Empress Wu suddenly got up, and in a hurry, she called out her first and last names: "Xie Yun!"
She shouted at Shan Chao again: "Stop him!"
Shan Chao got up but hesitated for a while, not knowing whether he should go up and pull Xie Yun away, or just work harder and pinch the jumping fairy to death.
The face of "Dancing Fairy" was swollen, and there was a strange crisp sound from the throat when the bones were squeezed, but suddenly struggled to show a smile, which looked quite distorted and terrifying on the convulsed facial features: "Commander Xie... don't panic …kill me to silence, because…”
Empress Wu stepped forward quickly, and finally told the truth: "Xie Yun, stop! The person who recommended him to the Holy Majesty is the secret door Yin Kaiyang!"
This is the third time that Shan Chao heard the name of the head of the secret door, and for some reason, a faint strangeness suddenly rose in his heart.
He himself didn't know where that feeling came from. If he had to say it, it seemed to come from some kind of beast-like sharp intuition.
Xie Yun was unmoved, and said coldly: "Even if Yin Kaiyang came here in person, I would dare to kill him on the spot, so why should he be afraid?" Immediately after, there was a "click!"
It was clearly the crisp sound of a broken neck, and Wu Hou's face turned pale in an instant.
Ming Chongyan's head fell to the ground with a thud.
However, at the next moment, the facial features on that lifeless face moved, and suddenly a strange smile burst out, followed by twitching of hands and feet, rigid flesh, and rapid shrinking of the body. Under the simultaneous attention of Xie Yun, Shan Chao, and Empress Wu, he changed It became a peach wood puppet the size of a palm!
"Hahaha—" A long laugh came from outside the main hall, drifting away with the night wind.
Xie Yun frowned, stood up and looked at the deep night outside the hall, only to hear the voice laughing: "Fortunately, I made a stand-in, and I knew that I would inevitably suffer physical pain on the day I met Qinglong. Commander Xie, it's not you My enemies, why rush to destroy flowers? Goodbye—"
The voice fluttered and flickered, it was clearly far away, yet it could be heard clearly in Qingliang Hall.
Immediately after the strong wind blew, the laughter went away and could not be heard anymore.
Destroying... Flowers...
There was silence in Qingliang Hall, both Shan Chao and Empress Wu had strange expressions, and the corners of Xie Yun's eyebrows could not help but twitched slightly, and he snorted coldly, "Monster."
"Why did you ask me to go to Qingliang Palace yesterday? What is 'Yin Tianqing'?"
On the second day, Shan Chao finally seized the opportunity to ask Xie Yun.
There was an armed fight in the palace in the middle of the night. Of course, this kind of thing could not be covered up. The next day, Empress Wu did not break her promise, and she really reported to the Holy Majesty. Then it was reported that Yu Wenhu and Shan Chao went to the Penglai Palace, intending to question them in court.
When Shan Chao met Xie Yun outside the Penglai Hall before meeting the saint, he grabbed him and hurriedly asked him.
Xie Yun narrowed his eyes and looked Shan Chao up and down. Shan Chao seemed to be in a hurry yesterday and wanted to grab him to say a few words alone, but before Empress Wu left, she ordered Shan Chao to go back to rest and not to disturb Commander Xie anymore, so it was only now that he had the chance to meet with him.
The young man is full of energy and blood, and he is completely fine even if he hasn't slept in the middle of the night, and he doesn't show any fatigue at all.
"What a mess." Xie Yun glanced at the palace servant not far away who was sticking like a wooden stake, and said flatly: "It's nothing, just to see that the crown prince is willing to get close to you, and I specially remind you. His highness is the safety of the country. Ouchi imperial guards need good guards, don't let the villain have any opportunity to take advantage of... "
Looking at his expression, Shan Chao knew that what he thought in his heart should be the exact opposite of every word.
"...Moreover, the Holy Majesty and the Empress sent you to ask questions before the imperial court, and you need to answer patiently." Xie Yun caught a glimpse of the eunuch leading Yu Wenhu from the corner of his eyes, paused slightly, and said: "There is no need to exaggerate the facts, and don't be afraid. The most important thing is that the Beiya Imperial Guard was established by Emperor Taizong's imperial decree, and it has stood up to this day with numerous meritorious deeds, remember not to lose the great prestige of my Beiya today."
Yu Wenhu: "..."
Xie Yunbo remained calm, turned around and left without even looking at General Xiaoqi.
Shan Chao was disturbed and a little dumbfounded, at this time the palace servants came out to call the General Xiaoqi and the guards of Dan Nei Shan into the hall to face the saint, then straightened his sleeves, tightened his belt, and followed the eunuch to pass the eunuch and stepped up the steps.
The Holy Majesty is actually in a good mood today—Emperor Taizong wanted to practice Zen meditation all his life but couldn't. He did it, so he has been in a good mood since his east tour. That day he was sitting in the Penglai Palace chatting and laughing with some of his favorite ministers, when the Queen suddenly came to report that the enemies Xiaoqiying and Beiya Imperial Guards had picked each other up again in the middle of the night, His Majesty was not surprised at all, he just asked: " Who's winning?"
The queen said: "Beiya."
The Holy One asked, "Commander Xie didn't do anything to General Yuwen, did he?"
The queen seemed a bit embarrassed to speak, she sighed and said, "It wasn't Commander Xie who made the move... but an ordinary guard in Beiya."
The Holy Majesty was amazed at the moment, and then became suspicious: "Although Yu Wenhu is not a master of martial arts, he is also known as a generation of masters. Why can even ordinary guards defeat my general Xiaoqi? Is there any fraud in this?"
The queen showed an indistinct smile, and said softly: "If the Holy Majesty has doubts, call him and ask him to find out."
The Holy Admiral was skeptical, and when Shan Chao entered the hall, he looked at him carefully.
At first glance, he only thought that this young guard was tall and well-built, with broad shoulders, narrow waist and long legs, and the tight-fitting standard robe made him strong and powerful. Then I looked at the face carefully, and found that this person was also very handsome, with sword eyebrows and starry eyes and deep contours, he was a typical "hard-faced and pretty".
The emperor was somewhat dissatisfied and suspicious of Shan Chao at first, but now his first thought was: If Taiping was a few years older, he could choose a husband-in-law according to his appearance.
Taiping is the emperor's youngest daughter. She has just turned two years old now. It would be light to say that love is like a pearl in the palm of your hand. Thinking of this, the emperor felt a little more relaxed about this person, looked at him up and down for a while, and asked, "Isn't it Shan Chao?"
Shan Chao lowered his head and said, "It's the minister."
"I heard that you fought privately with Xiaoqi General Yu Wenhu last night, but do you know that using swords in the palace is a capital offense?"
Shan Chao said without hesitation, "I don't know."
emperor:"… "
The emperor's expression was a little frozen, and Empress Wu coughed without losing the opportunity:
"Your Majesty doesn't know that this person is the disciple of Ci'en Temple who cured the Crown Prince with medicine last time. I saw that he was loyal, strong in martial arts, and had a good relationship with the Crown Prince, so I decided to make him accompany as the deputy commander of the Imperial Army. , it also means to be a companion with the prince."
Sitting on the face of Xie Yun, who was sitting on Empress Wu's attack, there was a slight strange look on his face, and he couldn't help but glance up.
The queen said this very decently, and it was clear that she was defending Shan Chao.
—Because Shan Chao is already old, and such a big man has already come to Beijing and came before her, and he can't bear to kill him or let him go, so he tactfully takes it for his own use
Or did he simply change his original attitude after discovering Shan Chao's huge use value through his skills last night
"What?" The emperor was a little surprised: "Is he the one who assisted Commander Xie to find the snow lotus?"
The queen smiled and said: "Yes. This person has not been in the palace for a long time, so he didn't understand the palace rules. It must be because of his anger that he ignored it and fought with General Yuwen."
The emperor looked at Shan Chao again, and suddenly felt that this person was much more pleasing to the eye, and even the blunt "I don't know" became inexplicably simple and straightforward, so when he spoke again, his tone softened a little: "Even if you are angry for a while, you should know General Xiaoqi is the second grade conferred by my book, you have no honors and no nobles, you shouldn't commit crimes below, and you even use your swords!"
The emperor paused, and looked at the two kneeling below. Yu Wenhu looked straight and expressionless, while Shan Chao was handsome and steady, and the balance in his heart could not help tilting a little bit: "I see it like this, I think you are a first offender, And those who don’t know are not guilty, I will apologize to General Yuwen in front of me today—it’s better to settle the enemy than to tie it up, Xiaoqiying and Beiya are both capable generals in my hands, let’s just expose this matter like this.”
Yu Wenhu breathed out in an imperceptible way - he knew it was the result.
It's fine that Xie Yun is not here today, but he is here, the empress must support the Beiya Imperial Army, the way the Holy Majesty picked it up and put it down gently was not unexpected.
But he doesn't really care.
He absently waited for Shan Chao to make an apology, and everyone was waiting for Shan Chao to make an apology; however, there was silence in the Penglai Hall, except for the soft sound of everyone's breathing one after another.
"... I'm guilty," Shan Chao finally said amidst the hopeless waiting, "but I can't apologize."
There was a bang, but a courtier knocked over the fruit plate in shock, got up in a hurry and pleaded guilty again and again.
The emperor didn't even glance at the courtier, he just stared at Shan Chao and asked, "Why can't you apologize?"
Shan Chao said: "Because it was General Yuwen who attacked Commander Xie first. A minister has no honor or nobility, so of course he cannot offend the second-rank general according to the law; but seeing that his boss is in danger, if he is afraid of violating the law, he will be punished." What is the crime for standing by and watching?"
The emperor was taken aback.
Shan Chao's voice was steady: "The top rule of the Beiya Imperial Guard is loyalty. If you fulfill your loyalty, you will commit a capital crime. Then I would rather die with my body than lose my loyalty. Please forgive me !” After saying that, he bowed generously.
—beautiful, simply too beautiful.
Everyone was in an uproar on the spot, and the emperor was slightly moved, only to feel that every word of this person hit his heart directly!
"You..." The emperor wanted to say something, but couldn't say it. The treachery of the secret door and the complex factions of the court came to mind instantly, forming the most stark contrast with the young man in front of him. As soon as the emperor raised his hand and slapped it on the table, he almost blurted out: "What a guard!"
However, he also knew that Yu Wenhu was right next to him, so he swallowed the three words abruptly before they reached his lips, and then asked, "You... what you said is the truth?"
Shan Chao said, "It's the truth."
"Then why did General Yuwen attack Commander Xie first?"
"—Report to the Holy Majesty," Yu Wenhu felt a burst of sweetness go straight to his throat, and this time he finally opened his mouth before that bastard Shan Chao said: "The Shan imperial guard didn't see the whole process of the matter, Xie Tong took the lead to deal with it." The minister did it!"
Well, the matter turned back to Commander Xie and General Yuwen, the two deadly enemies.
The emperor took a deep breath, calmed down, and turned to Xie Yun, who was attacked by the queen: "Commander Xie, what do you say?"
Xie Yunbo was calm, without even a little extra expression, stood up and bowed to the emperor: "Return to the Holy One, what General Yuwen said is true."
The emperor frowned and asked, "Then Shan Chao didn't know the law. You are the commander of the forbidden army. Why did you knowingly commit a crime and fight with weapons in the palace?"
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the emperor suddenly regretted it, because he saw a very strange expression on Xie Yun's face... That expression made him suddenly feel familiar and ominous, as if something very, very similar had happened many years ago Scenes.
Sure enough, the next moment Xie Yun opened his mouth without even stuttering:
"Because General Yuwen sneaked into the Qingliang Hall in the middle of the night to secretly spy on Yuchen."
"I just got out of the shower, and suddenly I was frightened, so I rushed to do it, please forgive me!"
Your Majesty: "..."
The people in the Penglai Palace were just in an uproar just now, but now they are almost in a collective panic.
The emperor had only one thought in his mind: Why did Commander Xie always have this trick to deal with Yu Wenhu
Why is this move able to trap Yuwenhu every time? !
If it hadn't been for knowing that there was a beautiful concubine in Yuwenhu's mansion, and Xie Yun didn't think it had anything to do with those male or female actors molesting children, the emperor would really suspect that the general had some unspeakable thoughts about the commander of the imperial army... .
But even if the emperor was willing to believe in Yu Wenhu's innocence, it would be difficult to save the situation, because Yu Wenhu himself could not refute it at all, and every word Xie Yun said was true... although it sounded very weird. Apart from clenching his teeth tightly and his chest rising and falling, he couldn't even open his mouth at all.
He was afraid that when he opened his mouth, he couldn't help but spit out the Ling Xiao's blood that had been suffocated since last night.
The emperor hesitated and said, "Yuwen Aiqing...do you have anything to say?"
Yuwenhu shook his head with a livid face.
The emperor was very troubled. Ask yourself, among the three people currently involved in this matter, the one he admires the most and feels the most innocent is Shan Chao, followed by Yu Wenhu who doesn't stand on either side of the empress and the East Palace, and the last one who often makes him feel very evil. Xie Yun, who is hard to control.
But the matter that could have been resolved smoothly with an apology has become a mess, and it seems that no one is to blame, and it is very embarrassing to continue to question the guilt.
The emperor coughed and said: "The Xiaoqi Battalion is the heavy soldiers guarding the capital, and the Beiya Imperial Guards are the iron guards guarding the palace. In my eyes, both of you are talents. If you fight all day long because of trivial matters Nao, what will it look like for your subordinates? I don’t think this matter is as good as... it is not as good as... "
Today's Holy Majesty's temperament is actually that the blade is wrapped in the dough, and the dough is stuck to the blade, so it is difficult to make a decision when encountering a problem. It is precisely because of this that the sharp-edged Empress Wu is very important to him. As a man, he likes the lively and delicate girl like Helan who relies on him everywhere, but as an emperor, he psychologically relies on Empress Wu who is so vigorous and proactive. strong woman.
The emperor was "not as good" for a long time, but he didn't think he would come up with anything, so he subconsciously glanced at Empress Wu and asked, "What does the empress think?"
Empress Wu said decisively: "The conflict between the Xiaoqi Battalion and the Beiya Forbidden Army is related to the safety of the important places in the capital, and it must not be taken lightly."
The empress settled the situation, and the emperor felt more at ease: "Then what do you think should be done?"
Empress Wu stroked the emperor's hand, turned to the hall, and said coldly, "Shan Chao."
"The minister is here."
"Even if you were forced to take action to rescue Commander Xie, you should stop the fighting as the top priority, and you shouldn't kill General Yuwen like that. Why did you put General Yuwen in the bed when Bengong arrived? On the roof, even the weapons were handed over?"
Not only Yu Wenhu, but even the expressions of the other people were slightly moved—the emperor only knew that the imperial guard had won the battle against General Xiaoqi at first, but he didn't expect to win so beautifully and completely, and he couldn't help but admire him immediately.
Just listen to Shan Chao said: "I know the crime, I shouldn't hit hard."
Empress Wu's tone became very severe: "Then why did you commit the crime knowingly?!"
Shan Chao replied: "Because I have the ability to commit crimes."
If Xie Yun's sentence "I just came out of the bath" just now made the surroundings terrified, then Shan Chao's sentence "I have the ability to commit crimes" just made the air freeze.
At this moment, everyone's minds were in the same place, and two words emerged in everyone's mind at the same time—
Arrogant!
The corner of Empress Wu's mouth twitched, as if there was a hint of a smile, but she lowered her face in an instant, and slapped the table again with a bang: "Bold guard! How dare you speak like that?!"
The emperor hurriedly said: "He is young and vigorous, and his words are unavoidable. The empress should not pursue it..."
"Young and energetic, how can you use it against the imperial prelude?"
Empress Wu choked the emperor back without hesitation, then took a few deep breaths, managed to stabilize her emotions, and turned to Shan Chao coldly: "Forget it, since the Holy Majesty interceded for you, it's not easy for me to punish you for the crime of inappropriate speech— But since you are so arrogant and confident, I want to test your true skills to see if you can bear the capital of this arrogance."
Xie Yun was staring down the hall with his chin resting on his shoulders, when suddenly Shan Chao glanced at him and took a deep look at him.
——A young man with a very strong soul, his eyes are so bright that they reveal overwhelming spirit and determination.
Xie Yun was slightly taken aback, and his mind, which hadn't turned the corner, only thought of the male peacock with its tail open that he had seen in the imperial garden, but he didn't know why he had such absurd associations, so he just listened to what Shan Chao said. : "Queen please try."
"You defeated General Yuwen last night because you took the advantage of the sword, which cannot be counted." Empress Wu raised her majestic and beautiful face, and said slowly: "Today, in front of the Holy Majesty, I ordered you two Let’s fight again—if you win, you will forget the mistakes of last night, and you will not be held accountable for the first action by Commander Xie; but if you lose, you must apologize to General Yuwen, and from then on, the forbidden army will not offend Xiaoqiying again. how?"
The corner of Shan Chao's mouth curled up, and he said loudly: "This method is very good, and I am willing to accept the order."
Yuwenhu is definitely not to be outdone: "I am also willing to fight!"
Empress Wu and the emperor looked at each other, nodded, and were about to speak, but suddenly they heard footsteps coming from outside the Penglai Hall.
Immediately afterwards, a very melodious and slightly frivolous male voice rang out: "Your Majesty, wait a moment, this method is slightly wrong, I have a better idea!"
Everyone looked up, Xie Yun closed his eyes and propped his forehead.
Shan Chao frowned suspiciously, and saw a handsome young man in a light purple dress with a beautiful jade on his waist, stepping into the palace gate from behind the threshold.