Lao Zhou glanced at the body of the soldier placed on the ground by Liu Mingzhi, his eyes a little helpless.
"Prince-in-law, we don't know where those people came from. Although you lost seventeen brave men here, those who were all top-notch did not get any advantage in the military formation.
After leaving a dozen corpses behind, he returned in vain.
We will definitely give the Prince Consort an explanation for this matter. Now we just hope that you, Prince Consort, can accept the order.
If the Prince Consort and His Majesty turn against each other, wouldn't it mean that they have fallen into the enemy's trap and separated His Majesty from the Prince Consort and his Majesty, thereby achieving his ulterior motives?
If the prince-in-law is unyielding about this, it will just make the insidious person hiding in the dark proud.
Prince Consort, think twice. "
Liu Mingzhi looked at Lao Zhou's helpless expression, with a hint of uncertainty in his eyes.
Could it be that these people really have nothing to do with Li Ye? Someone is deliberately alienating their relationship with Li Ye, making the relationship between the emperor and his ministers gradually become irreconcilable.
"Lao Zhou, I will give you this face for the time being and not pursue this matter, but I will still not change my persistence.
If the world is not unified, I will never return to Beijing to report on my duties. "
Lao Zhou's rickety body trembled slightly, and he looked up at Liu Mingzhi, who had a hard expression and was at a loss.
I thought that the Prince Consort had taken a step back under his own advice, but now it seems that the Prince Consort is still the same as before, and his determination not to return to Beijing to report on his duties has not wavered at all.
Lao Zhou's eyes were a little tangled, he sighed silently, and his eyes struggled for a moment.
"Prince-in-law, let's use someone else to persuade you."
Liu Mingzhi frowned and nodded subconsciously to look at Lao Zhou who looked sad.
Even Lao Zhou, an old friend with whom he has a deep friendship, cannot persuade him. Is there anyone more suitable and convincing than Lao Zhou?
Under Liu Mingzhi's puzzled gaze, Lao Zhou turned to look at the fifty people behind him and waved gently.
The sound of rolling carriages came from Fengyun Ferry in the cold wind, coming from south to north, and gradually became clearer.
When the appearance of the carriage came into view, Liu Mingzhi's pupils suddenly shrank, and he subconsciously looked at Lao Zhou with a tangled expression.
Although he only took a look at this carriage, Liu Mingzhi recognized it at a glance as the carriage that Chen Jie was riding in when it left the restaurant next to the Xinzhou City Station.
Sure enough, the carriage slowly stopped, and Queen Mother Chen Jie's personal servant Gao Jin jumped off the carriage tremblingly under the guard of two chamberlains.
As the wooden bench was moved down, Chen Jie, who was wearing a bamboo hat, also stepped out of the carriage with the help of a maid.
Seeing Chen Jie's figure appearing more than ten steps away, the unnaturalness in Liu Mingzhi's eyes flashed away, and he withdrew his glance at Chen Jie from the corner of his eye.
"My consort, this lobbyist is much more noble than us. If my consort doesn't give us face, we can't help but give her some face!"
Liu Mingzhi controlled his mind and said, "Old Zhou, I wonder who this person is? He is even more noble than you, an old senior."
Lao Zhou shook his head with a bitter smile, looking at Liu Mingzhi who was calm and composed with a hint of sadness in his eyes. His mouth was tightly closed, but the condensed words transmitted by his inner energy clearly lingered in Liu Mingzhi's ears.
"Prince-in-law, we don't talk secretly between us.
There are some things that I don’t point out for the sake of my consort, and also for the sake of people with high status.
Prince Consort, although the Queen Mother is a widow and not married, her status as a nobleman means that she cannot remarry like ordinary women among the people, with the approval of the government.
Your Majesty has accidentally found out about the personal affairs of the Prince Consort and the nobleman.
He still didn't completely fall out with the prince-in-law, but went to the imperial mausoleum alone, asking me to act as a lobbyist, hoping that the prince-in-law could return to Beijing to report on his duties.
No one would be able to bear the humiliation of his wife and mother by his consort, but His Majesty still did not completely fall out with his consort.
So, doesn't Your Majesty think enough of the Prince Consort?
It doesn't matter that we can't persuade the prince-in-law. If the prince-in-law still insists on refusing even if the nobleman comes forward, we really don't know what else to say. "
Seeing Lao Zhou's sad face, Liu Mingzhi looked at Chen Jie who was more than ten steps away with a slightly stiff expression.
The cold wind blew up, lifting the gauze under Chen Jie's bamboo hat, revealing Chen Jie's helpless eyes staring at him with anger and resentment.
Although it was only a short moment, Liu Mingzhi felt too many meanings from Chen Jie's eyes.
I advised you, why do you have to be so stubborn?
The fact that Chen Jie can appear here means that her whereabouts have been known to Li Ye.
In this way, the unclear affair between himself and Chen Jie was no longer a secret to Li Ye.
The two cases of sexual immorality were due to Chen Jie or Nangong Meng drugging their own wine, resulting in unintentional lovemaking.
One time, it was because I and Li Ye were angry because of power matters, and they were drunk and distracted and forcibly violated the beautiful woman, and had a loving relationship with her.
Although both times were not his and Chen Jie's original intentions, what's the use of talking about it now?
The matter is a foregone conclusion and it is too late to say anything.
The fact that he and Chen Jie had an affair as a couple was something that could not be erased.
"Prince-in-law, for the sake of your kindness, please accept the order.
As long as you return to Beijing to report on your work, everything will remain the same as before.
Your Majesty said that the late Emperor had been in power for many years and the Queen Mother was in her early thirties. She was really lonely living alone in the deep palace and high wall for a long time.
As long as the prince-in-law returns to Beijing, out of respect for the Queen Mother and respect for you, he can let this matter go.
However, this matter must not be spread, as it will ruin the reputation of the late emperor and the face of the royal family.
His Majesty has always kept in mind the kindness his consort had shown him in the past, and never dares to forget it easily.
Prince Consort, please stop making mistakes again and again. "
Liu Mingzhi looked at Lao Zhou's pleading look, and his lips trembled slightly: "My king...can I talk to you alone?"
Lao Zhou looked stunned and hesitant.
Looking at Liu Mingzhi's extremely sad and slightly pleading eyes, he finally nodded silently.
"Of course, I hope the prince-in-law can turn around under your noble admonition, please!"
"Lao Zhou, thank you very much!"
"It's our duty. As long as the Prince Consort and His Majesty are safe and sound, and the monarch and his subjects can still live in harmony, and continue the good story of the two generations of late emperors, we have completed our mission and can go back and continue guarding the tomb."
Liu Mingzhi sighed silently and walked towards the carriage not far away with difficulty.
The two Ouchi guards did not stop him and retreated a few steps away, but kept their eyes fixed on this side.
"Your Majesty, please save our savior's life."
Liu Mingzhi looked at Gao Jin's sad face, raised his hand and patted Gao Jin's shoulder, and got into the carriage.
Chen Jie glanced at Lao Zhou not far away through the veil, seemed to understand something, and walked towards the carriage holding the hem of the big cloak.
As soon as she entered the carriage, Chen Jie saw Liu Mingzhi sitting in the carriage looking at her with a somewhat lonely expression.
"Jie'er, I didn't expect things to get to this point."
Liu Mingzhi's guilty words made Chen Jieruan sit down, raised her hand and grabbed Liu Mingzhi's collar and shook her.
"Why don't you listen to my advice? Why don't you listen to my advice?
Now that our affairs have been known to the emperor, why do you want me to have the face to meet him again?
I've been trying to persuade you, why are you so stubborn?
Tell me, why does it become like this?
Tell me. "
Chen Jie's somewhat crazy behavior caused the bamboo hat on her head to drop in the carriage, revealing her face with tears streaming down her face, panic and helplessness.
Liu Mingzhi raised his hands and held Chen Jie's wrists, pulled her into his arms and imprisoned her.
"You will reap melons if you sow melons, and you will reap beans if you sow beans. Is this my fault alone?"
When Chen Jie heard this, her delicate body trembled, and she lay weakly on Liu Mingzhi's shoulder and cried loudly.
“I was so scared and didn’t dare think about what would happen next.
Senior Zhou told me on the way that the only chance of improvement now is for you to return to Beijing to report on your work. Please stop being stubborn and return to Beijing to report on your work, okay?
If you continue to persist in your obsession, do you know that you will die?
Huang'er has given you many opportunities, why can't you understand his difficulties?
He is the king of a country.
In the past, you were so tolerant and humble to him even when we didn't have sex. Why can't you take a step back now? "
Liu Mingzhi raised his hand and patted Chen Jie's back, feeling a little confused when he heard Chen Jie crying in his ear.
“I have retreated again and again, haven’t I retreated enough?
What did I get in the end?
I have made it very clear that it is not that I will not return to Beijing to report on my work. As long as the world is unified, I will take the initiative to return to Beijing to report on my work.
I have withdrawn so many times, why can't he withdraw once?
Considering how much I have helped him in the past, is it difficult for him to back down from me?
The more he advances, the less confident I feel.
He is becoming more and more like an emperor, and I no longer recognize him.
Chen Jie, I don’t want to take another step back unless it’s your fault.
But I have reached the point of no return. "
"He is the emperor, the king of a country! Isn't this enough?"
"Under the circumstances back then, would it be difficult for me to support King Zhao Li Tao to ascend the throne as emperor?"
Chen Jie suddenly trembled and lifted Zhenshou from Liu Mingzhi's shoulders. Her phoenix eyes stared helplessly at Liu Mingzhi's somewhat heavy eyes.
"You came to me just to say this? Do you know the consequences of your decision?"
Liu Mingzhi nodded silently.
"When a series of unpredictable events happened in the past, today was already expected.
If I don't accept the order, I'm afraid I won't be able to survive the storm today.
But even if he is buried here today, Liu Mingzhi is still the same as he said to this day.
I would rather die than retreat! "
