sbdcsierra Chapter 855 Your Highness, please!
Chapter 855 Your Highness, please!
Shen Kuo didn't dare to lift his head.
From receiving the news to seeing the deposed Crown Prince Zong Que, and up to this moment, the entire time had been less than a quarter of an hour, yet it was enough to determine his decision and fate.
My heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally died; it's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early.
At this moment, he had no other choice.
He had previously worked under this deposed crown prince and knew all too well the prince's purpose in doing this.
The reason Zong Que was deposed was ostensibly because he was unable to inherit the throne due to physical disability and the use of banned drugs, but in reality, it was because Zong Que insisted on reopening the Chenzhou case.
The Chenzhou case was handled swiftly and decisively. The Chenzhou army was defeated, and the entire city's hundreds of thousands of soldiers, along with tens of thousands of civilians who remained in the city, were massacred. This was the most shocking case since the founding of the Great Zhao Dynasty. In the end, the case was hastily closed with the execution of the entire Rongguo Duke for treason.
Over the years, anyone who brought up this case was invariably demoted and marginalized, making it almost a taboo subject during the reign of Emperor Yongxing.
Ironically, it was Crown Prince Zong Que, who should have been the last person to pursue the matter, who never gave up on finding out the truth about the Chenzhou case.
This is the real reason for the deposed crown prince.
These court officials were well aware of these things, but none of them dared to get involved easily.
Nowadays, there is much speculation and discussion in the court about the deposed Crown Prince Zong Que. Everyone suspects that this once intelligent and almost supernatural deposed prince cannot simply disappear. They believe that he will one day return to the capital.
But I never expected that this day would come so suddenly and so quickly.
Since the deposition of the crown prince, the turmoil surrounding the succession in the court has never ceased for the past two years. Even the Shen family, who had never dared to hope for such a thing before, couldn't help but have their own thoughts as the Tenth Prince grew up. They just never expected that this would lead to the Tenth Prince's death, and the Shen family would lose its support in the struggle for the throne.
If Zong Que were to return to the capital, the first thing he would do would undoubtedly be to deal with the Chenzhou case.
By choosing this method, and by coming to the city gate so unexpectedly to force him to open it, wasn't he also forcing him to choose sides?
If he gives way today and opens the city gates to let Zong Que into the city, whether His Majesty will hold him accountable afterward is secondary; the first thing he will be labeled as the deposed Crown Prince Zong Que will be.
The Shen family had just lost the Tenth Prince, and now was the time to re-establish their stance. If the true culprit in the Tenth Prince's case hadn't been found, the Shen family could have remained neutral, or chosen a more suitable ally to support and wait for the right opportunity. However, with the Tenth Prince's case solved and Consort Xiao clearly implicated, the Shen family was now directly opposed to the Third Prince's faction. Even if the Third Prince outwardly tried to win them over, given such a deep-seated hatred, he would never truly trust them. Once the Third Prince ascended the throne, the Shen family would be the first to be purged. Not siding with the Third Prince meant open conflict from this moment on. Even if the Shen family wanted to remain neutral, they couldn't, unless they made a hasty retreat and completely withdrew from the court.
However, how could the Shen family, who had built their business over generations, easily back down at this critical juncture?
These days, the Shen family is really having a hard time.
Given Zong Que's cunning, he must have already been aware of the Shen family's current situation.
Zong Que deliberately chose the time of day when the people were entering the capital, using the pretext of escorting the spirit of the fallen hero back to the capital to seek justice, to order him to open the gates. If he refused, within an hour, the Shen family would become the target of public criticism in the capital, and the entire city's population would likely flock to the Shen residence to throw rotten vegetable leaves. If he complied, no one would believe he was forced; they would only assume that he had already sided with Zong Que.
In just a few breaths, Shen Kuo had no time to think any further.
Below his lowered gaze were Zong Que's straight legs.
Who could have imagined? The deposed crown prince, who had been declared by the imperial physicians and countless renowned doctors to never stand again, whose leg disability had shaken the court officials and made them unable to continue supporting him, had his legs healed and was able to stand up again.
In a daze, Shen Kuo even recalled the once spirited and respected Crown Prince.
Since the founding of the Great Zhao Dynasty, several crown princes have been appointed. If we are talking about those who are remembered by history, then it must be Crown Prince Chongwen. But the one who can be remembered by the people of the world is the current crown prince.
Shen Kuo was completely convinced by Zong Que, except for his still not firm stance.
Consciousness clearly made the decision before reason; Shen Kuo bowed and moved half a step aside to make way.
He breathed a sigh of relief and said respectfully, "Your Highness, please."
Shen Kuo moved aside, and the city gate guards who had followed him also consciously stepped aside to make way for him.
Zong Que carried the memorial tablet and walked step by step toward the city gate, followed by the coffins that followed him through the gate.
The people in the city, who had already heard the news, had gathered on both sides of the main road. Seeing Zong Que walking back to the capital, they knelt down with tears in their eyes and shouted "Crown Prince!" They didn't care at all that the man in front of them had been deposed as crown prince two years ago.
The patrol officers responsible for maintaining order tried to stop them with trepidation, but they couldn't scare away the people's frenzied enthusiasm at all.
When the palace and the Duke of Xiao's mansion received the news, Zong Que had already entered the capital.
The Emperor stayed overnight in Consort Duan's palace. Because it rained all night, he didn't sleep well, and since today wasn't the day of the grand court assembly, he went to bed late. When Eunuch Feng rushed in to report, the Emperor sat up with a displeased expression. Xue Wanyue quickly stepped forward to put an outer robe on him and then gently massaged his sore forehead.
"Why are you panicking?"
Only after seeing the emperor rise did Grand Eunuch Feng dare to carefully report, "Your Majesty, the Second Prince has returned to the capital, carrying the remains of the Duke of Rong and the soldiers of Chenzhou. He is carrying the coffin and is heading towards the palace gate."
The emperor's eyes turned cold in an instant. "Say it again."
Eunuch Feng's legs went weak and he knelt on the ground, trembling as he replied, "Your Majesty, the Second Prince has returned to the capital."
The emperor lowered his eyes, and no one dared to look at his expression. Even Xue Wanyue, who was kneeling behind him and pressing his head, subconsciously stopped and silently retreated to the side.
Time was so still that even breathing was barely audible.
Whether it was a moment or a long time, the emperor said something cryptic.
"Ah Que is back."
...
At the same time, at the Princess's Mansion.
The Ninth Princess has had her stitches removed and can walk. It rained last night, and her wound was healing. It was inexplicably itchy, which kept her from sleeping well all night. She got up early this morning, wanting to find an excuse to ask Doctor An if there was any ointment that could relieve the itch.
Just as they stepped into the corridor outside Rong Xin's room, they heard the sounds coming from inside.
"His Highness has returned to the capital with the remains of the Duke of Rong and the soldiers of Chenzhou."
The Ninth Princess suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Then she heard that familiar voice ring out after a moment of silence.
"Take out the mourning clothes I've been keeping at the bottom of the trunk."