Chapter 487 How to be filial
The crying sounded, sobbing in the throat, extremely sad. Ning Fengzhe smiled sadly. In an instant, his heart was broken and filled with endless sorrow.
"I may not be worthy of my great uncle's honorable title, but my father can also conclude that I am not as good as him."
"People are different, and they all have their own ways of expressing their love. Just because your son does things differently doesn't mean that he has no sincerity. Does your father think that only when we do things exactly the same can we be considered family members? Could it be that your son has been filial to his parents for many years, but your father really turns a blind eye to it?"
There was a hint of coldness in Gu Mengzhen's eyes, showing off his inhuman indifference.
"You are indeed filial, but what have you actually done?"
“Who wouldn’t say something that sounds high-sounding?”
"Outsiders don't know where your reputation as 'the most filial son in Yuesheng' comes from, but I know it very well. Isn't it just fabricating and spreading rumors? At such a young age, you don't even bother to do the right thing, and you only learn these shady tricks."
"Tell me, what kind of kinship is this?"
Tears flowed back, seeping into his liver and spleen, causing pain in his heart. Ning Fengzhe's eyes were blurred and he felt helpless.
"Father, your Majesty has forgotten things, so you regard everything as rumors and think that your son has done nothing?"
He only gave one example of past events to illustrate his point.
"May I ask, during the Yuesheng Xingliang War, my father and the Xingliang monarch agreed to exterminate the Yan clan. Who went to Xingliang to serve as a hostage?"
After he said that, Gu Mengzhen suddenly remembered.
"This……"
Ning Fengzhe knelt on the ground for a long time, and his knees gradually began to ache.
"That year, my father wanted to send my brother Prince Li to the front, but Concubine Xian and her son teamed up to set up a series of schemes. My father was unable to cope with them and was almost tricked. It was me who did my best to help my father escape from danger and took the initiative to propose to go to Xingliang as a hostage."
"I have been trapped in Xingliang for nearly a year. The suffering I have endured is obvious to all. The pain I have gone through is not difficult to imagine."
"After hearing that the battle of Yuesheng was a victory and Xingliang was doomed to fail, I looked forward to it and waited for the emperor to come to rescue. Who would have thought that the emperor would order it to be burned without hesitation."
The old memories were still fresh in his mind, and suddenly came flooding back like a tide. He cried and complained, and was torn apart by unspeakable sorrow.
"My young body, dragging my body with severe injuries, crawled out of the Xingliang Palace step by step. Looking back, I saw only a streak of red, gloomy and boundless, intertwined with other scars, shocking..."
Gu Mengzhen suppressed his conscience, lost his compassion, and coldly called a halt.
"do not talk."
Ning Fengzhe ignored etiquette, slowly raised his eyes, and looked intently at the person sitting on the dragon throne.
"Could it be that your filial piety, which is willing to sacrifice your life, cannot warm your father's heart even a little bit?"
Gu Mengzhen acted as if nothing had happened and did not show any emotion at all.
"And what happened? Did you lose your life?"
"You are still living comfortably till now, aren't you?"
Ning Fengzhe couldn't believe that his sincere heart had been wasted.
"what?"
Gu Mengzhen remained calm and spoke eloquently.
"I know nothing about the process, but the end result. Your life is safe and your honor remains the same."
"Whether you lived a good life in Xingliang or not, no one who knew about it survived, and no one who didn't know about it could testify. How do I know that you suffered? Maybe, with your intelligence, you lived a prosperous life in Xingliang, and even had ulterior motives and wanted to set up your own business."
As he spoke, he felt that it made sense, and when he looked at Ning Fengzhe again, he looked like he was questioning a criminal.
"Otherwise, how did you survive for several months when I didn't protect you?"
"I disregarded my promise and drew my sword against the people of Xingliang. How can you be safe and sound?"
"Why would they leave you alive, giving you a chance to crawl out of the palace and try to save yourself?"
When their eyes met, Ning Fengzhe was left heartbroken.
"So, Father ordered it to be burned, not to get rid of the remnants of Xingliang, but simply because he suspected me?"
His tears suddenly burst out.
"Then, what do I have done over the years, in your opinion, father?"
Gu Mengzhen has a heart of stone and cannot be shaken.
"Other than that, I don't remember what you did."
"The only thing I remember is this, and it seems like I've betrayed you, and I've even forced you to do something. How can this be called filial piety?"
"If you had been buried in Xingliang obediently, I might have felt a little kinship with you, but you insisted on saving yourself, using every possible means and resorting to any means."
"How old were you that year? You actually knew how to spread rumors, making the people think that you participated in the Yuesheng-Xingliang war and volunteered to be an informant. You used your young body to relax the guard of the Xingliang villains, stole secrets, and sent them to Shengjing, making outstanding contributions."
"A small rumor was spread to everyone, forcing me to save you. Is your so-called family affection so treacherous?"
Ning Fengzhe collapsed and argued for himself.
"This is a fact. I did pass on the message and made a contribution. How can your Majesty regard it as a lie?"
"If it weren't for your son and father working together, how could your fire have burned the Xingliang Palace? Your son never thought that the difficult setup would actually lead to self-immolation!"
Gu Mengzhen turned a deaf ear, bit back and started complaining.
"I devised a plan, which was to be carried out by my brother, to quietly get rid of you on the way back to the capital. Unexpectedly, you even schemed against the emperor's uncle."
"We brothers just reunited, but you schemed against us and we were almost separated from each other, never to see each other again."
“You are really good at this.”
If I remember correctly, on the way back to Beijing, the emperor's uncle did not try to harm him, and Ning Fengzhe was secretly surprised.
He... saved me the first time we met?
No wonder he was trying to gain my trust. In the carriage, without any warning, he mentioned the time we first met and said frankly that he had good feelings for me.
He was a man of great loyalty and righteousness, and when he heard me being called "Uncle Emperor", he mistakenly believed that I was childish and innocent. Little did he know that I was just trying to survive.
After that, as we got along, I also took advantage of him privately.
The one who firmly believes in the bond between uncle and nephew is never me, but him.
But I didn't learn to be sensible. I always wanted to fight him to the death, even to the point of hurting his life. I didn't appreciate it at all, just like my father.
As he thought about it, Ning Fengzhe forgot to cry, and instead felt a mixture of worries, guilt and self-blame.
He kept the matter secret and said nothing about it.
"May I ask, why did you give it up back then?"
"Is it because Rou Zhaorong is pregnant, and Father knows that He'er will definitely be used as a counselor in the future, so he decisively gave up the suspicious person?"
"My son and He'er, are we the same person in terms of physical body?"
"Is he a man of extraordinary wisdom?"
"Could it be that he is from the Fang clan?"
Gu Mengzhen was disdainful and reminded casually.
"I seem to remember that you just said that you had no intention of exploring strangers."
Ning Fengzhe said calmly.
"Father can clearly tell the truth from the lies."
Gu Mengzhen ignored it and did not answer.
"You are all wise men, without exception. Why do you need me to say anything? You can figure it out yourself."
If he continued, he would be exposed. There was not a single person in this family who was easy to deal with. He paused for a moment and changed the subject.
"I know in my heart that you are not unwilling to rule the world. Today, I will grant your wish."
The final outcome was decided and there was no way to change it, but Ning Fengzhe faced it calmly and showed no fear.
"How can it be accomplished?"