I play the role of Jiajing in Zongwu: What crime have I committed?

"My elder brother, the Crown Prince, in heaven would surely not wish to see Father Emperor so grieving..."

As he spoke, tears welled up in his eyes.

Seeing this, Xiao Jinghuan quickly echoed his sentiment.

Only Xiao Jingyan watched coldly from the sidelines. With his sharp eyesight, how could he not notice that the two were faking their tears?

Although they cried with genuine emotion, there wasn't a single tear stain on their sleeves.

After a long while, Zhu Houcong raised his head and looked at the assembled officials with a haggard expression.

Then he slowly raised his hand to stop the noise in the hall.

He said in a hoarse voice.

"If the people are guilty, the guilt lies with me."

Upon hearing these eight words, the entire court fell silent.

Zhu Houcong's eyes were red as he continued, "It is my decree to send Zhuo Dingfeng to capture the Crown Prince."

"This blame should not be borne by Zhuo Dingfeng."

Seeing this, the Crown Prince's tutor was about to speak again, but Zhu Houcong raised his hand to stop him.

"Moreover, Zhuo Dingfeng insists that the Crown Prince died from an arrow shot by someone else, not from his Tianquan sword."

"This reminds me of the death of Meng Zhi."

"The truth behind Meng Zhi's death is still unclear, which means that there are still unknown grandmasters stirring up trouble in Jinling City."

"Is it possible that this was done by those bad guys?"

"Therefore, the case has not yet been investigated, and my esteemed ministers should not jump to conclusions."

These words were spoken with great conviction.

Upon seeing this, all the officials were secretly amazed.

Despite the Emperor's profound grief at the recent loss of the Crown Prince, he remained clear-headed and rational.

Such an imperial mindset is truly admirable.

"Your Majesty is wise and virtuous, truly a model of a wise ruler throughout the ages."

Lou Zhijing was the first to kneel down, his voice choked with emotion yet resolute.

Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials in the court kowtowed.

"Indeed, how many people throughout history have possessed such a heart?"

"Your Majesty's actions today truly earn you the title of 'Emperor of a Thousand Ages.'"

Everyone began to fawn over Zhu Houcong, which made him even more smug.

joke.

How can a great emperor throughout the ages describe me?

If you knew that I personally killed the Crown Prince, you would call me the Emperor of Ten Thousand Years.

His gaze then fell on Zhao Mengjing, the Minister of Justice.

"Zhao Qing, I hereby order you to work with the Suspended Mirror Bureau and the Eastern Depot to find out the truth."

"Yes!"

Finally, Zhu Houcong slowly rose and said, "I have decided that, starting today, I will hold a 49-day Buddhist ceremony at the Wanshou Palace to pray for the Crown Prince's soul."

"A country cannot be without a ruler for a single day; therefore, Prince Yu, Xiao Jingting, is hereby appointed to temporarily assume the duties of regent."

As soon as this statement came out, the whole court was in an uproar.

The senior officials exchanged surprised and doubtful glances.

Prince Yu oversees the state?

Is this an intentional move to establish Prince Yu as the heir apparent?

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingting immediately knelt down, a look of fear appearing on his face.

"Father, your son is of limited talent and learning, and I fear I am unfit for such a great responsibility..."

"My mind is made up."

Zhu Houcong interrupted him directly.

"Court is adjourned."

Zhu Houcong turned and left, leaving behind a court full of officials, each with their own thoughts.

After the court session, Zhu Houcong summoned the three cabinet members and the three princes to Wanshou Palace for a private audience.

In front of him, on the floor tiles, was a map of the Great Liang Dynasty.

The wooden mallet struck heavily on the border between Chu and Liang.

"According to a secret report, the struggle between the Southern Chu royal family and the Gu family, the maternal relatives, has reached a fever pitch and may soon change."

"This is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for our Great Liang!"

What are your thoughts?

Zhao Mengjing pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, if something truly changes in the Southern Chu, the 100,000 troops stationed in Yunnan and the 20,000 Imperial Guards under Ruzhen's command must prepare for war as soon as possible."

Lou Zhijing immediately responded.

"Ruzhen is a descendant of military strategists and is well-versed in military tactics. Once internal strife breaks out in Southern Chu, he will surely be able to make timely decisions."

"Our primary task, as ministers of the six ministries, is to ensure an uninterrupted supply of provisions and weaponry."

"Your Majesty, I will immediately go and arrange for the Ministry of Revenue to procure military provisions."

Zhu Houcong nodded slightly.

His gaze then swept over the princes.

"I have decided to send a prince to Yunnan to oversee the campaign, both to stabilize morale and to personally supervise the battle."

He suddenly looked at Xiao Jinghuan.

"Jing Huan, are you willing to go?"

Xiao Jinghuan was taken aback upon hearing this, and then his eyes flashed with a burning light.

This is a great opportunity to make a name for yourself.

If he succeeds this time, he may be promoted to prince.

He immediately knelt down, clasped his hands in a fist, and declared loudly, "Your Majesty, I am willing to share your burdens, even at the cost of my life!"

"it is good!"

Zhu Houcong nodded in satisfaction, then suddenly changed the subject.

"Bring Mei Changsu along too. He's known as the 'Kirin Genius,' and might be able to offer some brilliant strategies."

"Since he is a guest retainer in your household, he will surely assist you wholeheartedly."

Xiao Jinghuan quickly replied, "Your subject obeys."

"Jingyan".

Then Zhu Houcong called out the name of Prince Jing, Xiao Jingyan, who immediately knelt down.

"You are hereby ordered to immediately proceed to the northern border to reorganize the border troops and guard against the Dayu taking advantage of any weakness to invade."

"Your subject obeys the decree!"

Xiao Jingyan clasped his hands in response.

After discussing and making all the arrangements, Zhu Houcong's gaze swept over the faces of the six people present once again.

"The matters discussed today are known only to those present."

"If I hear of anyone leaking even the slightest word of this, execute them."

"Your Majesty, we will keep this in mind."

Chapter 134 Consort Qi, you didn't want this either...

The capital of Southern Chu was shrouded in darkness.

Zhu Houcong controlled the white tiger, his figure gliding lightly over the palace walls and eaves.

This was his third consecutive night sneaking into the Forbidden City.

The purpose was to find the Linlan Palace where Consort Qi, Ye Lanyi, was sitting.

According to Yan Donglou's secret report, Emperor Yuwen Jian of Southern Chu has recently been favoring only two people.

First, there was Consort Shu, the birth mother of Prince Qi, Yuwen Tang, whom he had favored for over a decade.

Secondly, there is the newly promoted Consort Hua, who won Yuwen Jian's favor with her outstanding appearance.

The concubine Ye Lanyi, whom Zhu Houcong was looking for, was beautiful enough to be the most beautiful woman in the country, but she did not win the emperor's favor in the deep palace.

He controlled the white tiger and quietly landed on the roof of a palace.

His feet landed on the roof ridge without making a sound.

He looked down at the dimly lit palace in front of him.

The three gilded characters "Linlan Palace" under the eaves gleamed coldly.

Linlan Palace has been found.

Zhu Houcong's lips curled into a cold smile.

He took out a jade bottle from his pocket, and the liquid inside was part of the "Love Threads" that Yue had handed over.

Love Silk Entanglement is colorless and odorless, yet it is a potent aphrodisiac that strikes fear into the hearts of many in the martial arts world.

Just three drops can turn a chaste and virtuous woman into a wanton harlot.

Immediately afterwards, the white tiger's figure floated down into the courtyard like a ghost.

Avoiding the palace eunuchs and maids, they slipped in through the half-open carved window.

Consort Qi's palace was empty, except for a freshly brewed cup of herbal tea on the table.

Just as Zhu Houcong was carefully examining the furnishings in the palace and figuring out how to make the most of the space, a series of footsteps suddenly came from outside the palace.

The footsteps were filled with unbridled arrogance.

The only one who could make such a commotion here must be Consort Qi, Ye Lanyi.

Thinking of this, Zhu Houcong controlled the white tiger and flashed to the table.

With a flick of the finger, three crystal-clear drops of "Love's Silk" fell precisely into the Hundred Flowers Tea on the table.

The moment the medicine was added to the water, a faint pink ripple appeared, which then disappeared without a trace.

Having done all this, the white tiger leaped up and silently hid on the roof beam.

He could almost see Consort Qi's wretched state when the medicine took effect.

The next second, Consort Qi, Ye Lanyi, stormed into the palace and shut everyone out.

At this moment, her beautiful face was flushed red, and her eyes were burning with raging anger.

He grabbed a blue-and-white porcelain vase from the table and smashed it on the ground.

Clang!

Porcelain shards flew everywhere.

"Consort Hua, you vile woman."

Ye Lanyi cursed through gritted teeth.

She recalled Consort Hua's smug face in the Imperial Garden earlier that day, and felt an urge to pounce on her and tear her face apart.

Both were stunningly beautiful, but because Ye Lanyi came from a family of military generals and didn't possess the coquettish charm of Consort Hua, Yuwen Jian favored Consort Hua and never even glanced at her.