At dawn.

Zhu Yinzhou walked all the way to the outside of the emperor's bedroom, and met Lin Zhi with a hurried expression.

"I was going to look for you!"

Lin Zhi hurriedly urged Zhu Yinzhou to go inside with him, "Your Majesty has finally woken up and said that he wants to see you." ”

After scanning the surroundings and confirming that no one dared to listen and watch more, Lin Zhicai whispered to Zhu Yinzhou: "Just now, Imperial Doctor Zhang told Shen Xiang and my father in private that it should be tonight." ”

Zhu Yinzhou heard the meaning of his words, said "um", and walked into the last door.

Seeing him coming, the old emperor, who was sitting on the dragon bed, said in a deep voice, "You all go out first." ”

Mrs. Lin: "Your Majesty ......"

"Get out!" The Emperor roared impatiently.

He doesn't have a good temper and is used to scolding others at every turn. But now that he was terminally ill, he felt very struggling just by shouting two words like this.

Mrs. Lin and Shen Xiang had no choice but to retreat together with the imperial doctors and attendants in the hall.

Only the elderly emperor and Zhu Yinzhou were left in the huge emperor's dormitory.

Seeing Zhu Yinzhou standing tall not far away, the emperor reprimanded: "Do you still want to ask someone to ask you to come over?!" ”

Zhu Yinzhou looked at him with a cold expression and did not speak.

The emperor always knew that this grandson was not dealing with him.

In order to tame Zhu Yinzhou's temperament, he didn't know how many methods he had tried, but until now there was no effect.

But now is not the time to pursue these with Zhu Yinzhou.

The emperor got straight to the point and said: "I will pass on to your father, and at the same time issue an edict to make you the crown prince." ”

Zhu Yinzhou only listened quietly and did not make any reaction.

He had already guessed that it would be the case.

The old emperor hated Zhu Yinzhou, so Lin Zhi and Lin Taifu were worried that the emperor would cut off the possibility of him becoming the crown prince before he died.

But Zhu Yinzhou had heard the emperor mention it a long time ago, and he felt that Zhu Yinzhou was most similar to him in his bones. The old emperor rejoiced in these two contradictory and extreme emotions for many years.

The old emperor suppressed a heavy cough a few times before continuing: "But the condition is that neither the Shen family nor the Chen family can be your crown princess. ”

Hearing the emperor mention Shen Hanshuang, Zhu Yinzhou raised his eyes to look at him.

The emperor's decision to pass on the throne is not difficult to guess, but he also deliberately targeted Shen Hanshuang when he returned to the light, which was unexpected by Zhu Yinzhou.

"Why?" He asked lightly.

Emperor: "Since the daughter of the Chen family is Zhu Qing's wife, she should be martyred for him." It's the same with my concubines. ”

Zhu Qing is the former prince who died under Zhu Yinzhou's sword.

The old emperor was very strict with his children and grandchildren, but he never thought that he would send a white-haired person to a black-haired person.

The emperor knew why Zhu Yinzhou had to kill Zhu Qing, and that was the reason why he had not been close to him all along.

"I know what you're hating. I haven't been able to convince you for so many years, which is both infuriating and commendable. ”

He didn't like Zhu Yinzhou's alienated and indifferent attitude towards him, the emperor, but he appreciated his sobriety and self-control that was not affected by anyone. Therefore, the emperor has been studying Zhu Yinzhou's mind, wanting to explore his boundaries and bottom line.

"You are ruthless to yourself, which is an ability for the emperor to be like a tiger, and it is more rare than being ruthless to others."

The bottom of his eyes was cloudy, and the emperor, who had been a dead tree, looked directly at Zhu Yinzhou, who was in his prime, and said in a rare calm tone.

"But one day, you will bend your back because of the Shen girl, and you may even have to worry about your life because of her."

Originally, no matter what the emperor did, he couldn't let Zhu Yinzhou loosen up in the slightest.

Only on the day when the Shen daughter entered the palace as the bride of the palace to ask for An, Zhu Yinzhou stood in front of her and defended her.

After that, Zhu Yinzhou and the Shen daughter rarely appeared in front of people together, and the relationship was not close, and the Shen woman rarely entered the palace to face the saint.

But whether it was Zhu Yinzhou's temperament being too lonely and cold, or whether he deliberately used this way to make the emperor not notice the Shen family's daughter, the emperor had already learned from the half step he took to block her-

The Shen woman is different for Zhu Yinzhou.

Perhaps this difference is just due to the responsibility of husband and wife, and it does not carry much weight, but the emperor must clear up his worries.

"On that dragon chair, there must be no prince and emperor who can't pass the beauty pass."

Zhu Yinzhou didn't care about the words related to Shen Hanshuang in front of the emperor, and only said coldly after he said these words: "That's why you forced my mother to drink Heding Red back then." ”

Zhu Yinzhou has long since stopped using honorific titles for the person in front of him: "You should have said the same thing as my father back then. ”

The emperor did not deny: "Indeed. ”

The emperor saw that both sons had a deep affection for their wives, so he asked them to take the lives of their wives with their own hands before deciding to become princes.

"Your father only has the kindness of a woman, so he can only be a prince."

The emperor does not need to have the most outstanding virtues and talents, but he must have the ability and iron will to control those who do.

Compared with King Pingnan, although the crown prince is a little mediocre, he is more able to weigh the pros and cons, and he is more ruthless, and one day he will be more able to hold the power that is handed to him.

The emperor believes that as a monarch, a lonely person, can pamper countless women, but he can't delay the love of his children, but only love one person.

There must be a cold and hard heart that will not be shaken by anyone, like a sharp blade that is controlled only by oneself.

If there is a loved one, then she is the best whetstone.

Zhu Yinzhou was originally a blade that was colder than the prince, but the fly in the ointment was that there was a small crack on this blade.

It may be insignificant at the moment, but in time, it may be enough to tear everything apart.

As long as this only deficiency can be stripped away, Zhu Yinzhou will be more suitable than anyone else to sit on that dragon chair.

"Zhu Qing did the test back then, so he became the prince. What about you? Are you planning to repeat your father's mistakes? ”

Zhu Yinzhou didn't have any emotion in his eyes: "It's a pity that the prince who has won your true inheritance is still dead." ”

"Yes, because you're more ruthless."

"In that case, you should be able to abandon those useless people more than Zhu Qing."

"Shen Xiang is still needed in the court, the Shen daughter can't die yet, but you have to divorce your wife." The Emperor commanded in a commanding tone.

The emperor only has one son, King Pingnan, who can only be passed on to him. Fortunately, King Pingnan's current wife is not enough to affect his mind.

The emperor didn't think about passing on the king of Pingnan before, so he didn't interfere with Zhu Yinzhou's marriage.

But it is also the position of the crown princess, even if the Chen family and the Shen family are both from the Prime Minister's Mansion, the impact they can bring is not the same.

Outsiders say that the prince fell in love with Chen's daughter at first sight, but the emperor knew very well that the resemblance between her and the prince's wife could make the prince marry her, but it was not enough to disturb the prince's already polished heart.

And she doesn't really love the Chen family, she's just a chess piece.

And Shen Xiang, the daughter of the Shen family, is already powerful and cannot be underestimated, and she is also deeply loved by the Shen family. If Zhu Yinzhou becomes the emperor in the future, the Shen family is likely to take advantage of this to dictate power in the court.

The emperor has worked hard for the imperial power all his life, and when time is running out, he will not let the future emperor be touched by a mere woman, let alone leave the hidden danger of the dictatorship of his relatives.

He thought that Zhu Yinzhou, who had always been rational, would make the most correct decision, but he heard Zhu Yinzhou indifferently and firmly say: "I will not divorce my wife." ”

The emperor frowned and asked him, "Why?" ”

Zhu Yinzhou's face was calm and did not explain.

Since he married Shen Hanshuang three years ago, he will only have her as a wife in his life, and he will not abandon his wife.

If he is the crown prince, Shen Hanshuang will definitely be his crown princess.

As if seeing Zhu Yinzhou's attitude, the emperor remembered something, with a malicious smile on his face: "Your father was reluctant back then, but your mother finally died because of him and you." ”

Thinking of his mother's appearance when she was dying, Zhu Yinzhou's eyes flashed with a little dark emotion, and she was covered in an instant.

"You may not understand that you don't have the leverage to negotiate with me." I wish Yinzhou to change his dignified appearance on weekdays, and said casually.

"The hand of the first emperor can't be stretched that long."

A man who is about to die, but thinks he is still qualified to sit at the table.

"You!" The emperor was stimulated by the disobedience in Zhu Yinzhou's words and coughed, and his face turned red in an instant, "Bastard!" ”

Zhu Yinzhou continued to say in a casual tone: "If you still want to enter the imperial mausoleum and be worshiped by the world after you die, you should beg me." ”

"Or do you prefer to go to a mass grave?" Zhu Yinzhou's eyebrows were slightly raised, and his cold gaze fell on the emperor.

He will never forget it.

When Zhu Yinzhou's mother was poisoned by the emperor with Heding red, she was ordered by the prince to throw her body to a mass grave.

By the time King Pingnan arrived with Zhu Yinzhou, her body had been mutilated by wild dogs.

The snow-blue embroidered dress that her mother wore that day was still selected by her asking Zhu Yinzhou to help select from several sets of skirts.

But it has also been torn, soaked in dark red blood, and it is impossible to see its original appearance.

The emperor, who finally calmed down his cough, couldn't help but condense his heart slightly at Shangzhu Yinzhou's cold and gloomy eyes.

He had never seen Zhu Yinzhou's appearance at this time-

There was a bit of fierce evil aura and murderous intent between the clear and bright eyebrows, and the eyes that had always been unwavering revealed a sense of heavy oppression.

is no longer the cold and restrained gentleman like jade.

And like a demon who came to him to chase his soul.

Zhu Yinzhou not only hated him, but also wanted to kill him.

Just for his mother.

Under his usual self-denial and coldness, he hid this killing intent for so many years.

"What exactly do you want?" The emperor reluctantly asked Zhu Yinzhou with anger.

"A guilty edict," Zhu Yinzhou said succinctly, "I want you to admit that you shouldn't have recklessly disregarded human life and poisoned my mother back then." ”

He wants justice for his innocent and tragic mother.

"All you need to do is write down your sin edict, and my father will stamp the jade seal of God for you."

"Do you think your dad will be as rebellious as you?!" The emperor's eyes were split, and he rebuked sharply.

Zhu Yinzhou's eyes rose slightly, and asked him: "Do you think, why is he not in the palace tonight?" ”

The emperor's heart tightened.

When he woke up tonight, Taifu Lin and Shen Xiang were by his side, but he didn't see King Pingnan, who was always by his side in the past.

"Your father and son are so bold!"

"You're not afraid that I'll send someone to kill that Shen ......"

"Her name is Shen Hanshuang."

Zhu Yinzhou interrupted the emperor's words.

He paused, as if he didn't quite understand why he had corrected the emperor.

The emperor has always disdained to remember the names of these female dependents, and Zhu Yinzhou subconsciously dislikes the emperor's contempt and contempt for Shen Hanshuang.

He regained his senses, and then sarcastically said, "Do you think you still have the life to give orders to?" ”

"If you don't write this edict, you will be as dead as your beloved prince."

Because his mood fluctuated too much, the emperor was holding his heart and panting, and his face was ugly.

He is the king of a country, but Zhu Yinzhou wants to force him to choose between the name behind him and the whole corpse.

What the emperor didn't know was that no matter how he chose, Zhu Yinzhou would not leave him with his name and all the corpses after his death.

Even if the emperor wrote the edict himself, he wouldn't really feel that he was wrong. Therefore, Zhu Yinzhou only needs to have that thing, and it is okay for someone else to write it.

He just wanted the emperor to go through those struggles, hesitations, irritation, powerlessness.

And then die.

He was never a gentleman who walked the talk.

Zhu Yinzhou didn't stay for long, turned around and walked out of the palace.

Shen Xiang and Mrs. Lin, who were guarding outside, glanced at each other, didn't ask much, and tacitly entered the palace with Imperial Doctor Zhang and walked towards the emperor.

The sky is getting brighter.

Zhu Yinzhou still remembered that he had planned to come over to take a look and then go back to the palace to change into the clothes that Shen Hanshuang had prepared for himself.

Fang Cai remembered the old things related to his mother again, and Zhu Yinzhou suddenly wanted to go home a little urgently.

He and Shen Hanshuang's home.

He walked towards the outside of the palace.

Shen Hanshuang had already left Beijing for Luoyang, and both he and Shen Xiang had sent someone to escort her, so they didn't have to worry that the old emperor, who would not survive tonight, would still have the strength to hurt her.

But Zhu Yinzhou was still a little uneasy in his heart.

Maybe it's because he hasn't been home in a long time.

He hadn't been away for so long since he got married.

Zhu Yinzhou unconsciously quickened the pace of returning to his house and walked towards the Mingxi Courtyard where he and Shen Hanshuang lived.

Shen Hanshuang had ordered someone to take care of it carefully before leaving Beijing, and Mingxi Courtyard looked exceptionally clean and tidy. She always manages to keep everything in order at home.

Ignoring the surprised maids in the courtyard, Zhu Yinzhou raised his hand and pushed open the door of the bedroom.

Smelling the familiar, the light floral fragrance that Shen Hanshuang liked, Zhu Yinzhou's heart finally settled down.

But when he saw the familiar wooden boxes and broken sachets on the table, he was suffocated.

The sachet was embroidered for him by Shen Hanshuang before his wedding.

In order to avoid Shen Hanshuang being lost after it is soiled or broken, he never takes it out. It has been well preserved, and it is still in its original state for three years, how can it be inexplicably broken like this?

Underneath it, there seems to be something pressing.

Zhu Yinzhou walked closer quickly, took away the sachet and the birthday gift he had given to Shen Hanshuang, and saw the bottom piece of paper clearly-

It turned out to be a book of reconciliation.

On it was his own handwriting, as well as Shen Hanshuang's name and seal that he didn't know when.