Ji Heng left alone, leaving Yin Zhan alone. The hearty smile on his face has disappeared, leaving only a gloomy look.
He could hear the murderous intent in Ji Heng's words, with eager joy. He suddenly felt a little nervous, and there was not enough time for nervousness, so he turned around and walked away quickly.
Ji Heng entered the palace, crossed the long corridor, and walked through the main hall. Grandpa Su introduced him to the emperor's imperial study room and retreated outside the door.
Ji Heng walked in, and the young emperor sat at the table with a thick memorial.
"Your Majesty." He was straightforward. "The time has come."
Emperor Hong Xiao raised his head from the memorial and looked at Ji Heng.
At first, people thought that Ji Heng's allegiance to Emperor Hong Xiao was not an excellent choice. When King Cheng was still there, Emperor Hong Xiao's power declined and he could be replaced by King Cheng at any time. After becoming a king, everyone discovered that this emperor that they had always been optimistic about was a truly sleeping lion. From the very beginning, Ji Heng keenly selected the strongest person.
However, the relationship between such monarchs and ministers is not reliable, and there seems to be some suspicion of mutual use. Besides, Emperor Hong Xiao was able to doubt the right, how could he not beware of Ji Heng
But Emperor Hong Xiao knew that it was not. There is a wonderful relationship between him and Ji Heng. For Emperor Hong Xiao, Ji Heng was not only a bargaining chip, but also a reliable minister. In some respects, Ji Heng could be regarded as a trustworthy friend in his lonely emperor career.
Perhaps this was because Ji Heng had told himself his plan from the beginning, or that Ji Heng had always abide by the duty of a courtier. He seemed to be acting unscrupulously, but in fact, he grasped the distance accurately, so that Emperor Hong Xiao didn't have any reason to doubt him.
"Have you really decided?" Hong Xiaodi asked, "I don't want you to take risks."
"Your Majesty, the minister has been planning this matter for many years. If it weren't for the minister to do it, others might not be able to succeed. By that time, it would have fallen short." Ji Heng's expression remained unchanged, "The minister's will has been decided, please fulfill it."
Emperor Hong Xiao sighed long.
Yes, long ago, he knew that there would be such a day. It is not easy to get to this step. The complete defeat of the king and the return of Yin Zhan are all in their hands.
"Ji Heng, you must come back safely." Emperor Hong Xiao said.
"Yes," Ji Heng smiled, "Whether it's for your majesty or the Ji family, the ministers will... kill him with their own hands."
Grandpa Su stood at the door, as if nothing came to his ears, his expression unchanged, but he sighed in his heart. It is said that the former is noble, the latter will inevitably suffer. Others only saw the pride of Your Majesty and Su Guo Gong, who knows how difficult they have been in these years.
Just leave it alone.
…
Yin Zhan returned to the Yin family.
It was very early when he came back from the palace, but everyone in the house thought he was not there because he locked himself in the study as soon as he returned to the house. Until night fell, when Yin Zhan walked out of the study, the people were still shocked, Yin Zhiqing said: "Father, you are at home, I thought you were out."
Yin Zhiqing has also lost weight these days, because Ji Heng and Jiang Li are married. But after all, she has a warm and hearty temper, and has already tried to get out, at least not immersed in pain.
Yin Zhan glanced at her, Yin Zhiqing was startled by Yin Zhan's gaze, Yin Zhan's gaze was extremely cold, as if looking at a stranger. Although Yin Zhiqing knew that Yin Zhan's brother had always been the most painful, but she had never looked at her with such a look, and she couldn't help but take a step back.
At this time, Yin Zhili came over from the other side, just saw them, and said: "Father, love."
"Brother." Yin Zhiqing was a little scared, hiding behind Yin Zhili. Yin Zhili looked at Yin Zhan strangely. Although Yin Zhan was harsh on Yin Zhili on weekdays, most of the time, he smiled. Today, he has no smile on his face, almost scary. Up. Yin Zhili was also taken aback, and heard Yin Zhiqing whisper behind him: "What did you do wrong to make my father angry?"
Yin Zhili was at a loss, but he didn't do anything. At this time, Yin Zhan said to Yin Zhili: "Zhi Li, come with me."
Yin Zhili had to follow.
Yin Zhan took Yin Zhili into his yard and walked into the study. He even drove all the little servants at the entrance of the study to the entrance of the courtyard, and asked them to guard at the entrance of the courtyard. There were only two people in the huge courtyard, Yin Zhili and Yin Zhan.
People are accustomed to Yin Zhan's uncompromising temperament, not even curious, and obediently go to the gate of the yard to guard the door. However, Yin Zhili was puzzled, and didn't know how important what Yin Zhan would say to him in the future would be so comprehensive.
As soon as he entered the door, Yin Zhili asked, "Father, what happened?"
Yin Zhan just looked at him and said nothing. Yin Zhili has never seen Yin Zhan's complicated eyes. He is used to speaking directly if he is willing to say, and not saying what he doesn't want to say. He is clean and never sloppy. Today, he looked at Yin Zhili's gaze, but it was like a drowning man struggling desperately, and it was frightening to see.
Yin Zhili was a little uneasy inexplicably, he asked again: "Father?"
After a long, long time, Yin Zhan said: "Zhi Li, there is one thing I must tell you. Your biological mother is still alive today."
Yin Zhili opened his eyes wide in surprise, and for a moment he stammered. He said, "Why, how? My mother was not..." He died when he was born. This is a fact that everyone has told him.
"She is not your biological mother," Yin Zhan said solemnly: "Your biological mother is the current queen mother."
Yin Zhili took a step back, his face suddenly pale, he said: "Father... you..."
"You are the son of me and the Queen Mother, Zhili." Yin Zhan said.
With just one sentence, all the causes and effects are instantly understood, there is no need to ask more, and no more doubts, Yin Zhan's expression explains everything. After spending so many years with Yin Zhan, Yin Zhili has long known what Yin Zhan's expression looks like when he tells the truth.
It's the face now.
"No, impossible..." Reason knows that it is true, but emotionally, Yin Zhili can't accept it. There is only one thought in his mind, he is an illegitimate! This disgusting charge will accompany him throughout his life!
But Yin Zhan just looked at him, just like he taught him countless times in the past, he said: "You know I won't lie to you."
Yin Zhili suddenly realized.
Those things that I didn't understand in the past seemed to be all understood suddenly. For example, his biological mother, why almost no one in the house mentioned her, and asked Yin Zhan, Yin Zhan didn't seem to care. He never took the initiative to talk about Yin Zhili's biological mother, but Yin Zhan didn't really like the current Mrs. Yin. He sometimes feels that there may be a cherished person in his father's heart, but that person has never been aware of it. Now he understands that that person is the current queen mother.
From Yunzhong to Yanjing, from Chengwang to Jiang's family, he didn't understand why Yin Zhan wanted to do this, and Yin Zhan never gave him a reason. Now that this reason has appeared, it is so arrogant that Yin Zhili can't accept it.
"What do you want me to do?" Yin Zhili sneered: "Marriage with the Jiang family is because you have wolf ambitions! I am the son of the queen dowager, so what? Because the current emperor is not the natural son of the queen dowager, so the queen dowager still hopes that I'm here to inherit the Datong, do you want to get up and try to usurp the throne! How dare you do such a thing! I don't have such a mother!"
With a "pop", Yin Zhan's slap slapped Yin Zhili's face fiercely.
He said solemnly: "I don't allow you to insult her!"
Yin Zhili retorted with red eyes: "If you do, don't be afraid of people saying it!"
"When I knew her, she was still Miss Lin's family. We were in love with each other. I was going to come to propose marriage! The Lin family was greedy for vanity, so she married the emperor's brother. The emperor's brother got her but didn't cherish it. Life in the palace is not as good as death. If it weren’t for me to show up later, she would probably die in the palace. Yin Zhili," his name and surname was Yin Zhili, as if furious, "I forced her, your mother She was innocent! She could have not given birth to you, at least that way, she didn’t have to have handles and dangers, but she gave birth to you because she couldn’t bear it! You can hate me, you can’t hate your mother, she doesn’t have any regrets You! Do you understand?"
Yin Zhili's tears couldn't help but shed all of a sudden. The man doesn't flick when he has tears, but he really doesn't know what to do right now. He can't blame the queen mother because she risked her death to give birth to him, nor can he blame Yin Zhan, because Yin Zhan has raised him for so many years and taught him carefully. Who can he blame? Who the hell can he blame
A tragic cry escaped from his throat.
Yin Zhan couldn't bear it. He knew that for Yin Zhili, this was tantamount to destruction. But he knows his son's temperament, his heart is too soft, he is kind and indecisive if he is better. Yin Zhili eats soft but not hard, so that he can't harden his heart towards the queen mother.
Yin Zhan didn't care whether Yin Zhili hated him or not, he only worried that Yin Zhili would not recognize Lin Roujia.
"You have royal blood in your blood." Yin Zhan said to him shortly and firmly: "Listen, next, I'm going to do something, it's very dangerous, maybe I won't come back. If I can't come back, everything in the Yin family will be handed over to you, and the queen mother will also be implicated, promise me to protect your mother."
Yin Zhili cried, looked at Yin Zhan, what he realized, said: "What do you want to do?"
"The grievances in the early years, it's time to end." Yin Zhan said: "I am not afraid to accept the result, I just can't let go of your mother and son."
Yin Zhili shook his head: "No, don't do it."
"There is no turning back." Yin Zhan suddenly laughed. His smile was as bright as ever, but there was a paranoid madness in his eyes. He said: "From the time I met your mother, my destiny is doomed. I am this. In my whole life, no one will do anything for her, just live for her. Zhili, you are the same, your destiny is like this, I will remove the obstacles in front for you, but you must do the rest by yourself. You must not fall short All the people in the Yin family, as well as my soldiers and horses, will be handed over to you in the future."
He said so solemnly, as if he knew that he would never return again. In Yin Zhili's heart, deep sorrow suddenly poured out. But he still shook his head and said, "No, no." I don't know whether he is resisting this imposed destiny or rejecting this unknowable and unintended future.
But at the same time he also understood that Yin Zhan had begun to make preparations many years ago. He taught himself the art of war and the way to govern others. Now it seems that this is a plan that started long ago. Probably from his birth, even when he was in the belly of the Queen Mother, Yin Zhan and the Queen Mother had planned for him, in their eyes an extremely brilliant future-sitting on the world.
"Are you lying to me? Father," Yin Zhili was blank, looking at Yin Zhan pleadingly, "I am not the queen mother's son, but you want me to do what you say, so you lied to me?"
This gentle and handsome noble son is the best in everyone's eyes, and there has never been such a humble time. Yin Zhan just hardened his heart and said, "I didn't lie to you. In the year when Rou Jia gave birth to you, Concubine Liu Shu framed you. In order to prove her innocence, she went to the wall of Hongshan Temple to think about Buddha. It was there that gave birth to you..."
Speaking of the past, Yin Zhan seemed to have a scene of the past floating in front of him. It was really a period of frightening step by step, to prevent the entire Hongshan Temple people from leaking secrets, now those trembling days have passed. But the future seems to be approaching a dead end.
This may be his fate, and he has no choice.
Yin Zhili couldn't help shaking again. He has never been so helpless before, Yin Zhan said: "Zhi Li, I don't care what you think now, but there is no time. I have to tell you the next thing, you have to listen..."
There was no sound in Yin Zhan's yard. Outside, Yin Zhiqing sat next to Mrs. Yin and asked worriedly: "Did Yin Zhiqing have caused a catastrophe? I just looked at Dad's expression, it was really terrifying."
"No." Madam Yin comforted, "Your father loves Zhili, even if Zhili really made a mistake, he won't blame it too much."
Yin Zhiqing felt that what Mrs. Yin said was the same, and then he was relieved. This is true. Yin Zhan’s love for Yin Zhili is obvious to all. They say that his father loves his daughter, especially Yin Zhiqing is the youngest daughter, but everyone can see the difference between Yin Zhan and Yin Zhili.
Fortunately, Yin Zhiqing has grown accustomed to her since she was young, and Yin Zhili has also treated her very well.
"But they went in and said that they haven't come out for so long. It's really worrying." Yin Zhiqing said, "Yin Zhili was sad for a while because of Miss Jiang Er's affairs. It's worse."
Madam Yin looked at Yin Zhiqing and sighed in her heart. It is said that Yin Zhili was sad because of Jiang Li, so why not Yin Zhiqing? This fool, he was thin and haggard a lot, and he still thought of others. Like myself, he has a glamorous and shrewd face, but he suffers more than anyone else. She couldn't help feeling sad.
After a long, long time, Yin Zhan walked out of the yard. When he came out, his eyes were cold and his complexion was gloomy, and no one dared to step forward. Yin Zhiqing and Madam Yin did not dare to say anything. He walked out of the courtyard and directly out of the gate of the Yin Mansion. He didn't know what to do at this late hour.
Yin Zhiqing said to Mrs. Yin: "Mother, I'm going to see Yin Zhili."
Madam Yin nodded, and Yin Zhiqing quickly ran to Yin Zhan's courtyard. There was no one in the courtyard. When Yin Zhiqing opened the door of the study, he did not see Yin Zhili's shadow for the first time. She was still wondering why Yin Zhili disappeared in a blink of an eye, and was about to go out to look for it in the yard, but when she turned her head, her footsteps stopped.
Yin Zhili hid behind the door.
He was really "hiding" behind the door, as if he had received a huge shock. He curled up into a ball, holding his head, Yin Zhiqing was taken aback, and hurriedly ran over and said, "Yin Zhili?"
Yin Zhili raised his head, and suddenly couldn't say what Yin Zhiqing wanted to say.
She remembered that she had never seen Yin Zhili cry. From childhood to adulthood, Yin Zhili always looked calm and gentle, with a calm and gentle smile on her face at any time. Even if he was thrown off a horse while competing with others, he smiled and comforted his family. Although Yin Zhiqing felt that Yin Zhili was too easy to bully and felt a little softer at times, he was still proud of Yin Zhili. Now that the fragile Yin Zhili appeared in front of him, Yin Zhiqing couldn't believe it for a moment.
She wanted to touch her, but she didn't know how to start for a while, so she lowered her voice and asked, "What's wrong with you? What did your father say to you?"
The numbness of Yin Zhili's eyes shocked her.
"Hey, Yin Zhili!" Yin Zhiqing pushed him vigorously, "Don't scare me!"
Yin Zhili then slowly turned his eyes and looked at Yin Zhiqing. At this time, he also suddenly understood some things. No wonder Yin Zhan married Suixian. Before Yin Zhiqing was born in all kinds of affection, he began to neglect Mrs. Yin. The stranger seemed to have changed individuals. In the past, Yin Zhili thought that it was because Yin Zhan was afraid of him to be over-hearted, thinking that his stepmother and stepsister would separate Yin Zhan's favor, so he did so deliberately. Yin Zhili also felt sorry for Mrs. Yin's mother and daughter, but he also naively believed that this was because his father loved him enough and put himself first in everything.
Thinking about it now, that has become a joke of wishful thinking. The reason why Yin Zhan did this was to avoid people's attention and marry Xuxian and have a son, only to reassure the emperor that people would not associate him with Lin Roujia. The Yin family's mother and daughter are basically a pair of victims. Yin Zhili doesn't know whether to feel sad for the Yin family's mother and daughter, or to feel sick for the selfish love between Yin Zhan and Lin Roujia.
Yin Zhiqing frowned. She really didn't like the way Yin Zhili looked at her, as if she was pitying something. She asked: "What's the matter with you? Did you cause a catastrophe that Dad called you like this?"
She was also very puzzled in her heart, even if Yin Zhan taught Yin Zhili a little harder, Yin Zhili would not make such a gesture. Yin Zhili retracted his gaze and stood up. He didn't know if he had been curled up for too long, or for some other reason. He seemed to be unable to exert any strength and almost fell down, but Yin Zhiqing helped her.
After he stood firm, he slowly turned his head, looked at Yin Zhiqing, and said: "Zhiqing, you and mother, go back to the cloud."
"What?" Yin Zhiqing was dazed, staring at him incredulously and asked: "Why? Where are you and your father? Are you going back to the cloud together?"
"We may not be able to go back." Yin Zhili smiled at her, but Yin Zhiqing felt that his smile was worse than crying.
"Go back to the cloud with your mother, the sooner the better, and I will arrange the other things." After saying this, he staggered out, ignoring the questioning behind his back.
…
In the night of the Guogong Mansion, in winter, there are still red brocades, but there is no warmth due to the flourishing of the flowers, but there is a kind of secretive bleak.
By the side of the flower bed, someone stood with his hand holding his hand. He was standing next to a tree. After all, the tree was still a small tree. It hadn't grown up yet, and it had ushered in this winter day. It stood here with its back straight, and looked a little stubborn, causing another person to appear in Ji Heng's mind.
He hooked his mouth and smiled.
"These flowers are blooming again." Situ Jiuyue said beside him.
Situ Jiuyue was dressed in black, with bells on her body, hair, and wrists. She has always been cold, but she looked a little strange tonight.
"When I am away, they will be taken care of by you." Ji Heng said.
"Of course." Situ Jiuyue replied, "I will take good care of them. If you can't come back, all these flowers will be mine."
"Situ, what you said is ugly." Wen Renyao said dissatisfied on the side: "It's really unlucky! Pooh, there are no taboos."
The Guogong Mansion tonight seems to be a bit more lively than in the past. Lu Ji and Kong Liu are also on the sidelines, but they are not as leisurely as they used to be, and their expressions are solemn, as if something big is about to happen.
Xiao Hong also seemed to feel that the atmosphere was not right. Standing on a branch, tilting her head to look at these people, she was very noisy on weekdays, but today she said nothing and was deadly quiet.
Lu Ji said, "When are you going to leave?"
"tomorrow."
"Before you leave, don't you want to say hello to Miss Jiang Er?" Kong Liu asked hesitantly, "After all, you are already engaged, and she is your fiancée. It is better to let her know about this kind of thing. "
"No need." Ji Heng said: "She will be worried if she knows."
Everyone was silent, everyone knew how dangerous this trip was. Between Ji Heng and Yin Zhan, there is destined to have such a life-and-death contest. They are each other's bait, fighting dangerous moves, everyone has a back hand, and everyone wants to be the last oriole. No one will let it go, but whoever will be the final winner in this game may not be certain. Ji Heng has been planning for decades, isn't Yin Zhan
Maybe even the difference between them is only a minute, it's all because of God's eccentricity.
"I'm ready." Kong Liu said, "Yenjing City has all arranged arrangements."
"Okay." Ji Heng said, "Lu Ji, you stay in Yanjing too."
"My lord," Lu Ji frowned, "If you go alone this time, it may be extremely dangerous. Now is the critical time. It is not the best policy to make no mistakes. It is not the best policy to take risks."
"Yin Zhan's soldiers and horses stay in various places in Beiyan, and Yanjing is the most important thing. He leaves as a bait and will not bring many people around. I want to lure him out. Of course, he cannot be surrounded by soldiers and horses, but it is not impossible." Heng smiled faintly, "This time, he must be killed."
As he spoke, he slowly stroked the branch of the small tree in front of him, and then smiled, "The same is true for him."
No one seemed to know the things in the flower garden of the Guogong Mansion. In Old General Ji's study, the lamp was lit.
Although he is always healthy and energetic, he rests early every night, saying that early to bed and early to rise will help prolong life. After so many years, he does look stronger and younger than the elderly of the same age. But the old general is impossible to compare with the young general. For example, the armor of this room full of weapons is rusted and covered with dust. Even if he wipes it often, it looks like a late hero, which is regrettable.
He walked slowly in front of these weapons, he stretched out his hand to caress the golden armor, hard armor, mighty spear, fierce sword... Every time he walked in front of a weapon, he stopped and stopped silently. Standing for a while, it seemed that I was reminiscing about the tragic past. Some memories appeared on his face, and in the end, he walked up to a sword.
The scabbard of the sword is inlaid with crystal rubies and is carved with intricate patterns. The body of the sword is bright, light and thin. When it is drawn out of the scabbard, it is dazzling and unpredictable, with a fierce murderous intent. Come.
This is the sword that has been on the battlefield. The name is "Qing Ming." From his beginning to Ji Donghan's end, Ji Heng refused to use the sword. He only used a fan on weekdays. General Ji said many times not to Let him use this fancy thing, but Ji Heng didn't listen to it at all.
He likes things that take people's lives in an instant and have an elegant and beautiful posture.
Old General Ji took "Qing Ming" off the wall. He walked to the table, found a piece of cloth, and wiped it slowly.
As the cloth towel wiped, the sword became sharper and sharper. Holding it in the hand, there seemed to be an illusion. The sword was humming and making a sound.
"Old man," General Ji graciously wiped it, holding it in his hand, as if facing a friend who had been away for many years, or a brother who had been on the battlefield together many years ago, "I'm old, you are still so fierce."
The sword is held in the hands of the old general, and you can vaguely see the scene of that year. The young general is holding the sword, galloping on the battlefield, brave and fearless. Then time is shattered in a hurry, things are not people, the sword is this sword, and people are not old people.
He held the sword blankly, and sat melancholy for a while. When others see it, they will be surprised that this old man, who has always been cheerful and happy, has such a sad time.
He wiped the sword, put it back in its scabbard, and put it on the table. The light was burning quietly, illuminating the eyes of the old general, and also illuminating the tears in his eyes.
"Weihan," he murmured: "It's been more than twenty years, and it's time for us father and son to meet again."