The moon was as cool as water. Shaoyao was sitting on the steps outside the imperial study, chewing on beef jerky. When she was called back from the farm, Fudong stuffed a bag into her hands.
Oh, I wonder if Huahua will bring her food every day. The food in the palace is so bad that she doesn’t want to eat a single bite.
Hearing footsteps, she looked over and raised her hand.
"Where's the Emperor's uncle?"
"I was put to sleep."
"..." Gu Yanxi didn't ask how he fell asleep. He left it to Shaoyao. He sat next to Shaoyao, took off his mask and put it aside. The cool air blowing on his face made him feel very comfortable.
"The torture chamber hasn't been open for a long time." Shaoyao tilted her head and smelled the blood on his body. It wasn't strong, and it seemed that Brother Yan didn't do it himself.
Gu Yanxi glanced at the beef jerky in her mouth and asked, "Why isn't this in my lunch box?"
"Fudong gave it to me when I left the farm." Shaoyao gave him two pieces, feeling very distressed. There weren't many beef jerky left. Huahua said that the Hua family had to observe mourning and would not make this again until the mourning period was over.
Shaoyao rolled her eyes and nudged the person next to her with her shoulder, "Hey Brother Yan, beef jerky tastes good, right?"
"Just say whatever you want to say."
"Hehe, Huahua has to observe mourning. Do you think I can do it if I go and ask Huahua for some advice?"
Gu Yanxi was also a little tempted. If possible, he would like to make this beef jerky the Qisusi's regular dry food when going out. It doesn't take up space and can satisfy hunger. If it really falls into the water, it can be picked up and eaten. It is better than other dry food.
"Just borrow Fudong from her."
"That also requires Huahua to nod her head. The maids are all very sensible."
The maids in the Hua family are indeed rare. When it comes to observing mourning, many masters can do so sincerely, but many cannot, not to mention the servants. It is common for them to cook secretly and steal some meat. Only the Hua family has masters and servants who observe mourning like this. The only meat dish that can be seen in the entire Hua family is eggs, which can only be eaten by children.
Gu Yanxi nodded, but he also knew that if Shaoyao asked Azhi for this, Azhi would definitely agree. The most he could do was not to take place at the Hua family. Then he would discuss with Azhi whether he could let Fudong teach this method to the people in his house, so that he wouldn't have to trouble her people in the future.
He was also sure that Ah Zhi would agree to this. That person could even give away a profitable business like ice making, so why would she care about such a small thing? To her, what mattered was all those who were kind to her, whether they were family members, friends, or even strangers.
Shaoyao chewed some beef jerky, picked up a book from the memorials, looked at it, and said with a sigh, "This charge is really perfunctory."
Gu Yanxi looked up at the bright moon in the sky. The evidence was clear as day. There was no need to list the charges. It would be too easy for them to just kill them with one blow.
"Why didn't you just deal with the Yu family as well?"
"Someone needs to bear the wrath of the Emperor's uncle."
Shaoyao looked up at him, "The women of the Yu family..."
"No one will protect it." There is no reason, and it cannot be protected. Unlike the Hua family, not to mention that the Hua family has a past relationship with the Queen Mother, even if there is no such relationship, the Hua family is just being blamed, and the charges against the Yu family are completely incomparable.
"Instead of living miserably, it's better to go on the road together. We have companions. Not every family has a Hua Zhi." Shaoyao leaned on her knees and turned her head to look at Brother Yan. She quietly moved towards him. It was nice to have someone who made her feel at ease by her side on such a cold night.
It was still dark when the emperor opened his eyes with a frown. Shaoyao was lying on the edge of the bed. One could tell whose black cloak she was wearing.
He sat up a little, and the person sitting upright over there came over and handed him a cup of warm tea.
The emperor smiled, took it and drank half of it, then asked in a low voice, "Why don't you go and rest? I won't die anytime soon."
Gu Yanxi shook his head, sat down silently, his eyes falling on the sleeping Shaoyao.
The emperor followed his gaze and his eyes softened. Like Yan Xi, she would not kneel down to him at every turn, nor did she show much respect, and sometimes she was even quite rude when she spoke, but there was nothing she desired in her eyes when she looked at him.
They didn't want to get anything from him. The emperor lowered his head and chuckled. How interesting! There were actually such people in the royal family, and there happened to be two of them in his family.
Neither the uncle nor the nephew spoke until dawn.
Shaoyao woke up, rubbed her eyes, and pinched the emperor's wrist. After a moment, she looked up at the emperor, then turned her head to look at Gu Yanxi, "Brother Yan, I'm hungry."
"… "
The breakfast was placed in the emperor's Haoxin Palace. The emperor took a few bites and put down his chopsticks. "Yan Xi, do you want to go to court with me today?"
Gu Yanxi was determined to go. He nodded to Lai Fu, who swallowed and presented several memorials to the emperor.
The emperor lowered his eyes for a long time before he picked it up and opened it. His face, which had been calm till now, began to tremble as he read the contents of the last copy. His lips and hands began to shake unconsciously. This was his eldest son, the heir he had invested countless efforts to train.
Even though he lacked ability, he hoped that he could work hard under the stimulation of the third brother, but the result was so tragic.
He was wrong. When he found out at the beginning that his eldest son was not qualified to be the heir, he should have decisively given up on him and chosen one from among his other sons, whether it was the second or third son. It might not be impossible to use him after some negotiation.
But that was his eldest son! He still clearly remembered how excited he was when he was born, and how satisfied he was when he held his little hand and wrote the first word. This feeling was something he would never have again no matter how many times he became a father.
The emperor closed his eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "Follow me to court."
"yes."
The two stood up. The emperor glanced at Shaoyao who looked up and said gently, "You continue eating. After you finish eating, take a good rest."
Shaoyao actually wanted to leave the palace, but thinking about the current turbulent times, she suppressed the idea and nodded obediently.
Today is destined to be restless.
When Lai Fu read out the verdicts one by one in a shrill voice, the court fell silent. Thirty-two people were sentenced to be executed immediately, Concubine Rong was deposed, and the eldest prince was deprived of everything and imprisoned. And all of this was done by the Seven Stars!
The power of the Seven Stars has reached such an extent!
They suddenly remembered that the Qishu Division had always had such authority, but the current leader of the Qishu Division had not done anything great for many years, causing them to forget it.
In this situation, no one would be stupid enough to plead for their relatives and friends. In every dynasty, there are two crimes that must not be touched, one is treason, and the other is regicide. Anyone who is involved in these two crimes will have no room for maneuver. They can only be thankful that they have never been implicated.
The emperor raised his lips slightly, showing his anger. "All 247 members of the Yu family will be beheaded. Throw their bodies into the mass grave and feed them to the dogs!"
All the ministers knelt on the ground, not daring to move at all, their palms full of sweat.
"Fu Gang."
"I will be here in the end."
"Go to the Grand Prince's Palace immediately and arrest all the officials and staff, and hand them over to the Seven Stars Criminal Court." The emperor sneered, "I want to know how much he wants me to make room for him."
Chen Feng and Gu Yanxi obeyed the order at the same time.
The emperor's hands were shaking, and he was getting more and more anxious. After yesterday, he knew that this was a side effect of the golden elixir. He immediately stood up, swung his sleeves, and said, "Dismiss."
PS: Thank you ladies and gentlemen for your understanding, I was so anxious that I cried. Well, Kongkong has male fans, and this book is actually read by male compatriots. I will add a gentleman in the future.