Chapter 89 The Cruel Truth
The old emperor grabbed the teacup and smashed it at the queen's feet, sending shards of celadon splattering across his bright yellow dragon robe. "Yongning, I'm truly disappointed in you. I've always been tolerant of your schemes in the harem. But now, you dare to confuse the royal bloodline!"
The queen wanted to argue, but she fell silent after seeing the old emperor's completely disappointed eyes.
Randomly heard the emperor announce with great sorrow, "Immediately strip the queen of her title and banish her to the cold palace!"
The queen collapsed to the ground in a daze.
She had anticipated her fate long ago.
However, how could she allow the prince's biological mother to end up like this? Her child could not bear the reputation of being the son of a sinner.
The queen suddenly pulled out a dagger from her sleeve. The moment the cold light penetrated her abdomen, blood splattered onto the Panlong Pillar.
She staggered and held onto the incense table, her red fingers leaving five bloody marks on the table. "Your Majesty, I have a favor to ask."
"Mother!" The prince rushed forward but was stopped by Luo Xifeng, "Your Highness, the knife is poisoned!"
Seeing this, the old emperor suddenly stood up and rushed down from the dragon throne, but was stopped by the eunuch beside him.
The old emperor brushed off the eunuch's hand and said, "It's okay."
The old emperor squatted down, hugged the queen's body, and his eyes suddenly became red.
Although he hated the queen, he didn't want her to die.
After thirty years of being together as a couple, there is still love between them.
The queen vomited black blood and tore open her clothes, revealing the hideous scar beneath her collarbone. "Back then, the Northern Rong's poisonous arrow... I used my body to block it for you..."
She trembled as she took out half of the jade pendant and said, "You said that seeing this jade is like seeing a promise."
"Your Majesty, I beg you, in consideration of my thirty years of knowing and accompanying you, I would like to exchange my life for three things."
The old emperor said sadly, "Yongning, why are you doing this?"
"As a parent, you should always have far-sighted plans. Your Majesty, please forgive my selfishness." The queen breathed weakly.
"Yongning, go ahead."
The Queen said, "First, the Crown Prince's position cannot be abolished. Second, after I die, Your Majesty, please publicly claim that I died of illness. The Crown Prince must not be held responsible for being the guilty mother. Third, Prime Minister Chu has only been subject to my control to repay the Shen family for saving his life. I beg Your Majesty to show some sympathy for Prime Minister Chu. He is unaware of the details of the Luo family incident."
The old emperor closed his eyes and said, "Yes."
When the queen heard that the emperor agreed to her request, she wanted to raise her hand to caress the man who had been with her for most of her life, but suddenly her hand went limp and fell to the ground.
The old emperor's eyes suddenly reddened, and after a pause he announced, "The empress suddenly fell seriously ill and passed away in Fengyi Palace. She was posthumously named Empress Xiaoci."
Luo Xifeng knelt in a pool of blood and kowtowed, "Your Majesty, please restore the Luo family's reputation."
The old emperor held the gradually cooling corpse in his arms and said hoarsely, "From this day forward, Luo Heting will be posthumously awarded the title of Chief Judge of the Imperial Hospital, and the remaining members of the Luo family will be granted gold to return home."
He looked at Nanny Zhou in the corner and said, "The people from Fengyi Palace should be handed over to the Dali Temple for detailed investigation."
The old emperor looked at Chu Shiyuan again. Chu Shiyuan suddenly took off his crown and knelt on the ground. "This old minister knows that his sins are grave. He dare not ask for grace from Your Majesty. This old minister humbly requests to retire and return to his hometown, away from the court, to reflect on his mistakes."
He held out the seal with trembling hands, "I beg Your Majesty to grant me this."
The old emperor waved his hand tiredly, "Alright."
Chu Yangyang turned to look at Luo Xifeng, and seeing that he had a sense of relief, she finally let go of the stone in her heart.
However, the extermination of the Luo family was more or less related to my father.
On the way back home, the carriage was silent for a while.
In the twilight, Luo Xifeng's face was covered with frost.
As soon as they arrived at the Prime Minister's Mansion, Chu Shiyuan turned to the two and said, "Xifeng, Yangyang, the two of you come with your father."
The candlelight in the study flickered in the draft.
Chu Shiyuan opened the "Fishing Alone on a Cold River" painting on the wall and took out a yellowed letter from the secret compartment.
The Luo family crest on the sealing wax has been worn away by time.
"This was sent by someone the night before your father was executed." When Chu Shiyuan handed the letter to Luo Xifeng, an old knife scar was revealed on his sleeve.
Chu Yangyang took the letter in surprise and placed it in Luo Xifeng's hand.
Luo Xifeng's hands trembled as he took the letter, and an inexplicable light flashed in his eyes.
Chu Shiyuan continued, "I used to be close friends with your father, Brother Heting. When I learned that the Queen wanted to kill everyone in the Luo family, I discussed it with Brother Heting in advance."
"The Queen asked me to judge and oversee the execution. I had already discussed with Brother He Ting that we would secretly replace the real one during the escort and create chaos. At least, we could rescue your family first."
"But Brother He Ting is afraid of implicating me and my family. He also insists that the Queen will not let the Luo family go and will definitely slaughter all nine members of the Luo clan. Rather than causing more casualties among innocent people, it is better to sacrifice his Luo family. But he has only one request."
Having said that, Chu Shiyuan couldn't help but sigh.
Luo Xifeng's fingertips touched the dark brown blood spots on the letter paper.
Chu Yangyang took a closer look and saw that the edges of the letter paper were rough from being rubbed repeatedly.
Chu Shiyuan pointed to the last line of small characters, trembling. "Look at the words 'Innocent Child'. He traced them three times with his own blood."
Sparks flew from the candle wick, illuminating the words in the letter: "My son Xifeng, my daughter Ling'er, I hope Brother Chu will do his best to protect them."
Luo Xifeng choked up and continued, "So my father-in-law rescued me, sent my sister Ling'er to the Han family in Luoyang, and sent me to the Qin family in southern Jiangsu."
"That's right." Chu Shiyuan nodded. "Brother Han and Brother Qin are both my best friends. I feel safe leaving you with them. I'm also worried that the Queen might find out about you later, so I don't dare to place you two together."
Chu Yangyang recalled that her father had always been polite to Luo Xifeng, often tolerant of him, and always tried his best to help him with his official career. It turned out that this drama had been planned for ten years.
"But, Xifeng, I am the one who has let your Luo family down."
Chu Shiyuan spoke in an old voice as he slowly sat down. "I personally issued the order to kill you. I also personally watched as your father, mother, and your clansmen were beheaded. I... am also one of the culprits."
"This matter has always been a knot in my heart, always lingering in my nightmares. Until that day, Yangyang brought you home and said that she wanted to marry you. The moment I saw you, I recognized you. You are Brother Luo's child."
"Your nickname is You'an."
Luo Xifeng stood there in a daze, seeming to find it hard to accept.
He had always regarded Chu Shiyuan as his enemy, but now he was told that his enemy had once saved him and his sister.
He understands the truth.
Chu Shiyuan had no choice but to do so.
However, after all, the verdict was issued by Chu Shiyuan himself.
The Luo family was also wiped out under his manipulation.
He couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart.
Chu Shiyuan saw his dilemma and sighed deeply, "Xifeng, you... take it easy first. If you have any requests, just ask. I just hope..."
He hesitated and glanced at Chu Yangyang, "I just hope that you and Yangyang won't have any rifts because of me."
After saying that, he reached out and patted Luo Xifeng on the shoulder, then turned and left.
In the study, only Luo Xifeng and Chu Yangyang were left.
Chu Yangyang spoke with some difficulty, "Lord Luo, the truth has been revealed. I know you don't want to face me. We also agreed that once this is over, we will..."
"There's something else going on in the Imperial Hospital, I have to go take care of it first."
Before she could utter the word "divorce", Luo Xifeng suddenly interrupted her.
He turned around and fled away...
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