The Red Mansions

Chapter 1645 Jia Heng: Lord Li, is the food in the imperial prison delicious?

Chapter 1645 Jia Heng: Lord Li, is the food in the imperial prison delicious?

Palace Garden, Funing Palace

Outside the palace, the wind and rain continued. The leaves of the sycamore trees swayed in the wind. Rainwater trickled down from the eaves, washing the stone steps in front of the palace clean.

Under Concubine Duanrong's slender and dark eyebrows, her beautiful eyes, sparkling like dew, looked at the young man in the python robe, and a hint of thought appeared in her beautiful eyes.

It was really surprising that the person in front of him turned out to be the son of an old subordinate of the prince?

So, all these years, it has been your enemies' revenge against Your Majesty?

When Concubine Duanrong thought of this, her cold and bright eyes flickered under her willow eyebrows, and she said softly: "Even if it is so, it shouldn't be like this. Emperor Shizong Xian has cultivated you in every way and has given you a second life."

Jia Heng said: "My queen, it is precisely because of the kindness of Emperor Shizong Xian that I have been able to manage the Han Dynasty like an iron bucket, pacify the four barbarians outside, and control the military and government inside, so that the Han Dynasty is now thriving and peaceful."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Duanrong said with her beautiful eyes under her two curved eyebrows: "You are trying to take advantage of the rare goods and usurp the throne, which is also the greatest betrayal to Emperor Shizong Xian."

Jia Heng looked solemn and his eyes were deep. He whispered, "My Lady, if you say this, then there won't be much fun."

Concubine Duanrong said in a deep voice: "Then you can't bully the wife of Emperor Shizong Xian. There is a god above us. Aren't you afraid of retribution for being so immoral?"

The so-called raping someone's wife and daughter to avenge the murder of one's father, is there such a means of revenge in the world?

Jia Heng said: "These things are not my original intention. Your Majesty should have communicated with Luo'er's mother. It was originally a bad fate. I am deeply trapped in it and have no choice."

Imperial Concubine Duanrong's complexion was as white as snow, and her beautiful eyes were as bright as water beneath her slender eyebrows. She said in a deep voice, "Then Luo'er is your flesh and blood?"

Jia Heng said, "My Lady Rong Fei, I didn't say that."

Concubine Duanrong's eyes flickered under her beautiful and delicate eyebrows, and she said in a deep voice, "You still don't admit it?"

Thinking of the fact that her own daughter also gave birth to a son for Jia Ziyu, Concubine Duanrong couldn't help but feel an indescribable anger in her heart.

How can there be such a thing in the world?

But on second thought, such things have always happened in the harem.

As Jia Heng spoke, his eyes were fixed on Consort Duanrong from under his sword-like brows. He finally managed to divert his gaze away from the two great principles and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, you should stay in the harem and live out your days in peace. You will have a decent future with the Eighth Prince."

When Concubine Duanrong heard this, her expression suddenly changed. She was inevitably confused and frightened. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "You are threatening me."

Jia Heng said in a cold voice: "Madam Rong, if it is based on the previous dethronement, do you think the Eighth Prince will have a good ending?"

While speaking, he stood up and went to the outside.

After a while, the Eighth Prince Chen Ze walked into the palace with a glittering look in his eyes. He looked at Imperial Concubine Duanrong and said, "Mother, what did my brother-in-law say?"

Imperial Concubine Duanrong shook her head, and an indescribable gloom covered her beautiful and cold face. She said, "Your brother-in-law is determined."

Chen Ze frowned and thought hard, and said, "From the Beijing Camp to the Five Cities Military Department and the Jinyiwei Mansion, they are all my brother-in-law's people. This time, Li Gelao deposed and enthroned the young emperor, and the matter is suspicious."

When Concubine Duanrong heard this, a thoughtful look appeared on her face and she asked, "What does Ze'er mean?"

"My brother-in-law has always been resourceful. How could he give Lord Li a chance? It's like he's deliberately revealing a flaw to Lord Li." Chen Ze frowned and said in a deep voice.

Concubine Duanrong was surprised and asked, "You said this was your brother-in-law's plan?"

How is this possible? Wasn't it Li and Xu who instigated the generals of the Beijing camp to start a war?

Chen Ze's eyes seemed to show a trace of wisdom, and he said in a deep voice: "I'm afraid this is the case. They will lure the snake out of its hole, use their tricks against it, and then remove Li Xu and others from the court, so that they can seize power alone."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Duanrong's beautiful eyes flickered slightly, and she said loudly, "So, your brother-in-law really did have this plan, but what was his reason for doing this?"

If he just wanted his own child to be the emperor, then Zhen's son would be his flesh and blood according to his bloodline.

Chen Zerong paused, his bright eyes covered with a layer of gloom, and said: "Mother, I'm afraid my brother-in-law wants to abolish Zhen's son."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Duanrong's eyebrows were as green as willows and as dark as spring mountains. Suspicion surged in her beautiful eyes. She said, "It's possible that he used Li Zan and Xu Lu to depose the young emperor, and then he replaced him with Chen Luo..."

If he really intended to make Zhen's son the heir, then after returning to Beijing, he should have restored Zhen's son to the throne. But now he changed his intention to make Chen Luo the heir, which is really puzzling.

Chen Ze was silent for a moment, and said firmly: "Brother-in-law is acting this way. I'm afraid he really wants to change the dynasty. By changing the emperor, he will purge the officials who oppose him in the court, and then change the dynasty."

Concubine Duanrong sighed softly and said, "If he wants to change the dynasty, what can we do?"

Chen Ze paused for a moment, and said in a cold voice: "I am just leading troops to fight against the rebellion. As a descendant of Emperor Shizong, I should fulfill my responsibilities as a member of the Chen Han royal family."

When Concubine Duanrong heard this, her crystal-clear face suddenly changed and she said, "Ze'er, don't mess around."

She also never thought of forcing her son to become emperor. If he could live a peaceful life, it would not be a big deal.

Chen Ze responded softly, his face expressionless, but there was a rage burning in his heart.

……

……

Jinyifu, Imperial Prison——

There are many iron fences, and outside you can see Jinyifu guards wearing Feiyu uniforms, holding embroidered spring swords, walking back and forth with a vigilant look on their faces.

Li Zan was now wearing a prison uniform that was neither new nor worn, and his gray and white hair was held in place by a pine wood grain. His old eyes drooped slightly, and his whole body seemed to be shrouded in an aura of death and extinction.

This was the first time that this cabinet chief and grand secretary of Wuying Palace was imprisoned since his birth.

He was once a high minister in the court, but now he is a prisoner. Nothing can be more mysterious and unpredictable than this.

At this moment, footsteps could be heard outside the cell, and after an unknown amount of time, they were approaching.

"Li Zan, lunch is here." A Jinyifu guard walked up to him and handed him the food while speaking.

Li Zan slightly opened his drooping eyes and looked towards the Jinyifu guards, his expression becoming dazed for a moment.

No one has dared to call him by his name for many years.

After the Jinyifu guards turned around and left, Li Zan did not touch the food that was emitting a fragrant aroma. Instead, he sighed softly and thought about the previous political affairs.

Jia Ziyu can enter and leave the palace so easily, I'm afraid something must have gone wrong with the Beijing camp.

At this moment, a tall Jinyifu guard slowly walked into the hall and said in a deep voice: "Li Zan, the Prince of Wei is here."

As they were talking, they heard a series of chaotic footsteps approaching. Soon, they saw a young man in a python robe coming from outside. The guards beside him were holding torches that were burning "crackling" and the orange candle flames were flickering.

Soon, the young man in the python robe slowly approached, looked deeply at Li Zan, and said, "Lord Li, is the food in the imperial prison delicious?"

Well, this statement was somewhat pretentious, with some smugness of a mean person having achieved success.

Li Zan raised his eyes and followed the source of the voice. Under his old eyebrows, he looked around and saw the young man in the python robe. He shouted, "Prince Wei, was the young emperor's dethronement your plan?"

Jia Heng asked, "Why did Lord Li say that?"

Li Zan stared at the expression on the face of the young man in the python robe and said, "You led the Jinyifu guards into the palace and came and went as if there was no one around. It is obvious that the palace guards and Shanhai Hou Cao Bianjiao and others were secretly in contact with you and responded to you from afar."

Jia Heng said in a deep voice: "What Lord Li said is wrong! Mencius said that those who are righteous have many supporters, while those who are unrighteous have few supporters. The palace ban did not stop him the other day, which just shows that Lord Li used the Queen Mother's decree to depose the young emperor and bullied orphans and widows. He is not popular at all."

In fact, could Li Zan have held his female relatives hostage to threaten him?

In fact, it is not possible.

First, Li Zan and others claimed to be benevolent people with lofty ideals and were unwilling to threaten him with the lives of their families.

Secondly, Princess Xianning and even Chen Ze, who was supported by Li Zan, were his relatives, and objectively speaking, they were not allowed to do so.

Third, Li Zan wanted to negotiate with him rather than completely break off relations with him.

The most important point is that if the family is really in trouble, Cao Bianjiao and the people in the Beijing camp will certainly not dare to obey the order.

Li Zan looked at him fiercely and asked, "Prince Wei, you want to usurp the throne of the Chen Han Dynasty. Are you worthy of Emperor Shizong Xian, who selected you from a humble background?"

Jia Heng said in a cold voice: "Lord Li incited the soldiers of the Beijing camp to attack the palace and arbitrarily deposed and enthroned the emperor. Has he ever been worthy of the Emperor Shizong Xian who entrusted him with his will?"

Li Zan said coldly: "The young emperor is not of Chen's bloodline."

Jia Heng's eyes were deep under his sword-like brows, and he said in a deep voice: "How can Lord Li conclude that the young emperor is not of Chen's blood? Isn't all this Lord Li's own imagination? It is too arbitrary to conclude that he is not of Chen's blood just based on rumors."

Li Zan's face was solemn, and he said in a deep voice: "You and Zhen secretly communicated with each other, causing chaos in the palace. Who in the whole court doesn't know about it?"

Jia Heng's eyes flashed fiercely, and he said in a cold voice: "Lord Li, these are just rumors from outside. Have you ever seen it with your own eyes?"

Li Zan's eyes were deep, and his look was inevitably a little gloomy.

Who can see this with their own eyes?

Jia Heng said in a deep voice: "Gao Zhongping used this to raise the banner of rebellion in Sichuan. Because of his own suspicion, the entire southwest was in turmoil. Can Lord Li turn a blind eye to this lesson?"

Li Zan said righteously: "Even if there are tens of thousands of people fighting for the orthodoxy, why should we be sad?"

Jia Heng retorted, "If this is a dispute over the orthodoxy, then we have to let millions of people be buried with us?"

Li Zan glanced at Jia Heng from under his old pine-like brows and said coldly, "What is the Prince of Wei doing here? Is it to argue with me about right and wrong?"

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice: "Lord Li, it's just that heroes appreciate each other. If it weren't for you and I cooperating with each other in the court, how could the Han Dynasty be revived today?"

Li Zan's face was dazed for a moment, and he was also thinking about the past events in his heart.

Jia Heng's eyes were burning as he said, "Lord Li, the grudges between you and me will be judged by future generations hundreds of years later."

When Li Zan heard this, he was shocked.

Jia Heng said: "However, since Lord Li wants to repay Emperor Shizong Xian with his life, I will certainly help Lord Li. In the next two days, the imperial edict to punish the Li Xu rebels will be issued. Lord Li, just wait for good news."

After saying that, he turned and left without saying anything else.

When Li Zan heard this, his eyes, as dark as water, flickered slightly, and then he watched the young man in the python robe leave.

While Jia Heng was speaking, he did not leave the prison, but strode out of the cell where Li Zan was, turned to look at the Jinyifu guards who were serving him, and asked, "Xu Lu, where is he now?"

"Your Highness, please come this way." The captain of the imperial guards responded softly with a respectful look on his face.

Jia Heng nodded, then walked towards the cell where Xu Lu was imprisoned.

At this moment, in the prison cell, the light was dim and a little dark, and one could see an old man in prison clothes who looked like a pine tree.

Xu Lu was sitting cross-legged on a pile of messy hay with his eyes closed, resting, and he didn't even touch the food next to him.

"Your Highness, Lord Xu has been on a hunger strike for two days." The captain of the Jinyi Guards spoke without saying anything else.

Jia Heng's flickering light flashed across that stern face, and he said in a deep voice, "I'll go in and take a look."

Xu Lu has always been dignified and upright.

Xu Lu heard the noise outside and looked in the direction of the sound. He looked at the young man in the python robe and asked, "King Wei, you are here."

Jia Heng's face was solemn, his eyes were fierce, and he said, "Xu Deqing, it's been a long time."

I remember that when I first met him, he was still a bastard of the Jia family who was framed by Jia Zhen. Because Xu Lu was upright, he came to him for help. In a flash, almost ten years have passed.

Xu Lu glanced at the young man in the python robe under his sword-like eyebrows and said coldly: "King Wei, are you here to see the prisoners?"

Jia Heng looked indifferent and said softly, "I just came to see my old friend off."

As he spoke, his eyes flickered, and he looked at the Jinyi Qianhu beside him and said, "Go prepare some wine and food. I'll take General Xu off."

The Jinyifu guard responded softly.

As Jia Heng spoke, he approached. The light flickered on his handsome and heroic face, revealing an inexplicable sadness. He narrated, "In the autumn of the fourteenth year of Chongping, I was persecuted by Jia Zhen because of my engagement with my wife, Qin. At that time, I had nowhere to turn to, so I went to seek help from Lord Xu, the then prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture. Lord Xu lent a helping hand."

Xu Lu was listening to Jia Heng's narration at this moment, his mind was slightly moved, his eyes were deep, and he said in a deep voice: "Prince Wei, if I knew that one day the Han Dynasty would be usurped by powerful officials, I would not help you that day."

Jia Heng said coldly: "If it weren't for me, the Jurchens outside the Great Wall would have already led their troops into the Great Wall and ravaged the Central Plains. How could the Han Dynasty be as stable as a rock today?"

Without waiting for Xu Lu to speak, Jia Heng said in a deep voice: "Besides, with my wisdom, even if there is no General Xu, I still have ways to protect myself."

Xu Lu raised his eyebrows, anger appeared in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice: "You are indeed a traitor. Justice is clear. There will be people with lofty ideals who will follow one after another to punish the traitor!"

Jia Heng sneered and said sarcastically, "Xu Deqing, who incited the soldiers of the Beijing camp to depose and enthrone the emperor, isn't he a traitor?"

Xu Lu raised his eyebrows, his eyes were about to burst, and he said: "We are waiting for the great Han country."

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, then paused and said, "I am doing this for... the people of the world."

When Xu Lu heard this, he was suddenly shocked for no apparent reason.

The people of the world, these four words are so important.

In comparison, the honor and disgrace of the Han Dynasty and its people, a family, and a surname are insignificant and worthless.

Jia Heng looked far away and said, "Since the fourteenth year of Chongping, the Jurchens have been rampant in Liaodong. The Han Dynasty was unable to resist and successively lost vassal states such as Korea and Japan. Now the Western countries have studied firearms, trade is booming, and they control the trade routes. Now our Han Dynasty is still in constant internal strife. How can we compete with the barbarians on the sea in hundreds of years? At that time, people will shave their heads and change their clothes, worship foreigners and fawn on foreigners. Where is the backbone of our Chinese nation?"

Thinking of the "Qing Dynasty" howling and groaning under the sharp ships and powerful guns of the powerful countries in later generations, if he, as an ancestor, could not seize a chance, wouldn't it be that he had traveled through time in vain?

Hearing this, Xu Lu looked deeply at the young man in the python robe and said quietly, "Warmism and vanity are definitely not good for the people."

Jia Heng said: "In the past, if there had not been the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors who conquered the four barbarians and spread their power to all directions, and the Emperor Qin and Emperor Han who ruled the nine states, how could China be so great today? The sins are in the present, but the benefits will be in the future. The right and wrong, merits and demerits will be judged by future generations."

After Xu Lu heard this, he remained silent for a moment.