Only after being reborn did I realize that I was the white moonlight of a powerful minister.

This time, Xie Bohuai offended people without holding back.

When Prince Jing was taken away, he cursed Xie Bohuai's ancestors for eighteen generations, but Xie Bohuai acted as if nothing had happened. When Prince Cheng came over, he had the same cold face.

"Lord Xie." Prince Cheng married the daughter of the eldest branch of the Xie family, so he and Xie Bohuai were related. "Aren't you afraid of being resented for what happened today?"

Xie Bohuai merely gave Prince Cheng a look before turning and leaving.

"Why does Seventh Brother seek trouble for himself?" The Wise Prince came over and stood next to the Prince Cheng. From then on, it was just him, the Prince Cheng, and the Prince Duan. The Prince Duan didn't seem like anything special, but the Prince Cheng was no simple character.

"What does Fifth Brother want to say?" King Cheng's smile faded.

"It's nothing, I just never expected things to turn out like this between us brothers." The wise king left these words behind and turned to leave.

The events of that day, in later generations, could be recounted for days and nights without end. Opinions on Xie Bohuai were also divided; some praised him, while others called him a treacherous minister who deceived the emperor.

From that day on, the emperor's health deteriorated significantly, and the deposed crown prince was poisoned to death in the Imperial Clan Court not long afterward. The person who murdered him was never found.

Xie Bohuai, along with the men of the town government, was like a god of death descending upon the world. His already bad reputation was further amplified, and everyone avoided him like the plague.

Three years passed in this way. The emperor had been ill for half a month and had not attended court. Xie Bohuai was not only the commander of the Zhenfu Division, but also the most authoritative person in the capital.

That day, Xie Bohuai had just come out of the Renzheng Hall when he encountered King Cheng and his court officials. He blocked the way and stood with his hands behind his back.

"Xie Bohuai, what do you mean by this?" Prince Cheng looked at Xie Bohuai with displeasure. "My father is ill, and I, as his son, cannot even visit him?"

Bai Shu also said, "Xie Bohuai, you've controlled the court all these years, aren't you afraid of retribution?"

"If I controlled the government, would you still be talking to me like this?" Xie Bohuai glanced at them coldly.

Three years have allowed Xie Bohuai to mature more, and even with his stubble, his face still exudes a unique sharpness.

As soon as he said this, everyone held their breath, and no one dared to look at Xie Bohuai.

In the end, it was Prince Cheng who stepped forward and said, "We just want to see our father, you have no reason to stop us!"

"It's not that I want to stop you, it's His Majesty's will. If His Highness Prince Cheng insists on going in, then please." Xie Bohuai didn't utter a single threatening word, yet it sent chills down everyone's spines.

Xie Bohuai had already stepped aside, but no one dared to step forward.

Xie Bohuai snorted coldly, "Since Your Highness dares not go in, then don't try to pin the blame on me, otherwise..."

The conversation ended there, and Xie Bohuai left.

The few people left behind looked at each other, none daring to go in. Over the past three years, the Emperor had placed even greater trust in Xie Bohuai, consulting him on everything. Therefore, it was no exaggeration to say that imperial power was firmly in Xie Bohuai's hands. Some even said that Xie Bohuai could usurp the throne at any time if he so desired.

"Your Highness?" Bai Shu looked at King Cheng, "Should we go in or not?"

Xie Bohuai has already left. Wasn't their purpose in coming here to see the Emperor?

Now that Xie Bohuai is gone, are they afraid to go in?

Everyone was waiting for King Cheng to speak, after all, none of them dared to offend Xie Bohuai, much less barge into the Renzheng Hall.

After a long while, King Cheng took a deep breath and said, "Let's go back."

King Cheng seemed to want to bite off his tongue at those two words. He came in all his might, but ended up returning in disgrace, having lost face big time.

When King Cheng left the palace, he happened to run into King Xian who was entering the palace. Their eyes met, and King Cheng did not intend to stop, but King Xian called out to him.

"Seventh Brother, why do you have to do this?" The Prince Xian's thin lips curled up slightly. "Everyone else avoids Xie Bohuai, but you insist on forcing your way in. Aren't you just asking for trouble?"

"I brought this upon myself. What is Fifth Brother doing going to the palace?" Prince Cheng sneered.

During these three years, Prince Duan remained even more out of the public eye, leaving only Prince Cheng and Prince Xian to fight each other openly and secretly.

The emperor did not appoint a crown prince, but only wrote a will, which was placed behind the plaque of "Upright and Bright". It was taken down after his death to know who would inherit the throne.

However, if something unexpected happens to the chosen candidate beforehand, then the person will have to be replaced.

During these three years, King Cheng grew rapidly, winning over many court officials, and had reached a point where he could rival King Xian.

The followers of the deposed crown prince and Prince Hui quickly sought refuge in order to protect themselves.

When the two meet now, the tension is even more palpable, and they no longer maintain any semblance of harmony.

“Father is ill. Regardless of whether I can see him or not, as his son, I should pay my respects and serve him every day. It is my duty,” said the Prince Xian. “Seventh Brother, isn’t it inappropriate for you to bring so many people?”

“I’m a man of my word. I can’t be as hypocritical as Fifth Brother, who comes to pay his respects every day. He may have a lot to say, but we all know what you’re really thinking. Why bother with this pretense?” Prince Cheng’s tone was unfriendly.

The wise prince was not angry. Instead, he said, "Seventh brother's temper is almost as bad as sixth brother's. But have you ever thought that the final result might not be you, or me?"

"What do you mean?"

The wise king moved a little to the side, and the king hesitated for a moment before following him. The wise king then said, "Don't you know what the situation is? Do you have military power, or do I have real power? Rather than fighting to the death, why don't we take a break?"

King Cheng frowned. In fact, King Xian was right. Now was the time when Xie Bohuai had the final say. Everyone said that Xie Bohuai was a local tyrant, and it was very likely that the imperial edict behind the plaque of "Upright and Bright" would be written with Xie Bohuai's name on it.

Otherwise, Xie Bohuai would offend everyone, and how would he face himself after the emperor's death?

Now that the wise king is seeking peace, King Cheng is not unmoved. It's just that the wise king is a man of many thoughts, and King Cheng is hesitant to believe whether it's true or false.

“I know Seventh Brother has many doubts. You can think about it first, and come back to me when you’ve thought it through. Three years have passed, there’s no rush.” After saying this, the Wise Prince turned and went into the palace.

King Cheng watched King Xian's retreating figure for a long time before turning around and getting into his carriage.

At this time, Xie Bohuai went to the prison and saw Sun Hao inside. He had become so thin that he was like a skeleton and could not be recognized as a human.

"You're here again?" Sun Hao's eyes were now as empty as a dead person's when he saw Xie Bohuai.

Xie Bohuai walked into the prison. "You still won't tell me who your master is?"

“It’s been three years, and you’ve come every ten days. I must say, you’re really persistent. Didn’t I tell you, my master is the deposed crown prince? What else do you want to ask?” Sun Hao was wishing for death but couldn’t. For three years, he had been imprisoned in this dark and hopeless place, and every day he desperately wanted to hear the news of Xie Bohuai’s death.

Xie Bohuai: "You're not telling the truth."

“You’ve found everything you could, yet you still insist I’m not telling the truth. Lord Xie, you’ve scared the crap out of me, and you’ve subjected me to so much torture. What else do you not believe?” Sun Hao finished speaking in one breath, panting heavily. He really wanted to die, and he also desperately wanted to know what Xie Bohuai wanted to get out of him.

Xie Bohuai stood blocking the entrance to the prison. "You said the deposed crown prince ordered you to interrogate me, but the deposed crown prince died in the Imperial Clan Court. Why is that? Sun Hao, you need to think this through. I have a way to imprison you for life, making you forever unable to die, yet wishing you were dead!"

He asked through gritted teeth, each word distinct, but Sun Hao's face remained numb.

"Xie Bohuai, I've never understood why you're so persistent in interrogating me. For the past three years, you've acted like a madman, offending everyone, yet you still insist on coming to me for an answer." Sun Hao's usually expressionless eyes suddenly twitched. He looked up at Xie Bohuai, like a puppet on strings. "Xie Bohuai, have you lost something? Yes, that must be it, otherwise you would have killed me long ago. But you're afraid, terrified of my death, aren't you?"

Before Xie Bohuai could reply, Sun Hao suddenly burst into laughter. "That's it, that must be it! Haha, I never thought you'd get this kind of retribution! Go ahead and kill me, if you kill me, you'll never know again!"

"Break the bamboo." Xie Bohuai turned and left the prison. "Ten more lashes today."

Zhe Zhu entered the prison, while Xie Bohuai went to the door but did not step into the sunlight.

Si Yan sighed as he looked at his master, “Third Master, with Sun Hao’s audacity, he might really not have been hiding anything.” But in the past three years, his master had not let Sun Hao go, nor had he let himself go. On the day of Miss Ye’s burial, he even dug up Miss Ye’s coffin with his own hands.