Born a phoenix? The husband I picked up is the young emperor

Chapter 1767

As soon as Eunuch An was helped up, he bent his knees and knelt down again. His skinny fingers tightly grasped the hem of Xiao Zhi's clothes, and his forehead rested on his knees, crying tremblingly, "Your Highness! Your Highness! I know I was wrong! Please have mercy and keep me! In this life, the only thing left for me is to serve Your Highness!"

Xiao Zhi stood tall and graceful, with the golden python pattern on his body glowing coldly in the twilight.

His knuckles were stretched white, and his chest felt like a piece had been cut out of it. The cold wind, wrapped in the pain in his heart, poured straight into that empty hole.

Eunuch An's crying sounded so soft and lingering that it felt like countless needles piercing the cracks between his bones, causing him excruciating pain.

Xiao Zhi's voice was as light as snow falling on the ground. "When I was five years old, I was pushed into the lake by the King of Jin in winter. It was you who braved the cold wind to rescue me from the cold water."

Eunuch An's crying stopped abruptly. He remembered that day when ice chips tore through his cotton robe, the lake was so deep that he couldn't see the bottom, and the little prince's red brocade jacket was like blood, spreading in the dark blue.

"Then you were ill for three whole months, and the imperial physician said that you would develop a chronic illness. Your poor health began at that time. Whenever the weather got cold, your legs would hurt. But you smiled and said..." Xiao Zhi suddenly choked and couldn't continue.

Eunuch An's back rose and fell violently. He remembered what he had said at that time, "This old slave's body was originally used to protect His Highness from disasters."

Xiao Zhi knew that his legs hurt, so he was reluctant to let him kneel.

But now, he was kneeling, and Xiao Zhi didn't ask him to stand up.

Xiao Zhi added, "When I was seven years old, I contracted smallpox. Everyone in the palace avoided me, even my wet nurse claimed to be sick and didn't dare to approach me. Only you fumigated your clothes with wormwood and stayed by my bed all night long."

Eunuch An held Xiao Zhi's legs tightly with both hands and refused to let go.

Of course he remembered the past. The Fourth Prince was burning all over, and the brocade quilt was covered with pus, blood and medicine stains. He soaked a handkerchief with well water and wiped the twitching little body over and over again. In the middle of the night, the child was delirious with fever and grabbed his fingers tightly and shouted "Mother".

Scenes from the past flashed through the minds of the master and servant.

Xiao Zhi raised his face, the twilight in his eyes was as dark as ink, "Eunuch An, I once swore to take care of you until the end of your life."

The end of his words turned into an almost inaudible sigh. The iron horses on the eaves suddenly jingled, covering up the almost inaudible sobs in his throat.

But the tone changed, like a cold wind, "Do you know the crime you have committed?" He lowered his eyes and looked at the person who had protected him since he was a child, "You have harmed the princess, enough for you to die ten times!"

Eunuch An shuddered all over, but held the leg in his arms even tighter. Tears soaked through the brocade, leaving dark marks, "I know I was wrong! I know I was wrong!"

Xiao Zhi's Adam's apple rolled slightly, "Then tell me, where did you go wrong?"

Eunuch An cried, "I was wrong, I was wrong...I shouldn't have poisoned the silver carbon! I shouldn't have acted on my own!"

Xiao Zhi shook his head gently, "No, you were wrong for believing in rumors, and even more wrong for having no judgment."

Eunuch An was shocked, "Your Highness, if the rumors are true, you are in danger!"

After saying this, Xiao Zhi knew that even if he gave Eunuch An ten more chances, it would be useless because he would still go his own way and make even bigger mistakes.

Xiao Zhi suddenly raised his legs, turned around and walked into the imperial study, and said in a very cold voice, "Come in with me!"

When Eunuch An crawled on his knees across the threshold of the imperial study, the chill of the ground penetrated his bones and caused him excruciating pain. His hunched back trembled slightly when the palace lanterns suddenly lit up, and the prince's majestic back was reflected in his tearful eyes.

Xiao Shuzi held the copper candlestick and lit the twelve-branch palace lanterns one by one.

The candles on the gilded lantern tree gradually lit up, illuminating the ink in the Duan inkstone on the imperial desk. He lowered his eyebrows and retreated to the door. The lacquered wooden door made a light "click" sound when it closed.

Xiao Zhi sat on the chair for a long while, as if thinking about something very important. Finally, he opened the secret compartment, took out the imperial edict of Emperor Mingde's succession, and unfolded it in front of Eunuch An.