Chapter 196 Leaving
It started raining again.
The carriages were lined up one after another, with no end in sight.
Xifeng advised: "Your Highness, it's raining, let's go back to the carriage."
Xie Tingzhou's hair was already wet. He sat on the horse and looked back in the direction of Shengjing.
The journey is long and the return date is distant.
I thought Beilin was my home, but it turns out that wherever she is, that is home.
Changliu sat on the shaft of the carriage and looked with his head tilted. Shengjing was shrouded in morning mist and he could not see anything, but he seemed to know what the prince was looking at.
Zhong Bo took out a cloak and said, "It's almost autumn. You should give it to His Highness."
"I'm not going." Changliu said.
"Hey." Zhong Bo said, "How come you don't know how to feel sorry for others, your Highness the Crown Prince is very sad."
Chang Liu crossed his arms and said, "But I'm also very sad. I don't want to go. I want to be sad alone for a while."
Zhong Bo poked his head and asked, "What do you know?"
"Let's go." Xie Tingzhou retracted his gaze and reminded Xifeng: "Walk slowly. She said in the letter that she will catch up within seven days. Let's go to Qingzhou and wait for her."
Xifeng: "Yes."
"And." Xie Tingzhou continued, "Did she leave anyone behind along the way?"
Xifeng did not answer immediately, but just looked at Xie Tingzhou.
Xie Tingzhou turned his head to look at him, "Hmm?"
"Yes, we have left some people in Beijing."
Xi Feng paused for no other reason than that the prince had already reminded him several times from last night till now.
Even someone as dull as Xifeng was when it came to emotions, she felt great sadness when she heard the prince repeating himself over and over again.
Li Zhaonian raised his eyes and looked up. Through the rain curtain, he could see a figure sitting on the top of Jiangzi Pavilion, staring blankly in the direction of the city gate.
This is truly a man-eating cage. People outside are trying desperately to squeeze in, and people trapped inside are trying desperately to escape.
"How long has Yu Hou been there?" Li Zhaonian asked.
The eunuch did not dare to raise his head and replied, "Your Highness, you have been sitting here since midnight yesterday. Do you want me to ask the guards to come over?"
"No need." Li Zhaonian said, "Send her an umbrella so she doesn't get wet in the rain when she comes back."
The eunuch said, "Yes, I will go right away."
"Oh, right." Li Zhaonian stopped walking and said, "Don't tell me it was my order."
Li Zhaonian stepped into the Xuanhui Palace. As soon as he sat down beside the dragon couch, Emperor Tongxu opened his eyes.
"Father is awake." Li Zhaonian hurriedly ordered the palace maid to bring the warmed medicine and personally served it to Emperor Tongxu.
Emperor Tongxu
I can no longer eat anything and am relying on soup to stay alive.
He knew that he didn't have much time left, so he had to take advantage of the last few days to resolve the biggest hidden danger.
"Xie Yun, is gone?" Emperor Tongxu asked.
"Yes." Li Zhaonian said, "The Jinyiwei's eunuch reported this morning that the prince left the city as soon as the city gate opened."
"Where's Chen Yu?"
Li Zhaonian handed the medicine bowl to the palace maid beside him and said, "It's in the Jiangzi Pavilion."
"It's somewhat similar to you." Emperor Tongxu said, "When you're in a bad mood, you also like to stay up there."
"You can see farther there." Li Zhaonian paused for a moment, wanting to say something but stopping himself, "Father..."
Emperor Tongxu raised his hand slightly to stop him, "Don't try to persuade me, do you think I'm too ruthless?"
Li Zhaonian bowed his head and said, "I dare not."
"The imperial family is the most ruthless, Zhaonian." Emperor Tongxu looked at him with a rare kindness in his eyes, "You are too soft-hearted and indifferent to worldly affairs, but you just can't bear to see the sufferings of the world."
"I know," Li Zhaonian whispered, "this is not the qualification an emperor should have."
Emperor Tongxu said, "I know that you are a soft-hearted person. When you were young, you would be soft-hearted when you saw the palace maids kneeling as punishment. If everything goes well this time, the day of my death will be the day you let Chen Yu leave the capital, right?"
Li Zhaonian didn't dare to lie. He opened his mouth but had nothing to say. His father saw through him too clearly.
Emperor Tongxu said: "You don't have to think about it. I have left a will. This order cannot be changed within ten years."
Li Zhaonian couldn't help it, "Father, have you never thought about this? She can restrain Xie Tingzhou now, but there have always been unfaithful people in this world. What about one or two years later? Will that person still remember her? Why should she be buried here for half her life just for an uncertain future?"
Emperor Tongxu looked at him quietly and saw that his chest was heaving and his face was flushed.
Then he said, "It seems that you are not completely weak, but you have not touched upon anything that excites you. I am relieved then."
Emperor Tongxu leaned against the pillow and closed his eyes, "Let Chen Yu come in, it's time to make some plans."
The eunuch went to call for help, and Shen Yu came back holding an umbrella. She walked up the steps and saw Li Zhao standing under the eaves.
Li Zhaonian's chest heaved, as if he had something to say.
"Your Highness."
"Once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back. Are you ready?" Li Zhaonian asked.
Shen Yu nodded, "I'm ready."
The rain stopped and the sun came out again.
After discussing for half a day, Li Zhaonian and Shen Yu had just stepped out of the Xuanhui Hall when they saw Zuo Zong, the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple, running towards them.
"Your Highness." Zuo Zong rushed forward and said, "Marquis Xuanping
See you. "
Li Zhaonian's expression became serious. "Isn't he imprisoned in your Dali Temple? Why didn't you see him?"
Zuo Zong said: "Since Xuanping Hou was transferred to the Dali Temple, he has hardly spoken a word every day, except asking for water and sleeping. This morning, when the jailer went to take over, he found that the person sleeping in the cell was not Xuanping Hou at all. No one noticed when he was replaced."
Zuo Zong knelt down and said, "It is my fault for failing to supervise. Please punish me, Your Highness."
"Get up first. Now is not the time to pursue responsibility. There are more important things to do." Li Zhaonian looked at Chen Yu.
Chen Yu asked, "Did the jailer detain him?"
Zuo Zong said: "All of them have been detained. All those on duty these days are detained in the Dali Temple."
"Then just hold it for now." Chen Yu said.
"I have also sent people to the Xuanping Marquis's Mansion."
"He won't return to Xuanping Marquis's Mansion. It's useless if he goes."
Li Zhaonian ordered, "Go back to the Dali Temple first."
As soon as Zuo Zong left, Li Zhaonian said, "They have started to move. I'm afraid we have to speed up."
"Wait another half day." Chen Yu looked at Li Zhaonian, "Just half a day, okay?"
Li Zhaonian looked away as soon as his eyes met hers. "Are you worried that Xie Tingzhou hasn't gone far enough? Once the capital is in chaos, all the cities in the eight directions will be closed. Are you worried that he won't be able to return to Beilin?"
Shen Yu lowered her eyes, "Yeah."
"Why would you go to such lengths for him?" Li Zhaonian raised his voice slightly.
Chen Yu said softly: "The Chen Yu of the past was not like this. When I first came to Beijing, I didn't understand many things. I just rushed forward with my courage."
She thought back to the past, when she was far less scheming than she is now and often made mistakes.
She was caught reading letters and was blocked from entering the palace... long before, he had been far more indulgent towards her than the ordinary guards.
She thought he was grateful for her companionship along the way. Last night, she thought over every detail and recalled it carefully. It turned out that he had been attracted to her much earlier than she knew.
She had been thinking last night, if she had not won this life-and-death turmoil, would he remain single for life as they had agreed before?
In fact, she somewhat regretted having said those words to him. Without her company, how would he live the rest of his long life?
She hoped that there would be someone else to accompany him instead of her, and she just wanted to occupy a small place in his heart.
"He taught me how to grow up." Chen Yu said with red eyes: "Without Xie Tingzhou, there would be no Chen Yu today."
"That's all." Li Zhaonian said, "Just half a day, no more."
Shen Yu bowed, "Thank you, Your Highness."
① From: Tang Dynasty, Bai Juyi's "Gong Ci"
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