Chapter 413: Really Cruel
This winter.
It's very cold.
What is colder than the weather is the hearts of the people.
The border is in crisis, Cangzhou has fallen, and the commander is injured...
I'm afraid this war won't end anytime soon.
Their hopes for the return of their husbands, sons, fathers and brothers were dashed.
After waiting year after year, and through countless seasons, I thought I could have a family reunion this year.
I didn't expect that I would have to wait any longer, and I don't know when it will happen.
Or maybe you will never wait.
If we lose the war, many people will be killed or injured.
Not only the soldiers guarding the border, but also the people of Cangzhou.
Men were either beheaded or forced to do hard labor like oxen and horses. Women and children were trampled upon and used as tools for sexual gratification. They were even used as military rations when there was a shortage of food.
Those who are worse off will be slaughtered.
After the defeat, the people living at the bottom of society will suffer the most.
Not only do they have to face various taxes, but they also have to pay with their lives.
But even so.
The capital city remains prosperous as always.
Because the Chinese New Year is coming.
Even if you can't expect your loved ones to come back, life still has to go on and the New Year still has to be celebrated.
Whether it is the soldiers in the bitter cold of the frontier, or their relatives who are looking forward to their return every day in their hometown.
Everyone is trying their best to live.
Only when you are alive can you have hope and look forward to it.
A few days ago.
There are a lot of people on the street, with heavy traffic and crowds of people.
From kings and nobles to common people, everyone is busy buying New Year's goods and preparing New Year's gifts.
East Market.
Teahouses and taverns are still bustling and bustling, with the sound of stringed instruments and wind instruments ringing in the ears.
Princes, nobles and children of wealthy families still sang and danced, indulging in sensual pleasures.
Perhaps in their view, victory and defeat are really common in military affairs.
If we lose this time, we can just take the city back next time.
It seems so simple.
They didn't care how many cities were lost or how many lives were sacrificed.
To them, war was just a national affair mentioned by their fathers and brothers, and it was far away from them.
They have family protection and are granted titles.
As long as Daliang survives, the achievements earned by their fathers will be enough for them to live on for several lifetimes.
After all, most of those who actually went to the battlefield were children from poor families. They were the ones who suffered and worried.
Early morning today.
The emperor was in a very bad mood, had a headache, and felt chest tightness.
According to the battle report sent back from the border, there was a traitor in the army who leaked the city defense map, which led to the surprise attack.
Although the traitor was captured, he insisted that it was the third brother's man.
They are the remnants of King Su.
The three old men are all dead, and there is no evidence to prove anything, so all the blame is put on him.
The emperor now sees everyone as suspicious.
At this moment, he had the idea of living a long and lasting life.
She even wanted to live longer than her sons.
So he recently increased the dosage of the pills he was taking.
Cui Yan looked at the emperor who was yawning and listless.
He also looked at the civil officials in the court, who were arguing endlessly, but no one could come up with a plan to repel the enemy.
They kept saying that Duke Shen was injured, but there was still General Lu. General Lu was very powerful and would surely be able to repel the enemy and recapture Cangzhou.
But they forgot that General Lu is no longer the General Zhenbei of the past. He is old.
He is now an old man.
Prime Minister Cui looked on coldly without saying a word.
The court officials were arguing endlessly, and the left prime minister Yan Fudang brought the topic of the crown prince to the forefront.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has been ill for a long time and cannot be cured. He is no longer qualified to be the crown prince. I implore Your Majesty to appoint another crown prince to ensure the safety of the country..."
"I second the motion."
"I second the motion..."
…
emperor:……
Although he also had the idea of abolishing the reserve, why did this sound so unpleasant to him?
Why does this sound like hoping he dies soon?
After being glared at by the emperor, Yan Lian quickly shut up.
The Holy Heart was difficult to fathom, and he was a little confused.
This is not what the emperor wants, so why is he still glaring at him?
Isn’t now a good time to abolish the reserve?
Emperor: ...I wanted to abolish the crown prince, but I didn't say I wanted to appoint another military successor.
Quiet……
The court was silent.
It was eerily quiet.
Then a shrill, long voice came from above: "Withdraw from the court..."
On the way back to the bedroom, the emperor asked the eunuch with a gloomy face: "How is the prince's health these days?"
"His appetite has improved a lot, he can eat now, and he can even play with the Crown Prince for half an hour every day." Eunuch Qian bowed and reported.
The emperor also had a headache with this son.
It would be fine if he was just healthy, but the throne would be firmly on his head, saving him from all these troubles.
But with that kind of body, I'm afraid even he won't survive.
He was also quite resistant to taking the pills.
Weak and stubborn.
It would be easier if the crown prince died before him, at least the issue of succession would still be under his control.
But if you die after him.
It’s hard to say whether you can sit in that position or how long you can sit there.
Most of the power will likely fall into the hands of the Queen and the Cao family.
He will die with regrets if his foreign relatives interfere in government affairs and power falls into the wrong hands.
The emperor continued to ask, "How is the queen these days?"
"The Empress summoned all the concubines this morning to talk, advocating frugality in the harem and cutting expenses in each palace. Zhen Fei raised a few questions, and the Empress ordered her to slap her in the face."
The emperor frowned: "How come I don't know about this?"
If it were in the past, Zhen'er would have come here crying and complaining, wiping her tears.
There is no one here today.
"Your Majesty, Consort Zhen has been here. Seeing that you are not feeling well, she did not want you to worry about her, so she did not allow me to inform you."
"She is quite sensible." The emperor waved his hand and rewarded Concubine Zhengui with many gifts.
The Queen beat Zhen'er, so he insisted on rewarding Zhen'er.
Of all the women in the palace, the one he feared the most was the Queen. He was wary of her all his life, but he could never depose her.
He was unwilling to accept it.
This woman must not die after him.
He never interfered in the affairs of the harem, and let the queen take charge. She has managed it very well over the years.
In the early years, the couple treated each other with respect and lived in harmony.
Even when the emperor went on a campaign, it was the empress who assisted the crown prince in governing the country, reviewing memorials, and ruling the country from behind the scenes.
As a result, her prestige in the court grew higher and higher.
Almost on par with him.
He suddenly realized that his queen, Cao, was as talented as any man.
If she were a man, she would definitely be a pillar of the country.
But she was a woman, and his queen.
Therefore, the throne must never fall into the hands of the child born to Cao.
unless……
It was also at that time that he began to have a sense of crisis, regretted appointing a crown prince so early, began to reduce the queen's power, and even suppressed the Cao family.
By now, the two of them have become a couple of enemies.
Either you die or I die.
Emperor Xuan looked at the eunuchs and said, "Go and bring my little grandson here. He will stay by my side and I will raise him myself."
Eunuch Qian and Eunuch Yu looked at each other.
My heart was pounding.
How can the emperor take care of the crown prince in this state?
Most of the time, it was given to Concubine Zhengui to take care of.
Eunuch Qian: ...
The emperor's move of cutting off the source of the problem is brilliant!
Eunuch Yu: ...
The Crown Prince's condition might worsen if he can't see the Crown Prince.
The Empress will certainly be extremely anxious and under the control of the Emperor if she cannot see the Crown Prince.
The emperor is so cruel.
…
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com