"Your Majesty," Concubine Rou hurriedly got up, came to Li Ming in a hurry, and reached out to hold Li Ming's hand, "I was wrong, Saburo, because I wanted to be wrong, and I was thinking for the sake of Chenger, for fear of offending. Too many people, I was set up by Li Rong, I…”
"How dare you say it!" Li Ming lifted her up and sat up, "You're not greedy, Rong'er can set up a trick for you?! You're a short-sighted, lowly, lowly, lowly maid, and you can be calm if you have Shangguan Yue. , The crown prince has long been in Cheng'er's place! I let you stay in the harem for so long and supported you for so long, did you catch Shangguan Yue at all wrong?"
The more Li Ming thought about it, the more angry he got, he got up and pulled something from the side and smashed it in the head: "I handed over the inspector to you, I've worked hard for you and Cheng'er, you bastard, you've done a shitty job. thing!"
The zhezi smashed onto Concubine Rou like a cup. Concubine Rou knelt on the ground and kowtowed desperately. When Li Ming finished smashing, Li Ming took a step back, and Fu Lai hurriedly supported him. Li Ming gasped lightly and looked at Concubine Rou who was kneeling on the ground and covered in embarrassment, Li Ming finally stopped, Fu Lai supported him, and said softly: "Your Majesty, the dragon's body is important."
Li Ming didn't have the strength to speak any more. He finished getting angry and calmed down a bit. Concubine Rou lay on the ground and wept lowly. Li Ming looked at her quietly. After a long time, he waved his hand: "Forget it, let's go down."
"Your Majesty," Concubine Rou raised her head in surprise when she heard this. Li Ming stood in front of her and looked at her quietly. There was pity, disappointment, and unspeakable pain in his eyes. Concubine Rou suddenly realized something. She hurriedly knelt forward and stretched out her hand to pull it. Li Ming's hem, "Your Majesty, I was wrong, I will listen to you in the future, I will change, you save me, I am still useful," Concubine Rou said, her tears falling hurriedly, "Your Majesty, I am Cheng'er. 's mother…”
"Pull it off!"
Li Ming shouted loudly, and the attendant next to him rushed over to pull Concubine Rou, Concubine Rou dragged him tightly, and the attendant forcibly pulled her out, she struggled hard, and threw back halfway.
She exhausted all her strength, her clothes were all torn, and her hairpin fell to the ground. She cried and put on makeup, and her face was covered in tears. Struggling hard for a little bit of life.
Li Ming Jingjing looked at the woman who was desperately pounced on him, watching her clinging to his clothes, and then being forcibly dragged out, she let out a scream, and clasped her fingers on his gold-embroidered dragon-patterned vamp. , her nails that were dyed with dankoe on weekdays were broken, and she cried out: "Your Highness..."
When this distant title came, Li Ming was in a trance for a moment, as if he was back in the cold palace many years ago, when he was still a prince that no one cared about.
He involuntarily said, "Stop."
Hearing this order, everyone stopped, and Concubine Rou raised her head excitedly: "Your Majesty, I know you won't leave me alone. Your Majesty..."
Li Ming didn't speak, he half squatted down and quietly looked at the woman in front of him.
Actually she is old.
She is no longer in her youth, and her beauty has long since lost its vitality. Her eyes have long been filled with desire, and they are as ugly as the entire court.
But such ugliness, such unrecognizable appearance, only made him feel pitiful.
As poor as he is.
He quietly watched Concubine Rou, slowly raised his hand, and placed it on Concubine Rou's face.
"Sanlang," Concubine Rou quickly raised her hand and held Li Ming's hand, tears streaming down her eyes, full of expectations, "I only have you, only you."
"But I have nothing but myself," Li Ming said softly.
"Arou," Li Ming said in a low voice, "I can't control you, don't worry," Li Ming's eyes were full of tenderness, "Cheng'er will be fine, let's go."
Concubine Rou looked at Li Ming blankly: "Can't you control me?"
Concubine Rou murmured, and Li Ming's face showed bitterness: "So many people joined forces to kill you, and you have so many leverages, you have no foundation in the court, the aristocratic family ignores you, the Han family does not protect you, today's matter spreads out, The world will definitely criticize you, I can't protect you."
"Go back and wait until the right time," Li Ming put his forehead against Concubine Rou's forehead, "leave a letter of confession, saying that the prince framed you, and you will prove your innocence with death. If you die, the case will stop. , In this way, Cheng'er's reputation will not be damaged."
"His Majesty?"
Concubine Rou looked at Li Ming in disbelief, her voice trembling.
Li Ming showed sympathy: "Don't blame me, I can't help it."
"No way!"
Concubine Rou seemed to be finally unable to bear it, and shouted: "You are weak and incompetent, and you can't even protect a woman!"
"Xiao Rou!"
Li Ming lowered his voice with a bit of warning.
Seeing that the two were arguing, Fu Lai quickly asked everyone to follow him out, leaving Concubine Rou and Li Ming in the hall.
Concubine Rou laughed: "Isn't it? You are the emperor, you want to protect me, how can you not protect me? In the end, it's just that you are afraid of those people! You know that the empress dowager is from the Shangguan family, and you know that your wife is The people of the Shangguan family, you know that the palace is now filled with their people. If they want to destroy you, they will destroy you, and if they want you to climb, you will not be able to stand…”
With a slap, Concubine Rou was slapped to the ground before she could finish her words.
Li Ming raised his finger and pointed at her, his eyes were splitting: "I see that I have spared you on Cheng'er's face, you don't have to talk nonsense any more."
"Am I talking nonsense?" Concubine Rou sat on the ground and laughed, "Did I say something wrong? I just hit your sore spot."
Concubine Rou covered her face and turned to look at him, her eyes full of sarcasm: "You still forgive me, what can you do to me? After all, it is death, since you can't protect me, I will lose my life, I am afraid of you ?"
"Believe it or not, I will destroy your son!"
"Then you're useless!" Concubine Rou suddenly raised her voice, "Are you thinking of me as a fool?! Did you really love him for his sake? You just want to use him to keep the prince in check. Once you get rid of the Shangguan clan, With one more prince in the harem, does Chenger still have a foothold?!"
"You think I don't know the women in the palace where you are everywhere, and you have deliberately found a recipe for giving birth to sons and want to have more sons? You think I don't know that you always feel that I'm from a humble background and that Cheng'er is unbearable? You I thought I didn't know, I was nothing in your heart, I was an excuse you used to suppress the family, whether it was Shangguan Yue or your mother, the whole court, up and down, felt that you loved me and fainted. But do you really love me?"
Before Li Ming could speak, Concubine Rou smiled and said, "You don't."
"In your heart, whether it's me or Cheng'er, it's just a means. Since you want me to die today, do you think I'll still be afraid of you?"
"Cheng'er is your only choice," Concubine Rou smiled with a bit of madness, "If you want to let the Li family get rid of the oppression of the Shangguan family, Li Ming, Cheng'er is your only choice."
"What do you mean?"
Li Ming's face turned cold instantly, and Concubine Rou's smile was very gentle: "Your Majesty, you will not have any more sons."
Hearing this, Li Ming's eyes widened, and Concubine Rou approached him with a very soft voice: "After so many years, after playing Cong Cheng'er, you have never had children again," Concubine Rou's eyes were gentle, "You never thought about why ?"
"Xiao Rou," Li Ming couldn't believe it, "what did you do?"
Xiao Rou didn't speak, the smile in her eyes carried a long-planned madness. This silence confirmed Li Ming's guess. He was furious, stood up abruptly, and pinched Xiao Rou around the neck. Pressing Xiao Rou to the ground, he strangled her neck and shouted: "I want to kill you! I want to kill you bitch!"
Xiao Rou was strangled by Li Ming, but she laughed out loud, her laughter echoed in the room, it was her who was dying and she was the weak, but Li Ming had the illusion that her position was reversed.
She cheated on him, she hated him, she used him, all these years.
Li Ming watched the laughter of the woman in front of him turn into a difficult cry for help, watched her face turn red, watched her stretch out her hand to grab him, and lost her life a little under his hands.
I don't know why, but at that moment, he suddenly remembered the first time he saw Xiao Rou when he was young in the cold palace.
She knelt on the ground, raised her head timidly, and called him softly, "Your Highness."
He suddenly lost his strength.
It was not long before Xiao Rou pushed him away, then lay on the ground, coughing violently.
After waiting for a long time, Xiao Rou supported herself and got up with a smile.
She covered her neck and said with a smile, "Why, you can't kill me, can you?"
"Li Ming, do you know why you are so useless in your life?"
"If you want to be cruel, you are not cruel enough." Xiao Rou's voice was hoarse. "If you want to be kind, you are not kind enough. As a monarch, you are unkind, as a son, you are not filial, as a father, you are ruthless, and as a husband, you are unrighteous."
"You are obviously selfish, and you are born with a bit of conscience. Your heart is higher than the sky and your life is thinner than paper. You can be a good bum, and the Shangguan family can keep you worry-free for the rest of your life. What have you tossed about?"
"You are ridiculous and sad all your life. You have tossed around for a lifetime, betrayed and left, and got nothing, Li Ming," Xiao Rou turned around with a smile, full of sarcasm, "You are alone, and you will grow old alone."
With that said, Xiao Rou walked outside the hall.
Li Ming sat quietly on the high seat. After a long time, he slowly raised his head and looked at the Beiyan Pagoda in the distance.
The wind chimes of Beiyan Pagoda were jingling in the wind, he watched for a long time, and finally came back to his senses. Fu Lai walked in cautiously, seeing the mess in the room, he bent down to pick up the book on the ground, came to Li Ming, and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, Concubine Rou has been escorted to the Department of Punishment, are you alright?"
Li Ming didn't speak, he lowered his head, and Fulai couldn't help calling again: "Your Majesty?"
"Call Xiao Wen in," Li Ming raised his head and said tiredly, "I have something to tell him."
Xiao Wen is the nephew of Concubine Rou, and Fu Lai paused, then said respectfully, "Yes."
After Fu Lai responded, he couldn't help but look at Li Ming a few more times: "Your Majesty, you... but you are not feeling well? Would you like to declare an imperial physician?"
When Li Ming heard his words, he raised his head and looked at him. When Fulai was looked at by Li Ming, his palms could not help sweating a little. Li Ming looked at him for a long time and suddenly said, "When I first saw you, did you Eleven years old?"
Fu Lai secretly sighed in relief, and he replied respectfully, "The slave is ten years old."
"You're old." Li Ming laughed, and Fu Lai followed suit, "After all, it's been almost forty years."
"Fu Lai," Li Ming turned his head and looked at the Beiyan Pagoda in the distance, "It would be nice if people didn't grow up."
Fu Lai didn't speak, Li Ming's voice was very slow: "I was really happy when I built the Beiyan Pagoda."
At that time, he had just married Shangguan Yue, and he still didn't know what a family restraint was, what a balance in the court was, and what an emperor's mind was.
But forty years is too long.
Long enough for a weak girl to become a lustful concubine, a beautiful lady to become an indifferent and conservative queen, and a gentle prince to become a weak and pathetic emperor.
He felt that time was like a knife, and when he turned around, he couldn't recognize who was who.
Xiao Rou walked out of the hall and couldn't hold it any longer.
Her feet softened instantly, and the maid next to her supported her and said anxiously, "Mother."
The guard stepped forward and said respectfully, "Concubine Rou, please."
Xiao Rou supported herself with all her might, nodded, and the maid helped her onto the carriage.
After all, she is still the mother of King Su and Hua Le. Even if she is in trouble now, Yu Wei is still there, and the guards don't dare to be too embarrassed.
When she arrived at the punishment department, it didn't take long before she heard hurried footsteps outside.
Xiao Rou raised her head and saw Hua Le brought the Xiao family over.
"Mother." When Hua Le saw Xiao Rou, her eyes suddenly turned red, Xiao Rou calmed down, but she also calmed down. She glanced at the person who came over and saw that Cui Yulang was there, she paused, and then said lightly: " Come on down, I'll talk to Hua Le."
Cui Yulang went down respectfully, Xiao Rou hurriedly reached out and took Hua Le's hand, and said anxiously, "Are you all right? Does this matter involve you?"
Hua Le shook his head with red eyes: "Not yet, but I was still in the court today. I heard that you had an accident. I'll go to the third uncle right away, looking for people everywhere, and I'm only here to see you now."
"Where's Cheng'er?" Xiao Rou hurriedly asked, Hua Le was less reliable, "Brother is okay, now in the house, mother, what should I do now?"
"Listen to me," Xiao Rou took out a token from her sleeve and handed it to Hua Le, "We've been tricked this time, and now you can't trust anyone except our own Xiao family. That Cui Yulang can't use it. Now, don't believe Su Rongqing's words. I'm afraid I won't be able to keep it. I'll give you this token."
Xiao Rou handed the token to Hua Le: "Cheng'er will give it to you."
"Mother!" Hua Le grabbed Xiao Rou's hand, "What should I do, tell me, what should I do to save you?"
Hua Le said, tears streaming down: "Can I marry someone? I'll find a powerful man to marry, I... "
"Hua Le!"
Xiao Rou let out a low voice, she held Hua Le's hand and took a deep breath: "Remember, at this time, don't rely on anyone. Your Majesty is already dead, he can't hold it for long, you just have to do it now. thing."
"You say."
Hua Le hurriedly said, Xiao Rou raised her hand and pulled Hua Le's hair behind her ear: "Kill Li Chuan."
Hua Le suddenly opened his eyes, and Xiao Rou's eyes were cold: "It's best to kill Li Rong. Once Li Chuan dies, only Cheng'er will be left with the prince. Then you will put all the responsibility on me, you are still the princess, your father The emperor will protect you, and after Cheng'er ascends the throne, you will be the eldest princess."
Hua Le's hand holding the token trembled slightly, Xiao Rou raised her hand to hold her hand, and said calmly: "Don't be afraid, Hua Le, you are my daughter, you can't lose to Shangguan Yue's daughter. She can calculate We, you have to plot against her."
"Mother… "
"Only in this way," Xiao Rou said in a low voice, "you and I have a chance to survive. As long as we survive, we will win. At that time, you can trample Li Chuan and Li Rong under your feet and smash them into pieces. Thousands of paragraphs."
"There's nothing to be afraid of." Xiao Rou stared at Hua Le, "We are all cheap, what are you afraid of?"
Hua Le listened to Xiao Rou's words and slowly calmed down.
She looked up at Xiao Rou, and in Xiao Rou's calm eyes, she looked for the belief and strength to support her.
Her mother came from a cold family, she may be stupid and greedy, but she has always been like a weed, recklessly growing in this palace.
Hua Le took a deep breath, nodded, and tried to calm down: "I understand."
Xiao Rou watched Hua Le quietly, and after a long time, she shook Hua Le's hand: "Go, mother will wait for you."
Hua Le's tears fell on Xiao Rou's hands, she staggered to her feet, tried her best to calm herself, and walked out.
It was a bit cold that night, so Li Rong put on her clothes and went to the princess' mansion to re-examine the recent materials of the Inspectorate.
Shangguanya stood aside and explained briefly to Li Rong: "The officials who had problems in Shangguan's family have already dealt with them. This time, Concubine Rou can't get the handle. The evidence is almost all false, and the confessions are all forced out."
"So bold?"
Li Rong flipped through the pages of written confessions, and Shangguanya chuckled lightly: "Concubine Rou doesn't have much experience in court work, the harem is a place to look at His Majesty's face, but the court isn't, she thought she was an inspector. Si is the same as when she was in charge of the harem. These confessions are all flawed, you can revise the case at any time, but what does Your Highness plan?"
"Procrastinate first," Li Rong said in a calm voice, "Concubine Rou is too easy to fall into. People like Wang Houmin will inevitably feel that they are overpaying. People like Wang Houwen should be damned. Half dead, let it go."
The two were talking when they heard footsteps outside. Li Rong and Shangguanya looked up together and saw Pei Wenxuan step in. He glanced at Li Rong, stepped forward, and lowered his head to cover Li Rong's ear. On the side, he said softly: "Your Majesty summoned Concubine Rou's nephew Xiao Wen into the palace. After Xiao Wen went out, someone went to Huajing."
Li Rong's eyes were cold and she looked up at Pei Wenxuan.
Pei Wenxuan understood what Li Rong meant and nodded.
"Your Majesty can't bear it anymore."