The prince's people guarded several roads leading to the imperial study room. When someone came to see the emperor, they said that the emperor was busy and would see you in an hour. Many people who came to see the emperor used to not be able to see the emperor as soon as they came, and often had to wait. At this time, they heard that it was no big deal to wait for an hour, so they naturally waited with peace of mind. Only the imperial doctor who was recruited was brought over by the emperor's eunuchs. When the prince's eunuchs asked, they said that the emperor was waiting to see him. Those who reported to the emperor were let go.
The imperial doctor entered the imperial study, and the emperor was still looking at himself in the mirror, twisting his face back and forth to see his own face. After the imperial doctor saluted, the emperor asked, "Is my seal black?"
Yintang turned black, and his life was not long. The imperial doctor was startled, and looked at the emperor carefully, and sure enough, he saw a dark air between his brows, and said in his heart, "I... can't see it, can I let you take a pulse?"
The emperor snorted, and the imperial doctor stepped forward to take his pulse, frowned slightly and said: "Your Majesty has been working hard recently, forgetting to eat and sleep, and naturally he is not feeling well. It must be that he does not think about eating, dizziness and weight..."
The emperor nodded and said, "It's true that sometimes you feel dizzy." He couldn't express his discomfort too much, so as not to make people think that he was really seriously ill.
The imperial doctor nodded and said: "I can give you a prescription to adjust the middle burner, but the most important thing is that your majesty should take care of the dragon's body. These days, you should lie down more and move less, sleep more and think less, such things as officials lying in vain. , let the prince cook..."
"What?!" the emperor asked sharply.
The imperial doctor was terrified, and looked at the emperor in fear: "I just want His Majesty to rest well, don't bother, and recover as soon as possible..."
The emperor interrupted: "What are the officials in charge?!"
The imperial doctor blinked: "I heard in the imperial hospital before I came that now civil and military courtiers and tens of thousands of people are complaining for Zhenbeihou and Pingyuanhou's two houses outside the palace gate..."
The emperor glared at the imperial doctor: "Get down!" The imperial doctor almost sat on the ground, and withdrew with the medicine box. After walking a certain distance, he wiped off his sweat. His partner was called away by the crown prince in the morning and never came back. It seems that the diagnosis of the crown prince's pregnancy and death is more than auspicious. The two have worked together for more than 20 years, so let me express my grievances for him.
The emperor was so angry that the corners of his mouth were drawn down, and he said to Eunuch Sun: "He is so bold!"
Eunuch Sun whispered, "Your maidservant, go out and have a look."
Eunuch Sun went out of the imperial study, and before he reached the palace gate, he ran into a few people who were waiting outside to report to the emperor, and hurriedly asked them to follow him to see the emperor. Eunuch Sun was the emperor's personal eunuch, even the prince himself did not dare to stop him, not to mention the eunuchs of the prince, who watched Eunuch Sun take people away, they hurried to tell the prince.
In the imperial study room, someone came to report to the emperor Fuque of Baiguan, and other things: "As soon as the imperial army raided and killed the two mansions, people in the market rushed to tell each other, saying that the two mansions were framed, the family of loyalty, the men Fighting the enemy in the front, behind the old and young women and children... "
The emperor snorted: "Someone is manipulating public opinion! Old and young women and children?! If they are all old and young women and children, why didn't the Imperial Forest Army rush in?! Why didn't they kill them?! How is it now?"
The visitor went on to say: "An hour ago, tens of thousands of people in the capital had gathered on the road, and the crowd was so excited that it was unjust to make a noise in the two prefectures. They also encouraged people to intercept and kill the Imperial Forest Army who ransacked the Zhenbeihou Mansion and the Pingyuanhou Mansion. Say you can't kill Zhongliang..."
The emperor scolded: "This is inciting rebellion!"
The visitor hesitated, and the emperor said impatiently, "Go ahead!"
Another said: "There are battle reports in the capital saying that the Beirong Northeast Route Army has been defeated by the army led by the second son of the Shen family."
The emperor sat up straight, frowned and asked, "Is this really true?"
The man nodded and said: "Someone saw the battle report being handed into the palace with their own eyes."...
The emperor pondered-this is not easy! If the people on Zhenbeihou's side are not dead, if they know that the mansion has been copied...
At this time, there was a new report outside, and the emperor asked someone to come in, who said: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Forest Army who went to Zhenbeihou's Mansion suffered heavy losses. There is a black and strong young man in the mansion, who is extremely brave and has killed more than two hundred people. It was very bloody, and the arrows were shot without fail, piercing the Yang with a hundred steps. The fourth prince ran into the Zhenbeihou Mansion before delivering the decree, and all the soldiers who chased him were shot to death. The ebony bow of the ancestor of Zhenbei Hou!"
The emperor suddenly remembered the matter of escorting the black dragon, and felt very awkward! If there is such a saying, then the black dragon actually ordered to kill his imperial forest army. Does this mean that he does not protect himself? !
Suddenly, the emperor felt that it was better not to copy and kill Zhenbeihou's mansion. If the so-called black dragon was angered, would he come to the palace and force himself to abdicate
The emperor frowned tightly and was thinking. The voice of the prince came from outside, begging to see the emperor. The emperor asked everyone in the room to finish talking and leave before letting the prince in.
The prince walked in anxiously and said, "Father! The fourth brother was hijacked by the Zhenbeihou's mansion! The Zhenbeihou Pingyuanhou's mansion actually had a solid wall, and set up a strong bow and crossbow to fight with the imperial forest army. The imperial forest army was killed and wounded." Most of the time! Father, they have objected a long time ago!"
When the emperor saw the crown prince now, he felt frustrated and asked angrily: "What's the matter with the officials Fuque?" He still wanted to hide it from me!
The prince said angrily: "It's because they were deceived by others! Where is the grievance? Looking at the actions of the two governments, it shows that they don't respect the father. Please send more imperial guards..."
The emperor interrupted: "The battle report is true?"
The prince blinked, shook his head quickly and said: "It's not a serious memorial, it's just a few lines written by an unqualified scholar, who knows if it's true or not! Father, there are rioters everywhere in Beijing at this time. I heard that people have already poured in." The two governments actually surrounded the Imperial Forest Army and wanted to obstruct the Imperial Forest Army's work. They are blatantly rebelling! Father, you must kill them and teach them a good lesson!"
The emperor looked cold, turned his face slightly, and asked Eunuch Sun: "The person who came just now said why the Imperial Forest Army didn't dare to clear the road?" This was telling the prince that he knew the situation outside.
Eunuch Sun said: "The man said that the leader of the army was afraid of causing a civil uprising, so he came here to ask the emperor to show him."
The prince was in a hurry, "What do you mean by causing a civil commotion? Kill a few people, and the people will flee in all directions! What kind of civil commotion?! This matter scares the cowardly to death! Blood must be seen!"...
The emperor smiled lightly: Is the crown prince arrogant in front of him like this? ! Who is the emperor? ! The emperor coughed and said slowly: "You don't have to be so flustered, you can wait for this matter."
The prince looked at the emperor in surprise, and the emperor said: "You can wait for two days to verify the authenticity of the battle report. Since public opinion is fluctuating now, let them first tell them that the Imperial Forest Army has stopped raiding and killing the two governments. This case will be heard by me personally, so that they can wait with peace of mind. "Hurry up and let the court officials go home to appease the black dragon. This matter can be pushed to the crown prince, saying that he was just deceived, and then abolish the crown prince. Don't Zhenbeihou and Pingyuanhou still have to pledge allegiance to himself? Will the black dragon come to protect him? Anyway, I don't like always facing the person who will inherit my throne in the future, always reminding myself that I can't have this supreme seat forever...
The prince was stunned: The emperor will re-trial, so who did the trial in the first place? Is the emperor trying to push himself out as a scapegoat? !
The emperor waved his hand: "Go and tell those court officials, we will leave immediately today."
The prince swallowed hard, saluted, turned and left.
Soon, a decree came out from the palace, saying that the emperor will personally try the case of the two governments, and let everyone go back to their homes first, and the imperial forest army withdraw to the imperial city, and the emperor will give a letter in two days.
Although the decree was not clearly stated, the prince was in charge of political affairs, and this decision clearly meant that the case was decided by the prince, and the emperor came to review it now. For a while, people in the capital rushed to tell each other, saying that the emperor listened to the voices of the people and the opinions of the people, and he was really a wise king.
All civil and military officials knew that the Imperial Forest Army had withdrawn from the two palaces, and they had achieved their goal, and left the palace gate one after another.
After the prince brought someone to deliver the decree, he returned to the East Palace in a daze, and sat down beside the desk as if he had lost his soul. He felt that this day was like a dream. In the morning, he went up to the city to watch the Imperial Forest Army leave, and he was in a good mood under the rising sun. Why is it like this now? The copying and killing of the two governments was blocked, and the court official Fu Que protested, but the emperor actually gave in!
His mind was buzzing. He is already so close, why is he suddenly far away? He somewhat regretted that he had hit too hard on the princess and beat her to death by mistake, which made Lu's courtiers contradict himself on this issue. The person who went to kill the imperial doctor reported that the imperial doctor said that she was pregnant when she was dying. It would have been fine if she hadn't died... But it's all her fault. If she hadn't been so mean at the time, I wouldn't have beaten her hard... I have to worry about it now Yes, if the father retrials the case... the crown prince began to sweat again, and the palms of his hands were wet. Does the emperor want to give up on himself? !
No, it can't be over like this. He's come so far, it can't end like this now!
As long as the last step is for him to ascend the throne and become emperor, he can avoid being sacrificed by his father, and he can take charge of the government alone without relying on the important officials of the Lu family... Now that Zhenbeihou is over, and the news of Pingyuanhou's road is all failures, who else can tell the truth? How is he? Even if the third prince is not dead and he becomes the new emperor, what can the third prince do? Now that the Bei Rong is invading, if the third prince dares to force the palace, then the third prince will become a sinner through the ages. What's more, the news from many sources is that the third prince is dead... Even if Shen Jian is not dead and has soldiers in his hands, so what? If he becomes the emperor, he can pardon the crimes of the two governments, sentence them to exile, and then kill them on the road. Why openly kill them? Doing this at this time is just a step to take advantage of the emperor's hand... Or transfer your own people to replace Shen Jian, so that he dare not violate the emperor's order... It's just helpless, scruples on people's hearts, if you can't kill them for a while, it's okay He blamed the former emperor for all his mistakes in the past, saying that he was originally a loyal and honest king, and that he was jealous of the former emperor. Let's stabilize the overall situation first, and deal with them later... As long as you are the emperor, why not do it!
The prince sat until midnight before getting up to go to sleep. In the bedroom, in the darkness like ink, the prince took out a small bag. His panic had eased a little - there was still hope that he hadn't been formally deposed, that he could still be Emperor...
The emperor knew that the officials had returned home and the city was quiet, so he began to mutter about his body again—nothing is as important as his health now! If there is something wrong with him, that is, the sky is falling, so what does it have to do with him! Ever since Shen Wen said those words, the emperor felt more and more that he was seriously ill. Although he kept telling himself that the woman was talking nonsense, deep down in his heart, he actually felt that what she said was right! He was restless and couldn't help picking up the mirror to look at his face, and asked Eunuch Sun to find Taoist Master Mao.
Mao Daochang came soon. He hadn't seen the emperor for more than twenty days. When the war broke out, the emperor didn't have the time to meditate and practice guidance. He had to listen to news from all sides and prepare to move the capital every day. After saluting, Daoist Mao raised his head and was also surprised. I haven't seen him for a while, but when I took a quick look today, the emperor's face turned black and his lips turned white. How could it be that his yang energy was weak? He has warned the emperor not to indulge in sexual intercourse.
When the emperor saw Taoist Mao's expression, his heart tightened, and he asked, "Did the Taoist see the blackness of Zhen Yintang?"
Daoist Mao was not used to lying, but he also knew that he couldn't tell the truth, so he had to be perfunctory: "Your Majesty, don't panic. Sometimes people eat poorly and think too much, and they will also have a bad mood. Pindao can use elixir as the emperor's foundation, and use it Daoyin helps the emperor to circulate qi and blood and resolve liver depression."
What the woman said turned out to be true! The emperor was a little flustered, but what Taoist Mao said reassured him. He nodded and said, "Just listen to what the priest said."
The emperor followed Mao Daochang for half an hour to guide, sweated a little, and took the medicinal bath prepared by Mao Daochang, feeling more comfortable. Before going to sleep, he asked Sun Gonggong, "Is there really nothing there?"
Eunuch Sun's people didn't report anything. Eunuch Sun shook his head, and the emperor asked, "Did you go to see it yourself?"
Eunuch Sun hurriedly said: "Not yet, but I have been thinking about it all the time, and I want to go and have a look. It's just that I got dizzy during this time, I must go as soon as possible!" Waking up early, not thinking about going to bed, etc., he collected his mind and wanted to sleep, but he was always restless in his heart. The few words Shen Wen said came to his mind again and again, tossing and turning until the middle of the night, before they faded away.
Zheng Qian knew that the situation was not good when he heard that the second daughter of the Marquis of Zhenbei was going to avenge his father and brother, and the students and people in the city were restless. Could it be that Second Miss Shen is not dead? ! He felt it was impossible. He saw Second Miss Shen plunged into the icy lake water with his own eyes, and he definitely wouldn't survive! At that time, he looked at the surface of the water, and there was no woman surfaced at all. So now the person who claims to be Miss Shen must be a liar!
The streets were congested, and when he managed to get outside the palace, the gate of the palace was already closed. The roads in the capital were still crowded with bustling crowds, everyone was discussing the case of the Zhenbeihou Mansion and Pingyuanhou Mansion enthusiastically, and the Imperial Forest Army returned to the palace in a team. There was no carriage to hire on the road, so Zheng Qian walked all the way back home. When he got home, it was completely dark, and as soon as he entered the door, the servant said that he had a guest and had been waiting for him in the study.
Zheng Qian guessed that it was the prince's person, and hurried to the study, where three people sat, all with gloomy expressions. Zheng Qian hurriedly saluted and said: "Everyone has been waiting for a long time..." Two people stood up and supported him, and a rope was tied around his neck. Zheng Qian opened his mouth to shout, but before he could make a sound, the people behind him had already stopped. Tighten the rope...
Weary, Ye Zhongshu was helped into the donkey cart and returned home all the way. The people on the road are also gradually dispersing, but those rapping people are still singing loudly. The atmosphere on the street was warm, and everyone was filled with a kind of triumphant joy. Ye Zhongshu let out a long sigh of relief—this matter is settled. The emperor made such a concession, sacrificing the prince. Although it is not stated clearly, the case is bound to be closed. Once the battle report from the Northeast has been verified, the emperor will not kill the killer knowing that there are still people leading the army in the Zhenbei Hou family. Ye Zhongshu smiled wryly—this is such a cruel reality, and in the end, it is the strength of soldiers. These civil servants who were born as scholars only played the role of playing side drums to create some momentum. But Ye Zhongshu also knew that what he had done was not in vain. The crown prince lost all support for this matter. All the officials were put on hold, and the people in the capital took to the streets. In order to appease the anger of the people, the emperor wanted to put the crown prince on the seat pointed out by the people. Even if the prince is not deposed, the prince will not be allowed to continue to participate in the affairs of the court.
When he got home, he took a good bath and changed clothes, first drank the ginger soup that Mrs. Wan had prepared, and then happily ate dinner. He intends to let some of his disciples come to talk, but he decided against it—don't leave any evidence of clique. If the third prince wins and returns triumphantly, the crown prince in the palace loses power, and if the emperor does not appoint the meritorious third prince as the crown prince, it will inevitably be another conflict. What's more, the killing of Zhenbeihou and Pingyuanhou's two houses this time means that Zhenbeihou really died in the north, and his children will not rebel. Pingyuanhou is not such a submissive person. He and the third prince led troops. If there were too many soldiers, it would turn into a disguised coercion. But in the current situation, on the one hand, the emperor and the princes of the two mansions were ordered to be copied and killed. On the one side, there is the third prince who fought against the army for the people. This is what the hearts of the people want...
There was only one thing that puzzled Ye Zhongshu—why did those officials of the Lu family also lay down outside the palace together? While he was wondering, someone came to report and told him that the princess was beaten to death by the prince, but the prince dared not mourn.
Ye Zhongshu almost broke his perennial reserve and almost laughed out loud—is there such a stupid person? At such a critical moment, lost your important support? But Ye Zhongshu immediately frowned again, and asked the visitor: "How about the people we sent to the palace? Did they end up with the prince and the emperor?"
The person who came said: "We also contacted today. During this period of time, the palace is very chaotic, and most of our people have been transferred to other places. There is one beside the emperor, but not the crown prince."
Ye Zhongshu pondered: "Send the word quickly, so that people pay more attention to the prince's behavior these days."
In Pingyuanhou's mansion, the Imperial Forest Army withdrew, and the guards came out. After confirming that there was no ambush around, they began to clean up the courtyard. Zhang Yunzhao was so happy that he directed people to do things and felt that he had grown up. Eunuch Gu went to the small courtyard, preparing to meet Shen Wen and talk about the future arrangements.
Mrs. Li asked people to set up a water mat in front of the mansion to entertain the people who came to help, and also asked Mrs. Li's restaurants in the city to provide free food tonight until everything was cleared.
Unlike the jubilant Pingyuanhou's Mansion, the Zhenbeihou's Mansion was full of crying. As soon as the Imperial Forest Army left, the people on the street entered the mansion to help carry the corpse and clean the blood. The people in the Zhenbeihou Mansion were busy tearing up the white cloth and arranging the funeral.
Shen Wen didn't know this, she waited until it was dark, ran out of the palace, and went to the small courtyard, where Eunuch Gu was already waiting.
Shen Wen asked: "How is Pingyuanhou's Mansion?"
Eunuch Gu shook his head and said, "No hair was hurt." He didn't talk to anyone all the way, so he naturally didn't know about the Zhenbeihou Mansion. Shen Wen was relieved, and said to Eunuch Gu: "In a few days, the rumors about Pingyuan Hou Desheng on the West Road can be released."
Eunuch Gu raised his lips slightly and nodded - what a big oolong this is! The two prefectures were copied and killed, but Marquis Pingyuan was not dead yet, and he was about to lead his troops back! Not to mention the prince, even the emperor can't eat and walk around.
After talking about some minor details, both of them felt that there would be no big disturbances in the future. Shen Wen changed into regular clothes, and Eunuch Gu went out to arrange a car, and asked a woman to accompany Shen Wen, and immediately returned to Zhenbei Hou Mansion. Although it was late at night, Shen Wen didn't want to delay any longer.
Before the carriage approached Zhenbeihou's mansion, Shen Wen heard people's voices everywhere on the street at night, and someone said something: "Zhenbeihou is so pitiful..." "It's a pity..." Her heart sank, and the curtain let Pingyuanhou The driver of the government is going fast. She repeatedly thought about any loopholes—the whole family is in the old lady's courtyard, there are hundreds of people in Laoguan, and they all have the latest bows and arrows. There are enough arrows, and Shen Qiang's martial arts are very strong. He only needs to guard for a day, and nothing will happen. Bar? She thought it should be safe, but now she started to worry - should she stay in the mansion? But her original plan was to openly enter the palace, let the lie of Second Miss Shen's offering of books be self-defeated, destroy the basis for copying and killing the two houses, and at the same time tell the emperor that he was ill. Originally, Shen Wen planned to pinch the emperor's pulse and give him an irregular heartbeat, but when Shen Wen looked up and saw the emperor's face, he knew that the emperor was really not in good health. When he closed his eyes, he saw a big lump in the emperor's abdomen If Shen Wen pinched his pulse with black things, the emperor might die there. Shen Wen only moved his mouth, but didn't move his hands. She originally hoped that the emperor would start to worry about her body and become suspicious, not only to frighten herself, but also to suspect the prince. Now it seems that the emperor really had a reason to do this - the emperor has been poisoned. Shen Wen sneered secretly, the prince can't wait so much? Well, let the two of them make a fuss first, after the case of copying and murdering by the two governments, both the emperor and the crown prince have lost face, no matter who is left, the third prince will have to step aside once he returns to court!
Shen Wen couldn't think of what would happen, but was more and more anxious to return home. Almost to the front of the mansion, the streets are full of people coming and going, and the cars are moving very slowly. Shen Wen looked towards the door of the mansion from the curtain of the car, and saw that the main entrance of Zhenbeihou Mansion was brightly lit, and someone had unfurled white banners... Shen Wen's heart suddenly shrank, and she jumped out of the car desperately, He ran to the gate of Zhenbei Hou's mansion, and the woman behind hurriedly chased after him.
Shen Wen rushed to the front of the mansion, regardless of the fact that his veil was off, he asked anxiously: "What's going on here?!"
Lao Guan was leading people to guard the door. He knew Shen Wen, he hurriedly saluted, and said solemnly: "Second Miss, quickly enter the house..."
Shen Wen didn't have time to return the gift, and asked again: "What happened to this white flag?!"
Lao Guan choked up and said, "Yes... it's the old lady..."
Shen Wen screamed involuntarily: "What?! Impossible!" While speaking, she had disappeared, and Lao Guan was dumbfounded—Second Miss knows martial arts? ! Qinggong is so superb!
Shen Wen rushed into the inner courtyard like the wind, and when he arrived at the door of the central hall, he saw that the inside had been set up as a mourning hall, and there was a coffin parked inside. Mrs. Yang and Mrs. Liu were all dressed in white... Shen Wen's legs softened, and he fell into the After entering the door, I couldn't even stand up, crying loudly and crawling towards the coffin, my mind was in chaos—what's wrong? ! what happened? !
Su Wanniang hurriedly cried and came over to help Shen Wen, crying and said: "Miss... sister... I'm sorry..."
Yang Shi and Liu Shi saw Shen Wen when they turned their heads, and came over crying too. Yang Shi held Shen Wen and cried loudly: "My son, my son, I have suffered for you..." She had already heard that Shen Wen came to the palace Crying for grievances, for a woman to show her face in public to this point, her boudoir reputation has been ruined.
Shen Wen cried so hard that she was dying of regret—she regretted it to death! She should stay in the mansion! How could she not be in the mansion at the most critical moment? ! She wholeheartedly wanted revenge and wanted to put the prince to death, so she put the protection of her family in the second place! But how could she do this? ! Although she asked Eunuch Gu to arrange plainclothes around, and if the Imperial Forest Army did not disperse at dusk, she would encourage the people to come and separate the Imperial Forest Army from the inner courtyard of the Hou Mansion, but this cannot be done early, and must wait for the whole city to mobilize. Only by doing it can you not be garish. But there are thousands of arrangements, why is it better to guard on the spot, how can she leave the Hou's mansion? ! …
Shen Wen was full of remorse and cried extremely sadly, she didn't listen to Yang's and Liu's persuasion, she cried until she passed out, when she woke up again, it was already midnight. Shen Wen was lying on the bed, crying as soon as she opened her eyes, Su Wanniang stayed by her side all the time, when she saw her wake up, she hurriedly brought rice porridge to her, and cried, "Sister, don't be so sad..."
Shen Wen sat up and started crying again: "Sister Wanniang, it's my fault..."
Su Wanniang also cried: "It was me who didn't stop grandma..."
Shen Wen asked: "What happened?"
Su Wanniang sobbed and told the story, and also about Shen Qiang's changes.
Shen Wen knew where she was wrong—she made various arrangements, and even told the old lady that nothing would happen if she stayed in the inner courtyard. The old lady knew from the very beginning that there would be raids and yard enclosures, otherwise she wouldn't have come forward to give advice on the decoration of her yard, but Shen Wen didn't consider the old lady's pride! She is the longest in the mansion, how can she tolerate people insulting Zhenbeihou's mansion without showing her head? The old lady needs to express the attitude of the Zhenbeihou Mansion! Many years ago, on Shen Xiang's birthday, the old lady was unwilling to use any excuses to escape because of her arrogance. Shen Wen felt that she should infer the old lady's maintenance of the dignity of the Hou Mansion: In the eyes of the old lady, the Zhenbei Hou Mansion has today, it is How many people exchanged their lives and blood for insulting the Zhenbeihou Mansion, that is, insulting those dead soldiers. The old lady must make a statement, but as soon as she was discharged from the hospital, there were loopholes in her defense. Qiang is not good at light kung fu, he can't dodge in mid-air, and the old lady doesn't know the depth of Shen Qiang's kung fu, so of course she can't let her beloved grandson get any harm, and she doesn't hesitate to protect him with her life...
Shen Wen covered her face again and cried loudly: "It's my fault! It's my fault!" How could she be so negligent! She only remembered that the old lady committed suicide by bumping her head in her previous life, and instead of going out, it was Yang who scolded someone, so she also told Su Wanniang to watch over her mother, Yang. She didn't expect that the old lady in her previous life didn't hear the insults against the Zhenbei Hou Mansion, and she only wanted to fight to the death. The old lady in this life knew that the other party intended to harm each other, but she still walked out...
Shen Wen was about to cry to death, so he could only say over and over again: "It's my fault... my fault..."
Su Wanniang said distressedly: "It's also mine..."
Shen Wen shook his head: "You can't stop... I should be there!" If Shen Wen was present, she would be able to help the old lady out of the hospital, and she could also guard her side. What about your side? Shen Wen felt as if she killed the old lady herself, not only that, but she also killed Shen Qiang! Shen Qiang was originally so kind and generous, but once he awakened, his hands were already bloody! Shen Wen was afraid that the violence would have a backlash. If Shen Qiang killed people like hemp, how could he have a good death? ! Shen Wen couldn't breathe under the weight of guilt, struggled to get up and went to the mourning hall, crying heartbreakingly in front of the old lady's coffin, and couldn't stop.
Su Wanniang was also very sad at first—Shen Wen entrusted the Hou Mansion to her, but the old lady died, how could she get away with it! But now, seeing that Shen Wen blamed herself too much, she stood by the coffin day and night, almost crying herself to death, she had to restrain herself, take care of Shen Wen, and feed Shen Wen some water from time to time. Shen Wen couldn't eat the food, if Su Wanniang didn't stare like this, Shen Wen would be thirsty to death.
Another person in the mansion who was too sad was Shen Qiang. He cried for a while and was in a daze for a while, and guarded the coffin with Shen Wen day and night, which also worried Yang. Seeing that Shen Qiang started the killing ring, Mrs. Yang was really terrified. How much she wished that Shen Qiang would not speak for the rest of his life, just live happily in the yard with a smile, as she said, just chop firewood if he has the energy, and stay by her side all the time. Now Shen Qiang seems to be sensible, but Yang Shi is very worried.
While mourning the old lady, Yang also wanted to comfort Shen Qiang: "Qiang'er, listen to your mother and eat something."
Shen Qiang looked at Yang Shi: "Mother, who ordered to kill us? Why didn't anyone tell me?"
Who dares to tell you? How many people saw that Shen Qiang killed more than a hundred people with his hands, and he was still a child, so how dare they say anything? If you told him: "It's the emperor." Shen Qiang said: "I'll kill him." Then it would be a serious crime, and he might be killed by Miemen again.
Yang cried and said, "Don't ask this yet, wait until you grow up, okay?"
Shen Qiang shook his head: "Not good."
Yang cried again: "Qiang'er, listen to what mother says, or mother will go with grandma!" After the old lady died, Yang suddenly felt old—she has now become the old lady in this mansion. His hair was almost white, and his face was wrinkled. She felt that she was close to death, and she was even a little envious of the old lady. She gained everyone's admiration by walking like this, and maybe she should leave like this one day...
Shen Qiang cried and hugged Yang's arm: "Mother, don't go..."
The mother and son cried in each other's arms, and the maid and mother-in-law next to her also wept.
There were wailing sounds everywhere in Zhenbei Hou's mansion, the fourth prince was standing in the courtyard with Ding Neishi supporting him, feeling a little at a loss what to do. Now that the Imperial Forest Army has withdrawn, he should go back to the palace, but he doesn't want to go back, lest he be chased again. Now everyone should know that he fled to the Zhenbei Hou Mansion, so let's just stay here for now.
He asked Ding Neishi to go to Laoguan and said that he wanted to live in the Hou's mansion for a while. Lao Guan didn't dare to make up his mind, so he went to ask Mrs. Yang, Mrs. Yang is not in charge now, she is the housekeeper of Mrs. Liu, but Mrs. Liu is mainly holding back her grief to handle the funeral, and Su Wanniang will take care of all the affairs in the mansion. Su Wanniang saw on the wall that someone in the imperial forest army raised a bow to the fourth prince, so she knew that the prince in the palace wanted the fourth prince's life, and of course she would not force the fourth prince to return to the palace, so she asked Lao Guan to arrange a courtyard and servants for the fourth prince. The fourth prince stayed first.
The next day after Baiguan Fuque, the emperor called the prince to the imperial study and told him that from now on, he would take charge of political affairs again. In order to appear to be well-reasoned, the emperor denounced the prince's crime of concealing information and failing to report it: the battle reports sent to the palace were not submitted in time, people lied that the emperor was busy, intercepted the people who reported to the emperor, and delayed the emperor's access to information in the city and outside the palace. intelligence…
The prince listened in silence, and finally confessed in a low voice: "It's all up to the father's decision."
The emperor was a little surprised, he thought the prince would cry at least twice, but the prince didn't protest, he just said: "The concubine has died of a serious illness, and the son-in-law is going to be mourned in the East Palace, and he has no intention of political affairs, so the emperor needs to work harder gone."
The emperor let out a cry - it seems that the crown princess died yesterday, no wonder the Lu family did not support the crown prince. The prince didn't even tell himself! The emperor was a little angry again, but the prince saluted and left very politely.
The emperor wanted to wait two days to see if the Northeast battle report was true, and then decide whether to continue to copy and kill the two prefectures. Two days later, he received a memorial from the Northeast, saying that Bei Rong had indeed retreated. The old lady in Zhenbeihou's mansion passed away during the murder, and many people went to the Hou's mansion to express their condolences. Now, the family members of the two mansions cannot be removed. Although it is rumored that Zhenbeihou is dead in the north, the second son of Shen is still there. , the status quo can no longer be intensified, and appeasement is the top priority, and the case of copying and murder by the two governments was settled with the revocation of the original judgment.
This matter made the emperor feel very depressed, but it was also good, that is, there was no need to rush to move the capital, and he could wait.
Although the prince ignored the matter, his eyes and ears had already spread all over the court, and he heard that he would no longer copy and kill the two mansions, so he didn't say anything more. Every day, the prince came to pay his respects as before, and his attitude was as respectful and obedient as in the past, which made the emperor less angry: now the prince doesn't care, and he doesn't look as hateful as before. It seems that the prince is still filial and doesn't blame himself at all. The emperor even thought that when he was really old in the future, he could return state affairs to the prince. He is the emperor, so isn't everything up to him? But he won't say that, wouldn't it be better to surprise the prince then
The prince said in a greeting: "I haven't had a meal with the emperor for a long time. The father is worried about the affairs of the country, and the son can't help. I found a few health-enhancing medicinal meals yesterday. I want to make it myself. I would like to ask my father." Enter filial piety."
Now the emperor eats very little, and often has stomach pains when eating, and is not interested in dinner, so he said: "Forget it, I don't have much appetite now." The prince showed a disappointed look, and the emperor said: "It can be another day .” Then the prince showed joy and left. The emperor only thought that the prince wanted to flatter him, but he didn't take it seriously.
Eunuch Sun finally went to Concubine Xue's palace in person. He looked at the rooms one by one. The rooms were all empty. All the items had been taken away and put into storage. The rest were heavy and heavy furniture. Eunuch Sun thought for a while, and said to people: "Move out all the furniture, put it in the yard, and knock it hard." The eunuchs carried the large furniture in the house to the yard one by one, and Eunuch Sun sat aside. , watching them turn the cabinet upside down, pull out the drawers one by one, and knock on the ground repeatedly...
Suddenly someone yelled in the bedroom and asked Eunuch Sun to take a look. Eunuch Sun walked over and entered the bedroom, and saw that the original antique shelf had been removed, and a small box half the size of a palm was buried in the corner among a pile of incense ash...
Eunuch Sun presented the small jade box to the emperor. The emperor opened it, and inside was a paper bag with the moon and an incense burner painted on it. This is exactly the paper bag that the crown prince stuffed to Concubine Xue Gui himself. There was still some powder left in the paper bag. Although the emperor didn't know the details, but when he saw the moon worship censer, he remembered that Eunuch Sun said that the prince and Concubine Xue started from Qixi last year, so he knew that this piece of paper must have packaged something passed between the two people.
The emperor opened the paper bag, took a closer look at the powder, twisted it in his hand, and said to Eunuch Sun, "Let Daoist Mao come."
Daoist Mao came soon after, and after greeting the emperor, the emperor handed over the paper bag and asked, "Do you know what the powder in this bag is?"
Mao Daochang dipped some with his fingers, walked to the window and frowned in the sunlight to look carefully.
The emperor asked, "But poison...medicine?"
Mao Daochang shook his head, "No..."
The emperor secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seems that Concubine Xue did frame the prince, and the prince did not poison him... He suddenly decided not to bother with the woman's words, and let the prince come today to have a meal together. The prince waits with peace of mind...
The emperor asked in a relaxed tone: "Then what exactly is this? Isn't it some kind of beauty powder?" Mao Daochang hurriedly shook his head and said, "The powder in this paper is something like diamond powder. Stones are ground to powder."
The emperor nodded and said: "So you are right when you say it is not poison... medicine, it is not harmful..."
Daoist Mao continued: "Although it is not a poison...a medicine, it can kill people."
The emperor's eyes suddenly sharpened: "How do you say that?!"
Mao Daochang replied: "This kind of thing is hydrophobic and lipophilic. After people eat it, it will adhere to the internal organs and cannot be excreted. It will inevitably ulcerate after a long time, which can penetrate the internal organs and bleed internal organs. People will undoubtedly die."
The emperor slapped the table next to him, and Taoist Mao was so frightened that he hurriedly saluted and said, "Your Majesty, calm down!"
The emperor asked: "Are you sure?!"
Mao Daochang nodded again and again: "Naturally, this is one of the most deadly materials in ancient and modern times. Alchemists must learn to recognize it from the very beginning, otherwise it will be mixed into the elixir, which is tantamount to killing people."
The emperor asked with a dark face: "If you don't use pills, how can people eat this thing?"
Only then did Taoist Mao realize that he was actually alluding to himself. He swallowed nervously, and said carefully, "This thing is hard. Although it is ground into fine powder, the entrance is still easy to detect. It feels like sand. It is swallowed in thick soup and thick porridge, or cooked with bird's nest and white fungus, which makes people mistakenly think that it is the residue of bird's mud... "
The emperor remembered the white fungus and lotus seed soup he drank at Concubine Xue's place, and the health-preserving porridge that Concubine Xue handed him at the New Year's Eve banquet, and asked through gritted teeth, "Can't this kind of thing be tested for silverware?"
Seeing that the emperor was angry, Mao Daochang was also afraid, and replied in a trembling voice: "This is just a kind of stone powder, which will not turn silverware black..."
The emperor narrowed his eyes and asked, "What kind of things can be used to detect it?!"
Mao Daochang thought nervously: "Because it is oil-friendly, if you put some hot lard in it and stir it evenly, when the oil cools and condenses into lumps, maybe, maybe there will be powder in the oil..."
The emperor waved his hand and said, "Go down first!"
Mao Daochang was drenched in sweat, saluted tremblingly, and hurried out—thinking while going back to the alchemy room, it seems that the emperor has been given diamond powder! I can't give the emperor the elixir that I have, and I have to adjust it immediately. If something really happened to the emperor...he started to believe what his senior brother said now, this is really not the place for him to stay! He really wanted to look back, but there was no reason, how could he go back? Will it cause the emperor's displeasure
The emperor was so angry that his chest hurt, and he said: "That bastard! You even asked me to have dinner with him the day before yesterday!"
Eunuch Sun behind the emperor was also terrified, so the emperor really won't live long. If the prince is in power, no one who knows the inside story will live. I personally checked Concubine Xue Gui's palace, found that small box, and the paper bags inside... the prince will definitely not let me go.
Eunuch Sun said in a low voice: "My servant just heard that the prince beat the princess to death that day, and the princess was still pregnant, but the prince only said that she died of a serious illness..." He knew it the day before yesterday. Waiting for the crown prince to bribe him, maybe he won't tell the emperor, it seems that don't wait at this time, hurry up - the crown prince beat his own child to death! Such a vicious person!
The emperor's face was pale. On the one hand, he was afraid that his life would not be long. On the other hand, he was filled with hatred. He said through gnashing teeth: "Beast! Beast! I have cultivated and pampered him all these years, but how did he repay me? Of?! This wolf-hearted thing!"
He thought he was too good for the eldest son! He was enlightened by the emperor's education since he was a child, and he has been trained according to the style of a prince. When the eldest prince was eighteen years old, he was still in his prime, so he became a prince! Then the prince did those things, attacking his brothers, disrespecting himself, being incompetent in court affairs... I didn't even hold myself accountable! In the end, the state affairs were handed over to him! The prince played tricks in secret, lied, and deceived. He only woke him up, and never really punished him! It is such a big matter as copying and killing the two governments, and it has caused hundreds of officials to fall, which is unprecedented, and I have not deposed him yet! What else is he going to do, what is he going to do? !
The emperor angrily smashed the desk with his fist: "I raised him for nothing! He should have been killed sooner! With such a vicious mother, he can't learn well!"
Uncommonly, Eunuch Sun agreed: "It really shouldn't be! Your Majesty loves him so much..." Seeing the emperor's angry eyes, Eunuch Sun hurriedly shut up.
The emperor's chest rose and fell, and he sneered after a while: "If you ask him directly, he will lie again! I want to see how dark his heart is! Spread the word that I am sick! Prepare some hot lard !"
Eunuch Sun nodded vigorously and hurried out.
The emperor got up, went back to the bed in the inner room and lay down, suddenly felt uncomfortable all over, not only his stomach ached, but even his head and back began to ache. He didn't know the horror of this psychological effect. In later generations, someone went to the hospital by car in the morning. After the examination, he heard that he had cancer. If people want to scare themselves, it really works 100%! The emperor believed Shen Wen's words at this time, and felt that he was dying of illness, and his life was not long. If he didn't hate the prince to death in his heart, he would probably have a nervous breakdown.
He was about to fall asleep in a daze, and he seemed to see a gentle and beautiful woman walking towards him with a smile... The emperor woke up with a cold war, sweating all over with fright—the ghost came to him! This is not the first time he has dreamed of Concubine Chen, but it is the first time that it is so clear that there seems to be the fragrance of Concubine Chen's clothes in the air...
"Father." The emperor turned his eyes and saw the prince sitting beside the bed anxiously.
With great difficulty, the emperor suppressed the urge to give the crown prince a slap in the face, and reluctantly said, "I feel unwell."
The prince asked very attentively: "What does the emperor want to eat, my son asked the royal chef to help prepare it."
The emperor closed his eyes: "Just have some ginseng porridge, I don't have much appetite right now."
The prince hurriedly got up and went out. The emperor slightly opened his eyes and looked at his back, with a sneer on the corner of his mouth.