Chapter 609: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 609: Rewards (3)
Despite the disparity in their statuses, that pair of man and woman seemed extremely well-matched, which only made him more uneasy.
Chu Heng noticed this and dropped the sarcasm from his face, bluntly exposing Emperor Hui'an's concerns: "Father values Han Zhang's abilities, uses him heavily, yet guards against him, fearing that after my death, no one can control him if he becomes the crown prince or the next emperor! Instead of using a girl to manipulate Han Zhang, why not strip him of all his official positions now, letting him remain merely a titled heir? Then, if you need him later, you can reinstate him, instead of making things difficult for an innocent girl!"
Although this solution seemed unfair to his cousin, the suspicion of emperors never fades. This was the only way his cousin could truly avoid danger; otherwise, with his cousin's uncompromising integrity, he would inevitably provoke imperial suspicion.
Emperor Huian sighed heavily, stepping down from the dais to stand before Chu Heng. Seeing his son, now barely recognizable, his heart ached with pain, anger, and helplessness.
He reached out, gently stroking Chu Heng's head as he had when Chu Heng was young, his voice filled with powerlessness: "Father... Father understands your thoughts. Rest assured, as long as he harbors no disloyalty, Father will not touch him! As for that girl... she did save someone, so Father will reward her appropriately without making things difficult for her!"
Hearing this, Chu Heng secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the man before him, whose temples were streaked with gray, he felt a pang of sadness. He knew this man's affection for him was genuine, and it was this father-son bond that gave him the courage to act so decisively against Prince Heng and the others. Though he had intended to kill them, at the last moment, he couldn't bear the thought of this man having to bury his own children, so he only disfigured Prince Heng and crippled the others.
Struggling to swallow the metallic taste in his throat, Chu Heng couldn't help but bury his head in Emperor Huian's chest, hugging his waist tightly, closing his eyes to hide the fleeting attachment in them.
Emperor Huian was momentarily stunned but then slowly opened his arms to embrace the child in his arms, a look of nostalgia in his eyes. When Chu Heng was young, the poison's effects often caused him intense pain, making his body convulse. During those times, no matter how busy he was, Emperor Huian would drop everything to hold young Chu Heng tightly until the waves of pain subsided...
Outside the palace, Xiao Ruiyuan stood expressionless at the palace gate, maintaining a straight posture without moving an inch for half an hour.
Yan Junyu leaned against a tree stripped of its bark by Mao Mao, leisurely fanning himself, though his eyes never lost their look of concern.
Mo Yan was soothing the five beasts that wanted to go home, but she did not leave. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but without Emperor Huian's order, the guards wouldn't let her go.
Since early morning, when she and the five beasts had set out for Phoenix Mountain, none of them had had a drop of water. Mo Yan and the other four beasts could manage, but Mao Mao, still growing, was so hungry that his eyes had turned green, and he was weakly whining at his master.
Mo Yan couldn't take out the food stored in her space, so she could only pet Mao Tuan's head, soothing him softly. While no one was looking, she sneaked her finger into his mouth, secretly feeding him spiritual spring water. Even if it couldn't fully satisfy his hunger, at least it could fill his stomach and replenish some energy.
Mao Tuan gulped down the water, making a slurping sound. Fortunately, Mo Yan was careful about the amount, preventing any water from spilling and causing unnecessary trouble.
The slurping sound caught Xiao Ruiyuan's attention. Learning that Mo Yan and the five beasts hadn't had a drop of water all day, he felt guilty. After giving Yan Junyu a few instructions, he led Mo Yan and the five beasts back to his tent.
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