Lock and secure

Ever since Bei Zhenting returned to the court and became a new noble, the court has been scrambling to choose sides. Bei Zhenting's proposal to marry the Duke's son provoked the Duke's family, and those who had previously sided with the Duke's family rushed to disassociate themselves.

The few who did not express their opinions also reduced their presence.

Ever since Bei Zhenting proposed to the Duke's Mansion, there have been memorials impeaching the Duke's Mansion in the court every day these days.

True and false, false and true, the emperor is in great pain.

The report even revealed secrets unknown to the Emperor. Bei Zhenming, fully aware of the Duke's loyalty, naturally suppressed the memorial. However, the impeachment cases were so numerous that they seemed to be escalating.

In the imperial study, Bei Zhenming was flipping through memorials one by one.

"They actually sued Luo Lin for occupying several silver mines in Lingnan. This is outrageous!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down. The Duke of Lingnan has reported it. Your Majesty is grateful for the hard work of the people and has reduced taxes. The output of the Lingnan silver mine will be used for military equipment... Lord He is a civil servant and I guess he doesn't know about this." After Eunuch Zhu finished speaking, a little eunuch appeared in the middle of the hall.

"Your Majesty, the Duke is outside seeking an audience."

"noise."

Luo Lin came into the hall in military uniform. Bei Zhenming was shocked and quickly stood up to help him.

"What's this, Duke?!"

Luo Lin was stubborn and insisted on performing the salute, kneeling on one knee.

"There's no need for this, Duke. I understand the righteousness of the Duke's Mansion very well and won't be deceived by such fabricated stories."

"Your Majesty, I came here today to ask for an important favor!"

"What's the matter?"

"Please grant your Majesty the marriage of Sun Luoyao"

"Oh? Yao'er is awake? I've never heard that Yao'er has a crush on someone."

"Please, His Majesty, grant me a marriage between my grandson and Prince Yong'an."

Bei Zhenming frowned.

"But Qinxi is making things difficult for you again?"

"Your Highness has never troubled me again, but the voices of impeachment in the court have been too loud recently. I am afraid I can't protect Zhesheng's children. Please, Your Majesty, consider my loyalty over the years and protect the two children left by Zhesheng. I have spent half my life in the military and am now past the age of sixty. I am half buried in the ground. I resign my post and return home. If I can help stop the rumors, I will do my best."

Bei Zhenming frowned tightly. The best solution now was for him to resign. This would allow him to have both, but...

"Okay, I understand. My dear, please go back first."

After Luo Lin left, the imperial study returned to peace.

"Your Majesty, this is indeed the best. The louder the impeachment is now, I'm afraid it won't be impeachment tomorrow."

When Bei Zhenting heard this, he looked up at Eunuch Zhu.

"Your Majesty, although Prince Yong'an was innocent of what happened back then, so many people died and all the evidence pointed to him. The Duke's Mansion was implicated. The Duke and General Luo knew the ins and outs of this, so they suppressed Prince Yong'an. In reality, it was also to protect him. The subsequent pursuit was probably a frame-up, but without evidence, the world believed it was the Duke's Mansion's doing."

"If the situation worsens and the Duke's Mansion encounters disaster, the Crown Prince will probably be able to find some protection if he marries the Prince."

The next day, when the court was in session, the Duke was there after not attending for a long time. The emperor personally granted the marriage in front of everyone, and the wedding was completed in three days.

In the Yong'an Palace, Bei Zhenting came back from court and entered the study, throwing the imperial edict in his hand aside.

Li Qingyun picked it up and took a look at it.

"What an old fox! Even when he's about to die, he's still thinking about finding a backer for the prince."

Damn prince, he even caused me to be punished!

"I won't protect everyone. If you think you can rely on me as your backer, you are being too clever." Bei Zhenting said disdainfully.

"Pack up and go see my princess!"

Bei Zhenting said this and walked out with a smile on his face.

Li Qingyun trembled. The prince seemed very interested and laughed very viciously.

The prince walked away, and Li Qingyun hurried to catch up, "Master, the princess...she hasn't woken up yet..."

“Call Ye Qing, how dare the Duke’s Mansion let me marry a corpse!

The atmosphere in the Duke's Mansion is very depressing. The Crown Prince has been in a coma, and today is the fourth day.

At the gate of the Duke's Mansion.

"Stop, the Duke's Mansion refuses to see visitors today!" Two guards drew their swords and blocked the gate.

Bei Zhenting narrowed his eyes and kicked a guard away. Li Qingyun drew his sword and grabbed the neck of another guard.

"You dare to stop His Majesty? You're courting death!"

The two men rushed into the house. The Duke's Mansion was even more dilapidated than a few days ago. There were still a few strips of white cloth hanging on the beams, indicating that the funeral had not been completely cleared away.

The atmosphere was a bit depressing. Occasionally, one or two servants hurried past, but no one stepped forward to stop them.

Bei Zhenting frowned. The three of them came to the reception hall, but there was no one there.

Bei Zhenting had a gloomy face. How dare he ignore him, the Prince of Yong'an!

A maidservant hurried by with a basin of water, and when she saw them, she stopped.

"Are you looking for my master? He is in the west wing, in the eldest young master's room."

After saying that, he left in a hurry without caring about them anymore.

"What happened?" Li Qingyun asked puzzledly.

"Could it be that something happened to the Princess?"

Bei Zhenting, with a sullen face, stood up quickly. "It's best if nothing happens. Killing my father and mother is not something that can be solved by just dying! What I want is a life worse than death!"

Several people came to the west wing, the door was closed, and a ball was lying on the door and peeking in.

"Get out of the way, kid!"

Li Qingyun took a quick step forward and tried to hug Tuanzi away, but Tuanzi reacted very quickly. He turned around and saw three fierce and tall men. He instinctively felt that they were not good people, so he opened his arms and hugged them.

"Who are you? No entry!"

Bei Zhenting approached the little ghost and whispered fiercely to Luo Xinchen: I am your father!

Tuanzi was so scared that he trembled all over. Bei Zhenting picked up Tuanzi and threw him aside, then pushed the door and walked in.

Li Qingyun: Your Highness just now... Didn't the Princess...

The few people ignored Tuanzi, who was crying and shouting at the door.

There were quite a few people in the room. Luo Lin looked up and took a look, but didn't react. He continued to hold his grandson's cold hand.

"Doctor Zhu, Yaoyao..."

"My Lord, the Crown Prince's face is flushed, and his hands and feet are cold. He has a fever."

"The eldest young master hasn't woken up yet and has a fever again... Woo" The maid beside her covered her face and cried.

"Ye Qing."

Ye Qing responded and went over to check Luo Yao's pulse.

Bei Zhenting stood aside with his hands folded, his eyes fixed on the man on the bed.

The man's hair was spread out, and on his forehead was a silk handkerchief soaked in cold water to cool him down. He lay motionless, his face was abnormally red, and his lips were pale.

Bei Zhenting's gaze moved to the man's red ears, which looked very tender and seemed to be able to squeeze out water.

"Don't look!" Luo Xinchen ran into the room at some point, rushed in and lay down on Luo Yao's bed, stretching out his little hands to block Luo Yao's face.

Luo Xinchen's words reminded Luo Lin. Luo Lin looked back at Bei Zhenting and stood up. The two of them were about the same height, and they immediately blocked Bei Zhenting's sight.

Li Qingyun standing aside: ...

However, Bei Zhenting didn't notice at all, bypassed Luo Lin's mighty body, and went straight forward to lift Tuanzi away. "Don't press him, he will not be able to breathe."

Luo Yao kept having a recurring nightmare: white silk dancing in the air, a black coffin, flickering candlelight, a bustling crowd, the cold, dark river, a man's blurry face, his brother's shrill cries, pain all over his body...

It's so strange...it shouldn't hurt at all when a knife cuts the flesh, why does it hurt so much?

A lot of emotions flooded into his mind: sadness, helplessness, happiness, despair. Luo Yao hadn't felt this way in a long time. The overwhelming emotions made him feel a deep pain in his heart...

The pain was so severe that he felt like he was going to die.

Bei Zhenting noticed that Luo Yao's tears flowed from the corners of his eyes and into his cochlea.

"How about it?"

Ye Qing was a little puzzled, "Your Highness, the prince's pulse is weak, but he's fine. I don't know why he hasn't woken up yet."

"The general and his wife must have passed away, and the prince is so sad that he doesn't want to wake up..." The maid beside him sobbed softly.

Ye Qing and Bei Zhenting looked at each other when they heard this.

This was Bei Zhenting's first time meeting the Crown Prince since returning to the court. Prior to this, Bei Zhenting's impression of the Duke's Prince was stuck in his teenage years. Back then, his father, the King, and his mother were away on the battlefield, and he had lived in the palace for a long time, along with a young child. The Crown Prince had a heavy academic workload, and the Emperor often asked him to play with the child regularly so as not to disturb the Crown Prince's studies.

The child's name was Yaoyao, and he was the precious little prince of the Duke's Mansion. Because his grandfather, parents all went to the battlefield, he lived alone in the palace.

The child is just a follower, naughty, crying and acting like a spoiled child. If he doesn't take good care of the child, he will be laughed at by his brother, the emperor, who says that he can't even manage a little kid, so he will definitely not be able to manage his subordinates in the future.

During that time, he was a rebellious young man, either robbing bird nests in the palace or instigating the Crown Prince to leave the palace. He was most annoyed by the little brat who followed him around because the child always cried and made a fuss when he didn't wait for him.

Fortunately, that period didn't last much longer. Later, when his mother fell seriously ill and could no longer fight on the battlefield, he returned to the palace, leaving the little brat behind. The general and his wife had died in battle, their vengeance unrequited. His enemies had aged and died, but the resentment in his heart had only grown. Then he remembered the little brat. Even if your parents were dead, it didn't matter. You had to atone for the sins committed by the Luo family! His memories, tainted by hatred, became distorted. So, when the emperor asked him what reward he wanted, he replied, "He wanted the child!"

People have seen it, and Luo Yao's face overlaps with the child in his memory. There is nothing special about it. Bei Zhenting was about to say goodbye and leave. When he passed by Duke Luo Lin, he said in a voice that the two of them could hear:

"My Lord, please take good care of the princess bestowed by me, or she will become a corpse in three days."

Luo Lin was furious and was about to show his power.

"Brother, move your hands!"

Luo Xinchen's voice interrupted the two of them.

Everyone in the room immediately looked towards the person on the bed, and Bei Zhenting also stopped.

Luo Yao tilted his head uncomfortably, and the brocade scarf on his head fell, revealing his smooth and rosy forehead. Luo Yao slowly opened his eyes, and his gaze met Bei Zhenting's. Without any extra emotion, he glanced at them and then lowered his eyes to look at the little ball who was pressing on him on the bed.

"Brother..." Luo Yao clenched the soft and warm little hand in his hand, closed his eyes and fell asleep again.

"Brother! Brother! Woohoo!" Tuanzi cried loudly, his cry was deafening.

Bei Zhenting felt his heart stirred, and he was stunned for a moment when he was brought back to his senses by a sharp cry.

"Your Highness, the prince just fell asleep due to weakness." Ye Qing answered promptly.

Bei Zhenting was somewhat displeased with Ye Qing's timely resolution. He flicked his sleeves and left with a gloomy face.

Luo Yao had a dream. In the dream, there was a river with extremely clear water.