The perimeter of Prince Cheng's Manor was tightly surrounded by capital guards. Not even a fly could escape.
Inside, Prince Cheng was being restrained. "Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this?"
Ming Li only smiled at him, a smile that sent chills down Prince Cheng's spine.
But he still stiffened his neck, pretending to be calm.
Ming Li spoke; "Prince Cheng, do you know your crime?"
Prince Cheng's eyes darted around.
"I do not know what crime I have committed. Your Majesty must not wrongfully accuse me."
Ming Li scoffed.
"I was waiting for you to confess voluntarily. Since you are so unappreciative, I need not cherish any past affections. Xuanyue, bring them in."
With a creak, the main door opened, and Xuanyue entered, followed by the people imprisoned in the dungeon.
Prince Cheng's face instantly turned ashen, a trace of panic flashing in his eyes, though he still feigned composure.
"Your Majesty, what is this?"
Ming Li glanced at him.
"Forcing the good into prostitution, abducting common women, privately establishing a dungeon, raising troops and buying horses—Prince Cheng, your ambitions are not small, hah! ."
He hadn't planned to move against him today, but who told him to commit acts that each violated his major taboos? If this scourge wasn't eliminated, who knew what chaos he might cause in the future.
With both witnesses and physical evidence present, Prince Cheng knew further excuses were meaningless.
He flustered knelt down, "Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me!"
He thought his actions were hidden, but never imagined Ming Li would find out.
Ming Li squatted down, grabbed his collar, and threw him before the ge'er and women.
"Spare you? Ask them if they will spare you!"
Prince Cheng clutched Ming Li 's hand,
"Nephew, let me off this once. After this, I will move out of the capital and never set foot in Jingdu again."
Ming Li let out a cold laugh, stood up, and looked down at him as if looking at a defeated stray dog.
"You have committed such serious crimes and think you can escape so easily? If I let you go today, how will I answer to the officials and people of the nation?"
Prince Cheng's face turned deathly gray, but he still pleaded desperately, "Nephew, for the sake of our uncle-nephew relationship, please spare me this once."
Ming Li i's gaze was icy, his tone resolute, "Relationship? When you attempted to usurp the throne, did you consider this relationship? When you harmed my people, did you consider our relationship?"
"You can't kill me! I am Prince Cheng! Without me, if you kill me, the world will say you are eliminating dissidents, disregarding affection. Your throne will be criticized!" Prince Cheng shouted hoarsely.
Ming Li whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, I won't kill you. I have had a cage custom-made for Prince Cheng. This cage will make you unable to seek life and have no door to death."
"Prince Cheng, stay in there well!"
Prince Cheng instantly collapsed to the ground. Devil! Cao Ming Li is a devil!
Ming Li glanced at him. "Night Owl, take Prince Cheng in."
"Yes." Night Owl lifted the limp, mud-like Prince Cheng and left through the door.
The ge'erand women in the room knelt.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for upholding justice for us and punishing this old villain."
Ming Li shook his head, "It was my negligence that allowed this old villain to harm my people."
He then took a stack of deeds and threw them all into a brazier, "You are free. Go home!"
The kneeling people kowtowed repeatedly: "Thank you for Your Majesty's great grace! May Your Majesty live ten thousand years! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand ten thousand years!"
Ming Li raised his hand signal them to rise.
"All rise. From now on, live your lives well. I will protect you."
Everyone thanked him again, then wiped their tears and slowly left, supporting each other.
"Master." Xuanyue stepped forward.
"A message from home says Young Master Ning has woken up."
Hearing this, Ming Li hurried out of the room and headed straight for the Cao residence.
He stopped at the door to the room.
Inside, something amusing was being said, and bursts of laughter could be heard.
Ming Li , wearing a smile, lifted the curtain: "What are you talking about? So happy."
Shu ge'er was feeding Ning Huaiyu medicine.
Seeing him arrive, covered in dust from the journey, he shoved the bowl into his hands.
"It's just about how a certain someone always hides when it's time to take medicine."
Ming Li laughed and shook his head upon hearing this.
"Daddy, how could you tell Huaiyu about your son's embarrassing secrets?"
He then scooped a spoonful of medicine, blew on it, and offered it to Ning Huaiyu.
"Be good, take your medicine. Must never learn from me."
Ning Huaiyu smiled and lowered his head to drink it.
Shu ge'er: "This way, if he bullies you in the future, you can broadcast this matter far and wide. Let's see if he dares then!"
Ming Li shook his head helplessly, "Daddy's heart is now biased beyond belief."
"What happened to Prince Cheng?" Shuge'er asked.
Ning Huaiyu also looked at him.
"Pleaded guilty and accepted punishment. With both witnesses and evidence, he couldn't deny it. If left unchecked, he might have led troops to attack the capital in the future," Ming Li said with a smile.
"Here, just one last spoonful left."
"Your father said he cannot be killed for now," Shu ge'er continued.
He didn't understand these matters, but he trusted Cao Jun. If he said he couldn't be killed, there must be a reason.
"Daddy, rest assured, I didn't kill him."
He took out a golden silk handkerchief and wiped the medicine from the corner of Huaiyu's mouth.
"But it's more painful for him than killing him."
Only then did Shu ge'er nod.
Lunch was arranged in the west hall to accommodate Ning Huaiyu, as Shu ge'er and Ming Li wanted to eat in Ming Li 's room. Cao Jun also didn't want to eat alone.
Cao Jun handed a letter to Ming Li "Your brother says you abuse him."
Ming Li put down his bowl, took it, scanned it, smiled, and shook his head.
"Father, Daddy, please investigate clearly. Even if I had to drink soup myself, I wouldn't let him drink soup. The border soldiers defend our Great Qing; how could I withhold their military rations?"
"Besides, if he were so poor he had to drink soup, wouldn't you two skin me alive?"
Cao Jun : "You know better. It was you who let him sneak onto the battlefield back then."
"Son's husband, from now on, I leave him to you to manage. If you can't control him, just tell me, and I'll help you discipline him."
Shug e'er pinched him, "He hasn't agreed yet."
Under the table, Ming Li 's hand held Huaiyu's hand, gently stroking it.
Ning Huaiyu softly hummed in agreement.
All three were startled.
Ming Li smiled like a fool; if Huaiyu weren't injured, he would have picked him up and spun him around.
He gazed intently at Huaiyu.
Huaiyu's ink-black hair was loose, his face still pale, but finally with a bit more color. The flower mark between his eyebrows was bright red as he shyly lowered his head.
Shu ge'er: Finally got one off my hands.
Cao Jun: "Silly boy, hurry up and serve Huaiyu some food."
Ming Li leaned over: "Huaiyu, what would you like to eat? I'll serve you."
Ning Huaiyu: "I'd like some red date cake."
Ming Li looked up smiling at Cao Jun: "Father, please don't eat the red date cake. Leave it for Huaiyu and Daddy."
Cao Jun rolled his eyes: "Just eat yours!"
Ming Li : "Father, today is the first day of the New Year."
Cao Jun, eating his food, didn't look up "Hmm."
An open hand appeared before him.
Cao Jun followed the hand and saw Ming Li sitting upright and proper, smiling brightly, like a child waiting for candy.
Cao Jun made a disgusted face, took a thick red envelope from his sleeve, and placed it in his hand, grumbling.
"On New Year's, not even a single auspicious word, just wants a red envelope. Not like my Xi'er; he would definitely say a string of pretty words first before asking for the red envelope."
Ming Li took it and immediately placed it in Huaiyu's hand, then reached out again, even hooking his finger.
Cao Jun buried his head in his meal, "No more. Ask your daddy for it."
Shug e'er took the one from Ning Huaiyu's hand and returned it to Ming Li , then handed the red envelope he had prepared to Huaiyu.
"This one has more."
Comments
Post a Comment