On the same day, Xiong Huai rushed to enter Shouchun with an army of 20,000 before the sun set, and returned to the palace.

As soon as Xiong Huai returned to the palace, the turmoil in Shouchun City quickly subsided.

Then, the Jianghuai nobles who participated in the rebellion of the prince Heng came to kneel outside the palace and asked the king of Chu to forgive him before the king of Chu ordered the arrest.

In the palace.

Xiong Huai, who was about to issue an edict to appease the people and stabilize Shouchun, learned that the Jianghuai nobles had knelt outside the palace to plead guilty, so he just sneered and ordered: "Now that the widow is tired, I will talk about it tomorrow if I have something." If you want to kneel, let them kneel outside the palace, and if you don't want to kneel, come back tomorrow. ”

Then, the edict of the king of Chu reached the outside of the palace, and the nobles who were kneeling outside the palace were all shocked, and then they fell to the ground one after another, not daring to move.

Soon, with the king of Chu out of the list of the people, with a large number of soldiers patrolling the streets and alleys of Shouchun, as the sun set and the night fell, Shouchun completely calmed down.

Although Shouchun was calm, Xiong Huai was still busy, because the prince was plotting against him, a large number of ministers from the court and the central government were involved, and with the Northern Expedition to Qi, a large number of important ministers from the court and the central government were out on the expedition.

So, at this moment, most of the things in the country fell on Xiong Huai himself.

Although Xiong Huai is very easy to deal with, he can't stand the fact that there are many things now and they are extremely concentrated.

So, after Xiong Huai dealt with a few urgent matters, he ordered: "Summon, let Gongzi Yu enter the palace and assist the widow in handling state affairs." ”

Soon, Xiong Huai was busy, and a soldier walked in: "Wang, Gongzi said that he was sick and couldn't be a director, so he couldn't be called." ”

"Sick?" Xiong Huai, who was writing the edict, was stunned suddenly, and then with a "dang long" sound, the pen in his hand fell on the edict on the case, and there was a soft sound, and a small piece of edict was dyed black.

But Xiong Huai didn't feel anything about it, just said in a daze: "Sick, good and decent, how could he be sick, if he is really sick, then it must be heart disease." ”

Saying that, Xiong Huai was sad in his heart, and tears couldn't stop flowing out of his eyes: "I never expected that the widow would come to this point today, everyone betrayed his relatives, and even his own son was not trusted or close, let alone other people?"

So far, in the entire Chu State, who else can trust the widow and truly support the widow?

The widow gave everything for the Chu State, and as a result, in the end, he also lost everything.

Who am I with? Whose fault is it? Whose fault is it? Who am I with?

Alas! ”

Saying that, Xiong Huai was in no mood to deal with state affairs.

At this moment, another soldier came to report: "The king, the report from prison is that the prince is critically ill, and the prince asks the king to see him for the last time." ”

“···” When Xiong Huai heard this, he originally thought that he was already as hard as iron for the prince, but after hearing the news that the prince was seriously ill, he couldn't help but feel pity in his heart.

"Quick, lead the way, let the widow go to see the prince for the last time."

Soon after, Xiong Huai came to the prison and saw the prince lying on the straw, his eyes closed, the corners of his mouth bloody, his face withered, and his face full of lifelessness but with a stubborn face.

Seeing this, Xiong Huai felt even more pity in his heart, and at the same time showed some regret.

At this time, Xiong Huai looked at the prince who was forcibly supporting the crippled body, sighed for a long time, and then turned a thousand words into one sentence: "The widow is here." ”

When the prince heard this, he opened his eyes suddenly, and then forced himself to sit up while vomiting blood.

Then, the prince stared at Xiong Huai with his eyes fixed and said: "Father, the son still has questions in his heart, and please ask the father to solve the doubts, otherwise, the son will not be blind to death." ”

Hearing this, Xiong Huai looked at Prince Heng's unprecedentedly bright eyes, sighed slightly, then nodded, and dispersed the surrounding guards.

Before the guards went far, they had already realized that they were about to run out of oil, so they raced against time and said: "Father, my son has three questions in his heart, and I have been puzzled for two days, and I hope my father will teach me." ”

As he spoke, the prince looked at Xiong Huai sideways and asked weakly: "When did my father plan to abolish me, when did the son insult Xiangchengjun?" Or when the retainers accepted the Jianghuai feudal courtesy and interceded for them? Or when the queen mother died of illness? ”

When Xiong Huai heard this, he sighed for a long time: "The reason why the widow plans to abolish you is because the prince is embarrassed by the heavy responsibility and cannot carry the Chu State forward."

When the widow was praying for blessings in the Black Emperor Temple and encountered a fire, the prince took inappropriate measures, which led to a serious expansion of the situation, and eventually caused things to be out of control.

This is the first time that the widow has come up with the idea of abolishing your crown prince.

And this is not because the prince you let the widow be robbed, but when you are facing a crisis, even with the assistance of a capable minister like Ling Yin, you can't lead the Chu State out of the predicament.

And this rebellion also proves your incompetence, although there is a reason for the calculation of the outnumbered, but the army of the outnumbered has not yet arrived, and as a result, you will be captured alive by your own army and the people in the city.

How can such a person shoulder the Chu State, and the widow will never be able to hand over the Chu State to such a person. ”

"Ahem~~" The prince coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood violently when he heard this, and his heart was extremely uncomfortable.

The reason why his father abolished him was not because he was immoral and immoral, and let his ministers be separated; Nor do they accept bribes for small profits; It's not because the queen mother died of illness, and the father empathized with him.

It's because of my own incompetence!

At this time, Xiong Huai looked at the prince Heng who showed a sad look, and continued: "And the widow's official decision to abolish the prince is the decision to abolish you, and it is the court to move the capital, the prince, you were persuaded by the widow first, and when you turned your head and were persuaded by Ling Yin."

Not because of your betrayal, but because you are not assertive.

At that time, the widow had already decided to give up on you. ”

The prince was stunned, and then remembered the secret passage in the palace: "No, it is definitely not the case, the secret passage in the palace is as long as six miles, reaching the outside of the palace, such a long secret passage must not have been built after the capital was moved, it must have been built when Keiko expanded Shouchun City."

If you didn't plan to abolish me at that time, Father, why did you build a secret passage? ”

"Confused!" Xiong Huai said angrily: "When the widow built the secret passage, although he didn't plan to abolish you, but the change of the law in the country and the relocation of the capital to Shouying, this was already decided by the widow when he expanded Shouchun City.

Wu changed the law, the country was in turmoil, the widow changed the law for the first time, and the nobles in the country rose up in groups, such a dangerous situation, how could the widow be indifferent, and the widow could not put his hope on the nobles would not rebel.

Therefore, when the widow decided to move the capital to Shouying, he was ready to encounter the unexpected.

Therefore, this secret passage is not prepared to guard against you, but the last resort of the widow and even all the future kings of Chu. ”

The crown prince breathed a sigh of relief slightly, and then asked: "Since my father has decided to abolish me, why don't you just abolish me, with your prestige as your father, it is easy to abolish me, why do you want to make father and son kill each other, and even cause turmoil in the country, it is you and my father and son who declare that they are all lost." ”

Xiong Huai looked at the crown prince and was silent for a while, but finally spoke: "It is easy for the widow to abolish you, even if the ministers oppose it, it is useless."

And the reason why it is in this situation is because the purpose of the widow was not you from the beginning, but the feudal nobles everywhere.

At that time, the widow only decided to change the law, and before the interests of the nobles were touched, nearly twenty feudal lords of Jianghuai rebelled. In the future, when the new law is more in-depth and touches the root of the aristocracy, the feudal lords everywhere will definitely rebel.

Therefore, instead of waiting for them to rebel, it is better for the widow to lead them to rebel, so that the situation is still under the control of the widow, so that the harm caused by the turmoil will be minimized. ”

When the crown prince heard that he was just the bait of the king of Chu fishing, he immediately said urgently: "Didn't my father do this, didn't he think that maybe I died of illness a few years ago?" Or maybe I wouldn't have rebelled at all? ”

When Xiong Huai heard this, he was silent for a while, and then spoke: "Actually, the candidate prepared by the widow at the beginning was only Sima Jingqing, and later, the widow was replaced by the prince. No matter who it is, the king forces the ministers to rebel, and the ministers have to rebel. ”

When the prince heard this, he laughed angrily and said: "Hahaha, ridiculous, ridiculous, I am the prince of Chu in vain, I thought that even if I failed, I would go through the world vigorously, and it would not be in vain."

But unexpectedly, when I was dying, I realized that I was not only just your doll, but also a dispensable bait that could be replaced at any time.

I... I'm good..."

"Poof—"

Before the prince could finish speaking, blood spurted out, and then he fell to the ground with wide eyes, already dead of exhaustion.

Xiong Huai saw the prince dying in front of him, his face stiffened, and after being silent for a long time, he sighed:

"Alas! Ziheng, Ziheng, you have lived a lifetime in a daze, before you die, the widow wanted you to die clearly, but you... Alas~~"

After that, Xiong Huai was silent for a while, and then said: "Although the widow doesn't know what you want to ask in the third question, the widow can answer you."

The night before yesterday, the reason why the widow did not run away in advance, but stayed in the palace and waited for you, was not that the widow wanted to play tricks on you, let alone that the widow was full of confidence, but that the widow took the risk to give you a chance.

If you promise the widow to let the widow go back to Zhanghua Palace for retirement, then today, you can live.

The night before yesterday, you agreed to two of the widow's requests, and now the widow has promised you two things.

First, the crown princess will be sent back to Wei, and then the widow will ask the king of Wei to place the crown princess and let the princess spend the rest of her life in peace.

Second, if Princess Wei, the wife of Chengyang Jun, gives birth to a boy, the widow will send Daxian to teach him, train him to become a talent, and then let him return to the Chu State to make meritorious contributions, wash away the shame on you, and continue your bloodline.

Of course, he will not have the surname Xiong or Mi, and the widow will give him the surname Chu.

If Mrs. Chengyang Jun gives birth to a daughter, the widow will prepare a rich dowry and find a lover for her to live happily ever after. ”

Saying that, Xiong Huai paused for a moment, and then spoke: "Maybe the prince also wants to ask who the next king of Chu is, and now the widow can also tell that it is your own brother Gongzi, brother and brother, and you have an explanation for the prince." ”

After saying that, Xiong Huai sighed again, then took a few steps forward, came to Prince Heng's side, stretched out his hand, and then gently wiped Prince Heng's eyes.

But... Prince Heng's eyes were always wide open and could not be closed.

"Huh?" Xiong Huai was stunned for a moment, and then made a move.

Prince Heng's eyes were still wide open.

Seeing this, Xiong Huai didn't make another move, but shook his head and said: "It turns out that what is staged on TV is all deception, if a person fails to close his eyes when he dies, then others will not be able to close his eyes when he makes a move." ”

Saying that, Xiong Huai left regretfully, and lamented as he walked: "Queen, Queen, under Jiuquan, the widow really has no face to see you." ”

After Xiong Huai left, in prison, the prince did not close his eyes for a long time, and he did not look away.

n.