Shen Ruoyu was firmly tied by ropes, and his hands and feet were inconvenient, but he had to be pushed and shoved by the guards and pro-army, and once again walked around the labyrinthine palace, walked a long way, and then climbed a high flight of steps, and after two high platforms, he came to the bedroom of Lord Yan.

The guards stopped in front of the palace; Yan Shizi and the two princes also had to wait at the gate of the palace to see Luo Yang go in to report. After a while, the heroic commander came out and said loudly:

"The prince has a will, bring Shen Ruoliao into questioning; Please wait outside the palace for the three highnesses. ”

The guards lifted Shen Ruoyu up and pushed him into the dormitory. The door closed behind them. Shen Ruoyu was escorted to Dongnuan Pavilion by the guards, and fell to the ground, unable to raise his head.

"Your Highness, Shen Ruoxiao brought it." Luo Yang's voice reported.

"Untie him." A deep, yet mellow voice resounded calmly overhead.

Seeing the guards untie the rope on Shen Ruoliao's body, Zhu Di said, "You all go down." ”

Shen Ruoyu was sore all over, gritted his teeth and got up from the ground. Luo Yang, the surrounding guards, and palace maids all walked out of the dormitory cleanly, leaving only Zhu Di and him in the Dongnuan Pavilion.

"Your name is Shen Ruoxiao?" Zhu Di asked.

Shen Ruoyu raised his head; On a large and gorgeous chair in front of him, a middle-aged man sat upright, dressed in cyan civilian clothes, with a majestic figure, strong muscles, and a dark complexion. The face is broad, the eyebrows are as tall as a sword, and the long beard with three heroic and flowing beards hangs down in a dashing manner. This is the legendary King of Swallow; Shen Ruoyu looked at him like electricity, looked at himself calmly, and reached out to take the teacup on the table next to the chair, and took a leisurely sip. The big thick hands have prominent bone joints, broad palms, exposed green tendons, and a striking ring on the little finger of the left hand, which is inlaid with a huge gemstone, soaked in emerald green in the blue and can be seen in fine black cracks, which are gorgeous and dazzling.

This is the first time that Shen Ruoyu has entered the palace in seventeen years, and the first time he has entered the bedroom of King Yan. In a way, he was lucky; How many people in Peking have lived at the foot of this palace all their lives, and they have never dreamed that they will one day be able to walk into this palace to see; And he only lived in this city of Beiping for one year. He didn't answer Zhu Di's question, but continued to observe the surroundings. This East Warm Pavilion is tall and spacious, and the algae decoration is simple; However, in the eyes of Shen Ruoxiao, who has never seen the world, it is absolutely brilliant. Near the wall stood a row of iron frames, which were filled with eighteen kinds of weapons, and next to them stood several sets of majestic battle armor. Several walls were covered with oddly shaped weapons, and he could only recognize crossbows and spears; There is also something that resembles a bull's head, but only the skeleton remains, and two well-preserved stout horns. There is also a skin of an unknown animal, with black lines on white ground, which is very good-looking. and a map that covered an entire wall, marked with red markings, but I don't know exactly where it was drawn. On the ground was a thick carpet of flowers, delicate and ornate, embroidered with some strange onion buildings, but on the edge of the blanket were some vines and plants, and an even stranger animal, shaped like a horse's swollen back, and swollen with two bags.

Zhu Di looked at his surprised and blank gaze, and asked quietly, "How is the layout of this lonely dormitory?" ”

Shen Ruoyu withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhu Di; He found that on the seat of King Yan, it was originally covered with the same animal skin as on the wall, with white ground and black lines, and a majestic aura of an emperor was leisurely in it. Behind the seat stands a wide screen, made of unknown texture, with a transparent color and round brilliance, which is very valuable. On the screen is a magnificent picture of the battle, although the scene is large but the pen is detailed, lifelike, extremely spectacular.

Shen Ruoyu was dazzled, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart. He had always thought that Yao Biao's mansion was the most luxurious he could imagine, and now standing in the Dongnuan Pavilion of King Yan's bedroom, he knew how he was sitting in a well and watching the sky.

He stopped looking, lowered his head, and still did not answer.

Zhu Di said coldly: "Why don't you speak?" Didn't you hear? ”

Shen Ruoyu shook his head. From the moment he was arrested and put into the palace, he inexplicably embraced such a fantasy, and always felt that he could cry out in front of King Yan and get himself out. When he was brought out of Zhu Gaoxu's palace by Luo Yang, this kind of luck psychology climbed greatly, so that when he finally faced King Yan now, he didn't dare to speak, for fear that he would say the wrong thing and lose this hope of survival.

Zhu Di became a little impatient, frowned slightly, and asked, "Can you hear Lone's words?" ”

Shen Ruoyu nodded.

Zhu Di looked at him strangely and asked, "Are you that Shen Ruoliao?" The bold man Shen Ruoliao who blocked the palace on the street, kicked off the horse's leg, gathered a crowd to make trouble, and humiliated the second and third princes? ”

"I ...... No," Shen Ruoyu said reluctantly.

"So you can talk." Zhu Di smiled: "You are not Shen Ruoliao, so who are you?" You don't mean to say that Lone caught the wrong person, right? ”

Shen Ruoliao said: "I am Shen Ruoliao; However, it's not the Shen Ruoliao you said. I didn't stop the palace from speeding up, nor did I gather a crowd to make trouble, and I didn't have the audacity to disrupt the people. ”

He dared to say this, and did not dare to raise his head. Zhu Di listened very freshly and asked:

"So, all these things came out of nowhere?"

Shen Ruoyu was silent for a long time, and finally decided to resign himself to fate, sighed, and said, "No; I did kick the little prince's horse leg off, and I did humiliate the two little princes in public. ”

"You're not a little daring." Zhu Di said coldly.

Shen Ruoyu hesitated for a moment and said, "I'...... I didn't mean to break the horse's leg. And ......"

"What?" Zhu Di asked coldly.

Shen Ruoyu stopped and didn't dare to say more.

Zhu Di waited for a while, and when he saw that he didn't answer, he ordered: "You raise your head and look at Lone." ”

Shen Ruoyu's heart jumped suddenly, he worked hard for a long time, but finally didn't have the courage to raise his head.

Zhu Di said lightly: "What? Don't you dare? ”

Shen Ruoliao did not answer.

Zhu Di said: "Lonely, I can't figure it out; You have the courage to do those things, and you have the courage to admit it, why don't you have the courage to look at Gu and talk to Gu? ”

Shen Ruoyu finally mustered up a little courage and said in a low voice: "I'm afraid of death." ”

Zhu Di smiled: "So that's the case; Why are you afraid of death? ”

"I ......" Shen Ruoyu hesitated for a moment, and said slowly: "I'm afraid of pain, and ...... I'm afraid that my aunt will be sad, and I'm afraid that you will ...... Like the little prince said......"

"What did they say?" Zhu Di looked at him with a smile.

“…… Say...... Let the pro-army peel off my skin in front of the whole city, and light me with a sky lantern......"

Zhu Di asked, "How old are you?" ”

"I'm eighteen."

"So young;" Zhu Di pondered for a moment and smiled: "If there is a way to keep you alive, why don't you do it?" ”

Shen Ruoyu hesitated for a long time and said, "It depends on what method it is." ”

Zhu Di said: "Lord Yao pleaded with Gu, saying that you didn't make a mistake and let me let you go home." Lord Yao spoke, and there were few people who had never heard it. How did you and Master Yao meet? ”

Shen Ruoliao was shocked in her heart; A thought suddenly flashed through his mind: Yao Biao did not plead with King Yan at all. Maybe it was a trap deliberately set by King Yan, wanting to take the opportunity to harm Yao Biao. Although he hates this old man and doesn't want to find fault with him all the time, splashing a few scoops of fecal water on Master Yao is enough to spill his anger; Now to ask him to declare his personal vendetta and cause the Yao family to be beheaded all over the house, it is simply a loss of conscience.

Shen Ruoyu calmed down, was no longer afraid, raised his head, and said loudly: "Lord Wang, you must have made a mistake; I've never known anyone around you. ”

"Master Yao Shude, don't you recognize? He was Lone's personal medical officer, and he also had a high prestige among the civilian population. ”

"I don't recognize it." Shen Ruoyu said categorically.

Zhu Di smiled in surprise: "Since you don't recognize it, why does he want to plead with Gu for you?" ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "How do I know; Either he made a mistake, or he had ulterior motives, you must not listen to him, prince. ”

Zhu Di stroked his long beard and smiled: "You are reasonable. Back to your case. Since you have confessed that you did humiliate the two princes in public and kicked their horses off, I would like to hear if you have any explanation. ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "You should have heard countless people say it, and you already know it in your heart." ”

Zhu Di said leisurely: "If you listen to it, you will be clear, and if you believe it, you will be dark; Lone doesn't want you to have any grievances, so that the world will say that Lone is partial to his own flesh and blood, and the case is unfair. ”

Shen Ruoyu hesitated for a moment and said, "What I said to the two little princes, one of them must be false; You can't doubt your own son. Besides, you are the prince, and I am just a shopkeeper; If I say it, no dignitaries will be willing to pay attention to it, let alone let you believe me. I said what was the use; You might as well just kill me; I beg you, don't skin me, light the sky lantern—"

Zhu Di laughed, and the loud laughter shook the ground under his feet slightly. He stood up, walked up to Shen Ruoliao, stared at him fixedly for a long time, and then paced leisurely in the warm pavilion, and said:

"If you are so afraid of death, how can you have the courage to do it?"

Shen Ruoyu said: "I didn't know at the time, they were little princes, and I thought they were just the sons of a family." ”

"So, if you had known they were princes, none of this would have happened?" Zhu Di turned around and looked at Shen Ruoliao coldly.

Shen Ruoyu glanced at King Yan, and the other party's majestic gaze made his heart sink. This prince spoke lukewarmly, unfathomably, so that he couldn't guess his intentions at all. Shen Ruoyu thought for a long time, and finally said honestly:

"Nope; Even if I knew, I would still have kicked their horse's leg off; It's just that I don't have the courage to humiliate the two little princes on the street. ”

"Why don't you have to get along with their horses?"

Shen Ruoyu said: "It's not that I can't get along with the horse; I didn't think I was going to break the horse's leg, and I was thinking only about saving people. You don't know that your two little princes are riding horses on a rampant rampage in the downtown area, trampling over other people's stalls, not to mention, and almost trampling a girl to death. I just wanted to save people, so I inadvertently kicked the little prince's horse leg off. ”

"Heroes save beauty, so it is;" Zhu Di smiled contemplatively, "How did you humiliate them in public and tell me about it?" ”

Shen Ruoyu lowered his head: "I don't dare." ”

"I heard, you also hit them? Is it true? ”

"I ......" Shen Ruoyu hesitated for a long time and said, "I don't know." ”

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"Because...... I said very disrespectful things to the two little princes, and they drew their swords to kill me, so ...... If I don't knock his knife off, I'll be dead. ”

"Your skills are very good," Zhu Di said coldly.

Shen Ruoyu panicked in her heart, what did this prince want? He bowed his head and said, "No, I don't have any skills at all, I just saw that I was about to die, and I was really anxious." I'm afraid I can't even catch a chicken. ”

Zhu Di thought for a while, and then said, "Is the woman who was kidnapped with you your mother?" ”

"No, it's my aunt, my aunt."

"Aunt Recognize?" Zhu Di paused and said with a smile: "Do you want me to let you and your aunt go home?" ”

Shen Ruoyu said in a low voice: "I can't help it." ”

Zhu Di said: "Lord Yao intercedes for you, but you are unwilling; There's only one way for me to let you go. He shouted, "Someone! ”

Luo Yang appeared at the door, bowed and waiting for orders.

"Call the second and third princes in."

Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui got the will and walked into the Dongnuan Pavilion angrily.

"Father," the two princes shouted, and then glanced at Shen Ruoyu viciously.

Zhu Di sat back on the chair, took a sip of tea, put the teacup back on the desk, and said to Shen Ruoyu:

"You are right here, in front of me, kneel down to the two princes and plead guilty, and I will let you go."

"Father, this is too cheap for him!" Zhu Gaoxu shouted.

Zhu Di glanced at him, and he didn't dare to speak again.

Shen Ruoyu said softly: "What about my aunt?" ”

Zhu Di said: "Of course, let you go together." ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "Is there any way to not let me go, but let my aunt go?" ”

Zhu Di was slightly stunned: "What do you mean?" ”

Shen Ruoliao did not answer.

Zhu Di smiled and said, "What, if you want to make a compensatory to the two princes, you are not willing?" ”

Shen Ruoyu raised his head and glanced at the two little princes; Zhu Gaoxu stiffened his face and stood straight to the side, not looking at him; Zhu Gaosui just glanced at him proudly.

Shen Ruoyu said in a low voice: "This is not fair. ”

"What?" Zhu Di asked, not raising his voice.

Shen Ruoyu relented and said, "I shouldn't have humiliated the two little princes, but they were wrong first. My mistake is at most to make the two little princes lose face and lose their prestige. Their fault, if I hadn't come to the rescue, would have caused human life. The comparison of the two mistakes, which is more important, you have a scale in your heart. It's not hard for me to admit my mistakes; But the mistakes of the two little princes must not go unpunished. Otherwise, if this goes on for a long time, where is your prestige in the eyes of the people of Beiping? ”

"Boy, are you really tired of being alive?" Zhu Gaoxu was furious and grabbed him by the collar; Shen Ruoyu didn't resist, Zhu Gaoxu was stunned for a moment, smiled smugly, pushed him out suddenly, slammed into the row of weapon racks, knocked down all the eighteen weapons, and a chaotic sound of metal impact pressed Shen Ruoliao underneath.

Suddenly, two people ran out from behind the screen and ran to Shen Ruoliao's side, one person hurriedly picked up the messy iron frame, and the other woman took Shen Ruoliao into her arms and shouted:

"Xiao'er, are you alright?"

Fortunately, the fallen weapon did not hurt Shen Ruoyu. He froze and saw clearly that the person in front of him turned out to be Lu Jiang, and he couldn't help but be dumbfounded. Yao Biao straightened the iron frame, put the weapon in its original position, and then, together with Lu Jiang, pulled Shen Ruoliao up.

Zhu Di sat on the side, looked at them, turned his face coldly, and scolded the two younger sons:

"Bastard thing, more and more lawless, dare to be so arrogant in front of Lonely?"

"Father," Zhu Gaoxu shouted, "you can't let this kid go, you must skin him and cramp his tendons-"

"Presumptuous;" Zhu Di said coldly: "Can I use you to teach me?" The two of you are not allowed to leave the palace for the past two days, so you will stay honest in the palace for me and reflect on it. If you want to leave the palace in the future, you must get the permission of Gu and your mother, choose a reliable person to accompany you, and take strict care of you. If you provoke right and wrong again, don't blame me for ignoring the relationship between father and son. Go out and call your big brother in. ”

Zhu Gaoxu touched his nose and ran out with Zhu Gaosui angrily.