Emperor Bian steadied his breath and suddenly said coldly: "Are you really willing to risk your life for her?"
"Yes!" Yang Xiao replied decisively.
For a long time, Emperor Bian didn't speak. His rapid breathing gradually subsided, and his eyes looking at Su Li gradually became deeper.
Su Li frowned. This time she entered the palace alone. Apart from not wanting to implicate Yang Xiao, the most important thing was to make sure that Emperor Bian would not really harm her. The Saintess Cult has just regained its strength after being dormant for many years. The Saintess still has no successor, not to mention the delicate relationship between her and Sheng and Bian. If Emperor Bian rashly orders to kill her, it will be absolutely useless in the current situation. Why didn't Emperor Bian understand the key to this? I just want to use this matter to show kindness and power to make her completely surrender and loyal.
But that dark and unreadable gaze made her feel uneasy for no reason. Just as I was thinking about it, I heard Emperor Bian say slowly: "It's not impossible to spare her life."
Yang Xiao felt happy, but he didn't dare to show it, knowing that his father still had something to say.
Emperor Bian pointed his finger at Su Li and said coldly: "If you can agree to something, I will spare you immediately."
"Do you really mean what your father said?" Yang Xiao's eyes were bright and he immediately smiled. He had expected that his father would never watch him die.
Emperor Bian nodded slightly, his smile was unpredictable and clearly had a hint of conspiracy. He stepped down from the high throne and held the knife in Yang Xiao's hand with both hands, "You have no words to joke."
Yang Xiao was startled and unknowingly let go. Emperor Bian came to Su Li with a steel knife in hand, stared into her eyes, and his smile suddenly faded, "I, I want you to agree to marry Xiao'er!"
Su Li was shocked. She guessed that Emperor Bian would not give up easily, but she did not expect that he would force her to agree to marry Yang Xiao!
Yang Xiao's eyes were wide open, and he was obviously very surprised. He looked at Emperor Bian and then at Su Li, as if he couldn't react. He, who has always been sharp-tongued, can only say indifferently now: "Father, she, I..."
"Aren't you very confident that she will fall in love with you? In that case, why are you still hesitating?" Emperor Bian glanced at Yang Xiao sharply, and continued to say to Su Li: "As long as you agree to this marriage, I will immediately choose the next one. As the successor saint, I will also order people to step up the development of the antidote to the poison of Heartless Pill.
. Until then, your identity is still a saint. "
Su Li lowered her eyes, a faint sarcasm flashing across her lips. This was a clever calculation by Emperor Bian. She thought quickly and agreed, which meant that she would express her position. In the future, she would inevitably become enemies with Yang Zhen and the State of Sheng. However, Yang Xiao was willing to threaten her with death in order to protect her. If he didn't agree, he would definitely be sad because of this. She was disappointed. Perhaps... this is Emperor Bian's true intention. This move, no matter how she decides, will be a huge problem.
"However, I want you to promise that you will be absolutely loyal to me and the royal family of Bian Kingdom in the future. You must obey my orders no matter where and whenever you want. The overall situation is of paramount importance in everything. This is not only your duty as a saint, but also your duty as a saint. This is the mission of the future Queen of Bian Kingdom, can you do it?" Emperor Bian continued to say majestically.
Follow orders wherever and whenever you are! Wouldn’t it be a complete surrender for his use
Su Li was silent for a moment and said firmly: "This is a serious matter, so please forgive Su Li for being unable to obey. The failure of this mission was the fault of Su Li alone. Su Li has nothing to say and will let the emperor punish him." As she said that, she bowed. Take a few steps back.
Emperor Bian's face suddenly darkened, he fluttered his sleeves and stepped back, shouting: "Here comes someone!"
Yang Xiao was horrified and stepped forward quickly, but was blocked by the wall of people by the Yulin guards who swarmed in.
Emperor Bian shouted sternly: "Take it down!"
The situation took a turn for the worse again, and Yang Xiao was worried. He knew that if the trouble continued, he would really offend his father, and the consequences would be even more disastrous! But we can't just watch Su Li being caught without any reaction!
When I was anxious, I suddenly heard a majestic shout from outside Qinzheng Hall: "Wait a minute!" This voice shocked everyone, and they all subconsciously looked towards the door of the hall.
The visitor was dressed in sapphire blue imperial robes and strode majestically up to the hall. His face was as cold as frost, and he glanced at the guards with cold eyes. His ruthless expression flashed away, and some of them took a step back unconsciously.
The person who came was actually Yang Zhen! Su Li's heart moved, why is he here
Yang Zhen walked to the palace, saluted, and said loudly: "My brother has met the emperor!"
Emperor Bian waved his hand gently and said gloomily: "Get up.
. "
Yang Zhen frowned and asked as if he didn't understand: "What happened that caused the emperor to go to war and send out the Yulin Guards?" He gently turned his back to Emperor Bian and glanced at Su Li as if inadvertently, his slightly cold eyes vaguely It means caring and comforting.
With just one glance, Su Li understood that Yang Zhen came specially for her.
A cold light flashed across Emperor Bian's eyes, and he said in a cold voice: "Su Li acted boldly and disrespectfully, and he will be punished accordingly."
"Oh?" Yang Zhen was surprised and quickly regained his composure, "Ali is still young, so her actions are bound to be inappropriate. Please forgive her, please, Your Majesty."
Emperor Bian sneered: "I gave her a chance, but she didn't know how to cherish it." His expression suddenly became stern, and he shouted to the Yulin Guards in the palace: "What are you still waiting for?"
"Your Majesty, you must not do this!" Yang Zhen immediately stopped him.
Emperor Bian narrowed his eyes and sneered: "No? It seems that King Xiao has a large number of troops and is powerful in all directions. It seems that he has long forgotten who is the leader of Bian Kingdom!"
The warning in Emperor Bian's words was very obvious. Su Li was secretly shocked and suddenly remembered Yang Zhen's assassination of Yang Xiao. Emperor Bian must have known about it. Although there is no real evidence, we will never give up!
Yang Zhen slowly raised his head and replied coldly, word by word: "My brother is scared. As a minister, I never dare to forget."
Emperor Bian was high up, looking down at Yang Zhen, his eyes facing each other, and countless swords and swords flashed in an instant. There was silence in the hall, everyone's heart was pounding for no reason, and they didn't dare to breathe out.
After a long while, Emperor Bian sneered and said: "Very good. Su Li ignored the Holy Will and deserved death. You will be the supervisor!"
Yang Zhen's face was ashen, but he remained motionless.
"Prince Xiao, why haven't you taken action? Could it be that you want to resist the order?" The emperor saw that he was silent and pressed forward step by step.
Yang Zhen clenched his fists tightly, and the veins on his forehead bulged faintly, "I don't dare! But Ah Li... can't be beheaded!" Emperor Bian's face darkened, Yang Zhen paused, gritted his teeth and said, "She belongs to my brother My sister is the only bloodline left in this world, I must not just watch her die!"
"She committed a capital crime!"
Yang Zhen said without hesitation: "Brother Chen is willing to die for her."
! After saying that, he lifted up the hem of his clothes, stepped forward and knelt down, "Your Majesty, please grant me your permission!" "
"Uncle! No!" Su Li said in shock, feeling confused. This series of accidents almost made her unable to recover. Yang Xiao rescued her and threatened to kill Emperor Bian. She could still understand, after all, he was Emperor Bian's most beloved prince. But Yang Zhen was different. Emperor Bian probably wanted to get rid of him deliberately at this moment. By doing so, he was undoubtedly putting himself in the tiger's mouth. How could she not be frightened
Yang Zhen did not look back and said angrily: "Ah Li, there is no need to say anything! As long as my uncle is still alive, I will never let anything go wrong for you! Otherwise, how can Yang Zhen be worthy of my sister's spirit in heaven?"
Hearing him mention his mother and concubine, Su Li couldn't bear it anymore, sourness rushed into her nose, "Uncle..."
Regarding Qiandieyan, she had thought that Yang Zhen had no regard for family ties at all, and that only power was his ultimate goal. But I didn't expect that I could do this for her today!
Emperor Bian looked on with cold eyes, and suddenly sighed, seemingly with infinite emotion: "I am really touched by Prince Xiao's affection for Ah Li's uncle and nephew! Although Ah Li is the only flesh and blood of the former emperor's sister... But I can't help her resisting the decree in public. No punishment!" He paused and asked hesitantly: "Are you...really willing to take the blame for Ah Li?"
Yang Zhen said in a deep voice: "How can I go back on my word, brother?"
"Okay!" Emperor Bian slowly sat up straight, stared into Yang Zhen's eyes, murderous intent flashed away, and shouted: "Come here, give me some wine."
As soon as he finished speaking, a eunuch immediately brought a wine tray into the palace and respectfully delivered it to Yang Zhen. Yang Zhen's face was expressionless, as if he was not surprised.
Su Li's heart suddenly sank to the bottom, and he immediately shouted: "Wait a minute! This matter is all caused by Su Li's crime. Su Li is willing to bear the responsibility, and I hope that the emperor will never convict others!"
"There's no need to say anything, Ah Li," Yang Zhen interrupted: "My life is protected by my sister. If I can't save you, how can I live up to my sister? I have made up my mind. Please give me the emperor's decree."
Su Li was choked for a moment and could not speak.
Emperor Bian sighed: "Prince Xiao's military exploits were unparalleled and he made a lot of contributions to our dynasty. He shouldn't have ended like this. It's a pity..."
Yang Zhen laughed coldly, his eyes lingering on the exquisite wine glass repeatedly. The wine was clear in color and fragrant and mellow. He slowly took it in his hand, admired it carefully, and said with a meaningful smile: "Such a good wine... It should have been a good drink for hundreds of officials to celebrate at the banquet, but now I am allowed to enjoy it exclusively. It’s such a pity…”
He slowly raised his glass, and Emperor Bian leaned forward unconsciously, with a hint of unnoticeable nervousness in his eyes.
.
Su Li's heart was clenched tightly. Her intuition told her that Yang Zhen would never give in so easily, but she couldn't control her worried emotions. Even though she and Yang Zhen reunited not long ago and their relationship was not particularly close, she knew in her heart that this family relationship, which was thicker than water, could not be severed no matter what.
The wine cup was slowly raised in the sight of everyone, but Yang Zhen's hand paused in the air, looking into Emperor Bian's eyes with doubts and worries, "Your Majesty, I will shoulder the responsibility for the crime that Ah Li committed." , is the emperor serious that he will not pursue it further?"
Emperor Bian immediately said: "I am the most respected person in the world, so naturally I can tell the truth!"
Yang Zhen suddenly smiled proudly, a bit arrogantly, and it was clear that his conspiracy had succeeded. He turned his wrist lightly, tilted the mouth of the cup, and the transparent liquid poured straight to the ground. The water droplets fell to the ground, and bursts of white smoke immediately rose from the ground.
It is indeed a poison that can kill you if you drink it! The smoke was rising, and Su Li's heart was as heavy as iron. In front of Emperor Bian, Yang Zhen acted so disrespectfully, so he was obviously prepared!
Emperor Bian's face changed drastically, and he gritted his teeth and shouted: "Yang Zhen, you are so presumptuous!"
Yang Zhen's eyes immediately shone sharply. He took out something from his arms and raised it high. The palm of his hand emitted a dazzling golden light, like the newborn sun, which dazzled everyone's eyes.
After a moment, everyone saw clearly that it was a palm-sized pure gold token, exquisite and small, with a large word "pardon" in the middle of the gold medal, and the name of Emperor Taizu was engraved under it.
Yang Xiao saw it clearly and lost his voice: "This is Grandpa Taizu's... gold medal to avoid death?!"
When everyone heard the words "death-free token", their expressions changed drastically. They knelt on the ground and kowtowed. Emperor Bian was also extremely shocked, staring at Yang Zhen speechless! No wonder I couldn't find this gold medal. It turned out that it was really in his hands! His heart suddenly felt like ice, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Why is this thing in your hand?"
Yang Zhen raised his eyebrows and said, "Of course it was given by the emperor's grandfather."
Emperor Bian asked suspiciously: "Before my grandfather passed away, he never summoned you alone!"
Yang Zhen sneered: "But the emperor's grandfather has seen my sister
. "
Emperor Bian tried his best to recall the situation before the death of Emperor Taizu. His expression changed and he asked in surprise: "So... this gold medal was given to the former emperor's sister by the emperor's grandfather? Why didn't she use it when she rebelled?"
Yang Zhen's hand holding the gold medal suddenly tightened, and the pained look on his face flashed away, "Because she still remembered her young brother in her heart, and was afraid that she would hurt him if she left, so she gave the gold medal before leaving. Leave it to him for personal use."
Su Li was shocked. Mother and concubine... turned out to love her uncle so much! I would rather be hunted down and escape death than have my uncle be harmed at all!
Emperor Bian's face was extremely gloomy, and the word "pardon" on the gold medal was written by Emperor Bian himself. Since the founding of the Bian Kingdom, there has been only one of them. Seeing the gold medal is like the emperor Taizu coming in person. Yang Zhen has this gold medal, even if he commits treason, he can't punish him with death!
Yang Zhen saw this in his eyes, sneered in his heart, and said provocatively: "Here is the gold medal to avoid death. Even if the emperor wants my brother's life, I'm afraid he has to ask his ancestors, right? My brother is resigning first!"
He had a smug look on his face, Emperor Bian saw it and was very angry, but there was nothing he could do. He suppressed his anger and said coldly: "You can leave, but Su Li can't."
Yang Zhen suddenly changed his expression and asked loudly: "Does the Emperor want to regret it?"
Emperor Bian stared at him and said word by word: "A gold medal can avoid death penalty, but living crime cannot be avoided!"
This time Yang Zhen's face turned dark, and Emperor Bian's words made him speechless.
"Isn't that right? You still need to punish me?" Yang Xiao felt that his heart was high again, and he continued to plead with a grimace and refused to give up: "Father, can you not punish Ah Li? I will bear all the responsibility!"
Emperor Bian didn't even look at him and said directly: "Su Li and the fourth prince Yang Xiao are descendants of the royal family. They dare to resist the decree and disrespect. As a rule, they are unforgivable crimes. It is their first offense, so they will be given a lighter sentence. Su Li Immediately go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple of Huangpu Temple to meditate on your past mistakes. The fourth prince, Yang Xiao... has been punished with a staff of forty and banned from the East Palace!"
"Ah?" Yang Xiao had a bitter look on his face. When he saw Emperor Bian's livid face, he had no choice but to bow down and say, "My son, I obey."
"Come here! Take him down!" Emperor Bian waved his hand, and a guard immediately came forward and took Su Li away. This time Yang Zhen was unable to stop him and could only watch her drift away, but she was as calm as if she had not experienced this life and death test. When he walked out of the palace gate, Su Li heard the dull sound of sticks coming from the wall of Gaogaoyuan, accompanied by Yang Xiao's screams, which made her feel a little painful and funny.
. Such a noble little prince, who has been pampered since childhood, is probably the first time he has suffered such physical pain.
She sighed, she was the one who got him into trouble after all.
Thirty miles east of Biandu is a vast grassland called Bell Grassland. There is the largest Chenxing Ranch in Bian State here, and countless good horses are raised every year. On the north side of the ranch, a majestic mountain range lies horizontally, like a blue crouching dragon.
Under the blue sky and white clouds, the endless grassland scenery is spectacular. The most famous and most attractive thing about this mountain is the Royal Temple of Bian State - Huangpu Temple. Huangpu Temple is located at the foot of the mountain peak, with gray bricks and blue tiles, simple and solemn. Looking from a distance, the temple is nestled among green pines and cypresses, making it look more solemn and solemn.
A group of guards escorted a carriage and came quickly and stopped in front of the temple gate.
Badal, the commander of the palace guards, reined in the reins, jumped off the horse first, and personally stepped forward to lift the curtain, revealing a woman's face that was beautiful and unsullied. It was Su Li who was punished to go to the Ancestral Temple to reflect on her past.
Bada said respectfully: "Huangpu Temple has arrived, please get off Miss Ah Li." Before leaving, the fourth prince had repeatedly warned that he must treat Miss Ah Li as he did and not show any slights.
Helping Su Li get out of the car, she turned her eyes and looked at the royal Buddhist temple, slightly in a trance. The scene of being punished by the late Emperor Sheng to copy scriptures at Foguang Temple a year ago was still vivid in her mind, as if it was just yesterday. It seems like a lifetime has passed. Now she was punished by Emperor Bian to come to the Ancestral Temple to reflect on her past... She couldn't help but laugh at herself. Which person was punished twice? Is it fate or coincidence
"Amitabha!" Following a loud recitation of the Buddha's name, several monks walked out of the temple. The first person, wearing a cassock, with kind eyebrows and kind eyes, and a peaceful expression, saluted and said: "Lao Na Huijue is the abbot of this temple. I welcome the donor respectfully."
"Abbott, you are polite." Su Li returned the courtesy.
Bada stepped forward and cupped his hands and said, "Abbott Abbot, by the order of the Emperor, I am sending this girl Ah Li to live in the Ancestral Temple for a while. The abbot has to take care of everything."
Huijue nodded and said with a smile: "I must do my best. Female donor, please."
Su Li reluctantly followed Abbot Huijue and his party through the temple and headed straight towards the back mountain. There were only jade steps in front of the mountain road, and they spiraled all the way up the mountain to the top of the mountain. The Royal Ancestral Temple is located at the highest point - Juling Peak.
Huijue said goodbye after a few words and left. Another monk led Su Li and Wan Xin up the mountain. After walking for about half an hour, they arrived at the top of Juling Peak.
. At the entrance of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, there is a small forest blocking the way. Su Li was confused, but she didn't ask any more questions.
The monk only said one thing: "The two female donors should pay attention to the number of steps taken by the young monks and never take a wrong step." After saying that, he walked into the forest first.
The two followed closely behind the monk, looking around from time to time. The forest was quiet and quiet, and there seemed to be nothing unusual about it. After a while, they walked out. Su Li stood at the door of the Imperial Ancestral Temple and looked back, and found that the front of her eyes was empty and flat, with only a few towering ancient trees standing on both sides of the steps! No wonder this place is so quiet and unguarded. The forest must have set up a blinding formation. Most people don't know the key, and they are afraid that they can only get in but not get out. Su Li and Wan Xin looked at each other and understood in their hearts.
The master and servant lived in the Xianju Garden next to Tai'an Hall. Except for the monk who delivered three meals a day on time, they never saw any outsiders. Although this visit to the Imperial Ancestral Temple was called "Si Guo", it was like being under house arrest, but Su Li didn't care. This place was quiet and quiet, and it was a place for self-cultivation. She reads books and practices Qigong every day, and lives a very leisurely life. Qin Heng heard news from outside the mountain from time to time, mostly related to the teaching affairs of the Saintess Sect. Although she is not at the altar, she still knows everything about the church. A month passed like this, and there was still no news from the palace, but Wan Xin couldn't stay still.
"Miss, does it mean that if Emperor Bian doesn't withdraw his order, you won't be able to leave for a day, and you will die here forever?"
Su Li smiled and said, "So what?"
Wan Xin lowered her head and sighed softly: "I'm fine, I'm just afraid that the lady will miss her life."
Su Li said calmly: "Don't worry. It's calm now. It's good to live here in peace and comfort. Even if something happens in the future and I want to leave, no one can stop me."
He smiled and said, "That puts me at ease. Qin Heng has sent news that Bian and Sheng have formulated the terms for peace talks and will sign an agreement soon. I heard that the envoy from Sheng has arrived in Biandu."
Su Li put down the book in her hand and said in surprise: "Sign the agreement? Did Emperor Bian agree?"
"Yes, it is said that the terms proposed by Shengguo for signing this contract are very attractive."
Su Li was silent, Dongfangze's behavior was becoming more and more unpredictable. There have been several changes in previous peace talks, but none has been achieved. Not long ago, Emperor Bian sent someone to assassinate him, almost killing him. With his character, how could he let it go so easily? And he even offered to negotiate generous terms for peace
His firm words before leaving at the foot of Tianmen Mountain suddenly appeared in my mind, "Susu, one day, I will make you willing to accept me again. No matter what the price, I will never regret it."
! "
Could this peace negotiation be his first step into action? After the negotiation, she couldn't guess what he would do next.
The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. Su Li pondered for a moment and asked, "Who is the envoy to Bian State this time?"
Wan Xin said: "This man's name is Zhang Fu. He is a fifth-grade civil servant. He was unknown before. This time he was suddenly sent as a peace envoy. Many people were surprised. By the way, I heard that this man is obsessed with Buddhism and is very pious. Everywhere I go I will visit the local Buddhist temple, otherwise I will never return.”
What is Dongfang Ze’s purpose in sending someone like him to serve as a peace envoy? Suddenly her heart skipped a beat and she visited a local Buddhist temple...and now she happened to be at Huangpu Temple! This amazing coincidence couldn't help but make her think more.
"Who else came with him?"
Wan Xin shook her head, "Not many people came this time, except for Zhang Fu and the accompanying guards."
Su Li frowned, "The guards..."
"Don't worry, Miss. Qin Heng sent someone to check, and no one was injured among the guards." Wan Xin knew that she was worried, and she had already ordered Qin Heng to find out.
It was more than a month ago that Dongfangze was seriously injured. He was seriously injured at that time. He left Biandu and rushed on the road. The carriage was bumpy along the way. It stands to reason that the wound would not heal quickly. Since there was no one injured among the guards, he should not be among them. But for some reason, she still felt uneasy.
Su Li said in a deep voice, "Let Qin Heng check this matter in person. You must be careful and careful to make sure that nothing is missed."
Night fell, and the mountain wind was as cold as water. Su Li put on a coat and stood on the porch thinking about something. Suddenly, I heard the slight sound of clothes breaking through the air from outside the courtyard wall behind me.
She tilted her head slightly and saw a dark figure in her peripheral vision, skimming the high courtyard wall with agility, and the sound of landing was barely audible. She was immediately alert. Who could be so powerful that he could break through the formation in the forest unharmed? Suddenly I thought of the news that the envoys from the Sheng Kingdom came to Bian during the day, and my heart skipped a beat!
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－
The physical book of The Shocking Death of Concubine 2 Bian Guo Chapter has been pre-sold on Taobao.com, but it has not yet been officially launched on Dangdang.com. It is estimated to be around New Year's Day. I can't be sure of the specific time now. Again, thank you for your support all the way~o(n_n)o~