The ministers begged me to ascend the throne

Chapter 572 The Li Family Must Die

In Kunde Hall, Zhao Yao looked at the emperor who was paralyzed in bed due to a stroke, his brows furrowed, his face solemn, and he felt very uncomfortable.

"Mother, what did the imperial physician say? Is there any chance that father can recover?"

Liang Pin, who was sitting beside the bed and wiping the emperor's hands, said softly: "The imperial physician said it is possible, but..." Having said that, Liang Pin did not say anything else. It was obvious that the emperor was unlikely to recover.

Zhao Yao understood what Liangpin meant. "I brought a witch doctor from Lingnan. Tomorrow I will bring the witch doctor to the palace for my father to see."

Liang Bin asked, "Can the witch doctor cure it?" As far as she knew, it was difficult for people who were paralyzed by a stroke to return to normal.

Zhao Yao was not sure, "We have to give it a try." No matter what, let's give it a try first.

Liang Bin thought so too, she thought, maybe the witch doctor in Lingnan could cure it.

Zhao Yao looked at Concubine Liang and his expression suddenly became serious: "Mother, how could father suddenly have a stroke?" Before he left the capital, his father was in very good health and there was no sign of a stroke.

"I don't know either, but Eunuch Sun said that your father had weakness in both hands and blackness before he had a stroke. The imperial physician said that this was a sign before a stroke." Liangpin knew what Zhao Yao was thinking, "The emperor was not poisoned."

"Were there really any signs before our father had a stroke?" Zhao Yao was a little skeptical.

"Eunuch Sun would not lie. At that time, neither he nor your father took it seriously. They thought it was because he was too tired."

After hearing this, Zhao Yao was still half-believing and half-doubting.

"Let's wait until the witch doctor diagnoses it tomorrow."

Liang Bin said: "Yaoyao, don't think too much."

"Mother, so many things happened at once, which made me think a lot." Zhao Yao said, sighing softly, "I hope I am overthinking."

Concubine Liang patted Zhao Yao's shoulder gently, and then the mother and son walked out of the bedroom and turned to another bedroom to visit Concubine Li.

When Concubine Li woke up and learned that Zhao Yao had returned, a long-lost smile appeared on her pale face. When Zhao Yao appeared in front of her, she showed excitement.

"Xiao Shi, you're finally back." After she finished speaking, her eyes immediately turned red with tears in them.

After Zhao Yao paid his respects to Concubine Li, he sat beside her bed and let her hold his hand.

"Madam Li Fei, don't worry. Now that I'm back, I won't stand by and watch anything happen to the Li family."

This is what Princess Li wanted to hear the most. She held Zhao Yao's hand tightly, crying silently, and said "thank you" hoarsely.

"Don't worry, I will rescue Fourth Brother as well." Zhao Yaohui held Li Fei's hand and said to her solemnly, "After rescuing Fourth Brother, I will take him back to Swamp House. There are many witch doctors with superb medical skills and many miraculous medicines there. I will definitely be able to cure Fourth Brother."

Concubine Li was grateful: "Xiao Shi, thank you, thank you..."

"My Lady Li, this is what I should do." Li Fei was too weak, and after talking to Zhao Yao for a while, she became tired. Before Zhao Yao left, he promised her that he would rescue the Li family, and she fell asleep peacefully.

After leaving Concubine Li's bedroom, Zhao Yao followed Concubine Liang to the study.

Liang Bin first told Zhao Yao about what had happened during this period. On his way to the capital, Zhao Yao already knew everything that had happened in the capital during this period.

"Yaoyao, when you go to visit the King of Chu, don't tell him about the Princess of Chu. He doesn't know about it yet." Liangpin added, "Princess Li doesn't know about it either. They all still think that the Princess of Chu and the children are fine."

When Zhao Yao mentioned the murder of the Princess of Chu and the children, his eyes were filled with sorrow and he said with a guilty look on his face: "I could have saved them, but I..."

Concubine Liang had long expected that Zhao Yao would blame herself for the death of the Princess of Chu and the others, and she comforted him gently, "This is not your fault. You didn't expect the King of Wei to kill them." Even she didn't expect this.

He missed the opportunity to save the Princess of Chu and the children, and he could no longer watch the Li family being wiped out.

"No matter what the cost, I must save the entire Li family."

"Perhaps the King of Wei will listen to you." The neutral ministers all opposed the execution of the entire Li family, but the King of Wei did not listen and insisted on exterminating the entire Li family.

"I hope so." Although Zhao Yao had a token that allowed him to enter and leave the palace freely, he could not stay in the harem for long. Moreover, it was already dark when he entered the palace. After talking to Concubine Liang for a while, he left in a hurry without even having time to eat a bite of food.

Before leaving, Concubine Liang repeatedly reminded him not to quarrel or fight with King Wei.

As soon as Zhao Yao walked out of Kunde Hall, he saw Sun Doudou guarding the door.

Sun Doudou saluted Zhao Yao first, and then said to him respectfully: "Your Highness the King of Han, Your Highness the King of Wei is waiting for you at the palace gate."

"Little Eunuch Sun, are you serving my starling now?"

When talking about this matter, Sun Doudou felt bitter.

"I don't know what His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei likes about me." He really didn't want to serve the unpredictable and ruthless Prince of Wei. He now lived in fear every day, fearing that he would accidentally displease His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei and be beheaded.

Seeing Sun Doudou’s expression as if she was about to cry, Zhao Yao felt very sympathetic.

"You just said that the starling was waiting for me at the palace gate?"

"His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei has been waiting at the palace gate for some time."

"Why didn't mynah brother come to the palace to find me?"

"It's getting late. According to the rules, you can't enter the palace, so His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei will wait for you at the palace gate."

"Rules?" Zhao Yao found it a little funny. "Now that Bage is the regent, he can go wherever he wants and enter the palace whenever he wants. What rules do he need to abide by?"

"Your Highness the Prince of Han, although His Highness the Prince of Wei is the regent, he has never stayed overnight in the palace, nor has he ever entered the palace after dark." Sun Doudou didn't understand this either. After hearing this, Zhao Yao smiled meaningfully and said, "Myna really follows the rules."

Sun Doudou couldn't tell whether Zhao Yao was praising or mocking His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei, so he didn't dare to respond.

"How have you been these days?" Zhao Yao asked with concern.

Hearing Zhao Yao's caring words, Sun Doudou was deeply moved. With slightly red eyes, she said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am doing well." Except that she was afraid of His Highness the King of Wei, there was nothing wrong with her.

"Your master is still serving the emperor, so you can rest assured and take good care of myna."

"Your Highness, I only serve the Prince of Wei after he enters the palace." Sun Doudou had been worried that the Prince of Wei's regent status would be detrimental to his master. Fortunately, the Prince of Wei did not touch his master, nor did he drive him away, allowing his master to continue to stay and serve the emperor.

"Myna has very high standards for itself and others. Since you have been chosen to serve him, I believe you must have something extraordinary. Just serve Myna with peace of mind."

Sun Doudou smiled bitterly in his heart and said: I would rather not have any outstanding qualities.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. I will do my best to serve you."

Zhao Yao didn't say anything else and followed Sun Doudou to the palace gate.

When Yu Hai saw Zhao Yao coming out, he immediately reported to the King of Wei.

The King of Wei, who was sitting in the carriage with his eyes closed, opened his eyes, bowed and walked out of the carriage, then jumped off the carriage and walked towards Zhao Yao.

Zhao Yao felt very complicated when he saw the King of Wei walking towards him. He walked towards him expressionlessly.

The King of Wei walked up to Zhao Yao and stood in front of him. He was not surprised at all to see that Zhao Yao had a cold face and did not speak.

"I have prepared a meal for you. Come back with me to eat first, and then we can talk about things after the meal."

When Zhao Yao heard this, any anger he had in his heart disappeared for the most part.

The two brothers got into the carriage and sat facing each other.

The King of Wei looked at Zhao Yao, who was deliberately not talking to him, with amusement and affection, "Are you not going to say a word to me this time when you come back?"

Zhao Yao said angrily, "I'm afraid I can't even say a few words, so I want to beat you up."

Hearing Zhao Yao's direct words, the King of Wei was not angry at all. Instead, he chuckled and said, "They beat me up for the Princess of Chu?"

Zhao Yao didn't expect the King of Wei to say it so directly, and he said it in such a nonchalant tone, and anger suddenly ignited in his heart.

"Why did you kill them? Fourth brother has already been defeated by you. His family, including the Li family, poses no threat to you. Why did you kill them?"

"No threat?" Facing Zhao Yao's question, the King of Wei said calmly, "Are you sure there is no threat? If I hadn't promised you not to kill the Fourth Brother, he would have died long ago. If I don't kill the Fourth Brother, then I can only kill the people around him, so that he will never have a chance to turn things around."

"What can the Fourth Sister-in-law and the others do to you?"

"They can take revenge on me." King Wei said coldly, "The Li family holds a high status in the hearts of scholars all over the world. As long as the fourth son is still alive, they will have a chance to help him turn things around, so I must kill them to prevent them from posing a threat to me in the future."

"you……"

"Tenth brother, if it were you, would you let them go?"

Zhao Yao answered without hesitation: "I will."

The King of Wei looked at Zhao Yao sharply, and said in a stern tone: "Will you really let them go?"

Zhao Yao said stubbornly: "I will."

"You won't," the King of Wei said firmly, "You will kill them like I did, so that they can no longer pose any threat."

"I can……"

King Wei interrupted Zhao Yao and said, "Tenth brother, don't lie to me."

"You just said that the Li family holds a high status in the hearts of scholars all over the world. If you still want to kill them, have you ever thought about the consequences of killing them?" Zhao Yao stopped arguing with the King of Wei about whether it would happen or not. "Once you kill the Li family, you will offend all the scholars in the world. Do you know that?"

The King of Wei said nonchalantly, "So what?"

"You killed the Li family. Have you ever thought about whether there will be scholars in the future?" Zhao Yao said angrily, "Killing the Li family is equivalent to extinguishing the desire to study in the hearts of all people in the world."

The King of Wei was not impressed: "Do you think all the scholars in the world are noble? As long as I can give them high positions and salaries, there will be a lot of people who want to study and become officials. Do you think there are a few people in the world who study just for the sake of studying? They study to become officials, to bring honor to their ancestors, to gain power and status, to gain wealth and honor. Without the Li family, there will be no fewer scholars in the world."

"It is because the Li family is so important in the hearts of scholars that they must die!"

"The Li family has not committed the crime of treason. You cannot exterminate the entire Li family."

The King of Wei said in a cold tone: "If I say they have it, they have it."

"You are setting me up!"

The King of Wei asked, "So what?"

Zhao Yao was furious at the King of Wei's nonchalant tone and roared, "The Li family has 200 to 300 lives, and you actually..."

King Wei interrupted Zhao Yao again, "Even if it means two or three thousand lives, I don't care. The Li family must die!"