At noon in the cold winter, the sun is still shining.
Standing on the bell tower, Wang Taiyu and Xu Taiyuan looked at the corpse of Empress Dowager Zhai with complicated expressions.
It was already too late when the leading guard came to her place.
Even if Empress Dowager Zhai stumbled and fell down the building, the emperor would definitely hold them accountable to the guards stationed on the tower.
After the garrison saluted Wang Taiyu and Xu Taiyuan respectfully, they asked them: "You two ladies, since you two were present just now, do you know why Empress Dowager Zhai fell down from the bell tower?"
Xu Taiyuan was a little flustered, and her eyes were also dodged, not knowing how to return to the garrison.
However, Wang Taiyu spread out her palms, revealing an ear bell that she had removed beforehand, and returned to the guard with trembling tone on purpose: "After the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the late emperor, I discovered that I had lost an ear bell, so I went I called Xu Taiyuan to help me find it together, but I didn't think about it...but I didn't think about it..."
Before the words were finished, Wang Taiyu began to sob.
The guard was flustered by her, but he had to clarify the matter, otherwise he would not be able to deal with the emperor.
Fortunately, Wang Taiyu told him some useful information in a sobbing voice, saying: "Originally after Xu Taiyuan and I found the lost ear bell, we were going back to the palace together, but who knew that we met the Queen Mother?" I leaned forward, seeing that she was about to fall off the clock tower... Xu Taiyuan and I hurried over, thinking if we could save the Queen Mother, but it was too late... "
After finishing speaking, the guards saw Wang Taiyu grabbed Xu Taiyuan's wrist by his side, motioned to him, and said: "The queen mother was weak and sick, and today is the death day of the late emperor. She was too worried and blew for a long time." The cold wind must have been exhausted, so she fell... Before Xu Taiyuan could catch the queen mother, she fell... Xu Taiyuan was eager to save others, so she didn't have time to take off her armor. There should be some blood marks on the back of the queen mother's neck ...But these blood marks... Xu Taiyuan also made them unintentionally in order to save people."
Although Wang Taiyu was the late emperor's concubine, she was young and beautiful, she cried like pear blossoms and rained heavily, and her speech was well-founded, the garrison believed it was true, and planned to truthfully report what Wang Taiyu said to him to Mu Huai.
Xu Taiyuan was still in shock, but she breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Wang Taiyu was by her side. Otherwise, if she did this kind of thing alone, not only would she not succeed, she would even fold herself into it.
Wang Taiyu prepared the needles, originally he wanted to use these needles to stun the Empress Dowager Zhai, after taking out the piece of cloth from her mouth, she would not call for help or confess the two of them.
At this moment Xu Taiyuan finally understood that she could not blame the late Emperor for favoring Wang Taiyu the most, she was indeed a smart person.
After Xu Taiyuan and Wang Taiyu came down from the bell tower, they saw that the emperor and empress had arrived here.
The two of them were still wearing the sacrificial uniforms just now, and when they looked at the corpse of Empress Dowager Zhai side by side, they made others feel that they were right.
The appearance of the empress's affectionate husband and wife made it impossible for people to see that the two of them had been at odds before.
The west wind gradually picked up, and the smell of blood in the air became stronger.
Rong Xi covered her mouth and nose with a silk handkerchief, resisting the sudden vomit in her heart.
Empress Dowager Zhai's death was extremely horrifying, and the people from the imperial hospital had already covered her face with white silk.
The guard who came down from the bell tower walked up to Mu Huai and reported everything that happened just now to Mu Huai.
Mu Huai listened indifferently, and glanced at Xu Taiyuan and Wang Taiyu who were pretending to be crying with those cold eyes.
Then, he turned his head and glanced at the petite woman beside him.
Mu Huai did not expect that Rong Xi could really accomplish this.
And from the beginning to the end, he only used the power of the speaker, and cooperated with Rong Xi to pretend that the two were at odds.
Mu Huai knew early on that although Rong Xi's appearance was delicate and delicate, she was actually a woman with wrists and good calculations.
In the past, he teased her to be vicious, but it was just lip service.
Mu Huai has always felt that Rong Xi is weak and easy to cry, has a timid temperament, and is always weak and obedient in front of him.
Such a delicate and delicate woman can naturally arouse a man's instinctive desire for protection.
After Mu Huai found her back, he also wanted to protect her, and wanted her to be a sweet flower in the greenhouse to shelter her from the wind and rain.
But what happened during the two months of the east tour, and what happened today made him deeply aware of what kind of woman she was.
This may be her true temperament.
He has always been suspicious. If a woman with a temperament like Rong Xi is his pillow, he should have been wary.
But until now, he admired Rong Xi from the bottom of his heart.
He even felt that, as the monarch of Daqi, the woman who stood by his side to enjoy the mountains and rivers with him had to be as scheming and resourceful as Rong Xi.
And when it's time to be vicious, he will never be indecisive.
Rong Xi didn't notice that Mu Huai looked at her approvingly for a while. Although she knew the cause of Queen Mother Zhai's death, she still pretended to calm the two of them in front of the palace people.
After the powerful eunuch carried away the body of Empress Dowager Di, the palace people also attributed the cause of Empress Dowager Di's death to an accidental mistake.
After Mu Huai returned to Qianyuan Hall, the current Minister of Rites had already arrived and asked him how to arrange the funeral of Empress Dowager Zhai.
After Mu Huai ascended the throne, he ordered the minister of Taichang Temple to move the imperial mausoleum once. Since he named her biological mother Concubine Xian as the empress, he naturally wanted Concubine Xian and Emperor Zhuang to be buried together.
With the status of empress, it is justifiable for Emperor Zhuang and Concubine Xian to be buried together.
But since Empress Dowager Zhai has passed away, according to Daqi's rites, she will also be buried together with Emperor Zhuang.
The so-called joint burial means that in the same mausoleum, there is the big coffin of Emperor Zhuang in the middle, and the coffin of Concubine Xian and Empress Dowager Zhai are placed on both sides.
Thinking of this, Mu Huai's brows were slightly darkened.
How could he tolerate that bitch Zhai being buried with his father, mother and concubine
When the Minister of Rites asked about this, Mu Huai replied in a low tone: "She is from a sinful family, and my father is willing to spare her life, it is my father's kindness."
Needless to say too clearly, the Minister of Rites clearly understood the intention of the new emperor.
This Empress Dowager Zhai will not be buried with Emperor Zhuang.
The Minister of Rites asked again: "Your Majesty, what system should be followed for the empress dowager's burial?"
Mu Huai looked hesitant, and replied coldly, "When Zhai Zhuo was in your position, he once damaged the tomb of Empress Yuzhen for personal gain. If I allow her to enter the royal tomb, then after a hundred years, I won't be able to become emperor together. Tell Queen Yuzhen."
Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites used to work under Zhai Zhuo, but he was quite resentful towards this superior, and naturally he didn't want Empress Dowager Zhai's funeral ceremony to be too glamorous.
But he still had to do things according to his duties, so he asked Mu Huai: "Where should the empress dowager be buried?"
In Mu Huai's heart, he wanted this bitch to die without a place to bury her, but she was his aunt after all, and she had already died tragically.
After all, he also had to take into account some imperial edicts of Emperor Zhuang before his death.
Mu Huai's voice covered his hatred, and he ordered: "Find an open space outside the imperial mausoleum at will, and erect a stone tablet to bury her. The common people have a lot of resentment towards the Zhai family, so her funeral should not be a big deal. Only the people will be awarded the funeral." An imperial decree on the death of the Empress Dowager will suffice."
He once promised Emperor Zhuang that he would treat the living Empress Dowager kindly.
But since the Empress Dowager Di was killed by Wang Taiyu and Xu Taiyuan, he no longer had any scruples about the dead Empress Dowager Di.
Let her be buried for the time being. He has plenty of ways to destroy the tomb and coffin without letting people notice it.
Even though that bitch of the Zhai family died, Mu Huai still felt depressed.
He was helpless and even incomprehensible to some of his father Zhuangdi's actions.
If you really like a woman, why do you have to get involved with other women? Do you want to share your thoughts with others
Mu Huai never thought it was good to have a lot of Yingying Yanyan around him, but when he thought of such a scene, he felt restless.
He just wanted that woman to be with her.
After he died in this life, he would also be buried in the same coffin as her, and he did not want to be buried with her in the Mu family's royal tomb again.
Mu Huai thought, after a few years, when the state treasury of Qi State was full again, he asked the people from the Ministry of Industry to enclose a piece of land on the outskirts of Bianjing.
He wants to rebuild a huge and luxurious underground tomb. After he and Rong Xi have lived together for a hundred years, he will ask Mu Jue to bury the two of them here, and then let him seal the underground tomb, leaving only him and Rong Xi lying in bed. there.
She was the only woman in his life, and she was the only woman in his death.
Perhaps it was because he had died once before, so he didn't feel any fear at all when he thought of mausoleums and tombs.
But although the woman's mind was poisonous, she was still a little timid.
Mu Huai didn't want to let Rong Xi know these thoughts.
Thinking about it, Mu Huai raised his eyes and looked at the great eunuch standing in the palace.
The eunuch immediately asked respectfully: "Your Majesty is looking for the Empress?"
Mu Huai's complexion was slightly gloomy, and he scolded him: "When did you dare to speculate on my mind?"
The eunuch immediately knelt down and confessed his mistake in fear.
He was confused, even if he knew what Mu Huai was thinking, as a servant, he couldn't speculate on the holy will.
Mu Huai looked at the eunuch kneeling on the ground, and ordered in a cold voice: "Get up. Go and call the queen..."
*****
Pepper Room Palace.
Rong Xi secretly felt that her mentality was still a little fragile, and when she thought of the body of Queen Mother Zhai, she felt sick and wanted to vomit.
In the past few days, she has always been sleepy, and even often sleepy and sweaty.
Dan Xiang brushed her black hair for her, and said with a concerned expression: "Your Majesty seems to be a little tired these days, please ask the imperial physician to come and see her tomorrow."
Rong Xi nodded, and because of her haggard look, she put on some makeup.
She painted Fuyan's eyebrows and also touched her sandalwood lips, she didn't want Mu Huai to see her haggard side.
A lot of people died in the palace recently, so it's not easy to wear bright clothes. After returning to Jiaofang Palace, Rong Xi changed into a frost-colored Lu silk dress.
The frost color sets off Rong Xi's skin very translucently. Such a beautiful woman with icy muscles and bones and a fairy appearance can be said to be a national treasure of a country. Only the emperor Mu Huai can be worthy of her and can protect her. she.
The little maid who served Rong Xi couldn't help but be amazed.
She couldn't think of anyone who could be more beautiful than the empress.
The little maid once heard that the two children of Empress Dowager Xiao of Yan Kingdom were both beautiful.
She and the little princess Ji Li, born of the previous monarch of the Yan Kingdom, are a stunning beauty, and are known as Dayan's number one beauty.
But I don't know if this Ji Li is as beautiful as their mothers.
And Ji Xun, the illegitimate son of Empress Dowager Xiao and the regent, is rumored to be a man more beautiful than a woman.
Although Ji Xun is not from the Qi Kingdom, in recent years, many daughters of aristocratic families in Bianjing have secretly admired this prince of the Yan Kingdom who has never met before.
Thinking of this, the little maid still felt puzzled.
I have never seen his face, so there is nothing to admire.
All she heard was that there was a blood drop-shaped red mole between Ji Di's eyebrows.
— "Why is Bengong so dazed? What are you thinking?"
Empress Rong's gentle voice interrupted the little maid's thoughts.
She felt that Empress Rong was very kind to the palace people on weekdays, and she was not as domineering as rumored by outsiders.
Dan Xiang glanced at her, the little maid had just entered the palace not long ago, she was clever but not prudent.
When the queen asked her, she actually told her everything she had just thought.
After hearing this, Rong Xi also thought of Ji Xun.
She had an impression of this man, but this was the first time she had heard of the red mole between his eyebrows.
Rong Xi was also quite disdainful of what Ji Xun and his father did.
If it were another woman, she would definitely be criticized as a mischievous evildoer.
Ji Di is a man, and he would be admired by girls for doing that kind of cholera palace curtain. At best, he would only be called unruly and romantic.
She, a girl from Bianjing, actually fell in love with such a bad-tempered person
Rong Xi is in the position of queen, looking at Qi Guo again, it is not the same as before.
She also hoped that the people's atmosphere would be more upright, and that the people of Muhuai would respect honest men and gentlemen.
As soon as Rong Xi finished dressing, the chief eunuch of Qianyuan Palace came to look for her.
It had been a long time since the two of them had dinner together, Rong Xi was approving the fox cloak, and with a little joy in his heart, he walked with the palace servants to the back of the Qianyuan Hall, and saw Mu Huai still approving the papers behind the imperial case.
Sensing that the woman was here, he raised his eyes to look at her.
Although she is dressed plainly today, she has a kind of elegant beauty.
It is clearer and more moving than the new snow.
Mu Huai's stern eyebrows softened a little, and there was a hint of surprise in his eyes.
After that bitch of the Zhai family died, he no longer had to pretend to be at odds with her.
The emperor and the empress just glanced at each other briefly, but when the eunuch accidentally caught a glimpse, he felt that there seemed to be sparks of "cymbals" passing between the two.
The sparks made the eunuch dizzy.
But that's right.
As expected, the emperor and the empress should still be deeply affectionate as husband and wife, and raise their eyebrows together.
Although Empress Dowager Zhai had just passed away, the eunuch felt joy in his heart.
The palace people quickly prepared dinner, but Rong Xi felt that he lost his appetite, and even felt more sick than during the day.
Ordinarily, she felt sick this morning because she saw the body of Empress Dowager Zhai.
But now, she is still like this, it is really abnormal.
Mu Huai was holding vegetables for the woman, but she frowned and covered her heart with her slender hands.
Seeing this slight change in his eyes, he asked in a low voice with concern: "What's wrong?"