Zhao Jie's heart moved, and he hugged Wei Luo to the side of Nuan Teng, bent down to take off her shoes, and calmed down, "Scared you?"
Wei Luo saw him throw the pair of shoes stained with other people's blood into the charcoal basin, the tongue of fire gradually engulfed the pair of shoes, and burned them to ashes in a short while. She shook her head, not because she was frightened, but because she was a little angry. Originally, she was very happy tonight, but she was disturbed by these men in black who suddenly appeared. She suddenly remembered something, jumped off the warm bed, and ran out of the cabin regardless of the white silk socks on her feet.
"Ah Luo!" Zhao Jie shouted from behind.
Wei Luo stopped at the bow of the boat, looked at the lotus lanterns floating not far away, and saw the scene of the lake clearly under the moonlight. The lake was stained red with blood, and the lotus lantern was soaked in the water, more or less stained with mottled blood. Wei Luo pursed her lips, this time she was really angry and wanted to cry. She looked at Zhao Jie aggrievedly, and complained: "The lanterns are all broken." They couldn't take them home and display them.
Zhao Jie didn't expect that she ran out in a hurry to see this. Stretching out his long arms, he picked her up, let her feet step on his feet, lowered his head and kissed her forehead, and said: "It's okay, I will do it for you later."
Wei Luo put her arms around his waist, nestled against his chest and felt sad for a long time, before she said, "Who were those people just now?"
She thought that it would not be too much to cut them into pieces.
Zhao Jie's eyes darkened, and his voice was three minutes lower, "I don't know for now, but it should be found out soon." After finishing speaking, Da Heng picked up Wei Luo and walked out of the boat, "Let's go, let's go home."
Back at Prince Jing's mansion, Wei Luo went to the clean room to take a shower, and went to bed early. Zhao Jie sat in the study for a while, and asked Zhu Geng, "Did anything come out of the interrogation?"
Zhu Geng said: "Going back to the lord, two people committed suicide by biting their tongues, and the other two were imprisoned in the cell. Yang Hao watched and didn't ask anything for the time being."
Zhao Jie twirled the emerald finger on his thumb, said without changing expression: "Continue the interrogation, all the tortures will be used again, if you don't speak again, they will be skinned."
The skinning that Zhao Jie said was not a threat, but a real punishment. Separate a cross from the prisoner's scalp, pour mercury into it, and peel off a complete piece of skin from head to toe. Others said that he was cruel and merciless, but it was not groundless.
After Zhu Geng left, Zhao Jie sat on the armchair without moving.
It's not difficult to guess who did it to him, he just lacks one piece of evidence. Zhao Zhang is the only one in the court who is capable of competing with him for the throne. It's just that Zhao Jie was a little surprised. After being grounded for so long, he was still able to control his movements. He had the courage to send someone to assassinate him, which is quite courageous. It must have been a desperate move.
It's a pity that Zhao Zhang misjudged the situation. The emperor is currently investigating the matter of Concubine Ning. If Zhao Zhang intervenes again, it will only make the emperor even more troublesome.
Zhao Jie returned to the bedroom, finished washing, and lay down beside Wei Luo.
The little girl fell asleep early, her eyes were lightly closed, and her breathing was even. Zhao Jie raised his hand to gently stroke her eyelashes, his fingertips were itchy, and his hand slowly slid down to trace her eyes, nose, and mouth. She probably felt a little itchy, shrank her body, muttered in her mouth, and couldn't hear what she said.
Zhao Jie withdrew his hand, and suddenly remembered the scene on the painting boat where he raised his sword and killed someone.
These hands were covered with blood, and she was willing to hug him without hesitation. He killed someone, and the first thing she thought of was whether the lantern was broken. Such a good little girl, how could he not be happy
Zhao Jie carefully embraced her in his arms, sighed softly, "Ah Luo, I never let you go before, and I won't let you go in the future."
Early the next morning, Wei Luo received a message from the palace that Zhao Liuli invited her to the palace.
I heard that the troops who went to Guangdong to fight the rebellion will return to Shengjing City in a few days.
Wei Luo spoke to Zhao Jie, tidied up and entered the palace.
Chenhua Hall. I thought Zhao Liuli would be in a good mood, but I didn't expect to see her sitting on the couch with a melancholy face, sighing with her cheeks in distress.
Wei Luo stepped forward and put the snacks brought in from outside the palace on the small red lacquer mother-of-pearl table, "Why is there such an expression?"
Seeing her, Zhao Liuli seemed to see a rescuer, grabbed her hand and said, "Ah Luo, you stay here for a while, and come with me to Zhaoyang Hall for lunch."
Is this why she is troubled? Wei Luo was puzzled, so she sat across the small table, opened the oiled paper bag, and peeled a fried chestnut, "If you don't want to go, can't you eat in Chenhua Palace?" Usually Zhao Liuli eats by herself, and occasionally Then I went to Zhaoyang Palace to accompany Queen Chen.
It seems that Zhao Liuli is really in a bad mood, and she can't be happy when she sees candied chestnuts. She said honestly: "Ever since I got better from the cold the day before yesterday, my mother has asked me to go to Zhaoyang Palace for dinner every day. It's nothing, but the emperor is also here. I see the two of them have a strange atmosphere, who He doesn't talk to anyone, and eating a meal is like being tortured. I thought the father was on a whim, but one meal or two is fine. He actually went for three days in a row, every day like this, I was a little annoyed looking at the mother .”
Wei Luo was in a daze, she didn't expect this to happen. The person who poisoned Liuli really wanted to find out, Concubine Ning Guifei has lost power since then, the emperor must feel ashamed of empress Chen and want to make up for it
Thinking of this, Wei Luo smiled lightly, feeling a little like watching a good show. "Okay, I'll go with you."
She is now the daughter-in-law of the empress, and she can be considered a filial piety if she eats a meal with her parents-in-law.
Wei Luo peeled another stir-fried chestnut. She bought this chestnut on the way into the palace. It was freshly fried. It was steaming hot, fragrant and sweet. Both Zhao Liuli and she liked to eat it. "Liuli, do you know about Concubine Ning?"
Zhao Liuli nodded, "Father imprisoned her in the Nianjin Palace, and no one was allowed to visit her."
Wei Luo hesitated for a moment, then said: "Then you know..." There was a pause at this point.
Zhao Liuli's expression didn't fluctuate much, and she gave a slight "hmm". "I know that it was Concubine Ning who poisoned me back then. I really hate her and resent her, but I believe that my father will help me punish her. And now that I'm in good health, I don't want to think about what happened so many years ago. It's over. Besides, if I hadn't been poisoned, I might not have met brother Yang Zhen."
Wei Luo bent her lips, "You can see it."
If it was her, whoever harmed her, she would definitely make the other party feel miserable, and make the other party pay her back a thousand times.
Soon at noon, Zhao Liuli and Wei Luo went to Zhaoyang Hall together.
The table was filled with thirty-six courses of meals, Empress Chen and Emperor Chongzhen had already taken their seats, and the maidservants on both sides lowered their heads, looking a little nervous. Zhao Liuli and Wei Luo went up to pay their respects to the Empress. When Empress Chen saw Wei Luo, her face brightened a little, and she smiled and said, "Did Ah Luo come to the palace to accompany Liuli? Sit down quickly, just in time to have a meal with me." .”
Wei Luo nodded in agreement, and after sitting down, she glanced at Emperor Chongzhen who was in charge, the emperor was no different from usual.
During the meal, Wei Luo realized that what she had just thought was completely wrong.
Emperor Chongzhen took a chopstick of vinegared fish fillet and put it on the flower-patterned plate in front of Empress Chen, and said, "Wanwan, I remember that you used to like fish the most. This is the catfish that was sent from Sichuan this morning. The meat is the most tender and refreshing, try it."
Empress Chen glanced at the fish on the plate, and suddenly called a maid, "Take this plate away, and bring another one to me."
Emperor Chongzhen's face froze slightly.
The palace maid was so embarrassed that she was about to cry, and no one dared to offend her. Finally, seeing that the emperor did not speak, he dared to present a clean plate again.
Zhao Liuli gave Wei Luo a "Look, I knew it would be like this" look. Wei Luo nodded silently, no wonder Zhao Liuli couldn't bear it, if she kept eating in this atmosphere, it wouldn't drive people crazy. But she was quite happy to watch this kind of drama of "the emperor changes his mind, but the empress just ignores it", it was really a relief.
After a silent meal, Emperor Chongzhen gave Empress Chen a few more dishes, but Empress Chen withdrew them. Whichever dish he picks, Empress Chen will never touch that dish again. The emperor was so patient that he never turned his back on him once.
After the meal, the palace maid served a stewed blood swallow with pearls and red dates, and when it was served in front of Empress Chen, the maid trembled and overturned the whole bowl of blood swallow.
The palace maid knelt on the ground with a pale complexion and kowtowed: "Your Majesty, spare your life, Your Majesty, spare your life."
Emperor Chongzhen hurriedly held Empress Chen's hand, and a drop or two of hot soup splashed on the back of that hand. He tried it with his thumb, "Is it hot? Does it hurt?"
Empress Chen frowned, suddenly withdrew her hand, and said to the maidservant, "Go down, and find Mother Qiu to receive the punishment."
The palace maid exited the palace while thanking her.
Empress Chen bowed to Emperor Chongzhen, with a polite and distant attitude, "The concubine went in to change clothes, and can no longer serve His Majesty, Your Majesty forgive me."
Emperor Chongzhen withdrew his hand in embarrassment, and said helplessly: "Wanwan, Zhen..." He sincerely wanted to make up for you.
It's a pity that Empress Chen has already gone to the inner hall and turned a blind eye to him.
Coming out of Zhaoyang Hall, the emperor turned around and went to the imperial study.
Eunuch Chu shook his whisk and said, "Your Majesty, you gave Qianniuwei a clue about what Qianniuwei was investigating, and the two maids have been found."
Emperor Chongzhen casually opened a memorial, read two lines, "Have you interrogated?"
Duke Chu said: "It's been interrogated, those two recruited everything." After a pause, he glanced at the emperor with a cloudy expression, and said again: "Princess Tianji's poisoning is indeed the mastermind of Ning."
Emperor Chongzhen closed the memorial, closed his eyes and said: "Concubine Shu's wronged name was rehabilitated for her." After a pause, he spoke slowly: "At the Nianjin Palace... send three feet of white silk and a Pot of poisonous wine, let Ning choose by himself."
Eunuch Chu responded, then thought of something and said: "Your Majesty, today is the day when the fifth prince will be banned for three months, but you want to release his ban?"
The emperor said: "Let's take it easy for now, I feel annoyed just looking at him."
Eunuch Chu stopped talking and withdrew.
Half an hour later, Nian Jindian.
Eunuch Chu led the other two young eunuchs into the palace, looked around, and couldn't help feeling that the wealth and glory of the harem really depended on the sage alone. No, I can only live in this simple house without any decent furnishings.
Ning sat by the window in a daze, and lost a lot of weight in just a few days. When she heard the voice, she quickly turned her head and subconsciously looked behind Eunuch Chu. Seeing nothing, she couldn't help showing a look of disappointment. Now the emperor doesn't even want to see her.
Two young eunuchs put the white silk and poisoned wine on the three-bend-legged incense table, and the eunuch Chu lowered his eyes and said: "Madam Ning, Your Majesty said, for the sake of serving His Majesty in the past, I can leave you A whole corpse, you choose yourself."
Ning Shi had seen the things on the tray a long time ago, and her face turned pale again. It took a long time to find her voice, "Your Majesty really said that?"
She lived here for four or five days, and thought that the emperor was just furious for a while, and when he calmed down, thinking about the past friendship, he would definitely punish her lightly. After all, he used to love her so much. But who knew that after waiting for many days, it was Bai Ling and poisoned wine that came
Eunuch Chu didn't answer, but looked at her with pity.
Ning Shi sat up from the couch, still unable to believe it.
Eunuch Chu urged: "Choose, our family will go back to report later."
Ning's heart was ashamed, and she rushed out of the door like crazy, "No, I want to see Your Majesty... I want to see Your Majesty."
Eunuch Chu signaled to the two eunuchs beside him, and the two young eunuchs quickly stopped Ning Shi and carried her back. Eunuch Chu poured a glass of wine, and said with some regret: "Since you don't choose, then our family will help you choose."
Eunuch Chu pinched Ning's chin, forced the poisoned wine into her mouth, and lifted it up again, forcing her to swallow it.
After everything was done, Eunuch Chu threw away the golden goblet and looked at Ning who was slowly falling to the ground.
Ning's face became paler and distorted, and she was unable to make a sound in pain. It wasn't until she stopped moving that Eunuch Chu led the people out of the Nianjin Palace and returned to the imperial study to report to Emperor Chongzhen.
Back at Prince Jing's mansion, Wei Luo asked his servants, and only then did he know that Zhao Jie was not in the mansion.
"Where did the prince go?" Wei Luo asked.
Guanshi Wang replied: "Back to Wangfei, Your Highness has gone to the Shenji Camp. Your Highness asked the villain to tell you that he will come back in the evening."
Wei Luo nodded, but didn't take it to heart, and went back to the room to rest for a while.
Unexpectedly, she would sleep until dusk as soon as she fell asleep, she sat up sleepily, and asked about Jin Lu, but Zhao Jie hadn't come back yet.
Jin Lu said: "Girl, are you hungry? The maidservants go prepare the meals first."
When no one was around, Jin Lu and Bai Lan were more used to calling Wei Luo "girl".
Wei Luo walked to the high huanghuali wood basin stand and washed his face, thought for a while and said, "Let's wait, I'm not hungry."
At noon in the Zhaoyang Palace, Emperor Chongzhen and Empress Chen didn't speak to each other, she and Zhao Liuli buried their heads in eating, accidentally ate too much, and they were not hungry at all.
When it was around Xu time, night fell and the courtyard was pitch black, but Zhao Jie still didn't come back. Wei Luo read the book for a while, then looked up at the sky, and asked Jin Lu, "What time is it?"
Jin Lu said: "Girl, it's three quarters of the clock."
Wei Luo got off the bed, put on the wat head shoes, and put on a purple-pink shirt with large sleeves woven with golden crane and auspicious cloud patterns, and walked outside, "Let's go to Shenji Camp to have a look."
Jin Lu was startled, and quickly persuaded: "Girl, it's getting so late, it's not safe for you to go out alone..."
Wei Luo thought so, so she asked Steward Wang to find a few guards from the palace to escort him to Shenji Camp.
Seeing that she had made up her mind, Jin Lu couldn't persuade her, so she asked Bai Lan to go with her.
The Shenji Battalion is located in the northwest of the imperial palace, it is the most important army of the imperial court, and it is currently in charge of Zhao Jie.
The carriage stopped at the entrance of Shenji Camp, both Jin Lu and Bai Lan thought she was going to break in, but they didn't expect that she just stopped by the door and didn't make any further moves.
Jin Lu asked: "Girl, won't you go in?"
Wei Luo walked to the entrance of Shenji Camp, gathered his clothes, shook his head and said, "He must be dealing with business inside, I'd better stand here and wait."
Jin Lu said: "It's windy outside, I'll get you some clothes."
After a while she came back dejectedly, "We came out in a hurry, servant girl forgot to bring thick clothes."
Wei Luo didn't care either, "Forget it, I'm not cold."
After waiting for about two quarters of an hour, there was finally movement inside. Someone came out with a lantern, illuminating several figures, and Wei Luo saw Zhao Jie walking in the front at a glance.
It's just that the Zhao Jie in front of her is a little different from what she's seen before.
Zhao Jie was wearing a dark blue brocade suit with gold taotie pattern, the sleeves and hem were stained with blood, his expression was solemn, his phoenix eyes were cold, as if he had just stepped out of a sea of blood from a mountain of corpses, his body was full of bloody smell. Behind him, a soldier wearing a pair of breastplates was dragging an invisible object in his hand. It wasn't until the object moved that Wei Luo realized that it was a person. The man had been tortured until he lost his human form, his body was covered in blood, leaving a long bloodstain wherever he passed.
The soldiers asked Zhao Jie: "My lord, what should I do with this man?"
It's useless to say nothing and keep it. Zhao Jie said lightly: "Feed the dog."
The soldier should be, and was about to leave, when he caught a glimpse of the little girl standing in the corner from the corner of his eye, and saw her face clearly by the lantern hanging high at the door. "My lord, that's..."
Zhao Jie followed and saw Wei Luo standing not far away, looking at him motionless.
Those radiant eyes are particularly moving in the night, like bright gems, able to illuminate the haze in people's hearts.
Zhao Jie stepped forward in surprise, "Ah Luo?"
However, after walking two steps and smelling the smell of blood on his body, he stopped abruptly.
He thought that he had been tortured just now, his hands were covered with blood, but his little girl was so clean, like a piece of flawless suet jade. Wei Luo raised her small face, her eyes were bright and bright, he could hardly bear to dirty her.
Originally Zhao Jie planned to go back to the mansion in the evening, but there was a sudden accident, the assassin wanted to escape, but was captured again. Zhao Jie watched his subordinates interrogate from the sidelines, thinking that after going back, he would take a shower before going to see Wei Luo, but he didn't expect that she would come before he returned home.
Zhao Jie stopped at the same spot, five steps away from Wei Luo, and did not come any closer.
"How did you come?"
Wei Luo regained her senses, walked up to Zhao Jie, stretched out her small hands from the purple-pink sleeves, and naturally held his hand. Her expression remained unchanged, as if what he smelled was not the smell of blood, but the usual clear scent of plum blossoms. "Big brother hasn't come back, I'm worried, so I came to see you." She led him to the side of the carriage, "It's too cold outside, let's go home."