In the Feishhuang Palace, Xiao Kezhi came back at noon and asked Liu Kang to invite the imperial physician order to check the pulse.
From last night until now, he has not felt any discomfort, but everything is foolproof, and he always has to follow Liu Kang's words and ask the imperial physician to order him to take a look.
After looking around, listening, and asking, the imperial physician ordered to hold hands and said, "Your Majesty is in his prime, so it's not a big problem to use some such incense. It's just that although you are young, you must also pay attention to strengthening your foundation and cultivating your vitality. My minister, this time, you might as well drink a few soups and medicines to adjust your qi and blood."
If it were the past, Xiao Kezhi would have ignored it and refused on the spot, but now that he is the emperor, he understands that only by protecting himself can he stabilize his position and stabilize the entire Great Liang.
"Understood, Liu Kang, send the imperial doctor's order to prescribe medicine."
Liu Kang responded "Here", bowed and led the imperial physician's order to the side hall.
After a while, Jin Jiang entered the hall, handed over a copy of the memorial and a dozen files: "Your Majesty, this is the file that was copied this morning, and it was just sent from the Ministry of Punishment."
"Understood, put it here, let's go down."
When the door was closed, Xiao Kezhi picked it up, removed the seal on it, and read it carefully.
In recent days, the Ministry of Punishment is still checking the old affairs of the generals who had been dismissed by his order. After listening to Chu Ning's inside story last night, he even let his confidants take advantage of turning over the file to quietly transcribe a record of Chu Qianyu's case. The doubts are sorted out.
Among them, it is mentioned that the incident in those days seems to have evidence, but it is a bit far-fetched. The most important thing is that some people also pointed out that Chu Qianyu committed such a crime because he had already had an affair with Concubine Xue and wanted to help The Xue family supported Wu Wanghuan.
The so-called physical evidence was that a belt of Chu Qianyu was found in the bedroom of Concubine Xue Gui.
As for the testimony, it is full of flaws. Xue Guifei and Chu Qianyu both refused to admit their guilt, and the two servants who were the first to identify them committed suicide by throwing themselves into a well soon after.
Xiao Kezhi frowned from time to time. Only his faint and weak eldest brother, the late emperor Xiao Lian, would believe in such a scrawled case.
He had heard about this before, but because he was in Ganzhou, even though he had won over many underprivileged children of lower rank, he could obtain the secrets of many officials in the DPRK and China, but he still could not know the details of such major cases. .
Chu Qianyu was the head of the group at the time, and Concubine Xue Gui was the emperor's favorite concubine. This case was presumed to be handed over to the Third Division, and even the case file was kept secret.
At the beginning, he only thought that the Xue family had the intention to murder the late emperor, but it was only when the matter was exposed that he wanted to shirk it on Chu Qianyu, but he didn't expect that he would still be implicated in the end. As for the decision of the Sansihui, it is probably because the Queen Mother Qi and Qi Mu took a fancy to Chu Qianyu's position, so they pushed the boat and let him out.
Unexpectedly, the real culprit was his eldest brother's son, his nephew, Xiao Yu.
For some reason, after hearing this, he never doubted that what Chu Ning said was the truth.
First, he had already figured out his nephew's temperament, and he knew that he was a person who seemed to be filial, filial and humble, but was actually sinister and selfish. Second, he was willing to believe what she said.
Today, when I look at the memorial and file in my hand, the doubts in it are indeed clear, and I am more and more convinced that she did not lie to him.
In fact, without her pleas, he would have waited for the Qing Dynasty to be re-investigated, and Chu Qianyu would be cleared.
After all, if there were no words from Chu Qianyu back then, he would not be where he is today.
For Chu Qianyu, maybe it was just a moment of sympathy and a little effort, but for him, it was like an empowerment, which woke him up.
He always remembers this kindness.
However, now it seems that he has to think about how to plan this matter.
After a while, Liu Kang came back from the outside with the soup and medicine, and said, "Everyone, the medicine is ready."
Xiao Kezhi made a "uh" sound, and locked the file in his hand together with the notes in the box. Then he picked up the medicine and drank it all at once.
Liu Kang quickly handed over the hot tea again, and after seeing that he took two sips of tea, he said calmly: "Everyone, it has been spread all over the world today, saying that saints and saints are natural, rambunctious, informal, provoking, provoking. He has a lot of romantic debts, but he doesn't take him into the palace..."
He said, carefully glanced at Xiao Kezhi's face, and seeing that there was no sign of anger, he continued: "There is also about Zhao Erniang, who said that everyone had an affair with her, but they refused to accept her into the palace. attracted her to visit the side hall at night..."
Since he became the chief supervisor of the imperial court, he has tried to make everything safe and solve problems for the emperor. These are what a few small servants secretly told him just now. The emperor's holy name was damaged, so he naturally did not dare to hide it, so he said it truthfully.
After Xiao Kezhi heard it, he didn't have any special reaction, he just said "I know" lightly.
This was to be expected. He is not his famous nephew, and he doesn't care about his own reputation. In the final analysis, being the emperor, the most important thing is his skill and power. If he can hold it back, no matter what they say, he will not be able to shake his position.
"You've done a good job. You really need to keep an eye on the wind outside. Just listen to this matter today, and don't pay attention to it for the time being."
It seems to be right to say that he is wild by nature. After all, he is someone who is not even willing to let his niece and daughter-in-law let go.
…
The second day is the second day of the first lunar month.
Chu Ning got up early in the morning and said goodbye to Xiao Yu.
Probably out of a guilty conscience and anxiety, Xiao Yu would never stop her, let alone go with her, to pay her respects to her parents.
She was happy and relaxed, and while it was still early, she took Cuihe down the mountain.
The snow that fell the night before had melted a bit, and the mountain road had already been swept away. It wasn't difficult, but it was extremely cold. She didn't take the chariot, holding the stove, huddled with Cui He, talking and laughing all the way to the gentle ramp, and finally saw the carriage and servants who had been waiting.
Zhao Yanzhou was standing beside the car facing the cold wind. Although he was wrapped in a thick robe, he still looked a little thin. When he saw Chu Ning coming, he hurriedly greeted him and bowed his hands: "It's cold, your Highness, hurry up and get on the bus."
With that said, he took the tadpole from the car and set it up, and then lifted the curtain of the car for her with his own hands.
Chu Ning looked at his red and swollen hands from the cold, and quickly shoved the heater in his palm to him.
"Brother, don't freeze!"
She smiled at him, hurriedly boarded the car, stopped him from returning the hand stove, and said, "It's very warm in the car, let me hold a hand stove again, but I'm sweating all over. Another blow, but it really catches a cold."
Zhao Yanzhou looked at the bright smile on her face that he hadn't seen for a long time, and couldn't help but stunned, and his usual old-fashioned expression finally loosened.
He personally arranged the inside of the carriage. He first heated it underground with a charcoal fire, and then stuffed two heaters under the pillows. It was indeed not cold at all.
"Understood, this stove is held by the minister for His Highness."
After he finished speaking, he lowered the curtain of the carriage, turned his horse, and walked in front of the carriage to lead the way.
The Chu family has lived in Jingzhao for generations, so Chu Ning's parents were buried together near the Chu family's tomb in the suburbs of Beijing. It takes about half an hour to get there from Mount Li. Today, however, the road was slippery, the carriage was slow, and it took more than half an hour to travel for a full hour before arriving.
Before noon, Chu Ning did not stop, and went directly to the tomb to worship.
This is the first time she has personally visited her parents' tomb to worship after she learned the truth. Originally, she thought that she would have a lot of grievances and resentments to tell, but after leaving Tangquan Palace today, she felt that her steps were brisk, and now that she arrived, she suddenly felt calm in her heart.
She was silent for a long time, and finally only kowtowed deeply on the futon under the mat.
Zhao Yanzhou waited not far away, looking at her back with complicated eyes, until she turned around and approached, and asked softly, "A Ning, you seem to be in a good mood today."
He noticed just now that her face was not as deliberately docile and dignified as usual, and her eyes shone with light that she had not seen for a long time, even the inadvertently calling him "Brother", let him I can't help but think back to her childhood.
How long has it been since you saw her like this
He couldn't remember, but he felt a soft wave in his heart, which also evoked her boudoir name.
Chu Ning was stunned for a while, and then realized that she was in a good mood today because of her lightness.
"Yeah." She smiled and walked with him in the direction of the carriage. "It's probably because of my father, maybe there will be a turning point."
She chalked it all up to this.
Zhao Yanzhou couldn't help turning his head to look at her, and there was a flash of bitterness in his eyes.
His cousin, the poor and lovely cousin, had already sacrificed too much for his deceased father. He wanted to persuade her so much that he didn't have to always remember grievances and hatreds, and he didn't have to bet everything on his own. His uncle and aunt would definitely not want to see her like this.
But he has no position, nor is he qualified to say such a thing.
He could only secretly hate why he couldn't solve these things for her, he couldn't even keep himself, and he had to rely on her sacrifice to get a place.
He opened his mouth and finally said abruptly, "As long as you take care of yourself."
…
Several people had a simple meal in a restaurant together, and after a short rest, they headed back.
However, after less than half an hour, the originally clear sky gradually became gloomy. The north wind whistled past, gradually bringing snowflakes.
Another snow, from small to big.
By the time the carriage reached the foot of the mountain, the snow had already covered the four fields, and it had accumulated thickly on the layer that had not yet melted, almost reaching the ankles.
The top of the mountain is colder than the bottom of the mountain, and there is naturally more snow. In the depths, the calf is not covered, and it is difficult to walk even after walking for a while.
Zhao Yanzhou frowned and stopped the carriage, and personally took two people up the mountain road to explore the road, and it took nearly a moment to come back.
"His Royal Highness, there is a lot of snow on the mountain road, making it difficult to travel. I'm afraid I won't be able to go back today."
Chu Ning stuck his head out of the car and looked at the goose feather snow wrapped in the north wind, as if there was no sign of it stopping, he nodded and said, "Then find a place to stay at the bottom of the mountain, when the snow stops tomorrow, I will see it. When someone clears the way, it won't be too late to go back then."
Several people then returned along the road in the snow, and found the Seven Saints Temple at the foot of the mountain to stay temporarily.
Buddhism and Taoism in Daliang are flourishing, and temples and Taoist temples can be seen everywhere. Although this Seven Sacred Temple is not far from the foot of Mount Li, it is a little far from the town where the people live. There are temples and Taoist temples in the palace city of Tangquan Palace. Ordinary people or dignitaries do not come here, the incense is not strong, and the regulations inside are naturally a little rough.
When Chu Ning entered, she did not reveal her identity, but the Taoist priests saw that she was dressed in luxurious clothes and had an extraordinary bearing, and they were going up the mountain with their servants. It can be called a spacious room.
There was only one table, one couch and one candlestick in the room. The couch was spacious and used for both sitting and sleeping. The surrounding walls were old-fashioned bluish-gray, with pits and bumps, uneven, and even peeling off in a few places.
Fortunately, she was not picky. After thanking her, she asked Zhao Yanzhou to pay some money and went into the room to rest.
It was cold, and the charcoal stove that she brought out had already been burned out. The Taoist priest in Guanzhong was poor and had no good charcoal that could be kept in the house for heating. Li Yan was in her arms.
Cui He went out of the house to get the fast food for her, and when she came back, she looked a little strange: "Ma'am, there is another person in Guanli."
"Who is it, can we recognize him?"
In such a snowy day, I don’t know who else would come to this place. Is it also blocked on the way back to the palace, so I can only rest here
Cui He leaned into her ear and said softly, "It's General Jin... and the saint."