"Your Majesty, what you asked me to investigate has some clues. I didn't expect Emperor Chengqing to let me preside over Li Jinzhong's case. Obviously, he has regarded me as his confidant. It will be more convenient to investigate General Yan's old case in the future." gone."
In Bibo Pavilion, a masked man in black night clothes said to a mysterious woman who was also dressed mysteriously.
"It's just that Xiao Chu seems to be very interested in Li Jinzhong. There are still many eunuchs in the cell where Li Jinzhong is being held. Should I find a way to spend all those eunuchs? Otherwise, if Xiao Chu knows about the original case , I'm afraid he will take the opportunity to make trouble in this matter."
"Need not."
The woman's voice is a little cold, and it is more clear in the silent night.
Everyone has the possibility to take advantage of that old case back then, only he can't.
"In the trial of Li Jinzhong, there is no need to shun the people from Dudu Xiao's side." Wan Qilan ordered softly.
Zhang Fan was a little surprised at his master's decision, but since his master had given his orders, he just followed through.
It turns out that this masked man in black is Zhang Fan, Emperor Cheng Qing's confidant. Before that, Emperor Cheng Qing was worried that Xiao Chu knew too much that he shouldn't know, so he let Zhang Fan take over. Fan's trust.
Zhang Fan is the concubine son of Zhang Hu, who is the same age as Zhang Hu in the left-wing forward camp. He was disliked by his aunt since he was born and suffered a lot. If it wasn't because of his natural supernatural power, he was admitted to the champion of martial arts without telling the elders in his family. Now I don't know what it is like day.
He is considered the most promising heir of the Zhang family, but it's a pity that the aunt at home can't tolerate him, and doesn't like him overshadowing all the brothers and sisters. When he was a seventh-rank military officer, he was separated from the mansion. Looking at his aunt's biological mother, she was completely separated from the direct line of the Zhang family.
I don't know if he has climbed so high now, whether Zhang Hu regrets listening to his wife's words and treating this promising bastard so harshly, but it is a pity that even if he regrets, it is useless. The quarrel was so tense at the beginning, and the two governments definitely did not come to terms with each other. Chance.
Emperor Cheng Qing regarded him as his confidant, probably because of this reason, he was so suspicious that only lonely ministers like Xiao Chu and Zhang Fan could catch his eyes.
But no one knows that Zhang Fan's biological mother is actually a member of the Wanqi family. She is also one of the hidden stakes buried in the capital in the early years of the Wanqi family after experiencing the tragedy of the Yan family in order to protect themselves. Naturally, his children are also loyal to the Wanqi family.
After Wan Qilan entered the harem and became Emperor Chengqing's concubine, these hidden stakes that were originally buried in Beijing were naturally transferred to her, and Zhang Fan was one of them.
After plotting for a while, Zhang Fan left quietly from Bibo Pavilion. After all, he was still a foreigner, and Bibo Pavilion was located in the harem. If someone found him appearing here, it would definitely cause an uproar.
The same Wan Qilan must return to her Yanyun Pavilion as soon as possible. Even if she is a concubine, if she is found here in the middle of the night, others will be suspicious.
But just as she was about to leave, a figure suddenly appeared behind the laurel tree in Bibo Pavilion that was surrounded by three people, and she didn't know when that person had been there.
Wan Qilan and the old woman behind her were taken aback, especially Wan Qilan, covered by her wide sleeves, slipped down a sharp dagger along the mechanism of her elbow, and held it tightly in her palm. Always be ready to strike before that person confronts you.
But when he saw the person coming, he paused while holding the dagger, and with a bang, the silver dagger fell on the stone steps with a crisp sound.
"It's you… "
Wan Qilan's voice trembled a little, and her eyes couldn't help turning red.
It's been so many years, she doesn't remember how many years, they haven't seen each other so closely.
In this harem, she is the emperor's concubine, and he is the emperor's favorite chief eunuch. The two of them always have so many taboos. Similarly, Wan Qilan also knows that they are avoiding each other.
She watched him transform into a strange appearance in this deep palace, and heard that more and more people in the front and back palace began to hate him and fear him. She didn't know when, the man in her memory Cheerful, straightforward, and righteous Brother Yan was just a beautiful dream she once had.
Wan Qilan blinked heavily, as if the wind and sand had entered her eyes, she dared not let herself cry, those tears had been shed clean in the days and nights more than 20 years ago.
Brother Yan once said that she is the princess of the forest, and he is the general who protects the princess. He will make her happy every day without shedding a single tear. That is his promise to him. She just forgot the promise she made when she was young, but Wan Qilan still remembered, so she didn't want to cry in front of this man.
"You shouldn't have gotten involved."
Under the silent night sky, the man in dark red brocade clothes spoke.
Yan Chu looked at the woman covered by a black veil not far away, with complex emotions in his eyes, like a dense fog that could not be dissolved in the dark night.
Pale complexion, dark eyes, red lips, the most seductive and deadly color in the world, are strangely unified in this man.
Bang, bang, bang, Wan Qilan was amazed, no matter when, no matter what the other party turned into, her heart would always beat so violently only when facing him.
"But I've already gotten involved?"
Wan Qilan looked at the flirtatious and eye-catching man in front of her. In the past ten years, has she regretted it? Maybe she has. If she knew that he was still alive, if she knew that he was also born in this deep palace, maybe she...
The corner of Wan Qilan's mouth was bitter, she would still choose to enter the palace, because in the deep palace where countless young girls are buried, there is him, just give her another chance to start again, she will definitely not be happy with Cheng Qing. The emperor's woman, appear in front of him as a concubine.
It was as if fate had played a trick on her. She thought she was on the right path, only to find out in the end that she was wrong from the beginning.
Wan Qilan felt that there was a fog in front of her eyes, she blinked, and felt a few drops of moist liquid flowing down her eye sockets, she raised her hand to wipe away her tears, smiling gently and sweetly, just like when they first met.
At that time, he was the eldest son of General Zhenguo, and she was the little princess of the Wanqi clan. Before Emperor Chengqing ascended the throne, the Yan family guarded Dingfengguan in the northwest of Dashang, and the residence of the Wanqi clan was far away from Dingfeng. Guan, only more than 20 miles away.
No one knew that Yan Zhaonan had been kind to the patriarch of the Wanqi clan for saving his life, and the two families also joked that they wanted to marry their children, but Yan Chu and Wanqilan were still young at that time, and the elders of both sides were very familiar with each other. I intend to let them cultivate their relationship since they were young, and when they grow up, if they still have the desire, they will make a decision to get married.
Before Emperor Chengqing summoned Yan Zhaonan and his family to Beijing on the grounds of her birthday, Yan Chu also promised Wan Qilan that she would bring her the most fashionable gadgets in Beijing.
They grew up together, and in Wan Qilan's heart, Yan Chu was already her future husband-in-law.
But with countless longings, all she waited for was the news that the entire family of Yan's family had been massacred, followed by Yan Zhaonan's crime of treason and treason.
At that time, everyone in the Northwest was in danger, and many of Yan Zhaonan's former subordinates were implicated. The friendship between the Wanqi clan and Yan Zhaonan was carried out in private. Get out of the way.
At that time, Wan Qilan, who was only ten years old, did not believe that Uncle Yan would commit treason and treason. Similarly, she also wanted to investigate the tragedy of the Yan family, but the distance from the northwest to the capital was too far. As the little princess of the Wanqi clan, what she can do is limited. In the end, she made up her mind and simply entered the court as a married couple. Only when she went to the capital and beside Emperor Chengqing could she find out to more news.
When she was fifteen years old, she entered the palace, and when she left the Northwest, as a widow, she set up a tomb for Yan Chu, and buried all the gifts that Yan Chu had given her.
At that time, Wan Qilan, who wanted to reverse the case for the Yan family, never thought that the Yan Chu whom she was thinking of was not dead, and that the other party would appear in front of her again with such a completely different appearance.
Although Yan Chu was about ten years old when we parted from her, because of the years of exercise of the Yan family man, he was tall and strong, with healthy wheat-colored skin, heroic vigor, and righteousness in his eyebrows and eyes.
Yan Chu, who appeared in front of her again, was thin, with a skin as white as snow, with a kind of morbid beauty, his eyes were sinister, like snakes and scorpions, and he preferred red and dark purple clothes with rich ink, decadent, Captivating, but equally frightening.
This kind of Yan Chu made it impossible for her to connect the other party with the former youth. I am afraid that no one would recognize him except her. It turned out that the notorious Dudu Xiao and Changgong Xiao were actually the eldest son of General Zhen Guo.
Wan Qilan remembered that Xiao was the surname of Yan Chu's mother's family. The other party changed his surname and lurked in this deep palace. It was clear without thinking about what it was for.
The first time she found the other party, Wan Qilan wanted to recognize Yan Chu, but soon she became timid.
With what identity did she recognize the other party, as the concubine of Emperor Chengqing, as a woman who was most likely the culprit of the Yan family's massacre? She also gave birth to a son for his enemy. As such, what qualifications does she have to go to him again and tell him that she misses him so much every day and night.
What's more, she knows his pride better than anyone else. The former Little General Yan is now a eunuch despised by everyone. Does he really want her to recognize him like this
Maybe Yan Chu thought so too, although the two were so close, they hadn't had any contact in the past few years, even if they met in the palace, they didn't say hello and walked away from each other far away.
Wan Qilan watched silently like this, she watched the man lose himself in hatred, he became more and more powerful, everyone was afraid of him, more and more blood was stained on him, the guilty deserved, and the innocent human.
Yan Chu like that made her feel strange.
Coming to this deep palace, what supported Wan Qilan was childhood friendship and feelings brewed and accumulated by time, but facing such a strange Yan Chu and his son who was gradually growing up, Wan Qilan's balance Start rocking.
She didn't like Emperor Chengqing, but Wan Qilan couldn't let go of Zongzheng Qingqi, a child born in October.
At the beginning, she was planning to support her son to ascend the throne, and then let her son rehabilitate the Yan family. Until now, this idea has not changed. The only variable is Yan Chu. Wan Qilan doesn't know what Yan Chu wants to do. But needless to say, the other party must hate the Zongzheng imperial family to the core, he will not let Emperor Chengqing go, and he may not let these heirs of Emperor Chengqing go.
Wan Qilan couldn't stop Yan Chu's revenge, and even helped the other party to speed up the entry of this revenge into the city, but she was really panicked, if one day, when her son and Yan Chu were on opposite sides, who would she help.
"Stop it, I'm going to decide the fate of Emperor Chengqing. From the perspective of the young friendship, don't worry, the position of the empress dowager belongs to you, and the position of the emperor will also belong to your son, ahem."
Yan Chu coughed twice, and his already pale skin became even more lifeless, just like a flower in full bloom, the more beautiful it is, the more corrupt it smells.
"Do you think that what I'm doing now is just for the position of the Queen Mother?"
Wan Qilan was a little sad, but when she heard the other party's coughing, she still couldn't help but wanted to step forward with a soft heart.
She knew that Emperor Chengqing favored him, and there were rumors in the palace that Emperor Chengqing would often reward Yan Chu with the pills refined by those Taoists in the alchemy room, and share them with him.
As smart as Wan Qilan, he still doesn't know what those things are. Just looking at Emperor Qing's current body, he knows that it is something that can hollow out people, so Emperor Cheng Qing regards it as a good thing.
And Yan Chu wants to win the trust of Emperor Cheng Qing, so he can't justify the rewards of Emperor Cheng Qing. It is conceivable that a man who has been seriously injured, after taking these life-threatening pills continuously, his body will deteriorate What does it look like.
Wan Qilan secretly found two cooks who were very good at making medicinal food, and arranged them in Lanqin Palace with her contacts, so that they could help to regulate Yan Chu's body.
On the one hand, he was anxious, and on the other hand, his heart was a little cold because the other party's words were too alienated, and even the words that Wan Qilan blurted out were a little blunt.
The old mother was acting as a log in the back, but she felt anxious for her own princess in her heart. She was clearly thinking about this man all the time, why did she really have a chance to be alone, but she still made trouble with you
In the eyes of the old mother, Emperor Cheng Qing is not worthy of his own princess, and her own princess has no intention of being favored by him. Otherwise, based on the princess's appearance and mind, there is no such thing as the enchanting concubine Jiang in the harem. Son.
I also blame the old emperor. If he hadn't been so troubled, the Yan family would have been fine. My princess and General Yan must be a couple of gods and immortals.
It's not like now, General Yan has changed, and the little princess is bound by the fourth prince. No matter what happens between the two, they will never be able to return to the past.
The old mother felt sorry for her little princess, and made a few notes to the dying old emperor in her heart, and decided to pay homage to the small Buddhist hall after returning to Yanyun Pavilion, wishing the stupid old emperor a speedy recovery Ascension.
"The two of us only had a little childhood friendship. Don't you want me to believe that everything you do now is for me, hahaha, cough cough, Concubine Lan, Empress Lan, it's really ridiculous."
Yan Chu coughed while talking, because he was so emotional that he almost coughed up his lungs, but because of this, while holding his breath, his face became a little more rosy.
"The previous marriage contract between me and you was just a joke made by the elders. From the day I chose to enter the palace, this marriage contract will be void. You will be your concubine, and you will wait for the old emperor to die in peace, and then you will be my wife." Empress Dowager, that's all, don't do those unnecessary things anymore, I won't be grateful to you, this heart died as early as twenty-three years ago."
Yan Chu took Wan Qilan's hand and placed it on his chest.
"That foolish Yan Chu is dead, and now Xiao Chu is alive, Xiao Chu who climbed up from hell."
He moved closer to Wan Qilan, and the two of them were so close that they could feel the warmth of each other's breath.
Wan Qilan could smell the faint smell of blood on the opponent's body, a smell of corruption that couldn't be removed even after bathing and changing clothes.
The pale skin, the shadows cast by the facial features in the night, and the red color of the clothes reflected in the dark eyes, were treacherous and terrifying, and Wan Qilan couldn't help but took a step back.
"laugh-"
Yan Chu's laughter dissipated in the air with a gust of breeze, as if that laughter was just her illusion.
"You are afraid of me, you are actually afraid of me."
Yan Chu smiled wantonly, he let go of Wan Qilan's hand, and after a long time, his smile was restrained, and the expression on his face returned to calm.
"So, stop trying to get close to me."
After speaking, Yan Chu left without looking back.
"It's not like that, it's not like that..."
After he left, Wan Qilan knelt and sat on the cold stone floor, she kept shaking her head, she didn't look as cold as before.
How could she be afraid of him, she clearly, she clearly...
Is it true that time has changed them beyond recognition, and they can never get back to their former appearance
Wan Qilan didn't believe it!
*****
In the Lanqin Palace, it was dark, and the palace servants here knew that Xiao Jiuqian was the most impatient to be disturbed when he was alone, so there were very few people serving him personally, and he basically would not enter the bedroom to serve.
Therefore, when the lights were turned off in the palace, the servants went back to their rooms to rest. Except for a few servants who were watching the night, Nuoda's palace was not popular at all.
At this time, in the bedroom of Lanqin Palace, Yan Chu walked into a hidden compartment, took out a large wooden box, and took out the contents one by one according to the original body's previous habits.
There are small but exquisite small steps, a small clay figurine that has been cracked for a long time, and a small faded hydrangea. went back.
These little gadgets, no more, no less, exactly twenty-three, twenty-three gifts he owed a little girl.
Yan Chu clutched his heart, feeling dull pain, never stopped since he uttered those unfeeling words in Biboting. He didn't know whether these feelings belonged to his original body, or his own who lived in this world instead of him. .
Even Yan Chu himself couldn't tell what the relationship was like when he was young. After all, all he had was memories of that relationship, and it was only because of the tragedy later that the remaining emotion was too precious. Whenever he was in despair, what supported him was only these small past beauties. The more he missed, the more sublimated this emotion was, until it rolled into a snowball. Every time he looked at it, he felt sad, and every time he thought about it, It's all heartache.
"This time, it will be a different ending."
Yan Chu covered his chest and said in a low voice.
It shouldn't be the pain they endured. He wanted to see if the original body had tried to believe a little bit and let go a little bit, would they have a different future in this life.
*****
"Nine thousand years old, those who eat inside and outside have been dealt with."
In the imperial garden where people come and go, a man wearing a white sable fur-trimmed shawl is sitting on a grand teacher's chair, and a pot of tea is still steaming beside him. The temperature has cooled down here, and the slightly damp and cold late autumn seems a bit tempting. people.
His skin is as white as jade, with the moon-white python robe and brocade clothes, he can almost be painted. Of course, first of all, the tragic and bloody scene not far in front of him must be removed.
More than a dozen palace officials were tied to a bench, and next to them were strong eunuchs holding a red flag.
"Boom-boom-boom-" Every time the board goes down, the screams of the palace people who are tied to the bench can be heard, and the blood seeping from the thin clothes can be seen with the naked eye. , the clothes were all torn, the skin was torn under the clothes, and the white bones could almost be seen.
Another gust of wind blew, and the strong smell of blood could be smelled from far away.
You must know that this imperial garden is a place for the concubines to spend their daily lives. They originally wanted to relieve their fatigue, but they didn't expect to see such a scene of purgatory on earth. How could those concubines feel better.
Jiang Fengjiao held her nose. She had been a court lady before, and she also knew how cruel the masters used to punish palace servants who made mistakes, but she had never seen more than a dozen human lives in a row, so alive in front of her eyes. disappear.
Looking at the man with a calm face not far away, Jiang Fengjiao felt faintly terrified. Could she really seduce such a cold-blooded demon