Zong Ziheng walked the road to Bailu Pavilion countless times, but never once did he need to use extra strength for every step, as if he had to pull his feet out of the mud over and over again.
Under his persuasion, Zong Minghe did not imprison the mother and son in the end. It was not out of nostalgia for old love, but that once he was imprisoned, more people would know about it. The incident became known to all.
Chu Yingruo was thrown into the cold palace, and Zong Zixiao was locked in Bailu Pavilion, waiting for the next step. Today was originally supposed to be a big day for them to leave for Kunlun Mountain, but to the outside world, they could only claim that Zong Zixiao had suddenly contracted an illness.
Even so, rumors still spread like wildfire in the Wuji Palace. In the rumors, even Zong Zimo's death had something to do with their mother and son. It won't be long before these purposeful rumors will be as the spreaders want, Spread throughout the world of cultivating immortals.
Zong Ziheng put Shen Shiyao under house arrest. He couldn't forget his mother's originally soft and dignified face distorted by the desire for revenge.
Choosing to expose this day's scandal in front of all Zong Minghe's concubines and children on the day before her departure was her deepest hatred and her ambition.
With Zongzimo dead and Zongzixiao abolished, her son is Zongtianzi's only choice.
Her schemes and means, ruthless and vicious, made Zongzi Heng's hair stand on end.
It was his mother.
When he asked Shen Shiyao how she knew about Xiao Jiu's background, she couldn't help laughing, she was extremely proud, she was dripping with joy, but she didn't say anything. He was so angry that his heart and lungs almost burst, but he couldn't move a single hair of her.
He suspected that Xu Zhinan and Qi Mengsheng, among the limited people who knew the truth, were the only two who had motives. If it was really them, he would never forgive him for the rest of his life.
The guards in front of Bailu Pavilion blocked Zong Ziheng's way: "Your Highness, the Emperor has orders, no one is allowed to see His Highness Ninth."
"Back off." Zong Ziheng said coldly.
"Your Highness, this subordinate cannot be the master, please don't embarrass this subordinate."
"You can't stop me, if anything happens, I'll take care of it."
The guard had to get out of the way.
Zong Ziheng summoned up his courage and walked in.
The Bailu Pavilion was in a mess, it had been ripped apart like the original owner's dignity beyond recognition.
Zong Zixiao closed his eyes and sat against the corner. His hair was disheveled and his expression was tired. This proud son of heaven who was loved by thousands of people had never been so embarrassed. Below him is a magic circle that traps him, and all the objects that are out of place in front of him are like a flowing chaos, only he is still, and he looks more silent and lonely.
"Zi Xiao." Zong Ziheng walked to the edge of the magic circle, he couldn't go any further, he couldn't hold his younger brother in his arms or protect him behind him.
Zong Zixiao slowly raised his eyelids, he looked at Zong Ziheng with blood-streaked eyes, but it seemed that there was nothing in his eyes.
Zong Ziheng's heart was so painful that he opened his mouth, and a thousand words stuck in his throat, and finally he only asked "Have you eaten yet?"
Zong Zixiao was still silent, just looking at Zong Ziheng, as if he was getting to know the person in front of him again, and wanted to take a careful look at him from the whole picture to the details. The more you look at it, the more blurred it becomes, as if the two are not brothers for more than ten years, but strangers who have never met before.
Otherwise, how can everything that happened last night be explained. His eldest brother even had to worry about his meal, so why would he want to put him to death for the sake of the throne.
"Xiao Jiu."
The sound of "Xiao Jiu" made Zong Zixiao shudder, shattering his poor fantasy in one fell swoop, telling him that this person is his elder brother.
Zong Zixiao responded, or repeated the sentence "You already knew" last night.
"I..." How to answer, yes or no, doesn't help.
"You already knew." Zong Zixiao repeated it for the third time, and every time he said it, his body lost something.
"Brother will find a way to save you."
"Save me?" Zong Zixiao stared at Zong Ziheng, his most trusted and beloved elder brother, and said in confusion, "Why do you want to save me? Isn't this what you want?"
"..."
"My mother told me to be on guard against you. She said that you must not see that I come from behind, and that you must not see that I have one and you do not. I always refute her, and I say it is impossible. The elder brother loves me the most." Zong Zixiao laughed mockingly Smile, "You don't want me to get the Excalibur, and you don't want me to be the prince. I understand you, because the father really treats you poorly. You secretly put the curse seal in Bailu Pavilion. I think you are worried about us because something will happen to Jiaolong. Safe, you hide so many things from me, I still trust you."
"Xiao Jiu, things are not what you think."
"In order for you to let go of the grievances in your heart, I can give you anything." Zong Zixiao bared his teeth, his eyes were fierce and fragile, "You want the throne, I will never fight with you, why can't we let our mother and son go! "
"Xiao Jiu, no, I'm not..." Zong Ziheng's defense was extremely weak. He guessed that this formation was used for surveillance, and he didn't dare to say some things, even if he didn't, as a child, could he say "my mother did everything, I'm innocent"? Their mother and son share the same prosperity and loss, and he benefits the most from framing Xiaojiu. Who will believe his "innocence"
He is not innocent, he is destined to pay for the sins committed by his parents.
"How long have you been planning?" Zong Zixiao said angrily, "Since when? Have you been in collusion with Xu Zhinan for a long time? Did you kill the second brother too?"
"It's not me!" Zong Ziheng gritted his teeth, "You trust big brother, big brother never wanted to harm you."
Zongzi Xiao sternly roared: "Then why are you hiding it from me, why did you put the curse seal in Bailu Pavilion, why did you know this before but ordered Shen Shiyao to kill our mother and son!"
Zong Ziheng looked at his younger brother in despair.
He couldn't tell the truth, if Zong Minghe knew that Yan Shu was actually Lu Zhaofeng, and he already knew all this in the Jiaolong Society, he might lose his life. A person who can dig out his brother's golden core will definitely seal his mouth without hesitation.
A hundred mouths can't argue, but that's all.
Zong Zixiao grinned grimly and shed tears: "Can't you even find an excuse? If you make up a clever lie, maybe I will still believe you. You can even kill your own brothers and sisters for the sake of the throne. Shen Shiyao is worthy of being a mother and son, on the surface she is gentle and kind, and treats everyone well, but in fact, she is as poisonous as a snake and scorpion, my mother, me, everyone, have been deceived by you!"
Zong Ziheng endured the pain and said: "Brother still said the same thing, I never thought of harming you. Regarding your mother, you are innocent no matter what, and elder brother will definitely find a way to save you. Father will not let your mother go." , but judging from the fourteen years of father-son relationship, he should... not embarrass you, you must remember not to disobey the father, saving your life is the most important thing."
Zong Zixiao glared at Zong Ziheng sullenly: "You'd better hope that I die soon, as long as I live, I will not let anyone who betrayed me go."
Zong Ziheng said hoarsely: "Very well, if you want revenge, you must live first." He took a step back, "Zi Xiao, one day, big brother will explain to you."
Zong Zixiao looked at him with only cold hatred—
As soon as Zong Ziheng walked out of Bailu Pavilion, he saw Huang Hong waiting for him. He didn't need extra words, so he said dumbly: "Let's go."
But overnight, Zong Minghe seemed to have experienced a lot of vicissitudes. He closed his eyes and held his forehead, while Ren Zongziheng knelt down for a long time.
Finally, Zong Minghe spoke in a calm voice: "You went to see him."
"Yes, Father." Calling out the word "Father", the eldest son Heng suddenly felt nauseated. All the sins are caused by the people in front of me. If it weren't for him to steal people's love because of his lust, if he didn't destroy humanity and steal human pills, all of this might not have happened. So many innocent people, so many innocent lives, yet he is still sitting on this unattainable throne, with bones piled up at his feet.
nausea.
"When and how did you know?"
Zong Ziheng lowered his head, and said very docilely: "I also just last night..."
A spiritual pressure suddenly hit Zong Ziheng's heart like a heavy hammer, his body flew upside down, slammed into the wall hard, and fell to the ground again. His limbs were numb and his saliva was bloody, and he didn't get up for a long time.
He can block it, but he dare not block it.
Zong Minghe said coldly: "Don't put on an air in front of me, you look like Shen Shiyao."
Zong Ziheng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, knelt down again, and said in a trembling voice: "My son, it is true, I don't know."
"Do you think that without Zimo, without Zixiao, you will be the only seat here?" Zong Minghe said viciously, "I really didn't expect that you look the most honest, but in fact you have the deepest city and the most poisonous mind!"
"Father misunderstood my subject." Zong Zimo coughed up two mouthfuls of blood, still looking humble, "My son dare not lie to my father, and the mother is the same, but mother can't just see Zong's country fall into the wrong hands."
Zong Minghe was so angry that his face turned blue. This secret was the greatest shame in his life, but he was stripped naked in front of his wife, concubine and children. Now he is full of hostility but has nowhere to vent it. He kicked Zongzi Heng to the ground again: "Aren't you very happy in your heart?"
"I don't dare. But I think it's not too late for it to happen now."
Zong Minghe clenched his fists, looking at the eldest son who was kneeling on the ground, his heart was full of emotions, he flicked his sleeve robe: "Get up!"
"Thank you father." Zong Ziheng stood up shaking. He raised his head, his face was pale, but his eyes were terribly bright: "Father, I invite you to arrest that Lu family thief."
"...he should have died long ago."
Zongzi Heng was surprised.
"Calculating the time, that bitch may have been pregnant when she entered the palace."
"Then... how does father plan to deal with them?"
Zong Minghe was silent.
Zong Ziheng waited without saying a word, he knew that Xiao Jiu's life depended on him, only he could save Xiao Jiu.
Zong Minghe slowly raised his head, his tone softened a bit: "Heng'er, do you blame me?"
"My son dare not."
"Don't dare, I still don't blame it."
"Father cultivated his children carefully, and none of them dared to forget."
"Did you kill Zimo?" Zong Minghe asked very flatly.
The eldest son Heng knelt down again: "My son never killed my second younger brother, I beg my father to learn from me."
"The two of them have an accident. Among my heirs, you are the only one left who can handle the big job. If it's not your mother and son, who else could it be?"
The eldest son Heng put his forehead on the ground, and said loudly: "My son can't do something like brotherhood, I beg my father to learn from me."
Zong Minghe sneered: "Whether Zimo's death was done by your mother and son, or that bitch, I will find out for myself. If it was really done by you, even if I cared about the love between father and son and spared your life, there is no limit to it." Pie will crush you too."
Zong Ziheng felt his back was soaked in sweat.
"However." Zong Minghe changed the subject, "If you didn't do it, I wouldn't let the Wuliang faction frame you."
Zong Ziheng slowly raised his head, he saw the helpless compromise on Zong Minghe's face, just as Shen Shiyao said, Zong Zimo is dead, Zong Zixiao is abolished, Zong Tianzi will have no choice but to look at him, the eldest son. He said: "Thank you, Father."
"The top priority now is to preserve the face of the royal family." Zong Minghe looked at Zong Ziheng, "How do you think this matter should be handled?"
Zong Ziheng took a deep breath, and said slowly: "Nowadays there are some rumors in the outside world, but there is no basis for them. My son thinks that they should be dealt with secretly. Concubine Chu...Chu Yingruo can be imprisoned in the cold palace, making her think about her mistakes for the rest of her life. Xiao, you can declare to the outside world that he unfortunately died of illness, expel him from the palace, change his name and surname, and never reveal his true identity to others for life."
Zong Minghe smiled coldly: "It's really cheap for them."
"After all, Chu Yingruo has served her father for more than ten years, but Zixiao doesn't know about it, and he is still young. His father is respected as the emperor. If he can be lenient to them, it can also soothe the panic of several empresses and younger siblings."
"That bastard's whole body of cultivation was bestowed by my Zong family. I have spent so much energy and treasures on him. I can think of the past affection and spare his life, but it is absolutely impossible to let him go. He walked out of the great name with what Zongshi bestowed on him."
Zong Ziheng was shocked, and a terrible thought came to his mind: "Father, please let Zi Xiao go, he is not yet an adult, and he will not pose any threat to our Zong family."
"Nonsense." Zong Minghe gave Zong Ziheng a gouged look, "Won't he grow up? He won the first prize in the Jiaolong Association at the age of thirteen. This kind of talent is rare in hundreds of years. If you let him go, he will leave with his tail." , will become a major disaster in the future!"
Zong Ziheng's hand that was hidden under the sleeve robe couldn't stop shaking.
"You don't have to worry about this matter anymore. I ordered you to go to Yanzhou to investigate the Lu family, Lu, Zhao, and Feng." Zong Minghe suddenly said the name, "The offal of the Lu family seems to be called this Name. I heard that he was dead back then, but now I doubt whether he is really dead. The timing of that bastard’s birth is really delicate. You should go to Yanzhou to find out about this matter yourself.”
"Father..."
"Go as soon as possible."
"Father." Zongzi walked to Zong Minghe's feet on his knees and begged, "I beg Father to let Xiao Jiu go, I will make him disappear from the world of cultivating immortals, he will listen to me, he will..."
Zong Minghe said sharply: "The kindness of a woman! If you keep him, you will bring disaster to the Zong family. He is not your brother, but a bastard born of adultery. If you can't let him go, I will kill him .”
"Don't!" Zong Ziheng lowered his body tremblingly, "My son, take orders."
Zong Ziheng walked out of the door, his legs were a little flimsy, he supported a tree with one hand, and barely supported his body that was under heavy shackles. Raising his head slightly, he stared at the setting sun in the distance with empty eyes, spreading a long red glow between the sky and the earth, sad and magnificent, but reflected in his pitch-black pupils, it turned into a drop of blood the size of a needle nose.
He closed his eyes, and the afterglow of the setting sun cast a golden mask on his face for the pain.
Zong Minghe wants Xiaojiu's Dan, he has no doubts—
Although he had already had a hunch, Zong Ziheng's plan to escape from the daimyo was not perfect, especially in his plan, Zong Zixiao wanted to be his helper instead of being imprisoned and waiting for rescue.
Everything happened so fast that he was caught off guard. Now Zong Minghe wanted to give him his name in order to dig out Zong Zixiao's pill. The time left for him was too short. He had no confidence in taking Zong Zixiao away. exposed.
The eldest son Heng thought hard all night, and came up with a desperate solution.
He had an audience with Zong Minghe after dawn, and wanted to see Chu Yingruo before leaving, and wanted to investigate Lu Zhaofeng. This request was reasonable, and Zong Minghe agreed.
When Zong Ziheng saw Chu Yingruo, although the woman was not in good spirits, she did not look flustered, and she was not surprised to see Zong Ziheng, but glared at him viciously, and asked, "Have you fulfilled your wish?"
Zong Ziheng said expressionlessly: "You are in prison, and you are in danger. The first time you saw me, you didn't ask about Xiao Jiu's safety. Don't you worry about him at all?"
Chu Yingruo was slightly taken aback: "How is Xiao Jiu?" Her tone became sharp, "You still have the guts to say, you still have the guts to call him 'Xiao Jiu'? You and that poisonous woman, Shen Shiyao, are hypocritical and cunning, and use whatever means you can." , you must die!"
Zong Ziheng said without changing his face: "You don't ask, is it because you know someone will save you?"
"What are you talking about? Will Zong Minghe let us go?"
"Of course he won't let you go."
Chu Yingruo laughed twice: "Yes, of course he will not let us go. He is such a sinister and narrow-minded person who will repay every grievance. As a son, I am afraid you can't see it all."
"You hate him."
Chu Yingruo gritted her teeth, her eyes turned red: "Lu Lang and I are childhood sweethearts, and we hit it off. If it wasn't for him, our family of three should have been happy. How could we be reduced to where we are today? If it were you, you wouldn't hate it." ?"
Zong Ziheng knew that this woman was also a poor person, but he couldn't feel sympathy. She must know what Lu Zhaofeng did, and the innocent children were the ultimate victims of the filthy quarrels among adults.
"What are you doing here? Do you want to ask me about Lu Lang? Or do you want to kill me?" Chu Yingruo laughed mockingly, "Although Zong Minghe doesn't like you, you and him are clearly the same kind, and they are all despicable people. something made."
"I don't have time to listen to your abuse. I'm here because of Xiao Jiu. If you want to save him, just answer my question truthfully."
Chu Yingruo narrowed her eyes: "For Xiaojiu? You..."
"Do you want to save him or not!" Zong Ziheng said sharply.
Chu Yingruo was startled: "What do you want to say?"
"I know everything about you and Lu Zhaofeng, or should I call him Yan Shu?"
Chu Yingruo widened her beautiful eyes.
Zong Ziheng took a step closer: "That's right, I know that Lu Zhaofeng is not dead, I know that he painted his face with a Wu Sheng brush, pretended to be Yan Shu, approached Zong Minghe, and worked as a pawn for the tiger, I know that you are planning everything, just want Xiao Jiu to usurp the Zong family! "
Chu Yingruo was shocked and said: "Impossible, how could you know."
"Because I saw you and Lu Zhaofeng in Bailu Pavilion, in the underground palace, he thought I was dead, so he simply told me the truth."
Chu Yingruo stared at Zong Ziheng: "I'm still puzzled, how did Shen Shiyao know that she put the silk handkerchief in my palace to frame me, I act carefully, I can't tell her the truth in front of her, so you told her of."
Zong Ziheng didn't want to waste time defending: "You must have a way to contact Lu Zhaofeng, now Xiao Jiu's life is hanging by a thread, it's time."
Chu Yingruo was dazed for a moment, then sneered: "Is it that easy for you to deceive me? You want to lure him out and catch us all. Such a great achievement, Zong Minghe won't appoint you as the reserve, it is unreasonable."
Zong Ziheng was so angry that his brain was swollen, he took a few steps to Chu Yingruo, gritted his teeth and said: "I don't care if you believe it or not, I just want to save Xiao Jiu's life. You are so calm, it is expected Lu Zhaofeng will come to save your mother and son, right? Let me tell you, it's too late, Zong Minghe will send me out of the palace immediately, and as soon as I leave, he will dig Xiaojiu's golden core!"
Chu Yingruo's face immediately turned pale, and she looked at Zong Ziheng viciously: "You told Shen Shiyao the secret, which caused misery to our mother and son, and now you say you want to save him? You still expect me to believe you?!"
"I didn't tell my mother. I don't know how she knew."
"Do you dare to say such nonsense?"
"I don't care if you believe it or not, I don't have time to talk nonsense. Back then in Gutuo Town, Lu Zhaofeng wanted my pill, you know that."
"Of course I know." Chu Yingruo said contemptuously, "Tiger venom doesn't eat eggs, Zong Minghe, a bastard, wants to dig your pill in order to break through the eighth heaven of Zongxuan sword."
Zong Ziheng felt his breath stagnate, even though he already knew it, but he could confirm it again from insiders, it still gave him ventricular angina, he gritted his teeth: "He won't even let his own son and brother's Dan go, Do you think he will let a genius like Xiao Jiu go unnoticed?"
Chu Yingruo bit her lower lip, her eyes rolled quickly.
"You are worried that I am trying to lure him out. I know it is hard for you to believe me, but I brought Xiao Jiu up with one hand. For fourteen years, who can pretend to be false for fourteen years? You have to believe me once Xiao Jiu can't wait anymore, Lu Zhaofeng is too late, it's too late. Zong Minghe promised to save Xiao Jiu's life, even if what he said is true, without the golden core, Xiao Jiu's heart is arrogant, he will live a life worse than death of!"