74 was exterminated

  Sun Jing Cang heard these words and felt a chill run from head to toe.

  Huayuanyan brought her eldest son back to the palace, taking a horse-drawn carriage straight to the capital. She remembered that when she left the city, she only had Zhuoyue following closely behind, with no one paying attention. This time on the way back to the palace, there was a handsome young general escorting them, and they happened to encounter a crowded scene at the city gate. Whether it was ordinary citizens or famous nobles from the capital, everyone leaned in to take a look at their carriage.

  Seven years ago, when she was the empress, she had never experienced such a situation. But seven years have passed, and it's really become a bit unfamiliar. Moreover, at that time when she was the empress, she was eager to have children, but was stuck guarding the back door, and was watched by her mother-in-law from behind, resulting in long-term residence in the palace, rarely leaving the palace gates.

  Suddenly, a beggar appeared, perhaps half out of curiosity to peek at the people inside the carriage, or thinking that the high-ranking official inside would not be stingy with money, and came up to block the carriage to ask for alms.

  Due to his anxiety, the other party hastily reached into the carriage curtain and said: "Sir, please be kind and give me a bowl of rice."

  The young prince's heart was soft, and he hesitated for a while before deciding whether to give or not. As usual, when members of wealthy families encountered beggars on the road, they would generally give them some money, with the amount given being at their discretion, as it was all about accumulating good deeds. So, it wasn't that these people were truly pitiful. Li Dongyue knew that under his father's diligent governance, the country was peaceful and there was no need to worry about finding work or going hungry, so most beggars were just lazy gluttons. For those who had fallen into poverty due to illness, his father had agreed to set up a charity clinic in the city through his uncle's petition, where doctors would provide free medical treatment to impoverished citizens on behalf of the imperial court.

  The son Xiaoyan hesitated to intervene, while Huayeyan didn't plan to get involved. According to her approach, she was determined not to give in. These people with hands and feet but no illness, who don't work hard and only think about being idle and gluttonous, can't be given in to. Just like her younger son not loving to study, strict measures are needed, rather than spoiling him which can solve the problem.

  But in the future, when the eldest son becomes emperor, she wants to see how he educates his own children.

  By her side, her mother's silent gaze made Li Dongyuan's face even more solemn, and in the end, the small hand that had reached into the purse withdrew.

  "Doesn't Your Highness feel sorry for these people?" Huayu asked intentionally.

  The majestic Crown Prince Xiao Yan, with a hint of sternness, flashed a stern expression: "This palace cannot be blinded by benevolence and fail to distinguish right from wrong, nor can it be deceived by temporary sympathy."

  Two sentences, fully inherited his personality.

  Huā Yùyán patted the crown of the young prince's head and said softly: "Did your father teach you this?"

  "No, it's what I myself thought."

  His father would never directly order him to do anything, but rather tell him the ins and outs, letting him analyze it himself.

  At this time, the eldest son was like a completely different person, just like him.

  He bowed his head and carefully examined the solemn face of Little Prince, possibly even Little Prince himself did not notice that at this moment he looked exactly like his father, completely ignoring the fact that he was a child, and also, completely ignoring the existence of his mother beside him.

  Riding on the back of Lie Huo, Lin Xuanji quickened her horse's pace to catch up with the carriage. Her pair of eyes as cold as frost scanned the surroundings below, and those beggars who had surrounded the horses, trying to take advantage of the situation, retreated like a receding tide.

  He alone, resisted thousands of troops and horses, how can he not be as eye-catching as a thousand feet high? Those passing noble carriages and sedan chairs all stopped to take a look.

  The sedan chair of the Lin family came to a stop, and Lin Murong lifted the curtain with both hands, looking forward at the majestic young man riding on horseback. In her heart, she was startled: Where did this noble youth come from? Why had she never seen him before?

  Mrs. Lin sat with her in the sedan chair, and as she looked out, she saw Lin Xiangji and said, "Ah, this seems to be the person that the Emperor intends to reuse, who just returned to the capital this morning. Could it be true what your father said, that the capital is going to change again?"

  "Mother, did this person just enter the palace this morning? What position does he hold? Why is he saying such things?" As the 076th chapter of the Imperial Capital, the military strength around the Sun family's fiefdom, in the midst of chaos within the Sun family's fiefdom, they immediately took advantage of their victory to pursue and retake the fiefdom. It seems that this counterattack has already been going on for quite some time."

  Sun Qingcang's breathing was rapid and urgent.

  "I am especially grateful to the Empress at this time. If it weren't for my Empress being unparalleled in the world, those who wanted to curse me to death might have been satisfied with just you, Lord Sun. But as it turned out, I didn't expect that it would involve far more than just you alone. So, Lord Sun, can I still choose between your Sun family's army and my Empress?"

  A mouthful of fresh blood began to flow from the corner of Sun Qingcang's mouth, exactly like Empress Hu in her dying moments. Until now, Sun Qingcang couldn't say a word, enough to prove that those who participated in the heavenly curse with her, as Du Youzhi said, didn't have the ability to do so. Sun Qingcang had to gather his son and the most capable people from the Sun family army to cast a joint curse to kill her. In the end, only one person could die, all would die, not a single one could escape.

  When Sun Keqin fell to the ground, what Hua Xiyuan saw in his eyes was probably the most reluctant, the most unwilling thing. What was it? Not that he couldn't overthrow the emperor, but that this danger that could make their entire army of the Sun family perish, actually, Shi Daren, who knew how to do things, didn't tell him.

  "I... I lost..." Sun Jingkong closed his eyes.

  He died with his eyes closed, which means he thought it was right to die at their hands, and he accepted it willingly.

  The jailer walked up and checked Sun Qian's nose for breath, then shook his head at the group of masters.

  Someone came into the palace and reported: "Your Majesty, Princess Ch'ang has arrived at the palace. She says she hopes to see Your Majesty."

  After seeing the successive incidents of Empress Hu and the Sun family, people in the city were all panicked. More and more people fled to the residence of Princess Chang, who could not accommodate so many people, so she had to come here to inquire about the situation.

  This was the beloved Imperial Granddaughter of Emperor Gaozu, who had entered the palace only a handful of times. When Princess Chang was waiting for the Emperor in the Yongning Hall, she saw on his desk a copy of "Tao Te Ching" with a page turned down, and on it, a small pig drawn by a child with a brush. The princess was shocked. In her memory, the young prince had never been mischievous since childhood. Who else but the imperial son would dare to draw a pig on the emperor's book?

  The eunuch outside the door reported that the emperor had arrived, and Princess Chang hastily collected her expression, turned around, and waited respectfully for the emperor to enter.

  Li Zimo didn't know how to face this aunt, because she was too cautious and never dared to have any disagreements with him or the previous emperor.

  The relationship between family members is too cautious, naturally distant and unfamiliar. Even though the Empress Dowager has always been very respectful to him, she has never disobeyed the Emperor's will.

  The two women sat on either side of the seat.

  The Princess lightly coughed twice and said, "After this summer passes, it will be autumn. I was thinking that every year at this time, the imperial family and the Emperor would go on an autumn hunt and pay respects to their ancestors at the Eastern Mausoleum."

  This princess is intelligent and will not ask about the emperor's intentions or events in the court, planning to use celebratory activities to ease conflicts between various parties, allowing all sides of the court to return to calm, so that she can rest easy.

  Li Zimo spoke lightly: "Isn't the Princess's Mansion just having a lantern festival?"

  "The small lantern festival in the Princess's mansion can't be compared to the grand autumn hunt of the imperial family. Too many people are eager to catch a glimpse of the Emperor's demeanor, unfortunately, the lantern festival couldn't invite the Emperor to attend." The Grand Princess said.

  "That day, I was busy with official duties, otherwise I would have gone to the lantern festival to support Princess Chang."

  The princess hastily stood up, feeling anxious and grateful: "Your Majesty has to deal with countless matters every day, worrying about the people of the world. It was my fault for not considering this carefully, I shouldn't have let Your Majesty take the trouble to come to the lantern festival banquet."

  "I occasionally think that there are still some common people below who may not even have a bowl of rice to eat, and my heart is as tight as the Empress Dowager's. I'm afraid to attend the lantern festival and see those chicken, duck and goose meats, without any appetite."

  The princess's face suddenly turned red: "The emperor is right, I was just about to invite many merchants in the city to open their warehouses and distribute grain at a fixed time to relieve those poor people." After finishing speaking, she asked again: "I don't know if the empress dowager's illness has improved?"

  Li Zimo glanced at her lightly and said, "My mother, the empress dowager, unfortunately passed away a few days ago. The empress dowager was a benevolent empress who cared about the court and me. Considering that the court would be affected by her passing, she specially instructed me to keep the funeral private. I sympathize with the empress dowager's thoughts for the people, just like the late emperor, so I followed her wishes."

  The princess was shocked and could only stare at him blankly for a long time.

  Lei Zimo took over a letter handed to him by Li Shunde, and opened it in front of his aunt, handling official business as if there was no gap between them.

  Chang Gongzhu was neither standing nor sitting, she could only sit there in restraint, watching him play the flute, her whole body already covered in sweat.

  After a moment, the dragon's face finally opened and said: "The autumn hunt, the sacrifice to the ancestors, the princess opened her mouth, I remember them all."

  "Yes, I thought so too. How could the Emperor forget his ancestors? Without our ancestors, where would the prosperity and flourishing of Dongling Kingdom come from today?" The Grand Princess lowered her head, seemingly only paying attention to her own shoes.

  Li Zimo gently closed the folding fan in his hand and seemed to recall unintentionally: "How old is the county master this year?"

  The Empress Dowager seemed to have been startled, hastily lifted her head, and then replied in a calm tone: "To report to Your Majesty, since the Empress has passed away, according to the rules of the palace, mourning attire should be worn for three years."

  "The Empress Dowager and the Princess of the County have no blood relationship. It's just that the Eldest Princess has a deep affection for the Empress Dowager, so she would think this way, I can understand."

  The princess's lips seemed to tremble for a moment.

  "I hope that Princess Chang can think carefully for the sake of Princess Jun, after all, she is a woman and not like a man. As a daughter gets married, her mother will always worry more."

  "The Emperor's words are all reasonable." The Empress Dowager said in a low voice.

  After saying these words, Princess Chang was invited out of the Yongning Hall. As she followed Li Shun to leave, Princess Chang asked in a low voice: "I heard that Yan Shangshu is still in the palace?"

  "Yes. Your Highness."

  "May I have an audience with Her Highness?"

  "Yan Shangshu has gone to Guangyang Palace to attend to the Crown Prince. Perhaps the Princess can make another appointment on a later date."

  It seems that the secret letter Mrs. Lin reported to her mansion is true. Li Zimo is getting more and more... daring to threaten her with her beloved daughter. It appears that she must hurry up and take another path, get along with the future master of the Moon Chamber, in order to protect her daughter.

  Hua Yu Yan was in Guang Yang Hall, preparing to have dinner with her two sons. At this time, the father of the children sent someone over to tell them to leave a seat for him at the table. The little foodie immediately frowned. Hua Yu Yan didn't understand what was going on when the young prince whispered to her and told her about how his father had wronged him. Hua Yu Yan could only shake her head at her younger son: It's not easy for a son to win against his father, is it?

  At that time, the Sun Mansion was also besieged in the Sun family's fiefdom. When Sun Qingtian was arrested, Madame Sun took her children and rushed to her mother's house for help, but was intercepted halfway. Only Sun Ruyi, who had hidden in the Long Princess's mansion, managed to escape successfully.

  The turmoil of the Sun family shocked the entire capital and the world.

  The wise king was originally preparing to set off and return to his country, but he stayed behind and postponed the date of his return. Because on the side of the Huas, Old Lady Hua had been missing for several days already.

  Digression

  Next chapter is relaxing, let's take the family of four out to play.