amaotonovel Chapter 696 Crows
Chapter 696 Crows
Coming out of the Liangyi Palace, a biting cold wind blew towards him fiercely. The sharp wind blades cut Li Jingyou's face again and again like knives, but he was completely unaware of the coldness. His heart was occupied by his father's strange and cold eyes.
Every step he took made a slight "rustling" sound, and the scene in the temple just now was replaying uncontrollably in his mind, and those images bound his heart tightly.
In his memory, his father was so kind, like the warm spring sun, warming every corner of his life as he grew up.
But just now, in the Liangyi Palace, a strong murderous intent suddenly flashed across those eyes that were originally full of tenderness without any warning, instantly illuminating the strange coldness hidden deep within.
The emperor, his father, whom he had always regarded as a solid backing, was no longer his support. The veil of tenderness between father and son was ruthlessly torn off, revealing the truth of the cruel power struggle.
From now on, he could no longer act as recklessly as before. He had to be cautious and tread carefully with every step he took, as if walking on thin ice.
He knew in his heart that if he angered his father again, the outcome that awaited him and his son would probably be a mutual loss.
Li Mingda’s matter made Li Jingyou’s brows furrow instantly, his face was filled with pain, and his facial features were slightly distorted due to the violent fluctuations of emotions.
His elder aunt and younger aunt watched him grow up, and they are his warmest childhood memories.
When he was a child, he loved to stick to his aunts like a little tail.
Now, the news brought by Li Chengqian was like a bolt from the blue, instantly shattering his beautiful memories - Li Mingda was likely to have died of poisoning!
Li Jingyou felt dizzy and the ground beneath his feet seemed to be shaking violently. He reached out to hold onto the palace wall beside him and barely managed to steady himself.
Who in this world is so bold as to attack Princess Jinyang and let them succeed so easily?
Time passed quietly like a white horse passing by in a flash, and the winter of the eighteenth year of Qianwu arrived as expected.
Overnight, the entire Chang'an was covered in white snow. The streets and alleys were covered with thick snow blankets, and crystal clear icicles hung under the eaves.
Everything seemed to have returned to its former tranquility. All the storms that had occurred in the past year were quietly buried by the white snow, leaving no trace.
In the court, His Majesty still attends every court meeting without fail.
He sat high on the dragon throne, quietly watching Wang Wen giving orders in an orderly manner in the court.
He occasionally nodded slightly, and occasionally frowned slightly, but his expression never changed. All the changes in the court were under his control.
Only one thing changed quietly. Zhang Xianhuai, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who once made the entire court tremble with fear, seemed to have suddenly lost his passion for power due to the passage of time, and his figure gradually faded from everyone's sight.
At first, the ministers in the court were still discussing it behind his back. Some said that he was hiding his strength and planning a bigger game.
Some said he had offended His Majesty and was forced to temporarily retreat from the limelight. Various speculations were rampant, but as time went on, everyone realized that he was really going to retire completely.
Few people knew where he was going, and only a very few understood that he quietly left Chang'an with his wife, children, and the elderly, and headed for Nanjing, completely away from the core area of the power struggle.
Now, all the affairs of the Jinyiwei, big or small, are under the command of Wang Can.
Strangely, His Majesty did not issue an order to remove Zhang Xianhuai from his post as commander, but just let him leave.
This decision made all the civil and military officials in the court feel confused and secretly relieved.
Without Zhang Xianhuai's intimidating pressure, they could finally relax a little in the court and speak freely.
In the past, under Zhang Xianhuai's surveillance, they had to be careful in what they said and did, for fear that saying or doing something wrong would bring them fatal disaster. Now, they can finally relax their bodies and minds that have been suppressed for a long time.
In the spring of the 19th year of Qianwu, Xianyang City was full of vitality.
In this bustling and prosperous city, there is an extremely secret place - Li Jingyou's secret house.
This house is hidden in a bustling downtown, but it seems like a corner forgotten by the world.
Ever since Xu Yuan and Jiang Liuer fled, this place has fallen into silence, with no one taking care of it and gradually becoming deserted.
The yard was overgrown with weeds, and those unknown wild grasses grew wildly. Some of them even grew to more than one person tall, completely covering the original path.
Wild flowers bloomed here and there among the grass, but they could not conceal the desolate atmosphere.
There was a smell of decay among the ruins. Looking from the ground, it was impossible to detect that there was a house hidden here. There was no record of it on the official deeds. It was like a mysterious existence that was free from this world.
Its entrance is extremely hidden, tucked away in a narrow and deep alley. The towering walls on both sides of the alley cut the sky into a narrow line.
The entrance is cleverly disguised to look like stone bricks. Unless you are familiar with the place, it would be difficult to discover the secret even if you pass by.
Only when you get closer and look carefully can you discover the mechanism hidden in the gaps between the bricks.
And today, this long-silent house welcomes three new owners.
Inside the house, Xu Yuan was lying on the ground in a mess with blood hanging from the corner of his mouth. His clothes were tattered and stained with blood, and his hair was scattered messily on his face, covering most of his expression.
Li Jingyou's face was full of anger, his eyes were bloodshot with rage, like a mad lion.
He held a chair high in his hands, and the veins on his arms bulged.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, please calm down, calm down!"
Jiang Liuer's face was as pale as paper, completely bloodless, with beads of sweat sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto the ground.
He tried his best to hold on to Li Jingyou tightly, his hands trembling slightly from the force, and his voice almost broke.
Li Jingyou simply didn't listen to Jiang Liuer's dissuasion. His eyes were red as he stared at Xu Yuan lying on the ground. The murderous intent in his eyes was so strong that it seemed to ignite the air, and the temperature around him seemed to drop a few degrees because of this murderous intent.
"Xu Yuan, Xu Yuan, how dare you? How dare you attack my own aunt?"
"If I, Li Jingyou, don't kill you today, how can I be worthy of my aunt?"
Xu Yuan listened to Li Jingyou's roar, and with difficulty pulled the corners of his mouth, revealing a sarcastic smile.
The corners of his mouth rose slightly, but with a hint of distortion.
He stood up slowly, his movements as slow as an old man. Every movement pulled at the wound, causing him to frown in pain.
The muscles on his face twitched slightly, but he still endured the pain and patted the dust off his body.
"Your Highness, I have something to ask you. Do you think conquering the world is like playing house?"
When Li Jingyou heard this, the anger in his heart was instantly ignited, and he almost lost his mind.
His chest heaved violently and he gasped for breath.
"What's the point of playing house? I'm the crown prince, my father's only son. Why should I fight for the throne? The throne should belong to me. It's only natural!"
After hearing this, Xu Yuan was stunned at first, then he threw his head back and laughed out loud. His laughter was full of sadness, and tears overflowed from the corners of his eyes.
His laughter seemed particularly out of place in this deserted house.
"Prince, Prince, if it is true that you don't need to take it, then why do you need us?"
"Do you know that in this court, there hasn't been a crown prince who can smoothly inherit the throne for many years?"
"Even though you are His Majesty's only son, do you really not understand what His Majesty is planning?"
"You actually understand it and see it clearly, but you just don't want to listen, let alone believe it!"
Xu Yuan made a sound like the cawing of a crow.