kvmb Chapter 315 Respect
Chapter 315 Respect
The emperor stared coldly at the crown prince—no, the deposed crown prince.
The deposed crown prince, Zong Que, met his gaze, a slight smile playing on his lips.
The smile made the emperor feel slightly dizzy, as if it were Zong Que's blunt mockery of him.
The emperor coldly shouted, "Court is adjourned!"
Then he turned and strode away.
After the emperor left, the complex and varied gazes of the court officials instantly enveloped Zong Que.
Zong Que entered the court to attend to government affairs from a young age. He had interacted with almost all the officials present for varying lengths of time. Regardless of whether they shared the same political views, they had long been accustomed to Zong Que's status and position. This was perhaps a rare instance in the entire history of the Great Zhao Dynasty of the court officials' recognition of the crown prince. Unfortunately, just like the previous Crown Prince Chongwen, his career ended quietly in an instant.
Countless people may not show it on their faces, but their inner thoughts are extremely complex.
Some court officials even stepped forward, bowed respectfully to Zong Que, and then left without saying a word.
With this opening, before leaving, the court officials all consciously went to Zong Que and bowed in greeting.
This is an endorsement of Zong Que's time as crown prince.
Even though he has failed and been dismissed, Zong Que's actions still earned him everyone's respect.
Zong Que waited quietly for the court officials to gradually disperse, then looked at Lu Yangyang.
Lu Yangyang had already put away the needles, wiped the bloodstains between Lan Taifu's eyebrows with a handkerchief, and then bent down to carry him on her back.
“Your Highness…” Lu Yangyang walked over and said to Zong Que, “I just used golden needles to seal my grandfather’s heart meridian. He is fine now. However, my grandfather used a death wish and the violent impact caused blood to accumulate in his skull. He may not wake up for a while. Fortunately, the Prince of Qing’an’s son pulled him away and reduced the force. Otherwise… it’s really a blessing.”
Zong Que nodded: "It's all thanks to you."
Lu Yangyang asked him, "Your Highness, are we now unable to leave the palace? How can I send my grandfather out?"
Zong Que turned to Cao Cheng and said, "You escort the Grand Tutor out of the palace and convey His Majesty's decree to have someone find Wen Yu to treat the Grand Tutor."
Cao Cheng hurriedly replied, "Your Highness, rest assured."
He took a step forward, and before taking Lan Taifu off Lu Yangyang's back, he turned to look at Zong Que one last time, his eyes filled with heartache and reluctance, but he could only turn his face away.
Lu Yangyang carefully helped Grand Tutor Lan onto Cao Cheng's back, and Cao Cheng carefully escorted Grand Tutor Lan away from the Qianyuan Palace.
Lu Yangyang walked behind Zong Que, pushed his wheelchair, and walked out of Qianyuan Hall step by step.
Commander He and the Imperial Guards were still guarding outside the Qian Yuan Hall. When they saw the Crown Prince come out, he stepped forward and bowed, saying, "His Majesty has decreed that after the Second Prince returns to the East Palace for a short rest, the Ministry of Justice will send someone to escort His Highness to Yuzhou together with the Imperial Guards."
The emperor deposed Zong Que from his position as crown prince, but did not demote him to a commoner. Therefore, Zong Que is no longer the crown prince, but is still the second prince of the current dynasty.
However, a deposed crown prince, even if he still holds the title of Second Prince, is merely a criminal official and has no deterrent power whatsoever.
"Let's go." Zong Que responded, and Lu Yangyang pushed him towards the direction of the East Palace.
Commander He and his men followed closely behind Zong Que. From beginning to end, Zong Que never once looked back at the Qian Yuan Hall. Originally, as the Crown Prince, barring unforeseen circumstances, Zong Que would have remained in a high position within the Qian Yuan Hall for the rest of his life. A few years ago, no one would have believed that His Majesty would ever depose the Crown Prince, but now…
Commander He watched Zong Que's retreating figure, a complex mix of emotions swirling within him.
The Eastern Palace has been completely taken over. They said that Zong Que and Lu Yangyang were to go back to rest, but in reality, they could not take anything with them except a few changes of clothes.
All the palace servants in the Eastern Palace have been brought under control, and they even have to pack their own things.
Zong Que had Lu Yangyang push him to the study and said to her, "Go pack a few clothes to take with you. You might not be able to take the knives in your medicine box. Bring them here, and I will arrange for someone to take them out of the palace later. Once you're settled, someone will deliver them to you."
"Your Highness, what about you? Is there anything you need to take? I'll help you pack," Lu Yangyang asked.
She had only been at the East Palace for a few days, and her clothes were all in accordance with palace regulations, which was not very convenient. She only needed to bring the few casual clothes she had brought with her from her trunk.
"Cao Cheng has finished packing, go quickly," Zong Que said with a slight smile.
Lu Yangyang nodded, then gave him a big smile: "Your Highness, Grandfather is still alive. We are only going into exile. With me here, I will never let Your Highness get sick! I will also take good care of Your Highness's life from now on!"
Zong Que felt that he should be considered lucky.
Because even at this point, there is still someone who willingly accompanies him on the rest of the journey.
He nodded gently to her: "Okay."
Lu Yangyang happily turned and left.
When she returned after packing her things, she saw Zong Que sitting at the table, adjusting the colors. She curiously went over and saw that several white jade dishes contained different shades of red medicine. "Your Highness, what is this?"
Zong Que beckoned to her, and Lu Yangyang bent down. Zong Que reached out and removed the mask from her face.
Lu Yangyang was a little confused and asked in a low voice, "Can't I bring this? His Highness gave it to me."
Her face had mostly healed; the horrific scars were gone, leaving only a layer of mottled red marks, which, while unsightly, weren't particularly frightening. She continued to wear the masks because they were a gift from Zong Que.
Those masks held special meaning for her, which is why she couldn't bear to throw them away.
“It will be inconvenient when you’re out and about in the future. How about I get you a tattoo?” Zong Que asked.
Lu Yangyang nodded: "That's true, Your Highness, you must draw it beautifully for me."
Zong Que smiled and said, "Okay."
Lu Yangyang quickly found a comfortable position and lay back on Zong Que's lap. Zong Que gently brushed the hair on the side of her face with his fingertips, and the cool fingertips touched her cheek. Her heart raced and her cheeks flushed.
Zong Que's fingertips landed on the scar below her left eye. Now, only a few red patches about the size of a fingernail remained. It was an irreparable part of the skin after complete damage and trauma, somewhat like a birthmark.
Zong Que held the needle and inserted the medicine into the skin of her scar. There was a slight itch and pain, and Lu Yangyang's eyelashes trembled slightly, but her eyes were full of anticipation and curiosity.
"Your Highness, where is Yuzhou?" Lu Yangyang asked.
"Near the south coast, follow the Mi River south, and you will arrive in about a month."
The two chatted idly for about half an hour before Zong Que put away his needles.
Lu Yangyang's face was reflected in his eyes.