Lu Wenjun and Ashina have been secretly in love for some time. Because the eldest princess strongly opposed it and has been keeping a strict watch on them recently, they were invited to stay in the Forbidden Garden this time and they looked for an opportunity to meet.
Yesterday, she asked her brother to reject the invitation of King Kang, and quietly went out from the North Horse Drinking Gate of the Forbidden Garden guarded by Ashina's people. Ashina was waiting for her there. Then the two of them met secretly, and went to Qingyue Tower, forgetting each other and not returning home all night until the person was found.
The night wind rushed into the vast and cold Seven Star Hall.
Han Kerang had just reported what he was saying when Yuan Zhi followed him in with the sound of hurried footsteps, reporting another piece of news he had received.
Recently, some of the prince's men have been frequently contacting Taoist priest Chen Xuhe.
This Chen Xuhe was the chief Taoist official who used to lead other Taoists in refining elixirs for the emperor. He held a high status in the palace. But ever since the princess returned to the court and the emperor gave up making elixirs and took imperial medicine instead, he had no choice but to return to his Baihe Temple in the mountains outside the city.
Afterwards, Yuan Zhi, who was ordered to monitor the Eastern Palace, noticed that a guest of the prince secretly entered and exited the White Crane Temple, and his behavior was suspicious. He sent someone to the Taoist temple and bribed a trusted disciple of Chen Xuhe with a large sum of money. Then he learned that Chen Xuhe was proficient in fire alchemy. When he used the fire alum method to refine medicine in the past, he accidentally discovered that by refining saltpeter, sulfur and other medicines together, he could get a black powder that was extremely easy to burn and explode. If the black medicine was filled into a sealed container and ignited by a fire signal, it would be so powerful that it was said that flesh and blood within three feet would be severely injured.
Just now, the disciple sent a secret report that Chen Xuhe, with the help of the craftsmen, worked day and night in the cave in the back mountain to secretly make an iron ball called caltrop thunder. It is a fist-sized ball made of iron blades and caltrops together with black medicine. So far, a total of ten balls have been made, which will explode when exposed to fire.
Just today during the day, the batch of iron balls were taken away.
"The person who took the iron ball came from the East Palace."
"Your Majesty, do you want me to summon the Crown Prince immediately?"
Yuan Zhi held his breath and waited for orders.
The emperor moved slightly.
He stepped down from the throne. Zhao Zhongfang came to help him, but the emperor pushed him away.
He walked towards the tent curtain hanging down and fluttering in the wind at the northwest corner of the hall. Two eunuchs guarding outside the tent hurriedly lifted the curtain.
The emperor walked to a bed behind the tent, and in the light of a dimly flickering soul-calling lamp in the corner, he lowered his head and gazed with sad eyes at the lifeless King Kang lying on the bed.
He slowly unbuttoned his coat and gently covered King Kang's face with it.
Outside the Seven Stars Hall, the exhausted officials who had been waiting for a whole day finally saw the emperor appear and walk out of the hall.
The emperor's figure was steady and his steps were square. If it weren't for the lingering layer of frost covering his face, he would have looked almost the same as usual.
However, at this moment, everyone present clearly felt a cold and murderous aura that was pressing down on them as the emperor appeared.
After a chaotic and slight commotion, all the officials quickly returned to their seats, trembling with fear and trepidation, and knelt on both sides of the palace road, bowed their heads, and held their breath, not daring to make any unnecessary noise.