Xue Tianyue was woken from his sleep by a eunuch. Looking at the eunuch kneeling tremblingly on the ground, he felt the pleasure of power in his hands for the first time.
"Get up, are you so afraid of me?" Xue Tianyue asked indifferently.
The eunuch, Qingping, was so scared he dared not speak, only shaking his head desperately. Others might not know, but those serving him closely knew that His Majesty was not an easy person to please.
His adoptive father had merely accidentally let the tea get cold, and the punishment he received was to be thrown into the lake. He had personally watched his adoptive father's disbelieving eyes. His adoptive father should still be in the cold lake in the Imperial Garden.
No one knew. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but tremble all over.
He was afraid that his fate would be the same as his adoptive father's.
"Aren't you going to bring the person in?" Xue Tianyue frowned and said coldly.
Eunuch Qingping dared not say more. He scrambled out of Xue Tianyue's sleeping quarters. Seeing the person outside the quarters, he walked over and said, "His Majesty requests the Young Master to enter."
Meng Jiangming nodded and stepped into the sleeping quarters. Qingping suddenly stepped forward and whispered, "Young Master, His Majesty is in a bad mood. You..."
Meng Jiangming was stunned and glanced at Qingping. Qingping whispered, "I once received help from Duke Ning."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jiangming clasped his hands and said, "Thank you!"
Looking at Meng Jiangming's retreating back, Qingping shook his head.
In the main hall, the young man in a bright yellow inner robe stood there. No, he was no longer a youth; he had grown into a man.
Turning around, he saw Xue Tianyue's stern and cold expression. He knelt on the ground with a thud, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."
"You come to see me so late, is there something urgent?" Xue Tianyue asked coldly.
Meng Jiangming took a deep breath upon hearing this, "Your subject comes to plead for Duke Ning."
Xue Tianyue's gaze turned icy as he scrutinized Meng Jiangming, "Are you sure you didn't misstate?"
"Your subject comes to plead for Duke Ning!"
As the words fell, Meng Jiangming heard a cold, mocking laugh from above, making him feel as if he were in darkness. The chill was so intense it made him shiver uncontrollably.
Then, this chill intensified, breaking through his clothes and entering his body, causing him to tremble inexplicably.
"Young Master Meng, has the Emperor been too cordial to the Duke Ning's mansion in the past, making Duke Ning's mansion mistakenly believe that the Emperor is at your disposal?"
Meng Jiangming trembled all over, and large drops of sweat slid down his forehead, "Your subject absolutely did not mean that."
"You didn't mean it? Then what does it mean for Young Master Meng to be kneeling before me now?"
Meng Jiangming stiffened, unable to utter a single word.
He didn't know from when the boy who used to follow him and call him Imperial Uncle-Father had grown into the emperor he now was, the sight of whom made him break out in a cold sweat.
He saw a pair of yellow boots appear in his vision, adorned with dragon totems. Only then did he realize that the boy was gone. All that remained was a majestic emperor.
"Young Master Meng, rise! Don't take it to heart. I'm just bothered by Duke Ning's treasonous collaboration with the enemy. You know that Duke Ning and I have intricate connections. Without Duke Ning, there would be no Emperor today. For the sake of both emotion and reason, I should have let Duke Ning go, but unfortunately..."
Meng Jiangming slowly raised his head and saw the ever-changing face of the youth. He lowered his head, pinched himself hard, and said, "Your Majesty, my father would not commit treason. Someone must have framed him. I implore Your Majesty to investigate!"
"No one wishes for Duke Ning's innocence more than I. However, Young Master Meng, have you ever considered that the ultimate purpose of this action is not Duke Ning, but me?"
Meng Jiangming was stunned. He looked at the young emperor. The young emperor chuckled softly, spread his palms, and slowly said, "Duke Ning and my relationship is like these hands. Losing either would severely wound me. Young Master Meng, I regret I can't spare Duke Ning, but what about me? Who will spare me? Once I fail, do you think Duke Ning's mansion can remain unharmed?"
Meng Jiangming frowned. The young emperor sighed, "Young Master Meng, think carefully, or perhaps visit Duke Ning in prison."
Meng Jiangming said after a long pause, "Your subject obeys."
Watching Meng Jiangming's retreating back, the young emperor curled his lips into a smile.
In the imperial prison, looking at his once valiant father now like an old man on the verge of death, Meng Jiangming felt an indescribable emotion.
He slowly stepped forward and said softly, "Father..."
Duke Ning looked up and saw him. His expression changed slightly, "Jiangming, why are you here?"
"Father, tonight I wanted to force His Majesty to save you."
Duke Ning's expression changed upon hearing this, and he said coldly, "Foolish. Now is not the best time. You are alerting the enemy."
Meng Jiangming replied, "But for every day father is here, my heart suffers."
Duke Ning sighed, "Jiangming, you shouldn't have come, nor should you have pleaded with His Majesty."
"Why?" Meng Jiangming asked, puzzled.
Duke Ning merely smiled, "Jiangming, the Duke Ning's mansion will rely on you in the future. You will uphold the Duke Ning's mansion, won't you?"
"Father, what are you doing?" He felt as if his father were making final arrangements.
"Jiangming, if you hadn't come, I might have survived longer. But now that you have, he won't let me go."
"How could that be?" Meng Jiangming did not believe it.
"Jiangming, go back! Don't worry about me anymore. As long as the green hills are there, there will be firewood. You are the last hope."
"Father..."
"Go..." Duke Ning turned away and no longer looked at Meng Jiangming.
Meng Jiangming gritted his teeth, suddenly knelt on the ground, and kowtowed fiercely, "Your unfilial son bows to you."
The next day, news came from the Ministry of Justice that conclusive evidence of Duke Ning's treasonous collaboration with the enemy had been found, and he was sentenced to be beheaded in three days.
The Duke Ning's mansion was confiscated, and the others were disbanded.
Meng Jiangming looked at the Duke Ning's mansion that had housed him for over twenty years. It was impossible not to feel regret.
"Young Master, this subordinate discovered that Madam Jiang had secretly sent letters outside."
Meng Jiangming's expression darkened upon hearing this, "Where is Madam Jiang? Where is she?"