Jiuzhu found out that the Prince of Qi was looking at him.
She put down her chopsticks, met his gaze, and blinked innocently.
His family committed crimes and had nothing to do with her, and it was useless to stare at her.
"Fourth brother..." King Chen noticed that Yun Yanze was looking at Jiuzhu, and got up to mock him.
"King Chen doesn't need to help the fourth prince to intercede." Ming Jinghai, who had been sipping his wine, stood up and interrupted King Chen's words: "There are national laws and family rules, please forgive me, Your Highness."
Emperor Longfeng raised his hand to prevent King Chen from opening his mouth: "Du Qing, I know that you attach great importance to feelings, but today's affairs should not be emotional."
Su Guifei gently climbed Emperor Longfeng's shoulder: "Your Majesty, you know Du Qing's temperament, and he has always valued family affection the most. Recently, he has been living in the palace, so how can you know what happened outside."
King Chen closed his mouth and took a step back.
He understands, he didn't have the right to speak tonight, it was him who overstepped.
Yun Yanze withdrew his gaze and bowed down to the ground: "Father, my son... my son..."
He couldn't speak a sentence, he cried and mourned. No matter how hard-hearted people listened, they could feel his pain and helplessness. However, what the Zheng family and Zheng Meiren did was truly unforgivable.
"Yang Shilang." After Ming Jinghai blocked King Chen back, he didn't seem to want to stop, he walked up to Yang Shilang, who looked sluggish: "Just now you asked my niece, what is the relationship between the lotus root in Lingzhou and the lotus root in the capital? Difference, now this official will answer you."
"It doesn't matter where the lotus root is, the lotus root is the lotus root. It doesn't matter how short the filaments are, it's all delicious." Ming Jinghai rolled up his sleeves, making Yang Shilang take a step back.
Others roll up their sleeves just to scare people, but Ming Jinghai can really fight.
Seeing him like this, Ming Jinghai sneered: "Just like our colleagues here, as long as they are loyal to Your Majesty, care for the people of the world, and perform their duties faithfully, then they are good officials. Do we need to distinguish where our ancestral home is, the south or the north?"
"Yang Shilang, as an official of the imperial court, accuses His Majesty indiscriminately, it is disloyalty. You only aggrieved for the king of Qi Jun, but you ignore the people who were persecuted by the Zheng family, it is inhumane. Dare to ask Yang Shilang, so unkind. How to be an official?" Ming Jinghai pointed at the people present: "Today is our reunion day, Jingzhou got the evidence but did not expose it in court. His Majesty learned that the imperial concubine and the prince were almost assassinated, and he forbeared in his heart. Grief, has been hidden, for what?"
"It's for everyone to have a peaceful and beautiful New Year's Eve, for the monarch and ministers to have fun together and have a beautiful reunion. But all of this has been ruined by you. Don't you feel any guilt in your heart?"
Yang Shilang was accused by Ming Jinghai one after another, so he couldn't say a word. Perhaps it was because Ming Jinghai was too imposing, or perhaps he was stunned by the numerous crimes committed by the Zheng family and Zheng Meiren, Yang Shilang knelt before Emperor Longfeng with a thud.
"Your Majesty... Wei Chen is guilty." Yang Shilang pleaded guilty, although he didn't know where he was wrong for a while.
"Your Majesty." Ming Jinghai glanced at Shilang Yang, who was kneeling on the ground: "Although Mr. Yang has no evil intentions, he is impulsive and does not distinguish right from wrong. The Ministry of Household is in charge of the world's taxation, and officials need to be careful. Therefore, Wei Chen believes that, With such a character as Mr. Yang, it is not suitable to serve in the Ministry of Households."
Hu Bu Shangshu's expression changed slightly, he hesitated to go out to intercede for Yang Shilang, but when he saw that His Majesty seemed to be moved by Ming Jinghai's statement, he dismissed this thought.
Ming Jinghai is now the Minister of Officials, and he is deeply trusted by His Majesty. There is no need for him to offend Ming Jinghai for a subordinate of a department.
"Jinghai thinks, where should Lord Yang go?" Emperor Longfeng did not look at his son kneeling in front of him, but asked Ming Jinghai patiently.
"Wei Chen remembers that Lingzhou Tongju is old, and he wrote to resign not long ago. Since Mr. Yang is curious about Lingzhou's lotus, let him take over Lingzhou Tongju." Ming Jinghai bowed his hands: "I also ask your majesty to do it. Master Yang's curiosity."
Good guy, the servant of the third-rank household department directly demoted the person to the sixth-rank, and the old lady in the vegetable market was not so ruthless in bargaining.
"Okay." Emperor Longfeng nodded: "After the New Year, Lord Yang will go to Lingzhou to serve."
"Mr. Yang, why don't you express your gratitude to Your Majesty?" Ming Jinghai said in a high voice, "Your Majesty is sympathetic to your minister. If you are curious about the customs of Lingzhou, I will send you to Lingzhou. It's a pity that you are not considerate enough to His Majesty. A sigh of relief."
"Brother, Lord Yang is drunk." Ming Jingzhou took over the conversation: "Your Majesty, it is inevitable that you will lose your temper if you drink too much. I also ask Your Majesty to be kind and send someone to send Lord Yang back to rest."
In the future, he should never have the opportunity to attend the palace banquet again.
After Yang Shilang was taken away, the two Ming brothers glanced at the King Qi who was kneeling on the ground and weeping, and both retreated to their seats and sat down.
The rest is left to Your Majesty.
The hall was so quiet that Jiuzhu felt embarrassed to stretch out her chopsticks to eat.
She secretly said to Xiangxian: "Auntie, the King of Qi Jun gave me a sneaky look just now."
So he must be acting now, how can someone who is really sad and sad be distracted by others
Xiangxian smiled, and under the imperial city, there were people all over the place.
King Qi's cry was already hoarse. Emperor Longfeng looked down at his crying son after turning over the various evidences presented by Ming Jingzhou: "Fourth, do you know what the Zheng family and your mother-in-law did?"
"Imperial father, my son... Although my son didn't know about it, but my son neglected to find out and did not fulfill his duty of persuasion, my son is guilty." Yun Yanze felt someone kneeling beside him, and he raised his head to look at his companions. Sun Caiyao, who was kneeling on his knees, quickly retracted his gaze, and kowtowed heavily to Emperor Longfeng: "Father, my son can't bear the position of the county king, please remove the son's title."
A good move is to retreat as progress. The things the Zheng family and Zheng Lanyin have done are beyond their control. It is better to lower their posture and correct their mistakes.
Concubine Su chuckled lightly, her eyes rolled around, and she took the traitorous concubine's coquettishness to ten percent: "No matter how high or low you are, you are His Majesty's child. His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince, get up quickly, have a good face, and be like this, you The princess looks so distressed."
She bent down, lifted Sun Caiyao from the ground, and held her hand gently: "Fourth Prince Concubine, please accompany the Fourth Prince when you go back, and let him not be too sad."
Concubine Su's hand was very soft, but Sun Caiyao felt that it was a beautiful snake who was holding her hand.
The smiling woman in front of her and Su Guifei, who went crazy in her dream and drove all the princes to shame, were constantly interweaving and changing in her mind, and the fear in her heart expanded infinitely. I couldn't help but pull my hand out.
When others saw Concubine Su, they called Yun Yanze the "Fourth Prince" without hesitation.
It is truly a sigh that such a prince with both political integrity and ability has been implicated by his grandfather's family and his mother-in-law.
But the officials who supported Yun Yanze did not give up. As long as His Majesty did not say anything about the title of "Fourth Prince", there was still room for relaxation.
"Your Majesty." Concubine Su released Sun Caiyao's hand and looked at Emperor Longfeng with a beaming smile: "Please let the fourth prince get up. The most urgent task is to settle the guilt of the Zheng family and Zheng Meiren."
Shen shi raised the corners of her mouth slightly, and Concubine Su Gui made Zheng Meiren's group clean with just a few words. As expected of a woman who can be a favorite concubine, she shows no mercy when picking up her enemies.
It seems that if the Zheng family and Zheng Meiren are not punished tonight, it is impossible for Concubine Su Gui to stop.
That's right, if she was Su Meidai, she wouldn't have missed such a good opportunity. Their family helped her set up the steps. If she didn't know how to step, that would be the real trouble.
Emperor Longfeng held Concubine Su's hand and looked down at Yun Yanze: "Fourth, are you really ignorant?"
"My son, I don't know."
"Okay." Emperor Longfeng closed his eyes and wrapped Su Guifei's hand into his own: "Liu Zhongbao, help the fourth prince up."
The words "Fourth Prince" came out of his mouth, which meant Yun Yanze was sentenced to death.
A prince who has grown up and got married has changed from a prince to a bare prince. This is the emperor who told the whole world in a straightforward manner that he gave up on him.
"Your Majesty." Several officials from the Ministry of Housing, as well as officials who had a good impression of Yun Yanze, all stood up: "Your Majesty, please think twice!"
"Yanze." Emperor Longfeng ignored these ministers: "They asked me to take back my order, what do you think I should do?"
Yun Yanze's hand, which was hidden in his sleeve, clenched into a fist, and slammed down with red eyes: "My son, it is unbearable to be a king, and I beg your father to be perfect."
"I have fulfilled you." Emperor Longfeng looked at the ministers who were begging for mercy, and his tone was indifferent: "I fulfilled the request of a son, and you also want to intervene in the affairs between our father and son?"
The ministers knew that the four princes were over.
"Wait, I don't dare."
"The Zheng family has committed many evils, and it is hard to write about them. If they do not punish them, it is not enough for the people to be angry." Emperor Longfeng said: "The head of the Zheng family is beheaded to show the public, and the descendants of the Zheng family are all registered as slaves. No return to Beijing for life, no slave status for three generations."
"As for Zheng Meiren..." Emperor Longfeng sighed: "After midnight tonight, I will give you a white silk silk."
"Royal Father!" Yun Yanze opened his eyes wide in astonishment, knelt in front of Emperor Longfeng, hugged his leg and said, "I beg Father to be gracious and spare the life of the mother and concubine."
"There are more than ten people who died at the hands of your mother, and one of them is the mother of your imperial sister." Emperor Longfeng put the evidence presented by Ming Jingzhou into Yun Yanze's hands: "How can you forgive me? she?"
In the chair, a princess sitting in the back was covering her face and weeping. She lost her mother very early, and the mother who served her said that her mother died shortly after giving birth to her. She always thought that her mother died of illness because she gave birth to her, but she did not expect that it was the Zheng family who killed her.
When others are accompanied by a mother and a concubine, she does not.
When others were sad, there was a mother and concubine to comfort her, but neither did she.
Even her wedding with her concubine was managed by Concubine Su.
How hard would it be for a child without a mother-in-law to live in the harem? How could a prince like Yun Yanze, who has a mother-in-law and a foreign family, know
She raised her head and looked at Yun Yanze angrily. All of this was caused by his mother.
"Fourth Imperial Concubine, you accompany the fourth prince to walk outside." Su Guifei comforted Sun Caiyao thoughtfully: "If there is any difficulty in the future, it is the same when you come to this palace."
Yun Yanze held the yellowed evidence, and walked out of the hall in a daze under the watchful eyes of the public. When the wind blew, these evidences flew all over the sky and scattered.
He snapped back to his senses, and stretched out his hands to grab it, but the evidence that had already been flying, how could it fall into the hall with the cold wind as he intended.
No one dared to look at the things above, and no one dared to reach out to pick them up.
One of them landed on the Jiuzhu table, and she stretched out her hand.
Xiangxian opened her mouth, trying to stop her behavior, but seeing that she had the paper in her hand, she swallowed her words.
[Twenty years after Xiande, the concubine Wang gave birth to a daughter, because of a dispute with the Zheng family... ]
"Ming County Lord." Yun Yanze held a handful of yellowed paper in his hand and stood beside Jiuzhu: "Thank you County Lord for finding this thing for me, please return it to me."
Jiu Zhu looked up at him, his hair was messed up, there were mud spots on the sleeves, and his complexion was paler than paper.
She looked down at the thing in her hand, her eyes hurriedly passing over it.
[The Zheng family hated him deeply, so he killed him. 】
At this moment, she felt that this piece of paper was as cold and frightening as snow. The paper fell down her fingertips, slapped her in the air, and landed at Yun Yanze's feet.
In everyone's eyes, this was her intention to humiliate Yun Yanze.
"County head." Sun Caiyao walked to Yun Yanze's side, bent down and picked up the yellowed paper: "It's cold in winter, the county head shouldn't freeze his hands and drop something. appropriate."
Yun Yanze took the yellowed paper from Sun Caiyao's hand and said solemnly, "Let's go."
Walking out of the hall, he was trembling all over, and he squeezed all the evidence into a ball. He turned to Sun Caiyao who was following behind him and said, "You go back with the servant first, I want to walk by yourself."
"Your Highness, I will accompany you..."
"No need!" Realizing that his tone was a little heavy, Yun Yanze showed an apology on his face: "Cai Yao, I just want to be alone for a while, you go back first, okay?"
"Okay." Sun Caiyao agreed reluctantly, but she also knew that at this moment, His Highness did not want her to follow.
Yun Yanze walked all the way to the west, until he saw the door plaque of Qianyi Pavilion, he stopped.
On both sides of the door plaque, red lanterns swayed, he stepped on the steps, and heard the scolding of the mother and concubine from the room.
He stopped and listened quietly.
Gradually, his expression calmed down, and he turned to leave, but saw Bai Shao covering his face and walking out of the room.
"His Royal Highness." Bai Shao saw Yun Yanze standing at the door, and hurriedly bowed to him: "Your Highness, please wait a moment, the servant will go to inform the master."
"No need." Yun Yanze stopped her and saw the red and swollen slap print on her face. He was silent for a moment: "Why is it only you, where is Hongmei?"
Bai Shao shook her head and said nothing.
Yun Yanze noticed that her bun was a little messy, and even the silk flowers were crooked. He guessed that the concubine slapped her heavily: "Tomorrow I will intercede with concubine Su and ask you to serve in the Sixth Palace of Zhang."
"Master here..."
Yun Yanze didn't answer her words, turned around and left, and soon disappeared into the night.
Behind him, the mother-in-law's scolding sounded again.
In the darkness, Yun Yanze wiped away a tear that fell from his eyes and strode away.
Bai Shao covered her face and listened to her master's unwilling scolding, and she had a terrifying premonition in her heart.
Two hours later, she saw the eunuch Dali who appeared in the Qianyi Pavilion with a white ling, and finally understood why His Highness's face was so ugly, and finally understood why His Highness asked her to go to Zhang Liugong.
After listening to the eunuch read out His Majesty's decree, Bai Shao stared blankly at the crying and laughing master, thinking in a trance, why did things come to this point
"I want to see Your Majesty, I don't believe it!" Zheng Lanyin pushed away the strong eunuch who was close to her. When people were extremely crazy, their strength was unimaginable: "All of this is Su Meidai's conspiracy, it is impossible for His Majesty to kill me!"
"It's me who wants your life, and it has nothing to do with others." Emperor Longfeng walked into the Qianyi Pavilion. The two hadn't had a good conversation for many years. He looked at her as if he was looking at a stranger.
"One day husband and wife a hundred days, Your Majesty." Zheng Lanyin cried bitterly: "Why are you so ruthless to me?"
"You still remember a sentence, husband and wife are birds of the same forest, and they will fly separately when disaster strikes." Emperor Longfeng looked at her: "If I were ruthless and unrighteous, then when I was enthroned, there would be no Concubine Ning in the palace."
Zheng Lanyin looked at him in horror, kicked her legs and stepped back again and again: "No, it's not me, I didn't say that back then. Your Majesty, I know I'm wrong, I really know I'm wrong. Please, forgive me. , I don't want to die, I really don't want to die."
More than ten years ago, she did say this to her family.
"Lan Yin, do you really decide to cooperate with us inside and outside, and control the palace, won't you regret it?"
"Why should I regret it? The husband and wife are birds of the same forest, and they will fly separately when disaster strikes. What's more, the person I originally liked was not him. If it wasn't for the interests of the family, why would I need to suffer this grievance?"
"I know that you married into the palace for the sake of the family. As a woman, you have nothing to do and have no choice." Emperor Longfeng sighed: "Under the imperial power, you and I were chess pieces at that time, and I didn't want to embarrass you."
"But you've made too many mistakes." Emperor Longfeng closed his eyes: "It's me who favors Meidai and Duqing. If you hate me, hate me. If you can turn into a ghost after you die, come to me too. "
After saying that, he turned around and left.
"Yun Yixing!" Zheng Lanyin screamed: "You are just luckier than your third brother! You are just luckier than him!"
"You're right." Emperor Longfeng stopped and turned to look at her: "Zhen, I have better luck than all princes, so I am the final winner."
"No, no." Zheng Lanyin's eyes widened, her teeth chattering constantly: "It's you, it's you..."
Emperor Longfeng glanced at her and put on the cloak handed over by Liu Zhongbao: "Let's go."
"Your Majesty." Liu Zhongbao asked with a smile, "Where are you going?"
"You old man, of course you are going to the Mingyue Palace." Emperor Longfeng sat on the dragon carriage: "On New Year's Eve, naturally, I have to be with my family and call Du Qing. If he doesn't come, this year's New Year's money will be gone. ."
"Your Majesty, Your Highness is afraid that it will take a while to return to the Mingyue Palace. The old slave just saw that His Highness accompanied the Ming County Master towards the Vermillion Bird Gate."
Emperor Longfeng smiled slightly: "Let him go."
In the end, the child can't help his father.
"His Royal Highness." Jiuzhu looked in front of her: "The Vermillion Bird Gate is in front of you. Father and mother are waiting for me outside the door. You can go back quickly."
"This king knows that the Vermillion Bird Gate is ahead." King Chen snorted with a smile: "Look up."
Jiuzhu looked up, only to hear a bang, and beautiful fireworks exploded in the air.
The fireworks reddened her face, and she watched without blinking: "Your Highness, did you set this up for me?"
"Every year after New Year's Eve in the palace, there will be fireworks, which can be seen in many places in the capital."
"Oh." Jiuzhu nodded, it wasn't for her.
"Those aren't, but these are." King Chen raised his hand, and followed the eunuch with a bunch of firecrackers.
"The sound of firecrackers kills one year old, and the spring breeze brings warmth into Tusu." He picked out a firecracker and placed it on the ground: "Ming Xiaozhu, if you light this firecracker, it will be a new year. I wish you all the best and peace and happiness. "
He tied the firecracker to a long stick and handed it to her: "Come on, try."
Jiuzhu felt a little scared, and while trembling, she stretched out the stick and pointed the fire stick to the lead on the firecracker. As a result, it swayed and didn't hit it for a long time.
"Never played with firecrackers before?"
Jiuzhu shook her head: "I haven't played."
Seeing that her movements were rusty, King Chen gently held her wrist: "I will teach you, when this firecracker is lit, we will run, remember?"
"Yeah!" Jiuzhu nodded, staring at the lead as if facing an enemy.
laugh!
When the lead was lit, she threw down the fire stick, grabbed King Chen and ran away.
"Don't be afraid." King Chen pulled off the cloak on his body and wrapped Jiuzhu's head and face in it.
Bang!
The firecrackers exploded, bringing a burst of light.
"Success!" Jiuzhu stuck her head out of the cloak, and happily stretched her finger to the place where the firecracker exploded: "The sound is so loud."
"Is it fun?" King Chen looked at the girl who was almost leaning in his arms and laughed.
"It's fun." Jiuzhu pulled his sleeve: "Your Highness, let's order another one, shall we?"
"Okay." King Chen picked up the Huozhezi from the ground and handed it to her: "This time you order it yourself."
"Mmmm." Jiuzhu blew a few times on the fire stick, blew the fire stick, and shook her hands to light another firecracker.
This time, she lit the lead by herself, then with a whimper, she turned around without thinking, and ran to the place where King Chen was standing.
Looking at the girl running towards him, King Chen opened his cloak again.
The girl plunged into his arms.
With a smile, he wrapped her again with a cloak, and the firecrackers exploded, as if the sound of his heart beating.
"His Royal Highness, why don't you order two too." Jiuzhu pushed him: "Go, go."
King Chen held the fire book: "This king can light three firecrackers at a time, do you want to see it?"
"Yes." Jiuzhu put three firecrackers together, hesitated for a while, then withdrew one more, turned to look at him: "Your Highness, why don't you order two, three is too much."
"Little Pig, are you looking down on me?" King Chen walked over to her and placed the firecrackers that were withdrawn: "Stand away, let me show you what a firecracker expert is."
Jiuzhu ran away and covered her ears: "Your Highness, you have to be careful."
King Chen waved his hand indifferently, quickly ordered three firecrackers, and got up to look at Jiuzhu.
Three firecrackers sounded one after another, and Jiuzhu put down her hands covering her ears. She looked at the gentleman standing in the fireworks, and whispered to herself, "Your Highness...you look so good."
"What did you say?" King Chen walked to Jiuzhu's side and found that her face was a little red.
She shook her head sharply: "No."
"Looking around, you look so guilty, haven't you said anything yet?" King Chen smiled and poked her cheek: "Ming Xiaozhu, do you think this king is easy to deceive?"
"No, no." Jiuzhu covered her face to prevent King Chen from poking, seeing that she couldn't escape, and finally plunged her head into his arms.
Boom, boom, boom.
This is not the sound of firecrackers, but the sound of His Highness's heartbeat.
Jiuzhu raised her head from his arms, her eyes sparkling: "His Royal Highness..."
She wanted to say, your heartbeat is so loud.
"Little fool." King Chen smiled, his laughter was gentle and restrained, like a mountain full of peach blossoms.