There is a black lotus in the deep palace

Chapter 165
"Okay, you're right!" Tang Wanning thought about it, so she didn't say any more.

The two practiced arrows for a while, and the little eunuch came to pass the message.

"Report to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the emperor is pleased!"

"Understood!" Xia Houjue put down his bow and arrow calmly, took the handkerchief to wipe his hands, and walked towards Jinhua Hall.

Tang Wanning looked at his leaving back, as if she was looking at a lost child, or at a general who was about to go to war.

How difficult must it be for him to struggle alone in the deep palace for so many years?
……

Jinhua Palace.

When Xia Houjue entered, Emperor Jingyuan sat alone in front of the imperial case.

Because of his weakness, he was half leaning on the backrest, motionless, like an old sculpture.

Seeing the prince entering the door to salute him, he finally moved his arms.

"Stay flat and sit down!"

"Thank you, Father!"

After Xia Houjue took his seat, Emperor Jingyuan didn't go around in circles, and asked straight to the point.

"How do you think about this matter?"

He thought about it for several days, but he couldn't come up with a countermeasure.

Killed Xia Houyan?Obviously unrealistic, his mind is full of the son's smiles, filial piety and consideration.

not kill him?He was not reconciled, dreaming back in the middle of the night, his crazy and bloodthirsty laughter ransacked his mind over and over again, leaving him with no place to stay.

He really didn't know what to do.

Except for the most caring queen in the past, there is no one around him who can say a word.

After thinking about it, he could only call the son who had been avoiding him to his side and ask his opinion.

"Father, is your heart softening?" Xia Houjue smiled faintly.

"This matter is not the fault of the father, it is really the fourth brother who doesn't know how to be filial and grateful!"

The grievance in the old emperor's heart suddenly had a breakthrough, and two lines of muddy tears finally fell from his cloudy old eyes, and after a while, he began to sob and cry.

Xia Houjue watched him cry while drinking tea.

After half a stick of incense, Emperor Jingyuan finally stopped his tears: "I am sorry for you!"

"Father doesn't have to be like this!" He doesn't care about this kind of emotional card, nor does he need it.

"Since the father is reluctant, then the death penalty can be avoided and the life crime cannot be escaped. The empress and empress have worked hard for the father all her life, so she can't die anymore!"

Emperor Jingyuan thought for a while and asked tentatively, "Then what do you think is the best way to punish?"

"This is up to the emperor to decide!"

"However, from my son's point of view, it is better to have a lighter punishment. After all, the fourth younger brother will have to serve his filial piety by his father's side. If the punishment is severe, it will inevitably arouse the suspicion of all officials!" sneer.

"You really think so?" Emperor Jing Yuan looked at him with tears in his eyes.

"Naturally!" He put away his smile and made the matter serious.

"Good! Good!" Emperor Jing Yuan repeatedly applauded.

"I knew you would be a good brother, and you would think about my brother!"

"Since you also agreed, what happened in Fengyang Palace..." He hesitated slightly, looking at him expectantly.

"Father, don't worry!" Xia Houjue smiled brightly.

"The people who knew about it have been almost wiped out, and the rest are all my confidantes. I can guarantee that they will not spread to the outside world. For you and my fourth brother, I will discipline them well!"

He had a bright smile, but his eyes were half-smiling. He had long considered that it would always be two different things from what actually happened.

At this moment, he didn't even feel any pain in his heart, and everything was numb.

Father really loves him, so much that he can even help cover up the crime of killing his father and king.

Then if one day in the future... he really killed his father and king?
Forget it, he wasn't afraid, so what was he worried about.

If you can save yourself, you will save yourself, if you can't save it, you won't blame yourself, everything is voluntary, isn't it?

"Good boy, I knew you were a good boy!" Emperor Jingyuan burst into tears, "I have really wronged you for so many years!"

"I'm not wronged!" Xia Houjue smiled faintly, "My son is not wronged at all, the empress treats me like a parent and son, and my father attaches great importance to me. My son is grateful!"

Not knowing if he was guilty, Emperor Jingyuan lowered his head and lowered his eyes and stopped talking.

Xia Houjue got up to leave, but he didn't stop him.

Seeing his leaving back, Emperor Jing Yuan heaved a sigh of relief.

I feel distressed in my heart, but I feel more relieved and relaxed, the kind of relaxation that the matter is finally resolved.

It doesn't matter if Xiahou Juegao is unhappy, anyway, I haven't treated him badly, but the resolution of the matter is much more pleasing, isn't it?
"Come on!" He slowly got up and ordered.

"The servant is here." Li Baoyuan came in.

"Show Fengyang Palace!"

"Yes!" He hurried out, ready to go.

……

Fengyang Palace is still desolate.

Even if the emperor arrived, it didn't add much excitement to the place, but on the contrary, it made the empress feel a little more panic.

"The concubine welcomes the emperor!" She was dressed in plain clothes, and she knelt on the ground without hairpins. The white hair on her sideburns was not covered, and it grew a lot overnight, and her whole body became haggard.

"Get up!" Emperor Jing Yuan felt distressed in his heart.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The queen got up slowly, and followed the old emperor into the inner hall in a low-key manner.

Every gesture is full of fear, and he no longer has the elegant manners of the past, joking and talking.

Qiaoyuan serves tea and leaves.

The queen knelt on the ground with a plop and burst into tears.

"Your Majesty, the concubines are sorry for the Emperor. It is the concubines who are incapable of disciplining them that make them make such a big mistake!"

Her mind was still concerned with the fake pregnancy. As for the assassination of the Emperor by the Prince Chen that day, she had no memory and nowhere to know about it, so she had no knowledge of it.

"You..." Emperor Jing Yuan's eyes were cold.

"Your Majesty!" The empress impatiently stepped forward, kneeling on the old emperor's lap.

"Your Majesty, my concubine didn't know about the fake pregnancy. The concubine sent two of the most reliable imperial physicians to check the pulse repeatedly. They all said that she was pregnant, so the concubine dared to report to the emperor, but who knows..." The queen excitedly sweating a lot.

Emperor Jingyuan stared at her blankly, at her tears, at the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, at the white hair on her temples.

Unable to help himself, he slowly raised his hand to touch her white hair.

"I remember that there were not so many days ago!"

"Your majesty!" The empress collapsed, throwing herself at the old emperor's knees and weeping heartbroken.

"Someone must have framed our mother and son in this matter, you must make the decision for Yan'er, Your Majesty!"

"Yunzhi!" Emperor Jingyuan called softly.

"I plan to cut off Yan'er's salary and punish him to go to the imperial mausoleum for half a year for self-examination. What do you think?"

This was already the most perfect punishment he could think of.

The salary can be added back in the future, half a year is just a blink of an eye, as long as you wait patiently, everything will pass, right?
Moreover, it happened to be able to go out to avoid the limelight, and different things would happen in the capital every day. After half a year, who would remember what happened half a year ago?
The queen burst into tears.

"Your Majesty, the truth of this matter is unknown, we are wronged!"

"Empress!" Emperor Jing Yuan's tone became more serious, his eyes showing coldness.

"That's it for now, you don't have to say anything!"

(End of this chapter)