Outside the palace, there was a sea of blood and the bluestone slabs were covered with bloodstains.
All the guards of the Eastern Palace were killed by the Embroidered Uniform Guards, leaving no one alive.
The situation changed rapidly. The Crown Prince Qi Hanlian, who had been so arrogant just now and wanted to force the emperor to abdicate, now had a broken finger and was kneeling on the ground, twitching continuously.
Pei Zheng looked at him coldly and waved his hand. Several Jinyiwei carried Qi Hanlian and dragged him out of the palace gate.
The emperor was also helped out.
At this moment, the outside of the palace was full of ministers, all of whom were brought into the palace without knowing why. They were all sharp-eyed people and knew at a glance what had happened in the palace tonight.
The emperor stood at the entrance of the palace and said, "The Crown Prince Qi Hanlian of the Eastern Palace has been plotting treason and harming the prince. Today, he is deposed as the Crown Prince and thrown into death row to await his fate!"
The ministers kneeling below were silent as a mouse. The emperor was angry and no one dared to make a sound.
"All of the prince's followers will be dismissed from their posts and their entire clans will be exterminated!"
As soon as these words were spoken, several ministers immediately kowtowed and cried.
"Your Majesty, please spare my life, Your Majesty, please spare my life!"
The emperor closed his eyes and ordered Qi Hanlian and his gang to be dragged away.
"As all my dear ministers know, my health is not good, and I already have someone I like as the Crown Prince."
Someone below secretly looked up at Qi Changfeng who was standing behind the emperor, but Qi Changfeng's eyes were empty and his mind was vague, and no one knew what he was thinking.
"In order to prevent future troubles, I will now announce the new crown prince."
The ministers below lowered their heads even lower to show their reverence, but they still did not hear the emperor's next words.
Pei Zheng, who had never shown up, stood beside the emperor and reached out to pull out the emperor's wrist.
His eyes were firm, he shook his head slowly, and said silently, "Your Majesty, no."
All the ministers thought that the person to be enthroned was the fourth prince Qi Changfeng, but Pei Zheng knew that was not the case. The person the emperor wanted to enthronize was the person he was holding in his arms.
But Pei Zheng did so much just because he didn't want the villain to be the crown prince.
If the emperor issues the decree now, it will be more troublesome to reverse it later.
Therefore, under no circumstances can the emperor be allowed to announce the candidate for the crown prince right now.
The emperor pondered for a long time, and finally did not continue speaking.
After dismissing all the ministers, the emperor was already sweating all over and was helped back to the dragon couch to rest.
Qi Changfeng also wanted to leave the palace and return to his own residence, so Pei Zheng asked someone to send him back, but in fact he sent someone to monitor his every move.
Jiang Yubai came running over, and seeing Pei Zheng and Qi Changyi from a distance, he hurriedly asked them, "Are you okay? Are you two injured..."
Before he finished speaking, he saw the bloodstains on Qi Changyi's neck and was shocked, "Your Highness, what happened here?"
I took a closer look and fortunately the wound was not serious, just a scratch on the skin and bleeding.
"Master Pei, clean his wound first, apply this medicine, and then wrap it with gauze. Otherwise, it will be very painful if the wound rubs against clothes before it heals."
Pei Zheng took the ointment.
Someone in the inner hall shouted, "Doctor Jiang, please come and see the emperor. The emperor is vomiting blood again!"
“Here it comes!”
Jiang Yubai walked towards the inner hall and turned back to say, "Forget it. I'm still worried about your condition. I'll go to your house after I'm done with the palace affairs."
Pei Zheng watched Jiang Yubai's figure disappear behind the inner hall, and then he walked away holding the person in his arms.
After getting on the carriage back home, the little guy stayed quietly beside Pei Zhenghuai, neither moving nor speaking.
Pei Zheng combed his hair, raised his hand and touched his chin with great pity. Looking at the wound on his neck, he couldn't help but think that cutting off only four fingers of Qi Hanlian was too light, and he should have chopped off his arm directly.
Just give the order and have someone do some rigmarole in the death row.
He took out a handkerchief and gently rubbed it on the fair and tender neck, rubbing off a small piece of blood and causing the person in his arms to tremble.
Pei Zheng leaned over and breathed a breath of warm air with care.
"Does it still hurt?"
The little guy didn't say anything, but tears had already quietly spread to the corners of his eyes.
Pei Zheng lowered his head again, stuck out his tongue and gently licked the bloodstain. The warm, wet touch melted the dried blood, leaving a little moisture and sweeping away the pain.
After tasting the sweetness of blood in his mouth, Pei Zheng retracted his tongue and kissed the jade-white thing next to him.
At this moment, the little guy who had been trying hard to hold back his tears suddenly fell.
Then a pair of eyes came like spring water bursting through a dam, wetting the eyelashes and bringing wind and rain.
Pei Zheng subconsciously reached out and held his cheeks. He saw the pain in his eyes, and his heart began to ache as well.
"Why are you crying, darling? Did I hurt you? Hmm? Then I won't do it anymore, okay?"
Pei Zheng lowered his voice to comfort the child, hugged and kissed him and coaxed him for several times before the little guy spoke.
"Brother Pei"
"Um,…
The little guy cried loudly, grabbing Pei Zheng's collar, and veins popped out on his thin white hands.
"Brother Tang is dead. Brother Tang, is he dead?"
Pei Zheng's body suddenly stiffened, and his breathing became heavier. "Okay, honey, don't cry. Tell me, who told you?"
"I heard from my brother the prince."
Qi Hanlian
Is he also secretly monitoring the war situation on the border
But for such a big thing, why didn't his spies report any news
Pei Zheng calmed himself down and felt that this matter needed further confirmation.
But the little guy believed it and cried like a baby.
"Stop crying for now, okay? I'll send someone to investigate this matter. If something isn't confirmed, it may not be true, right?"
Pei Zheng patted the back of the person in his arms and comforted him softly.
When the carriage arrived at the Prime Minister's Mansion, the person in Pei Zheng's arms had fallen asleep from crying so much. Pei Zheng carried him out of the carriage and went to his room.
Let Chengfeng go to find out the news, and then Pei Zheng will take care of the sleeping little guy in the room.
I took off his outer robe, wrapped him in a soft quilt, and gently wiped the wound on his neck with a wet handkerchief.
"Brother Tang," Qi Changyi moaned in his sleep, "You have to be well."
After saying that, he continued to sleep.
Pei Zheng squeezed the handkerchief in his hand and then threw it aside.
There was a little maidservant standing behind him, a stranger. She quickly went over and picked up the handkerchief on the ground.
Pei Zheng glanced sideways, "Who are you?"
The little maid explained tremblingly, "Sir, I was rescued by Your Highness on the street. My name is Wu Xiuxiu, and I am now a servant in the mansion."
Pei Zheng waved his hand and let her go out.
The room became quiet again. After applying medicine to the little person lying on the bed, Pei Zheng sat beside the bed.
It seemed like he had another nightmare. His brows were furrowed and he was mumbling something, and from time to time he would say "Brother Tang".
Pei Zheng's eyes were gradually covered with a layer of frost, and the sour and astringent feeling in his heart made his chest feel stuffy, but he couldn't vent it. He could only endure it with his nose not nose and his eyes not eyes.
Sometimes he really didn't want Zhao Litang to appear in front of him again.
When Chengfeng came in, he saw his master sitting beside the bed, staring at the sleeping person without blinking. His eyes were so fierce as if he wanted to eat the person in front of him, but his hands were tucking the corner of the quilt in an unspeakably gentle manner.
"Master, I just received a report from the border. There are indeed people in the military camp saying that General Zhao has died in the battlefield, but it is said that no one has seen the body with their own eyes. In addition, the situation over there with the barbarians is a little strange recently. They have been quiet for almost a month and have not actively attacked. So, something must have happened on the border."
Pei Zheng thought for a while, then slowly narrowed his eyes, "If the person is not dead, then there is only one possibility."
Cheng Feng said seriously, "General Zhao, was he captured? But that's impossible. If the barbarians captured General Zhao, they would definitely kill him immediately. How could they stop fighting for no reason?"
"I'll find out the reason later."
"yes!"
Chengfeng walked out the door.
The candlestick in the room flickered twice and then went out immediately.
Pei Zheng took off his clothes and went to bed.
As soon as he stretched out his arm, the warm little guy automatically shrank into his arms, rubbed his neck, sniffed in the crook of his neck, then hummed softly twice, calling "Brother Pei", and went back to sleep.
There is a bright moon hanging in the sky, reflecting the vast starry sky.
General Zhao, it would be better if you didn't die, Pei Zheng thought.
As soon as the sun rose, Jiang Yubai appeared in the Prime Minister's Mansion. He walked straight to Pei Zheng's door as if no one was around and started knocking on it.
"Your Highness! Your Highness! Get up, the sun is shining on your butt, come out and get some sun! Your Highness____"
The door was suddenly opened. Pei Zheng was wearing a thin undershirt, with his hair loose behind his back. His handsome face was as cold as ice, and his eyes were filled with murderous intent as he looked at Jiang Yubai.
Jiang Yubai was so frightened by his stare that he staggered back two steps and stood at the bottom of the stairs.
"Hahaha, Lord Pei is here too. Didn't you go to court today?"
As soon as he said this, Jiang Yubai realized that because the emperor was seriously ill, he had not attended the morning court for a long time.
"Well, I'm not looking for you. I'm looking for His Highness." Jiang Yubai waved the ointment in his hand, grinning harmlessly, "I'm here
I am here to deliver medicine to His Highness. Is His Highness' injury better now?"
The door was slammed shut again.
Jiang Yubai raised his hand and wanted to throw the jar in his hand towards the door, but after thinking it over, he calmed down.
"Don't be angry, don't be angry. I am open-minded and will not argue with beasts. You can tell from the looks of it that you haven't eaten any meat. It's a pity that your uncle Jiang has to follow behind and serve you tirelessly. He came here early in the morning to suffer this humiliation, and the beast in human clothing is still not satisfied. What else does he want? If it weren't for the young prince's face, I would have to throw this medicine in your face today."
"Whose face?"
A voice suddenly came from behind, and Jiang Yubai was so scared that he turned around suddenly, and his nose brushed against an unknown soft object.
Chengfeng was standing right in front of him, so close that they could hear each other's breath.
Jiang Yubai's eyes widened. He could see an enlarged version of his face in Chengfeng's light amber pupils.
He quickly took a big step back, his earlobes slightly red, not sure whether he was scared or angry.
"How dare you eavesdrop on people talking!"
Cheng Feng remained calm and said, "I didn't eavesdrop. I listened openly."
Jiang Yubai's face turned pale and then blue, and he gritted his teeth and said, "There is not a single good person in your Prime Minister's Mansion!"