"When did Your Majesty know? When Your Highness was eight years old?" Shen Xihe asked.
With a faint smile, Xiao Huayong shook his head slightly: "This matter started twenty years ago..."
In the early winter twenty years ago, the day Xiao Huayong was born, a lot of things happened in Kyoto.
The imperial city will be breached tomorrow. Prince Qian is gentle and elegant. Considering the feelings of being of the same clan, he does not want to kill all of them. He gives those who have closed the palace gates and are defending the imperial city a day to think about whether to open the palace gates and surrender, or to charge into the imperial city.
Who among the royal family members wants to die a violent death? Some people have already wavered. The situation is hopeless, so they naturally persuaded the young emperor who had just ascended the throne and did not even have time to hold the coronation ceremony to open the city gates and welcome Prince Qian and the Queen Mother.
On that day, Emperor Youning did something that no one could have imagined. This man who was obedient to his brother and filial to his mother, after learning that a letter of surrender had been delivered to the palace and the city gates would be opened the next day, he made an appointment with King Qian and personally poured him a cup of poisoned wine.
Shen Xihe's face turned grim.
Xiao Huayong, however, acted like an outsider, and told Shen Xihe about this matter in a calm tone, like a storyteller: "Back then, most people followed my father. Your Majesty was willing to slaughter even his brother for the throne, so who would dare to follow him? Once this matter leaks out, the world will be in chaos, and those who followed my father can openly mobilize troops to rebel against Your Majesty.
His Majesty knew this very well, so when he poisoned my father, he called my grandmother over. When my grandmother arrived, my father was just about to take effect from the poison."
The Queen Mother was so shocked and furious that she drew her sword and stabbed His Majesty in the chest. Emperor Youning did not dodge but coldly told the Queen Mother about the current situation. Either their whole family would die together, or the Queen Mother would conceal the truth for him and ensure his ascension to the throne.
At that time, Prince Qian was poisoned but still had a breath. He held the Queen Mother's hand and his last words were to help Emperor Youning.
What if they didn't make it? Would they still live in the wind, frost, rain and snow in the northwest? They couldn't!
Once the news of Emperor Youning killing Prince Qian gets out, all forces will be unrestrained and will each rise up in arms to divide up the world.
On that day, Emperor Youning's first wife went secretly to find Princess Qian. The couple had already conspired and openly went to say something. After all, they were sisters-in-law and both were nine months pregnant.
Princess Qian noticed something was wrong, and the two of them didn't know what had happened, but they bumped into each other and had attacks at the same time.
However, they told outsiders that only Princess Qian gave birth to a child, because they did not want to arouse others' groundless suspicion about why Emperor Youning's first wife went to look for Princess Qian in the middle of the night with a big belly, and why both of them had children at the same time before their due date.
At a critical juncture when the overall situation is about to be decided, any trivial matter will arouse the suspicion of countless pairs of eyes. Princess Qian gave birth to Xiao Huayong, and Emperor Youning's first wife gave birth to a princess. The news reached Prince Qian's tent, and he died after hearing the good news.
The Queen Mother looked at him, who was no longer able to speak, but whose eyes were filled with endless pleading, hoping that she could raise his only child.
The Queen Mother agreed to cover up for Emperor Youning and commit murder together, but with two conditions: first, to kill Emperor Youning's wife as an apology, and second, Xiao Huayong was born to Emperor Youning's wife and was his only legitimate son in this life.