Tang Zhuyun: "Go kill someone."
Ren Yingying thought she was joking and said, "I'll hand you the knife."
"Where's your knife? Give it to me."
Ren Yingying: "I'll put out Dog Meat!"
Tang Zhuyun glared at her. "Stop fooling around, we don't have much time, let's go as soon as possible."
"Huh? Where are you going? How's your stomach?"
"I was faking it."
As she spoke, Tang Zhuyun looked at Nanxing and nodded slightly to her.
That's a great idea; why didn't she think of that herself?
Nanxing: "I couldn't have come up with such a bad idea."
Pei Shen, however, was an expert.
Tang Zhuyun immediately understood. Sigh, they're feeding us dog food even during the New Year.
Forget about joking, she asked, "Nanxing, are there any guards you know outside?"
Nanxing had been in the Prince's mansion for so long that she was quite familiar with the guards.
Nanxing nodded. "Yes."
"Send someone to inquire where Noble Consort Jia is now... If they can't find her, inquire about the Emperor's whereabouts."
At this point, Noble Consort Jia would definitely have to cling to the Emperor's coattails.
She should have been well aware that the Prince of Jin could take her life at any moment.
"Oh, right," Tang Zhuyun added, "We can ask Eunuch Wang for help."
"Good!"
Noble Consort Jia was indeed by the Emperor's bedside, weeping bitterly, but she only shed tears and did not make a sound; her grief and worry were palpable.
If Tang Zhuyun were here, she would surely be full of praise for her acting skills.
--The Oscars owe Noble Consort Jia ten golden statuettes.
Besides the other princes of the Prince of Jin, led by the Prince of Yong, they are all here now.
At this critical juncture, no one dares to be absent.
How do you explain his absence?
Did he go and collude with the Prince of Jin?
Staying here is the best way to protect yourself.
Prince of Yong's concern was genuine and heartfelt; he knelt on the ground, his eyes red-rimmed.
The Emperor lay on the bed, listless and weak, and said, "No need for you all to stand here. I'm not going to die. All of you, step back and let Tang Mingfan come to see me."
The princes said "Take care, Father Emperor" and then retreated, still shaken.
The death of the crown prince truly terrified them.
Just as they dared not express their closeness to Prince of Jin in front of the Emperor, they also dared not show any inclination in front of Prince of Jin.
Everyone was thinking the same thing.
Stay away from the Prince of Jin for safety.
Now that the Emperor is ill, we still have to show filial piety, so no one can leave.
So everyone unanimously hid in the nearby tea room, drinking tea, each with their own thoughts, yet all silently waiting for news.
Noble Consort Jia did not leave either.
She stood under the eaves, her hand resting on the vermilion pillar, a sharp glint in her eyes.
That wolf cub, the Prince of Jin, is indeed a despicable scoundrel.
If I had known sooner, I should have strangled him in his infancy!
Tang Mingfan rushed over from the front, and upon seeing Noble Consort Jia, he cupped his hands and bowed slightly as a sign of respect before hurrying inside.
Noble Consort Jia's hand, hidden in her sleeve, clenched into a fist.
Okay, Tang Family, she'll remember that!
"Your Majesty, are you alright? Should this old minister have A-Yun come and take a look at you?" Tang Mingfan asked, kneeling before the emperor's bedside.
The emperor laughed, but it was a desolate laugh.
"Jianbing, the Zong Family is finished."
This was his long-cherished wish, but he never expected that the Prince of Jin would realize it in such a cruel way.
"My eldest son is also dead."
Tang Mingfan sighed deeply, "Your Majesty, it is this old minister's fault for failing to properly educate his daughter and for not admonishing Prince of Jin..."
"Old man, are you still going to pretend in front of me?" the Emperor said. "You know me, and I know you too!"
Tang Mingfan prostrated himself and said, "This old minister is ashamed!"
"Get up, your leg isn't good either," the Emperor said. "If I truly blamed you, I wouldn't only want to see you."
The Emperor sighed deeply, "Having lived to this day, there are some things I can only say to you. Jianbing, it's the same for you, isn't it?"
Tang Mingfan nodded. "Just like the disgraceful things A-Yun did back then, this old minister doesn't know who else to speak to besides the Emperor."
The Emperor laughed, "You old fool, are you making veiled attacks on my son?"
What a shameful thing! It's clearly a joyous occasion.
Tang Mingfan smiled bitterly, "Good things often come with difficulties, but every time I wake up in the dead of night, I can still recall the heart-wrenching pain I felt back then."
So he hated the Prince of Jin of Jin, but what could he do when his own daughter was useless?
I can only keep it to myself and hope that the two young people will realize their mistakes, correct them, and live a good life in the future.
Fortunately, A-Yun did not disappoint him.
"Qi'er, you're just like me," the Emperor said. "Didn't I do the same things he did back then?"
He experienced everything: fratricide, the struggle between ruler and subject, father and son, and his own ambition.
The Emperor said with a wry smile, "Jianbing, don't you think this is retribution?"
After a long pause, Tang Mingfan finally said, "Your Majesty, this is reincarnation."
The emperor remained silent for a long time.
"Zhi'er is also my son." After a long while, he finally spoke again.
"But His Highness the Crown Prince seems to have forgotten the roles of ruler and subject, father and son," Tang Mingfan said. "Your Majesty, your lavish treatment of Noble Consort Jia has provoked him."
"He wasn't a suitable candidate to begin with, but I never imagined he would die such a gruesome death."
The emperor closed his eyes.
This was his eldest son. Even though he disliked the Zong Family and later disliked the crown prince's stupidity, he was still his first son. He had watched him grow from an infant to a toddler and poured his heart and soul into him.
"Jianbing, what do you think I should do now?"
The Prince of Jin's throne is unstable, so he dares not make any rash moves; the Prince of Jin understands this.
But even so, what could he do?
With the eldest son of the legitimate wife dead, the most talented of the remaining princes was the Prince of Jin.
The emperor also wanted to choose Prince of Yong, a son who was so filial to him, against his will, but he couldn't.
Because he knew that Prince of Yong's abilities were far too mediocre.
The Prince of Jin had also figured him out completely.
So now, neither of them, father and son, really can do anything about the other.
Tang Mingfan said, "Your Majesty, this old minister believes that the Prince of Jin's actions must be punished..."
"You know he's going to the Northwest to find his birth mother, yet you deliberately said that. You, you're good in every way, except you love your daughter too much, and by extension, you've spoiled her, even swaying the fairness of the past."
"This old minister is guilty."
"You're kneeling again. What's the use of me kneeling? Don't try that on me. I don't know how many days I have left..."
"Your Majesty, A-Yun said that you are fine!"
Prince of Jin was filial; otherwise, he wouldn't have sent Tang Zhuyun to the palace time and time again to treat the emperor's illness.
The Emperor thought of Tang Zhuyun and couldn't help but laugh, "Jianbing, you old fool, you're up to no good, aren't you? I have so many daughters, but none are as capable as you."
Tang Mingfan said, "No matter how good she is, she's still a member of the royal family."
The emperor chuckled, "What, do you intend to stay at home forever?"
Tang Mingfan: "You're relieved on one hand, but also feeling uneasy on the other."
Meanwhile, Tang Zhuyun had already arrived with Nanxing upon hearing the news.
She originally didn't want Ren Yingying to come, but the latter insisted on coming.
She arrived, and so did Qu Nian.