Children of Loulan

At this critical moment, Hawuer suddenly rushed over like lightning. His movements were as swift as a cheetah, and he kicked the hairpin out of Xilin's hand. The hairpin drew an arc in the air, and then fell to the ground with a "ding" sound.

Upon seeing this, the king immediately gave a loud order: "Catch her!" The soldiers acted quickly and rushed towards Xilin like hungry tigers.

Although his mother was rescued in time, what she had planned was a heinous crime that could lead to the extermination of his entire clan. Maihemuti could only watch helplessly as his mother was escorted away by his father's men, tears welling up in his eyes like a flood.

With Xilin's defeat, the king was delighted, but he did not relax his vigilance. He knew that Xilin had planted many confidants in the court, and if he did not catch them all, there would be many disasters in the future.

Therefore, the king decisively issued an order to arrest the ministers who were placed in the Xilin court one by one. After a rigorous search, all the people who should be arrested were finally arrested.

When everything was settled, the king finally breathed a sigh of relief. He slowly glanced at the officials present, and then said in a deep voice: "Today's events have frightened you, my dear ministers. Everyone go home and have a good rest, and come back to the court to discuss matters in three days!"

Although his voice was not loud, it carried an irresistible majesty. When the officials heard this, they knelt down to express their gratitude as if they had been pardoned, and shouted in unison: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your understanding and wisdom!"

The king nodded slightly, motioning for everyone to stand up. Then, he turned around and prepared to leave. At this moment, the queen and Partihan walked up quickly, supported the king on the left and right, and left the altar.

Their figures gradually walked away, and finally disappeared from everyone's sight. After the king and others left, the civil and military officials at the scene also began to disperse one after another. For a moment, more than half of the people at the originally noisy altar had dispersed!

As for the private soldiers that Xilin brought into the palace, just as Keremu had promised them at the beginning, those who were willing to serve the country could go to the border to perform their duties loyally; those who were unwilling could receive a generous severance pay and return to their hometowns on their own.

Although the rebellion was ultimately victorious, the king lost one of his sons, which made him feel extremely sad and lonely. At this moment, he sat alone in front of the dragon table in the imperial study, and the food on the table was not touched at all.

At this moment, Keremu gently opened the door and walked in slowly. His footsteps were very light, as if he was afraid of disturbing the king's thoughts. After entering the imperial study, Keremu stood there, looking at the king's lonely back, and felt sad.

After a while, Keremu said softly: "Father, I heard that you haven't eaten all day. Your health is very important!"

The king slowly turned his head and looked at Keremu, with a trace of helplessness and sadness in his eyes. He sighed and asked, "How are you going to deal with your second brother's matter?"

Keremu lowered his head in thought for a moment, then raised his head and replied respectfully: "I have placed him with my mother. If you want to go see him, I will take you there right away."

The king was silent for a long time before he slowly shook his head. His eyes seemed to have lost their luster, revealing endless sadness and helplessness. His voice was low and soft, as if every word carried a heavy weight: "Forget it, all this is his own fault. Since the death of the virtuous concubine, he has been like a soulless person, lifeless. If he could just live the rest of his life in such a plain way, it would be a relief. It's a pity that he actually believed the sweet words of Xilin, the witch, and tried to become the regent. In the end, he even took the knife for that traitor and lost his life in vain!"

Although the king said so resolutely, Keremu knew in his heart that the king was actually angry at his second brother for not being able to judge people and being confused by Xilin, which led to such a fate. Looking at the king's increasingly old face, Keremu couldn't help but feel a surge of sadness in his heart.

He knew that there were some things that even if the king had the right to know the truth, he could not tell him easily, otherwise it would only put more people in danger!

So, Keremu opened his mouth cautiously and asked tentatively: "Father, how should our second brother's funeral be arranged? Should he be buried according to the specifications of a prince, or as a prince?" He stared at the king, hoping to catch some clues from his expression.

After hearing this, the king said weakly: "This matter is up to you to handle. I am a little tired. The matter of Xilin's rebellion is now entirely your responsibility. Just give me a result in the end. Go away. I want to be alone!" His voice was low and tired, as if he had lost his former majesty.

Keremu looked at the king's haggard face and could not help but feel worried. He knew that his father's health had deteriorated since his last injury. Now he was also experiencing the pain of losing his son, so he understood his father very well at this moment, and he quickly responded: "Yes, father, I will do my best and will never let you down."

Then, his eyes fell on the untouched food, and he tried to persuade again: "Father, I will do my best in this matter, but for your health, you still have to eat!" His tone was full of concern, but the king just waved his hand lightly, seeming a little impatient.

"Okay, I'll eat in a moment, you can leave now!" There was a hint of helplessness in the king's voice, as if he didn't appreciate Keremu's concern.

Keremu sighed helplessly and had to obey the order and leave the hall. He knew in his heart that what the king needed at the moment was quiet and rest, and too much persuasion would only make the king more upset.

After leaving the palace, Keremu went straight to the palace where Xilin once lived. The palace was now surrounded by imperial guards, and the atmosphere was extremely tense. Keremu came to the palace gate and saw that the imperial guards were guarding outside the gate very dutifully and did not go in to arrest anyone.

He walked slowly into the palace. It was silent inside. All the palace maids and eunuchs stayed in their rooms trembling. They all knew that their master's rebellion had failed, and they also knew what fate awaited them next.

Keremu went directly to Xilin's bedroom, where Aunt Kui was still helping Xilin tidy up her clothes!

When she saw Keremu coming in, she looked at him unkindly and said coldly, "Your Highness, don't waste your energy. I know nothing and I won't say anything."

Facing Aunt Kui's attitude, Keremu was not angry, but said coldly: "I naturally know that Aunt Kui is the most loyal and capable person around Concubine He. I came here today not to interrogate Aunt Kui."

When Aunt Kui heard this, her movements paused for a moment, and then she continued to tidy up her clothes as if nothing had happened. A scornful smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, and she said sarcastically, "Oh? Not an interrogation? Then I wonder why the Crown Prince is here?"

She didn't believe that the prince would not interrogate her. After all, as the crown prince of a country, he had been assassinated by his master time and time again. How could he not hate him in his heart? How could he let go of this opportunity easily?