The little lady in the dining room

Chapter 124 Brothers
Xie Zhao looked at her with mixed feelings in his heart.

Xueli lowered her head and was supported by him to sit down, her eyelashes drooping slightly in silence, and she said after a long time: "I want to intercede for His Highness the Seventh Highness, but that's only because I treat His Highness the Seventh Highness as a friend. What should I do in politics? don't know."

What is she trying to say?
Xie Zhao didn't make any urging, and sat back. After waiting for a while, she sighed and continued, "Oh, I don't know what to say. Actually, I just think that if the matter hasn't been clarified in the end, it's better not to go ahead." It's better to be stiff in one step? Your Majesty, you and His Highness the Seventh Prince are brothers after all. If he really has evil intentions, you will kill him... Others can't say anything, but now that the matter just happened, His Majesty shut him down in a fit of anger It doesn't matter, but what if the Seventh Highness is innocent after being locked up for a long time?"

After she finished speaking, she looked at him with unblinking eyes, but she didn't know if she had expressed her thoughts clearly.

In all fairness, she still wanted to intercede with His Highness the Seventh Highness, she always thought that the Seventh Highness was a pretty good person.But after thinking about it for a while, I felt that what if I was always wrong?
She had been thinking over and over again for quite a while, and when she finally came back to her senses, her heart was slightly stagnant. She didn't know when the worry about His Highness the Seventh Prince turned into worry about him. If she thought about it carefully, she would really I began to worry that the two brothers would turn against each other because of an undeserved misunderstanding.

Xie Zhao was a little dumb.

He thought about her words, slandering this dull pear who was simple and kind-hearted, but he couldn't deny that her words were right.

He is used to handling things according to the status of the emperor, but she is more concerned about things according to ordinary family members.Therefore, some relationships and feelings, from the perspective of his family and the world, are not deliberately ignored, but naturally invisible, but she looks at it from the bottom up, so it is naturally different from the main points he brought out.

Xie Zhao pondered for a while, then smiled slightly: "Sydney."

"Ok?"

He met her gaze: "I just want to ask you... If the seventh brother is not innocent, we turn against each other, and even if I really kill him, what will you think of me?"

Xue Li was taken aback, thought for a while, and took it for granted: "If that's the case, I naturally think that His Majesty is right... I just regard His Highness Seventh as a friend, but I don't know too many things about him."

Xie Zhao had a look of suspicion on his face, it wasn't that he didn't trust her, but he seemed not quite sure what she said.

Xueli saw her, frowned, and said again: "Does Your Majesty think that I should face His Highness the Seventh Prince? I don't think... I can't! I followed His Majesty, I believe that His Majesty is not the kind... um... indiscriminately mutilating siblings." People, if it really comes to the point of taking His Majesty's life, His Majesty has no choice but to do that, His Majesty thinks that I... should I blame His Majesty for this?"

She didn't quite understand, and when she said this, she suddenly became confused-he didn't think she was cruel because of this, did he?But she thinks this idea is correct, if he thinks she is cruel...

Hmm... maybe a little bit.

Xueli spoke bluntly so that her heart was ups and downs, and in the end she hesitated whether he would bow his head because of this question that he thought she was cruel.Pulling out the handkerchief in the sleeve with two fingers, she twisted the handkerchief with her fingers, waiting for him to speak.

Hearing what she said, Xie Zhao suddenly felt relieved.

He was quite afraid that she would be too kind-hearted and complain about him because of the seventh brother-although he didn't want to cause such an irreparable situation, but who knows?
He breathed a sigh of relief, then looked up at her, only to see her nervous face.Startled for a moment, he didn't understand what this dali was nervous about. He picked up a bowl of three-bean soup and said, "It's time to eat. I'll go out later, will you go?"

Sydney, who was struggling in her heart: Huh? ? ?

Not far from the Chi Mansion where the Son of Heaven stayed, is the Yuan Mansion where the Seven Kings temporarily stayed during this trip.

Your Majesty said "imprisonment", so the mansion naturally looks like "imprisonment".There are imperial guards around the outside, and in the mansion, the courtyard where the seven kings live is guarded by eunuchs.

Now that night was falling, the eunuch in charge walked to the front of the courtyard, looked around, told others to eat first, and said that he was watching.

After the crowd dispersed, a slender woman came out from the corner, wiped her tears and thanked the eunuch in charge, and then walked quickly into the courtyard.

But the door is also locked, and the key is in the hands of the imperial guard outside, so there is no way out.

The woman patted the door: "Your Highness..."

Inside the door, Xie Han was reading leisurely at first, but when he heard the voice, his heart tightened, and he shouted outside, "What are you doing here?!"

"I... I just came to see it." Yi Shi was also afraid in her heart, although a lot of money was stuffed, but this matter was against the order after all.She stood dryly outside, leaning against the crack of the door and said, "It's only a moment. Your Highness, don't be angry, don't be angry, just talk to me, okay?"

Xie Han sighed, turned over and got off the couch, walked to the door and settled his feet, and sat down on the spot: "Sit down and talk, I'm coming."

Yi was overjoyed and sat down too.The two chatted casually, at first Yi was full of worries, and asked him about his diet and daily life one by one, and Xie Han laughed at her inwardly: "You think too much. After all, I am still a prince, and I can’t even eat enough after being imprisoned for a day? No way.”

The food is still pretty good, and the dishes are still prepared by the chef brought in from the house, which suits his taste, but at most there are fewer varieties.But it sounds like Yi Shi is already imagining whether there is no oil in his dishes...

After talking for a long time to relieve Yi's worries, Xie Han even emphasized to her several times that "there is ice in the house, so it won't be hot at night", and he almost broke the ice from the ice sculpture and stuffed it through the crack of the door to convince her.

Finally hearing Yi's long sigh of relief, Xie Han smiled wryly in the room and shook his head: This silly girl.

After that, the topic became much more relaxed. Yi asked Xie Han what he was doing, Xie Han said that he was reading a book, and briefly talked about the content of the book.

Then Xie Han asked her if it was sunny or cloudy, and Yi said it was sunny, the moon is so beautiful...

Xie Han said you lied, how could the moon be so beautiful at the beginning of the month?
The two chatted happily, never mentioning the terrible political affairs in front of them.After chatting for a while, Mrs. Yi heard the eunuch outside remind her, "Miss, there is still half a moment", before she could answer, she heard the eunuch scream!
"What's the matter?" Xie Han frowned and asked her, Yi Shi also frowned, and Yang Yin asked outside: "Master, what's the matter?"

As soon as the words fell, more than a dozen imperial guards had already entered the courtyard, and Yi was so frightened that his whole body went cold, and then he looked at the people who entered the courtyard after the imperial guards, and kowtowed to the ground with a pale face: "Your Majesty..."

When Xie Han heard it in the room, he jumped up in shock: "Brother Huang!"

The emperor stood still, looked at Yi Yi expressionlessly, and tilted his head slightly: "Send her out."

"Brother Huang!" Xie Han was covered in cold sweat inside, but couldn't get out because the door was locked, so he could only knock on the door, "Brother Huang! It's my younger brother who insisted on seeing her, so don't blame her!"

The emperor, who was about to ask someone to open the door, frowned when he heard this, looked at Mrs. Yi who was about to be taken out, raised his voice and said: "Drag out the stick forty, bring it back and return to life after beating."

"Brother Huang!!!" Xie Han was going crazy with fright in the room, and he couldn't care about the pain in his hands when he smashed the door, but there was no response from outside.

until the door opens.

Xie Han stopped shouting suddenly, looked at the emperor beyond the threshold with fear, then moved his eyes slightly, and was slightly relieved to see that Mrs. Yi was still standing there safe and sound.

The emperor laughed: "I brought Xueli and Ayao here, and I want her to bring Ache to meet her. What's your name?"

Xie Han wiped off his cold sweat. Of course he didn't have the guts to pursue the matter of the emperor scaring him with the "forty staff" just now. He bowed deeply and asked the emperor to sit down.

After that, the coldness in the room was obvious.

Both of them knew what had happened earlier.Now seeing the emperor coming in person, bringing Xueli and Ayao along... Xie Han couldn't figure out what he was thinking at all, so he had no choice but to keep silent, the two brothers were as quiet as two stone statues.

Xie Zhao was also hesitant about what to ask, and after a while, he waved the others to retreat outside the courtyard, and then looked at him: "Seventh brother."

The Seven Kings nodded: "Brother Huang."

The emperor stretched out his hand to hold the pot, poured tea for him, was silent for a while, and smiled lightly: "The queen mother never told you, if you are not the one who decides life and death, don't show your weaknesses to the one who decides life and death?"

The Seven Kings were startled suddenly.Qiang Zi calmed down for a long time, but he still turned his head and looked outside the courtyard uncontrollably: "Brother Huang, you..."

"I'm not going to kill her right now." The emperor sneered, paused, and sighed, "It can be seen that the queen mother has always doted on you, so that you don't need to sharpen your mind. So you are not good at mental skills. Two words can make you mess up, what do you use to sit in this position?"

This was the first time he had mentioned it so openly.

Xie Han was silent and didn't speak.

The emperor smiled and said, "Seven years ago, when I first succeeded to the throne, my mother said in public that she wanted me to have a prince and a younger brother but not a son. I didn't agree. Looking at it now, it's a good thing I didn't agree."

"Brother Huang, if you came here to ridicule your younger brother..."

"It's not to ridicule you." The emperor smiled and continued what he said just now, "If I agree to that matter, it doesn't matter what you think."

He stared at the Seven Kings intently: "Xue Li persuaded me to come. I want to ask, what are your thoughts? If it is really a letter of war, it will not be too late for us to fight to the end."

Xie Han was a little confused.

What the emperor did was beyond his imagination, and he didn't know how to deal with it.

After being stunned for a long time, the Seven Kings lowered their eyes and said slowly: "What the queen mother thinks is what the younger brother thinks."

"Then I'll kill Mrs. Yi right now, and give you a chance to turn your face right?" The emperor asked with a smile, and before he finished speaking, a layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

That night, the emperor kept chatting with the Seven Kings until very late before taking Sydney back.

Along the way, the emperor didn't say much, and Xue Li didn't dare to ask, she leaned on his shoulder and held A Yao in her arms, naturally worried.

All she knew was that the two of them got someone to drink later.I don't know how much he drank, but the emperor is still in good spirits now, but the seven kings couldn't even come out to send them off, so they vomited in the room in a daze.

Drinking like this, is it a good talk or not?
The uneasiness in Xue Li's heart continued all the way, and when the carriage stopped at the gate of the Chi Mansion, she thought that when she went back to the house and no one was there, she could ask a few questions.

But the emperor called Chen Jijiang: "Decree, drive back to Luo'an after the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Sydney was startled: "Your Majesty?"

The emperor sighed heavily, stopped for a long time without saying a word, then looked at her, but smiled again, and took her inside: "It's okay. There is no need to stay here, go back earlier, so you can take care of your baby with peace of mind." .”

What and what...

Xue Li was at a loss, seeing A Yao walking away yawning, she picked her up and handed her to the nanny, and then went back to the bedroom with Xie Zhao, seeing him falling heavily on the couch as if he was about to fall asleep, she hurriedly called someone Come in to serve and wash.

Xie Zhao was persuaded by the palace servants, walked over to wash his face, splashed clean water on his face, then sneered.

Xue Li was made to approach him but dared not, hesitated for a long time, then took two steps forward: "Your Majesty?"

Xie Zhao raised his head, the drops of water on his face were still falling, looked at her, then straightened up suddenly, strode closer and hugged her tightly.

"Your Majesty..." Xue Li felt whether she should comfort him, but she didn't know the situation, so she didn't know which way to comfort him.

She just stood there stupidly and was hugged by him for a long time, when she heard a sob.

Sydney: "...?!"

Did you cry? !
She only saw him cry once in total, on the day Lu Yong passed away——that was because she persuaded him to cry, otherwise he would just drink and hold back.

What happened, that he couldn't help himself?

Did the Seven Kings break his heart? !
Xueli struggled in his arms, and gently pushed his chest with her hands: "Your Majesty...don't worry, your majesty, there is nothing you can do about this kind of thing, but but... no matter what, I am On His Majesty's side! Your Majesty, you can definitely take care of things..."

She was at a loss for words!As soon as he finished speaking, he slandered that whether he was on his side or not didn't affect the overall situation. This was a bit ignorant - his arm was tight again before the belly draft was finished.

... Your Majesty, what's wrong with you!

Xue Li was so confused that she was only dumbfounded, the emperor still poked her for a long time before releasing her, then picked her up and put her on the bed, he also got on the bed, and continued to hold her in his arms without talking.

Seeing him tremblingly hugging her with a sullen face, Xueli understood a little in her heart: He, maybe he doesn't need her words to comfort him?Just let him hold it?
Then, then hold it...

Xie Zhao took a deep breath, and when he let it out, he turned his head slightly, not wanting to smell the alcohol on her.

He also wanted to explain something to her, and he didn't want her to be so worried.But right now he was really speechless, the many words just now were like sharp knives piercing his heart, making him feel pain even when he gasped.

If the seventh brother hadn't been drunk, the seventh brother probably wouldn't have dared to say it.

All along, he only knew that the queen mother loved the seventh brother more, and he was not angry, but he also knew that the seventh brother was the youngest son of the queen mother, and he, as the eldest brother, couldn't care less about it.

I just found out today that the empress mother... didn't regard him as her own son at all, and even felt that he was inferior to the sons born by other concubines.

It was because when the queen mother was pregnant with him, it was the time when the father had a new favorite, and was persuaded by the new favorite to have the idea of ​​abolishing the queen.

At that time, the queen mother was disheartened and wanted to break the pot, but the appearance of him, the eldest son of the emperor, allowed her to keep her position, and later she finally had the opportunity to get rid of the beloved concubine.

But to the queen mother, he was like a living shame.She was reminded every day that she was going to lose her post, and without this son, she would be nothing.

He didn't know what kind of mood the queen mother was in when she told the past to the seventh brother. In short, the seventh brother told him after he was drunk. After finishing speaking, the seventh brother burst into tears: "Brother, why do you think she is like this! You Being an emperor is not bad! How can she have such an idea when all nations come to court in a peaceful and prosperous age!"

Xie Zhao didn't understand either, but that's what Empress Dowager thought.

Although the empress mother never told him such hurtful things directly, but at the beginning of his accession to the throne, the empress mother had publicly forced him to set up a heir and a younger brother instead of an elder.

At that time, he only thought that the queen mother favored the younger son, but now it seems that the queen mother felt that he, the so-called "eldest son", who was an eyesore, had robbed her son's things, and she wanted to help him get them back.

The seventh brother couldn't bear it anymore when he was caught in the middle.The seventh brother can't fall out with his mother, and he can't play tricks on his mind. In the end, he can only do some troublesome things.

"I don't want to cause trouble for my brother! But what can I do!" The seventh brother broke down and pounded the table when he said this, "During your last tour to the south... I didn't know that the queen mother had already stockpiled soldiers for me This time you came out, I know you are going for the queen mother and the family. I just thought... I just want it, or I will make a big mistake, and let you directly demote my throne, the queen mother It will be useless to do anything else, if there is an obvious misplacement, the world will not turn to her!"

So he went around "forming cliques for personal gain" and sending Nie Fang to the military camp to inquire about it on purpose. He wanted to put a handle big enough to be held by him, the emperor.

He said: "I know brother, you have the ability to settle the court, you just need a reason..."

Xie Zhao thought back on these extremely broken words, feeling so depressed that he could vomit blood.

They've both struggled with this for too long.As early as a few years ago, he was deliberately alienating his seventh brother, in order to let the court know that it was impossible to "establish a prince and a younger brother".Now the seventh younger brother is also intentionally doing something that seems to be treasonous, and it is not wrong for the court to watch him treat his brothers cruelly.

The queen mother first forced him not to be a good elder brother, and then forced the seventh brother not to be a good younger brother.

Seventh brother can no longer bear the responsibility for these crimes.

Xie Zhao's hand holding Xueli loosened a little, and seeing her turn over to face him, he smiled: "Don't be afraid."

"...Don't be afraid." Xue Li looked back at him and said calmly, "Your Majesty is in a bad mood... I just stay with His Majesty, and everything will pass."

"Don't worry." He looked at her steadily, but his voice was a little weak, "I will always treat you well. No matter how many children we have, I will treat them the same."

Why are you talking about this now?
Suddenly mentioned "treating several children the same"...

Xueli froze, vaguely feeling why he was unhappy.

It is obvious that the queen mother favors the youngest son.Xue Li pursed her lips, unable to say anything bad about the Queen Mother after all, so she leaned over and hugged him with her arms, and said in her heart: Your Majesty, you are so pitiful!
It's pitiful to beat up a child who has no mother's pain!Xue Li has always felt this way, so when she saw A Yao being wronged, she hated Concubine Shu to death!
Now she couldn't help hating the Queen Mother!I know I can't afford it, but I still hate it!Your Majesty is still the Empress Dowager's own son, and the Empress Dowager treats Her Majesty more cruelly than Concubine Shu!
Xie Zhaowu pondered to himself, and suddenly felt that the little thing in his arms had turned into a loach again, rubbing back and forth dishonestly.Listen carefully, and there is actually a little whispering.

He listened.

Xue Li was unconscious in his arms, and at the moment she just felt that she could only be safe if she rubbed against him completely, and her thoughts came out unconsciously, without her noticing: "It's so pitiful! Poor! Poor!"

Xie Zhao became dumb when he heard it clearly, and looked at the top of her head with slightly dull eyes, thinking to himself: It doesn't seem so pitiful...

(End of this chapter)