In danger, he traveled through time to save her, and the black-bellied prince doted on her

Li Shenghuang knew his father. The Emperor Ming was wary of any member of the royal family who held troops. The Eastern Palace's military strength should not be underestimated. From the day he became the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, the relationship between them was no longer the same as before, with a loving father and a filial son. He had to be cautious day and night. Facing the Emperor Ming's groundless suspicion and slander, the young man knelt but his back was straight, and he spoke frankly like a gentleman:

"Father, I have devoted my heart and soul to the prosperity of the country and the stability of the country. I share your worries and will obey your orders. I will never be a traitor or violate my filial piety. I am loyal to you and your father. Heaven and earth can bear witness to my loyalty."

"Rongde has passed away. Please spare Mu Chen's life and let him return to Xinjiang to guard the border. My young son is innocent. Please agree to let me raise his children. Jingyi was bullied by the eunuchs in the palace and only ate steamed buns and rotten vegetables. They are also descendants of the royal family. How can they suffer like this?"

"You also loved Rongde. When she was dying, she did not complain to the emperor. She only wished that the country would be forever stable and her children would be safe. She quelled the rebellion on the border and was a meritorious official. I hope the emperor will have mercy on her and fulfill her love for her son."

Emperor Ming was stunned when he stopped, anger flashed in his eyes, and he looked at the eunuch Gao beside him in disbelief:

"Sour steamed buns and rotten vegetables? Doesn't the palace have money to raise a child? Even though he's a hostage, who told you to treat him so badly?"

Gao Neiguan followed Emperor Ming every day and had no time to ask about this matter, but someone had to vent the emperor's anger, so he knelt down hurriedly:

"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I think the eunuchs who served me were not attentive and treated the princess's son badly. I will order them to be beaten with fifty sticks each. I will punish them severely."

Emperor Ming waved his sleeves, and when he thought of Mu Chen, he felt hatred in his heart. Rong De disobeyed the order and refused to marry, and was beaten with thirty sticks. This incident was forever engraved in his heart, and viciousness filled his eyes:

"Everything started because of Mu Chen. If he hadn't married my daughter, Rongde wouldn't have died like this. He is not allowed to appear in the mourning hall. Divorce Rongde immediately. The female general of Huaihua, Princess Chengsheng, and Prince Rong Li Rongde will be posthumously named the Crown Prince and given the posthumous title of De Zhao, and buried in the imperial mausoleum. The general of the cavalry and the governor of Shuoxuan, Mu Chen, will be demoted to the general of Huaihua and will be given the title of his wife forever. I want him to remember this in his heart."

"There is a widow who often spreads rumors in Sheng'an City that she admires Mu Chen and her name is Xiao Wan. She wants him to bring his daughter to marry Mu Chen."

"Mu Jingyi has been treated poorly in the palace, and he must be resentful of me. He cannot follow you. Let Mu Chen take them back to the border."

Li Shenghuang breathed a sigh of relief, temporarily saving the three Mu family members so as not to worry Rong De's spirit in heaven, and said:

"Yes, Father, there is no one in charge of the Mu Mansion. I will go and see the children."

Li Shenghuang had already stood up and was about to leave the palace to see Mu Jinan and Mu Jingyi. He lifted the bead curtain and took a step forward. His steps were heavy, his limbs instantly stiffened in place, and his heart was pounding violently.

In the silence, the birds that had long been roosting in their nests had their hearts beating violently. From the palace came the terrifying words of treason and execution of the entire family. Everyone's pupils were shocked and stunned, and they all looked at the eleven guards of Yang Zhaowei:

"Your Majesty, I heard the princess's daughter curse you, saying that she would kill the king and avenge her mother. You must not let her leave Sheng'an City. She has been like this since she was young. She followed the soldiers, learned martial arts and tactics, and after so many years, she will not plot rebellion?"

The emperor's beard was furious, he had never heard such treasonous words, the candlelight ignited the anger in his eyes, the murderous intent spread to ten miles away, he wanted to pick up the knife and chop off the man's head, the emperor's majesty could not be violated, he cared about Rongde, not the children of the Mu family.

Emperor Ming stared coldly at Li Shenghuang, who was also shocked standing beside the pearl curtain. Suspicion and hatred quickly filled his heart:

"Prince, you heard this? Why didn't you report it to me? Or do you want to curse me like this? And you dare to change the wine?"

"At such a young age, you dare to speak ill of me. I promised Rongde to protect the three lives of Mu, but I never said that she would offend the majesty of heaven and curse the emperor. How can I let her go? Go to the Mu Mansion immediately, bring Mu Jinan here, and give her poisoned wine."

Li Shenghuang glanced at the eleventh guard. Could this person be listening to these words on the roof? He was too anxious and worried today and let his guard down. But he saw that the emperor was furious and murderous. He hurriedly explained:

"Father, Rongde closed her eyes, her breath was weak, she was dying, she once said, "I will always be loyal to you, I will live out my old age. Kuixie was a wise and capable minister to Emperor Shun, Rongde was worried about you until her death, she hoped that the ministers would be loyal to you, assist you in governing the country, admonish everyone, treat you with honesty, and live a leisurely and contented old age."

"Jin'an is only five years old and can't even speak clearly. How can she understand these things? How can she talk about cursing? She doesn't know these words. She only heard Rongde say two sentences. Jin'an never said anything about regicide and revenge. There was a sudden rain and thunder. It was Yang Zhaowei who didn't hear clearly."

The eleventh guard looked back at Li Shenghuang. He clearly heard that he wanted to kill his grandfather for revenge. He then looked up at Emperor Ming and said frankly:

"Your Majesty, I heard you correctly. I am willing to die to prove my innocence."

"Ah!" A figure flew out from the pearl curtain. Emperor Ming actually kicked the prince in public. Li Shenghuang's eyes flashed with disbelief. He jumped into the air and slammed his back and head into the golden pillar. His head shook violently and he felt severe pain. Blood flowed out from his black hair little by little, soaking his clothes. The candlelight reflected the residual red all over the ground.

Li Shenghuang's eyes became increasingly blurry, as if his soul had begun to wander, and his body gradually became stiff. He used up his last bit of strength, knelt at the feet of Emperor Ming, tugged at his father's dragon robe, and begged:

"Father, Jin'an has never cursed you, nor has he ever said he would kill the emperor for revenge. Rongde has passed away, and you have already taken my order. Please keep the child. She is just a daughter from another family, and she will never be able to endanger the emperor. I beg you."

Emperor Ming's violent and vicious eyes were suddenly filled with shock. He looked at Li Shenghuang's back and clothes with guilt and self-blame. They were stained with blood. He clearly only kicked him once, so how could so much blood flow?

The emperor panicked instantly, and stroked his son's black hair with trembling fingertips. His palms were stained with blood. The sea of ​​blood rushed into his eyes, and his heart ached violently. He shouted:

"Quickly call the imperial physician, call the imperial physician."

"Father, promise me that you won't embarrass Jin'an, okay?"

The moonlight shone obliquely into the hall, covering the remaining red with frosty white. Li Shenghuang lay in his father's arms, just like when he was a child. At this moment, it seemed that there was no suspicion, only the loving father and filial son.

The candlelight and frost shadows overlapped in silver and white, filling his handsome and sincere face with colorful colors. He had made great military achievements in defending his country, loved the people like his own children, was a good man who loved his daughters and took good care of his sons. A generation of wise ministers and good generals fell at this moment.

Behind Emperor Ming's back, the pair of arms that were tightly holding him slowly dropped. He saw his son closing his eyes. Sorrow and disbelief filled his heart. He had accidentally killed his own son, the prince he valued the most.

He lost a son and a daughter in one day, both of whom he loved. His eyes were filled with tears, which fell straight down. The emperor had never been so devastated and helpless, full of regret, and lost his dignity. He shouted heartbreakingly:

"Shenghuang, Rongde, ah! In one day, my most beloved children all left me. I never wanted to kill you."

There was an uproar in the palace, and countless figures flashed across the red walls. When the imperial physician arrived, Li Shenghuang was already dead. There was wailing everywhere, and the prince's body was sent back to the East Palace.

The cicadas were chirping mournfully, the high eaves were covered in white, the plaques were cast in frost, the faint light of the palace lanterns was reflected outside the hall, the cold light illuminated his pale and cold face, and the crying broke the silent night.

Jiang Xiaoyue was cold by nature and had no friends since childhood. Noble ladies in Sheng'an City refused to associate with her, and there were even rumors that she was insane. After she came of age, until she was eighteen, very few people came to propose marriage to her, because they knew that she was cold-hearted and did not want to get married.

During a hunting trip, she was injured and was rescued by Li Shenghuang. The two fell in love at first sight. Only when she saw him would Jiang Xiaoyue smile and talk a few more words, but they were not well matched in terms of social status.

Her father, Jiang Ying, used his merit in following the emperor to demote himself from the second rank to the fifth rank in order to find a marriage for her. Jiang Xiaoyue then had the opportunity to marry the prince. After the marriage, they had only one son, Li Jingye, after seven or eight years. The emperor ordered him to take a concubine to have children.

Li Shenghuang never cared about this matter. He said many times that he was on a military expedition and it was not Jiang Xiaoyue's responsibility. He doted on her and the two of them lived in harmony. All the ladies in the capital envied her, but she was still as taciturn as before. She only liked to be close to Princess Rongde. Today, her husband and her only friend both died at the hands of the emperor.

"My husband, no one has proposed marriage to me. They all say that I am stupid. I have a Buddhist heart and have no intention of marrying into the emperor's family. It was you who said that I am calm and reserved, and do not show my sorrow or joy, nor do I show my anger. Things are accomplished by secrecy, and they fail by words. Therefore, plans cannot be made by many people. You praised my calmness and said that you are willing to marry me."

Jiang Xiaoyue was filled with grief and despair, her eyes were dead and red, she hugged her husband tightly, but she could not escape the imperial power after all. When she learned that the emperor had killed Li Shenghuang by mistake, she felt relieved about Li Jingye, turned around resolutely, used all her strength, banged her forehead against the wooden pillar, and cried bitterly:

"You treat your wife with the loyalty of a wild goose, and a wife follows her husband with a love that lasts through life and death. My husband, wait for Yue'er."

A streak of blood splashed onto the wooden pillar, and blood dripped down her forehead, leaving her eyebrows bloodshot. Jiang Xiaoyue looked up and saw Li Shenghuang walking towards her. He was still as young as he was, standing tall and graceful, smiling like the bright moon in his arms. He gently wiped the blood from her forehead with his fingertips, hugged her tightly with heartache, and she pointed her fingertips towards the full moon, smiling like a flower:

"Husband."

The summer breeze filled the courtyard with white. Li Jingye, who was hugging his father tightly, looked back and saw that his mother had closed her eyes. He cried until his eyes were blurred and his internal organs were in pain. He ran to hug his mother tightly, and stroked the blood on her forehead with his little hands, sobbing:

"Hurry up and call the imperial physician, mother, call the imperial physician, it's all Mu Jinan's fault, she killed my father, I want revenge on her!"

The crying of a child broke the silence of the night. That night, the East Palace and the Mu Mansion were filled with grief. The royal family had lost two sons in succession, and many officials were discussing it. Emperor Ming was not willing to punish Mu Jinan for his reputation of being kind and virtuous, but he would never let the curse go easily. He thought for a long time and instructed the eleven guards:

"Immediately take Mu Jinan into the palace and imprison her in Zimu Zhai. Have the maid take care of her. You should keep an eye on her and treat her badly. No one is allowed to see her. She is not allowed to study or practice martial arts. When she reaches the age of marriage, let her leave the palace."

"Mu Chen will take Mu Jingyi back to the border to guard it until Mu Jinan gets married, and then he will be allowed to return to Sheng'an City."

The eleventh guard received the order and went to the Mu Mansion. The sunlight was shining white, and two haggard and thin figures in the mourning hall fell into his eyes. He saw Mu Jinan and Mu Jingyi, leaning against each other, kneeling in front of Princess Rongde. The young man felt reluctant in his heart because he cursed too much, but he served the emperor and said mercilessly:

"Your Majesty has ordered that Princess Sheng's daughter Mu Jin'an be brought into the palace and imprisoned in Zimu Zhai until she reaches the age of marriageable age, and then she can leave the palace."

Mu Jingyi looked up in surprise. He had been in the palace for a year and knew what kind of days it was like. He also knew to be cautious in what he said and did. He immediately protected his sister, with pleading and fearless eyes:

"If you want to imprison someone, then imprison me. My sister is young, so please let her go."

The two men were weak, how could they be a match for Yang Zhaowei? Mu Jingyi pounced on the Eleventh Guard. The brother and sister grabbed his hands respectively and bit Yang Zhaowei's mouth hard, glaring at the Eleventh Guard viciously. The Eleventh Guard couldn't bear the pain and pushed the two men away.

"Ah!" The brother and sister stumbled to the ground, their hands tightly held together. A silver light illuminated everyone's eyes, and they could see clearly that Mu Jingyi was holding a dagger against their necks. The depth of his eyes showed his determination to never surrender, to protect his sister to the death, and to face death calmly:

"Eleventh Guard, if you have the ability, kill the princess's son and use my life to restore the emperor's order."

"Swoosh!" A feathered arrow, carrying the summer breeze, shuttled through the white shadows of the mourning hall and shot straight at the Eleventh Guard, firmly embedding in his heart. The blood spread to his lips. He lowered his eyes to see the arrowhead clearly, looked back, and said in disbelief:

"You dare to kill the emperor's secret guards?"

The man was wearing golden armor and a red robe, with a long sword on his waist, holding a Mongolian bow and a Mo Dao on his body. He looked heroic and his peach blossom eyes were full of iron-blooded resentment. He was Mu Chen. He kicked the arrow in the heart of the Eleventh Guard with force:

"How dare you threaten my child? I will kill you. But the child misheard two words. You should have advised the king, but you sought credit and did not distinguish right from wrong. You slandered the king and killed the prince who was kind and benevolent. You are the culprit."

The Eleventh Guard's heart was instantly torn apart, unable to bear the weight, and his pupils were filled with bloodshot, because he spoke like a child and killed the prince who was compassionate to all living beings. Scenes flashed through his mind, as if he was the real culprit, who was only concerned with being loyal to the emperor and forgot that people should have compassion and distinguish right from wrong, instead of being blindly loyal.

The emperor is inherently suspicious and arrogant, and the majesty of heaven cannot be violated. In addition to being loyal, he should also advise the king instead of leading the king to become more cruel and suspicious and imprisoning young girls.

The eleven guards knelt in front of Rongde's spirit tablet, feeling pain and regret. They were unwilling to accept the result in their hearts, but they had no choice as they were no match for Mu Chen. He had never thought that he would die so hastily. He lowered his eyes and let the scorching sun shine on his body. His soul had already drifted to the East Palace to apologize.

Mu Chen looked at his wife lying quietly in the coffin. They had not seen each other for five years. When they met again, they were separated forever. They were trapped in the imperial power forever. She married him against the emperor's will and was often reprimanded by the emperor. And he was not allowed by the emperor to return home to visit his relatives.

The young man felt a sudden pain in his heart, tears kept falling from his eyes, soaking Rongde's face. He gently stroked her hand, and a sobbing sound came:

"Rongde, I'm back late. If I hadn't asked to marry you, you wouldn't be trapped in the mansion. It's me who harmed you. I'm willing to exchange my life for your return. I beg you, wake up and look at me. I won't go to guard the border, I will only be your guard."

"Rongde, poof..." Blood rolled in his internal organs and flowed upstream. He was so angry that he spat out a mouthful of blood on the coffin, staining his wife's clothes red, like a camellia blooming on a moon-white robe. His wife no longer responded, and Mu Chen burst into tears.

Mu Jingyi clutched the corner of his father's clothes, wiped the blood hastily, and cried:

"Father, you can't die. Save my sister. Grandfather wants to imprison her in the palace for ten years before releasing her."