PDLP Chapter 648 Brotherly Conversation
Chapter 648 Brotherly Conversation
Killing someone and destroying their heart! The prince wanted to destroy Princess Mingzhu's heart before she died!
Yes, if anything happened to the Empress, neither His Majesty nor the Crown Prince would spare Mingzhu's life on that day, and the Prince Consort knew it very well.
The eldest son-in-law received the prince's order with a pale face. In fact, the prince's order is now equivalent to the emperor's decree. In the past few years, Emperor Shenwu has transferred most of the government affairs to the prince and has been accompanying the empress wholeheartedly. The father and son have the same political views and their teams have mostly overlapped, so there have never been any major problems.
The prince consort rushed to Xi'an Temple without stopping. For more than two years, he would quietly come to Xi'an Temple to visit Princess Mingzhu every two months.
Princess Mingzhu—now the commoner Zhou Chengqiong—had been in a daze and listless state since arriving at Xi'an Temple. Later, she became even more insane, muttering constantly, "No, no, it's not like that! My mother is Empress Yuan! Her status is the most noble... I am also the most noble Princess Yuan... No... It must not be like this... I am not wrong, I am not wrong..."
Initially, Empress Dowager Li asked the two imperial physicians who followed her to do their best to treat Zhou Chengqiong. Unfortunately, the trauma suffered by the former Princess Mingzhu was too great and she never regained consciousness.
The prince consort still remembered the shock he felt when he first secretly saw Zhou Chengqiong in Xi'an Temple, but after a moment he calmed down. When he left, he said to his former wife, who was mad and insane, "Mingzhu, keep going crazy! This is the only way to save your life!"
More than two years later, the Grand Consort once again trudged into Xi'an Temple. The first words he uttered upon seeing Zhou Chengqiong were, "It's useless! It's useless! Why did you insist on doing that? I advised you so many times, but you wouldn't listen! It's useless now! It's useless! The Empress is in imminent danger, and your life... can't be saved!"
Zhou Chengqiong, who was originally unconscious, with disheveled hair, huddled in a corner of the bed, was suddenly startled. She finally focused her gaze again and looked at the prince consort in fear: "You...what did you say? She...she..."
The Grand Consort's eyes were red with excitement. He rushed forward and grabbed Zhou Chengqiong's shoulders, saying in a panic, "Yes! Are you satisfied? You've harmed the Empress, yourself, and us! Do you know what I'm here for?"
The Grand Consort ignored Zhou Chengqiong's sobs and spoke word by word, "I'm here to give you a letter of divorce! Also, I'm here to give you a marriage invitation! My parents have already found a match for me, and the palace has recently issued an order for me to choose an auspicious date for the wedding!"
Zhou Chengqiong was stunned for a moment. After several breaths, she screamed frantically: "No! No! You are my husband, how can you marry someone else? No! No! Husband, you can't marry someone else! This divorce letter... I don't want this divorce letter! I don't want it..."
The prince consort let go of his hand, feeling disheartened. He said dejectedly, "If I had known this would happen, why did I do it in the first place? Why did I do it in the first place?"
He staggered towards the door, "This should be the last time we meet. I'm going back to the Imperial City to prepare for my wedding! Don't worry...if that day ever comes, I'll definitely find a way...to make sure you don't end up lying in the wilderness."
Zhou Chengqiong's face was covered with tears. She shook her head frantically. She could not accept anything her husband said, any words: "Don't go! You... don't go!..."
The prince consort fled in panic amid Zhou Chengqiong's sobs. Zhou Chengqiong looked at the figure that was getting farther and farther away and more blurred, and finally burst into tears: "I was wrong! I was wrong! Prince consort, I was wrong! Father... I was wrong! Don't go... Don't go! I don't want you to marry someone else, and don't stay here anymore... I don't want to die... I was wrong... I was really wrong... Prince consort... Father... I was really wrong..."
Unfortunately, no one will take Zhou Chengqiong's crying and confession to heart at this moment.
When Empress Dowager Li learned that Lan Qingwu was once again in critical condition, she collapsed into a wooden chair. "How could this happen? How could this happen? Wasn't he already detoxified...wasn't he already well? I was planning on returning to the palace this year...to ask the Emperor to forgive Mingzhu...How could this happen?"
Matron Li, at Empress Dowager Li's side, bent even further at this. "Her Majesty, Empress Dowager," she thought, "her master still doesn't understand. His Majesty gave you, his biological mother, a last choice that day, and then he abandoned you. The mother-son bond is severed, so how could she possibly return to the palace?" For over two years, the Empress Dowager had lived comfortably in Xi'an Temple, but that was all. His Majesty hadn't even visited her once. Her dignity and honor were gone, and the Li family fell into decline. Duke Cheng'en was stripped of his title and died soon after, falling ill. None of the Li descendants achieved great success. His Majesty didn't suppress them overtly or covertly, but the Imperial City was a complex battleground of fame, wealth, and power. The Li family inevitably fell on hard times, and they suffered the servility of the noble families who flattered them.
Your Majesty the Queen Mother, how do you think you can return to the palace and go back to the past?
The Crown Prince went to find the Seventh Prince with a mission. The two brothers drank in the pavilion. At first, they were silent. After three cups of wine, the Crown Prince spoke: "Seventh Prince, my father asked me to ask you if there is a woman you like? If so, let's get married this year! It will also let the Queen Mother see that you have finally grown up."
The Seventh Prince was silent for a long time before he said, "No! Brother Crown Prince, the incident when Zhou Chengyu's woman framed me has made me stay away from women. I asked my mother, and she agreed and supported me very much. I finally made up my mind. In recent years, I have no plans to get married. If I really meet a woman who shares my feelings in the future, I am willing to be with her for the rest of my life!"
"Brother Crown Prince, let's focus on Yueyue's marriage! If the emperor asks about our opinions, just tell him."
"A couple for life?"
The prince was stunned for a moment before he said, "Well, that's fine! I will never experience this kind of life-and-death relationship, this kind of unwavering love. Let me, your brother, be your and Yueyue's protective umbrella. I will protect you and let you live the life you want for the rest of your life!"
"Brother Prince!"
The Seventh Prince was moved and said, "Brother Crown Prince, you, like our father, have supported the entire Dasheng Dynasty. You will surely become a wise ruler supported by the people of the world, civil and military officials, and you are also the most solid support for Yueyue and me. With you, we can live as we wish. But brother Crown Prince, remember, no matter when, where, or what happens, Yueyue and I will support you and stand by you! If possible, brother Crown Prince, you must be nicer to yourself in the future!"
The prince smiled happily, "Xiao Qi has grown up! You know how to comfort your brothers. When my father and I returned from the border, he rewarded my eldest, second, and fifth brothers with the title of Duke. He wanted to confer the title on you, but you were so stubborn that you refused to accept it. It was a real headache for him!"
The Seventh Prince's lips trembled slightly: "Crown Prince... I..."
"Brother knows that you feel guilty about Queen Mother's poisoning, feeling that you failed to protect her. Over the years, this has become a knot in your heart. But Xiaoqi, listen to brother, Queen Mother's affairs have nothing to do with you. If you trap yourself in the past, neither Father nor Mother will be at peace! What we need to do is to stay by Queen Mother's side so that she will have no regrets in the days ahead! Xiaoqi, someone else has to pay the price. Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt has its creditor. Do you understand?"
The Seventh Prince nodded randomly, tears welling in his eyes. After his mother's recent collapse, the Seventh Prince felt a heavy weight weighing on his heart. He was terrified. If his mother truly became seriously ill and passed away, he didn't know how he would accept it.