo's eyes widened in shock when he saw his brother appear in the door.
Ning Zheng's face darkened suddenly. "When did you return to the palace?"
Ning Wujie then remembered that he had knocked out all the guards one by one and left them in the wilderness last night.
It took him half a day to drive back to the palace. Those unlucky guys were probably still struggling on the road.
Facing his father's sharp scrutiny, Ning Wujie instinctively felt a little guilty, "At night..."
"you......"
Ning Zheng's gaze swept over Ning Wujie, and his pupils suddenly contracted, as if they had been stabbed by something.
The young man had disheveled black hair and a moon-white nightgown that was loosely gathered around his body. He had been in such a hurry to run out that he had no time to tidy up his clothes, so the front of his clothes was left hanging in a messy manner. Suspicious marks could be seen faintly on his collarbone and the skin of his chest and abdomen. His bare feet were placed directly on the floor, making him look extremely uncouth.
Ning Zheng's pupils trembled violently, and he felt as if struck by lightning.
He almost staggered back a step, but was supported in time by Ning Buhuo, who was also heartbroken, so he did not fall to the ground.
"...No disaster." Ning Zheng's voice was trembling.
Ning Wujie followed his father's gaze and looked down, only to realize that his belt had been pressed by Wen Xing when he pulled away, and it was now almost completely untied. His face froze in an instant, and he frantically tried to tie it again.
When he looked up again, he found that Li Dequan and his attendants had their eyes lowered and dared not look at him.
Ning Wujie closed his eyes, raised his hand and pressed hard between his eyebrows, a deep feeling of powerlessness surged in his heart.
......never mind.
He felt that he was probably influenced by the bad company he kept and had become numb to such things.
If someone had told him half a year ago that he would stand in broad daylight like this, in front of his father and brother, he would have killed all the witnesses and then committed suicide.
However, after experiencing the even more humiliating and infuriating sex with the tyrant, he suddenly felt that this "little scene" was nothing.
He was indeed led astray by that tyrant.
Ning Buhuo's tears fell down without any cost, "Wujie, were you knocked unconscious by that..."
"Shut up!" Ning Wujie stopped him with a dark face.
He gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and said desperately, "I came back on my own."
"Dad, big brother, I won't go back to the Northwest. All of this is my own will. You can go now."
Ning Zheng couldn't believe his ears as he watched his son's eyes change from shock and heartache to raging rage.
"What did you say? Voluntary?!"
He pointed at the sky outside the palace wall and said angrily, "Do you know what they say about you outside? You've brought shame upon our Ning family!"
"Dad!" Ning Buhuo grabbed Ning Zheng, winked at him vigorously, and glanced anxiously at the side of the palace door.
Ning Zheng followed Ning Buhuo's gaze and his expression suddenly froze.
The emperor had quietly stood by the palace door without anyone noticing, and was lazily leaning against the door frame with his arms folded, his head slightly tilted, gazing at the three of them with interest, with a faint smile on the corner of his lips.
Ning Zheng closed his eyes, suppressing his turbulent emotions. When he opened them again, he finally found his usual calm voice: "Your Majesty..."
He finally understood why Wujie said that.
This is His Majesty's bedroom. If I don't say it was voluntary in front of His Majesty, then are we going to say it was forced?!
How could he be so stupid?! As a father, he actually didn't trust his own son?!
Isn't what I heard this morning enough?! How could Wujie, such a proud child, volunteer?
A huge feeling of regret and heartache instantly overwhelmed Ning Zheng.
No disaster...
Dad was so angry that he lost his mind. I'm sorry!
Ning Buhuo raised his hand and wiped away the tears on his face, looking at Ning Wujie with eyes filled with endless heartache and self-blame.
Wujie must have rushed back overnight to protect them! He had just heard this morning that His Majesty had placed the Empress Dowager under house arrest for Wujie's sake!
He had originally thought His Majesty was simply lustful, never expecting him to go so far in his madness over Wujie. If His Majesty were to suddenly discover that they had secretly sent Wujie away, who knows what kind of catastrophic disaster would it bring to the Ning family and the Ningyuan Army far to the northwest?
After all, if His Majesty treats the Queen Mother this way, what about the Ning family? By then, they will definitely rebel!
That's why he hurried here with his father to apologize, trying to make up a pretext to make up some remedies.
It's all his fault! He came up with such a bad idea in a desperate situation.
No disaster!
I was reckless, I'm sorry!
Wen Xing turned around and raised his eyebrows with a half-smile, "Why don't you say anything?"
"Go on, I want to hear how people outside are cursing Ning Qing."
Ning Wujie glanced over and saw that Wen Xing was only wearing a thin coat over his nightgown, so he said, "Your Majesty, it's windy outside, let's talk inside."
Wen Xing followed his words and returned to the room, lazily leaning back on the Arhat chair, picking up the teacup to clear his mouth.
As soon as Ning Zheng and his son entered the room, they lifted up their robes and knelt down together with a plop.
Ning Zheng suppressed the humiliation and pain in his heart and kowtowed heavily, "Your Majesty, please have mercy on my son. He is only eighteen years old this year and has a bright future ahead of him. The Ningyuan Army also needs him to inherit the mantle. He really cannot bear the reputation of being a treacherous villain."
"If Your Majesty does not abandon me, I..." He gritted his teeth, thinking back to the jokes made by the foolish monarch yesterday.
"I think you still have some charm. Why don't you stay and serve me?"
He closed his eyes tightly, as if the next words would peel off his skin.
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty is willing to stay and serve my son..." He couldn't finish the last word and wished he could die on the spot.
"puff--"
Wen Xing spat out a mouthful of tea and choked and coughed repeatedly.
He looked at Ning Zheng's face, which had been battered by the sand, in great shock, and instantly got goose bumps all over his body.
No way, is this family so loyal and brave?
Isn’t this against it?!
What he said yesterday was purely to force people to rebel! Don't take it seriously, okay?
Ning Wujie felt as if struck by lightning, and his eyes were full of horror as he looked at Ning Zheng.
The nails have embedded themselves into the palm flesh.
He reacted for a moment, then turned to look at Wen Xing in disbelief.
His father would never have thought of this way to save him. It must be something that this tyrant emperor said.
Could it be that...
Wen Xing met Ning Wujie's strange gaze and suddenly understood.
His pupils trembled violently, and his scalp tingled as he denied it three times in a row: "I didn't do that, I didn't do that, your father is talking nonsense!"
He really doesn't have this kind of fetish!!
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The author has something to say: Stupid King (pupils tremble) (going crazy): I don’t like old men ahh ...
5j (squinting) (sneering): You deserve it.
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