The setting sun was about to dip into the horizon, and the Prince Xiao's Mansion at dusk was bathed in a dazzling afterglow. Before the lights were turned on in the mansion, Su Li entered the main garden. Not a single person could be seen in the garden, and the silence was a bit eerie.
"Quack-quack-" The sky suddenly heard the crows of crows, full of ominous omens.
Su Li's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason, and she hurried to Yang Zhen's study. When she arrived in the courtyard, she was greeted by a terrifying murderous aura! Several masked men in black jumped down from the roof, their eyes were like lightning, and they were full of evil aura, surrounding her.
Su Li's eyes suddenly turned cold and he said sternly: "Who is so bold as to dare to break into Prince Xiao's palace?"
Those people just stood in the courtyard and stared at her without speaking or taking action.
The autumn wind suddenly picked up, and a faint smell of blood floated in the air. Su Li's heart sank, and when she was about to force her way in, she heard a loud "bang", and the door of the study room was shattered by a strong airflow and scattered in all directions.
In the flying sawdust and dust, Yang Zhen rushed out of the siege. When he saw Su Li, he shouted urgently: "Ah Li, hurry up!" The robe on his left arm had been torn by a sharp blade, and the sword wound on his arm was clearly visible. The blood was dripping, staining the silver-gray sleeves red.
Su Li was shocked again. She had seen her uncle's martial arts with her own eyes, and there were not many people who could hurt him! Who are these people?
The situation was critical, and she couldn't allow her to think any more. She gathered her true energy in her palm and struck the man in black in front of her with one palm. The powerful air flow was like an invisible boulder, pressing down from above the head. The man was startled and dodged to avoid it. Su Li took the opportunity to jump up and ran to Yang Zhen, calling out with concern: "Uncle, your injury..."
"It doesn't matter! Ah Li, leave me alone and leave quickly!" Yang Zhen's eyes were sharp and he turned around suddenly, and several men in black chased him out of the study.
Su Li's face was as dark as water, without any fear, and she said solemnly: "Ah Li will not leave uncle alone!" Before she could finish her words, the man in black in front came to attack her. The person was already in front of Yang Zhen, and his delicate hands suddenly raised.
The power was so astonishing that the man in black had a bad intuition and kept retreating. However, he suddenly felt that his wrist was sore and weak. With a clang, the sharp sword in his hand fell to the ground!
Being easily hit directly by the opponent is simply unimaginable for a master who has experienced many battles! The man in black widened his eyes in horror, looking at the young and beautiful woman in front of him in disbelief.
Several other men in black immediately came forward with swords and surrounded Su Li. For a moment, the garden was full of swords and swords, and withered autumn leaves were flying all over the sky.
This was the first time Su Li went on a killing spree after becoming a master of martial arts. Her weird moves were directed towards the vital points of the man in black; her agile body movements were so erratic that it was difficult to distinguish left and right. All the people in black were frightened. No one thought that this woman, at such a young age, could have such terrifying power against many!
The men in black couldn't help but feel timid and looked at each other. Some people took a step back hesitantly, and soon there was a second one. The man in black at the head glanced at Yang Zhen seemingly unintentionally, and seemed to have decided to quit.
At this moment of hesitation, there was suddenly a murderous aura outside the courtyard wall, like a dense net, pressed down by the head of the pocket. Su Li looked up and her heart sank. Several more masked men in black jumped into the garden from outside the wall and quickly rushed over.
As if they did not expect that there were so many people in the courtyard, these men in black could not help but pause slightly, but without any hesitation, the leader drew his sword and bore the brunt of it and rushed straight towards Yang Zhen. His moves were fierce and without a trace. Show no mercy.
The situation suddenly changed. The people in black who had not retreated from the courtyard before stood still without moving. A look of surprise flashed in their eyes, as if Monk Zhang Er was confused.
A trace of confusion also flashed in Yang Zhen's eyes, but he had no time to think about it. He just fought hard with Su Li. The leader of the men in black who appeared later was obviously very skilled in martial arts, and his attacks were fierce and merciless. Even as powerful as Su Li, he didn't dare to take it lightly.
Night soon fell, and the lights on the streets of Bianhuang City came on one after another, but Prince Xiao's palace was shrouded in a bloody storm! The fierce fighting sound finally alerted the guards in the mansion, and they quickly rushed into the main garden. The three parties were fighting in a melee, making it difficult to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy.
During the melee, Su Li suddenly heard Yang Yan's milky voice calling from behind: "Sister Ah Li!"
Su Li was startled and turned around suddenly to see Yang Yan standing far away at the gate of the courtyard, running towards him with a smile on his face, seemingly not reacting to the surrounding scene. And a man in black was only a few steps away from him! She screamed in shock: "Yan'er, don't come here!"
However, it was still a step too late.
The man in black noticed something strange happening behind him, and instinctively turned around and stabbed out with his sword. With a "pop" sound, the sharp blade instantly penetrated the child's throat!
Su Li's heart seemed to have stopped beating at that moment. She watched helplessly as the sword was withdrawn from Yang Yan's body, and blood suddenly flew into the sky, dyeing the dark sky red.
That little body could no longer hold up and fell to the ground!
She burst out with a tearing cry, "Yan'er!"
"Young Master!" Exclaims suddenly broke out, resounding throughout the sky above the main garden.
Yang Zhen's eyes were red, and he rushed over like a madman, picking up the small, soft, yet warm body. His eyes widened, as if in disbelief, and he touched the child's delicate face with trembling fingers, and called out in great fear: " Yan'er, Yan'er? Wake up, don't scare father."
But those dark, round eyes would never open again.
Yang Zhen slowly raised his head. The man in black seemed to be frozen by his horrifying eyes, unable to move for even a moment. He looked at the sword in his hand, and then at the dead Yang Yan in Yang Zhen's arms. He seemed to have become stupid. Living!
He suddenly woke up, stepped back in horror, turned around and ran away. But before he even took a step, he felt a chill in his chest. He lowered his head, and a sharp sword clip had already penetrated his body! He opened his mouth wide, but didn't scream. The moment his body fell to the ground, he vaguely saw Su Li's face filled with grief and anger.
All the guards in the mansion were stunned and could not recover.
The opportunity was lost, and it would be even more difficult to take Yang Zhen's life. The leaders of the last group of men in black no longer wanted to fight, and quickly issued an order to retreat.
Su Li's eyes suddenly turned cold, how could he just let them leave? Capturing the thief first captured the king. She picked up a long sword scattered on the ground, and in a flash, she was behind the leader of the man in black and stabbed him in the back.
The leader of the men in black noticed something behind him, his waist softened, he turned around to avoid it, but he was still a little slow. There was a crisp "ding" sound, and the sword tip pierced the belt, as if it was piercing a hard object, and the sword edge slipped away.
Su Li raised her sword and stabbed again, but she saw a sudden flash of golden light on the torn belt. Her eyesight was extraordinary and she could see the thing clearly, but she couldn't help but be stunned. In just a moment, the confusing clues from the past flashed through her mind one by one, and she seemed to understand something.
While she was stunned, the leader of the men in black jumped onto the wall and disappeared in the blink of an eye. The guards in the garden followed him and chased him out, but they lost track of him.
The garden was as quiet as death, the autumn wind passed by, and the withered yellow leaves slowly swirled down in the air. Yang Yan closed his eyes tightly and was still lying in his father's arms. If he wasn't covered in blood, he seemed to be just sleeping.
Yang Zhen was as stiff as a puppet, motionless.
She has experienced the heart-wrenching feeling of losing a loved one more than once! Su Li stood there, seemingly losing the courage to speak.
The suppression of silence is sometimes far more shocking than an explosion.
Su Li's eyes were dry and her throat seemed to be choked by something. She suddenly wanted to cry, but she couldn't even shed a single tear. She stared blankly at her brother who was more than ten years younger than her. Although they didn't get along for a long time, he was the first relative who made her feel connected by blood!
For a long time, she slowly walked up to Yang Zhen, looking at his almost collapsed expression, unable to say a word.
Soon, darkness completely swallowed the earth.
Yang Zhen slowly lowered his head, pressed his face tightly against his beloved son's tender cheek, which was getting colder, and whispered word by word: "Yan'er, my father will definitely avenge you!"
Su Li closed her eyes weakly. This fight that has been raging for many years finally kicked off in the most tragic way! Yang Yan's innocent and tragic death made her almost foresee the coming bloody storm.
No one, no way, can stop this war.
Either you die or I die!
After dark, the Bian Palace was brightly lit and surrounded by many palaces. The emperor's palace was heavily guarded and extremely quiet.
Su Li just arrived outside Qin'an Palace and met Yang Xiao who came out of Emperor Bian's palace. He was still wearing fiery red robes, his steps were windy, and his handsome face was a bit haggard.
Seeing Su Li, he paused slightly, his eyes brightened, he walked quickly and took her hand, smiling as if unintentionally: "I haven't seen you for so many days, I thought... you were ignoring me. ."
"How could that happen?" Su Li said calmly.
There was a hint of sadness in her expression, and Yang Xiao couldn't help asking with concern: "Are you in a bad mood? What happened?"
She felt her hand tremble slightly, and Su Li said softly, "An assassin came to Prince Xiao's Mansion tonight, and Yan'er... is dead." "
"What?!" Yang Xiao was shocked and said in shock: "You said Yan'er... is dead? He is just a child! Who would be so crazy as to kill him?"
"The person they want to kill is not Yan'er, but my uncle." Su Li's eyes darkened, "Although they covered their faces and could not see their appearance, I found something on the assassin leader."
Yang Xiao said slightly nervously: "What?"
Su Li's clear black and white eyes looked straight at him without blinking, "The gold medal of the Commander of the Yulin Guards."
Yang Xiao's heart immediately sank to the bottom, and he asked intuitively: "Are you sure you read it correctly?"
"Although I didn't get the waist card, I was very close to him at the time, so I couldn't have misjudged him." Su Li said firmly in a slightly harsh voice. Everyone in the court knew that the Yulin Guards would not take orders from anyone except Emperor Bian.
Yang Xiao clenched his fists suddenly and was speechless. Her meaning was already very clear. The leader of Yang Zhen's assassination was undoubtedly...Father! That's why she came to the palace.
The look of regret and shock in his eyes was so obvious, there was no disguise at all, and he obviously had no knowledge of this matter. Su Li saw it, and for some reason, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Has the Emperor gone to bed?"
Yang Xiao shook his head.
"Then I'll go see him."
"Ali!"
She was about to pass him, but his hand was tightly grasped by him again. She looked back slightly, Yang Xiao's expression was tense, his chest was rising and falling slightly, and she saw an emotion that was almost fearful in his eyes.
"What would you do if... you were sure it was the father who gave the order?" His tone was heavier than ever. These days, although he and her have not met each other, he has learned from the daily letters that she is getting closer to Yang Yan. Yang Yan died innocently and tragically, and she must have hated the person behind it!
Su Li's eyes were cold, staring ahead, without answering. There are two groups of people before and after the assassins. The Yulin Guards come after them, so who is in charge of the assassins in front? She had a vague answer in her mind, but she still needed to ask Emperor Bian before she could decide. So, he said in a deep voice: "If you want to know the truth, come with me to see the emperor."
The palace guards were heavily guarding the palace, and the inner and outer palaces were completely silent.
Yang Xiao left and returned, and the two eunuchs in the palace quickly bowed their heads and saluted.
Yang Xiao asked: "Has Eunuch Xu prepared the medicine?"
A eunuch replied respectfully: "If I return to Your Highness, the medicine has been cooked and Ruyun has just been sent in."
Yang Xiao nodded and said, "Where is Eunuch Xu?"
"Eunuch Xu went to the South Palace..."
"Ah—Your Majesty!"
Before the eunuch finished speaking, a woman's frightened scream suddenly came from the inner hall of the palace, as well as the crisp sound of porcelain rolling to the ground.
Yang Xiao and Su Li's expressions changed drastically, and they immediately rushed into the inner hall like arrows.
The lights in the hall were dim, the smoke in the incense burner was dim, the footrest placed in front of the dragon bed was scattered with snow-white porcelain shards, and the thick brown concoction slowly flowed down.
The palace maid next to the bed was like a cloud, her face was pale, her hands were covering her mouth tightly, and she was standing there shaking, as if she had been frightened.
The Bianhuang of the Long Dynasty had a purple complexion, his eyes were closed, and he showed no reaction.
Su Li and Yang Xiao were shocked. Yang Xiao rushed to the bed and shouted, "Father!"
Su Li stretched out her fingers to check Bianhuang's pulse, and it had stopped beating!
When the eunuchs and guards outside the palace heard the sound, they also rushed in. Seeing this situation, they were shocked and knelt down.
Ruyun seemed to have just come back to his senses, and suddenly screamed in horror and ran out.
Su Li's heart sank. It was too late to stop her. She heard her voice crying from outside the palace, "It's not good, it's not good! The emperor has passed away!"
In a short time, the news of Emperor Bian's death quickly spread throughout the palace. The usually orderly inner courtyard of the palace was now like a pot filled with boiling oil. A glass of water was suddenly poured into it and then exploded. Everyone was in panic.
In the dark sky outside the window, the stars were dim and the moon was blurred and lost its bright brilliance.
Su Li quickly calmed down and slowly swept through the panicked people in the hall. His eyes stopped on Bada, the commander of the palace guards, and he said solemnly: "Commander Ba!"
"Yes!" Bada, who had not yet come to his senses, immediately replied subconsciously.
"Summon the Yulin Guards immediately and seal all the entrances to the palace. No one is allowed to enter or exit without the order of the fourth prince!" Her unusually calm voice was full of unquestionable majesty.
"Yes!" Bada took the order and left. He had no time to think about why he obeyed her order.
Su Li turned her eyes, and Xu Chang, the chief internal supervisor who had come over after hearing the news, knelt down beside him, crying and grieving endlessly. She shouted in a deep voice: "Eunuch Xu, please immediately send a message to all the palaces to close the palace gates immediately. No one is allowed to step out of the palace gates. Anyone who disobeys the order will be executed!"
Xu Chang has been in the palace for many years and knows how powerful this place is. He must not make trouble again now, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous. Nuonuo quickly said yes, wiped away her tears, and left in a hurry.
Yang Xiao knelt beside the bed, holding Emperor Bian's hand tightly, not crying or speaking, as if he had lost the ability to speak. The dim yellow candlelight reflected his handsome features, which made him look extremely desolate.
The person who loved him most in this world passed away so suddenly!
Even though Su Li didn't have a good impression of Emperor Bian, she couldn't ignore Yang Xiao's grief at the sudden loss of his family. She stroked his shoulders and slowly squatted down, reminding him in a low voice: "Yang Xiao, now is not the time to feel sad. The emperor's death is very unusual. You must cheer up and think about how to deal with the aftermath! "
She deeply understood that the death of Yang Yan and Emperor Bian was just the beginning of the secret struggle between the two sides. Soon, a huge turmoil would arise within the royal family of Bian Kingdom!
Yang Xiao's eyes moved slightly and he opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Su Li gently pulled his body, and he turned his eyes to look at her numbly, with a sad face, and only said softly: "Ah Li... I have no relatives anymore."
Su Li's heart was instantly hit, and the scenes of Yang Yan's tragic death that she had witnessed before flooded into her mind. She couldn't help but hug him into her arms, caressing his back, as if comforting a helpless child, and choked slightly: "How could it be? You still have me. I am also your relative."
The woman who was usually indifferent was the only comfort and warmth he had at this moment. He hugged her back with all his strength, like a man about to fall off a cliff, tightly holding on to the life-saving rope. For a long time, I refused to let go.
There was a burst of chaotic footsteps from the outer hall.
"He's here." Yang Xiao suddenly said in a low voice, his eyes instantly cold.
Su Li was shocked and understood what he meant. How she hoped that the person who was about to appear at this moment was not him.
The scene that I least wanted to face finally came inevitably.
Xiaojun Wang Yangzhen, who had just suffered the pain of losing his son, led his ministers straight into the emperor's palace with a menacing attack. The outer hall of the palace was temporarily overcrowded, and looking around, it was completely dark.
Yang Zhen strode into the inner hall and asked in shock: "What happened? The emperor's dragon body has improved, why did he suddenly die?!" He couldn't hide the surprise and pain in his heart, if not Having just experienced that fierce fight, Su Li might still believe that his concern and inquiry at this moment was still somewhat sincere.
The eunuch on duty had weak hands and feet, and replied tremblingly: "I don't know, I don't know. During dinner, the emperor was fine..."
"Does the imperial doctor have a diagnosis?" Yang Zhen asked.
The eunuch looked sad and replied in a trembling voice: "No..."
Yang Zhen roared angrily: "Stupid slave! Send the imperial doctor immediately!"
In a moment, more than a dozen imperial doctors from the palace all arrived and gathered around the dragon's bed, like a flock of frightened birds, not daring to examine Emperor Bian's body in the slightest. After some discussions, the Imperial Hospital reported for the first time: "Prince Qi, the Emperor's pupils were dilated and his face was purple. It was because someone had his head and face covered, which caused difficulty in breathing, and he died of suffocation!"
Everyone was shocked.
Yang Zhen was stunned on the spot, as if he didn't believe it, and then angrily shouted: "That's nonsense! The palace is so tightly guarded, who could break into the palace and commit such a heinous act?"
The head of the Taiyuan Hospital immediately prostrated himself, "How dare I deceive the prince! I guarantee with the head on my neck that what I said is true! I hope the prince will tell you the truth!"
"It's not impossible." Su Li suddenly said, her cold eyes scanning the surroundings coldly. Wherever she passed, everyone couldn't help but feel their hearts trembling. She said in a deep voice: "The murderer may have been in the palace early in the morning. There is no need to enter or leave the palace at all. In addition, this person is most likely someone the emperor trusts, so the emperor is defenseless."
"Even if there is no defense, how can a person who suffocates to death show no signs of struggle?" Yang Zhen immediately asked.
Everyone looked up and saw that the quilt on the dragon bed was smooth and there was no sign of mess at all.
Su Li's eyes suddenly turned cold and he said solemnly: "Because the murderer knows martial arts. This person took the opportunity to tap the emperor's acupuncture points first, and then unlocked the acupoints after committing the murder, so the emperor had no power to resist at all, and naturally he would not struggle to call for help. "
"Ah?!" There was a sound of inhalation from all around, and the faces of all the officials changed. The leader said angrily: "Who is so vicious? How audacious?"
Su Li turned around and saw that the person speaking was fifty years old and had a gray beard. It was none other than Prime Minister Qi Mu'er. Su Li had long heard that this man had a reputation of being upright and loyal, and was deeply trusted and respected by Emperor Bian. In terms of prestige, he was the only one in the court who could equal his uncle.
As soon as he opened his mouth, all the officials responded with grief and anger. At this moment, the palace maid Ruyun was escorted back to the inner hall by the guards. She was so frightened that her face turned pale and she was speechless.
Qi Muer walked up to her slowly and said seriously: "What's your name?"
She replied in a trembling voice: "Reply to the Prime Minister's words, my servant... Ruyun."
Qi Muer continued to ask: "Were you the first to notice something was wrong with the Emperor?"
Ruyun nodded timidly.
Qi Mu'er said in a deep voice: "After dinner, who came to the bedroom, how long they stayed, what they did, and how you found out that something happened to the emperor. Don't miss a single thing about the process during this period. Please report it in detail!"
Su Li couldn't help but secretly praise him. Qi Mu'er was worthy of being the leader of civil servants in Bian State. He was calm and clear in thinking when things happened.
"Reply to the Prime Minister. The emperor has had dinner and looks much better than the previous two days. Eunuch Xu was very happy to see that the emperor's condition improved. He said that he would personally boil the emperor's medicine and let his servants help. During this period , Xiao Linzi and Xiao Yuanzi are staying here. I don’t know what happened. I only know that when Eunuch Xu has cooked the medicine, I will send it to the emperor to take. Who knows... who knows that the emperor has already... already... "
Before Ruyun could finish speaking, she burst into tears.
Qi Muer's eyes flickered to the two eunuchs kneeling aside, and the two eunuchs suddenly felt excited.
Xiao Yuanzi quickly replied: "Your Majesty, Prime Minister, after Eunuch Xu and Ruyun left, no one else came except... except the fourth prince. My servant and Xiao Linzi have been guarding the door, and nothing special happened... "
Xiao Linzi also nodded repeatedly, and the guards guarding outside the palace also proved that what Xiao Yuanzi said was true.
At this time, everyone's eyes were fixed on Yang Xiao. He was the only one who had entered the dormitory during the incident. The murderer was skilled in martial arts and was a person highly trusted by the emperor. At present, it seems that every bit of evidence is inseparable from him!
However, everyone knows that the fourth prince is deeply favored by Emperor Bian and is the only remaining prince in the royal family. The throne will be in his hands sooner or later. He should not do such a treasonous thing as killing his father to seize the throne!
The ministers were whispering and the voices of disagreement could be heard endlessly.
Yang Xiao seemed to turn a deaf ear. He still knelt in front of Emperor Bian's bed, holding tightly his father's once warm but now cold and stiff fingers with both hands, motionless.
The candlelight in the hall was flickering, and his handsome face was hidden in the faint shadows, making it impossible to see his expression clearly at this moment. But Su Li could clearly feel the suppressed grief and anger in his heart, which had spread silently throughout the inner hall.
The big boy who usually loved to laugh and play around suddenly encountered a huge change, but he was still terrifyingly calm. Before he even had time to calm down and regain his composure, he was already suspected of regicide and father-killing!
Losing a loved one is a very painful event in life. And being accused of being the murderer of my father is even more painful!
Su Li couldn't help but feel a pang in her heart. She didn't believe that Yang Xiao could be the murderer anyway. But Emperor Bian's death was indeed strange. According to what the palace maid and eunuch said just now, if someone didn't know the invisibility technique, then there must be something wrong with one of them. Who is it?
She was thinking hard when Yang Zhen stepped forward to touch Bianhuang's wrist. His expression suddenly changed drastically, and he shouted in shock: "Reverse method?! This is my Yang family's unique acupuncture technique! Why did the murderer do it?"
Su Li was shocked and asked: "How do you know that the emperor was perversely administered acupuncture?"
"Anyone whose acupoints are tapped by this technique will have a reverse flow of blood!" Yang was shocked and doubtful, but her gaze was fixed on Su Li. Her heart skipped a beat. She had just checked Bianhuang's pulse, and it was indeed... Blood flow back!
Su Li remained calm and asked in a deep voice, "Who in the royal family has learned this unique skill?"
Yang Zhen said: "It is not easy to practice reverse martial arts. Today, there are only three people in the royal family who know this kung fu. One is the king, the other is the emperor's brother. The other one is... the fourth prince."
The ministers were in an uproar, the answer was already so obvious. The emperor must not perform acupuncture on himself. Yang Zhen was outside the palace with the officials at that time, so the only suspect was Yang Xiao!
The ministers looked at Yang Xiao in disbelief, and the doubtful eyes just now turned into unabashed contempt. Prime Minister Qi Muer frowned, looking thoughtful.
Yang Zhen looked at Yang Xiao and scolded him bitterly: "It is in vain that the emperor loves you so much, you are so cruel and do such a heinous thing as killing the king and killing your father?!"
As soon as these words came out, the ministers immediately became furious and echoed in unison: "As a prince who killed his father by regicide, how can he be qualified to be the king of this country in the future?"
The guard commander Bada looked at this scene, his brows furrowed, his hand unconsciously grasped the hilt of the sword at his waist, and he looked at Yang Xiao who was still kneeling in front of the bed, his eyes full of worry.
Yang Xiao never responded, as if he was not the one everyone was criticizing. He was so quiet, so quiet it almost didn't seem like him. And the calmer he became, the more those people behind him seemed like clowns. They are not the ones suffering the pain of losing a loved one, so why are they so emotional?
How ridiculous.
The corner of his lips curled up slightly, and he actually sneered coldly. The candlelight suddenly jumped a few times, and the light and shadow dimmed. He finally stood up slowly, turned around, and looked at the aggrieved ministers expressionlessly.
He said nothing, just stared coldly. When they met his gaze, the ministers suddenly felt an icy chill crawling up their backs and into their hearts, and their voices suddenly fell silent. No one has seen Yang Xiao's appearance at this moment. He is silent, neither sad nor happy. All that remains of his expression is deep indifference.
Qi Muer stepped forward slowly and said majestically: "Please be patient and calm. I believe that there are still doubts about this matter and need to be verified."
A military general immediately shouted: "Of the people who entered the palace, the fourth prince was the only one who knew how to use perverse tactics. How can there be any doubts? Could it be that the Prime Minister wants to protect him?!"
Su Li's heart tightened. The current situation was indeed very unfavorable to Yang Xiao, but it was not easy to convict someone for this. Yang Xiao looks carefree on the outside but is shrewd on the inside. It is impossible for him to achieve nothing in the court. She raised her eyes slightly and scanned the ministers without saying a word, quietly observing the development of the situation.
Qi Muer said: "The so-called ironclad evidence is just based on the statements of the palace maids and eunuchs and the inferences of Prince Xiao. Just now Prince Xiao also said that the emperor loves the fourth prince very much, and the relationship between father and son is deep and extraordinary. , the fourth prince has no reason to kill the emperor!"
Yang Zhen's eyes were as cold as a knife, staring straight at Qi Muer, and asked aggressively: "What does Prime Minister Qi mean by this? Do you think this king has wronged him?"
Qi Mu'er looked fearless, but smiled slightly and said: "I have no such intention. I just feel that this matter needs to be investigated in detail. Only with all the witnesses and material evidence can we give an explanation to all the people in the world!"
Yang Zhen's eyes suddenly darkened, but he said with a cold smile: "What the Prime Minister said is reasonable, and we need to investigate it carefully." After that, he turned around with his hands behind his back and stopped looking at him. When he turned around, his eyes faintly glanced at someone.
The man understood and immediately stood up and said: "It will take time to investigate the truth, but the country cannot be without a king for a day. Now that the emperor has passed away, a successor should be chosen as soon as possible to calm the people."
The ministers nodded in agreement. Someone sighed: "What General Hong said is absolutely true, but... the emperor only has four princes in total, two of whom died in the battlefield thirty years ago, one was frail and sick, and has passed away long ago. Now there is only one of the four princes." ,this… "
General Hong said with a smile: "My lords, have you forgotten that if we talk about the emperor's son, besides the fourth prince Yang Xiao, there is actually another one."
As he spoke, he walked up to Yang Zhen. Everyone was stunned, and he loudly said: "The father of Prince Xiao was the emperor who personally established the prince. Unfortunately, the prince died young. Emperor Taizu deeply regretted it." , and left soon after. After Emperor Dezhen came to the throne, in order to comfort the underground heroic spirit of Emperor Taizu, he issued an edict and named the prince as Emperor Renzhen. In this way, Prince Xiao can also be regarded as the son of the emperor, and he also has Qualified to inherit the throne!"
"General Hong's words are wrong," an official behind the Prime Minister objected, "Prince Xiao is the son of the emperor, but he is not the son of the current emperor!"
"So what? Who stipulates that the successor to the throne must be the son of the current emperor? Prince Xiao served in the army for half his life and made countless contributions to our Bian country. He is not only brave and good at fighting, but also brave and strategic. If Prince Xiao succeeds to the throne, given time, , our country, Bian, will definitely defeat Sheng and Ding, and become the largest country in the world!"
Yang Zhen's eyes flickered, and there was a hint of amusement on the corner of his lips, but he said modestly: "Every man is responsible for the rise and fall of the country. As a member of the Yang clan, the responsibility on my shoulders is even heavier. I, the king, should do my part to revitalize our Bian country. force!"
Su Li's heart sank. Her uncle's ambition seemed to far exceed her imagination! Even worse than the dead Emperor Bian! With his warlike reputation, if he really ascends to the throne, I'm afraid the world will never have peace again! From now on, Yang Xiao will bear the bad reputation of killing the king and killing his father, and he will not end well!
Now if you want to clear Yang Xiao's name, you must first find evidence. The murderer committed the crime within a short time frame and may have left clues. Su Li's thoughts changed and she came to the dragon bed. She saw a soft brocade pillow placed on the inside of the bed. The soft pillow was slender. Her mind moved. Could it be that Emperor Bian was covered by this thing and suffocated to death?
She took it in her hand and inspected it carefully, not letting go of any detail. When her keen eyes passed over an inconspicuous corner on the back of the soft pillow, her gaze immediately froze.
Her heart skipped a beat, but she remained silent as her gaze slowly swept over the hands of Ruyun and the two eunuchs hanging down by their sides.
At this time, Qi Muer saw that the ministers were still fighting over who would inherit the throne, and he couldn't help but get angry and said loudly: "Everyone, be quiet, please listen to me!"
The noise in the outer hall stopped, and Qi Muer said in a deep voice: "You don't know, the emperor has already made a decision about the successor! The emperor secretly summoned me and Yang Sheng and Zhao Lu to enter the palace and wrote in his own hand The edict of passing the throne. The edict is stored behind the plaque in the Qinzheng Hall. As long as you take it and look at it, you will know who the emperor wants to succeed the throne."
Two officials behind him stood up in response. The one on the left was Yang Sheng, the Minister of Civil Affairs, who was in charge of the appointment and dismissal of officials nationwide and was the head of the six departments; the one on the right was Zhao Lu, the commander of the Imperial City Guards. These three people were all the most valued ministers of Emperor Bian during his lifetime. They had high prestige and played an important role in the court. As soon as they stood up, everyone was shocked.
Yang Sheng said loudly: "What Prime Minister Qi said is true. The emperor has indeed written the imperial edict of passing the throne. Eunuch Xu locked up the edict in person. Three special keys are needed to open the edict, which are kept by the three of me. The emperor left a verbal edict, If something happens in the future, the three of us can use the three keys to open the wooden box and read out the edict of succession in public." After that, he took out a small gold key from his arms, with a strange shape and an unusual shape.
Then, Zhao Lu and Qi Muer also took out their own keys.
Qi Muer turned to Xu Chang and said solemnly: "Eunuch Xu, go get the edict."
"Yes!" Xu Chang responded and left, and soon, a rectangular wooden box was placed in front of everyone. There are exactly three keyholes on the box.
Several generals couldn't help but look at each other. It turned out that there was really an edict! His face suddenly turned ugly, and his eyes turned to Yang Zhen.
Yang Zhen's eyes were gloomy at this time, but his face was calm. He glanced at the wooden box lightly and said with some confusion: "Since there is an edict to pass the throne, why didn't the three adults tell it earlier?"
General Hong immediately shouted: "Humph! Who knows whether the edict here is true or false!" He was confident and his voice was loud, making people's eardrums buzz.
Qi Mu'er glanced at him, although he was unhappy in his heart, he didn't think much about it, he just said in a deep voice: "Is it true or false? I will take out the edict later and you will know at a glance!
The three keys were inserted into the keyhole in sequence, and there was only a "click" sound, and the lock opened. Everyone's hearts became nervous unconsciously, just waiting for the box to open.
Su Li was secretly surprised that the most nervous person at the moment should be her uncle. Although he was staring straight at the wooden box, there was no nervous look in his eyes, as if he was secretly expecting something, and she suddenly felt uneasy.
Qi Muer calmly stepped forward and slowly opened the wooden box. There was silence in the hall, and there was no sound. Dozens of pairs of eyes stared at the box lid and slowly opened it.
Just for the next second, Qi Muer was stunned on the spot, as if someone had cast a restraining spell.
The wooden box was empty!
Yang Sheng and Zhao Lu looked at each other, almost unable to believe their eyes. Neither of them expected that the edict of passing the throne had disappeared!
Qi Muer lowered his head. The heavy lock on the wooden box showed no signs of damage. what on earth is it?
Xu Chang's face was as pale as paper, his whole body was soaked in cold sweat, his legs were shaking, and he could hardly stand.
"Where is the edict of succession?" General Hong asked loudly.
Xu Chang almost cried, "The edict... is missing!"
"In my opinion, this imperial edict is completely false!" Yang Zhen's eyes suddenly turned sharp. He took a step forward, stood in front of Qi Mu'er, and scolded him righteously: "As the head of hundreds of officials, he actually united with the courtiers and The eunuchs made up lies and fooled the officials. It's really abominable! Come here, capture them, put them in the sky prison, and wait to be dealt with. "
No one dared to disobey King Xiao's order. At this moment, none of the guards outside the palace listened to the order, as if they turned a deaf ear.
Yang Zhen's face suddenly turned gloomy, and he looked at Bada coldly, "Commander Ba, do you dare to disobey my order?"
Bada looked fearless, neither humble nor arrogant, and said: "I dare not, it's just that under the whole world, the last general will only obey the emperor's orders."
"You!" Yang Zhen said angrily: "Now that the emperor has passed away, how dare you, a mere fourth-grade guard, not take this king seriously?"
"Although the emperor has passed away, Bada will only obey the orders of the new emperor, and I hope the prince will forgive me." Bada bowed his hand and actually rejected Yang Zhen! Everyone was stunned unconsciously.
"Your Majesty!" A military general stood up at this time and said, "Since there is no edict to pass the throne at all, I would like to ask your Majesty to ascend the throne as soon as possible to reassure the people! When the time comes... I won't be afraid that some people will not listen to orders!"
All of a sudden, all the generals asked for orders, and the palace became noisy.
Su Li stood beside Yang Zhen. There was an imperceptible smile in his eyes and the slightly raised corners of his lips, which clearly showed a bit of pride, a bit of satisfaction, and an eagerness to try. It seems that what you have been waiting for for a long time is already at your fingertips! Her heart seemed to gradually cool down with his smile.
"Please, Your Majesty, ascend the throne as soon as possible!" Seeing that the fourth prince was defeated, most of the officials agreed and asked Yang Zhen to ascend the throne. The loud voice echoed in the palace.
Yang Zhen turned his head and looked at Yang Xiao, who was still silent in front of the dragon bed. He glanced contemptuously and was about to speak.
Suddenly, a chuckle came from outside the door.
Everyone couldn't help being surprised and looked back. Someone shouted in surprise: "Messenger from Sheng Kingdom?"
Several people walked into the outer hall, and the leader was Zhang Fu. Laughter came from the mouth of the man in black robe next to him. The man was tall, with extremely handsome features and bright eyes, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
He turned his eyes lightly, his expression was not angry and intimidating, but he was so majestic that it was impossible to look at him, and everyone's hearts trembled.
Everyone knew that the envoy Zhang Fu had such an outstanding man beside him, but no one knew who he was.
The laughter made Su Li startled and raised her head. Just as he caught his gaze, Dongfangze's stern expression softened instantly and became as warm as spring water.
Yang Xiao beside her remained silent, seemingly not surprised by Dongfang Ze's appearance. For some reason, Su Li noticed that he seemed to be slightly relieved.
Yang Zhen's eyes flashed with a bone-deep chill, and he said in a deep voice: "Why did the envoy come to the palace late at night?"
"This envoy will leave for home in the near future, and I came here to say goodbye to Emperor Bian. I heard that Emperor Bian is resting in bed. I wonder if things will get better?" Zhang Fu said as he walked, people had entered the inner hall, and at a glance he saw that Long**'s face was abnormal. Emperor Bian asked in surprise: "What happened?"
Qi Muer's face was full of sorrow and he choked with sobs: "Your Majesty the Envoy, the Emperor... unfortunately passed away."
Zhang Fu was stunned, and after a while he sighed: "Everyone, please express my condolences! I wonder when the new emperor will ascend the throne?"
Zhao Lu looked sad and sighed: "The envoy did not know that the edict of succession written by the emperor was originally kept in this box, but it disappeared for unknown reasons! Now... alas!"
Zhang Fu smiled lightly, "Since it is an imperial edict, it must be kept secret. Why did it disappear?"
Qi Muer frowned and said, "Yes, only the four of me know where this edict is, and the key that can open it is only owned by three people. This box is intact and not damaged at all, but the edict flew away unchanged. Someone must have tampered with it!" He looked at everyone with a stern look, "I, Qi Mu'er, cannot escape the blame for the disappearance of the edict, and I am willing to die to apologize."
As he spoke, he slowly knelt down in front of Emperor Bian's bed with a sad look on his face. Zhao Lu and Yang Sheng also came over, knelt down behind him, and shouted: "I am willing to die to apologize."
Yang Zhen sneered and said: "Since you have confessed your guilt, you should be dragged down immediately and executed."
The guard rushed forward and was about to take someone away, but he heard Zhang Fu shout loudly: "Wait a minute!" He slowly took out a roll of something from his sleeve, handed it to Zhao Lu, and said with a smile: "My lord, look at what this is." Things?"
Zhao Lu was stunned. Before he could react, Qi Muer quickly took it and unfolded it. At the end of the imperial edict, a bright red seal suddenly came into view.
The edict of succession! The surprise of finding something that was lost made Qi Muer and the others overjoyed and almost shed tears.
Yang Zhen's face was extremely gloomy and he said loudly: "Impossible!" He grabbed the edict with his hands and read every word in the edict carefully. However, the handwriting is indeed the handwriting of Emperor Bian, and the seal is flawless!
He couldn't help but widen his eyes, as if in disbelief. His eyes like ice knives were directed at his personal guard. The man also had a look of surprise and uncertainty on his face at this moment, and he shouted intuitively: "My lord, please don't be fooled, the edict must be fake!"
"Whether it is true or false, you will naturally be able to tell the truth after you read it one by one." A slightly lazy voice rose lightly. Dongfang Ze stared directly at Yang Zhen's hand. He was holding the edict tightly, with veins popping out on the back of his hand. He was obviously very angry.
Dongfang Ze's face darkened slightly, and with a sway, he was already in front of Yang Zhen.
Everyone's eyes were blurred and they didn't see clearly how he took action. As if in the blink of an eye, the edict came into his hands.
Yang Zhen did not expect that he would suddenly take action, and could not hide the shock in his heart. He could hardly believe that someone in this world could successfully take something away from him! His face became increasingly ugly, his eyes suddenly turned cold, and he shouted loudly: "Who are you?"
Before he finished speaking, he grabbed the edict with five fingers like hooks.
Dongfang Ze smiled softly, like a ghost, and was behind Su Li in an instant. He stared into Yang Zhen's eyes, put the edict into Su Li's hand, and whispered in his ear: "It's up to you to decide who you want to win."
His deep voice was still charming and beautiful, and Su Li's heart trembled. It turns out that he was strategizing and had already secretly mastered all the trends! That's why he said those words to her in the carriage that day.
At this moment, he handed over the decision-making power to her, but how did he ask her to choose?
"Ah Li!" Yang Zhen strode towards her, stretched out his hand and shouted: "Give uncle the edict!"
Su Li didn't move.
Yang Zhen seemed to have lost his patience, his eyes were red, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Have you forgotten how Yan'er died?"
Su Li suddenly felt a pain in her heart, and turned her eyes slightly to Yang Xiao who was standing aside. He was also looking at her for a moment, with sadness on his face, and his dark eyes had lost their brilliance.
In her mind, the words he once asked her suddenly rang out: "Who am I in your heart?"
"To save the regent, you can put a sharp sword on my neck; to save the emperor's uncle, you can stand in front of me without hesitation!"
"If one day I am the one in trouble, will you be willing to risk your life for me?"
He just looked at her straightly without saying a word, and there was a trace of inexplicable sadness between his eyebrows, as if he had already foreseen what the outcome would be deep down in his heart!
Su Li's heart suddenly tightened and hurt inexplicably. She took a deep breath and calmly replied: "Yan'er's death has nothing to do with the fourth prince."
"How are you sure?!" A strange look flashed across Yang Zhen's face, and he still asked angrily.
Su Li said calmly: "I believe him."
Yang Xiao's whole body was shaken, and the emotions in his eyes were changing, as if a tiny light suddenly bloomed. Her words made it seem as if he had been walking alone in the cold darkness for a long time and suddenly encountered the warmest firelight.
Su Li squeezed the edict in her hand and walked towards him slowly, but accidentally caught a glimpse of the personal guard behind Yang Zhen staring at her nervously. Seeing her looking over, his eyes flickered and he quickly lowered his eyes, as if he was deliberately Avoiding her. Her guess was confirmed at this moment, and she felt sad in her heart.
For the sake of power and the throne, you are so persistent. Do you really want to sacrifice everything before you give up?
She didn't look back. Under Yang Zhen's cold gaze, she solemnly put the edict into Yang Xiao's hand, then turned around and said calmly: "Uncle, stop it. Maybe it's still too late."
Yang Zhen's face was livid, it was all in vain that he had devoted all his attention to her, and in the end she ignored her family ties and stood beside Yang Xiao! Anger and loss continued to impact the calmness he tried to maintain. His hands were trembling slightly, and he stared at her in disbelief and said, "You are not my sister's daughter... you are not worthy!" At the end of the words, his voice suddenly turned sharp, and his anger broke out in an instant.
Facing his accusation, Su Li felt extremely sad, but she just said calmly: "My mother will also approve of my doing this if she is alive in heaven."
"You..." Yang Zhen was so angry that he was speechless.
Seeing that the situation had changed, Qi Mu'er hurriedly took the edict and read it loudly: "By God's blessing, the emperor issued an edict. I have been ill for a long time and knew that it would be difficult to recover, so I issued this edict. After my death, the fourth prince Xiao will succeed me. After ascending the throne, all the ministers will assist you with all their heart and make no mistakes. Bestow upon me!"
"I obey the order!" Zhao, Lu and Yang Sheng immediately knelt down to receive the order. Qi Muer handed over the imperial edict to hundreds of officials to review it one by one. Everyone knew the handwriting of Emperor Bian and the seal was clear and correct. There was no doubt about the matter.
The ministers hurriedly knelt down to receive the order and meet the new emperor. Yang Zhen looked gloomy and shouted loudly: "Wait a minute!"
"What else does Prince Xiao have to say?" Qi Mu'er said angrily.
Yang Zhen didn't answer. He turned around and stared at the envoy Zhang Fu. He smiled gloomily and said, "I am puzzled to understand why the imperial edict of passing the throne of the Bian Kingdom is in the hands of the envoy?"
Zhang Fu chuckled, "Prince Xiao should know the inside story better than this envoy!"
"What does the envoy mean by this?" Qi Mu'er immediately noticed that there was something in Zhang Fu's words and asked immediately.
Zhang Fu said with a smile: "Someone paid an exorbitant price to invite the world's best thief Yun Zhonghe to enter the palace and steal something. Not only does this person have excellent light skills, he comes and goes without a trace, he is also the best at picking locks. No matter how complex the lock is, he can't In my hand, I can easily open it without a key. I was asked by someone to intercept this person outside the palace, so... the edict was in my hands. "
Yang Zhen's personal guard retorted flatly: "You're talking nonsense! The edict was destroyed on the spot, how could it be in your hands?"
Zhang Fu smiled in surprise and said, "It turns out that Prince Xiao's personal bodyguard was also there when Yun Zhonghe was captured. No wonder I think you are a bit familiar!"
The guard immediately realized that he had made a mistake, his expression suddenly changed, and he quickly lowered his head.
Yang Zhen snorted coldly and said, "I heard that someone wanted to write an edict, so I sent Chai Fang to investigate the matter."
Qi Muer said coldly: "So, Prince Xiao has already known that the emperor has issued an imperial edict on passing the throne, but why did he just say that the edict was false?"
Yang Zhen's face did not change and he said forcefully: "The edict has been destroyed, and no one knows who the emperor has appointed!"
"The emperor only has one son left. Who else will he appoint besides the fourth prince?" Qi Mu'er said angrily.
General Hong shouted again: "So what if there is an edict? The fourth prince killed his father and killed his king, so he is not qualified to inherit the throne!"
"Yes, what Prince Xiao did was also for the sake of our country."
"Filial piety is the first of all good deeds. How can a person who is rebellious and immoral be the king of this country and lead his ministers?!"
"Support Prince Xiao's enthronement!"
The military attachés echoed General Hong one after another, each with full confidence and overwhelming momentum. Most of the officials looked hesitant and did not dare to say anything more. Only Qi Muer and the other three still fought hard, but gradually became weaker.
"Everyone, please be quiet." A cold female voice sounded, with its own majesty, overpowering all the quarrels.
Su Li said loudly: "The emperor's murder has not yet been found out. It would be premature for you all to make such rash assertions!"
General Hong sneered and said: "What is there to investigate? The facts are before our eyes. Apart from the prince, only the fourth prince can do this perverse act. He was the only one who had been to the emperor's chamber when the incident occurred. If not him, who else could be the murderer?"
Su Li walked forward slowly, looked at the two eunuchs kneeling on the ground, and asked in a deep voice: "Are you sure that no second person entered the inner hall at that time?"
Xiao Yuanzi and Xiao Linzi nodded repeatedly and said in fear: "Everything I say is true, I don't dare to lie."
Su Li nodded, turned his sharp eyes, and asked Ruyun who was lying on the ground in a deep voice: "Where are you?"
Ruyun's body trembled unconsciously, and she replied in a trembling voice: "I followed Eunuch Xu to the Royal Pharmacy..."
"You only need to answer, how long did it take to find out that the emperor passed away after returning to the palace?" Su Li's voice was a little harsh.
Ruyun trembled in fright, lowered his head and replied: "About half a moment..."
"What have you been doing in this short period of time? Tell me one by one in detail!" Su Li's sharp eyes stared at her expression closely, asking questions again and again, not giving Ruyun any time to breathe.
Ruyun was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she replied with a slight cry: "When the slave entered the room, the emperor was lying on his side. At that time, the slave... asked the emperor to take medicine, but the emperor did not respond. The slave thought that the emperor was asleep and did not dare to speak loudly. Disturbed. After a while, the slave came to ask again, but who would have expected... The emperor suddenly turned over and turned over, and actually... "As if she was back to that moment of fear again, she was panicked, trembling all over, and lowered her head, as if she had already... Can't go on.
A cold light flashed quickly in Su Li's eyes, and she sighed softly, lowered her body to help her up, slowed down her tone, and comforted her softly: "You don't have to be afraid, I just want to understand what happened."
She remained calm and gently held Ruyun's wrist. She lowered her eyes slightly and saw the faint outline of a bracelet under Ruyun's soft sleeves. She suddenly squeezed it hard, and it hurt like a cloud, and she cried out "Ah".
Su Li apologized: "I didn't pay attention for a moment and hurt you. Are you okay?"
Ruyun shook his head repeatedly, and Su Li took the opportunity to lift up his sleeves. On his slender wrist was a shiny gold chain, with a yellow thread as thin as a hair hanging from the buckle.
Su Li's eyes were as cold as ice for an instant, and he stared intently at Ruyun's face. She has a dignified face, is more delicate than the average palace maid, and seems to be very well-behaved. It's just that this cuteness... seems to be somewhat deliberate.
Sensing Su Li's silent gaze, Ruyun's eyes flickered slightly, and she wanted to break away from Su Li's hand, but Su Li held her tightly and wouldn't let go. Her fingers pressed lightly on Ruyun's wrist, seemingly unintentionally, and her pulse beat steadily and powerfully.
Su Li held her hand tightly and asked in a slow and deep voice: "Let me ask you, have you ever touched anything belonging to the dragon?"
Ruyun looked up in panic, and saw that her expression was fierce, as if she was frightened, and she replied in a trembling voice: "My slave did not..."
"You lied!" Su Li cut off her words, took off the gold chain from her wrist, pointed at the yellow silk hooked by the buckle, brought it to her eyes, and asked coldly: "What is this?"
Ruyun's pupils shrank and her expression changed slightly.
Su Li said coldly: "Long**'s soft pillow is made of Tencel Brocade, a specialty of Dingguo. Tencel Brocade feels very soft and smooth. But it has a fatal flaw. Once it encounters sharp objects, it can easily be hooked." It’s scratched and damaged. If you haven’t touched Long’s things, why is there a broken Tencel on your bracelet?”
Ruyun's face suddenly turned pale as paper, "Slave..."
"Eunuch Xu, bring over the soft pillow." Su Li called out in a deep voice.
"Yes." Xu Chang quickly went to get the soft pillow.
Su Li raised the soft pillow and pointed out the scratched area. Everyone took a closer look, and sure enough, the yellow thread as thin as a hair was exactly the same as the Tencel thread hooked on the soft pillow!
Qi Muer asked sharply: "Ruyun, why did you lie? Could it be that the emperor's death has something to do with you?"
When the Prime Minister yelled, he screamed and fell to the ground with tears in his eyes. He shook his head desperately and could not say another word. It seemed that he was on the verge of emotional collapse.
General Hong laughed out loud, shook his head and said with a smile: "Prime Minister Qi, she is just a palace maid. Looking at her as timid as a mouse, how could she dare to kill someone! Even if I lend her a hundred courages, she will not Dare to kill the emperor!"
Another one of the generals also said, "Even if Ruyun touched the soft pillow, it doesn't mean anything. Maybe she scratched it accidentally. That retrograde acupuncture technique is the most critical evidence!"
Ruyun wiped away her tears and seemed to have regained consciousness at this moment. She said in a trembling voice: "Slave, I remembered... I touched the soft pillow and wanted to place it behind the emperor so that he could get up and take medicine... "
"You're still making excuses!" Su Li ignored what others said, just stared at Ruyun, and suddenly showed a faint smile, "I just lied to you, the texture of this Tiansi Yunjin brocade is soft, and it won't hurt if you touch it lightly." It may be easy to break the Tencel. There is only one explanation for the Tencel on your chain! It is that you cover the Emperor's face with a soft pillow and press it hard. The chain will scrape off the Tencel with great force. "
Ruyun shook his head repeatedly and said in panic: "No, I don't have it."
Su Li directly stuffed the soft pillow into Ruyun's hand and sneered: "Don't believe it? You can try again!" She was so sure that she seemed to be completely sure.
Seeing that she was silent, Su Li approached again and asked, "Are you afraid, or do you not dare?"
Ruyun's heart was about to jump out of her throat. She seemed to dare not raise her head, her eyes flickered, and she just gasped desperately.
Su Li's eyes suddenly turned cold, and his shot was like lightning, directed towards her face.
Ruyun was shocked and instinctively dodged away. As soon as she dodged, she suddenly realized that she had been deceived by Su Li. She turned her head and stared at the woman in front of her viciously.
Su Li sneered: "You really know how to use martial arts!"
The ministers were in an uproar. The palace stipulated that palace maids and eunuchs were not allowed to practice martial arts, and martial arts practitioners were not allowed to enter the palace. Ruyun's quick reaction showed that his martial arts skills were not weak.
The disguise was exposed, Ruyun no longer concealed it, the cold aura in his eyes was completely different from the weak look just now.
"Half a moment is enough for a martial artist to kill the seriously ill emperor. After that, she yells to catch the thief and put the blame on others. The so-called retrograde acupuncture method may not be really only practiced by Prince Xiao and the fourth prince." Su Li slowly said She raised her head and looked at her uncle, Yang Zhen, calmly.
Yang Zhen also stared back at her gloomily, his eyes no longer filled with the warmth of the past, only a deep indifference remained.
Someone questioned: "This cannot prove that the murderer must be Ruyun."
Su Li suddenly turned around and said in a deep voice: "I only need to prove that the murderer is definitely not the fourth prince! The emperor is seriously ill and has left a succession edict. The fourth prince is in charge of the government and has the power. What reason is there to kill the emperor?"
"Miss Ah Li's words make sense." Zhao Lu stepped forward and said, "The fourth prince will never be the murderer! And this palace maid is like a cloud, telling lies and making mistakes. Where does this martial arts come from? Her identity is unknown, maybe... it's What kind of person with ulterior motives arranged such a trick around the emperor!"
He glanced sideways at Yang Zhen, and everyone knew what he meant.
Su Li shouted: "Ruyun, who ordered you to kill the emperor and frame the fourth prince? Why don't you get the real deal soon!"
Ruyun didn't even raise his head, his expression was indifferent, as if he didn't hear anything.
Zhao Lu said angrily: "If you come, you will be punished. See if she says it or not!"
Ruyun's face suddenly turned pale, he was breathing rapidly, his fingers were trembling slightly, but he still stubbornly remained silent.
The rack of torture instruments was quickly carried to the outer hall, and all kinds of torture instruments were placed in front of them. Just one look at them was enough to make people tremble with fear.
Ruyun suddenly raised his head and glanced at Yang Zhen, with a hesitant look on his face and hesitated to speak. Suddenly her eyes opened wide, her face twitched several times, and she became twisted and hideous. A trace of blood slowly flowed from the corner of her mouth, and she fell to the ground, dead!
Zhao Lu stood aside and wanted to step forward to stop him, but was too late. After checking, he shouted angrily: "Damn it, she actually bit her tongue and committed suicide!"
General Hong gloated: "This is great. The witnesses were forced to commit suicide. I'm afraid the truth will never be clear again."
"That's not necessarily the case!" Suddenly a clear voice came from the crowd. The man was dressed in light blue robes. He was young and handsome, with bright eyes. He was Lin Tianzheng.
"Don't you know, sir? Sometimes the dead are more likely to tell the truth than the living." Lin Tianzheng smiled, walked to Ruyun and knelt down, carefully inspected her mouth, and after a moment said: "There was once a rumor in the world. According to legend, some people do all kinds of bad things. In order to prevent others from leaking secrets, they pierce the back of the other person's neck with a silver needle quenched with strange poison. The person who is stabbed by the silver needle will lose self-control and bite his own tongue. This creates the illusion of suicide. Please look at it!"
As he spoke, he opened Ruyun's mouth, and everyone suddenly gasped. They saw blood dripping from Ruyun's mouth, and the flesh and blood were blurred.
Chill ran up their backs, and the ministers broke out in cold sweat. In public, the witness was silenced quietly, and the other party didn't even know when he would do it?
Lin Tianzheng turned Ruyun's body over again and accurately found the silver needle that had been pierced from the back of her neck. The tip of the needle was black and shiny, as thin as a cow's hair.
Just such a seemingly ordinary thin needle can actually kill people and kill people invisible!
Su Li's heart was as cold as ice. She raised her head and glanced up. Chai Fang, Yang Zhen's personal bodyguard, who had quietly stood behind Ruyun, fixed his gaze on Yang Zhen's feminine face again.
Chai Fang's eyes flashed, his steps moved lightly, and he slowly retreated. Suddenly, I felt my shoulders sink suddenly. Someone put his hand on his shoulders and chuckled, "Where do you want to go, Your Excellency?"
This voice is very familiar, it is Sheng Qin. Su Li's heart moved. Dongfang Ze was obviously well prepared today! Did he really do this just to make her make a choice? Or is there another purpose? She didn't dare to think deeply for a while.
Chai Fang suddenly made a move like lightning, trying to seize the opportunity and hit Sheng Qin's waist.
Sheng Qin reacted very quickly. He turned his hand to block his attack, and at the same time, the other hand went straight towards his throat!
Chai Fang finally looked panicked. The more anxious he became, the more panicked he became. Without warning, Sheng Qin pushed him to the ground! His face suddenly turned ashen, but he gritted his teeth and refused to speak.
To avoid repeating the same mistake, Zhao Lu did not dare to torture him again. He shouted unwillingly: "He was the only one standing behind Ruyun just now, he must be the one who did it!"
Qi Muer said: "This person is the personal bodyguard of Prince Xiao. Should Prince Xiao give an explanation?"
Yang Zhen's expression did not change and he said coldly: "What does this matter have to do with this king?"
Qi Muer said: "Since it has nothing to do with the prince, why do the prince's guards want to kill people and silence them?"
Yang Zhen snorted coldly, "It's a joke, there are so many people in this palace, Prime Minister Qi, how can you determine who did it? Without real evidence, who dares to frame me, don't blame me for being rude to him!" At the end of the sentence, his voice suddenly changed. Sen Leng seemed to be threatening!
Qi Muer couldn't help but frown, and was speechless for a moment.
At this time, another person slowly walked out from behind Zhang Fu. He kept mixed in the crowd, with his head lowered, and no one noticed him. At this moment, he slowly raised his head, his eyes flashed with sharp light, filled with hatred, and he said word by word: "I can prove that all of this was done by Yang Zhen."
Suddenly hearing this voice, Yang Zhen's expression changed drastically and he looked straight at that person.
Su Li was also stunned. This person turned out to be Xuan Feng, the mysteriously missing elder from the Saintess Cult! An idea flashed in her mind, and she looked up at Dongfang Ze. He only smiled slightly, confirming her suspicion. It turns out that he rescued Xuanfeng! No wonder Yang Xiao was willing to let him go when he left Biandu, and he did not avoid his identity. When he came to Biandu again, it turned out that he already had a bargaining chip in his hand!
The complicated emotions in her eyes flashed away.
"Susu, don't think too much."
Su Li was slightly startled when his mellow voice suddenly sounded in her ears. She was so focused on her thoughts that she didn't notice that he was approaching. His fingertips felt warm, and his hand was already holding hers. Just listen to him whisper again: "You have made your choice, just wait and see what happens."
Su Li didn't say anything. She knew that once she made a choice about something, there was no room for turning back. Yang Zhen's ambition is beyond her control. Today's situation will have to be faced sooner or later. However, she was still a little surprised and a little unbelievable that he was hiding his identity in a foreign country and could actually turn his hands into clouds and rain! The depth of his thoughts is really... terrifying!
"Who are you?" Qi Mu'er asked in confusion.
"Elder Xuanfeng of the Saintess Sect."
The ministers were in an uproar. Isn't the Saintess' Cult the most mysterious assassination organization in the world? Why is it related to the dignified Prince Xiao?
"The elders of the Saintess Cult actually followed the Sheng Kingdom envoy into the palace. You are colluding with each other. What do you want?" Yang Zhen struck preemptively, but his eyes were always focused on the black-robed man next to Su Li.
He appeared with the envoy several times, but rarely opened his mouth. The envoy Zhang Fu acted based on his face, and his identity was absolutely extraordinary!
Who is he? Why is the edict in the hands of the envoy? And he would just hand over the edict to Su Li? The two of them seemed to have known each other for a long time and had an extraordinary relationship.
Dongfangze said calmly: "Isn't he the person Prince Xiao wants? That day on Qiandie Rock, the prince failed to kill someone. Today we brought him here, naturally we want to give the prince a chance."
"It's you?!" Yang Zhen was shocked and exclaimed in surprise, "Aren't you from the Saintess Cult? Why are you with the Sheng Kingdom envoy?"
Dongfang Zedao: "What the prince said is wrong. I am not a member of the Saintess Cult. I pretended to be Xuanfeng just to help the Saint to prove whether you were the murderer behind the conspiracy to poison the fourth prince."
"What? Prince Xiao plotted to poison the fourth prince?" The officials suddenly became excited again.
"In fact, the Saintess Cult is not a Jianghu organization, but directly obeys the orders of Emperor Bian." Xuanfeng took out a golden token from his sleeve, engraved with the complex and exquisite patterns unique to the Saintess Cult. If you hold this token, you can visit the emperor at any time if you have important matters."
All the ministers couldn't come to their senses for a moment. No one thought that the famous Saintess Cult in the world would actually work for the emperor!
"Not long after the new saint of our religion took office, the fourth prince was ordered to join the religion to help the saint. When Yang Zhen learned about this, he ordered me to secretly poison the fourth prince and put the blame on the elder of Xuanjing. He also asked me to secretly send a message to the palace. He wants to use the death of the fourth prince to stimulate the emperor to relapse into his old illness! After the incident is completed, he can take advantage of the opportunity to arrange the details in the palace. In this way, he can ascend to the throne in a grand manner! "
"Is this happening?!" The ministers were shocked.
Qi Muer also seemed very surprised and couldn't help but wonder: "Since you have a token to meet the emperor, why do you obey the instructions of Prince Xiao?"
Xuanfeng sighed and said with grief and anger: "He threatened my son's life, how could I not listen? Fortunately, the saint learned about it that day and used her plan to save the fourth prince's life! After the conspiracy was exposed, I was imprisoned in Dark room. Yang Zhen sent people to kill me, and this young master came to save me, so Xuan Feng could save his life!"
Qi Muer asked: "Who is the saint?"
Xuanfeng turned to look at Su Li, and the officials suddenly realized that it was no wonder that this woman had no official status and could enter and leave the palace freely. It turns out that she is the new saint of the Saintess Sect!
"That's nonsense! You actually believe such ridiculous words!" Yang Zhen sneered in a deep voice and walked slowly to Xuanfeng, playing with a white jade pendant between his fingers.
Su Li clearly saw the word "Gang" on the jade pendant, which was exactly the same as the jade pendant Yu Qianji was holding when she interrogated Xuan Feng in the Sacred Heart Hall that day!
At that time, Xuanfeng's conspiracy was exposed and he was captured by mistake. It was when he saw the jade pendant that he confessed all the crimes. As he said, it was probably for his son. But why is there no trace of fear on Xuanfeng's face today?
Xuanfeng said angrily: "Yang Zhen, you don't have to threaten me with this jade pendant again!"
Yang Zhen's expression immediately changed slightly, but he said nothing.
Xuanfeng said loudly: "Everyone! This jade pendant in Yang Zhen's hand is my son's personal belongings. Over the years, he has used it as a threat, forcing me to obey his orders!"
Yang Zhen squeezed the jade pendant in his palm tightly, almost crushed by him. His eyes were cold and stern, and he said with an extremely gloomy tone: "Since you keep saying that this king threatens you with this jade pendant, why are you not threatened today? Aren't you afraid that your son will die?"
"Haha." Xuanfeng suddenly laughed loudly, pointed at him and said: "Yang Zhen! Do you think you can still deceive me now? My son was indeed caught by you, but he had escaped more than ten years ago. Your clutches! You despicable villain, you tricked me into working for you for so many years just because of this jade pendant!" In the last sentence, he did not hide the cold hatred in his eyes, his chest was heaving, and he obviously hated this man so much. !
Lin Tianzheng walked gently to him and patted his back, as if to comfort him.
Xuanfeng was slightly startled and looked around, his expression instantly softened, his eyes were kind and peaceful, but also a bit remorseful and guilty.
Su Li's heart moved slightly. Could it be Lin Tianzheng...
"You guessed it right, Lin Tian is the son of Xuanfeng." Dongfang Ze's deep voice came to his ears at the right time.
Yang Zhen's eyes were extremely gloomy, and his expression was changing. He had calculated everything, but he never expected that Xuanfeng would find his biological son!
"Prince Xiao, what else do you have to say?" There was a trace of sadness in Qi Mu'er's eyes, "Emperor Renzhen was wise, benevolent and filial throughout his life and was respected by others. As a descendant of Emperor Renzhen, Prince Xiao, you are deeply favored by the current emperor." , you are a prince, you have a lot of troops in your hands, and you have all the power in the government and the public, you actually do such unscrupulous things as poisoning your nephew and murdering the emperor?!"
Yang Zhen said coldly: "This is just one-sided words made by Xuanfeng. Without real evidence, it is slander and frame-up."
"But this young master can prove it!"
"They are in the same group, there is no way they are colluding!"
"What about this girl?" Qi Mu'er suddenly turned to Su Li, staring at her facial features that were somewhat similar to Yang Zhen's, "I would like to ask, is this girl the daughter of Princess Rong Xi?"
Su Li's heart sank. Now that things had happened, there was no need to hide her identity, so she nodded lightly.
Although the answer was expected, Qi Muer's face straightened and he even bowed to her.
Su Li was slightly startled and stepped forward to help her, "Prime Minister Qi, why is this?"
"The girl is the niece of Prince Xiao, but she has just handed over the imperial edict to the fourth prince. It shows that the girl is a person who understands justice and can distinguish right from wrong! I want to ask the girl, is what Elder Xuanfeng said true?"
Everyone's eyes flickered to the ground, and they all looked at Su Li.
Yang Zhen's eyes were wild as he stared at her, but said nothing.
Su Li's heart suddenly became as heavy as iron and she said nothing. She knew that if she opened her mouth at this moment, her uncle would be doomed! She couldn't help but raise her eyes and look towards Yang Zhen. Those eyes really looked like the mother-in-law. At this moment, its owner did not hide the anger in his heart.
Once upon a time, the mother-in-law sacrificed everything just to save his life and live well.
Now, he is giving it a try and is determined to reach the 95th position, but he has lost himself.
Su Li clenched her hands involuntarily, her heart was in a state of turmoil, with uncertain ups and downs.
Everyone is waiting for her answer.
Yang Zhen's face was as cold as frost, and a hint of murderous intent quickly flashed in his eyes. The opportunity has been lost. If we don't leave now, when will we wait? While everyone's attention was focused on Su Li, he suddenly moved as fast as lightning, with five fingers like hooks, and ran straight towards Yang Xiao without any deviation.
The sudden killing move was so fast that it was impossible to react. And this move was so fast and fierce under Yang Zhen's full strength. Behind Yang Xiao was the dragon bed, and there was no way to avoid it. Everyone was so frightened that they screamed. Yang Zhen was in front of Yang Xiao in the blink of an eye, and he was about to splash blood on the spot!
Yang Xiao's figure slipped and flew straight up, like a kite moving in the wind, floating over Yang Zhen's head.
A flash of light flashed in Yang Zhen's eyes, and he got what he wanted. He stepped forward, grabbed the body of Dragon King Bian Emperor, blocked it in front of him, and shouted sternly: "Everyone exit the palace, otherwise don't blame me for not remembering the old relationship!" "He exerted slight force with his fingers, and heard the bones of the corpse cracking.
Yang Xiao was shocked and in pain. He rushed forward a few steps but held back, saying angrily: "Yang Zhen, how dare you hurt my father!"
Yang Zhen smiled cruelly, "Let me leave, and your father will naturally return it to you."
Yang Xiao was so angry that he clenched his fists and shouted through gritted teeth: "Everyone, get back!"
Yang Zhen carried Emperor Bian's body between his arms and slowly walked out of the palace. Everyone automatically retreated to both sides to make way for them. When they arrived at the palace gate, the guards from Prince Xiao's Mansion swarmed up and protected Yang Zhen. Yang Zhen's eyes turned cold, he raised his arms and threw Emperor Bian's body out with all his strength!
Yang Xiao roared angrily, jumped up, held Emperor Bian's body firmly in his arms in mid-air, and shouted sternly: "Catch him!"
The night is dark, like a huge black net that is boundless, covering everyone's heart.
Yang Zhen fled all the way to the palace gate, but was blocked by a group of imperial guards. The guards of Prince Xiao's palace fought desperately, but they also fought their way out.
Yang Xiao led the guards to catch up, raised the bow and arrow in his hand, pointed the sharp arrow tip at Yang Zhen, and the bowstring squeaked as it was pulled to the extreme. It seems that in just the next moment, the arrow will penetrate all resistance and hit the target!
A person suddenly appeared in front of him. When he saw the person's face clearly, Yang Xiao suddenly broke into a cold sweat and quickly put down the bow and arrow in his hand.
"Ah Li?!"
There was a hint of pleading in Su Li's eyes, "Yang Xiao..."
Yang Xiao understood immediately, felt cold in his heart, and interrupted her, "Ali, you don't need to say more."
She still didn't move, and his hand holding the bow and arrow was tense.
"He killed my father! I can't let him go!" Yang Xiao growled, sadness and anger occupying all his consciousness.
Su Li said quickly: "Yang Xiao, I didn't ask you to let him go, I just want you to spare his life!"
Yang Zhen is indeed to blame for himself today. But everything has a cause and an effect. He is so cruel and ruthless because of his fate. What happened back then has long been difficult to distinguish between right and wrong. What's more, if Emperor Bian was selfless and treated each other with sincerity, maybe they wouldn't be where they are today!
After all, he is the biological brother whom the mother and concubine protects wholeheartedly, and her biological uncle. The emotional balance in his heart can't help but tilt.
"Ah Li! I know you don't want to see us killing each other, but now, it's impossible for him and I to coexist in the world!" Yang Xiao said categorically, his eyes extremely determined.
Su Li wanted to say something more, but at this moment, someone suddenly shouted at the palace gate: "Yang Zhen ran away from the Suzaku Gate!"
On the road leading outside the city, Yang Zhen's galloping figure loomed and disappeared at any time. Yu Linwei followed Yang Xiao, chasing him all the way towards Huangpu Temple.
The sky gradually turns white, and Huangpu Temple under the rising sun seems to be covered with a layer of faint red light. There is no way forward, only one horse can be seen outside the high courtyard wall, but Yang Zhen has long disappeared!
"Everyone listen!" Yang Xiao's eyes were as bright as lightning and he shouted an order, "Search carefully and don't miss every corner! Even if we dig up three feet of Huangpu Temple, we must capture the traitor Yang Zhen alive." !"
"yes!"
Hundreds of Yulin guards followed the order and quickly surrounded the outer wall of the temple like an iron barrel. Yang Xiao led a team of people and rushed straight into the temple, searching each hall and the monk's residence one by one.
Su Li stood in front of the Main Hall, looking at the guards coming and going. Doubts gradually arose in her heart. At the critical moment of life and death, why didn't Yang Zhen go outside the city instead of running straight to the Huangpu Temple? Even though there are large mountains and forests here to hide his whereabouts, with this method of hunting, he won't be able to hide for long, and he will be captured sooner or later.
"Since he chose to come here, he should have already thought of a way out. As long as you search carefully, there will definitely be clues."
Su Li was slightly startled, and when she looked back, what caught her eye was indeed Dongfang Ze's face with a faint smile. Judging from his tone, he sounded very confident, as if Yang Zhen's every move had been expected by him. Su Li's heart moved, and she suddenly remembered Zhang Fu's remarks at the Qinzheng Palace just now. She couldn't help but asked curiously: "What's going on with the edict?"
Dongfang Zedao: "Yang Zhen is determined to seize the throne, and he must win the imperial edict. I have been sending people to keep an eye on him secretly. A few days ago, something was indeed discovered. He found Yun Zhonghe and entered the palace to steal the imperial edict. Yun Zhonghe After I succeeded, I negotiated with Yang Zhen's people, but was intercepted by the people I sent on the way, and the edict was destroyed during the fight. "
destroyed? Su Li was shocked, where did the edict in Qinzheng Hall come from today? An idea flashed in her mind, "Is the destroyed edict a fake?"
"good."
Su Li secretly sighed and destroyed a fake edict in front of Yun Zhonghe. After Yun Zhonghe escaped, he reported the truth to Yang Zhen. Yang Zhen naturally thought that the edict was destroyed and had no worries anymore, so he took this opportunity to report to Yang Xiao. When he launched an attack, who knew that while the mantis stalked the cicada and the oriole was behind, the real edict was still in Dongfang Ze's hands!
Dongfang Zedao: "You came into the palace last night and wanted to ask about the black-clothed assassin in Emperor Qing Bian's palace?"
Thinking about this matter, Su Li's mind became heavier and he said in a deep voice: "Last night there was chaos in the palace. I found out that some of the assassins didn't know each other. It was really strange. Later, I found out about the leader of the men in black. Won the gold medal from Commander Habayashi."
Dongfangze sneered slightly and said: "Emperor Bian really wanted to kill before he sent out the Yulin Guards. The people who went there didn't know each other... Could it be that they were two groups of assassins?"
Su Li felt a trace of bitterness and looked far away. The rising sun had already jumped up to the Juling Peak, casting down thousands of rays of light. He laughed at himself and said, "That's right. The assassin who came in the first place was someone pretending to be sent by his uncle, and he deliberately did it to It was a play I watched. And the people who came later were Emperor Bian's Yulin Guards." She was not sure at first. She just saw Yang Zhen's personal guard Chai Fang in the palace, and the other party's nervousness for a moment confirmed it. I'm guessing.
She paused, and her voice couldn't help but tremble a little, "He was eager to win over me and use me to deal with Emperor Bian, but he never thought that a single thought would cost Yan'er her life! Yan'er was only three years old... He was still So small… "
Her heart ached, and she closed her eyes hard. The scene of Yang Yan falling to the ground and dying tragically seemed to reappear in front of her eyes, and she couldn't get rid of it.
Dongfangze's expression changed slightly, he stepped forward and gently pulled her, and whispered to comfort her: "This is not your fault, don't think about it anymore."
The familiar embrace still had a nostalgic warmth. The gentle fingers fell on her hair, like a spring breeze, with a slightly fuzzy breath. Su Li was in a trance for a moment, and hugged his hand unconsciously. waist.
There was joyful tenderness in his eyes, and he couldn't control his slight excitement at this sudden closeness. He put an arm around her waist, brought her into his arms, and held her gently.
Su Li leaned gently on his shoulder, and the familiar breath made her suddenly feel weak. After experiencing family members killing each other several times and catastrophes of life and death, I thought that I had long forgotten the taste of emotions and desires, but at this extremely tired moment, I felt that deep in my heart, I still needed warmth. She closed her eyes, as if she didn't want this moment to go away. Just for a moment, she was just too tired, too tired...
He hugged her tightly, not daring to speak, for fear of disturbing the tenderness and tranquility of this moment. He was content just holding her.
The morning light quietly jumped into the sky at this moment, and it seemed that it could not bear to wake up a pair of people embracing each other in the dust.
With a "dang" sound, the temple's loud bell rang loudly, and it was time for morning classes.
She was shaken suddenly, her bright eyes opened, and she suddenly woke up where she was, and quickly pushed him away.
His arms were suddenly empty, and a trace of incomprehensible sadness flashed across his face, but he just looked at her and did not take back his hand. If he could, he would rather never let go for the rest of his life and stay in the tranquility of that moment forever.
"I've been searching for so long and there's still no news. I'll go out and have a look." She turned her eyes away unnaturally, not daring to look at him again. It seems that if you look at it again, you will sink involuntarily and find it difficult to control yourself.
"Susu..." He reluctantly pulled her, and her deliberate avoidance dimmed the light in his sad eyes.
Su Li turned her head away. When she heard the call, her feet stopped, and there was a vague pain in her heart. She took a deep breath, but did not allow herself to look back easily.
"Susu..." He walked towards her step by step, and the familiar breath hit her again. Su Li couldn't move, the tenderness at that moment made her heart confused. Just when she was at a loss what to do, Yang Xiao walked in with an angry face and shouted angrily: "We have searched all the places in the temple and no trace of him was found. Could it be that he went to heaven and earth?"
Searching all places... Su Li breathed a sigh of relief, fixed his gaze in the direction of Juling Peak, and said in a deep voice: "Ancestral Temple!"
Juling Peak, in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The woods covered with the Big Dipper array are full of light and shadow, and the branches are blowing gently in the wind. Except for the slight rustling of the leaves, no sound can be heard.
Yang Xiao ran straight towards the formation, but suddenly stopped. He observed quietly for a moment and shouted in a deep voice: "He did hide here, but the Big Dipper formation was changed by him."
Su Li looked carefully and found nothing strange: "How to change it?"
Yang Xiao sneered and said: "There are seven or forty-nine ways to change the Big Dipper formation. Yang Zhen fled here in a hurry and didn't have time to change it too much. With just these tricks, I, Yang Xiao, can't be stopped! Break the formation After that, let's see where he can escape!" As he spoke, he raised his feet and stood at the edge of the formation with a sharp look.
"Yang Zhen has a cunning mind. It's better for the fourth prince to be careful." Dongfang Ze's voice came from behind. While talking, there was a breeze blowing in the forest. The loud sound made Su Li's mind wander for no reason. She took a deep breath and noticed that in addition to the fragrance of mountain leaves, there seemed to be a few wisps of special smell in the air.
"Wait!" Su Li frowned and pulled Yang Xiao.
"What's wrong?" Yang Xiao looked at her hesitantly, "Don't worry, this formation remains true to its original form. I know how to break it."
Dongfangze walked forward slowly and stared at the trees for a while, seeming to be thinking about something. Su Li suddenly pulled it up, flicking her fingers continuously, and heard several puffs and puffs. The branches and leaves on the tall trees trembled for a while. When she was hit hard by her fingers, the leaves fell one after another, and bursts of white rose up after falling to the ground. cigarette!
Su Li's eyes flashed and she said in a deep voice: "Luoxiang!"
Yang Xiao couldn't help but change his expression. The leaves were actually quenched with lotus scent! Fall incense is one of the poisons developed by the Saintess Cult. If a person's skin touches the slightest bit of it, they will be poisoned and die.
Su Li's heart sank. Yang Zhen was indeed evil-minded. He deliberately changed the formation to attract Yang Xiao's attention, but secretly poisoned him. If she hadn't had a keen sense of smell and noticed something strange, Yang Xiao would have entered the formation and directly changed the formation. Once the branches and leaves were shocked, they would have fallen on him and caused poisonous changes!
"So vicious!" Yang Xiao's face became more and more gloomy, but Su Li could only sigh.
"Follow me and go in to search. We will see people dead or corpses!" Yang Xiao waved his hand vigorously. The group followed Yang Xiao, carefully passed through the formation, and divided the troops into three groups to search Xianju Garden and Tai'an Palace. and the forest behind the palace.
Until the afternoon, Yang Zhen was still not found. Juling Peak is not big or small. According to common sense, some clues should be discovered by this time.
"There are so many people, but no one can be found! Does he really have the ability to escape from the earth?!" In Tai'an Palace, Yang Xiao punched the wall hard, unable to control the anger in his heart.
"A person will never disappear out of thin air, maybe there is another mystery!" Dongfang Ze looked at the temple in private and thought.
Yang Xiao suddenly realized, "You mean... there might be a secret passage here?"
This sentence instantly reminded Su Li, and she suddenly remembered that when Yang Zhen came to visit her a while ago, he mentioned that he had been under house arrest here for ten years when he was a child, so he must be very familiar with the terrain here. Maybe there is a secret place that is unknown.
Yang Xiao immediately became energetic and immediately ordered everyone to search carefully again, each observing the suspicious areas and not missing anything.
The side hall on the right side of Tai'an Hall is divided into several small compartments and houses all the ancestral tablets of the Bian royal family. Su Li's slow steps suddenly stopped, and one of the tablets attracted her attention.
That is the tablet of Emperor Renzhen Yang Yi. This ancestor of the Yang family who died before succeeding to the throne was Su Li's direct maternal grandfather. Su Li had an unspeakable feeling in her heart. She gently touched the tablet with her fingers. Thinking of her mother and concubine, her eyes dimmed slightly.
"What's wrong?" Dongfangze seemed to be aware of her moodiness, and came forward and asked softly.
"It's nothing." Su Li retracted her hand and seemed a bit resistant to his ubiquitous closeness. She lowered her eyes and said, "Have you noticed anything?"
"No." He sighed lowly, but stopped talking.
"I'm going to look elsewhere." She raised her feet to leave, but heard him whisper again: "Yang Yi is your grandfather, right?"
Su Li was stunned, but didn't answer.
"The struggle for imperial power has always been cruel. Brothers and sisters fight against each other and harm their relatives. Perhaps, only time can judge right and wrong." He looked at the spiritual tablet, and his voice was a little heavy.
Su Li suddenly turned back to look at him. On that face that had attracted all the attention of the world, the sharpness of the dragon's power had faded away at this moment, leaving only an inexplicable sadness. She originally asked the sarcastic words, but they were choked in her throat.
He raised his eyes to look at her, his eyes filled with words that no need to be said. Su Li's eyes turned to her grandfather's spiritual tablet, and she slowly softened, saying in a cold voice: "To you, relatives may be just stones on the road to imperial power, but to me, relatives are all the warmth in the world."
Dongfang Ze turned his head to look at the spiritual tablet and said with a self-deprecating smile: "Sometimes, I really envy Su Su."
She was slightly startled, but didn't answer.
"You are not born in an emperor's family, so you don't need to worry about the difficulties of survival." He walked to the spiritual tablet, his face calm as usual, "Even if you have suffered no less than me, you still have an innocent heart. If I I am destined to lose you in this life, and that will be the biggest disaster in my life."
Su Li took a breath, but was speechless. Are she and him really a disaster in each other's lives? Since it is difficult, why do we need to meet again? She stared blankly at the spiritual tablet, seemingly in a daze. He didn't speak either. The two of them just looked at the spiritual tablet, their thoughts surging. They could only hear the wind outside the hall, flowing slowly, like the emotions surging in their hearts, which they couldn't let go.
Suddenly, Su Li discovered that the tablet seemed to be slightly offset from the position of the spiritual tablet next to it. If you didn't look carefully, you wouldn't be able to spot it at all.
"There's something wrong with this spirit card!" Dongfangze frowned slightly and seemed to have noticed it. Su Li immediately took a step forward, reached out to hold the tablet, and turned it slowly. Suddenly, he heard the sound of the stone door opening behind the tablet, and a dark passage suddenly appeared on the wall directly behind it!
"The secret passage is here!" Dongfangze shouted happily.
Yang Xiao rushed in immediately and shouted loudly: "Here comes someone, chase him!"
A group of people rushed into the secret passage, Dongfangze sighed: "Yang Zhen, who has exhausted all the traps, has never forgotten the pain of losing his father. Even the traps of the secret passage are set on his father's tablet."
Su Li stayed where he was. He slowly took her hand and his eyes stayed in her eyes, "Aren't you going to take a look? Aren't you worried about Yang Zhen being captured?"
She raised her face to look at him, but couldn't clearly see the expression on his face, "Who are you helping?"
"Help you." His deep voice was as gentle as water.
Su Li gritted her teeth and ducked into the secret passage.
This secret passage was very dark, long, and very winding. Everyone ran all the way and walked for more than an hour before they reached the end. When I went out, I saw that I was in a forest outside Biandu City. Under the dark night, the stars were bright, and Yang Zhen was nowhere to be seen!
"He has already made plans to escape from the secret passage if the incident fails. Changing the formation and setting up a highly poisonous formation is just to spread suspicion and delay time." Dongfang Ze said in a deep voice.
Yang Xiao's face was extremely gloomy. He failed to catch Yang Zhen, which undoubtedly caused future troubles. Su Li frowned, her mind was extremely heavy at the moment. The three of them knew very well that a big storm that could shake up the world would soon come.
After returning to the city, Su Li immediately summoned Xiang Li, Jiang Yuan and Qin Heng who were stationed at the main altar of the Saintess Cult, and ordered Qin Heng to send people to pay close attention to the movements outside the city and report any news immediately. Sure enough, in the afternoon of the second day, Qin Heng came to report that Yang Zhen had assembled a hundred thousand troops from his old army overnight and stationed a military camp at Jianlongpo three miles outside Biandu City, which was the only way to the frontier fortress. Checkpoints have also been set up along the way, making it impossible to pass.
Yang Zhen's army declared war on Yang Xiao, claiming that the prince was incompetent and proclaimed himself king.
Su Li was shocked. Although she had expected that Yang Zhen would not give up, she did not expect that it would come so quickly and so seriously. She immediately went to the palace to see Yang Xiao. Inside the palace, everything is white and desolate.
As soon as he arrived at the entrance of Qinzheng Hall, he saw a row of palace ladies and eunuchs kneeling in the hall. Their bodies were trembling and they were shouting in fear: "Your Majesty, calm down." Although the enthronement ceremony has not yet been held, everyone in the palace has already expressed their gratitude to Yang Xiao. Changed title. If there is no king in the court, people will find it difficult to stabilize, especially in the current turbulent situation.
Su Li saw that the palace was in a mess. Broken plates and dishes that still smelled like food were scattered all over the floor. The delicate and hard rosewood chairs were scattered on the floor. Yang Xiao's handsome face was ashen, his brows were furrowed, his hands were clasped behind his back, and he was pacing back and forth restlessly.
When he turned his eyes and saw Su Li coming in, he couldn't help but feel a little excited. He raised the paper in his hand and said through gritted teeth: "How could a hundred thousand troops gather in one night? It was all premeditated! My father has always been kind to these generals who have made military exploits, but now that he has just... these villains have rebelled." ! It’s all about wolfish ambition!”
He slammed the piece of paper to the ground, and Su Li walked over to pick it up. After a closer look, it turned out to be a message from Yang Zhen about raising troops to rebel.
"The matter has come to this, what can you do if you get angry again? The most urgent thing is to think about how to deal with this hundred thousand army." Su Li's calm and steady voice was crisp and sweet, like a cool stream, which made him furious. The anger actually subsided a bit.
The situation at hand is very serious, and it is about to break out. The slightest carelessness will lead to immeasurable consequences. Why doesn't Yang Xiao understand? Even before his father's bones were cold, the future destiny of the Bian Kingdom was completely in his hands! He fell into the chair, clenched his fists tightly, and ordered himself to calm down!
Su Li said: "How many troops are there in Biandu City?"
In front of a topographical map placed in the palace, Yang Xiao thought: "There are about 100,000 rebels outside the city. Yang Zhen chose to camp at Jianlongpo, where you can attack the city if you advance and defend it if you retreat. But inside the imperial city, There are only 30,000 elite soldiers."
Thirty thousand versus one hundred thousand.
Su Li frowned slightly. From the current point of view, there is a huge disparity in strength between the two sides. It is basically impossible to defeat the other side in one fell swoop. Although there are three to four thousand people in the Saintess Cult, they are all killers who travel all over the world, and they have no experience in killing enemies on the battlefield. Even if they are all mobilized to help out, there is still a huge gap in strength. My heart sank slightly, and I couldn't help but ask: "Is there anyone in the city who can lead troops and be good at fighting?"
Yang Xiao closed his eyes slightly and touched his forehead with his fingers. He couldn't hide the worry in his heart and said dejectedly: "No. Hu Er was originally the best candidate, but now he is still at the border."
Su Li sighed in his heart. When he used the army, he had no one under his command. No wonder he was so restless.
"The difficulties on the border have not been resolved yet, and Yang Zhen raises his troops to rebel again. What if..." Yang Xiao suddenly paused mid-sentence, and a look of worry gradually appeared in his eyes.
Su Li understood that Yang Xiao's concerns were not just about Yang Zhen. Dongfangze was in Biandu, and he knew very well what the situation was like in the city. And Sheng's 300,000-strong army is still stationed on the border. With his ambition and ability, if he waits for an opportunity and takes advantage of the chaos to attack Bian, it will be easy!
Dongfangze wanted to dominate the world, and the current situation was just right. She couldn't tell what his plans were for the moment. She only knew that the top priority was to bring Hu'erdu back from the border for rescue. Only by working together internally and externally could it be possible to repel Yang Zhen and control the situation.
While he was thinking to himself, he suddenly heard someone coming into the palace to report that Lin Tian, the envoy of the Sheng Kingdom, was outside the palace requesting an audience. Su Li's heart moved slightly. Why did he come here now?
Yang Xiao's expression changed slightly, which was a bit unexpected. He glanced at Su Li unconsciously and said in a deep voice: "Pass."
Not long after, Dongfangze's tall figure appeared at the door of Qinzheng Hall. He walked straight to Su Li and asked straight to the point: "Biandu is in a hurry, what are your plans?"
He spoke bluntly, and Su Li looked at him quickly with a complicated expression.
Yang Xiao's eyes flashed and he asked instead, "What's your opinion?"
Dongfang Zedao: "Before the reinforcements arrive, it is not advisable to attack head-on, just defend to the death. The capital has enough food to last for a month or two. But in order to avoid long nights and nightmares, Yang Zhen must rush ahead of the reinforcements and do everything possible. Capture the capital as soon as possible!"
Yang Xiao's mind was slightly shaken. What Dongfang Ze said was completely consistent with what he was thinking. I was still a little worried at first, worried that he would use this to have some agenda. Could it be that he ignored the danger and stayed in Biandu just for... her?
He narrowed his eyes and looked at the man standing proudly in front of him. He seemed to be still weighing the situation. Thinking of the agreement, he felt an inexplicable coldness in his heart. After a moment of silence, Yang Xiao said sarcastically: "Your Excellency, you have indeed prepared for a rainy day and know yourself and your enemy."
Dongfangze raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly.
Yang Xiao's eyes turned cold and he said in a deep voice: "How can you guarantee that the 300,000-strong army of Sheng Kingdom will not attack in autumn?"
Dongfang Ze didn't say anything, but just looked at Su Li, his eyes softening like water for a moment, as if he had a deep meaning.
Su Li didn't forget that this was his silent hint that he would never forget the promise he made to her. She couldn't help feeling suffocated in her heart, and she didn't dare to look directly into his gentle eyes. She quickly looked away, stabilized her thoughts, and said in a deep voice: "Since the other party is prepared, they will definitely prevent the city from sending people to the border to mobilize troops." She thought quickly, "This matter is of great importance, and there must be no room for error. We need to find someone with strong martial arts skills and quick response."
Dongfangze smiled faintly and reminded her: "There are ready-made people around you."
Yang Xiao's eyes suddenly lit up, "Xuan Si Envoy!"
The four Wan Xin people quickly came to the palace. Su Li's eyes slowly passed over the faces of the four people. He already had a calculation in his heart and ordered in a deep voice: "Xiang Li, Qin Heng, listen carefully, there is something very important right now." The important task is for you two to do."
Qin Heng suddenly realized, "Move reinforcements?"
"Yes." "He is indeed a first-class expert in charge of investigating intelligence. He knew what he meant when he heard what he said. Su Li nodded approvingly, "The situation in Biandu City is critical. If we want to solve the problem, we must mobilize troops to help as soon as possible. Qin Heng is bold and careful, and he observes every detail. "Xiang Li's Qinggong is first-class and he can react very quickly. You two go to the border together. You must notify Hu'erdu to return to Biandu for support as soon as possible."
Qin Heng and Xiang Li immediately said: "I obey my orders."
"Jiang Yuan changed his mind and immediately ordered the eight-point helmsman to use all the strength of the sect to rush to Biandu. I have ordered Elder Xuanfeng to return to the main altar to take charge. During this period, he will be responsible for all matters in the sect. .have you understood?
Jiang Yuan knew that this important matter in front of him was related to the fate of the Bian royal family, so he couldn't help but straighten his expression and said in unison: "I obey my orders!"
Su Li turned his eyes slightly, looked deeply at Xiang Li and Qin Heng, and said solemnly: "Biandu is far away from the border. The journey here is very dangerous. You two must... be careful. The task is of course important, but more important Protect your own safety at all times.”
Although her words were plain, she was full of genuine concern. Xiang Li and Qin Heng felt their hearts heat up and nodded silently. Jiang Yuan walked up to Qin Heng, took out a few small porcelain bottles from his arms and handed them over, "These are my newly developed wound medicine and detoxification pills. Keep them with you in case of emergencies." His usual cold and arrogant expression was rare. It was dignified and solemn, with a low voice.
He stood aside in silence, with a look of worry on his face. Since leaving Shengguo, these four people have followed Su Li wholeheartedly. They have experienced life and death, and have been together day and night. They have already established a deep relationship, which is far beyond what they could compare to when they were fighting among themselves in Shenmen. At this time, they are suddenly about to separate, and life and death in the road ahead are uncertain, and it is inevitable to feel reluctant to let go.
The atmosphere was stagnant for a moment, with a hint of separation and sadness.
Xiang Li looked at everyone's faces, and suddenly smiled relaxedly and said: "Why are you so grim-faced, as if you can't come back after you go."
The heart immediately changes color slightly.
"Don't worry, in terms of Qinggong, few people in this world can catch up with me. The two of us go out on our own, so it's absolutely foolproof! Besides, Xiao Heng and I haven't married yet to continue the family line! We will definitely not die! Right? , Xiao Heng." Xiang Li raised his eyebrows, put his arm on Qin Heng's shoulders affectionately, and joked without being serious.
Qin Heng rolled his eyes and mocked him: "Yes. I'm afraid that you will have too many romantic debts and be chased by women. You will have no time to pass on the incense to your ancestors."
Xiang Li laughed loudly, "Death under the peonies, it's cool to be a ghost." His free and hearty laughter immediately dispelled a bit of sadness.
She cast a glance at him and suddenly said coldly: "If you want to be a romantic ghost, you have to save your life and come back safely!"
Her tone was a little tough, but she couldn't hide her care.
Xiang Li couldn't help but be stunned. He turned his peach blossom eyes and approached with a smile: "What Miao said makes sense. For the sake of beauty, the most important thing is to save your life. What's more... the flower I want to pick the most has not been picked yet, no matter what, I can't pick it." You can't risk your life!" At the end of his sentence, his voice gradually softened, an evil smile curled up on his lips, but there was a rare seriousness in his eyes.
These words are somewhat ambiguous. Wan Xin's heart skipped a beat and she was speechless. She turned her head and stopped looking at him. Everyone saw the extremely subtle changes between the two people and seemed to have some understanding.
Su Li smiled faintly and said: "It's getting late, you guys go on your way. Go early and come back early." Yang Xiao handed the sealed oracle to Xiang Li, and Su Li warned again: "Go through the secret road and pass through Chi." Lianshan to Tianmen."
No more words were said at the moment, and the four of them took their orders and left.
Su Li looked at the backs of everyone, feeling a little sad for no reason.
"Why, are you worried about them? Don't worry, they are all top-notch masters in the world. They can protect themselves even if they are surrounded by thousands of troops. They will definitely live up to your trust." Dongfang Ze's voice came, and Su Li After a pause, he strode out of the hall.
Dongfang Ze stood there, his tall figure becoming increasingly lonely.
"Are you really willing to help me for her? Do you really don't want such a good opportunity to dominate the world?" Yang Xiao came forward and looked at him.
Dongfangze's gentle eyes turned cold instantly: "You don't need to know what I am for. You just need to keep our agreement." After saying that, he strode away without looking back.