Chu Ning slept lightly, and before dawn the next day, he was awakened by the sound of cocks crowing in the distance.
She got up from the bed, rubbed her throbbing forehead, and after calling in the maid of the night vigil, she began to change and freshen up.
When the emperor died, the funeral process behind him was complicated and there were many rules. There were also detailed requirements for the clothing and attire of the royal relatives and ministers in the court. As the Crown Princess, Chu Ning's outfit was heavy and depressing.
But this is the case, she is still delicate and beautiful in the mirror, like a delicate flower on the branch, waiting for others to pick.
This beautiful skin has always attracted attention.
The maid behind her who was combing her hair looked at the figure in the mirror. She was amazed at first, and then sad.
Such a beauty, in the precarious East Palace, I am afraid that time is running out. What about these ordinary maids? Even the nobles are still unable to protect themselves, and those who are slaves and maids have only a more tragic end.
Thinking like this, her eyes turned red, and the hand holding the hosta trembled.
With a "click", the hosta accidentally landed on the dressing table, she was startled, and hurriedly lowered her head to admit her mistake, with a bit of crying in her tone: "Slave didn't notice for a while, I beg Your Highness to forgive me."
Chu Ning looked at her pitiful appearance, why didn't she know what she was thinking just now? Not just her, everyone inside and outside the East Palace, who is not panicking? Even in the DPRK, there are probably many people who can't sleep through the night.
She couldn't help but sighed, picked up the fallen hosta and inserted it into her hair, saying, "Okay, go down and rest for a while, you don't have to be so frightened."
I don't know if this is to comfort the maid, or to comfort myself. She looked at her face without makeup in the mirror, stretched out her index finger and dipped a thin layer of makeup powder on her lips.
The originally soft and bright red lips suddenly became a little more fragile and pale, making her whole face more and more charming.
She didn't know how many days she had to live. The more she did, the more she should seize the last chance.
…
In Guangtian Hall, Xiao Yu also got up and dressed.
The maid put on his robe and was holding the belt to buckle. When Chu Ning entered the room and saw it, he naturally took the belt from the maid's hand and walked in front of Xiao Yu.
"A Ning." Seeing her, Xiao Yu's always gloomy face finally eased for a moment. He opened his arms and wanted to hold her in his arms as usual, but she had already turned away naturally, walked to the table, held warm tea and pills in her hands, and said, "Your Highness, don't forget to take your medicine."
It was very common for the prince to be frail since childhood and to take medicine frequently. But others don't know, but Chu Ning is very clear that the medicine in her hand is not what he usually takes, but a detoxification pill.
During his illness in Taiji Palace, Xiao Yu did not hesitate to test the medicine himself in order to avoid suspicion. He had to drink the decoction mixed with poison every day before sending it into his father's mouth.
He was already frail, and even if the dose he took was not fatal, it was enough to cause him pain. For him at that time, in order to ascend to the throne sooner, this sacrifice was nothing, but now that he wants to come, it is very ironic.
After Xiao Yu took the pills and water and took them, he carefully put the medicine bottle in his arms, but did not let her go, but stretched out his hand to squeeze her chin, his eyes wandered up and down, and finally landed on her pale lips: "Have you been frightened these days?"
Chu Ning didn't dodge any more, raised his eyes to meet his gaze, and said softly, "Your Highness, I'm a little scared."
Xiao Yu put a kiss on her lips and said with relief: "A Ning, don't worry, the situation is unstable now, and they won't do anything to me."
The new emperor has not been enthroned, and the prince has not been abolished. At this time, everything is not justified, and they will not act rashly. Even if the East Palace is to be disposed of, it will wait until the new emperor ascends the throne and the government is somewhat stable.
After speaking, he paused, rubbed his thumb against her skin, and said casually, "I heard that you recently found a former domestic servant?"
Chu Ning tightened his back and immediately understood that he was talking about Uncle Fang. She hardly had to wonder where he "heard" from. In the past two years, he asked Zhao Yanzhou to search for her relatives and domestic servants who separated three years ago, while he was secretly watching, almost every time Soon after she got the news, he knew.
At that time, she only said that he was very suspicious, and she had to beware of the tricks of the Queen Mother Qi, but now she understood that it was clear that she wanted to eliminate anyone who might know the truth before her.
It's no wonder that in the past two years, except for her two young cousins, she has no other close people.
She nodded lightly, her eyes flashing sadness: "I found Fang Bo, the former manager of the family. Unfortunately, he is old and has suffered a lot in Qianzhou for the past two years. When he was found, he was already unconscious. , I don't even recognize Zhao Sizhi, and now I'm in the house in Yongchangfang, I don't know if it will be better."
She didn't tell any lies, and was not afraid that Xiao Yu would order someone to check. As for the letter, it was just deliberately hidden.
Fang Bo was sick half a year ago. At that time, he had a premonition that his time was running out, so he wrote that letter and hid it close to him every day as if he was protecting his own life, and did not dare to show it to others. He became more and more confused every day, but even though he was so confused that he couldn't remember Zhao Yanzhou, he still remembered her, the only daughter of Chu Qianyu. As soon as he saw her, he burst into tears, handed the hidden letter into her hands, and again After recounting the situation in the past two years, it seemed that he had finally let go of his obsession, and he was completely stupid.
Xiao Yu didn't make a decision, stared at her for a moment, then sighed softly, hugged her and said, "Thanks to Zhao Qing for finding him, otherwise I'm afraid I won't be able to come back. Aning, it's my fault, so It's been a long time, but you still haven't been able to clear your father's innocence."
Chu Ning's cheeks rested on his chest, feeling the coolness of the smooth fabric like water, and shook his head gently: "Just close this one in front of you. Father's business will be long in the future."
The carriages and horses outside were ready, and the two of them boarded and left together.
The guards who had surrounded the East Palace all night had no intention of withdrawing at all. On the way to the Taiji Palace, dozens of pairs of eyes were watching every step, which was overwhelming.
Xiao Yu sat in the car, closed his eyes and pursed his lips, without saying a word, as if he was concentrating and restraining his emotions, until the carriage stopped outside the palace gate and stepped off the car, only to put away his gloom. Returning to his usual elegant and handsome appearance, his face paled due to fatigue, and even faintly revealed a bit of grief after losing his father.
The ceremony for the burial of Emperor Daxing was set up in the Taiji Hall, the main hall of Taiji Palace. When the two approached, most of the royal family members and important officials of the court had already arrived, and they were standing in line and whispering at the foot of the stairs. Hundreds of inquiries, sarcasm, or sympathy looked at them one after another.
Chu Ning straightened his back and followed Xiao Yu to the front of the royal family.
As soon as he stood still, he saw that at the Zhuming Gate in the north, more than ten Qianniu Guard guards who were strong and determined were rushing towards a young man.
The man looked about twenty-five or six, tall, with broad shoulders and a straight waist, and he had an oppressive aura around him that was hard to ignore. He was the current emperor, Qin Wang Xiao Kezhi.
A little distance away, his face was a little blurry, and it wasn't until he got closer that Chu Ning took a closer look at his appearance.
Yesterday's quick glance at Tai Chi Palace had taught her to be more careful. Looking at it today, she found that Emperor Gaozong's concubine was completely different from Xiao Lian and Xiao Yu's father and son.
The difference is not about looks. Both descendants of the Xiao family, Qin Wang naturally inherited a handsome and straight appearance, especially in the facial features, it can be seen that there are two similarities with the emperor Xiao Lian.
However, father and son Xiao Lian and Xiao Yu are both gentle and elegant, no matter what the inside is, they always look approachable and honest at first glance.
Qin Wang Xiao Kezhi is not. Probably because he has been stationed in the remote Ganzhou army all the year round, his complexion is darker than that of most princes and nobles in Beijing, and his equally handsome facial features also reveal an unignorable evil spirit, which makes his whole person full of majesty.
It seems that he was born to be high and look down on everyone.
Such a person was buried by the sandstorm in Ganzhou for fourteen years.
He was really as expected by the prince, was it just another puppet that the Queen Mother called back from the frontier in order to prevent the East Palace from getting her wish
Chu Ning had great doubts in his heart.
Just as she was stunned, her eyes suddenly met a line of sight that could not be ignored.
It turned out that Xiao Kezhi had walked to the front of Taiji Hall surrounded by guards, and the place he was standing was closer to the hall than she and Xiao Yu.
This is nothing, not to mention that he is the new king who is about to succeed him. Even if he is not, he is also the sixth younger brother of the Emperor Daxing and the sixth uncle of the crown prince. In terms of seniority, he should be ranked ahead of her and Xiao Yu.
But right now, everyone behind him has slightly bent over to salute Xiao Kezhi, and even Xiao Yu, who was so angry that he vomited blood in the East Palace last night, has already bowed his hands to him with the etiquette of seeing his elders. Only she, still standing with her back straight, was where she was.
There was only a distance of two feet away, and those sharp eyes were staring straight at her.
Chu Ning suddenly felt a chill behind him, and the hairs stood up one by one.
She slowly lowered her eyes and followed the crowd to bow down and salute.
At about the same time, the body of Emperor Daxing had been sent into the hall, and the ceremony began. Today, in the Taiji Hall, there will be several rituals of walking, bathing, holding, and attacking. Mats have been set up outside the curtain in front of the mausoleum for everyone to kneel and worship.
Xiao Kezhi stood at the forefront, leading the crowd to kneel and cry in front of the spirit.
Chu Ning was with the female relatives, crying numbly, while pretending to casually glanced at the generous and sturdy back not far away.
If you are not mistaken, in the brief glance at the young uncle's eyes, in addition to his impatience with complicated rituals and his arrogance to see everything, there seems to be a trace of untraceable pity.
Is he taking pity on her
Is he so certain that everything will develop in the direction he expects? The prince has worked hard in the court for several years, and has already accumulated a force that cannot be underestimated. However, as a prince who has lived in the border since he was a child, he has hardly been involved in power struggles. How can he be so sure
She frowned slightly, and her mind suddenly flashed when her eyes passed through the strict guards around the hall.
I don't know when, the guards in the Taiji Palace have been changed. They are no longer the Qianniu Guards of the forbidden army yesterday, but the Ganzhou Army. The Qianniu Guard was in the hands of the Queen Mother Qi, while the Ganzhou Army was under the command of the King of Qin.
To be able to take down Qianniuwei silently overnight, you can see the thunder of the wrist.
No wonder he was so determined. It turned out that the Taiji Palace, and even the entire Chang'an, were already under his control. This is definitely not something that can be done overnight, it must have been planned in the dark long in advance, waiting for the opportunity.
Empress Dowager Qi should have regretted beating the case in the Baifu Hall at this time. What kind of puppet did she attract? It is clearly a hungry wolf that has long been eyeing!
In this way, it is exactly what Chu Ning intended.
She was suffering from the either-or state of the court and there was no way to go, and the King of Qin seemed to be another choice in front of her.