It was easy to find evidence of King Ningxuan's guilt, but no one except Emperor Renshou had the right to comment on the matter of conviction and sentencing.
Regardless of whether Sheng Xuyan asked Su Huaijing to investigate the case in the beginning, or when the box of evidence was presented to Emperor Renshou, no news of the case spread in the court or in the harem.
Rong Mingyu had been an official for many years, and perhaps he had doubts in the past. He once invited Rong Tang and Su Huaijing to return to the palace for a banquet under the pretext of chatting about family matters.
But Wang Xiuyu tricked Rong Mingyu before the divorce. The relationship between father and son was already distant, and it became even more distant and unfamiliar at this time. Before the news reached Su Huaijing's ears, Rong Tang had already rejected it.
When Su Huaijing heard it later, he was stunned for a moment, and then he couldn't help laughing.
No matter whether he is the Chief Censor or not, no matter whether he can decide life and death or promotion or demotion of officials with a single word, in front of Rong Tang, Su Huaijing always seems to be a child who always needs to be protected.
He looked at Rong Tang's sleeping face beside him, his heart moved slightly, he held her in his arms, and said softly in an almost inaudible voice: "Tang Tang, please protect me for the rest of my life."
He can always be a child as long as Rong Tang is around.
One day in late May, the weather was hot, and Emperor Renshou held a banquet in the palace to cool down. He specially invited Rong Mingyu to reminisce about the past.
The emperor’s invitation is a supreme honor.
Even though there are terrifying calculations behind this favor, a discerning person can still guess a little even if he doesn't know the inside story.
It’s a pity that the imperial edict has been issued and Rong Mingyu cannot refuse.
No one knew what Emperor Renshou said to Prince Ningxuan. It was just an ordinary summer night. Rong Mingyu entered the palace alive for a banquet, but what he returned to the palace was a corpse that was beginning to stiffen.
However, the outside world said that Rong Mingyu was highly regarded by the emperor, who sent him as an imperial envoy to conduct secret visits to various counties in Dayu and serve as the emperor's eagle eyes.
All officials were alert at once, and local officials were fully prepared, trying their best to improve local politics to prevent Prince Rong from finding any evidence against them and reporting back to Kyoto.
Su Huaijing said that he had a way to protect Rong Tang and others, and in the end it came true.
The villain fanned Rong Tang with a palm leaf fan and asked with a smile, "Tang Tang, do you know why the emperor didn't punish Rong Mingyu even though there was solid evidence of treason?"
Rong Tang didn't really want to use his brain, but Su Huaijing said that if he figured out the answer, he would take him out for barbecue in the evening.
Young Master Rong sneered at this and rolled his eyes at the villain: "Boring."
The other side paused for a few seconds, but still spoke up and asked calmly: "How many turmoils can the court withstand?"
When Marquis Wu Kang rebelled, the second prince was involved; when Marshal Xia rebelled, the third prince was stabbed to death with a sword by Emperor Renshou in court.
There was only one year between the two events, and now it is only half a year away from Sheng Chengxing's death anniversary. If Rong Mingyu is convicted of treason again and it is revealed that the Eighth Prince is not the emperor's biological child, what will the ministers and the people of the world think
If we look at the timeline, in the 9th year of Qingzheng, Shen Feiyi led a small number of rebels to gather in the capital, in the 10th year of Qingzheng, Wu Kangbo rebelled, in the 11th year, Xia Yuanshuai rebelled, and in the 12th year, Ning Xuanwang rebelled again...
"What kind of incompetent and ruthless emperor must be to have four rebellions in just four years. Each rebellion involved a wide range of people, with many princes, generals and ministers in high positions having rebellious thoughts?" Rong Tang asked him casually.
Hearing this, Su Huaijing's smile deepened. He stood up and asked politely, "Tangtang, can I kiss you?"
Rong Tang was slightly stunned, his eyes widened a little, and there was disbelief in his eyes when he looked at Su Huaijing. He didn't understand why this man, who was used to acting like a hooligan, was pretending to be a gentleman at this time.
But the surprise was only fleeting. After coming to his senses, Rong Tang negotiated the conditions with him: "Add a serving of chopped pepper beef."
So the stunned person became Su Huaijing. The villain was stunned for a moment, then laughed quietly, his phoenix eyes full of emotion, looking at Rong Tang: "Then kiss twice."
Rong Tang thought for two seconds and nodded proudly: "Okay."
-
In just a few days, Emperor Renshou looked much older, with white hair mixed in his hair, all of which showed that he was depressed.
He had an erratic temper and would often demote officials or execute people in the court. In the harem, newly dead bodies were carried from the palace gates to the mass grave every day.
But he still recited Buddhist scriptures and chanted Buddha's name every day, and from time to time he went to the Wentian Pagoda to exchange Buddhist teachings with Huimian, as if this could relieve his loneliness as a lonely man.
But neither the world of Dayu nor the torrent of time rolling forward would allow him to waste time and close his eyes and ears.
Rong Tang counted the days in Yong'an Lane, and as he counted, he heard that Emperor Renshou was seriously ill.
All the officials had anticipated this. Even a young man with a strong body could not resist taking the elixir and indulging in debauchery.
There are new beauties dying in the harem every day, and naturally there are new ones entering the palace every day.
Sheng Xuyan is over 40 years old and is not in very good health. He loses his temper all the time and treats everyone like a thorn in his eyes. Even a body made of iron cannot withstand his torment.
But while ordinary people still have a buffer period, his illness came on with great force. He was bedridden overnight and began to strike indefinitely.
There was a faint scent of medicine in the backyard of Tang Jing's house. Ever since Rong Tang discovered that Su Huaijing's medical skills were far better than he had imagined, the villain simply stopped hiding the secret.
When Rong Tang smelled the scent of herbs being boiled in the medicine house that day, his nostrils twitched slightly. He instinctively didn't like to set foot in such a place, but his feet walked over step by step with full consciousness.
The medicine cabinet was filled with items that looked frequently used, and there were so many kinds of medicinal materials in the drawers that Rong Tang felt his eyes hurt at the first glance.
Su Huaijing was refining medicine behind the medicine furnace. He didn't even need to use a scale when he reached out to take the medicine.
Rong Tang raised his eyebrows upon seeing this, and once again realized that his understanding of the villain seemed incomplete.
He walked over, took a small stool, and sat opposite Su Huaijing across the medicine furnace.
The latter was slightly stunned, and subconsciously glanced at the sky outside: "It's so hot, what are you doing in the medicine house?"
Rong Tang didn't even blink: "Come to see you."
Su Huaijing was speechless for a moment. He looked at Rong Tang helplessly, went out and asked the servants to bring two basins of ice to cool down the room.
Su Huaijing took out a few more herbs and put them all on the tray before weighing them to confirm the final amount. He smiled and asked, "What do you think, Tangtang?"
Rong Tang did not answer, but asked: "Can the people who did this be trusted?"
Su Huaijing looked at him for a long time and sighed softly: "If I couldn't even know how to use people wisely, I would have died long ago."
Rong Tangyuan was fanning the medicine furnace slowly and at random. He paused after hearing the words, then changed his mind and imitated Su Huaijing's nonchalant tone and said in a calm voice, "You are right."
He looked at the medicine furnace, looked at the little white smoke coming out of it, and said softly: "Maybe in two months I will—"
"Tangtang." Su Huaijing interrupted him, his tone slightly deep, his eyes narrowed, and there was a hint of danger in his expression as he looked at Rongtang. On the medicine table in front of him was a piece of Coptis chinensis with extremely effective effects.
Su Huaijing asked gently, "Have you forgotten the taste of those pills?"
Hearing this, Rong Tang shuddered uncontrollably and suddenly raised his eyes to glare over.
At the end of last year, he was not feeling well for a period of time. He always had a premonition that he would not live long. In order to prevent himself from dying without warning one day, Rong Tang considered for a long time and seriously said goodbye to Su Huaijing.
He meant well, but the usually docile person suddenly turned into a mad dog. After taking his pulse, he looked at him coldly without saying a word.
A few days of peace and tranquility passed, and just when Rong Tang thought that Su Huaijing was not actually angry this time, one night, his daily medicine soup was replaced with three pills, each of which was as big as a child's fist and looked horrifying.
Rong Tang didn't want to eat, and looked at Su Huaijing weakly. The villain was unmoved and even coaxed him gently: "You need to replenish your body during the coldest days of winter. Pills are more effective than ordinary medicine soups. Didn't Tangtang say that he was not feeling well these days?"
Rong Tang acted coquettishly and tried to please Su Huaijing for a long time, but Su Huaijing showed no intention of giving in.
There was no other way, he could only try to swallow it.
It's extremely bitter and fishy. The medicine soup is so unpalatable, and the pills are more than ten times that.
Rong Tang simply couldn't swallow such a big pill. He took a bite and spit out two, then gulped down two large cups of tea. The unpleasant taste still lingered in his mouth, as if it was going to make him feel sick to death.
Rong Tang endured the discomfort and bit off half of the pill with tea. He swallowed a quarter of the pill, but he couldn't stand it anymore. Tears came out. He looked up at Su Huaijing with tears in his eyes and said softly with grievance and sobs: "I can't eat it."
At that time, the sky was covered with ice and snow, and the charcoal fire was burning in the house. The north wind was blowing over the sky of Yujing City, and it was foggy. The lights were on in the house. Su Huaijing lowered his eyes, wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and said in a gentle and warm tone: "Then don't eat for now."
Rong Tang breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this, feeling like he had saved half his life.
But when they lay on the bed at night, Su Huaijing leaned over him, kissing him gently and teasing him meticulously.
Rong Tang got used to his presence and intrusion. He closed his eyes in enjoyment and occasionally gave orders.
But at a certain moment, the taste of the kiss between lips and tongue suddenly became strange and familiar. Rong Tang frowned in pain, opened his eyes and looked at Su Huaijing, very confused.
The big villain looked at him with a hint of paranoia in his eyes, the taste of medicine dissolved in the mouths of the two, and the doctor accompanied the patient to use the bitter medicine.
Su Huaijing grabbed Rong Tang's wrists with one hand, pinning them above his head, and used his legs to suppress his struggling strength.
Pills appeared on the bed. Su Huaijing took one bite after another. There was no more tea to relieve the pain. Only the endless kisses became the medicine guide, forcing him to take the medicine with her, which had no clear effect but was enough to make people scared and remember it for a lifetime.
Rong Tang resisted fiercely, and Su Huaijing was pinched by him so hard that it hurt, but he never gave in. Beads of sweat oozed from his forehead, and he fed him mouthful by mouthful, obsessively and patiently.
After three black pills of indistinguishable dosage rolled into their stomachs, Su Huaijing's mad dog stubbornness disappeared again. Like a capricious madman, he became gentle again and attacked tepidly. He wiped away the tears and sweat from the corners of Rong Tang's eyes bit by bit, pecked and kissed his nose and earlobes, whispering horrible words: "If Tangtang scares me again, we'll go to hell together."
Outside the house, the north wind blew through the treetops, and inside the house, candle wax fell all over the bronze table.
Rong Tang glared at Su Huaijing, who met his gaze without dodging or evading, not backing down even a bit.
After a long while, Rong Tang gritted his teeth and cursed: "Only the governor is allowed to set fires, but the people are not allowed to light lamps."
Su Huaijing was stunned for a moment, and finally realized why Rong Tang wanted to scare him again. His expression softened instantly, and he walked up to Rong Tang, wanting to hold his hand. But Rong Tang suddenly pushed him away, his chest heaving violently, his ears inexplicably turning red, and he was very angry.
Su Huaijing apologized softly: "I'm sorry."
Rong Tang ignored him, withdrew his hand, and strode out of the backyard with great confidence. He looked very powerful, but also seemed to be running away.
Su Huaijing looked at his back and sighed softly.
After two days of coaxing without success, the villain finally realized that he was wrong this time. When he was thinking about how to coax her, he suddenly heard a dull bell ringing from the sky above Yu Jing in the yard.
He was stunned for a moment, somewhat unresponsive.
The man who had been sulking for several days ran out of the house quickly and stood beside him, with disbelief written all over his face.
The top floor of the Wentian Tower is locked all year round. It is empty except for a bronze Buddhist bell, facing the sun and the moon.
If the Buddhist bell rings, there will be a national mourning.
Now, there are only three people in the Dayu Palace who are qualified to ring the Great Brahma Bell.
Empress Dowager, Empress, Emperor Renshou.
(End of this chapter)