When Qianwandi arrived at the bedchamber, Mingde had already been locked up.
The young man's thin body was wrapped in an ice silk blanket that was pulled up to his neck. The bite marks and kiss marks from that night could be faintly seen on his skin.
Qianwandi knew that he could not move now. His wrists were locked in the blanket that was hidden under the blanket. He could not even turn over, let alone do anything rebellious.
Qianwandi sat on the edge of the bed. His palm gently rubbed the black bruises on Mingde's neck. "… Does it still hurt?"
Old Junmei knelt down beside the bed. "I am incompetent. I did not know what illness Mingde was suffering from. I only know that his heart was damaged …"
"It doesn't matter," Qianwandi said lightly. "It's enough that I know.
He wanted to break his own heart, but with his current internal energy, it would be good if he could injure it. It's too early to break it. "
Mingde silently turned his head. Then Qianwandi grabbed his chin and turned his head.
"You don't like Zhang Kuo?"
"…"
"You even want to kill Zhang Kuo?"
"…"
Qianwandi smiled. "He's just a servant. If you want to beat or kill him, you can just tell me. Why do you have to torture yourself?"
Mingde's long eyelashes drooped. The fan-shaped shadow on his eyes looked like the remnants of a butterfly's wings.
Qianwandi casually turned his head. "Come, drag Zhang Kuo out and flog him 30 times."
Zhang Kuo was carried out without a word.
"You see, all the land under heaven belongs to the king. All the people in the four seas belong to the king. Whoever I want to kill, whoever I want to hit, it's just a matter of a word."
The sound of flogging sounded again in the courtyard. It was dull and monotonous, one hit after another.
Mingde did not look at him. He lowered his eyes and said lightly, "Thank you for your teachings, Your Majesty."
"I am very happy that you know this.
I heard that you haven't eaten recently? "
Mingde did not say anything.
Qianwandi was very patient. "Is the chef's cooking not to your liking?"
"…"
"Or do you want to die?"
"…"
"Since you don't admit it, then there must be no problem." Qianwandi lifted the bed covers and ordered the young eunuch, "Bring up the meal."
The little eunuch bowed and bent his knees before he quickly left. After a while, a group of palace servants brought in more than ten boxes of different sizes. Although they were covered in ornaments, not a single jingling sound could be heard. They just quietly came forward and stood in a line.
The head eunuch bent down and offered a bowl of lily porridge. Qianwandi took it and scooped up a spoonful. He looked down at Mingde and ordered, "Open your mouth."
Mingde turned his head away silently.
Qianwandi suddenly pulled half of his body away from the bed. He forced open his chin with one hand and poured the porridge into his mouth with the other.
His movements were too big. Mingde cried out and half of the porridge was forced down and half spilled out. Qianwandi did not care. He reached out and scooped up another spoonful and poured it in again.
Mingde desperately twisted his upper body, trying to break free from Qianwandi's iron grip on his chin.
Qianwandi suddenly stood up, half of his knee pressed down hard on his waist. He shouted, "Eat it!"
Mingde shouted in a hoarse voice, "Get out!
Get out! "
Qianwandi suddenly snatched the bowl of porridge from the little eunuch's hand and poured it directly into his mouth.
This child had not eaten or drunk for a day and was too weak. He did not have any strength to resist being tied up tightly.
Qianwandi held his chin and poured half the bowl into his mouth. The other half was poured onto the bright yellow dragon robe.
With a bang, the Emperor threw the bowl to the ground. Everyone around all knelt down.
"You're being stubborn with me?
You don't want to eat?
Fine, I'll find someone who can let you eat! "Qianwandi turned his head and shouted sternly," Come, summon the Crown Prince! "
The Crown Prince was sitting in the Eastern Palace studying government affairs. When he heard the summons, he was scared out of his wits. He hurriedly followed the Emperor to the temporary palace. When he entered, he knelt on the ground with a thump, "Son, son greets father emperor!"
Qianwandi said sternly, "You've come at the right time. Your younger brother wants to kill himself without food or water. What should you do as his older brother?"
The Crown Prince raised his eyes and saw the mess on the bed. He immediately began to cry. As he cried, he stumbled over and hugged his younger brother. He wiped away his tears and cried, "Mingde!
Mingde, don't die!
What are you doing?
Don't scare me … "
Although Mingde was sometimes angry at the Crown Prince for not being a good person, he was still a brother. The person closest to him in this world was his half-brother.
He couldn't stand seeing the Crown Prince cry like this. He blinked his eyes and a tear flowed down his chin, "Crown Prince … you … you …"
A young eunuch quickly handed over a bowl of medicine. The Crown Prince trembled as he received it. He knelt on the ground to feed him.
Mingde saw him like this. He gritted his teeth and said to Qianwandi, "Let the Crown Prince go back. I'll do it myself."
Qianwandi unlocked the golden lock on his hand. Mingde trembled as he picked up the spoon. He slowly drank the medicine mouthful by mouthful.
Although the Crown Prince was scared to death of his father emperor and wanted to leave this place as soon as possible, he couldn't let go of his younger brother. He hid on the side and watched in fear.
All the land under the heavens belonged to the Emperor. All the people in the four seas belonged to the Emperor. So what if he was the Crown Prince? Wasn't he just deposed and killed?
Living in this palace, whose life wasn't in the hands of the supreme Emperor?
Mingde was so angry that his fingertips were trembling. He swallowed the last mouthful of medicine. He only felt hatred, anger, sadness, and humiliation. He didn't think it through. His blood rushed to his throat and his face changed.
Qianwandi saw that his face wasn't right and went forward to touch him. He saw the bowl in Mingde's hand fall straight to the ground. He then spat out a mouthful of blood and medicine.
The Crown Prince was so scared that his entire body went soft. He knelt on the ground with a thump, "Younger brother!"
Qianwandi hugged Mingde and leaned against his chest. He pressed a hand on a major pressure point on his chest. He didn't care if he could take it or not and hurriedly poured in internal energy.
Mingde's sea of energy was extremely chaotic. It took about the time to drink a cup of tea before it slowly calmed down. Qianwandi lowered his head to look at him. He was already unconscious.
As long as he was awake, he didn't have a good expression. When he was unconscious, he was very obedient.
After all, he was a child of this age. His features were beautiful. His bones hadn't fully developed yet. He was soft and soft in the arms. That delicate appearance made it seem like he would break with just a little bit of force.
Qianwandi slowly put him down. He then stood and walked out in large strides.
The Crown Prince originally didn't want to leave his younger brother. After being fiercely poked twice, he quickly stood up and followed out the door of the bedroom.
The young taijian followed with trepidation and asked, "Emperor, just now, the palace sent word. The Empress is waiting for you in Zhengtai Hall. Do you … …"
Qianwandi didn't even turn his head as he said, "Return to the palace."
The Empress knelt in Zhengtai Hall without a sound. The bright yellow painting of a hundred birds looking up to the phoenix sparkled on her dress. The nine golden phoenix hairpins in her hair had Eastern Sea pearls hanging down. It flashed with a noble light in the brightly lit hall.
The Empress' expression also had a kind of awe-inspiring feeling.
Qianwandi casually walked to the seat of honor and sat down. He asked with a smile, "What's wrong with the Empress?"
The Empress bowed deeply and said, "I come to beg Your Majesty to release him."
"You're so direct … …"
Qianwandi wanted to say something, but he was interrupted by the Empress, "This morning, Shangguan Shilang reported to Dongyang Wang Jinyuan that his youngest son has been missing for more than half a month.
The official's son is missing. Dongyang Wang doesn't know how to deal with him. He just reported it to me. "
"Oh?"
"Shangguan Mingde is not a woman. Your Majesty, you can't keep him for a lifetime. I beg Your Majesty to release him!"
Qianwandi raised his eyebrows.
The Empress had always been a little submissive. Although she had done a lot for the Crown Prince in private, she was not the so-called "virtuous Empress" who dared to openly rebel against the Emperor in the hall.
This kind of action was too fresh for her.
"… Your Majesty," Qianwandi asked, "what are you talking about? Why can't I understand?"
The Empress suddenly raised her head and looked directly at Qianwandi. "Then I'll make it clear. Your Majesty, please return the boy in the suburban palace to his parents!"
Qianwandi asked casually, "His parents?
He is a posthumous child. His parents are both dead. Who do you want me to return him to? "
The Empress stood up desperately and said, "Your Majesty!"
"Shh." Qianwandi gestured for her to kneel down and said, "Your Majesty, calm down."
The Empress' breathing was heavy and hurried. Everyone lowered their heads, and the palace maids hid behind the dazzling Nine Dragon Pillars.
"For a long time, there is one thing that I don't understand.
Two years ago, when I wanted to depose the Empress, Zhang Kuo told me, 'Empress Mingrui's posthumous son, Mingde, is being raised in the Shangguan Fu. He has a different color and can accompany you.' — Your Majesty, Zhang Kuo has served in the palace for thirty-five years and has never left the palace. How did he know that Empress Mingrui's posthumous son 'had a different color'? "
Zhang Kuo, who had been waiting on the side, silently knelt down.
The palace lanterns lit up one by one. The clothes were luxurious and the fist-sized luminous pearls shone brightly, causing the Empress's face to pale and lose the last bit of color.
Qianwandi stood and walked down the nine jade steps with a smile. He smiled and helped her up. "Empress, do not panic.
I am very grateful that you sent the child to me. "
The Empress's lips trembled slightly and she could barely speak.
Two years ago, the Crown Prince had done something wrong and was impeached by the officials of Noble Consort Ding's maternal family. The Emperor was furious and decided to depose the Empress and the Crown Prince.
The Empress Dowager had always liked the Crown Prince, the eldest grandson of the eldest branch. Therefore, she dragged her sickly body to Zhengtai Hall and asked the Emperor, "Emperor, what is wrong with the Empress that you have to depose her?"
The Empress Dowager was not Qianwandi's birth mother. Although there was no need to take it too seriously, the Emperor could not find a reason to depose the Empress.
Therefore, he only smiled and said, "The Empress is not the most beautiful woman in the world."
If an Emperor was determined to have the most beautiful woman in the world as his Empress, there was no room for doubt.
That night, after Qianwandi finished approving the memorials, Zhang Kuo suddenly knelt down and said, "Your servant has something to report to Your Majesty. I don't know if I should say it."
The small book pavilion.
"Speak."
"Your Majesty, the posthumous son of Empress Mingrui was sent out of the palace and was swapped with the youngest son of Shangguan Shilang. He is now fifteen years old.
It is said that he has a different color and can accompany you. "
Qianwandi was not a very lecherous person. When he said that the Empress was not the most beautiful woman, it was just a casual remark.
But since Zhang Kuo said so, the Emperor had nothing to do. He could not help but be curious about the boy who was said to have a different color.
"In that case, bring him into the palace for me to take a look. Remember not to alarm anyone."
Qianwandi was originally just curious and wanted to take a look. After he was done, he would send the boy back.
But that night, the young Shangguan Mingde, who was wrapped in a red brocade, was sent into the palace unconscious. That night, there were no stars or moon. The night sky was dim, and the palace lanterns were grand and imposing. They blurred the heart of the Emperor, who had been in the clouds for thousands of years.
The Emperor was nothing more than that.
When it was time to be cruel, he was cruel. When it was time to be despicable, he was despicable. He took off his clothes and went to bed. He was just an ordinary man who could not control his desires.
"Empress," Qianwandi stood under the magnificent golden steps and said faintly, "Whether I let him go or not, that is my business.
I am not an unreasonable person. If you miss your nephew, go take a look. That is fine.
But as for the other graces, I have given them. If I don't give them to you, there is nothing you can do. "
The Empress grabbed Qianwandi's arm in a spasm, "Where is the child?
Where is my sister's son? "
Zhang Kuo moved over step by step and kowtowed in front of the Empress. He said in a low voice, "Empress, please follow this servant."
Mingde was already asleep, but his sleep was not deep. One moment, he seemed to see the imperial concubine crying and kneeling on the ground. The next moment, he saw Qianwandi Li Ji, using three feet of white silk to strangle a woman's neck. That woman was wearing the Empress's bright yellow court robe with a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, desperately reaching out to him.
After a while, he saw the Crown Prince, doing his best to stand in front of him to protect his only brother. But he was too weak. Even if he did his best, he could not withstand the onslaught of the storm.
Mingde suddenly shivered and woke up.
A palace maid was holding a cup of tea and said in a low voice, "Gongzi, the Empress is here."
Qianwandi stood by the door and coldly watched as the Empress knelt down to embrace Mingde. She asked in a choked voice, "Child, how do you feel?"
Mingde tried to reach out, but he could not move.
In order to prevent him from hurting himself, his hands had been chained up. The chains were padded with fine cashmere for fear of hurting his hands.
The Empress reached out and touched the golden lock. She immediately turned and glared angrily at the Emperor, "Let him go!"
Qianwandi said gently, "Ask him why I have him chained up."
Mingde tried to pull at the corner of the Empress' clothes, but failed.
The Empress suddenly stood and ordered, "Come and untie the chains!"
The palace maids on the side all trembled and knelt on the ground. No one dared to speak, no one dared to move.
The Empress looked directly at Qianwandi, which was a rare sight, and said in a sharp tone, "— Your Majesty, do you really plan to lock up this child for the rest of his life?"
Qianwandi nodded, "Yes."
"Good," the Empress said, "My sister gave birth to this child so that he could live freely and luxuriously, not so that he could compensate you for a moment of pleasure for the rest of his life!
Since you insist on making him suffer for the rest of his life, then chenqie might as well end him now and let him go with Empress Mingrui! "
Qianwandi's expression changed. He saw the dagger in the Empress' sleeve flash. Before he could go up and stop her, she knelt by the bed and pressed the dagger tightly against Mingde's neck.
Qianwandi roared, "Empress!
What are you doing! "
The Empress' hand tightened, and the blade instantly sank into her skin, "— Your Majesty, either you let him go, or chenqie will let him die in front of you today!"