Although it was late at night, the palace was still brightly lit.
The palace gate was wide open, and Zhai Le's expression changed as soon as he stepped in.
The air that blew towards him was filled with the familiar smell of blood, which was very strong. Judging from the smell, it should be very fresh blood. He secretly tightened his hand around the sword at his waist and continued forward with a calm face. Then he heard the sound of water splashing.
brush-
brush-
brush-
This was the sound of brooms sweeping the stone surface, and the sound of water splashing. Even though Zhai Le forced himself not to look, he could not help but catch a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye - there were twenty or thirty palace servants on both sides of the stone path, some were responsible for splashing water, and some were responsible for sweeping with brooms.
In the shadows, there were people dressed as guards carrying things.
No, it's not a thing at all, it's a person.
Zhai Le clearly saw someone's hands hanging limply.
Palace coup!
In an instant, the word "huge" popped into my mind.
He could not help but quicken his pace, and then he changed to jogging, with the corners of his clothes rustling. He did not slow down until he reached Zhai Huan's bedroom. There was a eunuch outside the palace, looking around nervously, and when he saw Zhai Le appear, his eyes lit up several times.
"You are here at last!"
Zhai Le said: "How is my brother?"
The eunuch took a look at the bedroom and sighed without saying anything.
Zhai Le's legs were so weak that he almost couldn't stand. He leaned on the eunuch's shoulder to steady his center of gravity. His face looked uglier than ever.
The voice was trembling: "Take me to see my brother."
The eunuch led him in.
There was also a lingering smell of blood in the bedroom.
"Brother—"
When Zhai Le shouted, several people in the bedroom turned their heads at the same time, because in terms of blood relationship, these people were all his brothers.
"Ale is here, cough cough cough—please sit down."
Zhai Huan, who Zhai Le thought had passed away, was now leaning on the bed in a white nightgown, with a pale face, his white hair scattered on his shoulders, and a look of fatigue between his brows. Although his condition was visibly poor, he was still alive and breathing!
This thought made Zhai Le release the breath that had been stuck in his chest. He staggered forward and stumbled a few steps to Zhai Huan's bed.
"Brother, you are still alive!"
Zhai Huan laughed: "Why, did you think I was dead?"
Zhai Le's eyes were red, and he was very fierce to him: "Don't say that word! Brother is still so young, and when we were young he said he would always protect me, how dare you leave me alone so easily?"
Zhai Huan's lips curled up, and he raised his hand to pat Zhai Le's head: "You are already a father of two children, why are you still crying like when you were a child? Ah Le, don't be willful. Some things are beyond human control, you have to learn to accept them."
Birth, aging, sickness and death are part of human nature.
When Zhai Le heard what he said, he couldn't hold back his tears anymore and soon his face was covered with tears. Zhai Huan said with a smile: "Ah Le, save some tears and wait until you cry in front of your brother's funeral hall. There are other people here, aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"
“That’s enough!”
Zhai Huan slapped him on the head a little harder.
Seriously said: "Don't waste time."
Zhai Le wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve.
Facing Zhai Le, Zhai Huan was warm and affectionate, but when he turned his gaze to the people below, his face seemed to freeze instantly, and his eyes were filled with chilling murderous intent. Zhai Le then noticed the people below who were tied up and sealed in the Dan Mansion, and thought of the bloody smell he smelled when he came... It's self-evident what happened that night. And this was something Zhai Le had never expected.
These people totally disregard the brotherhood!
Zhai Huan: "You guys are still too impatient."
He only slightly revealed the news that his body had reached its limit to his spies in the palace, and all his brothers could not sit still. Yes, Zhai Huan recalled Zhai Le at this critical moment. How could these people not guess what he was thinking
Zhai Huan's voice was full of sarcasm. When the bound brother of Zhai Huan heard it, his face turned as black as ash. He looked at Zhai Le with hatred, jealousy, and the desire to kill him. He said with hatred: "Zhai Yuewen, you forced me to do this!"
Zhai Le was about to speak when Zhai Huan raised his hand to stop him.
Zhai Huan asked: "When did I ever force you?"
The younger brother questioned, "I am obviously your biological brother, born of the same mother. Is there anyone in this world who is more closely related to me than you? And what happened? You would rather pass the throne to that loser Zhai Xiaofang than even consider me!"
Zhai Huan looked at his other half brothers again.
He sneered and said, "You guys think so too?"
One of the half brothers said, "We shouldn't interfere with who the king wants to pass the throne to, but it shouldn't be Zhai Xiaofang. He is a second-generation branch of the side branch. What qualifications does he have to inherit the throne? Since the throne is passed down from brother to brother, we are naturally more legitimate than him."
My own brother is not as good as my cousin
What does Zhai Yuewen think
If the younger brother really wanted to succeed the elder brother, he should have chosen one of them. At least they were all heirs of the first house, and Zhai Xiaofang was the child of the second house. This would be more convincing. If Zhai Yuewen chose his younger brother, they would naturally have no second thoughts.
In terms of etiquette, legitimate children are more orthodox than them.
But since Zhai Yuewen didn't follow the rules, it was no wonder that they had complaints. It was just a pity that they made one wrong move and fell into Zhai Huan's trap tonight, which gave him an excuse to get angry.
Zhai Le clenched his fists, resisting the urge to punch several people. He couldn't understand why his cousins had changed so much. "I have never thought of fighting for the throne. If you want, you can come and take it. Why are you fighting among brothers? You are so bold as to plan a coup to murder my brother! Have you read all the sage books for so many years? Qu State belongs to my brother, and he is not dead yet! Is it your turn to make decisions? If you are really greedy and want to be the king, lead the army and fight!"
My brother is still alive.
He was only slightly weak, yet he attracted so many covetous people. Everyone hoped that he would die soon, and these people were all brothers!
Zhai Le suddenly remembered that a few years ago, when that Shu Ji sent people to the house to force his brother, the Zhai family members were all filled with righteous indignation and united as one to face the outside world. But in just a few years, they all changed their appearances and became so unfamiliar that it was frightening.
"Zhai Xiaofang, you are such a hypocrite. Zhai Yuewen likes you, so of course you are fearless and can stand here and say such righteous words." A cousin who usually has a good relationship with Zhai Le spoke with a fierce look in his eyes.
"Yeah, you're from the second house, and since you keep saying you don't care about the throne, then don't accept it!" Another person sneered, "You obviously don't want to give up the throne in your heart, but you still say these words. If you're not hypocritical, who else is?"
Seeing that Zhai Le was so angry that he was about to speak without thinking, Zhai Huan said coldly: "Have you forgotten who destroyed the previous dynasty and who founded the Qu Kingdom? Who I want to pass the throne to is my business. I can give it to one of you, but you can't snatch it, and you can't take it for granted that my things are yours. What makes you think so? Just because you and I have the same father?"
Zhai Huan was so angry that he almost laughed when watching this farce.
Now that the whole family has been wiped out, do you really think that I won't kill them just because we have the same surname and the same father
If it was when the Qu Kingdom was just established, Zhai Huan might not dare to do anything to them, because he still needed his own family to help control the various places, and it would be difficult to tear his face. However, things are different now. Zhai Huan has promoted his confidants in various places over the years, formed his own team, and made full insurance for the next leader to take office smoothly. It is not a problem to kill these people or not.
Zhai Huan sneered and asked them again: "Even if I didn't choose Ah Le, I chose one of you. If this position is given to you, who among you can sit firmly? Since the establishment of Qu State, who among you can have outstanding achievements like Ah Le?"
"Haha, you have nothing, and you come to eat my extinct family?" As soon as Zhai Huan said this, the young scholar who protected Zhai Le into the palace couldn't help laughing. The laughter was not loud, but it was too clear in the current environment, and the faces of several people below turned red when they heard it.
Zhai Huan obviously didn't want it to end so quickly: "Could it be that the surname 'Zhai' gave you a false impression? Don't forget, even in the Zhai clan, I am the clan leader! Which clan elder would dare to object to removing you from the clan tree? Is it because of my illness that you think I, Zhai Yuewen, am just a weak patient who is about to die and you don't need to care about me?"
The faces of the younger brothers below were paler than those of dead people.
They really forgot that Zhai Huan was not only their brother, but also the king and the patriarch of the Zhai clan. Within the clan, removing someone from the family tree was just a matter of words. Once removed, they would be white people without even a surname...
"A Le, do you think they deserve to die? Their life and death is in your hands now. If you say kill them, within a few days, the outside world will know that my brothers died of illness due to excessive grief, and their wives and children will also die together. If you say not to kill them... A Le, I will be very disappointed." Zhai Huan suddenly changed the subject, and Zhai Le, who was named, was stunned for a moment.
Zhai Le was dumbfounded, and the people below him also looked ashen.
They knew too well how ruthless and iron-blooded Zhai Yuewen was. Once he made up his mind, he would definitely do what he said. They dared to launch a coup to kill Zhai Huan, so they were naturally prepared for failure and death. However, they still underestimated Zhai Huan.
He actually wanted to let their wives and children die alive!
"Zhai Yuewen, are you still human?"
Zhai Huan's brother asked tremblingly.
The others also looked pale.
"You and I are from the same mother. When they gathered together to kill me for the throne, did you ever think of yourself as a human being? This is just a matter of time. You are a hidden danger that threatens A Le, and so are your wives and children. I will take you all away before I die, so that I don't have to worry." Zhai Huan said, and put pressure on Zhai Le again, step by step, "Do you want to disappoint me?"
"Brother, I, I..."
Zhai Le certainly didn't want to kill these cousins, but they had joined forces tonight to threaten his brother's life, which touched Zhai Le's bottom line. His brother also said that he would be very disappointed... From childhood to adulthood, this was what he feared the most. For a moment, Zhai Le was torn between his conscience and his desires.
Zhai Huan softened his voice, but the invisible pressure became even worse: "A Le, do you want to disappoint me? Or do you want me to die with regrets? When did you become so indecisive? They died because of my order. You were not the one who killed my brothers and sisters!"
Zhai Le felt like he was being pushed into a corner.
Everything happened too fast tonight. He was not mentally prepared at all, and he never expected that he would have to kill his brothers and sisters.
"Ah, brother... I..."
"Zhai Xiaofang, I asked you to kill them!"
Zhai Huan suddenly sat up straight, his voice fierce, and then there was a murderous aura that was almost tangible.
"Go! Kill them to prevent future troubles!"
Zhai Le almost collapsed: "I can't do it!"
He cried even harder than before: "I can't do this!"
"Brother, I'm about to lose you, I don't want to lose my other relatives! If I kill them, how can I face my uncle who treats me like his own son? I really can't do it, I really can't do it! I beg you, don't force me anymore!"
He never thought that the throne would fall on his head. Zhai Le grabbed his sleeves like he did when he was a child, crying and begging: "I really don't want to be a king! I don't want anything! I just want you to be alive! Just want you to be alive! Please be alive, brother, sister-in-law doesn't want to see you so early!"
Zhai Le was not a calculating person, and his nerves were a bit thick. Even so, he clearly felt that his brother had no desire to live after his sister-in-law passed away. Otherwise, with his brother's personality, it would be impossible for him to abuse the way of scholars so much when he knew that it would consume his life. His brother was clearly seeking death while doing his best to pave the way for him. Zhai Le could vaguely sense all of this.
But he knew better that he could not persuade Zhai Huan.
The fear that had accumulated over the years finally erupted tonight.
He begged Zhai Huan helplessly, hoping that he would have some desire to live, for the sake of Qu State, for the sake of the Zhai family, and for the unfulfilled ambitions of the two young men. Zhai Le spoke out his true feelings, not daring to look up at Zhai Huan, fearing that he would see disappointment in his eyes.
But all he got was a pat on the head.
"Alas, Ah Le is still so soft-hearted. How can I rest assured and close my eyes? I've already said that you are already the father of two children. Can't you be more mature? It's not wrong to value love, but I hope that this love..." He cast a murderous look at the restless brothers and sneered, "Don't give it to the wrong person."
Several brothers were sweating profusely, and one of them, who was quite timid, fainted from the killing intent that Zhai Huan had just shown. Death was not scary, but what was scary was that this man wanted their wives and children to die with him! Damn it, he wanted to kill their wives and children even though he didn't have any.
They almost believed that they would die, because Zhai Le had been Zhai Huan's yes-man since he was a child, and he would do whatever Zhai Huan said.
Who knew, there would be an unexpected turn of events.
The yes-man can't even speak.
I survived the disaster and feel lucky to have saved my life.
“Cough, cough, cough—” Zhai Huan suddenly propped himself up on the bed and coughed violently, vomiting glaring blood. His life force quickly faded. He lay back weakly, raised his hand and produced a national seal, and said weakly, “Zhai Xiaofang, kneel down, this is the final order!”
Zhai Le knelt straight in front of the couch like a puppet.
"A Le... I'll leave Quguo to you." Zhai Huan's throat rolled twice, his voice became weaker and weaker, and he handed the national seal to Zhai Le, but his eyes fell on the empty space, "Your sister-in-law is here to pick me up... Although I'm worried about you, don't come to see me too early... After a hundred years of brotherhood, we can drink a cup of wine in the underworld..."
Zhai Le took the national seal with tears in his eyes, and followed his gaze to the deserted corner, knowing in his heart that his brother's life would end tonight.
As if someone was urging him, he murmured in a slightly doting tone: "Wait a little longer, wait a little longer... Give me a few more instructions..."
No one dared to disturb him.
After a long time, Zhai Huan reluctantly withdrew his gaze and waved to the people in the hall who were protecting Zhai Le to enter the palace. The young scholar in the lead walked forward slowly. The young man was about the same age as Zhai Huan, and his appearance was also good, but his temperament was more heroic and courageous than Zhai Huan.
Zhai Huan smiled bitterly and said, "... I am almost dying."
"You can see that there is more exhalation than inhalation."
Zhai Huan didn't mind the young man's unfriendly attitude. He was just that kind of person, and his method of recruiting him was a bit despicable. He felt a little uncomfortable: "I am alone, and I don't have many concerns in the world. I only have Ah Le... I hope you can help him and complete his unfinished ambitions together..."
He has done his best to pave the way.
How far you can go in the future depends entirely on luck.
The young scholar was moved when he heard this. He grabbed his cold and weak hand and sighed, "I know, I know."
He heard it clearly with both ears. Ever since the young soldier Wen was defeated and captured by Zhai Yuewen, he knew that his real master was Zhai Xiaofang, who was crying and snotting beside him, and not Zhai Yuewen, who was barely breathing on the bed.
Because he had already prepared himself mentally for Zhai Yuewen to die, he was not surprised when that day came. He even thought that Zhai Yuewen had abused the ways of a scholar to pave the way for him and had managed to hold on until now before he was ready to die.
This shows that the other party has a long lifespan.
Zhai Huan also gave instructions to other military generals.
Everyone agreed one by one.
The brothers who were tied up looked livid.
They hated him to death, but they pricked up their ears to listen to see if Zhai Huan had given them any instructions, but the answer was no.
He raised his hand towards the void with difficulty.
"Ah Jing... I'm here."
It seemed as if someone really came to take away his soul.
When the hand fell powerlessly, the palace was filled with Zhai Le's desperate voice of pleas: "Brother—"