This is the imperial city at the end of autumn. The big banyan trees have almost lost all their fallen leaves. The old and dense branches are stretching vigorously, stretching out to the sky like tiny palms. The occasional adhering leaves among the treetops are gradually dyed red. The eyebrow moon still hangs faintly high, but the white light of the morning sun has surged into a slender line on the horizon, like the back of a white whale churning across the sea.
The rotten leaves piled up under the big banyan tree still bear traces of the heavy rain last night.
Before everything has really faded away, the dawn of a new day is coming like a tide.
The imperial city gradually lights up, and the ancient city walls and vicissitudes of green tiles are also given color at this moment.
The defenders garrisoned the city squinted their eyes to feel the bright and dazzling morning light, and their palms holding their spears were calloused.
Yesterday's shock seems to be very close, so today's sunshine seems dazzling and unreal.
In the Changxiang Palace, Zhao Fu's face was pale, his cheeks were slightly sunken, and his body was still filled with powder. He looked at the dawn sky and thought about when Zhao Xiang'er would return the throne to him after everything he had done.
Thinking of this, he wanted to go out of Changxiang Palace to take a look, but was ruthlessly blocked by the guards.
In the palace, Tang Yu woke up from the couch. Her breath was even and she was no longer in fear of her life.
When she woke up, she saw Zhao Xianger sitting by the couch, making medicine with her own hands. Tang Yu was a little at a loss, so he respectfully called "Miss", and then saw her dark gold embroidered dragon robe, and He changed his name to "Your Majesty."
Zhao Xianger smiled faintly and said, "Just call me Miss. I just think this outfit is beautiful. In fact, I have no interest in that position."
Zhao Xiang'er continued to pound the medicine, her delicate fingers glowing like pearls.
The early morning light outside and the lights indoors seemed to blend together with the rise and fall of her wrists.
Lu Marian stepped out of the sedan chair, the morning breeze blew up, her black hair fluttered, and her sword and clothes rolled like clouds.
This is the imperial city today, what they accidentally glimpsed, the rising sun of Zhao Kingdom.
And under the rising sun, in an almost imperceptible shadow, a very discordant red shadow flashed.
…
…
In the early morning, Qiu Li walked into the Immortal Forest.
He was wearing a gray robe, his hair was disheveled, his eyes seemed to be covered with a circle of black mist, and his pupils were bloodshot.
Now that the Witch Master is dead and the orders from the palace have not yet been issued, he is the direct disciple whom the Witch Master considers to be his successor, and is therefore temporarily the master of the Witch Master Palace.
But Qiu Li knew that in less than a day, he would be kicked out of the Witch Lord's Palace, and he would be exiled at the least, or executed directly at the worst.
Of course he didn't want to sit back and watch this scene happen, but just now, when he was desperate, he met a 'person', and that conversation still made his blood surge and he couldn't calm down.
He steps slowly because slowness can appear confident and steady.
When the other disciples of the Witch Lord Hall saw him, they bowed silently. Qiu Li waved his hand and everyone dispersed silently. He walked into the hall alone.
In the main hall, the pug with jet-black feathers stood on the wooden frame, staring at Qiu Li who was walking towards him with his dark eyes, and mouthing words.
"Tell Qiu Li, the plan remains unchanged... Tell Qiu Li, the plan remains unchanged..."
These were the last words the Witch Master told it. In fact, after yesterday, all the plans had come to nothing.
It's just that this pug is not a spiritual beast after all, so he can only rely on instinct to do boring repetitions.
Qiu Li felt irritated when he heard this. He flicked his sleeves, and a burst of spiritual energy came out. The wooden frame swayed, and Bago flapped its wings and flew up in fright. A few pieces of its dark feathers fell, and the tone in its mouth became even weirder.
"Tell Qiu Li that the plan remains unchanged - tell Qiu Li that the plan remains unchanged..."
Qiu Li took a deep breath, his pupils were red, he clenched his fists, and said bitterly: "The ghost of the old guy is still here!"
Qiu Li sat down in the original position of the witch master, closed his eyes and rested his mind, no longer paying attention to the noisy Bago.
He seemed to be thinking hard and struggling with something, his furrowed brows almost collided with each other, and the protruding veins on his neck and cheeks were like writhing poisonous insects.
The sun has spread over the horizon, and in the Immortal Forest, the four seasons are the same as usual, all with lifeless colors.
A quarter of an hour later, another messenger came from the Immortal Forest.
"His Highness asked you to go to the birthday banquet." The messenger came and went in a hurry, with an indifferent tone.
Birthday party
Yes, today is Zhao Xiang'er's sixteenth birthday.
You're only sixteen, so scary...
What frightened him the most was that the envoy said "let" instead of "please".
He knew that he followed the teacher's order to surround the Imperial Master's Mansion and it had been exposed. At this moment, all the killers and assassins were dead, not one of them was left out. Of course, a little guy like him was completely defeated.
Qiu Li closed his eyes and stood up with a sigh.
On the swaying wooden frame, the black-winged Bago had regained its footing. It opened its long dark yellow beak and suddenly said: "To punish the heaven and the earth, to sacrifice the city and the country... What do you mean..."
"Xingtian, lawful and earth... sacrifice to the city and the country... what does that mean?"
It repeated itself again.
These are the words that the witch master often chants on weekdays, and this pug has also memorized them.
Qiu Li was startled, his eyes were like arrows, he looked at it and said sternly: "What did you say?"
The pug's feathers fluttered and he was obviously startled. After a while, he said: "Tell Qiu Li, the plan remains unchanged... Tell Qiu Li, the plan remains unchanged..."
Qiu Li's brows furrowed even deeper. He stood there, looking at Bago who was a little uneasy at the other end, his pupils dark.
"Senior brother, it's time to go." A young man knocked on the palace door and reminded softly.
Qiu Li breathed a sigh of relief, nodded slowly, and walked out of the hall.
Tell Qiu Li...
The plan remains unchanged!
…
In the imperial city, it was already dawn.
Outside the central palace, the city wall is still in ruins. The steps in front of the palace are in ruins. The bricks and stones in the square are even more broken, and even the compacted soil underneath is exposed. And in that soil, It is also a deep pit,
Civil and military officials entering the palace had to walk around the two sides of the deep pit, and those two roads were as rugged and difficult to walk as mountain roads.
The palace is relatively well-preserved. In the hall, there are yellow curtains for displaying utensils and green curtains for banquets. There are only simple tea cups and wine bottles on the several long tables, and there are no delicacies or delicacies. As the drums sounded, people in official uniforms entered the hall one after another. They didn't talk much to each other, but just took their seats one by one.
The shock yesterday was too great, so today these normally arrogant officials did not dare to complain about any illness or show any prestige in front of Zhao Xiang'er, and most of them stayed calm.
However, the damaged throne has not yet been repaired, and it is not known where Zhao Xiang'er will sit when the time comes.
And under the steps, there are two empty tables. The wine bottles and utensils placed on the tables are all of the highest standards. Who will be sitting here
…
Not far outside the main hall, Ning Xiaoling was supporting Ning Changjiu and walking towards the palace together.
Because they were recuperating in a side hall of the palace, they didn't need to walk too far to enter the palace.
But as soon as he went out, he met Song Bian.
Song Zi looked at the brothers and sisters with some surprise, and said in amazement: "You haven't left the imperial city yet?"
Ning Xiaoling was stunned and didn't know how to explain. She glanced at her senior brother.
Ning Changjiu said: "After attending the banquet today, I will leave the imperial city with my junior sister to find a destiny."
Song Tie nodded lightly and said with some relief: "Of course it would be great to have this opportunity... You have also seen what happened in the imperial city in the past two days. I scolded you that day because I hope you two young people will not get involved in this." You lost your life for no reason, now it seems that you two senior brothers and sisters are really tough."
Ning Jiujiu smiled and joked: "If this didn't cause a lot of injuries, I should have listened to Mr. Song and left early if I had known."
Song Side stroked his beard and said with a smile: "It is not a bad thing for young people to suffer more. Don't worry, Your Highness is the daughter of the empress. No matter how chaotic the imperial city is, she will still be there to take care of it."
Ning Jiujiu said sincerely: "Your Highness is unparalleled and impressive. With her in charge of the imperial city, we can naturally feel at ease."
Song Zi was very satisfied when he heard this, nodded and asked: "Are you also going to attend His Highness's birthday banquet?"
Ning Jiujiu replied: "Exactly."
Song Zi thought that their master had died for the imperial city. Since the two disciples survived the disaster, there was nothing wrong with going to the birthday banquet to make up for it.
He saw that the pair of senior fellow apprentices were so handsome and handsome. They looked annoying before, but now they looked more and more lovable. He might as well sell their two thin faces and said with a smile: "You might as well come to the table with me."
"Uh..." Ning Xiaoling raised her head, a little surprised.
Just when Ning Jiujiu was about to refuse, Song Xi made a gesture of invitation and said: "Two little Taoist priests, please invite me."
Master Song seemed to be in a very good mood today. He would rather not be disappointed for a long time. He gave in to him for a while and finally followed him into the palace.
Song Tie now has a very high prestige in the palace. He played the most important chess piece in the palace incident. At today's birthday banquet, he sat in a very high position.
Now that these two little Taoist priests have been brought into the palace by himself, it will be of great benefit to their reputation in Zhao Kingdom in the future.
Ning Changjiu and Song Zhi chatted quietly for a while, and after a few gossips, they arrived outside the palace.
At this moment, Zhao Xianger, who was wearing a brand-new dragon robe, had entered the palace. She looked forward, and her dark-colored robe was lying on the ground. Dragons and phoenixes were dancing on the robe, and her scales and claws were flying. The girl's beautiful long hair was not decorated with any gold hairpins or jade crowns, just like this. It falls naturally like a waterfall, draped along the jet black robe, and gently hangs down to the waist. As the footsteps move lightly, the delicate toes of the shoes covered by the skirt are looming, and the long hair also flows gently.
Zhao Xiang'er didn't pay attention to anything, and sat down directly on the steps in front of the palace. She pursed her lips and smiled at everyone. The girl's face was already pure and charming, but at this moment, her thin lips pursed, highlighting the majesty of her body. The gorgeous clothes highlight the charm that belies her age.
It was not until today that many people discovered that the delicate wild girl who had not been seen in Qianming Palace for three years had now become a stunning figure.
But none of them dared to take another look, and even if they dared to take a glance, they hurriedly lowered their gaze.
Zhao Xiang'er smiled and said: "Today is my birthday, and you are all the pillars of the Zhao State. The future of the Zhao State depends on you. Why is it so lifeless?"
As she said that, she took the wine glass from the table beside her, held the body of the glass with one hand, and lightly held the bottom of the glass with the other hand. She leveled it in front of her body, slightly spreading her slender eyebrows, and said: "When everyone arrives later, we will start the banquet. By then, Let’s drink together with all the gentlemen, don’t refuse.”
Everyone raised their glasses and returned the favor to Zhao Xiang'er. The atmosphere became a little more lively. Some people looked at the long tables in the front, wondering who the people sitting there would be.
Presumably Song Xiang was involved.
Just thinking about it, Song Xi started walking.
Everyone has long known what Song Tie did in the palace, and it is foreseeable that his official position will be at its peak in the future.
Today, Song Zhi was dressed solemnly, but his face could not hide the cheerful look.
He slightly arched his hands to the officials on both sides, and then bowed deeply to the girl on the golden steps.
And behind him, followed a pair of boys and girls. If they were not both good-looking, and following Song Xi, they would probably look a bit dazzling.
Zhao Shisong was slightly startled when he saw them. He had also heard the noise in the other courtyard last night. When it calmed down, he sent someone to investigate, only to see ruins all over the ground.
He originally thought that the senior brother and sister had died long ago, but he did not expect that they were still alive. However, the young man seemed to have been seriously injured.
That young man is very capable, and he probably played a big role in the palace yesterday, but I don’t know where they will sit...
Zhao Shisong thought about this, then watched them pass by him, and continued walking towards the depths of the banquet.
He frowned and suddenly saw the two empty cases in front of the golden steps. He was startled and an unrealistic idea suddenly appeared.
At this moment, Song Zi stopped slightly. He looked at the young girl following behind him, frowned slightly, and said softly: "You can just sit down at the position mentioned on the note. You don't have to follow me all the time, and you don't have to attend the banquet later. Be cautious, just follow His Highness's arrangements."
Ning Xiaoling took out the invitation and took a look at it, then closed it and glanced at Song Xi silently.
Song Zi just thought it was the first time they had seen such a scene, and didn't think much about it. He continued to move forward, and then sat down in front of a table very close to the golden steps.
Everyone gave him strange looks.
Song Zi straightened his official uniform, thinking that he had endured it for so long and it was finally the end of his hardships. These envious looks were normal.
Then, he realized that they didn't seem to be looking at him...
I saw the pair of brothers and sisters in plain robes walking past their case without stopping. They walked towards the front. I saw the pretty girl pulling Ning Jiujiu's sleeves, secretly taking out the invitation and confirming it over and over again. After several glances, he pulled his senior brother to sit down.
Ning Jiujiu nodded gently to Song Xiang.
"This... you..."
Song opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak, with an expression of shock that could not be concealed.
The person next to him was the first to react. He patted Song Xiang's shoulder lightly and said cheerfully: "Sir Song is really very scheming. He knows that these little Taoist priests are both little gods. He follows them all the way and pretends not to know. It's a good deal." You don’t have a fairy spirit.”
"You..." Song Zi raised his arm halfway, speechless for a moment, and looked embarrassed.
Zhao Xianger looked at them, pursed her lips, and had a slight smile on her face.
Ning Jiujiu sat down slowly. He was holding his long hair and wearing a green shirt. He was calm and indifferent. Although his clothes were simple, his features were pretty and he had an air of immortality. Now he was sitting high up. In the eyes of everyone, he looked really lifelike. The magical figure who took off his clothes.
The little girl was much more reserved. She seemed to be very afraid of strangers. She grabbed her senior brother's sleeves and kept leaning towards him, as if she wanted to get into his arms.
Not long after, everyone's attention was captured by another figure.
Outside the palace gate, a figure wearing a power fence on her head and a white veil fluttering into the palace like a breeze blowing clouds. The woman's sword dress is like snow, with an ancient sword at her waist. Her peerless face can only be vaguely glimpsed through the whirling white veil. , and the graceful and graceful figure is more like the moon entering the night, and the fantasy beauty emerging from the dust.
It's just that this kind of beauty seems to be covered with a layer of otherworldly bell spirit fairy spirit. Although it is clearly in front of you, it feels like you are just observing a moon-like phantom in the water.
Everyone slowly realized that this was the immortal who came in a blue and white sedan. His Majesty personally invited her to see her but did not get off the sedan, and now she came to the banquet.
All the officials present could not help but feel a sense of joy and glory in their hearts.
"Miss Lu." Zhao Xianger stood up to greet her.
Lu Marry smiled, returned the sword salute, and sat down on another table in the front.
Zhao Xiang'er suddenly glanced at Ning Changjiu, a strange light flashed deep in his eyes, and then returned to normal.
"Let's have a banquet." The girl raised her glass again and drank it all in one gulp.
…
…
(Thanks to book friend Ji Chanxi for the tip yesterday~)