Fake concubine, real queen

Pei Zhaoyuan's impatience was already evident on his face, but after hearing the emperor's seemingly casual question, his expression suddenly froze in place, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him.

He looked down at the emperor, his lips trembled, but his mind quickly realized what the emperor's father's question meant, and said in a hoarse voice, "She...she is in the hands of the emperor?"

It was supposed to be a question, but as soon as Pei Zhaoyuan said it, he knew that his guess was probably right. When he said the last word, it didn't mean to ask, but he was absolutely sure.

The old emperor closed his eyes, smiled while holding the corners of his mouth, and said in a low voice: "Back then... I appointed the Meng family to you as the princess... Although you agreed on the surface... in your heart... cough cough... but in your heart... Happily...I hate you, Master Meng...cough cough...Master Meng's family is just an ordinary...ordinary Qingliu family, with neither...cough cough...no power...and no family background, although you can be called a literati... Gaining a good reputation among them...but it's really good...cough cough...but it's nothing...Is what I said right or not?"

Pei Zhaoyuan's eyes turned cold little by little. He looked down at the emperor's father, as if he was on the verge of anger, but he still didn't say a word.

He didn't reply with a word, and the emperor didn't mind, he just continued: "I later...I figured it out later...cough cough...Did you start to have a grudge against me from then on? Do you think I... I treat you unfairly? Cough cough... No... No... Or even earlier... In your heart... You hated me as your biological father... Yes... Cough cough... Is it not? "

Pei Zhaoyuan was silent for a while, and asked blankly: "How did the father know that Meng Shi is pregnant? Where is she now?"

However, the emperor seemed to have never heard of his question, and just closed his eyes and continued to whisper: "Your nature... I... I am your father, how can... how can I not know it? I... would have liked it at the beginning. The granddaughter of Meng Boyuan... also likes her with a gentle and honest temper... Although the family... ahem... Although the concubine sister at home keeps making things difficult... this child... has always tolerated them... never held grudges, right... right There is filial piety... there is also... pity..."

"Zhen... I originally thought... cough cough... betrothing you to such a princess... in the future, I can also ask you to see a woman's heart... heart and bearing... cough cough... and this is still the case... Forever and ever ...so that you can slowly raise a gentleman...cough cough...the aura of a gentleman...Although the Meng family has no power...but I promised you the Meng family...for you...for Jiangshan Sheji ...It's all good...I thought...I thought you would understand...ahem...understand my painstaking efforts and be kind to her..."

The crown prince's teeth trembled imperceptibly, and after a while he said coldly: "Wen Yin is the teacher's granddaughter, and also the first wife of my son, so my son naturally treats her kindly and cherishes her very much. Now it's the emperor father who threatens the life of Wen Yin, a weak and innocent woman, to his son-in-law, but wants to teach the son-in-law about the temperament of a king, does the emperor...don't you think it's ridiculous?"

The old emperor just lay on the couch, shook his head, and said slowly: "It's not that I want to threaten you with her... It's Yuan'er himself... cough cough... I put her on the gambling table... Its position...seeking its own government...since what you want is the position of the Ninth Five-Year Lord...you should understand...things on you...things outside you...people around you...all are bets...is it possible to rely on You don't want to gamble...so you don't gamble..."

He paused as he spoke, and laughed in a low voice with a few sputum sounds. Just listening to it made people feel uncomfortable in the chest cavity.

"...that's not okay."

The emperor said so.

Pei Zhaoyuan was silent for a while, but this time he was not too annoyed, instead he stared straight at the sickly imperial father lying on the bed, and after a long while, he said: "So...the royal father...put my aunt on the gambling table back then... , and now... for the third brother..."

Speaking of this, he paused, and Pei Zhaoyuan was also a little stunned for a while, his mind was specious and confused, at this moment, even he really didn't know, for this emperor father, his third brother After all, it was a bet, or the bargaining chip that made him fight hard even though he was dying.

But on one point, the old emperor did not guess wrong.

As far as Pei Zhaoyuan is concerned, the Meng family is indeed different from the other women.

Although Meng Wenyin is not the daughter of a wealthy family, she was born in a scholarly family like the Meng family. When she first married into the East Palace, Pei Zhaoyuan was still pretending to be a benevolent and virtuous prince to win the favor of his father. After discussing with the adults, I feel that it is absolutely unavoidable. All other wedding ceremonies can be saved if they can be saved, and all expenses can be cut or cut.

The prince has such a frugal and considerate mind, although there is no such old practice, but after hearing this, all the ministers and workers naturally praised the virtues of the East Palace, so the emperor couldn't refuse any more, so the Meng family married into the East Palace, Although her status is high, and there are many wedding ceremonies that should be expected, she is really the most unglamorous princess married since the founding of the country.

But even so, for so many years, the Meng family has never uttered a word of bitterness with Pei Zhaoyuan, let alone complained.

The emperor was right. The crown princess, Meng Shi, is indeed a truly docile and gentle woman. She treats others like this, and treats Pei Zhaoyuan even worse. And her grandfather Meng Boyuan, the old lady Fu, is also like this. The prince of the court is getting better and better. Although he has not helped Pei Zhaoyuan in these years, the reason why Pei Zhaoyuan has won such a good reputation among the civil servants is that apart from the noble grandparents of the Chen family, he is also very noble. The reason why the Meng family helped each other.

And a wife like Meng Wenyin is really hard to hate.

Therefore, when Pei Zhaoyuan married her, although he was still somewhat unhappy, but as time went on, he could not help but gradually changed his attitude towards her, and subconsciously began to feel pity and love for her a little bit.

He was born in a heavenly family, and lost his mother at a young age. In this world, not to mention brothers by blood, even his biological father did not treat him sincerely. To this day, he really does not look forward to his well-being wholeheartedly because of his status as a prince. Yes, when I think about it carefully, there is only this one wife left.

So even though the Meng family has been doing nothing for so many years, Pei Zhaoyuan never blamed her at all.

So even though he risked his life to gamble with the emperor's father for the last game, he didn't dare to keep Meng Shi by his side, and asked someone to secretly send her out of the capital beforehand.

Pei Zhaoyuan knows too well——

Regardless of the position he is already in, or the things he covets, it is determined that no matter what or who he likes, he cannot write it on his face to let others know, otherwise if he is caught in the future, it will be his. life gate.

It's like the aunt is to the father.

So for so many years, although the Meng family has an extraordinary status in his heart, he never said a word or showed a single bit in front of Junfu.

But at this moment, Pei Zhaoyuan suddenly realized that he had never deceived the emperor's eyes.

The emperor's father was right... No matter how precious something is, once it is placed on this gambling table, it can no longer be controlled by oneself.

Pei Zhaoyuan's cheeks trembled, and it took him a long time to force himself to sneer with a bit of sarcasm, saying: "...gambling? Father thought that since my son dared to do these things today, is it possible that he is still afraid of fighting with his father?" Is the emperor betting on a woman?"

"It's just a woman, even if she really has a child in her womb, is it possible that I still lack this child?"

"She is nothing but dispensable. When the father compares her with his aunt and third younger brother, should I say that the father is old? Or should I say that the father is confused?"

"Father...don't think it's ridiculous to want to threaten his son because of her...?"

The emperor did not answer his question, but lay on the imperial couch, still gasping for breath, and said slowly: "What should be said... cough cough... I have finished talking... As for how to do it... Yuan'er takes it by himself. Make up your mind..."

Pei Zhaoyuan's complexion was ugly, and within a few short breaths, it was already green and red. He cursed in a low voice, he stood up, turned his head, and walked out of the gate of the inner hall of the Lanzheng Hall , the emperor was lying on the imperial couch, and only heard a loud noise from afar, even though it was far away, he could still hear the loud noise of the person who slammed the door.

Then there were several angry curses and reprimands from the prince outside the hall.

The emperor was in a daze for a while, knowing that the prince outside was questioning the whereabouts of the Meng family, so he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

But the bottom of my heart is getting more and more anxious.

... It's been a full eighth day.

Thousands of calculations, in this gamble, he should have won everything in his hands, but there are endless things in the world after all, seven points of planning things, three points of planning people, if there is only one thing that is uncertain——

It's that child from the He family... Can he live up to this great trust...

There was a creaking sound from the palace door, and the sound of the prince's footsteps was different from before, with a hint of anger in the haste.

The emperor's thoughts were suddenly interrupted like this.

The prince took three steps at a time, walked to the imperial couch in the inner hall, looked down at the emperor's father, his face was expressionless, but his shoulders were trembling slightly.

The emperor slowly opened his eyes and looked at him, then he paused before saying in a low voice: "...as long as the queen is safe, Mrs. Meng and her children... will be safe too."

Pei Zhaoyuan said: "What if my son refuses to agree?"

The emperor's Adam's apple rolled under the finely lined neck skin, and he didn't answer.

Pei Zhaoyuan sneered, and suddenly said to his back: "Come on! Bring it up!"

"Gu will not wait until today's sunset at the latest. Father, you must think about it clearly. Is the life of the Meng family more precious, or the lives of the aunt and third brother?"

I don't know if I was really shocked by the rebellious words, or if the condition has not stopped deteriorating in the past few days, the old emperor on the imperial couch suddenly coughed violently, as if his lungs were about to be coughed out, but the prince watched coldly and remained indifferent , Just said: "Today's sunset, if Gu does not see the imperial edict, Gu will not just let his aunt die clean and comfortably. At that time, Father, don't blame Gu for being cruel."

The emperor's pupils shrank, and he was about to speak, but suddenly there was a loud voice from outside, the door of the hall was knocked open with a "bang", and then, a series of panicked footsteps approached the inner hall .

Pei Zhaoyuan was furious, turned his head and scolded: "Who let you in!"

The little internal officer who sent the message was not frightened this time.

...Perhaps it is not very appropriate to say that he was not frightened, but it should be said that he was not frightened by the prince.

His eyes were lost in panic, he knelt down towards the prince with a plop, and said with a mournful face: "His Royal Highness, outside...someone has entered the palace...someone has entered the palace! The servants just opened the door and took a look. So many dead people...so many dead people...God...what's the matter...this is the palace..."

Pei Zhaoyuan's eyelids twitched violently, and with a thump in his heart, he quickly walked to the inner tube in two steps, grabbed his front collar and lifted him up firmly.

"What did you say...you say it again?"