At this ti, whether he tried to defend himself or begged desperately, it was completely useless. He could only express his determination to live and die with the woman he loved in this resolute manner!
The two people kneeling in the hall, one clad in dull black, the other in bright lake blue. While these colors seed inherently incongruent, they unexpectedly harmonized. It was as though they were naturally a part of each other, each irreplaceable.
Emperor Huian observed them coldly, his gaze growing ever darker. Could it be that this woman was the true vulnerability of his Great General, known for his ruthless indifference? He suddenly wanted to know, if he insisted on charging her with the cri of conspiracy, what would his Great General do? Would he resist with all his strength or would he abandon everything, willingly accompanying the woman to death?
However, just as this thought started to take shape, it was extinguished by a familiar yet indifferent voice, "With the beast attack’s matter, Your Majesty knows full well it was your humble son’s doing. Why bother tornting a fragile girl?"
Xiao Ruiyuan and Mo Yan instinctively looked up towards the source of the voice. They saw Chu Heng, his face sickly and tinged with an air of distant coldness, slowly wheeling his chair from the inner gate on the right side of the great hall to the center.
A flicker of concern crossed Xiao Ruiyuan’s eyes. Wary of the Emperor Huian above him, he frowned slightly but ultimately said nothing.
Mo Yan, however, was stunned. Not because Chu Heng had personally admitted to orchestrating the beast attack, but rather his exhausted and gaunt appearance was frightening. He looked as though he might stop breathing at any mont and never wake up again.
Realizing the reason why he had beco this way, she suddenly thought of the two Thousand-year Ginseng plants that had just matured in her space. An audacious idea uncontrollably surfaced in her mind:
If she was to be found guilty, could she use the ginseng as a bargaining chip for a chance at life?
Although she had planned to give one of the ginsengs to Chu Heng, the Crown Prince, out of consideration for Xiao Ruiyuan, the current circumstances were beyond such concerns. Compared to the safety and lives of her and her family, these things were trivial.
However, the relationship between the father and son of the imperial family seed rather tense, and the son had just committed an act that tested the limits of a father’s patience. She wondered whether the emperor would punish him severely, and whether she should imdiately produce the Thousand-year Ginseng as a bargaining chip required further deliberation...
But before she could extricate herself from these "deliberations," the next mont, Emperor Huian’s dragon face turned furious. He struck the desk forcefully, and after cursing Chu Heng as a "rebel," she and Xiao Ruiyuan were "swept" out of the great hall by the Crown Prince.
Standing outside the great hall, beneath the glaring sun, Mo Yan could hardly believe she had actually walked out of that suffocating hall alive. She turned to look at Xiao Ruiyuan beside her, about to ask if they had escaped disaster, when she saw his grim expression fixed on the firmly closed palace doors. The question died on her lips.
As they each got lost in their own thoughts while walking out of the palace, they saw Yan Junyu pacing restlessly at the entrance, fanning himself. A surge of warmth filled their hearts.
Yan Junyu’s eyes brightened at the sight of them. He snapped his fan shut and hurried over, but just as he was about to speak, a furry head butted him to the side, almost making him faceplant.
Mao Tuan, after shoving the obstructive Yan Junyu aside, leaped onto Mo Yan, rubbing his head excitedly against her, whining with joy. Fortunately, Mo Yan was used to this behavior from not having seen her pet in a long ti; she no longer got knocked over as she had in the beginning.
Smoothing out his disheveled clothes, Yan Junyu pointed at the affection-seeking Mao Tuan and said indignantly, "For your master’s sake, this lord will let you off this ti! If you dare be impudent again, beware that this lord strips your fur to make a carpet!"
Mao Tuan turned its head, disdainfully rolling its round eyes at him, and continued to fawn over its master, almost provoking Yan Junyu to roll up his sleeves and co to blows.
With these two buffoons causing such a scene, Mo Yan and Xiao Ruiyuan couldn’t help but crack a smile despite the gloom and anxiety in their hearts, which seed to lessen slightly.
After chatting for a while and learning that Yan Junyu had inford Chu Heng of their prolonged absence, prompting him to ensure their safe exit, they felt even more grateful. Yet, the thought of Chu Heng shifting Emperor Huian’s anger onto himself made their mood heavy again.
...
Inside the great hall, Emperor Huian resud his seat on the Dragon Throne. However, his flushed face and heaving chest indicated he was on the verge of rage, ready to explode at any mont.
In contrast, Chu Heng seated in his wheelchair appeared much more composed. It seed as if admitting to orchestrating the beast attack was not enough of a jolt for Emperor Huian; Chu Heng then dropped another bombshell that almost made the emperor choke on his own blood, "After all, you have plenty of sons. New princes and princesses co every year. What does it matter if a few that don’t live up to expectations die?"
"Bang!"
Again, Emperor Huian slamd his palm onto the desk, picked up the inkstone next to him, ready to hurl it. But then he thought of the person below, his most beloved son who also appeared so frail, and he found himself incapable of throwing the inkstone.
Dropping the inkstone dejectedly, a pained expression crossed the aged Emperor Huian’s face, "Hengheng, what exactly do you want to do? They are your blood brothers!"
"Blood brothers?" Chu Heng’s lips curled in a sneer, his still gentle face heavy with scorn, "If Your Majesty thinks those who covet my position as Crown Prince day and night, those who sche against and harm those close to are my blood brothers, and I should generously treat them well, forgive them for all the harm they’ve done to , then I have nothing to say!"
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