bookrebus Chapter 351 Whose Hypocrisy?
Chapter 351 Whose Hypocrisy?
The Crown Prince frowned slightly, his gaze lingering briefly on Lu Jiangnian before quickly shifting to the Emperor.
His slender fingers gently caressed the jade pendant at his waist, his hesitant expression perfectly conveying a sense of unspoken words.
Lu Jiangnian understood and looked up at the Emperor.
At that moment, Lu Jiangnian suddenly noticed that the white hair at the Emperor's temples was particularly noticeable, and his once sharp eyes now showed signs of fatigue.
"You may leave now."
The Emperor waved his hand, his voice carrying an undeniable authority.
"Your subject takes his leave."
Lu Jiangnian bowed and slowly withdrew from the hall.
His black boots clattered dully on the gleaming gold bricks.
The palace doors slowly closed behind them, separating the emperor and his son from the inside.
After passing through numerous palace gates, Lu Jiangnian finally emerged from the palace walls.
He paused and looked back. The palace stood majestic and imposing in the morning mist, and the roof beasts on the eaves cast long shadows in the rising sun.
The palace he had known since childhood now seemed so unfamiliar and cold.
In his memory, the late empress always had a gentle smile and would personally tie his loosened sash in the Imperial Garden.
Although the emperor was dignified at that time, he would still test his children's studies in between reviewing memorials.
There were once joyful moments within the palace walls, unlike the constant scheming and plotting that exists today.
Lu Jiangnian withdrew his gaze and turned to walk towards the palace road.
The leaves of the plane trees along the road rustled, as if telling the story of bygone times.
He understood that when power becomes the only belief, even the closest father and son will gradually drift apart.
As the emperor on the dragon throne grows older, his suspicions increase; as the crown prince in the Eastern Palace matures, his forbearance deepens.
All of this was within their expectations.
Lu Jiangnian knew perfectly well why the Crown Prince had entered the palace today.
But when he thought of the father and son inside the hall, a sense of melancholy still welled up in his heart.
Those days of fireside chats and appreciating paintings together are gone forever.
At the end of the palace road, Xuan Ying had already prepared his horse and was waiting.
Lu Jiangnian took one last look at the palace walls, mounted his horse, and galloped away.
-
The Crown Prince lowered his head slightly, his slender fingers unconsciously stroking the jade pendant at his waist. His voice was low and clear: "Yesterday evening, on my way back to the palace from the Ministry of Rites, as I reached Zhuque Avenue, a man suddenly rushed out of the crowd and blocked my carriage."
The air inside the palace was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood incense. The emperor leaned back on the dragon throne, his expression serene.
But when the Crown Prince slowly uttered that name, the Emperor's relaxed fingers suddenly tightened, and the celadon teacup made a soft "click" sound on the table.
"The man claimed to be... Tang Bo, the imperial physician who served the Empress Dowager back then."
"impossible!"
The Emperor slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacup to tip over, and the amber-colored tea soup seeped into the bright yellow brocade, leaving a dark stain.
Veins bulged on his forehead, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes: "Tang Bo was executed many years ago!"
The Crown Prince quickly bowed: "That was my first reaction too."
"Upon closer inspection, the man's appearance did indeed bear a striking resemblance to Tang Bo, only he looked much older."
He raised his eyes, his gaze carrying just the right amount of confusion. "Father, you are wise. Physician Tang often examined my pulse back then, and I remember his appearance vividly."
The hall fell silent for a moment, except for the chirping of birds outside the window.
The Emperor slowly sat back on his dragon throne, his knuckles tapping the armrest: "Continue."
“That man not only revealed many palace secrets,” the Crown Prince’s voice trailed off, “but he also knew even trivial matters, like how I was punished for breaking my mother’s beloved glass cup when I was six years old, and was forced to copy the Classic of Filial Piety fifty times.”
The emperor's brows furrowed more and more deeply.
He suddenly sneered: "If it really is Tang Bo, since he escaped by chance, why would he walk right into a trap?"
The Crown Prince's expression was grave: "This is precisely what I cannot understand. That person claimed..."
He paused, as if carefully choosing his words, "claiming that there were other hidden circumstances surrounding his mother's death."
"presumptuous!"
The emperor suddenly stood up, his dragon robe sleeves flipping over the memorials on the table.
His chest heaved violently, his eyes a mixture of anger and disbelief.
Tang Bo's murder of the late Empress is an ironclad case. Now, this dead man has suddenly reappeared and uttered arrogant words, which is simply a blatant provocation against imperial authority.
The Crown Prince immediately knelt down: "Your subject dares not speak recklessly, but only reports the truth. That person is currently being secretly imprisoned in a separate courtyard, awaiting Your Majesty's judgment."
The Emperor stared intently at the Crown Prince, as if trying to see through his thoughts.
After a long while, he slowly exhaled a breath of stale air: "What are you thinking? You should not have forgotten how much effort your father put into your mother's affairs back then."
"Do you really think that I would let the person who harmed your mother go unpunished?"
Crown Prince: "Your subject dares not. Your subject has never doubted Father Emperor's intentions towards Mother Empress."
"Tang Bo said yesterday that this matter is related to Consort Liang, but I think it is nonsense."
"Over the years, Consort Liang has treated me with utmost care; who doesn't know that?"
"However, this matter is of great importance. After much thought, I still feel that this matter should be reported to Father Emperor."
"Your subject had no other intentions, please calm your anger, Father."
Consort Liang?
The furious emperor will eventually calm down.
Consort Liang, Murong Xiao.
Did Consort Liang really not know what Murong Xiao had done?
If Consort Liang was also in the know, then was there really another hidden story behind the Empress's death back then?
"What evidence does Tang Bo have to identify Consort Liang?"
The Crown Prince shook his head: "Upon hearing this, I felt it was utterly treasonous and have already had Tang Bo gagged and locked up."
"If Father Emperor feels that this person should not be allowed to live, I will execute him as soon as I return, without making a sound."
Looking at the oblivious Crown Prince, the Emperor felt a slight easing of his guard against him.
If what Tang Bo said is true, then wouldn't the Crown Prince have been recognizing a thief as his mother all these years?
How will the Crown Prince bear the day the truth is revealed?
The Crown Prince has always been filial, and Consort Liang's act of fooling him like this is truly wicked!
"Alright, secretly bring the person's deposit to me. Whether it's true or false, I will decide."
The Crown Prince readily agreed, but as he was about to leave, he suddenly turned back to look at the Emperor, as if seeking assurance: "What Tang Bo said must not be true, right, Father?"
The Emperor's heart softened. "Hmm, he might not even be Tang Bo."
"Don't overthink it. Whatever the outcome, I won't hide it from you."
If it's true, then Consort Liang, that woman, is incredibly cunning!
He could never tolerate them manipulating everyone like this.
However, he personally decided the case back then. If the case were overturned, wouldn't he be ridiculed by the world for being incompetent and fooled?
In any case, he was quite gratified that the Crown Prince was able to see the bigger picture and was not blinded by hatred.
"Your Highness, I haven't had breakfast yet. Let's have breakfast together later."
The crown prince was surprised, but quickly recovered and said, "Okay."
He smiled brightly, but his heart was already as still as water.
It's been many years since his father had breakfast with him. It's quite a surprise. He's no longer the young boy who longed to be close to his father.
"Go back and get a good night's sleep after you finish eating. Your father is worried about you."
The crown prince nodded obediently, his face full of emotion: "Father."
The Emperor was extremely pleased.