Thirty-three years of Qitai
In the imperial study room of Xuande Hall, the candles are brightly lit, and a middle-aged man wearing a bright yellow dragon robe is carefully drawing on the desk. On the paper is a young man wearing a bean blue palace servant, with a thin body and a handsome face. Standing next to a small pavilion with exquisite painters, there is a shallow smile on his face.
"Yuanfu, look, do I look like what I painted?" Xuanyuan Hancheng asked Yuan Fu, the chief eunuch who was waiting beside him. Yuan Fu has been the chief of the chamberlain for more than 30 years. He is several years older than the emperor. His temples are white and his face is covered with deep wrinkles. Yuan Fu sighed secretly in his heart. He replied: "Back to the emperor, the servants looked vaguely like Lin Guiren when he was young."
"Like what?" Xuanyuan Hancheng whispered, in fact, the boy's appearance was a little vague in his memory. What he remembered most was that the boy had big watery eyes, a pair of small dimples, and when he smiled, he was extraordinarily well-behaved and cute. Thinking of the young man's last blood-stained smile, the scene of that night thirty years ago, as long as he thinks of it, it still hurts his heart.
Yuan Fu knew that the emperor was thinking of Lin Guiren again. Today is the emperor's birthday. The emperor's birthday is naturally to be a congratulations to the officials of the harem. But the emperor's birthday has always been a taboo in the palace for the past 30 years. What happened at the emperor's birthday banquet 30 years ago has always kept the palace people who knew about it secretly.
Thirty years ago, in order to celebrate his twenty-fifth birthday, Xuanyuan Hancheng specially held a family banquet, hosted by Concubine Shu, who had always loved him. Concubine Shu was originally a daughter who knew the state from the fifth rank, and was given to him, who was still the prince at that time, as a concubine of the prince. Xu Xueying is a woman with a beautiful appearance and a gentle personality, who is deeply favored by Xuanyuan Hancheng. If it wasn't for Concubine Shu who had been doing nothing for many years, Xuanyuan Hancheng would have wanted to make her a noble concubine.
Xuanyuan Hancheng's queen, Xue Caiyu, is the direct daughter of a side branch of the mother clan of the great empress dowager. Xue Shi was the successor, the younger sister of the Minister of Officials at that time. Xuanyuan Hancheng's father, Emperor Xuanyuan Zhaoshen, was the third son of the late emperor, the direct son of the Empress Wang of the Yuan Dynasty.
After that, the first emperor appointed the Xue clan, who had always favored Youjia, as his successor. The Xue Clan even gave birth to the tenth prince Xuanyuan Zhaohong in his old age for the late emperor. Xuanyuan Zhaohong was the old son of the late emperor, only one year older than Xuanyuan Hancheng.
The former emperor was greedy for power and preferred the youngest son of the Xue family, but he refused to make the crown prince, which led to a fierce struggle between the princes. In the end, the first prince of the first emperor joined the fifth prince to force the palace and kill the second prince, and was finally suppressed by the third prince, Xuanyuan Hancheng's father. The late emperor was shocked and angry and could not afford to fall ill, so he had no choice but to pass the throne to Xuanyuan Zhaoshen. Although the youngest son of the Xue family was also a direct son, the tenth prince Xuanyuan Zhaohong was only fifteen years old at the time, and he was powerless if he wanted to be the throne.
Therefore, the Xue family begged the first emperor to confer Xuanyuan Zhaohong as the king of Li, and gave it to a vassal rich in materials, and also conferred the marriage of the daughter of the Xue family's side branch to the emperor's grandson Xuanyuan Hancheng. The Xue family's influence in the DPRK has continued to expand over the years, secretly helping King Li to keep making small moves. It was not until the death of the Empress Dowager that the Xue family receded. Xuanyuan Hancheng always wanted to get rid of the Xue family, but the Xue family was already entangled in the court and there was no way to hit it.
Therefore, compared to the empress who respects each other like a guest, the gentle and beautiful Concubine Shu occupies an important position in his heart.
Never imagined that it was the song and dance arranged by Concubine Shu, when the lead dancer who had finished performing the graceful dance stepped forward to receive the reward. A white light flashed from the dancer's sleeves, and a sharp blue sword stabbed at him. At first glance, the sword was poisoned, and the guards next to him quickly escorted him. At the same time, several dancers flashed out of the dance group and fought with the guards. For a time, the screams of the palace concubine and the screams of the escort resounded through the palace. The dancer who led the dance was still weak and charming, with superb martial arts skills, deadly moves, and vicious shots. The goal was directly at Xuanyuan Hancheng, and the sharp sword was about to stab at him. At this moment, Xuanyuan Hancheng suddenly pounced on a person in front of his chest, blocking the poisoned sword for Xuanyuan Hancheng.
At the critical moment, Ling Zhengfeng, the commander of the Imperial Guard in the palace, arrived with a large number of guards. The number of guards was large, and the assassins were gradually becoming weaker. After many guards joined forces to kill the assassin, they came to Xuanyuan Hancheng's side and covered him to a safe position. . However, the assassins were controlled in a moment. Although most of the captured assassins committed suicide in the first place, a few were captured alive.
Only then did Xuanyuan Hancheng see clearly that the person in his arms, already stained with blood, was someone he didn't expect—Lin Guiren Lin Anzhu.
Lin Guiren is a twin child. When Xuanyuan Hancheng was still the crown prince, he got drunk once, and by chance saw him dressed in a palace attendant and looked well-behaved. Later, his mother gave Lin Anzhu to him as a servant. I liked it for a while at the beginning. Of course, among the beautiful concubines, especially the gentle and pleasant Xu Xueying, Lin Anzhu would not be a special one.
After he returned from the frontier expedition, he learned that Lin Anzhu had stumbled into the water and had a miscarriage, and that it would be difficult to conceive in the future. He was very disappointed with Lin Anzhu who had accidentally lost his child. Gradually, he became cold to him. Lin Anzhu has a quiet and well-behaved personality, and he does not invite pets. Moreover, the loss of a child has hit him hard. He has always been sad and blamed himself. His temperament has become more and more silent and unpleasant. The little waiter slowly faded out of Xuanyuan Hancheng's sight. Until he ascended the throne, he was named a little noble.
The person in his arms was thinner than I remembered, because of the sudden loss of blood, he felt cold, his body trembled in his arms, and the wound was already black. Xuanyuan Hancheng's heart was flustered at this moment, and he watched the facial features on his face slowly oozing blood, "Quick! Quickly pass on to the imperial doctor." He stroked the blood-stained face, which could never be wiped off.
"Don't be afraid, the imperial doctor will be here soon. Don't be afraid..." Rather than comforting the person in his arms, he was comforting himself. Xuanyuan Hancheng had never been so panicked before, feeling that something important in his heart was slowly being lost. Lin Anzhu opened his mouth full of blood and wanted to say something, but he couldn't make a sound. He forced a small smile to him, as if telling him not to worry. His eyes were full of attachment, and the blood on his face was shocking. .
Lin Anzhu took a deep look at Xuanyuan Hancheng and slowly closed his eyes.
"No... No..." Xuanyuan Hancheng shouted out of control.
"Your Majesty, the imperial physician is here." The guard led several imperial physicians from the imperial hospital to report.
"Quick... Come and show Lin Guiren." Xuanyuan Han said.
The head of the Taiyuan Hospital looked at the emperor's nervous appearance and stepped forward to check that the person in the emperor's arms had long since died.
"Your Majesty, Lin Gui has been poisoned and has... gone. Please sympathize with the Emperor."
Xuanyuan Hancheng hugged Lin Anzhu and looked straight at him without speaking. At this time, the concubines and concubines who had come to their senses came forward one after another, expressing their concern at all times. The queen asked, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, are you all right?"
Concubine Shu stepped forward to see that Xuanyuan Hancheng's expression was wrong, and said cautiously with a sad face, "Your Majesty, are you not injured? I was really worried about the death of my concubine just now. Thanks to Lin Guiren, otherwise... I'm afraid..."
Xuanyuan Hancheng looked at the concubines surrounding him, all with a terrified expression of the rest of his life. The queen was still as dignified and calm as always, and Concubine Xu Xueying was already crying with rain. Concubine Song and Concubine Yu were protecting their respective daughters, who were also his only sons, and did not come forward. Looking at the person in his arms again, Lin Guiren's seat was not in the front. Under such a dangerous situation at the time, I don't know what kind of courage made him go forward to block the sword for him regardless of his life.
The commander of the Imperial Army, Ling Zhengfeng, stepped forward, "Your Majesty, a total of 4 survivors have been captured."
"Take it down, go to interrogate yourself, and be sure to ask the ambassador. From now on, block the city gate, and immediately send someone to search for suspicious people in the palace. Let the capital commander send troops to search the city." The mastermind behind the assassin, he There is already a conjecture in his heart, which must be related to his uncle Li Wang. It's just how these assassins infiltrated the palace and assassinated him on his birthday. There must be an internal response, and they must be found out immediately.
"Yuanfu, take Lin Guiren down for a good life and burial. Lin Guiren died to save me, and he was named Lin Guijun." Xuanyuan Hancheng forced himself to calm down, he knew that Lin Anzhu had always loved him, and his death Xuanyuan Hancheng was very sad and really regretted his indifference to him before, and he swore that he would definitely avenge him.
The results of the interrogation came out. These assassins were all Jianghu killers. Someone hired them to assassinate them in the palace. These people have never seen the master, but they all admitted that Bizhu, the maid of honor beside the concubine Shu, arranged for them to enter the emperor's birthday today. In the dance group of the band at the banquet.
The spear was directed at Concubine Shu. After Bizhu was taken away, she confessed that Concubine Shu had bribed people from outside the palace to assassinate the palace. After Xue Xueying found out, she shouted that she was wronged, saying that someone framed her.
"Report to the emperor, the guards in the palace just noticed that there was blue smoke coming out of the Kunning Palace, as if someone was sending a signal outside the palace." Yuan Fu hurriedly told the emperor when he heard the news from the guards.
"Come here, put on the Kunning Palace." He also didn't believe that Xu Xueying wanted to kill him. If it was the queen, then everything made sense.
As the palace of the empress, Kunning Palace is solemn and grand. At this time, Kunning Palace seemed to know that the emperor was coming, and the inside and outside of the palace were already brightly lit.
"Your Majesty, you are here." Queen Xue Caiyu sat in the lobby of the main hall with a cold voice.
"The signal was sent to Uncle Li, they must have come to the capital secretly from the domain. Why? Why? Xue Caiyu Although you are the daughter of the Xue family, I ask myself that I have never treated you badly. Since you became my crown princess, If you don’t say love to you, it is also good respect for you. It gives you the dignity you deserve. After ascending the throne, I made you the queen. Even if you want to clean up the Xue family in the future, as long as you are safe, I have no plans to touch your queen. Your position. Why are you still betraying me?"
"Decent, what kind of decency, you only dote on that bitch of the Xu family, and a daughter of a noble family in me will be on an equal footing with the daughter of a small official. That's my decency." The queen has long lost her usual calmness, regardless of her sharp image sound.
Xuanyuan Hancheng looked at the Queen's crazy appearance at the moment, "Shut up, you poisonous woman. You have a vicious mind, and you have to involve others. Concubine Shu is much more gentle and virtuous than you. I knew that Bi Zhu was yours," said , did you let her put the blame on Concubine Shu?"
"Bizhu was arranged by me to be with that slut very early on. She is capable. Haha!" Xuanyuan Hancheng's heart was annoyed by the Queen's next words.
"Do you know why you only have two sick daughters now? Your concubine Shu loves to make tonic soup for you, and every time I make Bizhu drop a lot of things that are harmful to the children. Good medicine, this is what King Li finally found for you. That's why you have few children in these years, even if you have them by chance, they are all born weak and sick."
Xuanyuan Hancheng's anger was unstoppable in his heart. It turned out to be this poisonous woman. He always thought that he had killed too many wars in his early years, and that he had killed too many sins so that his children were scarce.
The queen ignored his murderous eyes and continued: "Of course, these deceased children also have your concubine's handwriting, you think she is really so kind, she regards Bizhu as a confidant these years, and secretly asks her to do it. A lot of things have happened, and those concubines who have small births are all her poisonous hands. Otherwise, how much do you think she is capable of being the daughter of a small official, it is not because I secretly helped her that she would not leave traces. "The Queen said proudly.
"No, it's not true." Xuanyuan Hancheng didn't believe what Xu Xueying would do. Xu Xueying has never had children. He also said that he would treat his child as his own, and he also thought about taking Li Concubine's son to her for support, but unfortunately the child was always weak and died after a cold.
"If you don't believe me, you can check it yourself, hehe. Xuanyuan Hancheng, you think that you are a good emperor who is wise, wise and brave. Haha, it's not that we two women play and applaud."
"You've already married me and helped Uncle Li. What's the benefit of what you've done over the years? If this assassination succeeds, what will happen to your queen, do you know?"
"I went to the palace to accompany the Empress Dowager since I was a child, and I knew King Li from a very early age. I... I adore him, and I am willing to do anything for him. When I married you as the Crown Princess, I knew that you could not let him I gave birth to a child with the blood of the Xue family, and I am not uncommon to give birth to your child. I am willing to be the chess piece of King Li, to do things for him, and I don't care about anything for him. "
"I want to abolish you!" Xuanyuan Hancheng was furious when he heard that the queen actually had an affair with his uncle.
"I don't know who the concubines in this palace are not for fame and fortune, but for power and position, and who are sincere to you." The queen mocked Xuanyuan Hancheng, and then shook her head again, "I am afraid that there is someone who truly cares about you. Well, that idiot Lin Guiren, unfortunately, is dead, dead. Hahahaha!"
Xuanyuan Hancheng heard the Empress mention Lin Anzhu, thinking of his death, and his heart was sad.
"His child was also made by your gentle and virtuous Concubine Shu, who was pushed into the icy pool in the cold weather, and could no longer conceive a child. This Xu Xueying is still cruel, not even letting go of a pair of children. Yes." You must know that Shuang'er is very likely to give birth to a twin baby, and Lin Guiren is not favored, so it is not a big threat to Concubine Shu.
"Such a woman who is gentle on the surface, but is actually cruel and ruthless, you still treat it like a treasure. You really have no eyes." The queen shouted to Xuanyuan Hancheng as if she wanted to vent her resentment over the years.
"I'm going to abolish you, King Li, and the Xue family. I won't let any of them go." Xuanyuan Hancheng was devastated by the queen's series of words, but the emperor's dignity did not allow this woman to see his jokes.
"It's too late, it's too late. When King Li saw the signal I sent, he knew that the plan had changed. He must have escaped from the capital long ago, and nothing will happen. Hahahaha, King Li will definitely succeed!" the queen said. After finishing, he slammed into the pillar next to him, blood was pouring out, and the man slowly fell to the ground along the pillar.
Yuan Fu went up to check and touched the Queen's breath. "Emperor, Empress... dead."
Xuanyuan Hancheng returned to the imperial study. He had experienced too many things today, and his temples were aching. If what the queen said is true, then he has been as ignorant as a fool in the harem all these years. "Yuanfu, let Zheng Rong come to see me." Zheng Rong is his head of the dark guard, usually used to inquire about news and perform secret missions in the courtiers' homes. is one of his confidants.
"See Your Majesty." Zheng Rong entered the imperial study for an audience after a while.
"Go and bring Bizhu to me alone, and check it out for me. I want to know it clearly. I've checked it since I was still the prince." Xuanyuan Hancheng ordered.
After Wang Li received the signal, he knew that the plan had not been successful. He led his troops out of the West Gate and fled back to his domain. In the same year, an army rebelled, and King Li quickly conquered several cities around the vassal land and established himself as the king. Because of the rich materials in the vassal land, strong troops and strong horses, it was easy to defend and difficult to attack. Xuanyuan Hancheng fought against him for several years before finally destroying him. When he personally cut off the head of Li Wang Xuanyuan Zhaohong, Xuanyuan Hancheng silently said in his heart, "I avenged you." There was no joy after victory in his expression.
The dark guard learned from Bi Zhu a lot of evidence that Concubine Shu murdered the emperor's heir. In addition to Concubine Shu, several other concubines also found out a lot of things. Mutual frame-ups between concubines and concubines are endless. When these criminal evidences were put in front of Xuanyuan Hancheng, Xuanyuan Hancheng laughed at himself. Actually, none of them are clean, even if they have never murdered their children, they often take out their anger at the palace maids and eunuchs, and they have many lives in their hands. Regardless of Xu Xueying's defense, Xuanyuan Hancheng was extremely disappointed with her and put her into the cold palace.
The only one who was clean was Lin Guiren. He had never framed anyone, and was even harshly punished by his servants because he was not favored. Xuanyuanhan was furious when he thought that Lin Anzhu lived such a life in the palace.
Xuanyuan Hancheng tried his best to recall the moments he had spent with him, but he couldn't recall many details. It turned out that he had never paid close attention to him. In the following years, Xuanyuan Hancheng collected everything about him crazily and persistently.
Xuanyuan Hancheng went to the small side hall where he lived, looked at the furnishings in his palace, and learned about his preferences from the palace maids who had served him. I know that he has a gentle personality and has no temper with his servants.
Looking at the pile of copybooks he copied, Xuanyuan Hancheng's eyes turned red. Xuanyuan Hancheng once wrote a few words at random to teach him, but Lin Guiren didn't know many words, and he was full of admiration for him, which made him very useful. I still remember saying that he wanted to check his homework after copying it carefully. But after that, Xuanyuan Hancheng forgot about it and never mentioned it again.
When I saw the words written on the thick stacks of rice paper, because the texture of the rice paper I received was not very good, some of it had melted away, like ink-colored teardrops sliding down. Thinking of the scene where Lin Anzhu was quietly writing in a deserted palace, waiting for him to speak, Xuanyuan Hancheng felt extremely heartbroken.
Xuanyuan Hancheng even visited the small village where he was born. In a small mountain village not far from Pei County, called Linjia Village, where he was born.
Lin Anzhu, whose real name is Lin Jiabao, is a twin. There are six siblings in the family, the fourth in the family. Lin Jiabao's parents did not treat him badly because he was a twin. Instead, they named him Jiabao, which meant the treasure in the family and loved him even more. Although the family is poor, his parents love him and his brothers and sisters love each other. Lin Jiabao had a happy childhood. He was well-behaved and capable at home. At a young age, he began to help his parents with household chores and take care of his younger siblings. This also created his innocent, well-behaved, and gentle personality. Jiabao, such a treasure has always been by his side, but he ignored it and missed him.
In the fourth year of Yuntai, Lin Jiabao entered the palace as a palace attendant at the age of twelve. After entering the palace, he was renamed Lin Anzhu and arranged to arrange flowers and plants in the imperial garden. After being forced by him when he was fifteen years old, his mother gave him to be a servant. He has always been quiet and well-behaved. After he ascended the throne, he was named a nobleman and lived in a remote and deserted palace. Lin Jiabao was only twenty years old when he died, so he spent a short life in the palace.
"Your Majesty, it's time for you to rest, you will have an early court tomorrow." Yuan Fu interrupted Xuanyuan Hancheng's memories and reminded him.
Xuanyuan Hancheng felt disgusted at the thought of tomorrow's court meeting, and he was discussing the matter of establishing a reserve. Xuanyuan Hancheng's body was conditioned by imperial physicians in his early years, and the toxins in his body were also cleaned up. Later, after the draft was re-drafted, several princes were born one after another.
After Xuanyuan Hancheng abolished the queen, he has never established another queen. And among these princes, they are either mediocre in qualifications or ambitious. As they grow older, they start to form gangs in the court, and they have the momentum to win the succession.
Xuanyuan Hancheng looked at the portrait on the table again, thinking that if his precious child was still there, it would be very big. I don't know if it will be a naughty boy, or a cute and cute twin like him.
Before going to bed, Xuanyuan Hancheng had been imagining this beautiful scene with the baby and the child in his mind, and slowly fell asleep.