After the failed attempt to pretend to be dead, the sickly child was favored by the treacherous mini

Facing this questioning, Shen Jinmo remained calm: "I will bring back the heads of Xia Che and his wife and report to the emperor."

This is the greatest sincerity Shen Jinmo can give.

And what Xia Hong wanted was this promise.

The anger in Xia Hong's body was quickly subsiding, and his ferocious expression returned to a dignified and peaceful look.

Patting the table with one hand, Eunuch Lin walked quickly into the hall, first served tea to Xia Hong, and then added a stool for Shen Jinmo.

The harmony in the hall slowly warmed up, and the anxious people outside the hall also returned to peace at this moment.

While drinking hot tea, Xia Hong said kindly: "Wang Heng, Xia Che is your uncle after all, why do you choose to treat him like this?"

Shen Jinmo lowered his head and swallowed a mouthful of scalding hot tea. The moment he raised his eyes, there was madness in his eyes: "Only when all the direct descendants are dead, will someone forget where I came from."

"Hahaha." Xia Hong laughed happily: "Eunuch Lin, go ask Doctor Shu if the antidote for this infection is ready?"

Eunuch Lin immediately understood Xia Hong's implication. As for the antidote, it had naturally been prepared long ago.

What Eunuch Lin has to do now is to place the reward for the one who succeeds in front of Shen Jinmo: "Imperial Doctor Shu came to report today that the materials for the antidote are all ready. The antidote will be ready in half a month at most."

What Eunuch Lin meant was that if the heads of Xia Che and Chen Luo were brought back, Shen Jinmo would be free again and would never be controlled by anyone for the rest of his life.

There is no one who does not yearn for freedom, Shen Jinmo is no exception.

After receiving this promise, Shen Jinmo raised his head for a moment, and a light flashed from his sharp eyes.

Standing up from the stool, Shen Jinmo knelt down and kowtowed to Xia Hong: "Your Majesty, I bow to you."

"Wang Heng, please go back home and rest early today. I will arrange this matter tomorrow. I am in the palace, waiting for your good news."

Shen Jinmo took the order and left. After Xia Hong finished a cup of tea, he went to Xianyun Palace.

It was a scorching hot day, and Xia Hong was flanked by three or four young eunuchs holding ice jars and waving cool fans gently. Xia Hong walked along without sweating at all.

The plain palace gate was pushed open from the outside. It was still early and the palace school had not yet finished its classes. Zhong Yuanyuan was the only one in Xianyun Palace.

Xia Hong looked across the courtyard at Zhong Yuanyuan kneeling in the Buddhist temple. He raised his hand to stop the servants and eunuchs from following him, and entered Xianyun Palace alone.

The slow sound of the wooden fish was no different from usual. The sun shone through the door and fell on Zhong Yuanyuan. Xia Hong's heart, which had been frequently irritated recently, became calm at this moment.

The summer sun seems to be particularly fond of this small courtyard, leaving only sunlight without a trace of summer heat.

The sound of the wooden fish stopped, and Zhong Yuanyuan stood up from in front of the Buddhist hall. Without paying any attention to Xia Hong who was standing beside her waiting for her, she turned around, moved a small stool and sat in the yard to bask in the sun.

The weather in Luoan City was getting hotter day by day, but Zhong Yuanyuan's heart was getting colder day by day.

Xia Hong looked around, moved the bench to Zhong Yuanyuan's side, and sat down half an arm's length away.

"Sister-in-law, A'Luo is pregnant with Che'er's child. Imperial Doctor Shu diagnosed her pulse and said it should be twins."

Zhong Yuanyuan leaned back in her chair with a bit of laziness: "Does the emperor want to kill A'Luo, or kill them all together?"

Zhong Yuanyuan, who usually doesn't care about anything, expressed her displeasure in extremely calm words today.

In order to get Zhong Yuanyuan to stay in Xiayu, Xia Hong knelt beside Zhong Yuanyuan's bed and said that he would let Xia Che and Xia Xin live in wealth and prosperity until old age.

But Zhong Yuanyuan never took these words to heart.

The determination he had taken when he jumped down that year was more to clear Xia Yu's identity than to protect Xia Xin and Xia Che.

In Xia Hong's opinion, Zhong Yuanyuan would never abort Xia Qi's child. The more Zhong Yuanyuan hated the child, the more Xia Hong would be determined that the child was his and Zhong Yuanyuan's.

Xia Hong had long been accustomed to Zhong Yuanyuan's directness. As his eldest sister-in-law, he would either not say anything, or if he did, it would be impossible to cover up the truth.

"Xun Zhan suddenly received a secret letter saying that Che'er was planning a rebellion. I certainly didn't believe it, so I asked Wang Heng to investigate. Who knew that the investigation would reveal irrefutable evidence."

"Sister-in-law, do you think I should kill Xun Zhan directly, or kill Che'er who intends to rebel?"

Xia Hong was forcing Zhong Yuanyuan to choose between Xia Che and Xia Yu.

In other words, he was forcing Zhong Yuanyuan to choose between him and Xia Qi.

Zhong Yuanyuan didn't even raise her eyelids: "The emperor is now sitting above everyone else. He can chop anyone he wants to chop."

Xia Hong continued to ask: "Sister-in-law, do you hope that I will release Che'er?"

"Whether to release or not, whether to rebel or not, all depends on the emperor's decision. I will not be the emperor's decision, nor can I be the emperor's decision."

Xia Hong raised his hand slightly, and the sunlight passed through his fingers, leaving mottled spots on Zhong Yuanyuan's face.

Xia Hong looked at the wrinkles on the back of his hand, and then looked at Zhong Yuanyuan beside him: "I have aged so quickly these years, and my eldest sister-in-law has never changed. I wonder if I will die before my eldest sister-in-law."

Zhong Yuanyuan sat up slightly and exposed herself to the sun again: "Your Majesty, as the ruler of a country, you can let anyone walk in front of you."

"Sister-in-law, please don't try to hurt me with your words." Xia Hong put down his raised hand: "Sister-in-law is alive and by my side, so I feel that there is hope in this life."

Zhong Yuanyuan lowered her head slightly, her eyes fell on the blue bricks illuminated by the sun, and she was slightly stunned.

She seemed to be looking at the blue bricks, and also seemed to be looking through the blue bricks at the people underground.

Xia Hong also lowered his head, and his dragon boots stepped on the mottled spots of light, breaking Zhong Yuanyuan's contemplation.

"I have always respected my eldest sister-in-law. Even though Che'er has committed such an unforgivable crime, I am willing to spare his life for my eldest sister-in-law's sake."

"But he can no longer stay in Luo'an. But once he leaves Luo'an, I will no longer be able to protect him."

"I wonder if my elder sister-in-law is satisfied with my arrangement?"

Zhong Yuanyuan stood up from the stool, paced slowly in the yard, and finally stopped opposite Xia Hong.

Zhong Yuanyuan, who never smiled at Xia Hong for many years, now had a faint smile on her face and lowered her head to look at Xia Hong who was sitting in the yard.

Just like the eldest sister-in-law who was waiting for Xia Hong's return in the small farmyard several years ago.

The heart that had been watered by the desire for power for years now felt a long-lasting throbbing.

Putting one hand on the place where his heart was beating, Xia Hong looked at Zhong Yuanyuan standing against the light. His sharp eyes were less heavy and more energetic.

"Your Majesty has moved too fast these years, but I am still standing at the place where I started, so Your Majesty feels that he is getting old."

He turned and went into the house, and the door was closed gently.

Xia Hong stood up from the stool, looked at the closed door, and looked at the two empty stools in the yard.

His voice was quite light, and the curve of his mouth revealed helplessness: "Sister-in-law, if I don't risk my life for this, how can I keep you by my side?"