That night, Xiao Yue carefully hugged Gu Nian to sleep, and in the middle of the night, he was awakened by a faint noise, and the dark one outside was gently knocking on the door to report, "Lord, it seems that the palace is running water." ”

Xiao Yue was shocked, put Gu Nian in his arms lightly on the pillow, turned over and got out of bed, and walked outside to see that there were clouds of smoke coming out of the direction of the palace.

Gu Nian opened her eyes in a daze, turned over, Xiao Yue saw this, hurriedly walked to the side of the bed, patted her back gently, and said in a low voice, "It's okay, you can sleep in peace." I'll be back in a moment. ”

In the palace, in the Palace of Nourishing Hearts, Emperor Yongping was still reviewing the excerpts, and his father-in-law Yu dissuaded him on the side, "Your Majesty, it's getting late, you better look at it tomorrow." ”

Emperor Yongping answered, put down the pen, reached out to take the fold again, suddenly stopped, as if he heard something, and then, he put down his hand, turned his head to look in the direction of the east.

Over there is the direction of the East Palace, and Father-in-law Yu and Emperor Yongping listened attentively together, as if there was a chaotic noise.

This is extremely unusual in the palace.

Father-in-law Yu walked to the door to look, and saw smoke coming out in the distance, as if there was a fire, his face changed slightly, and he was just about to turn around and go in to report to Emperor Yongping, a steward eunuch ran over in a panic, and hit his father-in-law's body, and the steward eunuch couldn't apologize to Father-in-law Yu and entered the main hall.

He threw himself on the ground with a "plop" and said, "Your Majesty, the East Palace...... East Palace Walking Water ...... Slaves and maids are already putting out the fire...... Afraid of disturbing the holy driver, so I came to report it...... Please forgive the emperor. ”

Emperor Yongping was startled, and suddenly stood up from his position, with a solemn expression, and he instructed Gonggong Yu who came in, "You go and take a look for me, and be sure to extinguish it as soon as possible." ”

Father-in-law Yu answered and hurriedly went to the East Palace.

The East Palace suddenly caught fire, and everyone in the palace was awakened and paid attention to the fire, but fortunately, the fire was quickly extinguished.

Not long after, Father-in-law Yu also came back in a hurry.

Father-in-law Yu's face was ugly, and he didn't say anything when he came in, he knelt on the ground, bowed his head and didn't move.

When such a big thing happened, Emperor Yongping couldn't sleep, and was flipping through the folds, seeing this, he looked up and said, "What's wrong?" Didn't you say that the fire was extinguished? What's wrong with you? ”

Father-in-law Yu straightened up, and said in a trembling voice, "The slave and maid are bold, I beg Your Majesty not to be angry, the emperor has answered, and the slave and maid dare to speak." ”

Emperor Yongping laughed, "You have been by my side for so many years, but you have never been like this, what is the matter, let you be like this, say it." I'm not angry. "The slave maid has just passed, and the fire has been extinguished, saying that the fire broke out first in the resting room next to the prince's study, and after the fire was extinguished, the slave and maid wanted to come back first to report to the emperor, so as not to worry the emperor and not want to ......"

He paused, his face hesitant.

Emperor Yongping put down his fold, stood up, and glanced at him, "Don't want to do anything?" ”

Father-in-law Yu paused for a moment and continued, "When the slave and maid were leaving, the miscellaneous eunuch who was called to put out the fire was moving the burned objects outside, and he didn't want to turn out something unspeakable......

"What ......" The emperor's voice was deep, not angry but mighty.

"The slave maid didn't dare to say it, the stakes were very high, and the prince was also shocked when he saw that thing, so the slave and maid brought the thing back first, and asked the emperor to make a decision after looking at it."

After he had finished speaking, a little eunuch bowed in, his hand raised high, holding a tray, and kneeling on the ground.

On the tray, there is a dragon robe that has been burned off, and although the nine crowns pressed on it also have traces of fire, the various jade beads on it are countable and clear at a glance.

Father-in-law Yu knelt down and looked at Emperor Yongping above uneasily.

Emperor Yongping stared at the set of equipment that only emperors had, and he didn't speak for a while, but suddenly 'snapped', threw the fold on the table, and said coldly, "Bastard!! ”

Outside, a eunuch came in to report, "Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the King of Jin is at the door." ”

Emperor Yongping exhaled and spit out a few words, "Let him in." ”

Xiao Yue entered from outside the hall, saw Father-in-law Yu kneeling on the ground, and the things held by the eunuch on the side, and said with a smile, "Uncle Huang, what's wrong?" ”

Emperor Yongping said angrily, "Look at it, this is from your good big brother's palace." ”

Xiao Yue rummaged over the tray, and said lightly, "Uncle Huang knows, the eldest brother is not that kind of person, he has never been." ”

The joy and anger on Emperor Yongping's face were indisputable, and he said sharply, "I want to see with my own eyes what he has done in the East Palace, whether he can't wait to be the emperor." ”

Xiao Yue didn't have a panicked look on his face, he smiled and said, "Uncle Huang, these things, to say something disrespectful, I want to do it, I can do ten sets of eight sets, who is this who actually framed the prince's brother, if I find out, I will definitely destroy his full family." “

"Framed? Are you still framed by others? When I drove the expedition in person, wasn't he just waiting in the capital for me to be defeated and captured, so that he could ascend the throne as emperor? After so many years, this ambition will only be bigger, not smaller. ”

Emperor Yongping said angrily.

Xiao Yue smiled, "Brother Prince is not that kind of person, he is your son, and he must wish you well." ”

Emperor Yongping knew very well in his heart that the crown prince would indeed not be like that, but the war at the beginning was too tragic, although he narrowly won later, but he and that person experienced being surrounded, almost captured, and the line of life and death, whether it was him or the person at the time, they had never endured.

And the crown prince was in charge of the country in the court at that time, and if the emperor died, or was captured, it must be the crown prince who ascended the throne, at that time, why did the emperor let Zhang Chunzi give him a makeover, it was because he didn't want the prince to ascend the throne.

The reason is that the prince was too young at that time, and the lord and young ministers were strong, which was not a good thing, not to mention, he had just experienced a big war, and if the emperor died at this time, then it would inevitably be another big turmoil.

Not to mention the country, as far as the surrounding neighbors, which one is not looking at the east and wanting to step forward to get a piece of the pie?

At this time, they met Zhang Chunzi, and he is where he is today!

"You have been intimate with him since you were a child, and you will talk to him whenever you want." Emperor Yongping said, although he was not as angry as Prince Dao, but his voice was still a little cold.

"He is your eldest son, my eldest brother, didn't you take my hand and say to me, is this the eldest brother?" Xiao Yue said, his voice was low and magnetic, with an indescribable infectiousness, with incomparable sincerity.

Where he wants to stand, he has made his attitude clear since many years ago, whether it is the imperial court or the inner palace, everyone knows that he is a princeling, even if Emperor Yongping changes his mind, he will not change his beliefs.

Emperor Yongping's face was gloomy, his expression looked sad and distant, and he suddenly said after a while, "Let's go, go to the East Palace." ”

"Yes." Xiao Yue said softly, "I'll go with Uncle Huang." When passing by Father-in-law Yu, Xiao Yue said, "Father-in-law Yu, get up quickly, how can the emperor be without your service." ”

Father-in-law Yu breathed a sigh of relief, quickly stood up, rubbed his knees, and limped to follow Emperor Yongping and Xiao Yue.

In the palace, the crown princess, the crown prince and a cadre of chamberlains knelt at the gate of the East Palace to welcome Emperor Yongping.

The crown prince has been named the crown prince since birth, and now he has been in power for 30 years, so many years, he has long had the ability to ascend the throne and control the court.

Emperor Yongping took Xiao Yue and let the prince enter the side hall that was not burned, and Father-in-law Yu guarded the door, and the three of them talked for a long time, until the sky was white.

As for what was said, no one knows.

It's just that after going back, Emperor Yongping fell ill and even stopped the court for three days.

In the East Palace, the crown princess sat on the dressing table for a while, and suddenly there was a sound of footsteps outside, it was the prince who came in, she stood up and rushed to the prince's side, tears fell, and in an instant, tears flowed down her face.

The prince calmly and slowly raised his hand to pull out the silk handkerchief from his sleeve cage and raised his hand to wipe her tears.

"Don't cry, it's okay."

The crown princess bit her lip, and the two walked to the couch hand in hand, and the crown princess sat on the edge of the couch and fell on the prince's lap and sobbed.

The prince stroked her hair, but the anger in his eyes gradually could not be hidden.

*

After Emperor Yongping came out of the East Palace, he went directly into the imperial study.

Xiao Yue followed, took a few steps in front of him, and then waved the palace people back.

The room was as quiet as if no one existed, except for the smoke curling from the incense burner in the corner.

"Uncle Huang, you should have heard what the prince's brother said, he didn't have such a mind at all." Xiao Yue stared at Emperor Yongping closely, and his attitude was not as respectful and obedient as usual.

Emperor Yongping raised his eyes, and his gaze suddenly became deep, "This is what you should say?" ”

Xiao Yue gritted his teeth and stared at Emperor Yongping, and said, "You know that the prince's brother will not do this at all, and someone framed him, but you still want to lock him up, don't you?" ”

Emperor Yongping's eyes gradually deepened, and in the face of such a question, he did not speak.

Xiao Yue slammed his fists on the table, "He is your son, he is my eldest brother, he is better than Lin Xi's bastard in all his martial arts, and he is more suitable to be this emperor than anyone else, but you have driven him to a dead end again and again, you can just raise Lin Xi to fight him." ”

"But look at it, what kind of person is Lin Xi? You say give me justice, if someone else ascends to the throne, will I have a good life? ”

Emperor Yongping stood up, because of excitement, his beard trembled slightly, and his voice was as clear of vicissitudes as if it had come from ancient times,

"Maybe he's strong in everything, and I'd like to see the blue out of the blue and better than the blue, but he's ......"

Xiao Yue took a step forward, "What's wrong with him......"

Emperor Yongping looked at Xiao Yue sadly, how could he tell him that he only wanted to leave this country to him, not the crown prince, not the fourth prince, not any prince?

Xiao Yue took another step forward, "What's wrong with Brother Prince?" If you say that his health is not good, but his body has improved a lot, and he has not relapsed for so many years, even Zhang Chunzi said that he will be fine. ”

"What the hell are you worried about?"

"Brother Prince is your eldest son, your own flesh and blood, you can be so kind to the heir of a foreign minister like me, why can't you give Brother Prince a little warmth?"

"You didn't let him die, you made me die."

With a "snap", a slap landed on Xiao Yue's face.

Xiao Yue was caught off guard, his body tilted, and he leaned on the incense burner behind him.

Emperor Yongping couldn't hold his teeth and agitated, and there was a sudden flash of water in his majestic eyes.

"The future emperor will definitely not be any of these princes."

Xiao Yue stood firm with the incense burner, and suddenly burst into tears and laughed, "If it's not these princes, who will it be?" Where else do you have someone to inherit the country? ”

When he said this, his face suddenly became strange, "Could it be that you are like those ministers and raise an outer room outside?" ”

"I don't understand what kind of successor you want, obedient or excellent? Brother Prince has lived in your shadow for so many years, but he still has great ambitions, sometimes I really wonder, is Brother Prince your son after all? Why don't you ever consider his feelings? ”

"Obviously you are a wise and generous emperor, but why are you so selfish to your own son? If it's because of me, you put all your love on me, then, I'm willing to walk away and not appear in front of you, I just hope that you will put a little bit of attention on the prince's brother......"

"Just like before you drove the expedition, how innocent was the prince's brother? It wasn't he who asked you to go to the Imperial Expedition, and it wasn't he who made you defeated, but he had to bear your anger and become what you are now. ”

Xiao Yue's voice was sometimes slow, sometimes excited, and every word was like a rainstorm and hail hitting the hall around, and at the same time hitting the emperor's heart.

Emperor Yongping looked at Xiao Yue and said slowly, "I took you with me back then, and over the years, I have treated you well, regarded you as a parent, and had high hopes for you, but what are you doing at the moment?" Where did you get the confidence to dare to question me? ”

Emperor Yongping questioned one after another, but Xiao Yue did not answer.

The atmosphere slowly condensed again, Emperor Yongping's mouth moved, at first it was a simple sneer, and later, it slowly turned into an angry sneer, he swept the things on the imperial case to the ground with his sleeves, and in the sparse uproar, the things on the table and the folds were swept to the ground, and the ground was in a mess.

Emperor Yongping clenched his fists with both hands, trembled slightly, gritted his teeth, and looked at Xiao Yue with a distorted face.

"Why do you rebel against me?"

Xiao Yue was silent.

"I want you to speak!"

Xiao Yue slowly raised his head, he looked directly at Emperor Yongping, "I once said that the prince's brother is your eldest son and your sister-in-law, and it is natural for him to inherit everything from you." ”

"Where in the world are there so many things that are taken for granted, is it my throne that comes for granted? Your father-in-law, why did he become an orphan? Don't you know? ”

"But Brother Prince is different, since you have identified him from the beginning, he has not done anything wrong, why should you give up on him?"

Emperor Yongping was stunned for a moment, and sneered, it wasn't he who identified him at the beginning, it was that person who identified him!

He raised his eyebrows and said, "Xiao Jiu, listen, you are different from others, I will give you three more days to think about it, and after three days, if you are still so disobedient to me, I will not move you, I have people who can move." ”

"For example, your wife's maiden ......"

"You've thought it through, think it clearly and come back to see me."

Xiao Yue laughed miserably, thinking of the family, indeed, the reason for him to move his father-in-law is ready-made, King Su is orphaned, and the emperor can pardon Gu Shi'an, and at the same time convict him.

You don't even need to find a crime, this time in the assassination of the Four Princes' Mansion, didn't the assassin say that it was done by King Su's relics before he died?

Xiao Yue looked at Emperor Yongping, slowly knelt down, and kowtowed to him.

At this time, the crown prince also walked in from outside, his face was pale, and at the door he heard Xiao Yue's words defending him, he staggered to Emperor Yongping, looked at him and said,

"Sometimes I wonder, are you really my father? If you were my father, why would you treat me like this? I am also a human being, with a heart, liver, spleen and lungs, and feelings, obviously you also had deep expectations for me at the beginning, hoping that I can become a better person than you. ”

"But now, you know I won't do such a thing, but you still want to imprison me, why? You're frying my heart and my lungs alive. ”

Although I am in the royal family, I have never had any big ambitions, I am only willing to be an ordinary prince, with a wife of Qin Se and Ming, a few smart and lovely children, if I can, I would rather be expelled from the clan than be this prince. ”

"You may be a wise emperor, but you are a failed father!"

The emperor stared at the two stubborn faces in front of him, and his voice came out from between his teeth, "Are you forcing me?" ”

Xiao Yue's eyes widened, his teeth clenched, and he stood side by side with the prince.

The study was quiet again.

Even the light projected from outside felt the tense atmosphere, swaying restlessly in the slight air current.

"It seems that you are determined to punish the prince's brother, but I tell you, if the prince's brother is convicted, it will be my death!"

After being silent for a long time, Xiao Yue's voice was low from his throat, and at this time, there was no anger in his eyes, only calmness in his eyes.

He was glad that he saw something in the palace, so he entered the palace, perhaps, he was a little self-inflicted, but his intuition told him that in this way, he could really threaten the emperor.

So, he did it regardless of it.

"You!" Emperor Yongping's body shook suddenly, and he looked at him in disbelief.

Even the crown prince is, "Xiao Jiu, don't mess around." ”

Xiao Yue said, "Uncle Huang, no matter what, as long as the punishment for the prince's brother comes out, I will follow him in life, and I will follow him in death." ”

"You know my character."

Emperor Yongping clutched his chest, looked at him with a pale face, and sat down on the ground, "Do you think I want to kill the prince?" I have selfish intentions, but how could I kill him? Am I a beast in your heart who doesn't recognize your six relatives? ”

"Okay, since you are so affectionate and righteous, then let's all go to the prison and stay, come on, and put the prince and Xiao Yue, the king of Jin, into the prison."

There was a rush of footsteps outside, and then the Guards came in and escorted the two of them down.

*

After the crown prince and Xiao Yue were escorted away, Emperor Yongping spit out a mouthful of blood, and Father-in-law Yu was so frightened that he wanted to call the imperial doctor, but was stopped by Emperor Yongping, "Don't scream, my body, I know, help me get up." ”

This lay, Emperor Yongping lay down for three days, and the court meeting also stopped for three days.

Father-in-law Yu entered the dormitory lightly, saw that Emperor Yongping was still lying on the couch sideways, put the medicine bowl on the table, and called softly, "Your Majesty." ”

The emperor on the dragon couch opened his eyes.

"Your Majesty, it's time for you to take medicine." Father-in-law Yu came over with a medicine bowl.

After Emperor Yongping took a long breath, with the support of the little eunuch on the side, he made it, took the bowl, and drank it slowly.

After drinking the medicine, Emperor Yongping did not lie back and asked, "Who else is there outside?" ”

"In addition to the princes, there are also the princes, the elders, and the princess of the protector are also outside."

In the past three days, the crown prince has been kneeling outside to beg to see, from morning to night, kneeling outside, it is said that both legs are swollen.

The emperor said slowly, "I don't see anyone, let the imperial sister go back." Let the other people disperse, if you don't disperse, let the Imperial Forest Army fork out, Sister Huang, she will go, you tell her, it's okay. ”

"Yes." When Father-in-law Yu heard this, he raised his chin at his godson Yang Shun'er, who was beside him, and Yang Shun understood and went down to pass the word.

"Your Majesty, over there in the East Palace, the crown princess and the crown princess have not eaten or drunk for the past three days, and have been kneeling there, asking to see the emperor, you see?"

Father-in-law Yu hesitated, and finally reported it.

The emperor said lightly, "I said, no one will see me." ”

"The slave and maid understand." Father-in-law Yu returned.

Emperor Yongping turned around and asked, "How is Xiao Jiu doing over there?" ”

Father-in-law Yu was in a somewhat complicated mood, and said in a low voice, "There is no news coming." ”

Emperor Yongping opened his eyes, was distracted for a moment, and said in a low voice, "I want to go to Izumo Temple." ”

Father-in-law Yu was slightly stunned, and then whispered yes.

When Xiao Yue arrived at Izumo Temple, it was as silent as night, and under his guidance, he stopped in front of the courtyard where he had been last time, and looked at Father-in-law Yu at the door, with a puzzled expression.

"Lord, go in, Your Majesty is waiting for you inside."

Father-in-law Yu bowed to him, and then retreated to the gate of the courtyard.

Xiao Yue suppressed the doubts in his heart, pushed open the hidden door, and walked inside.

The emperor was facing the door, looking at the tablet above in a daze, last time there was only one tablet for Yun Niang's position, but this time, there was one more, blank, it was the one that was lined up next to his father Xiao Yi's tablet at that time.

Xiao Yue did not salute as casually as before, but seriously bowed to the back, Emperor Yongping slowly turned around, looked at him, motioned for him to get up, and then, looked at him, and stopped talking.

Emperor Yongping was in the prime of life, but he hadn't seen him for three days, but he looked haggard, and his eyes were tired, but at this moment, his eyes were deep, and when he stared at him, because of this trace of tiredness, the originally rigid facial features became softer.

The strangeness in Xiao Yue's heart became more and more intense.

He said, "I don't know if Your Majesty asked the guilty ministers to come here and give orders. ”

Emperor Yongping finally spoke, pointing to the position of 'Yun Niang' and said, "Come here, bow to your biological mother." ”

Xiao Yue's expression froze, his gaze shifted from the tablet to Emperor Yongping, and said, "Your Majesty, the biological mother of the criminal minister is alive and well in the Jin Palace, how can there be a tablet if a person is alive?" ”

"The sinner doesn't understand what the purpose is?"

Emperor Yongping looked at the tablet, his eyes were soft, and he said word by word, "Xiao Jiu, you are not the son of the Ji family, no, your biological mother is indeed surnamed Ji, but not the one she is now, after she gave birth to you, she went, and I am not your imperial uncle, I am your biological father, Xiao Yi." ”

When Emperor Yongping's words fell, the room fell into a dead silence, and for a long time, Xiao Yue just looked at the person opposite, his figure was motionless, and he didn't speak.

"Your Majesty is afraid that he is sick and confused, and he is a little delirious at the moment, so the criminal minister will retire first."

He said suddenly, pursing the corners of his lips, turned around, and strode out the door.

Emperor Yongping took a step forward and took Xiao Yue's hand, Xiao Yue turned around and looked at him, and said word by word, "The biological mother of the criminal minister is the Ji family in the mansion now." ”