Last time he learned about Mei Qingxue's feelings. Just as her heart was as firm as a rock, so was his. Reluctantly, he looked at Mei Qingxue again and again. It was just going to court, but he just didn't want to leave her for a single moment.
"Why are you so... "
Mei Qingxue moaned with a headache, seeing that Du Guqing was reluctant to leave her. It was just a matter of a few hours at most. Why was he so reluctant to part?
Was he afraid that once he left, she would be harmed by someone?
"I can't bear to part." He had been alone in the hot spring yesterday, thinking about her tenderness and beauty. He had planned to have an intimate moment with her when he came back last night, but he was delayed by other things.
"It's just a few hours. Why are you so clingy today?"
Mei Qingxue had no idea that the man was full of impure thoughts at the moment. She stood up and pushed Du Guqing out of the room. "We'll see each other at noon, won't we?"
"Yes." Du Guqing showed a naughty look on his face.
"Can't I skip going to court?"
"No!"
For their plan and their future life, he had to play his part well today. Otherwise, the injury he suffered would be in vain.
Seeing the determination on Mei Qingxue's face, Du Guqing put away his expression and gently kissed her on the forehead. "Don't go out. Bear with it for one day today."
He would deal with that impostor when he came back tonight.
"Okay." He was really long - winded. He used to be clingy, but not this long - winded. Now that he knew her feelings, it was extremely difficult for him to even go to court in the morning. He needed to be coaxed, pushed, and even forced. It was really strange!
"Alright!"
Du Guqing put on a serious look. He couldn't delay going to court any longer. Deliberately leaving late today was just giving his brothers a chance to perform.
"Court is in session!"
The chief eunuch gave a long, drawn - out cry. With the sound of a few whips hitting the ground, the civil and military officials who had already lined up began to file in. In the court, the eldest prince, Du Gu Ming, and the third prince, Du Gu Jue, stood on either side, with their supporters behind them.
Du Gu Ming looked at Du Guqing's empty seat and a hint of pride flashed in his eyes.
Seeing his look, Du Gu Jue showed a cold smile on his face. Now the whole court knew that Emperor Du Gu You had chosen Du Gu Ming as the crown prince because Du Gu Ming had the same demeanor as Du Gu You in his youth.
Du Gu Jue sneered. Their father was most concerned about brotherhood. If he knew later that his eldest son, who had his demeanor in the past, had actually hired assassins to harm his own brother's life. Du Gu Ming's position as the crown prince would surely be lost. Then... Heh heh!
Du Gu Jue made up his mind. Looking at the position where his sixth brother used to stand, he regarded that sickly wretch as already dead. The strange look in his eyes was clearly seen by Du Gu Ming.
Du Gu Ming felt a chill in his heart. He always felt that something was strange, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Du Gu Jue kept looking at him. Had his plan been exposed?
It shouldn't be. Du Gu Ming dismissed his own thought. He gave Du Gu Jue a proud look. The Blue Sea Pavilion he had chosen was said to be expensive and reliable, and it wouldn't disclose the information of its clients. Moreover, the people he had sent were already dead.
To cover his tracks, he had chosen a stranger to do the job. After the man came back, he had killed him. He couldn't let others know that he had harmed his own brother. Otherwise, the position of the crown prince would surely be out of his reach today. But Du Gu Jue's look at him was really strange.
Hiding his thoughts, Du Gu Ming acted as if nothing had happened. There was a confident smile on his face, as if he knew that the position was already his. Seeing his arrogant look, Du Gu Jue sneered secretly. He would soon let him know the truth.
The undercurrent between the two princes affected the nearby officials. Mei Zhenguo looked at Du Guqing's seat and then saw the strange expressions on the faces of the two princes. A bad thought occurred to him.
Could it be? If so, wouldn't his precious daughter become a widow?
Du Gu You said, "I've been observing you for half a day. Let's hear what you have to report. If there's nothing, you can withdraw."
Just as Du Gu Ming was about to step forward to report, Du Gu Jue immediately put on a sorrowful look.
"Father, I have something important to report." Du Gu Jue looked at Du Gu You intently, without the slightest bit of evasion. A bad feeling welled up in Du Gu Ming's heart. Unfortunately, although he was suspicious, he didn't expect that his plan would be exposed so soon.
"Speak." Du Gu You looked at Du Gu Jue's expression. Although there was an element of acting in it, his attitude still caught Du Gu You's attention.
"I, I..." Du Gu Jue was so grief - stricken that he couldn't speak.
"Speak quickly!"
Du Gu You had already seen Du Guqing's empty seat, and his heart began to weigh heavily. Could it be that his youngest son... Du Gu You didn't dare to think about it.
"Speak quickly!" Du Gu You couldn't hold back his anger and urged again!
"Yesterday, the sixth brother was assassinated. He hasn't come to court yet. His life or death is unknown!"
"Who did it?" Du Gu You suddenly stood up. Du Gu Ming's face turned ashen. He knew that his plan had somehow been discovered by his third brother, who was always eager to stir up trouble. It was all over now.
His legs began to tremble.
"It was the eldest brother. The man under his command said so himself. I've already captured the man, but we still don't know the sixth brother's condition."
Du Gu You's eyes turned to Du Gu Ming. "You're really my good son. I used to think you had my demeanor in the past, but I didn't expect... Humph!"
He had also competed for the position of the crown prince with his brothers in the past. But out of brotherhood, even though he knew what his brothers had done and the threat they posed to his bid for the crown prince, he had never pointed his knife at his own brothers.
But his good son could do such a thing. How could Du Gu You not be heart - broken? Although Du Gu Jue was somewhat enjoying the show, he would never participate in such a thing. He wouldn't ignore brotherhood.
A man who was so cruel as to harm his own brother couldn't be a good emperor.
Du Gu You didn't believe it. But now the candidate for the crown prince in his heart had actually done such a thing. It really broke his heart.
"In view of the fact that my good son hired assassins to harm his own brother, which is intolerable to heaven and earth, I hereby deprive him of all his titles and ranks, demote him to a commoner, and imprison him in the Ancient Orchid Garden for life."
The Ancient Orchid Garden was a place for the criminal princes and nobles of past dynasties to reflect. Hearing his father's sentence for his elder brother, Du Gu Jue was overjoyed in his heart. He was just waiting for Du Gu You to announce that he was the next crown prince.
Just when he was full of hope, Du Guqing, who had officially become an injured person, with a pained look on his face, was slowly supported up by two eunuchs.
Du Gu Ming looked as if he was dead, Du Gu Jue's face was stiff, and the expressions of all the civil and military officials in the court were all taken in by Du Guqing.
"Your son pays respects to Father. Long live, long live!"
Du Guqing was out of breath. Du Gu You immediately felt extremely heart - pained. Although he had excluded his youngest son from the candidates for the throne, after all, he was his own son. How could he not be heart - pained to see him in such a half - dead state?
"How are you?" Du Gu You tried to steady his tone.
"Your son... is fine!" Although his face was as pale as a sheet, Du Guqing still didn't say anything about his experience yesterday.
"Yesterday, you - "
Du Guqing squeezed out a sad smile for his high - and - mighty father. "Fortunately, the guards came in time. Otherwise, I would surely have died and wouldn't have been able to see Father."
Hearing Du Guqing's words, Du Gu You gritted his teeth in hatred for his eldest son. He even thought that the life - long imprisonment in the Ancient Orchid Garden was too light.
Du Gu Jue knew that his goal couldn't be achieved today. He covered up the disappointed look on his face and said to his younger brother with concern, "You're in poor health. You should rest at home. Send someone to ask for leave. Father is kind - hearted and won't blame you."
Du Guqing sneered in his heart. His third brother was no good either. He was probably afraid that once the eldest brother lost power, he would immediately take action. He just didn't know what taboo of their suspicious father he would violate. Clearly knowing that he was in poor health and wouldn't compete with them for that position, they still insisted on involving him.
Then he couldn't be blamed. All he could do was beg his father to spare his elder brother's life. They didn't have many brothers. If another one was punished, there would be none left.
He wouldn't let his elder brother reach that point. But... who could know what would happen in the future? It would be better for him to ask the emperor for a fiefdom and leave the capital as soon as possible, away from the center of all the intrigues. As long as Du Gu Ming didn't die, maybe one day their father would miss the father - son relationship and reinstate him.
But their father was first and foremost the emperor of the country, and only then their father. He always put the emperor's taboos first and then considered other things. They were too eager for success and had forgotten the most important thing.
"What your third brother said is right. Why did you come when you're in poor health?"
Du Gu You couldn't understand his youngest son the most. Although he was suspicious of him, he had excluded him.
He often thought about his past relationship with Concubine Qin. Seeing his sickly youngest son at this moment, his heart ached. People said that emperors were the most heartless, but who knew that he loved this son the most? So he had made him a sacrifice, thinking that in this way, he wouldn't be in danger and could live a peaceful life for a few more years.
But his two troublesome sons both wanted to climb to his position, but he didn't think highly of either of them. The only most suitable heir in his heart was also the source of his greatest heartache.
Back then, someone had poisoned Concubine Qin out of jealousy. The intention was to take Concubine Qin's life, but unexpectedly, it had harmed his son. That person had long been secretly executed, and Concubine Qin still didn't know that her son's illness was actually a deadly poison.
But how could he tell Concubine Qin that the poison was also related to him?