The words "good intentions and hard work", and the gloomy expression when he said these words to his mother, made Zongzi Heng stand in the middle of the hall with no one to rely on, thinking about it over and over in his mind. A sharp, cold seed sprouted in the heart.
The investigation into the assassination turned into a protracted struggle.
The empress who had lost her only son became hysterical, and she no longer needed the last veil of hypocrisy. She insisted that it must be Shen Shiyao or Chu Yingruo who poisoned Zong Zimo to death, and they were the only ones who yearned for the death of their eldest son.
This kind of accusation is too sensational and has no evidence, but the emperor and empress have the backing of the Wuliang faction. On the other hand, Concubine Shen and Concubine Chu have nothing to rely on. Zong Minghe had to order a thorough investigation of the harem. A large number of guards entered Qinghui Pavilion and Bailu Pavilion, Turned inside out, even their underwear was not spared.
Seeing how his mother was humiliated and crying bitterly, Zong Ziheng was angry and distressed, and regretted that he doubted his mother. In fact, if you think about it carefully, you should understand that such a comprehensive plan and meticulous actions are not something that a woman who often lives in the deep palace can do. How could he get the poison and assassinate a prince under heavy defenses if he couldn't get out of the palace.
Zong Zixiao was also trembling with anger, and was about to explode, but was dragged aside by Zong Ziheng.
"Let me go." Zong Zixiao tried his best to break away from his elder brother's hand, burning with anger, "They even want to move my mother's couch, how unreasonable it is!"
"At this time, we must not stir up trouble, and leave an excuse for the empress." Zong Ziheng put his hand on the back of his younger brother's head, "Be patient."
"We also want to find out who killed the second brother, but she suspects our mother and concubine without evidence!" Zong Zixiao said viciously.
"I know." Zong Ziheng whispered in his younger brother's ear with that calm and gentle voice, "Forbearance."
The guards searched the Bailu Pavilion, but found nothing suspicious. Seeing the mess in her boudoir, Chu Yingruo sobbed softly, the appearance of pear blossoms with rain made her feel pity.
"Mother, don't cry." Zong Zixiao was half a head taller than his mother, he hugged her and comforted her softly.
Shen Shiyao also walked up to Chu Yingruo, and said with red eyes: "Sister, don't be sad, if this can prove our innocence, we will admit it too, sister will help you clean up."
But Li Xiangtong refused to give up. In fact, everyone knew that what she really wanted to investigate was Zong Ziheng and Zong Zixiao. However, due to their identities, they could not blatantly provoke, so she proposed that her father and brother should re-interrogate Zong Ziheng and Zong Zixiao in Wuji on the same day. Everyone in the palace.
This annoyed Zong Minghe. He also wanted to find out who poisoned his son, but he would never let the Wuliang faction run rampant in his palace. In the end, under a compromise between the two sides, Li Buyu was involved in the investigation.
So the whole winter, including the New Year, Daming City was spent under the cloud.
Zong Zixiao hated Li Buyu as always. Li Buyu was sad and haggard because of his cousin's death, and he didn't bother to be polite to Zong Zixiao. Even when he looked at Zong Zixiao, his eyes seemed to have some deep meaning.
During the investigation, Li Buyu also asked some meaningful questions from time to time. Although he would ask everyone these questions, Zong Zixiao felt that Li Buyu was targeting him.
He told his eldest brother about this, but Zong Ziheng didn't believe it: "You always have a lot of prejudices against Mu Yu. Since Father asked him to assist in the investigation, shouldn't he question everyone in Wuji Palace?"
Zong Zixiao said coldly: "But he asked me those questions, as if he regarded me as a murderer."
"He also asked me those questions. It was originally to find out the murderer. Of course, everything must be detailed." Zong Ziheng said in a low voice, "Furthermore, the Empress must have told him a lot of doubts about us. No matter what we think, we can only cooperate."
"Cooperate?" Zong Zixiao sneered, "Father asked someone to search Bailu Pavilion, I can only 'cooperate', what is he, Li Buyu, who wants me to cooperate?"
"Xiao Jiu."
"Brother." Zong Zixiao said with a stern face, "Why, just because he gave you a True Essence Jade Pill, do you want to speak up for him instead? You saved his life, isn't it worth a mere pill? He pays you back."
Zong Ziheng's complexion also darkened, his younger brother is used to being arrogant, and when he is unhappy, he often speaks without restraint: "It's up to you."
Seeing that his eldest brother was angry, Zong Zixiao hurriedly coaxed: "Okay, okay, I just listen to you, don't be angry, you are so easy to get angry recently." At the end, his voice became smaller and smaller, with some grievances .
Zong Ziheng was startled for a moment.
"Brother, it's been so long, can't you let it go?" Zong Zixiao looked at the sadness that seemed to have solidified on his brother's face, thinking that he was still thinking about Hua Yuxin, and his heart was very blocked, "You used to be very You love to laugh, but now, I hardly see you laughing."
Zong Ziheng subconsciously touched his face.
Really, hasn't he smiled for a long time
Maybe, how can a person who is burdened with secrets all day long and lives in worry, resentment, fear, and confusion be able to laugh.
Zong Zixiao's heart was full of powerless jealousy, he said in frustration, "How can you change back to the old big brother."
Zong Ziheng patted his younger brother's head: "People will change, you will understand when you get older."
Zong Zixiao was silent for a long time: "Will you still like others in the future?"
"… I have no idea."
"What's so good about her? Pretty?"
"Zixiao, I don't want to talk about this."
Zong Zixiao suddenly supported Zong Ziheng's thigh with both hands, and put his face in front of his eyes: "Brother, am I prettier than her?"
The fourteen-year-old boy has completely inherited his mother's stunning appearance. Under the undeveloped bones, the blend of yin and yang and male and female, without Chu Yingruo's inviting and flattering attitude, he looks even more refined.
How can such an outstanding beauty be included in the mere word "beautiful".
Zong Ziheng met his younger brother's extremely charming stalking fox eyes, his heart trembled slightly, and he turned his face away unconsciously: "Listen to what you are saying, you want to compare your beauty with a girl's family? Are you promising?"
"I don't need to compare, I want you to answer me." Zong Zixiao straightened Zong Ziheng's chin with his hand, "Am I prettier than Hua Yuxin?"
"Xiao Jiu, what the hell are you..."
"Will you like me?" Zong Zixiao stared intently at his elder brother's eyes, "Do you like her beauty, her good cultivation, or something else?"
Zong Ziheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Why are you crazy?"
Zong Zixiao asked persistently: "What does she have that I don't have, why can't elder brother like me?"
Zong Ziheng frowned and looked at the person in front of him. He couldn't tell whether Zong Zixiao was serious or teasing him. Such words sounded so weird that his scalp was numb.
"Brother, I'm serious. I'm serious when I say that I want to marry you and that you like me."
Zong Ziheng pushed Zong Zixiao away, and reprimanded him: "How old are you? You're not a child with long temples. At your age, you know almost everything you should know. You can use this kind of nonsense to make fun of it." ?”
"Who made fun of you?" Zong Zixiao was angry, "I said I was serious."
"Nonsense." Zong Ziheng took a deep breath. He wondered if he had protected Xiao Jiu too well. He was afraid that he really didn't know anything about men and women. He didn't even understand the big difference between liking and liking? He said patiently, "You are so old, do you still want me to tell you that we are blood brothers and we are all men? If you don't understand, elder brother can explain it to you, but you are not allowed to say such nonsense... You didn't Tell someone else?"
Zong Zixiao looked at his elder brother a little anxiously, he really wanted to tell his elder brother with the loudest voice that he knew everything, but he didn't dare, he didn't want to see more embarrassment from this face.
Zong Zixiao lowered his head in frustration.
Zong Ziheng said to his younger brother in a teaching tone like countless times before: "The love between brothers is different from that between men and women. Eldest brother also wants to be with you forever, but we don't need to get married, so don't do it again." I'm thinking wildly, when you meet a girl you like, you will naturally understand."
Zong Zixiao turned his face away, and with a tight jaw line, he left Zong Ziheng with an unclear answer.
Sooner or later, he will let his elder brother know that he doesn't need a girl he likes, all he wants is his elder brother—
In the blink of an eye, winter has passed and spring has come, and the Flood Dragon Society has passed for a year, but the turmoil in the world of cultivating immortals has never stopped.
The Huaying faction and the Wuyun Sect are fighting endlessly, Yan Shu and the mountain whip are still missing, and the emperor announced at the birthday banquet that he has broken through the eighth heaven of the Zongxuan sword. On the same day, his son was poisoned and killed. The murderer has not been found yet . Everything that happened in this year seems to be going in the same direction more and more out of control. Everyone can see the wind blowing and the water wrinkled, but they may not be able to see the hidden eddies under the water.
But to lift this water curtain and see the man-eating vortex, it seems that only one opportunity is needed.
This opportunity came soon - Zong Tianzi was about to use the Shennong Cauldron to temper the sword for the ninth son who won the first prize in the Jiaolong Society.
The eldest son Heng originally thought that the death of his second brother would put the matter on hold indefinitely. After all, he had to consider the feelings of the empress, and even he felt that this was inappropriate.
This matter was naturally strongly opposed by Li Xiangtong, and even had a dispute with Zong Minghe in front of all the concubines, and the whole harem was filled with smoke.
This time, Shen Shiyao was rarely gloating. When talking about this matter, she continued to do her embroidery work as usual, but when Zong Ziheng asked about the details of the dispute between the two, she smiled and said: "What else can I do?" Well, Dijun's current thoughts are all on Concubine Chu and Xiaojiu, he didn't like Li Xiangtong in the first place, but now that the second child is gone, the two have not lived in the same room for a long time."
Zong Ziheng frowned and thought about something.
"The emperor wants to use the Shennong cauldron to temper the sword for Xiaojiu. Next, I'm afraid he will be made the prince." Shen Shiyao looked up at her son, her cherry lips pursed slightly, "If Xiaojiu really becomes the emperor in the future, you This big brother, how should he deal with himself, should he bow his head and listen to him?"
"..."
"You are the eldest son of the emperor. In terms of any qualifications, you should be the emperor more than him. It's a pity." Shen Shiyao lowered her head and continued to embroider the silk handkerchief in her hand, her tone was indifferent and cold, "The sun and the moon cannot shine together."