In the palace, the cry shook the mountains.

Emperor Daxing knelt in front of the mourning hall. All matters of the funeral were arranged in an orderly manner.

The queen at the front barely supported her body with the support of the female official, tears quietly slid down her face, and she looked at everything in front of her in a daze, and there seemed to be a dazed look in her eyes.

The prince kneeling beside him coughed lightly, his face was pale and weak, and his expression of grief was moving.

Xiao Yizheng knelt on one side straight, his eyes were already red and swollen, and half of his spirit was drained.

The crown princess Shen Tong, the harem concubines and several princesses, including Xiao Lechang, some sobbed non-stop, and some couldn't help crying.

Behind them, kneeling were the officials of the DPRK and China, all of whom were grieving. Especially the several old ministers who have walked with Xiao Zhe for many years, the friendship with them is more than that of the monarchs. The emperor's death was a collapse blow to them, like a funeral.

"My father doesn't like to cry, but he also has an explanation, everything is simple, and the mourning period does not have to follow the ancestral system, just in March." The prince stood up with his legs propped up, his body shook slightly, he slowed down, turned around slowly, adjusted his breathing, and commanded softly. Then, he said slowly to Xiao Yizheng, who was kneeling beside him: "Sixth brother, you come with me." ”

Xiao Yizheng raised his leg slightly, and the soreness and numbness made him not stand up for a while. He took a deep breath, and then slowly stood up with his strength, keeping up with Xiao Yihe's footsteps.

Ling Deyan, who was kneeling not far away, raised his eyes, showing a hint of melancholy, and when he retracted his gaze, he met the relieved eyes of Yang Zhi, who was nodding slightly to him. In fact, he knew that the current crown prince and the future emperor would not move Xiao Yizheng for the time being, so he was inevitably worried.

Xiao Yihe, who entered the side hall, sent the inner attendant, and the carved wooden door was closed, which seemed to isolate the sound of grief in the main hall, and the surroundings suddenly quieted down.

"Sit down." Xiao Yihe's voice was weak. Sit down on top of the main seat first.

Xiao Yizheng made a decision, stepped forward, and sat on the side.

The two were silent for a long time, and finally Xiao Yihe spoke first: "Are you and my brother going to come to this point?" ”

There are some things that do not need to be explained, and the situation has to change and each other knows each other.

Xiao Yizheng looked ahead and replied softly: "How you and my brother decide is all up to the third brother." My attitude has already shown that I said it that day, and there are some things that I will not say a second time. ”

Xiao Yihe was slightly stunned, and then smiled bitterly: "Sixth brother, sixth brother, you are already convinced that I can't touch you, so you are more proud than before at this moment." ”

"Pride?" Xiao Yizheng turned his head to look at him, and said with a little disappointment: "How can I ever be proud in front of my third brother?" All I have is respect and trust for the third brother. ”

The two eyes met, and both had complex and deep meanings.

Xiao Yizheng continued: "The third brother is about to ascend the throne and become the emperor, and the younger brother is not sure about anything, and what he relies on is this brotherhood, otherwise how dare the younger brother return to Beijing alone, and he is helplessly placed under house arrest in the palace. ”

He called himself a subordinate brother, but this subordinate brother made Xiao Yihe quite harsh to hear.

"If it's exactly as you said, how could the sixth brother return to Beijing alone? Frankly, I don't believe that the third brother is completely unprepared. ”

Xiao Yizheng looked at him leisurely, retracted his gaze, and sighed: "Now what I say, I'm afraid that the third brother can't fully believe it." Yes, all the way back, I thought about all kinds of safe arrangements, but after all, I believe that the third brother will not treat me so much. The father handed over the world to the third brother, and he also trusted the third brother incomparably. ”

"Father...... Father ......" Xiao Yihe read two sentences and said slowly: "Before you entered the palace, my father summoned those old ministers to him and made various explanations. Do you know that the Taining mining case involves Uncle Xiang Wang? ”

Xiao Yizheng's eyebrows frowned slightly, he really hadn't gotten any news about this matter yet.

"This is a crime of treason. However, my father made arrangements and ordered me to commute his crimes on the grounds that he had already been mourned. Do you know why my father was so lenient in this matter? ”

"My father has always been reluctant to make a big fuss, and before the incident of Uncle Jiu, he also tried to save Uncle Jiu." Xiao Yizheng replied.

"Yes, my father has always cared about brotherhood. In any case, he will not take the life of Uncle Xiang, this is a fact. This time, though, he had a deeper meaning. Xiao Yihe lowered his gaze, looking a little lonely. In front of the important ministers of the court, he immediately said to me: The Son of Heaven's family and country are one, the family is peaceful, the family is prosperous, and the country is prosperous, no matter when and where, you must treat your brothers well

Sister, if I do this, so do you. ”

Xiao Yizheng's eyes were suddenly warm. "Father......" he muttered involuntarily.

"He's covering my hands and feet, protecting you with a last-ditch arrangement? He can be punished lightly even for treason, and what reason and possibility shall I have for you to be moved after that? Xiao Yihe raised his eyes again, looked at Xiao Yizheng, and said with a little grievance: "So sixth brother, I can't move you." ”

Xiao Yizheng's lips opened slightly, but he didn't speak.

He has a mixture of warmth and cold, heaven and earth. When he raised his eyes, he caught Xiao Yihe's eyes, and his heart hurt.

He shook his head: "You said that your father has a deep meaning, but maybe you don't fully understand your father's deep meaning. I'm not alone in my brothers and sisters. Didn't he think about you? The opportunity to give the great favor to the Xiangwang Mansion will be completed by you. Even if it is a big case in the hands of your father, you can make a final decision, and all the important ministers in the court are not convinced. This is the prestige you gave to the world when you ascended the throne. In addition, the father's arrangement is far more far-reaching than you think. He is not only your father to me, but also a king. Throughout his life, he has always pursued a spirit of leniency and neutrality inside and outside the court, which is his ideal ambition. Now that everything is thriving in the country, this trend cannot be changed. He also needs you to convey this attitude of the new emperor through the handling of this case, and maintain harmony and stability inside and outside the court. He looked at Xiao Yihe with a little disappointment: "If you just understand him as my father said this in order to protect me, you will fail him to live up to his hard work." ”

Xiao Yihe was stunned and stunned for a long time.

He really didn't think about it so much. At that time, when he heard Xiao Zhe say this, his only thought was: This is for his Liulang.

His fingers curled slightly, slowly clenched into fists, his breathing became more and more rapid, and he began to cough uncontrollably.

Xiao Yizheng stepped forward, handed over a cup of hot water, and reminded: "The third brother also needs to take care." ”

When he came back this time, he saw that Xiao Yihe's figure had lost a lot of weight and his complexion was not good.

His hand stopped for a long time, and Xiao Yihe slowly raised his hand to take the porcelain cup, took a sip, and coughed less.

Xiao Yizheng sat back in his place, and then said: "Actually, even as the third brother said, my father's arrangement is all for me. But you are a person who holds the power of life and death in the world, if you completely ignore your father's will, and you are not afraid of the opposition of the important ministers present in the future, it is not impossible. So is my father saying this just to put a shackle on you that you can overthrow at any time? He paused and continued in a serious tone: "Third brother, that's because my father understands you. He knows that you will not be an indiscriminate and reckless emperor. Do you know? And he said unto me, Thou art the crown prince whom he has raised. He believes that you will be a generation of Ming Jun. ”

Xiao Yihe's hand trembled slightly, and his breathing was heavy. When you raise your eyes, there seems to be a haze in your eyes.

Xiao Yizheng got up slowly, saluted, and said, "The third brother is resting, and the younger brother is going to guard the spirit of his father." is still the same sentence, the words that Chengqian's younger brother said in the prince's mansion when he was born will not change, and he will not say it a second time. If the third brother has anything to say, let's talk about it later. Now, I just want to accompany my father again. "Say yes. He turned and walked away.

Xiao Yihe's faint voice came from behind him: "My father died, Xiao Qi and his younger siblings should have come back to mourn." The father also explained that there was no need for Xiao Qi to come back, only to let him have some freedom and comfort in Sujiang. Come to think of it, you don't worry about them coming back. In this way, let them stay in Sujiang for the time being. ”

Xiao Yizheng paused, said a good word, and walked straight out of the side hall.

Xiao Yihe looked at his back, leaning on the back of the chair, also very tired.

During the entire funeral period, Xiao Yizheng was almost above the main hall.

Princess Anping and Ling Deyan both wanted to talk to him, but when they saw that he had been working for a few days, he was also haggard, so they endured it.

The day before the funeral, the queen walked up to him and said, "Liulang, tomorrow your father will be sent to the tomb, there is something I want to say to you." ”

Xiao Yizheng looked up at her. Since Qingxi told him about the Imperial Garden, his mentality when facing Xiao Yihe and the Empress has not been the same as before. Especially, who exactly gave Cheonggye the medicine? He was already highly suspicious of the queen, so he couldn't pretend to be unconnected.

"Mother, please speak." He said respectfully.

The queen also seemed to realize the alienation in his tone, and there was a slight hurt in her eyes, but she quickly covered it up well, and said lightly: "According to the ancestral system, if I go in the future."

, I also want to enter the Shengling. However, there is already your mother in the tomb, so I don't want to go. Don't think about it, I didn't mean to target your mother. It's just that I don't want to go to another place and be so tired. ”

The queen said this to Xiao Yizheng's surprise. "Niangniang......" He instinctively wanted to say something to comfort her, but found that any language seemed pale and weak.

Indeed, the queen has been by her father's side for many years, and although her father respects her very much, she has also endured a lot, and she is really tired.

The queen said, "This is my decision!" You don't need to say anything. Just think you should know. ”

Xiao Yizheng was silent for a moment and nodded.

The next day, the emperor went out of the funeral. The entire city of Shangdu was immersed in mourning. The whole city was crying, and the air seemed to be filled with sorrow. The common people couldn't believe that the emperor who was chatting and laughing with the people on the Shangyuan Festival this year just went. They spontaneously followed the back of the royal funeral procession, kowtowing all the way, and due to the large number of people, the imperial court had to send officials to dissuade them from following.

When Xiao Yizheng saw Sheng Ling from afar, he said in his heart: "Mother, my father is here to accompany you." Are you looking at me together at the moment? ”