There was thunder outside the window, but there was peace in the Qianqing Palace.
Zhu Qiyu stood on the porch with his hands behind his hands, looking at the continuous string of water on the eaves, and quietly listened to Shu Liang's description of the aftermath of the execution.
God seems to be deliberately trying to embarrass Ren Hong.
As he loaded Ren Li's body onto the cart, the heavy rain not only did not stop, but intensified. He just dragged the cart and trudged forward alone on the empty, muddy streets. .
Behind him, Zhu Yi, Zhang Xian, and Zhou Xuan silently held umbrellas and followed behind.
Along with them, there were also groups of officers and soldiers. They spontaneously formed a queue, walked through the dirty muddy water, and silently escorted the back of the cart, forming a spectacular procession under the heavy rain.
It was about four miles from Caishi Street to Ren's Mansion. Ren Hong walked very slowly. After all, he was just a teenager. He was seriously injured and had not recovered. In addition, he had been running all the way and had been soaked in the rain for so long. It's physical exhaustion.
The road was muddy, and every few steps he took, his soles would slip, he would lose his balance, and fall heavily to the ground.
The originally plain white mourning clothes were first stained red by blood and water, and now they were stained by mud and water. The whole body was covered with blood and the face was covered with dust and mud.
At this moment, Ren Hong no longer had the demeanor of a noble son from a noble family. He looked as embarrassed as a young man who had been ridiculed by the world.
However, this young man is lonely but determined!
Unknowingly, the team following Ren Hong gradually grew larger. In addition to the officers and soldiers, there were also traffickers, soldiers, officials, soldiers and civilians.
Originally, the people who were just watching at the entrance of the market followed sporadically. Later, this special team quickly attracted the attention of many forces in the capital and the people along the street.
Officials sent by various yamen to inquire about the news, Shuntian Mansion yamen officers responsible for maintaining order in the capital, officers and soldiers from the five-city army and horse department, ordinary people who came to join in the fun, and even a young censor wearing a green robe and Xiechi.
All of them first came to investigate out of curiosity, and then after a few well-wishers learned the inside story, they all had complicated expressions, and finally followed behind silently.
So, as time went by, even if the heavy rain continued, a huge flow of people slowly formed in the not-so-wide streets.
Finally, when they turned the corner, they were less than a hundred steps away from Ren's Mansion. From a distance, they could already see the heavily guarded Jinyi guards outside Ren's Mansion.
With a sound of "Winter", Ren Hong fell heavily to the ground again. The muddy water splashed, but with a touch of shocking dark red, it fell on the muddy mourning clothes, which was particularly conspicuous.
"My lord, is this... is the rib displaced?"
Zhou Xuan has been in the Criminal Department for so long and has seen many prisoners, so he is naturally able to identify many injuries. Although he didn't know that Ren Hong was injured just now, his aboveboard behavior on the execution platform was enough His words were enough to make him fall in love with this young man.
After receiving the explanation from the enthusiastic people and knowing that Ren Hong came here with a seriously injured body, Zhou Xuan was even more in awe of Ren Hong.
Again, Confucianism emphasizes filial piety, and what Ren Hong is doing now can be said to be the purest form of filial piety!
Seeing Ren Hong vomiting blood and lying on the ground, Zhu Yi sighed in his heart. He did not expect that this young man could do this. He shook his head gently and said.
"I don't know. When my father-in-law rushed to the Ren Mansion yesterday on the edict of the Holy Mother, he had been injured by the royal guards and fell into a coma. The doctor who treated him specifically asked him not to get out of bed and move around within ten days, let alone someone like this. So much trouble, alas..."
Mr. Zhou was still kind-hearted. Seeing this situation, he hesitated for a moment and summoned two officers and soldiers, hoping to have people come up to help.
However, as soon as he made a move, he was stopped by Zhu Yi.
"Wait a minute, go up now, instead of helping him, you will make all his previous efforts go to waste!"
So, everyone stopped and looked at the young man lying on the ground, soaked by the heavy rain. Finally, in the expectant eyes of everyone, the young man once again managed to stand up, although he was shaky, his face was pale, and there was blood foam on the corner of his mouth. , his hands were already bruised with blood blisters, but they were still holding on to the thick hemp rope tightly.
He no longer had the strength to tie the hemp rope around his shoulders, so he could only wrap it around his waist and drag the cart forward step by step.
"thump"!
"thump"!
"thump"!
Only less than a hundred steps away, the young man fell heavily to the ground again and again. Each time, he seemed exhausted and was about to fall into the heavy rain forever. However, each time, with his strong will, he stood up again, little by little. Approaching the huge mansion.
Finally, the door of Ren's Mansion was in front of him, and the guards with embroidered spring knives hung on both sides guarded the door with indifferent eyes.
Ren Hong parked the trolley in front of the mansion, loosened the hemp rope in his hand, and moved unsteadily up the steps. He couldn't stand still, and with a "winter" sound, his forehead hit the bluestone steps heavily. Bloodstains everywhere.
This time, it seemed that he no longer had the strength to stand up. He held up his upper body with both arms and dragged his body little by little to the door of Ren's mansion. The muddy water mixed with blood, leaving a shocking trace in front of the door of Ren's mansion.
Leaning against the door of Ren Mansion, Ren Hong coughed out another mouthful of blood, which fell on his clothes and bloomed into blood flowers. He gasped for air. After taking a short rest, he used all his strength to push with both hands. After opening the door of Ren's mansion, his vision went dark, his body went limp, and he fell to the ground...
The heavy rain continued, and there was a lot of chaos in the Ren Mansion. A group of servants hurriedly carried Ren Hong in, and even the old lady of the Ren family was frightened out.
However, when she came to the gate, before she could care about her great-grandson's body, she saw a scene that shocked her.
In front of Ren Mansion, countless soldiers and civilians, officials and ministers were holding umbrellas, wearing raincoats, hats, or simply being soaked in the rain.
Everyone stood quietly outside the gate of the mansion without saying a word, with their faces solemn and solemn. A solemn and sad atmosphere filled the entire gate.
When the old lady of the Ren family saw Zhu Yi standing at the front, dressed in a unicorn suit, everything suddenly became clear to her.
She hardened her heart and did not look back to see her great-grandson who was still alive or dead. Instead, she took a deep breath, leaned on crutches, and walked out of the house tremblingly. She bowed deeply to everyone and said .
"I am the Zhou family, acting on behalf of Quanzi and Hong'er. Thank you for escorting me all the way!"
The rain was pounding with no intention of stopping.
Facing the great gift from the old lady of the Ren family, Zhu Yi sighed softly and said.
"The Ren family has such pure and filial descendants, which truly touches the heavens and the earth. Madam, I can rest assured that my father-in-law will report this matter to His Majesty to show his virtue!"
…………
Shu Liang spoke again with a calm voice as he fully described what Ren Hong had done.
"After Duke Cheng Guo left the Ren Mansion, he immediately sent people to make a book of all people and asked all the people and soldiers present to leave their names. In order to go to heaven to hear it, he also sent a memorial to the palace to ask for clemency for the Ren family."
"Now the memorial has arrived at the cabinet, and many people in the Book of People have written down their names and pressed their fingerprints. In addition, he also handed over a sign and wanted to enter the palace to see the Holy Mother. At about this moment, he has already received the call, and he is in Cining In the palace..."
Of course, Shu Liang knew the inside story of this big drama in Caishikou. However, as the Chengguo Palace became prosperous again, it was no longer as deserted as before, and it was quite inconvenient for Shu Liang to go in and out. In addition, Zhu Yi After all, their identities are different now, so Zhu Yi often makes arbitrary decisions when the situation arises and only informs Shu Liang afterwards.
Therefore, what Ren Hong did and the reactions of all parties were indeed planned by Zhu Yi.
Now, even though he didn't say it, Shu Liang couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Today's Cheng Guogong is no longer the impetuous and reckless young man who ran into obstacles everywhere in the capital.
Now, regardless of his status, ability or strategy, he is qualified to be the one who holds the throne without violating the emperor's will. He can decide for himself what method he wants to use to achieve his goal.
But obviously, the emperor was not dissatisfied with this situation.
After pondering for a moment, Shu Liang hesitated, and finally said.
"In addition, when he first entered the palace, the Duke of Guo took the time to let Qingfeng pass a message, saying that Ren Hong's actions today show that he is a useful talent, and he would like to ask the Emperor to extend his kindness."
When he said these words, he was not just showing off, but Zhu Yi was really interceding.
After hearing the cause and effect, and hearing the words Zhu Yi handed over, Zhu Qiyu had a smile on his face, nodded slightly, and said.
"Zhu Yi did a good job this time. Not only did he get the things left by Ren Li, but he also made friends with the Ren family. Although the Ren family is now in decline, it is a good relationship after all. He is willing to intercede with the Ren family. It shows that he has not lost his kindness, which is a good thing.”
"People have been walking in the darkness for a long time, and sometimes they forget what light looks like. It's great that Zhu Yi can do this!"
"How is that boy?"
Shu Liang lowered his head and chewed carefully what the emperor had just said. A flash of enlightenment flashed through his heart. However, he did not delay his mind because of this. Hearing the emperor's question, he immediately answered.
"The person who diagnosed the disease was Dr. Xia. He was mentally exhausted and physically exhausted. The ribs he had just connected were broken again. According to Dr. Xia, even veterans who have fought on the battlefield may not be able to withstand this kind of severe pain. Live."
"However, Ren Hong's body was already like this at least when he walked out of Caishi Street. He endured this kind of pain and was able to return to Ren's house. It can be seen that he is indeed a brave person."
Hearing this, Zhu Qiyu was also a little surprised. He turned around and looked at Shu Liang and said.
"So, you think this guy is useful?"
"From your perspective, Eunuch Shu, it's not easy for you to praise me like this!"
The emperor's tone was relaxed, but Shu Liang did not dare to neglect and said quickly.
"Your Majesty has broken this slave. I just think that this is indeed a good boy. In addition to being brave and wise, he is also virtuous, has a righteous heart, and can distinguish right from wrong. It is a pity that he is buried like this."
This review is even more uncommon!
Shu Liang paused for a moment, feeling the emperor's inquiring gaze, lowered his head and continued.
"I don't dare to deceive the emperor. After getting the things yesterday, Duke Cheng left the Ren Mansion, but Doctor Xia stayed behind to continue treating Ren Hong's injuries."
"Because it was necessary to ensure that Ren Hong was conscious and able to get out of bed and walk the next day, Dr. Xia and two medicine boys stayed outside Ren's house all night."
Hearing this, Zhu Qiyu squinted his eyes, and he could probably guess what Shu Liang was going to say.
If that was the case, then he would indeed have to re-evaluate this young man from the Ren family.
"After Ren Hong woke up at night, although the two medicine boys were standing outside, they still roughly heard the conversation between him and the old lady of the Ren family."
"What the boy said to General Asu on the execution ground today is what he said to the old lady of the Ren family. At that time, the old lady asked him to take the Holy Mother's Edict just in case."
"However, Ren Hong said that the Ren family has committed serious sins and should do its best to repay the blood debt and pray for the forgiveness of the victims. They must not distinguish between right and wrong and only try to protect themselves."
"So I thought that at the execution ground, General Asu must have felt the child's sincere guilt, so he chose to forgive..."
Although he had expected it, after listening to Shu Liang's narration, Zhu Qiyu was still quite emotional.
In fact, what he just said with a kind heart was to praise Zhu Yi, but he was also talking to himself.
After being in the court for a long time, when encountering anything, I tend to make calculations and speculations first. It is difficult to believe in the loyalty, kindness, integrity, and courage that come from the heart.
However, although such pure people are rare in the world, they do exist after all!
"So, this is indeed a good boy."
With a sigh, Zhu Qiyu sighed indifferently, but didn't say anything more.
Not long after, Wynn walked over quietly from the door and reported.
"Your Majesty, there is news from Cining Palace."
"What words?"
"The Holy Mother sent someone to send a message to the emperor, saying that the way to govern a country lies in virtue and benevolence. Filial piety is the most important thing in the world. The emperor has been on the throne for a long time. Although the country is governed well, education cannot be ignored. If the people are virtuous, Those who stand out and show clear filial piety should also be rewarded to show their virtue."
Although Wynn didn't know the conversation that just happened, he still got the news to some extent since there was such a big commotion in Caishikou.
At this moment, Empress Dowager Sun sent these words, which seemed to be just advice on how to govern the country. However, in fact, they were nothing more than a hint that the emperor should forgive the Ren family in the ceremony of appointment.
Therefore, when he said this, Wynn was a little cautious, not knowing what the emperor's plan was.
However, what surprised him was that when the emperor heard this, his mood did not fluctuate, he just said.
"I understand."
Other than that, there was no expression. Seeing this situation, Wynn did not dare to ask any more questions and quietly retreated. At the same time, Shu Liang also retreated with a wink.
However, vaguely, they seemed to hear a sigh when they left.
"What a pity for such a good child..."
